So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, well done! Excellent to tick a big job like that off the list 😊😊

themadvix

 Thanks Cheery, it is. It had the potential to end up messy, but actually all worked out perfectly in the end. And it is indeed on a list - my 40 before 40 one (by far the most expensive!)

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, exciting! Was it getting an electric car that was on the list, or did you have one of those before? (I thought you did but may be confusing you with someone else, apologies!)

themadvix

We had a plug-in hybrid before, so I think that was us. It only had a 20 mile fully electric range (obviously did a lot more on hybrid), which was great most of the time - Mr MV was able to charge at work so the vast majority of our journeys were all or nearly all electric, but not anything further afield (can imagine you laughing at the idea of getting everywhere within 20 miles!). But this means we will be 100% except when using the mini (which is rare). It was on the list more as something we knew we wanted to achieve this year savings-wise!

TallGirl

Congrats on the new car sounds like a lot of fun setting it up nice shinny buttons and fab your other car sold. Are you keeping the mini for fun or still letting that go?

themadvix

Oh the mini will never go Tallgirl! Mr MV has had it since he was 16 and the amount of blood, sweat and tears that have gone into it - we’d live out of it if it was the car or the house!! We are (slowly?!) selling my car though - yes, we had three! 😮

 It’s turning out to be a very expensive 24 hours… just waiting for the discounted gift card to load (instant, yeah right - put the money on last night and it’s still not there!) and we’ll be ordering a dishwasher 😔 Mr MV had another look last night, still couldn’t fix it; there’s nobody local with the expertise to do more than Mr MV and Indesit wanted £171 to fix it (if they could) - it only cost £20 more than that new! Of course, we’re not buying a like for like replacement - this time it’s a Bosch, so better for energy, ethics and repairability. With the discount and a related discount voucher, it should be down from £599+delivery to £637+delivery, so that’s something at least.

 I’m just having breakfast in the garden before heading into Cambridge for the day. Been up since 6.15 though, so it’ll feel like I’ve done a full day before I get there! (Won’t get there until after 9.30 because of train prices, so don’t think the team tend to appreciate how long my Cambridge days always are! At least no cat sitting beforehand today, which isn’t usually the case!)

 May have just ordered some seedlings from Rocket Gardens too - more Borlotti, some dwarf cannellini beans, sprouts and kohl rabi. They had 20% off and I really need some plants to fill my allotment! I know - I need to stop feeding the slugs!

themadvix

Evening all,

The weeks just seem to be flying by at the moment, and I don't seem to be updating here as often as I'd like. Last week was very busy - both with work and preparing for a BBQ at the weekend. All without a dishwasher... they came to deliver it and they took it away again - we'd managed to order an integrated one and we needed a freestanding one. Credit where it's due, the Curry's delivery guy was barely through the gate when he spotted the old one in the garden and noticed that it was freestanding compared to the one his mate was manoeuvring - he asked to check where it was going and then asked if I realised what we'd ordered... We're currently waiting for the refund to the giftcard (we've just had notification that a new card will be sent through the post - it had better arrive safely with £500+ on it) before we can order a replacement....

The BBQ was entirely vegetarian - one of the things on my 40 before 40 list. We had a fairly tame audience who had experienced the yumminess of the recipes before, but last time I did have some meat on the menu. For anyone who is interested, all the recipes came from Rukmini Iyer's The Green Barbecue, which is entirely vegetarian bbq recipes and so far, every single one has been delicious.

We were at Dad's for another BBQ yesterday - we took a few bits along, but ended up bringing most of them back and some extras... so today we've mostly eaten BBQ leftovers!

Replacement dishwasher aside (and let's face it, it's already been paid for), July will be a cheap month. It needs to be. We have no major plans, no people coming round (we're going to our friends, but they'll have leftovers from a party the day before) and the decking is done. There will be some planned spending - we've just started to book our holiday (now we've got the car), we'll probably finish the pergola and order the hammock (but I have the money for the hammock already) and we'll also probably buy a bistro set (again, already saved for). We may also go out for our belated anniversary meal, but MIL sent us some money that should cover it. We'll still be going to the pub and I'm not saying we're not going to spend anything, but it should be a quiet month - especially compared to the last couple of weeks! I will need a trip to the refill shop fairly soon - beginning to run out of various things, but fine for supermarket bits at the moment and hopefully the allotment will start producing some courgettes (if nothing else) allowing us to cut back on R'ford orders. (Small spend on groceries needed for weekend as Mr MV's coeliac niece is coming to visit, and we're having a 'birthday party' as we've not seen her or her brother since their birthdays.)

