So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Evening all,

A manically busy day - cat sitting, Cambridge meetings and lots of work from main client and UK client. I am still working (Mr MV isn't home yet as he's been to a trade show and had to stop for meetings on the way home), but beginning to feel slightly less overwhelmed, which is good.

Had a nice surprise this morning to discover that I'd got £30 sitting cleared in my TCB account - a Go Compare quote for home insurance had actually paid out (I did clear cookies, follow everything, but with insurance comparisons I would never count my chickens). That will go into the garden furniture pot when it hits my bank account.

Dinner tonight will be salmon and rhubarb with wilted spinach (should be garlicky spinach but garlic isn't coming until tomorrow). Have been down to the allotment for the spinach today and the rhubarb came from there the other day. Will serve with mash. Need to pop out for milk - we're nearly out and Mr MV will want breakfast before the R'ford delivery arrives in the morning.

MS things:
* £31 TCB
* Clicks and HW done
* Washing eventually dried on the line, so have brought that in
* Cat sitting (more danger money is required - apparently menacing me is her new hobby! 😂)
* Most definitely fully employed!

Gratitudes:
* Sunshine was out for my cycle to the cat
* A quick visit to the bluebell woods by the allotment
* Productive Cambridge meetings (and a plan to go in in the next couple of weeks)

Have a good evening all!

themadvix

Evening all,

Work slightly calmer (that being said, I am still working). Spicy ginger cat client had retreated upstairs, so that was a relief. Mr MV is out at a leaving do, so I'm taking advantage of a quiet night in to keep going with work - main client is appreciative as there is a lot going on at the moment. I've also managed a couple of platform jobs this evening, which has made for a welcome change.

Given that I've only left the house to feed a cat, I don't think I've spent anything today. Have also managed a couple of PA surveys (tiny ones), so that's good. Dinner was a Glamorgan sausage, eggs, chips and a bit of sauerkraut (and three leftover spinach leaves). I might go and finished the stewed apple that's open for dessert shortly.

MS things:
* NSD? I think so!
* Lots of work - and more lined up for the foreseeable, I think
* Clicks and HW
* PA surveys
* Dined in, and dined in well (Until I cooked, I was quite jealous - Mr MV has gone to the Turkish we like)
* Another small cat sitting booking for next weekend

Gratitudes
* Plenty of work (and now mostly for main client, so less balancing to do)
* Very cuddly cats
* Good text chat with a friend this morning

Have a good evening all!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Didn't realise it was so long since I last updated. Work (both SE and Cambridge) continues to be busy and we had a busy weekend too. It did involve some spending - a round of drinks for Mr MV and I and (pre-bought) tickets for roller skating on Friday for a birthday party and then a trip to the tap room and tapas for BIL's birthday on Saturday. However, we were fed by Dad and Stepmum on Sunday, which was lovely. Last night we were in London for the Train concert at the Royal Albert Hall - both gig and venue were excellent and we had a lovely dinner at a burger place nearby - less than £40 for both of us including tip and an alcoholic drink each in South Ken seemed pretty good value (certainly could have been worse) - and Mr MV got cashback too from his Amex for it! Costs to be met from the post-Covid fun fund, which amazingly is still going!

I am nursing a skating injury, so have avoided my bike since Friday - I'll need to try it out at some point though as I have various jobs I need to do tomorrow or Friday. We didn't cycle to the station yesterday either - walked there and cabbed back.

This weekend also promises to be busy - seeing friends Friday night (taking pud - rhubarb crumble/pie if I have time to make pastry), beer festival on Saturday and family BBQ on Sunday. There's also lots to be doing gardening wise now the weather has warmed up at last - things are growing before my eyes! I need to re-sow various bits that haven't enoyed the cold weather enough to germinate - squash, courgettes and various flower seeds. Mr MV wants to get on with the decking, which is really taking shape now. We've turned down an invitation for Monday - both for our introverted sanity and the chance to actually crack on with some things!

MS things:
* Clicks and HW
* Comps entered
* A random lovely parcel from Octopus arrived this morning totally unexpectedly - it seems we were among the first 8000 to sign up to Octopus Go several years ago and they wanted to thank us. Some random freebies, but also 6400 Octopoints (no idea what that's worth yet). I love Octopus!
* Our wind turbine is now online! We've had news from Ripple that the site is now producing electricity and we'll start to see this reflected in our June bill. With this in mind, plus the summer, Mr MV has reduced our fuel DD to £30/month (we've still got a bit of credit in there too).
* Several platform jobs (because I wasn't busy enough?!) - including two with excellent feedback and potential for more work
* PA surveys (also because I wasn't busy enough?!)
* NV and YL surveys too at the weekend - I spent Saturday with my leg RICEd, so needed some entertainment
* MM surveys - reached payout and have claimed a £25 voucher! Whoop!

Gratitudes:
* A lovely date night last night and a chance to see a band we've not seen live since 2010 - when we were unmarried and youthful, not rapidly approaching 40 😬 
* Some lovely feedback from clients
* Things growing - it's so exciting!

Have a good evening all!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

I forgot to mention yesterday that I had an ebay sale! So unexpected was it, that I had to check I still had the item in the house! In good news, I did, and it got dispatched the same day, so that was £15 after postage and fees that I wasn't expecting.

Today I should be invoicing and paying myself etc., to ensure it all goes through before the BH weekend.... but I am too busy with (very bitty) work. Some of it is very complicated at the moment and it has been doing my head in just trying to work out what is what. In good news though, totting up SE income and Cambridge income, I'm actually earning more than I have for a long time, so that's really quite good!

