How much to live on

Organgrinder

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82136557#Comment_82136557

It's taking a bit of getting used to. I've been doing a bit of cycling, guitar playing and cooking from scratch though I had to rejig this week's menu as I wasn't feeling great yesterday. So pad Thai was today and our fake nandos will be tomorrow!

I'm dying to use the pizza oven again. I've just ordered an infra red digital thermometer to check the stone is hot enough and am now after a metal bar to hold the logs in place.

I find the whole process really enjoyable. Getting the dough right, stretching the base (I'm a bit clumsy), lighting the oven, launching the pizza etc etc. I need some coarse semolina too so will go in search of that tomorrow in readiness for the weekend.

Next on list .... trying to get Oasis tickets for next year!

Wish me luck!

helensbiggestfan

Very interesting to read the Day in the Life (Retirement Editions) ……..Oasis concerts 😁. Good luck, hope you get tickets. The adventures with the pizza oven sound great. My eldest son invested in an outdoor smoker. He cooks some amazing meals with it.

My adventures this last few days……Sunday my handyman and my eldest son removed my old furniture and put in on the drive ready for Wednesday pickup. Over the next few days the plan is to use the space to Vax some rugs. Did the first one yesterday. Whilst the furniture is out of the room I'll also touch up some scuff marks on the walls (courtesy of the grandkids, bless their little cotton socks). New sofa arrives next Tuesday. It replaces a sectional which dominated the room so I shall see about adding additional seating and a new coffee table. One thing at a time to make sure I don't overcrowd the room.

My helpers also dug up the dead shrubs so yesterday I replanted some baby shrubs, a baby flowering cherry tree and some perennials I have been nursing in pots over the summer. I figure it's cool enough now and we've been getting more rain so hopefully this lot won't die on me.

Over the next couple of days my plan is to sort out and reorganise the garage, I reckon probably a 2 day job. When I moved here I gave the removal men detailed instructions where I wanted everything placed in the garage which they ignored. Lol. So now I'm finally getting round to organising it my way. Of course I'm still storing stuff for one of my sons but that goes without saying. 😱.

Just done my Ocado shop for delivery tomorrow whilst drinking a cup of coffee.

Life in the fast lane…….😂🤣

Organgrinder

Ah the dreaded garage sort out! I can at least now walk through mine!

But have been in it today, doing an hour on my indoor bike.

This followed an hour on my guitar in the morning and a trip to the shops where I bought some semolina flour for use with the pizza oven. If the weather holds it will be tried out over the weekend.

I also had a voucher for a free coffee at McDonald's - now I must confess I cannot understand why people pay £4 or whatever in Starbucks or Costa, so a free one even if from McDonald's seems good to me and very nice it was too.

louby40

Organgrinder…..I met some friends on Friday for a coffee catchup and paid a whopping £4.50 for a medium cappuccino. It's scandalous. Obviously I bought a coffee and saw it as the cost of meeting up with lovely friends but I did gasp at the price.

Things are unbelievably expensive here in the uk.

Supply work has been non-existent so far this term. I've signed up for it again but to be honest I'm dreading the phone call offering me work. I'm very torn as to whether to stop completely but the extra money does come in very, very handy. If I chose to stop I certainly would have to dip into my savings (which chatgp tells me would be fine) - but that decision to NEVER work again is a big one.

So because of the lack of work, I'm off to meet my Nordic walking group this morning . We walk around a local lake and then go for coffee. This coffee place is also expensive + parking!

Hoping the rain stays away….

helensbiggestfan

£4.50. For a cappuccino is outrageous. Lol. I am a bit of coffee snob and I find very few cafes or restaurants make it to my liking. If I'm out I'll drink it to be sociable but I much prefer my own Columbian, made in my cafetière and served with cream. And maybe a nice biscuit or square of good chocolate. 😂

My oven gave up the ghost yesterday (hopefully it's just the element). So until I either get it repaired or replaced I have ordered a small countertop one, hopefully arriving today. It might even be better/cheaper in electricity in the long run for when I'm just cooking for one. It will also be useful as a back up for when I'm entertaining because my main oven is only a single. I do miss my double oven at times. If ever I redo this kitchen I will definitely replace the single oven with a double, although it would mean completely rejigging the layout.

Hey ho, the downside of downsizing, not just fewer rooms, but also smaller rooms.

Louby do they get a bit iffy if you decline an offer of work, do they then ask you less often. If you are not penalised for when you decline then maybe keep the door open for now. Keep your options open.

louby40

@helensbiggestfan I'm with two agencies and if I don't want to work I play them off against the other 😉 and say I've already got work. Neither of them know.

I only request 2-3 days a week. But yes I should just keep my options open really.

It's just so nice having no firm plans and pleasing myself.

Hope you get your oven sorted.

Organgrinder

@helensbiggestfan - clearly it is a day for appliances to give up the ghost - our tumble dryer stopped working this morning - it's not the belt so not a straightforward fix - in any event the new breed of heat pump tumble dryer are much more efficient so I've ordered a new one which will pay for itself in under 3 years. It's Mrs O's birthday soon - needless to say I've bought wrapping paper too! 😉As for coffee, we have a bean to cup machine - and I simply cannot fault it. Perfect Americanos each time.

@louby40 - I think I can already understand how the thought of NEVER working is a little daunting - I do wonder at times if I could still be doing more - then I think I have another round of exam marking coming up which will fill my time.

helensbiggestfan

Oh Lordy. Please tell me the new tumble dryer is not a birthday gift for your wife. 😱😂

I very quickly trained my husband with a simple sentence. "The smaller the box, the better the gift". 🤣. When we were in funds the box would come from a good jewellers, when we were skint it would come from Jan's Jewels, a stall on the market. Either way I never minded which. As long as it was pretty I didn't care whether it was a cheap bit of costume jewellery or something a bit more elevated.

True story. My husband and I used to love browsing antique fairs and flea markets. One day, shortly after we met, we went to a local antique fair. I spotted a really pretty Victorian ring, featuring a minuscule diamond shaped emerald, flanked by two small seed pearls. It was very unusual, not valuable as such because the stones were so tiny, but the workmanship was exquisite. The seller wanted £29.

My husband to be asked if I would like it as an engagement ring. (That was his idea of a romantic marriage proposal, ha ha). Anyway, I said yes I would. He then tried to haggle with the vendor. I was outraged. Lol. I said you are not going to haggle over the cost of my engagement ring. The vendor roared with laughter and knocked £2 off it.

A win-win scenario.

PS. The one exception to this rule was when he surprised me one birthday with a bright turquoise mini. I had no idea and was totally gobsmacked, but dead chuffed obviously. I always loved minis and have had several over the years. Sadly they are too low for me now, I would struggle to get out of one. 😂🤣.

Organgrinder

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82138792#Comment_82138792

Definitely not! Though I was tempted as a joke!

silverwhistle

Ah… the fortune I must have saved by hating coffee, and that's including years living in Italy! Those prices; it's a quid cheaper to have a pint in my sailing club bar. :-) Obviously fewer occasions when it's appropriate, so that also saves!

But I do like my tea, but not having a kitchen at the moment and the workers in for the last couple of weeks I've been using tea bags. Such a relief to go back to loose tea.

As for teaching, @louby40, I do one on line language lesson a week and that annually comes in just under the HMRC de minimis limit of £1k, so no tax or extra admin, very little LP, and funds for my annual trip to Italy. :-).