So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Morning all,

Turned the fridge back on before bed last night and it seems to be OK this morning. I had left it on 1 overnight, but it didn't feel very cold this morning, so have turned it back to 2. Will be keeping an eye on it! I need to have a sort out of what definitely needs to go from it (I think I've got most bits and fortunately we don't keep any meat in there generally speaking, apart from the cats' dinners!). When I'm happy it's not going to freeze it, I'll pop yesterday's R'ford delivery in too. We're doing an online cookery class on Sunday (bought as an extra to make the VED voucher I got from my Virgin Money account work!) and I need to buy prawns (among other things) for it - not inclined to do that just yet, even though it was my original plan to get them today.

New cat client was lovely and I took the CIAF paperwork regarding vet release stuff and left it with her (and suggested about letting the vet know, but as they're new to the area and haven't even been there yet, I don't think this was relevant in their case!). Indoor cats anyway, so far less chance of issues. They even suggested I park bike in hallway as I'd had to leave it quite a way away to find somewhere I was happy to chain it up, so that was great. And they've booked me for a short break in May too (original booking is for September).

Dinner was mediocre (lack of seasoning I think), but did its job. I didn't do any work though yesterday evening (two episodes of Poirot instead!), so was at my desk early this morning to finish something up for my main client. Delivered now though. Another small job has arrived overnight for an occasional client, so I will get on with that after some breakfast. Am collecting some Olio bits from my friend at 11.30 (forecast is for rain to stop at 11!) and then this afternoon will be about invoicing, money etc. Dropped Mr MV at the station this morning and imagine I'll collect him at some point this afternoon. 

MS things:
* Clicks and HW done - small wins there and reached payout for first time with new bookie, so have withdrawn £5.
* Didn't spend any money on food out yesterday - there were multiple opportunities for this and I refrained!
* Olio bananas to collect
* PA survey - now waiting on £13 to clear, so annoying!
* New cat bookings

Gratitudes:
* Lovely cycles yesterday - it's such an enjoyable way to get around
* Had last of the homegrown blackcurrants on my breakfast yesterday - so delicious!
* Lovely chat with FIL yesterday afternoon (about MIL's birthday party, among many other things)

Have a lovely Friday, y'all!

Suffolk_lass

I haven't tried citric acid but now I am going to as I know DS's downstairs toilet is awful with stained limescale. My fridge has a gully that feeds any condensation into the drain hole that has never really drained. I mop it most days with a microfibre cloth and the back panel of the fridge is normally frozen droplets. Under the glass above the veg drawer on the side of the drain hole there is always what I have thought is condensation, but it might be "flooding". I need to check. I'm reluctant to poke anything in there to be honest

themadvix

Hope the citric acid works on your DS's toilet SL. And I agree about the poking things into unknown fridge holes, but it seems to be a thing!

Fridge still seems to be OK - nothing frozen, so that's a positive!

Have done my invoicing and money shuffles this afternoon and there's a bit extra to put into savings! Am still currently saving monthly for car stuff (and have been pinching from these pots to cover bike expenses, but these will reduce now hopefully), so looking forward to this money being diverted to savings/having bike pots set up properly (I daren't swap it all out yet, especially the car maintenance fund, in case something comes up and we don't get rid of the car for some reason). Also popped a little bit extra into my business savings to give it a boost as it's taken a beating in recent months. Discovered that I can claim tax relief at 20p/mile for cycling, so mileage costs for cat sitting will continue to be entered (thank you, taxman).

Also finally managed to get a place on the 45 minute PA survey that's been knocking about this week - and a good bonus of nearly £4 too. Have just completed another survey too - when it's all cleared there'll be £19 in there already for April.

Didn't quite make it to payout with 1P this month, but not for lack of trying. Currently at £21 there, so should be there very soon.

It's currently hammering it down outside and we're meant to be cycling to the pub shortly.... there's due to be 'lighter rain' in about half an hour, so we'd better wait until then. My coat has mud all up the back from my excursion this morning - I think it might be getting dirtier this evening!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

A rare weekend post from me, as we've been studying the finances. The heating has gone off today as we are fed up with paying so much (Octopus have reset out DD as £137, which Mr MV thought was ridiculously high, but of course the rates have changed today and we've been using quite a bit of gas still)! We will boost it if it gets really chilly, but I'm sure we can manage now.

