Making money make sense

Franalamadingdong

Coconut cookies....

• 2 and 1/2 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
•  1 teaspoon baking soda
•  3/4 teaspoon salt
•  1 cup (2 stick/225 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
•  3/4 cup (150 g) dark brown sugar (light works too)
•  3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
•  2 large eggs
•  1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
•  2 cups toasted shredded coconut , plus 1/4 cup more for rolling the cookies

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line pans with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for one minute until creamy. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at at time. Beat in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Add coconut and mix slowly just until combined. Do not overmix.

4. Place 1/4 cup shredded coconut in a small bowl. 

5. Roll dough into balls, using about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll in coconut, and place onto prepared baking sheet (it's easy to do this with an ice-cream scoop). Press the cookies down slightly since they won't spread much as they bake. Bake for 9-12 minutes, until cookies just begin to brown at the edges, but the center is still soft. It's important not to overbake the cookies or they will become hard. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months.

They're really yummy. The boyfriend took a box home and the boy has been asking for one at every opportunity! 

Franalamadingdong

The boyfriend and I had a chat about everything. He was a little shocked at how much I have squirrelled away. He's pretty easy going. He just wanted me to tell him how much money to give me each month. We agreed that fuel comes out of household expenses but mot, service, insurance etc for each of us we pay ourselves. He straight up said the food budget will double when he moves in and he said "whatever you think" when I said he shouldn't have to pay towards Nate's clubs etc.
The debt he has he wants to clear before he moves in. And it's the only debt he has. I just have student debt, which is more like a tax and so said we should each be responsible for our own debts that we bring in. We've got similar credit scores. I have more saved but that's because I'm more sensible with my money, because I have a child who has only had me to depend on, so I've needed to be sensible. I am surprised at how much easier things will be with two incomes. He said "so I just need £1k a month and I'll be sorted" but I explained that even though splitting expenses brings us to about £650 each if it's 50/50, if he brings £1k and I bring £1.6k I am not splitting it 50/50, it'll be proportional. I think he's seen there's not so much pressure. 

Do you know, it was a really good talk. There's some things we need to get for the house sooner rather than later. Namely new sofas for the lounge. I want new carpet in there before the sofa, but I'll probably compromise on that, I just felt it would be easier. He wants a new bed for our room, one with extra storage. He also wants to build built in wardrobes because he has so much clothing.... Then had the cheek to ask me to go through my clothes, which I did this summer just gone and I got rid of LOADS of stuff. I actually decluttered the entire house last year! 
Anyway, it went really well, and I feel much better about our situation. He even rather sweetly asked if I needed to match my emergency fund, I said yes, to add to it, so we have 3 months of expenses if we need it, but it doesn't need to be right now. 

Lots of changes afoot. Fingers crossed there may be a job coming up at a college near here! 

Blackcats

thanks for the recipe - I shall try that.  I'm a bit taken aback at the number of ingredients on shop bought biscuits and shocked at how long their sell by dates are.  I don't actually eat many biscuits (I'm a chocoholic) but I'd rather make my own.

Franalamadingdong

No problem. I like to bake something most weeks and often look for new recipes. 

My new baby niece has arrived! And her and her mum are both doing well.  

Franalamadingdong

New recipe for this week will be Portuguese custard tarts ... If the double cream came out of the freezer ok! 
The boy did amazingly well playing the cello in front of the whole school - a couple of mum's videoed it and sent it to me as they saw I wasn't there. 
He's been so good recently. Although he has also declared that he's had enough of his dad, so still might be a bit up and down. 
Food shop came in under budget and the boyfriend and I might have found the right new sofa for us. It means I can use my credit card - woop - I'm trying to build credit history and it gets paid in full each month. The one I like was the cheapest we looked at, and it then has 20% off, plus 3 year accidental cover for spills, tears etc for £90, which might pay for itself with a 9 year old boy! So, a chat tonight to make sure he's happy and we'll get it delivered when he's actually here! And then we can order it! It takes me a while to make a decision, but when I do I hate waiting. Sadly it means I need to move some of my laptop pot (£300) into the home and garden pot (£200). I figure having the money saved allows me to manoever it around to where it's needed at the time. The boyfriend might tell me to calm down and wait though. He wanted a corner sofa, and this is a green velvet corner sofa (10 year frame warranty) on the Independent top 10 sofas list (although that was as a regular, not or corner) and the fabric has spill guard, so it shouldn't get yucky. 
Anyway, it's exciting for me as nearly all of my furniture is at least second hand. It's exciting to get to pick it out and get what we want.... I also loved a pink/coral velvet sofa, but the green one is bigger and I should really try to not make everything pink.

Blackcats

That sofa sounds gorgeous and it will be a real treat that you can enjoy every day.  You can accessorise it with pink cushions etc which I'm sure you can make yourself.  

You must be very proud of your son.  

I'll look forward to hearing about the custard tarts - they are one of my favourites 

Franalamadingdong

Don't worry, I have a fine collection of cushions the floor really needs to be done before the sofa.... It's spelling an expensive time. But I'm putting my foot down with getting a new bed just yet. He really only wants one that is higher and has storage. The living room on the other hand has had it. 

The boyfriend has had a lovely £2k old tax bill come through. Urgh. He's paid £1500 off (he was planning on over paying his loan) and is paying £150 a month for the next 3 months. So it'll all be cleared before he moves in.

So the sofa might have to wait a little bit longer. Especially as the floor needs doing too. We're having the carpet vs laminate discussion at the moment. I'm starting to lean to a dark (maybe teak) laminate. 
In good news the housing people have replaced the tiles that are over the bathroom to something that won't rip off in a storm. So that's something! 
And I didn't spend any money today. Parent's consultation tomorrow, so might have a little spend getting the boy a treat after that. 

Blackcats

Boo to the tax bill but it's good that you and BF can be open about money and that there is a plan to pay the bill off quickly.  Is the cost of laminate similar to the cost of carpet?
i hope parents evening was good.

Franalamadingdong

Parent's evening went very well. I'm lucky, he's such an easy kid in terms of schooling. Last year was bad, he started to hate school, lost interest in learning and wasn't himself. He's back to himself now thankfully! 
I think the flooring will be similar cost wise, but laminate easier to maintain. I've ordered some free samples for us to look over. I know the boyfriend would rather laminate and a carpet, and he wants a corner sofa. So I think that I get to pick the styles/colours joking, but I have the eye for colour. It's nice because we're doing this - that desperately needs doing. And he's adding built in wardrobes in our bedroom. So it'll very much feel like our home, rather than just him moving in to my house.
I forgot to get breadcrumbs and just had bread in the freezer this morning. Then, brainwave, bash up the old crackers in the cupboard! #winning #nospend #except for the other bits I needed to get

Blackcats

Hi Fran, it's nice to chose things for your home together - that way you will both be involved and happy with the results.  I'm not too bad with choosing colours but I'm no good at visualising how to arrange furniture in a room so a corner sofa frightens me 😂