Seasidegal's Scrimpy Retirement Diary!

Seasidegal58

@milann - yes it was a good class.

Now that I wake up later since retiring I don't eat breakfast anymore - I wait and have brunch instead. Then have a dinner in the evening.  Today I made the SW free quick tomato sauce - I also added some grated carrot and threw in a tin of kidney beans - the extras plus the accompanying pasta was all free too. I have enough made for four meals.  I also put some flaxseed in the sauce to thicken and use it as my 'B' choice Healthy Extra.   I've also cooked some broccoli sprinkled with soy sauce to accompany it. 

I always enjoy my morning coffee though so I measured out 200ml of Oatly to use as one of my 'A' extras. I am allowed 400ml per day but don't use that much for my coffees so am I allowed a little extra over my second daily  'A' choice of 35gm blue cheese which I used to sprinkle over the pasta?🤔

I cleaned the bathroom - sorted out the cupboard under the wash basin and the wall cupboards, scrubbed the bath, washed the inside of the window, cleaned the blind and mirrors and and mopped the floor. 

The dates for the London Christmas show that we always go to have been announced. We've decided to try a different one this November. We've always gone to Olympia but the last few times we have gone it's been a real pain coming home as we come into London from the east and Olympia's away over in west London. We're going to try one that's being held in Islington which is much better for us Essex girls!😀

MSE SCRIMPY THINGS 
Today is the first day of my new month finance wise so I allocated my pension monies into all the relevant categories on YNAB.   This month's special events are the ELO tribute concert on Saturday, Mama Mia with DSis in a couple of weeks time and the Slimming World sabotaging cheese and wine evening!🤣

DSis texted to say she had booked the tickets for 'Drifters Girl' for December so I put what I owed her (£90) over to her bank along with some cash for her OH's grand-nephew's birthday.

Sunshine_girl2

Glad to see you have thrown yourself right into the slimming world language of which I don't understand but it sounds good . 

You have some lovely theatre trips to look forward to , I understand what you mean about the Christmas event and being in East London much better for all as long as the last limo driver isn't taking you 😂. 

Seasidegal58

@Sunshine_girl2 - if he turned up we'd jump on the train!🤣🤣🤣

joedenise

@Seasidegal58 - if you are only having half HEA of milk then of course you can have 1.5's worth of cheese but not all blue cheeses are HEA unfortunately; I think only Danish Blue is HEA so if it's anything else then you should syn it.  Hope that makes sense.  Having said that I think a lot of people would just use any blue cheese as HEA although it isn't the SW way.

Why not come over and join us on the SW thread - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6283747/lose-lockdown-lard-with-slimming-world#latest - you can ask as many questions as you like and there will usually be someone around to answer any question.

Seasidegal58

Will do @joedenise - meant to earlier but internet was playing up. 

milann

I love hearing what different people eat. I wouldn’t think to put soy sauce on broccoli unless it was in a mixed veg stir fry.
it sounds as if you are making a good start 👍

Seasidegal58

Thanks @milann. My DD put me on to the idea of the soy sauce to give plain side veg a bit of a kick. 

Yesterday my new Sky hub arrived - it all looked quite easy instruction wise but the cable that came with it wasn't long enough as the telephone box is in the hall and I have to connect the Apple TV and TV cables to the hub. After frantically talking to DSis's OH on the phone and relaying various photos,I was advised to use the current cable and see if that was ok. I didn't think I could use it with the new hub but thankfully it worked and I now have internet in good working order!👍

Today I went up to London to have an appointment for a solution to my thinning hair problem as it's really getting me down now - I had to have a passport type photo taken for my new bus pass the other week and my hair looked awful - it really brought it home to me.  My hair isn't going to get any better so I have bitten the bullet and am going to get  an hair extension type solution on the crown of my head .  The initial cost is a bit eye watering (but not as much as I thought as my hair isn't as bad as some) - but my final bonus from work will cover this and the upkeep appointments cost around the same as I pay my current hairdresser. The whole thing will have to be redone every two years but I am going to have a new YNAB pot for this.  A good friend has told me that a friend of hers had had it done and never looked back. 

MSE SCRIMPY THINGS 
Well I had to pay a deposit for the hair solution was wasn't exactly very scrimpy but needs must!😱

I still had loyalty points from my now defunct train season ticket to pay for my ticket to London but had to pay for the tube fare as I forgot my Oyster card. ☹️  I also had a coffee and small piece of cake (Slimming World syns counted) when I was waiting for my appointment and a taxi back to my home from my local station on the way back. 

Plus points were I received £11 today in M&S loyalty vouchers from my M&S credit card and some money off vouchers as well. 😃

in_need_of_direction

Did you ever think that you’d head to London without your Oyster card? Shows just how much your life has changed.

I also think that the boost you’ll get from the hair treatment will be worth the money.  You have worked out how to afford it so enjoy

Sun_Addict

Definitely a good use of money to make you feel better about your hair. Things like that knock your confidence so well worth it.

Seasidegal58

Thanks for the support @in_need_of_direction and @Sun_Addict. 😃

inod - I agree about the Oyster card!  It's been sitting in a drawer since we were all sent home from work at the start of the first lockdown!  I used to keep it in a holder with my season ticket, which of course I don't have any more. 

Today I've had to wait in for my Waitrose delivery as they only had one van delivering in my area last night and the poor driver finally rang me to say he couldn't fulfil the order and it would come today.  I told him to go home and go to bed!

Tonight I'm off to the ELO Experience concert with some friends at our local theatre. Should be good!  I'll be having two gins with slimline tonic as my synful treats!😋

MSE SCRIMPY THINGS 
Apart from the monthly Waitrose order, spends today will be the above drinks. My friend's husband is kindly dropping us off at the theatre and picking us up so no spends needed for taxis. 😀