Car is going well and we are both really pleased with it. Getting used to the controls and one-pedal driving, although it's definitely an adjustment after 20 years of being careful with the accelerator (the Tesla has strong re-gen braking when you take your foot off the accelerator - you hardly ever need the brake, but it means you need to keep your foot on the accelerator all the time (except when using cruise control).

Will pay myself and do money shuffles tomorrow. Have been out with ex-Brownies friends for a walk and a cuppa this afternoon, but it wasn't my turn to pay, so no spends today. 

Workwise, I am cat sitting the Maine Coons at the moment - they are every bit as lovely as I thought they would be and we are getting on well. Also cat sat for feisty ginger at the weekend. Cambridge is super busy as it's event season and I've been given a good chunk of work to get on with from the boss I write reports for. And my work (European client) continues to be busy. I have *all* the projects arriving in September though, so I am hoping things quieten down a bit at some point so I can get ahead (which is possible with the Cambridge reports), to ease the stress later in the year.

MS things:
* Lots of surveys
* Clicks and HW
* NSD!

Gratitudes:
* Lovely, appreciative visitors at the weekend
* Lovely catch up with ex-Brownies friends today
* Leftovers - saves on washing up and cooking effort!

Have a good evening all!

themadvix

Morning all,

Starting July as I mean to go on, with accountability. Have cancelled tomorrow's milk delivery as we're drowning in the stuff, but have also cancelled R'ford delivery for Thursday, so will need more than one pint on Friday (I'll assess this nearer the time). Still, R'ford saving is a good one. Dinner last night used up the last of the pasta, so that trip to the refill shop is getting closer (also used up some leftover cream and a spring onion). BIL has said that avoiding things that might have gluten in is the way to go for weekend's picnic - i.e. don't buy GF bread, but do potatoes or rice instead (Niece was ill for a long time before diagnosis and it's made her wary of food), so that should help. Will get some crisps and a cake, but otherwise should be able to manage with bits we've got or stuff we'd buy anyway.

More work from Americans arrived overnight, which is nice, and I'm finishing something up for main client. He's got something else in the works though, so that will keep me busy. 

Will get my accounts done when I've finished this bit of work, so will pop back to update then. Must get to the allotment today (currants to pick and last of the potatoes to harvest) and do my homework for evening class tonight!

MS things:
* 1P surveys
* Clicks and HW
* R'ford delivery and milk cancelled
* Using up leftovers still (we've got some smoked salmon from Dad's for our lunches today)
* Bread is proving
* Expenses cheque from ex-Brownie friend who is treasurer for a group I do a bit of admin for (paid in to Starling by app, so should be in account tomorrow)


Gratitudes:
* A lovely furry welcoming committee last night when I cat sat; I think I was a bit early for them this morning - they were all still snoozy!
* Plan adjusted for pub this week to Thursday as BIL and SIL can't make Friday and a rather delicious sounding Apple Rhubarb Maple Pecan sour has just been added by the only brewery I'll drink sours from (Vault City). I can't wait to try it! (They are really good at flavours and mouth feel - unlike so many which promise a lot and only have a vague hint of something.)
* Consistent work

Have a good day all!

EssexHebridean

I'm very sour-reluctant - to me they usually end up tasting like they must be infected as of course as a cellarman one of the things you are taught to look for as off-flavours in "normal" UK ales is indeed sourness! We did have a glorious raspberry sour on our bar at the festival last year from Windswept Brewing though - sadly the brewery has since closed down which is a crying shame, not least as it means I won't get that beer again! 

themadvix

I have never been able to stand a sour before EH, but we had a Vault City at the tap room the other week that was delicious and then in Harrogate every bar seemed to have one (the brewery is in Edinburgh, so a bit closer to Harrogate). They really aren't what you'd expect from a sour at all - they call them a 'modern sour' and the flavours and mouth feel are amazing - there's a strawberry ice cream sundae one, and I really got the sundae texture, and the one we had in the tap room definitely had the pastry mouth feel - which I've not experienced properly since Mr MV brought back a Voodoo x (someone else) doughnut something-or-other beer from the US (in 2014, hence my vague memory!). If you get the chance, definitely give them a go!