So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Ha, NG, I thought it was pretty reasonable compared to the work on the main roof! It’s not all caused by the scaffolders but I’ll try to pin the roofer down about cost breakdown so we can recoup it. There’s other things they should be compensating us for too, so hopefully it’ll all be covered.

themadvix

Morning all,

A very quick check-in from me (and tell me off if you see me here too much today) as I have ten tonnes of work to get through.

Dinner last night ended up being quorn nuggets, mash and cavolo nero - fish pie would have taken too long and we got in late from the station. All the veg was free at least (nuggets from the coop). Tonight will be shakshuka I think as I bought eggs yesterday and we have the peppers to get through and also open passata. Lunch for me will be the second portion of Olio soup - not as nice as I'd hoped, but it'll do.

MS things:
* Another good win on HW means another £5 withdrawn from the 'good' bookie
* An Ebay sale all of my own - a book I bought for my degree dissertation finally sold (it's been on Ebay for at least 5 years solidly! 🤣🤣) - £5 + postage stamp conversion. Honestly didn't think it would ever sell!
* £1 Y Live survey last night
* Olio collection tonight
* Washing dried on the line yesterday; have more to go out today
* Sunshine here, so will see what I can use the power for

Gratitudes:
* Very quick catch-up with Olio/cat friend as I picked her up from station and took her to the cat sitting house (I'd collected the next lot of food for the cats but didn't have a key - turns out she was just pulling into the station 2 mins away from me, so I saved her a walk and it meant I could drop off the cat food straight away)
* Good catch-up with Cambridge boss, but unfortunately don't seem to have got rid of one of the projects I was hoping to!
* Lots of work
* Ebay sale after all this time!

Have a good day all!

Cheery_Daff

Ha, how funny that your book sold after all those years! I bet I would have lost it in the intervening time if it had been me

themadvix

I did have a quick panic this morning, but it was where it should have been. I knew it was about because I'd tidied the bookcase not long ago.... every now and then I've toyed with giving it to the CS, but tbh, they probably wouldn't have known what to do with it. It wasn't bothering me that it was still there - hardly the tipping point to needing a second bookcase - so it just kept getting relisted (and occasionally reduced in price).

Work going well, but more came in as I was getting through the rest. I am 'managing expectations' with main client now (i.e. sending pieces back on a delay, so I have time to fit other work in around them). Just getting my head into Cambridge mode (which is a major gear change, especially as it's so busy at the moment), ready for meeting with friend/boss at 3.30. More tea is required in the meantime.

Have been to PO with ebay book and took the opportunity to walk around the block. Would like to manage another trip round block before it gets dark though. Am loving that it's lighter in the early evening now! (Also considering celebrating Imbolc this weekend with a chiminea fire and some drinks).

themadvix

Morning all,

Meeting with Cambridge boss went well and I managed to get another walk in and totally up to date with the stuff for her (basically for her I'm managing an inbox, so to get everything off my plate was very satisfying!). Also returned to my work for a bit as Mr MV was late home (collecting some shopping we'd had delivered with in-laws shopping and dehumidifier for our living room). Dinner was shakshuka as planned - all done in the pot (including the rice, which came out and got the bowl of hot water and towels treatment while I cooked the rest). Tiny Olio collection so only some cherry toms and cookies for us. Everything except a pot of sour cream and chive dip went though. Not sure whether I can work that into dinner - am thinking we'll have the leek and tomato eggy bread bake as recommended by Fortune, followed by crimble crumble, using the rhubarb from Sunday's collection.

Sadly no PB win for me this month, nor was there anything on the HW this morning, but I was paid by Cambridge, so there's been a TT to savings and the rest left for when I get around to invoicing/paying myself. As I'm nearly stopping for Cambridge for a bit, I'm going to have to get used to not having money to shuffle every week - how boring! 

