So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

redofromstart

Thank you for the prolific reminder - a few nice ones this afternoon!

themadvix

Morning all,

Well we had a good weekend. I got the Floradix on Friday afternoon and it's already started making a difference to how I feel, so that's an improvement. I even slept through on Saturday night until 6am, which is unheard of for me - the last time was at least 18 months ago. Sleep was terrible last night, so not entirely resolved, but I feel more energetic and clearer in the head, which is great. In reading up on iron etc., I hadn't realised that much of the population is deficient in iron - which is not the same as being anaemic (which is very deficient). Loving the Floradix though as it's also plant-based - mostly organic or foraged wild herbs, comes in a glass bottle and is made by a family-owned company in Germany. I bought it in Boots (and got a 200 pt bonus), but will need to investigate where is cheapest if it's going to be an ongoing thing. Have also got Mr MV taking it (on a lower dose) as he's been struggling lately and as a largely vegetarian who runs, he's probably not getting enough either.

Saturday we had a gentle day - the weather wasn't exactly conducive to doing much. I did prep and roast the two enormous parsnips I'd harvested from the allotment and these will be frozen in single portion sizes as Mr MV isn't a fan. Also stewed the last of the blackberries from last year with an apple for my breakfasts and made a rhubarb crumble with a bag of chopped rhubarb from the freezer - thought I'd better get on with it as I can see we'll soon have more! 

Yesterday we had a day out - went to RHS Hyde Hall for breakfast and a wander and then headed onto Southend for a walk along the front. Breakfast was delicious - all the food in the cafe there has been so far, and the garden had quite a bit to look at, even though it's the middle of winter. Had fun in the arcades on the 2p machines - scavenged the money from the machines where people hadn't collected - even on a 10p machine payout! - and enjoyed a trip in the Cliff Lift, which is only open on Sundays. 'Collecting' funiculars is something we enjoy and despite having been to Southend many times before, we'd not done this one. All for a donation (which, as they didn't take card, was the unspent 10ps from the arcades! Would have given more, but we just don't have cash on us.) It was so nice to have a change of scene, some fresh air and exercise!

This morning despite the lack of sleep I've been a busy bee. Washing (done last night) is out on the line in sunshine, washing dried overnight on the heated airer is away, dishwasher is empty, bread is on its final prove, granola is ready for the oven (will go in after the bread as it requires the tray the bread is on), I've checked in on Cambridge, submitted my timesheet for last week there, transmitted S&S barcodes and done a small piece of work for a US client that came in over the weekend. Now I need to get back to the big thing for main client.

MS things:
* No actual money spent in the arcades (obviously; where would be the fun in that?!)
* Bread baking, granola ready
* Washing on line
* S&S and TV surveys
* Interest paid on savings shuffled to car savings pot
* Postage costs transferred to bank account - I'm now 'out' of stamps 😮 (Technically I'm not, but I'm out of ones in that I'm prepared to use for sending friends' stuff - it would be a waste to keep using them in the combinations I now have available. I don't have many left though, so will save for my own uses... hoping RM survey get in touch soon though!

Gratitudes:
* Lovely day out yesterday - it was good for the soul (and quality time with Mr MV)
* Birds in the garden are increasing - robin and blue tits this weekend!
* Sunshine today - good for the solar, the washing and hopefully some time outside later

Have a good day all! 

themadvix

Morning all,

Finally got the big piece of work sent back to main client this morning, which I was very  grateful for - over the past few months I've spent rather a long time on it and it gets boring after a while!

We've had our home insurance renewal through and it's gone up by £100, so I've had a quick look and can shave £50 off easily. I think I'll probably take that as to get much cheaper you have to faff around with the value of individual items more than I can be bothered with. Interestingly, watch out for policyexpert - to cover jewellery (for previous policies, but not the one I'm likely to go with this time, I've had to specify my engagement ring and its value) they would only pay out if you'd had it inspected within 3 years for fittings and had a valuation within the same period! Hardly a money-saving thing given valuations are not cheap. I bet people fall foul of that - or would if they had to claim. I wasn't impressed. Churchill are looking likely - you don't have to specify valuables up to £4k on their 'plus' policy, which covers anything I might have needed to specify before!