I spent a couple of hours in the garden late yesterday afternoon (I'd been at my desk since 8, so clocking off at 4.30 seemed reasonable and my brain was mush anyway). Potted up parsley and summer savoury and (re)sowed some flower seeds. My pickling cukes that I sowed at the weekend have come up overnight, but no sign yet of the normal sized ones. When Mr MV got home we popped to the DIY shops (yes, plural, we know how to have fun) and bought more stuff for the decking - but mostly using S&S earned BnQ vouchers; Wickes purchases were made with our reloadable gift card for 6% off. 

Dinner last night was stir fry and tonight will be pizza - both using up the last of the accidentally ordered supermarket delivery that the in-laws received right before they went away. No R'ford delivery for us this week - we're not here a lot of the weekend, we've got leeks and spinach from the allotment and the milkman is delivery tomorrow, so no milk needed. I've pulled the rhubarb for pudding with friends, but as yet, have done nothing with it.

MS things:
* CLicks and HW
* Received my MM voucher already
* YL survey - cleared my inbox of surveys last night - think this one was for £4
* Collecting key for cat sitting this evening

Gratitudes:
* Lots of work
* Warm and light evenings - we had dinner in the garden last night!
*  The right to vote - and I'll exercise it later

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Well I've paid myself and had more money than I knew what to do with!😂 Not quite, but it's been a long time (pre-pandemic) since my earnings have been so healthy (we are not talking millions here, just hitting average earnings, if that?!). Have adjusted some pots going forward too, so they will cover slightly more (in a moment of true rashness, my clothing savings pot has gone from £10/month to £15! This covers normal purchases, but not generally shoes or coats, which are bought when general finances allow). The money I borrowed from the EF for the decking has been paid back, money transferred to 'car' savings (it's only nominally car savings as we should have enough already, but of course we haven't bought it yet, or sold the Audi - it is up for sale though), a chunky TT transferred to garden furniture pot, both ccs paid off/up to date (normally I pay my Amex with my Cambridge pay as it's statemented a day after I get paid, but I decided to get ahead of myself. Expensed my new phone battery, which helped too. Oh, and I didn't take the money for the month's cat stuff from the cat pot as there's not a lot in there and we've got boosters/check-up booked in for next week. Have also kept a bit back to transfer to Mr MV as he pays for most of our socialising - he does earn a lot more than me, mind you.

Main client has just sent through more work, so busyness continues.... hopefully this bit will be less complicated than the last couple of week's worth have been.

Have a good evening all!

themadvix

Morning all,

A bit of a hybrid day today. I have work I need to get on with, but I also have access to the car and quite a long to-do list. I'm going to work  for a bit and then head out - I need to drop Dad's belated birthday present to him, pop to a supermarket, try and find some work suitable trousers (that are also cycle friendly??) and return a library book - I can't renew it as it's been requested. I also need to make pastry and knock up an orange and apple flan for dessert (I always take crumble, I thought I'd ring the changes - and we have an orange left in the fruit bowl from last week's delivery).

MS things:
* £2.97 TCB claimed
* Clicks and HW done - a 'big' win (£5) meant I reached payout with one bookie, so £5 withdrawn
* Comp entered
* Have just check apps and seen that the toilet roll we buy is on my Nectar prices, so will get some of them (A saving of over £1 per pack)

Gratitudes:
* The decking is coming along - holes have been dug for posts and I think we'll be putting boards on by the end of the weekend🤞
*  More seeds are coming up - three pickling cukes, two full size cukes, two courgettes and the first signs of an okra!
* The weather forecast is looking slightly better for the weekend? (We've got a beer festival, two barbecues and a marquee to put up (allotment stuff), so dry would be preferable!

Have a good day all!

Jessy103

Great news on the earnings, vix! x

EssexHebridean

Oh wow - you are a busy bee at the moment. Great news on the income, even if it does come with a lot of work alongside, and the seeds too! 

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Thanks Jessy and EH - it is a really good feeling to be back earning a decent amount. EH, I have no idea where all my baby plants are going to go - there's very limited room at the allotment currently as there's still leeks standing (need pulling) and garlic, onions and potatoes in! Have been looking at obelisk/arch options today for squash/beans. I've got canes to make bean frames but I sowed 44 beans at the weekend 😬

Weekend was lovely - nice time with friends on Friday, beer festival on Saturday, to the in-laws for a very boozy bbq on Sunday and Monday was a day of (much needed!) rest. Yesterday was in Cambridge for work (and lunch out - we won't discuss cost vs earnings... I was in an awkward position). Today my Cambridge meetings have all cancelled, which is good as I have plenty of work to catch up on and a drama-expected emergency allotment society meeting 🙄

B&W cat has not been well today. Normal grass-fuelled cat sick this morning, but then projectile vomiting of breakfast all over (and I do mean all over) living room floor this lunchtime. He seems OK in himself - we'll just give him chicken and no kibble tonight (he won't be impressed) and keep an eye on him. Will call free vet helpline we have with insurance if he doesn't improve. 

When I get back from meeting later I intend to pot on some seedlings - lots of pepper (long and padron) to pot on, as well as cukes, okra, chard, courgette and squash. It does at last feel like spring is here!

MS things:
* Sunday was a no spend day
* Cat sitting over weekend
* Clicks and HW done
* TCB £2.97 transferred to savings, along with some interest

Gratitudes:
* Lovely times at the weekend
* Going to the circus this weekend with Sis and Niece for Niece's birthday present
* Sunshine (I spent an hour sitting (on the floor) on the decking earlier - had to move because bum was numb!)
* Whatever the drama with allotment soc, I'm not getting involved or stressed about it - I have objectivity due to being new and intend to keep it!

Have a good afternoon/evening all!

EssexHebridean

Definitely a good plan to stay out of the drama! (Although nosy me wants to know what the drama is, that requires an emergency meeting!)