Mortgage free in Forever Home :-)

KajiKita

Hi All,

I’ve had a non-spendthrift moment today and want to celebrate it with people who will understand…..! 😂

I have decluttered a guitar, stand and tuner today (yaaay, go me) to the next door neighbours’s student daughter - she has fragile mental health and hasn’t been well physically for a while so that really cheered her up. Whilst I was round at the neighbours, chatting (being bashed about the shins by one of their dogs’s post surgery cone of shame and being leaned on by the other huge one 😂) as we get on quite well, the chap suggested that we go out for dinner again. 

Now, some context. These neighbours of ours are quite well off - no mortgage, still earning, have family monies in the background. The last time we went out for dinner with them, we found it eye-wateringly expensive - they chose the restaurant and they both drink, which adds to the bill quite a bit compared to just one glass of alcohol when two of you go out. 

So, I screwed up my courage to the sticking place and said, I wasn’t being funny but I didn’t think that we could really afford it. Chap laughed (nicely) and said we could have a picnic. I said how about we have them round to ours (again, technically they ‘owe’ us a meal) or maybe we could come round to them? Lady said briskly, (she says most things briskly - she is German and I think her manner sometimes puts people off somewhat, but we both quite like her 😊) and said good for me, more people should be honest about where they are financially and it would be a good excuse for her to shovel out the dining room! 😂

I feel relieved and pleased that I said something and that they received it so kindly / constructively 😊👍

KK 

KajiKita

And in another development I have been tracking my food waste for almost two weeks now.

it is eye-openingly alarming! 😳 I will continue it for a while longer but there are some lessons I can definitely learn from it and that’s before I even start looking at more ‘maximising the use’ type activities such as roasting / otherwise using, ‘scraps’ such as cauliflower bases or broccoli stalks …..!

I plan to have a good furtle about on the WRAP website. 

KK

KajiKita

And a couple of non financial but cheering activities:

- rang up for my lipid blood test results - all as they should be and better than last time 😊👍

- I have weeded my leeks and they are doing quite well - thickening up nicely 😊

- I am awash with tomatoes (for the first time EVER!! 😊👏❤️🎉) so I have made a batch of tomato, sage and red onion soup for the freezer - first two ingredients from my garden ❤️

- I have a Delia recipe for red tomato chutney which I am planning to try tomorrow 😊

- oh I did ring Terry’s today ….. not sure how well this will go as I thought they were waiting for my go ahead before making but it looks they may not have and the dimensions wrong. They have ‘accepted’ an order through the website which they shouldn’t have. The lady I was talking to yesterday was working from home, so will ring me back tomorrow…. I am so crossing my fingers on this one!

KK

South_coast

Well done on the big girl pants with the neighbours - it'll be more fun at home anyway, everyone that wants to drink can do, and no taxis to worry about at the end of the night 👍!

On the food waste, would obvs depend how much freezer space you have, but frozen veg (and fruit) has no stalks etc to go to waste and keeps for as long as you need it. There's very little I buy fresh these days

KajiKita

Thanks @South_coast but unfortunately, due to my spendthrift tendencies all our freezer space is rammed.

But the suggestion / idea is now noted and filed for when we *will* have some space!   

KK

KajiKita

Morning All,

So, I have done a stock take of hubby's freezer delights! In the process I have discovered why the drawer in the cellar freezer was acting so oddly. At some point something (an ice lolly I think?) had melted and then refrozen enough to stick the glass shelf that supported the drawer which meant every time we tried to open that drawer the shelf came with it. I only discovered this on walking back to the kitchen from the external cellar with the shelf still attached to the underside of the drawer completely unsupported as I didn't realise it was there!  Thank goodness for the absolute stickiness of ice lollies! This has now all been thoroughly cleaned!

Meals list and online shopping done based on both freezer stock lists. This hasn't given me a hugely low cost shop as I have taken the opportunity to restock a 5Kg bag of Basmati rice before the prices go up too much more ....

KK

Baileys_Babe

KajiKita said:

Meals list and online shopping done based on both freezer stock lists. This hasn't given me a hugely low cost shop as I have taken the opportunity to restock a 5Kg bag of Basmati rice before the prices go up too much more ....

KK

Reframing:
Freeing up money to restock a 5kg bag of Basmati rice, before the prices go up much more ...

KajiKita

Awwww .... thank you @Baileys_Babe That's sweet of you. It will feel good to have a good dollop of rice in the cupboard - the last 5Kg sack lasted us about 2 years!

KK

KajiKita

Feeling really stupid and cross with myself. I got home today to a speeding fine / notice of prosecution. I'm in Band A for my offence so I will be looking at 3 points and probably up to 50% of weekly pay - OMG! When did the fines change? I had no idea they were that high. Feeling absolutely sick 

KK 

badmemory

Is there a reduction for prompt payment?  There usually is.