MS things:
* Washing drying on the line
* Free flowers from my friend for giving her the lift from the station
* £21.19 from PA paid out
* HW and clicks done
* RM survey prep and CD ongoing

Gratitudes:
* Flowers from my friend
* I got out for a second walk yesterday - and enjoyed seeing so many people using out footpath/cycle network in so many ways - dog walking, running, cycling, with kids, without kids... it was lovely
* Signs of spring - the bulbs are just showing their leaves

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Just popping back to say I've received some dishwasher tablets for a product trial and, more excitingly, although also somewhat scarily, some milk kefir grains from someone on a FB group I am part of - kefir is now underway on my worktop (I'm hoping it'll all become clearer as I do it, but it seems awfully complicated/vague at the moment!).

LadyWithAPlan

All very exciting news on your new employed pension I have not had one in 20+ years so I can understand the excitement!

I am also a PB no win this month again (last won in Dec so no doubt its all waiting for a bigger prize)

I use One Password and have done for years - I paid a one-off fee and now they go via a subscription deal - it means I can only access from my laptop (which luckily I can move when I upgrade my laptops but cant access on the move which is fine. I couldnt manage without it especially with so many Bookies for my MB.

I like the idea of making shakshuka in a pressure cooker - do you have a recipe by any chance?

themadvix

Hi LWAP! I couldn't be without LastPass either - and I pay the subscription to have it on my phone too (at about £30/year, it's worth it for me).

I use this recipe for shakshuka. I saute the veg, then add 50 ml water to deglaze, add the tomatoes on top (don't stir), 5 mins HP, QPR; pop the eggs in and 1 min HP, QPR. Hope that helps - my first egg was runny last night but I broke it as soon as I dished up - the second one was less so, but I didn't get into the yolk until I came to eat it, so think it was probably still cooking at that point.

The bread I was going to use for the leeky, tomato eggy bread bake has now been taken by an Olioer, so we're going to have this instead - similar sort of texture, and I might have a go at it in the IP too. It's lovely, yummy comfort food, but definitely not dairy free.

themadvix

Morning all,

Invoicing and money shuffles done this morning and I'm really pleased to say that despite a tight month in terms of self-employment income (thank goodness for Cambridge), I've hit my £600 OP savings target (thanks PBs and car insurance pot). Invoicing looks much better for this month, which is also shorter and will contain two paydays for Cambridge too (potentially large ones, plus holiday pay). However, I need to keep my eye on the ball with expenditure. I will need a delivery shop at some point - I've just discovered I've run out of loose caffeinated tea (and only have 2 caff teabags left; plenty of decaff available) and there are other things on the list too. I will try to do as much as possible with the £20 Lidl voucher in terms of dairy and protein, but I don't actually know how I tell if it's been applied to my account - if anyone knows, please shout! Olio, of course, will continue to help.

We've got two trips to football this month, one to Spurs and one to see the Lionesses in Coventry (Niece's Christmas present from Sis), so there'll be food out then. We've also got a date in the diary with some friends - not sure whether this will be takeaway, a home-cooked meal (at theirs or ours) or dinner out. Also the anniversary of when Mr MV and I got together - we'll probably get a takeaway (20 years! 😮). 

Income-wise, I've got until the end of next week at Cambridge, lots of self-employed stuff expected and 3 cat sitting gigs (although I've just paid myself for one of these as it's the long-term cat sitting, which is paid in advance).

MS things:
* Clicks and HW
* Sold a small item on FB - £2 cash in
* Dinner tonight will be hm pizza - using up passata and some vegan ham (not great in sandwiches) from Olio
* RM survey posting and CD reporting

Gratitudes:
* Sis just popped round to pick up some Olio bits - lovely to have an uninterrupted chat with her (she's between jobs - new one starts Monday)
* She's taken the cat food I ordered as a donation for CP to drop it off
* The sun is shining

Have a good afternoon all, it's Friday!

newgirly

Well done hitting the £600 op target Vix, a great start to the year, happy Friday!