So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

newgirly

Morning Vix, I’m surprised at how much your allotment is producing, I’ve never known anyone that had one, it must be helping cost wise but also how exciting to be harvesting a good looking cabbage like that 😁

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Thanks NG - it does seem to have been really productive this year. I've been down there this morning as I didn't make it over the weekend. Started emptying the beds - courgettes, borlottis and baby corn all over and out now. Still picked a few strawberries and quite a few French beans, as well as never ending chard and spinach. Most excitingly though, I picked my first ever bunch of beautiful carrots! So much to do down there though - more needs clearing and weeding and then I need to mulch and get garlic and onions in. Still need to buy garlic first!

Didn't make it down there because I spent Saturday morning baking bread (necessary and not exactly strenuous (3 x 8 kneads - literally individual stretches of the dough), but tied me to the house). We visited the in-laws and went to the refill shop on Saturday afternoon and then yesterday we cracked on with laying the patio. Halfway there now and it's looking good. I'm hoping we might get to BnQ for the last lot of stuff needed this evening - just so we have it and can get on with it at the weekend. Had hm pizza on Saturday night (with hg tomato sauce) and bean chilli last night (with hg beans, garlic). Lunches were hm bread with hummus/scandi cabbage fritters (using hg cabbage and cream soured with my kefir)

My work is quiet today, so having had a meeting, I'm planning on cracking on with the data entry I've been set up to do for Cambridge. However, have a question so now waiting for them to get back to me. Depending on the weather, I may go back to the allotment later, but rain is forecast....

Paid myself on Friday and did the money shuffles - another good month, despite sending Mr MV £106 for concert tickets (two events, April and October 2024) - target amount paid into S&S ISA, good amount into cash (car/mortgage balance) savings. 

Cambridge pay should also be good this month, so I'm hoping to put some more away then. That being said, we have a fairly large supermarket delivery (£90 before discount, although some is cat treats (from cat pot) and some is non-alcoholic beer, which Mr MV can pay for) coming on Wednesday (and had quite a big top-up at the refill shop on Saturday (£50)) - however, I'm hoping that aside from these it'll just be milk and one R'ford order this month (and maybe a little bit of fish from the fishmonger, but we'll see). And a lot of both of the abovementioned shops involved stocking up on stuff that will last considerably longer than a month.

MS things:
* Clicks, HW done (even won a little bit on the HW today - first time in ages)
* YG survey
* MM surveys - all screened out but at least I got the 5 pt bonuses
* Have used PC, TV survey and S&S credits to buy one of these - initially it was just going to be for cat entertainment - I think B&W cat would like it, and then I didn't order because, well it's not essential, but actually, I don't currently have a way of getting the cats to the vet without the car and in an emergency I don't want to be trying to get the mini out etc., so with this, I could walk or cycle *and* hopefully they'll like it enough that we can go for walks.
* Used Mr MV's work discount scheme to purchase patio at 5% discount from Wickes - we've really got the hang of this now and it's not a lot but better than nothing. Will do the same for BnQ.
* The allotment continues to provide food and exercise!
* Quick sewing repair mended camping mat strap

Gratitudes:
* Had a lovely half hour sat on the bench in the back garden playing cards with Mr MV yesterday after our work was done
* Carrots! I grew carrots!
* Progress on the patio - Mr MV's skills with working stuff out are so much better than mine.

Have a good afternoon all!

themadvix

Morning all,

Well the weather turned yesterday afternoon so we didn't go to BnQ - we had quite a bit of thunder and lightning and fairly heavy rain. It felt very autumnal! As a result, we opted for quorn casserole (using hg carrots) with dumplings for dinner, followed by the second (small) portion of apple crumble I'd knocked up on Sunday.

Up early today as Mr MV needed a lift to the station. Trains were in chaos due to work-to-rule, so he's only just managed to leave, despite me dropping him before 8. Had endless issues with the Cambridge work I'd hoped to get on with yesterday and the person I need help from can't meet until tomorrow, so I'm fairly stuck with that - I spent two hours trying to get it to work yesterday, so not inclined to faff around any more. Will do my usual Cambridge bit. Main client is back this side of the pond now, so I may hear from him during the day rather than just overnight/late afternoon, but so far, nothing from him. I have a nurse appointment this morning and I need to return a cat key later. I'm also expecting a call from a lady from Freegle as I have offered to help with moderation - it sounds like it's really quite a quick job, so shouldn't be too much of a commitment, but still volunteering for something that is in alignment with my values.

