Mrs. P's Savings, Paying Off CC, being more organised diary

EssexHebridean

belated happy birthday! 

we still do have things that we do leave on at the wall but in a lot of cases their background electric use is so titchy that it's just not worth the hassle. I started turning the microwave off at the switch a while back - as that's not the newest and obviously has the clock on it when it's on I figured that might be worth it. We've also labelled up the plugs for things that sit down the back of our TV unit so we can easily see what's what. Those are all on a power block with individual switches and everything we don't use regularly is now off at the switch - while we're away it will literally just be the sky box left on, I think. 

MrsPorridge

NSD 0/10

Aiming for 10 NSDs this month - but we are away for 7 days so hoping I can get back on track.  Its been a really spendy August, we are away this month and I really do want to buckle down and get some savings under our belt for holidays next year.

Today I had a toasted teacake at the local cafe, my excuse was that we want pasties for lunch and if I don't get to the pasty shop early they will sell out!  So it's pasties for lunch.

I have made a batch of dough to make some muffins that we can toast for breakfast etc.,  I think we might end up having one of those with cheese on top - so cheese on toast - for supper tonight, as after a pasty I don't think we will want a big dinner.  There is also some apple pie left over to finish.

Hoovering done this morning.

To do is to check our tickets etc., for our holiday we leave next Saturday and also check clothes we want to take, see if anything needs washing.  We aren't going far - only to Devon.

A real change in the weather today.  Still quite warm and muggy but very drizzly rain.

MrsPorridge

NSD 0/10

We started the day with breakfast at the village café and I also popped to the farm shop to get some eggs

A very windy, but sunny day, so final bits of washing ready for our holiday are now line drying.

I’ve also batch cooked courgette loaves, which I will slice and freeze, ready for toasting for breakfasts.

Banking done and money shuffled around. 

No lunch as we had the cooked breakfast.  Tonight it’s a mix grill.  They sell them at our local butchers, you get one sausage, one chicken breast, one steak, one gammon steak and one pork slice all for £3.99.  So one of those easily does two – they are quite small cuts of meat but perfect for two.  We will have that cooked on the bbq with baked potatoes and some spiralised courgettes.  A bit of a meat feast today – will make up for it tomorrow with a veggie day J

MrsPorridge

NSD 1/10

My first NSD of the month.

Woke to rain, but now seems to be drying up a bit.

This morning I finalised our packing – just got the ironing to do.  Wondering whether it would be worth investing in a travel iron.  Now we have changed our holidays and are stopping at B&Bs and hotels it may be worth it I think.  Or do I just take my normal iron?

Finished sewing the sleeves in my dress.  I made it with long sleeves and I have to say I am really pleased with it – it’s a largish pink flowery fabric!  I am trying to replace my wardrobe with much brighter colours and more home made garments which are a good fit.  I just now need to give it a good press and hem the bottom and the sleeves and top sew around the V neck and it’s finished.

My friend is coming around this afternoon for our sewing session.  The nightie I made a while back, I notice that the lace trim Is coming off – my hand sewing obviously not too good on that one – so I’ll sew that up while she’s here and I am also knitting another jumper for the winter so will get on with that.  Also on the go is another long pair of socks to wear on the motorbike, so plenty of handicrafts to keep me occupied in the coming winter months.  There seems to be a lot of new dramas coming on TV as well – I love a good murder mystery and there seems to be quite a few.  I am enjoying The Capture at the moment.  What is good also, is the fact that I was able to rewatch the first series on the Iplayer before watching the second – always good to have a reminder of what went on.

Breakfast was crossant warmed in the Remoska (my goodness I have been using that so much lately), lunch scrambled eggs and dinner tonight is jacket potato (again cooked in Remoska) with beans and cheese.

DS got me Jamie’s One pan cookbook for my birthday and there are a lot of things in there I like the look of.  When we come back from holidays I will be trying out a few of those.

MrsPorridge

NSD 1/10

Today I made two apple pies plus some sausage rolls.  Apples were from a friend of DH’s.  All have gone in the freezer.

Some housework done, cobwebs cleared.  We seem to have lots of cobwebs and spiders about this year no idea why.

I bought some material and a pattern for a lap quilt.

Breakfast was pancakes with banana and syrup, skipped lunch and dinner tonight was steak night at the local pub.

MrsPorridge

NSD 2/10

Very sad time at the moment.

However, we are all packed ready for our week away.

Breakfast was pancakes with stewed apples and banana, lunch soup and tonight we are having fishcakes and oven chips with veggies.

We will be up early tomorrow and off.

MrsPorridge

NSD 4/10

Back from our holidays on the Sunday.  What a sad day yesterday.

We actually managed to stay within budget (actually a smidge under) for our holiday spending.

All holiday washing done and line dried.

This morning I’ve had a blitz on the housework and DH a blitz on the garden – he’s given the lawns a mow which they badly needed.

I’ve made some squash soup using one of the recipes from Jamie’s new One pan cookbook.

Breakfast was toasted courgette loaf, lunch soup and dinner tonight is spag bol.

We have booked a couple of nights away in Blackpool in November to go and see the lights – its been over 30 years since I have been to Blackpool – when I was a child we always used to visit to look at the lights, we used to do it in a day as we lived in the midlands.  It will be a nice trip down memory lane, although I am sure Blackpool has changed tremendously! 

DH and I both desperately need to lose some weight so that goes very well with trying to save money – so from now on we are trying to eat healthily and not go and eat out as often as we have been doing.  I would love to lose 12 pounds by Blackpool – so I have 8 weeks in which to do so.

My friend is coming round this afternoon for our sewing and gossip session.

MrsPorridge

NSD4/10

The car had its MOT and service yesterday.  No cost for that as it has been prepaid with a scheme they had whereby we paid £20 per month which has now finished.  However, we did need to have two new tyres - not really a surprise.  Pleased as I had the money in our car pot ready to pay.

Today had to buy a few bits and pieces of food.

The weather has turned in this afternoon/evening and is raining and dark.

Breakfast was toast, lunch soup and dinner was rosy rice from Jamie's one pan book - was delicious and we will definitely cook this again.

September next year DH and I will have been married for 30 years.  We are trying to think what to do. We want to do something different.  Yes, we will go away to a nice hotel and have a nice meal and drinks, but we also want something else to mark the occasion.  I have been looking at Virgin Experiences and Red Letter Days to try and get some ideas, but nothing has grabbed us yet.

EssexHebridean

That’s a lovely idea to mark your 30th anniversary with something a bit different. 

MrsPorridge

NSD 4/10

We met our friends for coffee this morning at the local garden centre.  So a toasted teacake for breakfast, lunch tuna salad and tea tonight is spag bol.

DH had his autumn Covid booster this morning and is feeling a bit "off" and has a very sore arm.  So its a restful afternoon watching TV- which is fine as I am knitting, catching up with this diary and half watching a silly film about the moon being knocked out of orbit!

A couple of ideas for our 30th - I fancy walking an alpaca and perhaps a segway ride, so we've put those two ideas down.  Its a start and again, something different.

yesterday we visited a cold war underground bunker not far from where we live.  Was part of the NT.  I was quite pleased as I was able to climb down the ladder about 12 feet and climb back up.  I was shaking like a leaf, but pleased that I managed to do it.