Friend texted last night to say there was M&S organic whole milk (in glass ) going very cheap at her store. So I've got 4 x 1.7l bottles to make some cheese with later. (Although we'll also use for pancakes, yoghurt and kefir so not quite all of it will be used for cheese). The bottles she sent a pic of were 2p each, although it had gone up (?) to 56p. In any case, she wouldn't accept my money - just wants to try the cheese.

Annoyingly I got a puncture on the way back from the PO yesterday, so Mr MV and I will need to work out how to change the inner tube and then repair it. A new skill to be mastered! Fortunately we have a spare in stock (especially as they are 20" not 26" wheels.

MS things:
* PA surveys - a couple of goodies this morning - balance will be £48 when cleared
* Cheapo milk
* Clicks and HW
* Popped to Sains last night as the toilet roll had come up on my Nectar prices (as planned, having bought one pack the other week) - 4 packs bought at a saving of 60p/pack. Also bought honey and eggs on NP too - savings of £3.50 yesterday (and all paid for using my NV survey voucher).

Gratitudes:
* Friend for getting the milk (she offered as she was going back down there) and then not accepting money; we're just sorting out a night for board games too
* Plenty of work - now onto another bit for main client
* Pancakes! Dinner tonight will be galettes followed by pancakes

Have a good day all!

Cheery_Daff

Interesting about PolicyExpert - that's who we've gone with, although we haven't got any jewellery to cover. Oddly, they rang me yesterday to ask a couple of questions about my cover 🤔 I was on the way to the dentist, so they emailed instead, but the attachment has come as a link in the email and I'm not sure I want to click on it 😂 They did say it would come in the post too so I'll wait for that, I think.

themadvix

I don't blame you for waiting Cheery - that's a bit odd. I do wonder about companies sometimes - do they think we have no security sense? I've had an email from Santa about my business account (needing verification - suspect I may end up moving account, given the hoops they wanted me to jump through to improve my savings interest) - with a link to click on... I did get a letter about it later, but I wasn't impressed.

Forgot to say we had Redo's squash and tomatoey lentils for dinner last night which was lovely, and have just had the remaining lentils on toast for lunch.

Baileys_Babe

We had galettes for lunch, delicious. For breakfast I made GF American pancakes served with halloumi, bacon & maple syrup. If anybody wants dinner this evening I think I will repeat breakfast but I am also planning on making GF crepes with lemon, sugar, banana, chocolate spread, peanut butter...

Thankfully the eldest was out at lunchtime as I have been unable to find any GF buckwheat flour, which is doubly frustrating as buckwheat is naturally GF but becomes contaminated during harvesting and processing.

themadvix

Wow Baileys Babe, you're really going for it today! Mr MV isn't that fussed about pancakes (happy with a galette though), so we're limiting it to one meal. Very annoying about the buckwheat - I don't think I realised it could be contaminated, but then mine is from Doves Farm (I think*) so may not be. *I was given two bags of buckwheat flour during lockdown when normal flour was not available - not the greatest substitution from the supermarket, if I'm honest! However, we do like an occasional galette it's getting used... slowly!

Baileys_Babe

I enjoy a galettees. Our pack of Doves buckwheat flour has a may contain traces of wheat, barley, .rye, meaning it is unsuitable for ceoliacs. What I need is buckwheat flour sold buy Freee (the gluten free arm of Doves) https://www.freee-foods.co.uk/product/gluten-free-buckwheat-flour-1kg-x1gfbuck/
I haven't been able to find it in any shops locally, I have checked the supermarkets as well as independents. I know I could buy directly from Freee but the delivery cost of nearly £5 is unrealistic for 1 bag of flour.

Suffolk_lass

@Baileys_Babe we bought our flour in bulk and DH walked smaller bags (or the 3kg sweet jars from when he bought boxes of them for a school project) around the village to the WhatsApp baking group. It just occurred to me you might have a local coeliacs group that could do a similar thing. I've also heard of prescription flour via the pharmacy for those with serious intolerance to gluten

themadvix

@Baileys_Babe that's frustrating that it's not GF. And totally get why you don't want to pay £5 for delivery of one bag. @Suffolk_lass good idea re getting together with others, but I think the NHS stopped prescriptions for GF stuff (which was limited and horrible from what I gather) some time ago because of the proliferation of options available to people in supermarkets these days.