Depending on whether Mum is thinking of going to nearby market town, I may do that this afternoon as there's a few bits I want to look at there, or, if not, I'll just pop to the garden centre. Slept terribly, so will also have to see about energy levels. And when I pick Mr MV up later, we'll pop to BnQ on our way home. Dinner tonight is going to be prawn laksa, to use up the spinach I picked yesterday.

MS things:
* Clicks and HW done
* Homegrown is still going well
(There's probably more but my brain isn't awake yet)

Gratitudes:
* A snuggly, autumnal night in last night
* Sunshine this morning!
* My day isn't quite as chaotic as I'd originally thought and my evening class homework is now done, phew!

Have a good day all!

themadvix

I finished my audio book (The Girl on the 88 Bus, Freya Sampson) yesterday (Borrowbox app via the library, so very MSE). Was thrilled to discover that they have the audio to The Good Life series on there with Margot narrating the visual elements - will thoroughly enjoy listening to that. I do love The Good Life! 😁

Cheery_Daff

Ha, I didn't even know that was a thing! I've got the Borrowbox app, wonder if I can get hold of it too?

themadvix

Cheery_Daff said:

Ha, I didn't even know that was a thing! I've got the Borrowbox app, wonder if I can get hold of it too?

Nor did I, but it came up and I thought, yes please! I've no idea how Borrowbox works in terms of no. of copies available though - will be interesting to see if you can borrow simultaneously!

EssexHebridean

Wow you have got a lot going on - and that cabbage - quite right that you were impressed with yourself! 

Our library uses a different system - Libby if I recall correctly - but I'll have to explore whether Borrowbox also works. 

themadvix

EssexHebridean said:

Wow you have got a lot going on - and that cabbage - quite right that you were impressed with yourself! 

Thanks EH! Not quite as much going on - main client has sent me some bits so I'm cracking on with those. Not going to market town later, but may still pop to garden centre - in which case I'll take the car and return key at same time, so a bit simpler. (Technically I could cycle to the garden centre, but I'd rather prioritise getting work done today, I think.)

ETA: remembered another MS thing - I recently switched to Smarty for mobile, and now we are both with them, we can combine our bills and save 10%, so Mr MV set that up yesterday - only saves £1.20/month, but it's £1.20 a month!

I asked him to send me an email to remind me to sort sending the money over to him - he sent me the following:

Dear MV,

Please could you arrange to establish a monthly transfer of funds for the balance of £5.40 on or around the 10th of the month in order to settle your account.

Kind regards,

Mr MV Telecoms

Not entirely what I meant! 😂

themadvix

Well this afternoon took a bit of a detour! I popped out, as planned to return the cat-sitting key and pop to garden centre. Garden centre didn't have garlic (unless I wanted elephant), decided against onions as 50 is rather a lot (I haven't got the space) and they may not do too well given potential issues with allium leaf miner (also a risk with the garlic, but less so I think). They did have white sprouting broccoli seedlings and leek seedlings (see above re allium leaf miner, but I couldn't resist) - so they slipped into my basket. They had hyacinths which I've been looking for to plant for a couple of Christmas gifts, but the bulbs were 99p each and to buy a terracotta pot and sauce for each as well would have been another £8, so I'm going to have to rethink this. As I was getting back home (debating whether to head to allotment), Mum rang to ask if I wanted to go to market town.... so I said yes, and she eventually swung by and picked me up (in the meantime, I got a useful bit of work done). However, she actually meant did I want to go to the garden centre there (and it later transpired we weren't even talking about the same garden centre!) - so we went there, which was wholly unsuccessful for both of us - also no garlic there! At least we didn't spend any money, and she came in for a cuppa and has taken some of the chard and spinach away with her!

Mr MV is hopefully on his way back now and I'm just finishing this bit of work.

Have just submitted Disney viewing to YG Safe, so another 25 points there. Oh, and the cat carrier arrived - very pleased with it and cats seem interested too (more interested in the box it came in, of course!).

rtandon27

Just loving Mr. MVs cheeky email!

My OH has been know to ask me to diarize reminders for him  - why he can't diarize his own reminders I'll never understand!