Giving every £ a job

savingholmes

It certainly sounds interesting. Never knew that was a thing!

Blackcats

@Sun_Addict and @savingholmes - apparently camel milk chocolate is a fairly new concept.  To be fair 2 of the grandsons always try to buy something silly/cheeky for MrBC and so this was their choice.  I can't imagine milking a camel 😳

met up with friends for a coffee this afternoon - forgot our loyalty card (again) so started yet another one.  Eventually we will get one fully stamped.

we will need petrol tomorrow and a small top up shop on Friday but no other spends are needed/planned this month.  Grocery budget will be about £2 under budget as long as I don't succumb to a conventional bar of cadburys .

🐙 are reducing our monthly payment.  I read in the MSE newsletter that it might be a good time to opt for a fixed deal so I'll need to look into that.  It's easy in the summer to not worry about energy bills but it will be worth spending a few minutes doing some research.  We are going to ask for a £200 refund of the existing credit on our account which will still leave £272 in credit as a buffer for the winter.

healthy eating was a marinated chicken kebab and salad.

PennysIntoPounds

Can't be any worse than milking any other creature, it's all a bit weird when you think about it!

Would the coffee place combine your stamps if you took the cards in at the same time?

I think in your retirement with your good mse ways you are allowed a bar of cadburys when you fancy it

Good thinking on the energy bills and nice to get some back so it's you getting interest not them

Blackcats

@PennysIntoPounds - we have a stash of coffee shop loyalty cards with 2 or 3 stamps on each so perhaps I can be a grown up MSE'r and complete the simple task of getting a card fully stamped.  Though that's not a licence for MrBC to traipse round all the coffee shops buying coffee in order to eventually get a free coffee. 

Talking of MrBC he cooked a yummy dinner tonight - baked feta and tomato pasta.  We saved the recipe ages ago and now I've tidied the recipe folder up I'm trying to chose a couple of new recipes each month to try out.  This one is a definite keeper and there are leftovers for tomorrow! 

Spent a relaxed couple of hours doing admin and budget related tasks in my lovely HQ room.  Feeling quite organised and ready for June.  I've set our grocery budget at £350.00 and will make sure I post regularly on the grocery challenge thread to keep track of spending.

PennysIntoPounds

Ooh that sounds nice, how was the feta baked?

lucielle

That meal does sound lovely. I’ve been trying a few different recipes and found a lovely chicken one with crème fraiche. Can’t remember the name but it was so nice I’ve cooked it again and the best bit was I did it in the air fryer. 

L

[Deleted User]

Wow you've been busy!  Loving the feta and tomato recipe, can you post it here as sounds like something we'd love?

Well done on getting in front of all of your budgets.  So envious of your retirement!

Blackcats

The recipe was cut out of a magazine yonks ago so I can't post a link but I've typed it out 

baked feta pasta - serves 4

650g cherry tomatoes 
3 garlic cloves peeled and sliced
large handful of basil leaves
4 tbs olive oil
200g block feta
400g dried pasta 

step 1
preheat oven 200/180 fan/gas 6 (we used the air fryer on roast setting)
place the tomatoes, garlic and half the torn basil leaves into a roasting dish that's a snug fit 
toss with oil and season (we added some finely chopped red chillis)
put the feta on top and bake for 30 minutes 

step 2
after 15 minutes cook the pasta 
reserve 1 mug of cooking water 

step 3
stir the drained pasta into the baked tomatoes and feta 
if it's a bit dry add some of the reserved water
top with remaining basil and serve immediately 

we had leftovers tonight and added a tin of tuna and a handful of olives which worked well

we went for a coffee this morning which enabled us to have a very productive conversation about some plans for our garden.  Sometimes a change of scene really helps clarify thinking - £5 well spent.  Garden inspiration still evolving but very pleased with our ideas and even better reaching agreement on next steps, timescale and budget.

wandered over to our local cricket club and watched the final 20 overs of a match and now settling down to watch the Champions League final.

Apparently it's going to be warmer tomorrow so I'm washing the bedding tonight ready to go on the line in the morning.  I don't mind too much about drying clothes on the airer but bedding and towels are so much better dried outside.  

I've hit my £10 a week survey target - lots of small paying surveys this week but it all adds up.

Blackcats

Today has flown by in a flash!
we went to the garden centre to get some inspiration for our garden work and managed to keep my purse shut (for now).  Even the coffee was free using our Dobbies' card.
Did a few surveys but they were very low payers so hopefully there will be more as the week progresses.
Dealt with one financial frog and another, unrelated frog has reared its slimy green head.  Decided that it can wait til tomorrow.

lucielle

Free coffees taste so much better!  Hope you manage to whip the frogs into shape. 

L