Simple living in the country - back to basics

Karmacat

KajiKita said:

I know from bitter experience how long it takes to earn £7.75 on Qm33, so yes, worth having! 

Well done for all the insurance wrangling and the pots shuffling - the YNAB Force is strong within you! 💪😉😊

KK

Absolutely, I'm with KK, that's a brilliant result - almost £8 a month freed up simply from cancelling subscriptions, as well as the YNAB work.  Well done you  

Cheery_Daff

Thanks both 😊 Trying to go back to basics a little and re-examine everything, even the little things, to see what I can get rid of. 

Bit sick of today mind you. Work issue is going round in circles, although it will be sorted soon. Quite fed up of making decisions 😂 Also cold - I was trying to manage with just my poncho and hot water bottle but have finally resorted to putting the heating on 🙄😂

I'd forgotten Mr Cheery is out tonight - I shall use the occasion for starting the car insurance comparisons, and doing a bit of batch cooking. I made flatbread the other day for the freezer, but we seem to have eaten most of them already 🙄😂 So I'll do another batch - I'll need lunch on the move for the next couple of days.

I also made a nice Jack Monroe recipe the other day in the hay box (black bean and peanut something or other) but it only made 2 portions (for us, anyway!) - I'd anticipated putting some in the freezer but Mr Cheery spotted it first, and it was very tasty. I'll do a double batch tonight and get all 4 portions in the freezer for next week. 

Might do one more freezer dish too but we'll see. Maybe I'll even go all out and put the oven on for a pasta bake or something!

Right, back to work.

EssexHebridean

That recipe sounds tasty Cheery - I'll be investigating - you know how much I love all things peannutty! (And of course having been to her site to find it, I've gone down the standard internet rabbit hole and identified at least three other thigs which I also fancy trying!) 

A tip on uncertainty around insurance providers is that the Defaqto (?sp) ratings are helpful on this - we always try to go for providers that have higher ones where we can, as we figure if it does come down to a claim we want to know that dealing with it should be relatively straightforward! they usually appear in the comparison sites listings these days too, which makes life easier! 

Cheery_Daff

Thanks, that's useful to know.

I realised I didn't add spinach to the black bean thing - I'm sure that would have helped it go considerably further! 😂

Cheery_Daff

Urgh, the day gets worse! 🙄

I thought we were nearing the end of the current work palaver, but then I seem to have accidentally annoyed someone important and nice 😕

Union have just announced 18 days of strikes in Feb and March - knew they were coming of course, but it's quite a different thing seeing that many dates blocked out in your diary 😕 Hoping to goodness they sort it out before it goes too far, but not holding my breath 😕

Opened the back door earlier to find a sparrowhawk in the process of demolishing what looks to have been a dunnock or similar 😕

Urgh. Still got stuff i need to finish before tomorrow, but my head is mangled and I've just been sat here uselessly messing and fretting for the best part of an hour now 😕

beanielou

Tomorrow will be a better day xx

Cheery_Daff

Let's hope so Beanie, for all of us xx

KajiKita

Ouch! 18 days is a lot!! At what point does it get to the point where the staff say we can’t afford it? Surely once enough do, there will be alternative way of protesting found? Crossing my fingers that that number makes your employers wince and come up with better offers! 

Sending hugs x

Moneyfordreams

your strikes sound awful - My profession are currently striking - I'm thankful I work in a derogated area and can go in without problem. 

Cheery_Daff

Thank you both xx Yes, I think some people are already saying that KK, but as always with strikes, it's short term/individual trouble for long term/everyone gains. There's a gap between the first few days so I think they're hoping that if lots come out on the first day, there will be more negotiations before we get to the bulk of the rest of the days. 

I do have mixed feelings about striking in this job, it's not the same as a factory stopping work, for example - but I also know that without withdrawing labour, what other power do we have? And if people like me on a largely comfortable permanent contract don't do it, it leaves it to the folk coming up behind, who are already far more likely to be in temporary jobs on insecure contracts 🙄

Anyway, trying not to think about that today! 

I have finally checked the email from the garage, which I had been childishly hiding from. As expected, they are hiding behind VAT (and also managed to charge £267 for a service, without VAT, which seems expensive!) They've offered to let me pay in installments, but there's no point to that - i wasn't quibbling because I CAN'T pay, just because I thought it was more than quoted. So I'll pay, but try to find another garage (preferably not the one where the owner stole a car that had been left with them fir work and was brought back drunk by the police!)

Also, the work issue from yesterday has finally resolved itself to everyone's satisfaction - as usual, I was fretting over almost nothing 🙄 All sorted now, I just need to submit everything in the right format (always easier said than done - especially as I have forgotten to bring my work laptop charger with me).

Right, best get on with the day...