Mr MV has calculated that we may potentially be better off/have a bit more security if we take a short fee-free fix at the end of our term and swallow the ERC - it's very marginal (about £200 difference) and means that if we couldn't pay the really high amounts needed to clear the mortgage without fixing, we'd not be paying the 7.25% SVR on the difference. At the moment this seems like a good option, but obviously we'll wait to see how much we've got to overpay at the end of the term (as we wouldn't fix before then so we can make a lump sum OP without penalty). 

Had a lovely time at the pub with BIL and SIL last night. Then cycled back and we were going to get a takeaway but it would have been an hour to get it delivered and we didn't want to wait - so we had beans on toast and a fried egg each (I got a double yolker!). Much cheaper, healthier and we can save the treat of a curry for another time (one of the curry houses as you come out of the pub is very enticingly fragrant). Got a bit damp going into town but weather had clearer by the time we came home.

Clicks done and some random tidying of pots to savings has happened. Totted up my savings for the first three months of the year - £1622 which is pretty good and higher than expected (although I don't actually have this as EOn still have £370 of it). Eon should have called me about the redecoration costs yesterday (or Thursday) but didn't. I am not impressed.

We've had the (now seemingly working perfectly) fridge out this morning for a clean behind, but it wasn't dusty (lots of cat kibble on the floor though!). Have given it a wipe over inside and popped it all back now. Hopefully turning it off and on again has sorted it out though.

I need to go to the zero waste shop this afternoon for the monthly top up. Otherwise, no real plans to spend today. Dinner will involve some of the delicious veg from R'ford which has finally made its way into the fridge.

MS things:
* MM surveys
* Clicks and HW
* No takeaway last night
* Established that the pub takes Amex - not technically MS, but better for points!

Gratitudes:
* Lovely evening last night
* A lie in - I actually got up at 8.30 to check if the cats were OK as the cat-alarm 🙀hadn't gone off (and normally goes off at 6.30-7 at the weekend).
* The hard work on saving is paying off... 

Suffolk_lass

Such a great post, and the second person who had BOT for supper. It's a fave here!

themadvix

Suffolk_lass said:

Such a great post, and the second person who had BOT for supper. It's a fave here!

I was inspired by Foxgloves! Were you?

newgirly

Well done resisting that curry 😁

themadvix

newgirly said:

Well done resisting that curry 😁

It wasn’t that hard once the smell had gone tbh! Would have been more tempted by fish and chips, but at least that would have been cheaper!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Have been out (on bike) to Sains this morning to get the bits for this evening's cook along thing we're booked onto. £14 spent in Sains. Anyone else feel there's definite shrinkflation in supermarket hot x buns? So far this year we've only had Olioed ones and they were pre-packed ones from Iceland. The ones I bought today - supermarket bakery - were tiny by comparison!

Lunch was pancakes as we needed to use up some milk that was on the turn. Mr MV has made a start on getting my car ready to sell as the sun has come out (eventually, and it's still pretty chilly). Dinner will be tempura prawns and vegetables - I don't really think I need a cooking class for this (especially as we have already been given instructions?!), but it was the best option available and will make a nice change for dinner. (And it didn't cost us anything - apart from the ingredients.)

Now the sun has come out I might do some washing. At 45p/kWh during the day, we're determined to minimise daytime grid usage, which is easy if the sun is shining, but trickier if it's not!

I have Niece for the day tomorrow. I will be taking her for an Easter Egg hunt at a local NT place (and charging the car while we're there). We may have a McD's for lunch as there's one en route and I know she'd like that as a treat (and we don't tend to have Niece-friendly lunch food in - not that she's fussy, we're just very unfussy). I might get her to help me plant some potatoes in the morning too - it strikes me as a relatively straightforward thing to do with a 6 year old.

MS things:
* Clicks and HW done
* Used Nectar prices to get ketchup at a discount
* Sunshine to power the wm

Have a good day all!

Suffolk_lass

I found we like the local coop HXB best this year, which are 6 normal sized buns (no funny ingredients) 2 packs for £2 - we like them - lots of plump sultanas and suitably squidgy with a bit of sticky on top