Ding! Ding! All change, please... (now replaced with new diary on MFW)

savingholmes

Nice to see visible interest. I'm enjoying the B acct for monthly interest - whereas L are paying slightly more in their rate but you only get it annually and it's nowhere near as motivating.

EssexHebridean

Hello lovely visitors - thank you for taking tie to pop by and have a chat!  Monthly interest rules SH - no question about that! I'm far more inclined to open a savings account now that shows me the interest each month as like you I definitely find that motivating.

Thanks to all for popping by and the further comments on opticians etc - I've now had a number of comments from folk elsewhere which like the ones here really do underline the fact that it seems far more likely to be the prescription too so I'll see what occurs when I go back on Saturday morning. I'll definitely be standing my ground over it though - they either need to sort it, or I'll just take a full refund and go elsewhere, as annoying as that would be. 

BB it's funny how the jumbo oats are different isn't it - I confess I doubted it before I tried them but nope, you definitely get a creamier textured porridge from them. 

I think the Kirstie & Phil phenomenon with buying/selling is definitely an issue to a degree - realistically we'd not have been worried about an offer a "bit" under, but with our asking price being where it is 11k under just felt like too far under IYKWIM. We've heard nothing more from that one - the agents were chasing him yesterday, but we DO have another viewing on Saturday afternoon by the sound of it. It does feel as though things are waking up a bit, so fingers crossed.

So yesterday I was a grown up again - needed to call the Dr's anyway for my telephone medication review, so got that sorted then made an off th ecuff comment about ideally wanting to sort a GP appointment too but of course they were going to tell me to call back at 8am to get a same day one, weren't they. "Oh no" said the receptionist. "I can sort that out for you" Errr...hang on, just a handful of weeks ago when I called it was apparently impossible to be able to advance book appointments? "Yes, that's changed now..." Sigh. Anyway, I now have a GP appointment as well - for just over a week's time, so I'm delighted about that, even if it will mean MrEH reorganising his days in the office and me leaving early that day.  I also seized the opportunity to call Pr1nc1pal1ty and sort out my online account access - took best part of 15 minutes on the phone and I now have to wait for a letter from them but we got there in the end. I did make the point though that having a combination of a password with 10 characters including a capital and lower case letter, number AND symbol, and case specific answers to three security questions all of which have to be entered precisely as you entered them when you set up the online access (and most of the questions have at least semi complex answers, too) is just a ludicrous level of security as the only realistic way of getting it all correct is going to be to write it down somewhere  - I got the impression I was far from the first person to have raised this as well! 

Did just over 6 and a half miles on the bike last night, and another nearly 3 before work this morning - was entirely delighted to see that I'd ticked over 100km total this month in total too - still feeling like quite hard work but I think it's getting there as my pace over various segments on Strava this morning was definitely on an upwards curve. I also clocked that a couple of bits I did last night felt distinctly less tough than last time I rode them too. I know the fitness will come back - it just takes time and sticking with it, but the better weather is helping massively!  I also did yoga last night - that's three days on the trot since saturday now so I'll try and keep that streak going. No excuse not to do it this evening as MrEH is out at rugby training. 

Banks checked and all good - next lot of interest now is M@rcus early next week (darned weekends getting in the way!) then I think that's the interest gratification done for this month! I also remembered to ask my pal from upstairs about the service charge payments last night - she HAS had her notification of the new amount so I can now change the SO for ours - good news is that it's a nice chunky drop as well - so that will give us an extra £20 ish to throw into the new house fund each month. I'll adjust next months downwards to take account of overpaying this month, then it can just be set to the standard amount after that. 

That's about all to report from here I think - oh, apart from the fact that we FINALLY got our sausage mash & beans last night, and very delicious it was too with Peter-the-Lamb-man's delicious lamb sausages. Tonight will be couscous - in fact I need to remind MrEH to take chickpeas out of the freezer to defrost! 

Makingabobor2

savingholmes said:

Nice to see visible interest. I'm enjoying the B acct for monthly interest - whereas L are paying slightly more in their rate but you only get it annually and it's nowhere near as motivating.

What's the B account with monthly interest? Struggling to work out what B stands for....B**c!ys?  

badmemory

EssexHebridean said:

 I also seized the opportunity to call Pr1nc1pal1ty and sort out my online account access - took best part of 15 minutes on the phone and I now have to wait for a letter from them but we got there in the end. I did make the point though that having a combination of a password with 10 characters including a capital and lower case letter, number AND symbol, and case specific answers to three security questions all of which have to be entered precisely as you entered them when you set up the online access (and most of the questions have at least semi complex answers, too) is just a ludicrous level of security as the only realistic way of getting it all correct is going to be to write it down somewhere  - I got the impression I was far from the first person to have raised this as well!

And remember that all your various things you log into all need different passwords to stick by their rules.  It is totally impossible to do without notes.  I fortunately have a code I have used for almost 60 years which so far no-one has broken, so mine are written down & in a safe place.  Some sites also do not allow as symbols things which my keyboard certainly thinks is.  However with all the sites that are being hacked including british gas I think I'll stick with my different for all.  I was sort of hoping they would access my BG one & pay my bill.  I can dream!

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, lots of good stuff there, well done you! An offer (even if a rubbish one), another viewing, a docs appointment, and all those financial shenanigans too! Excellent work! Fingers crossed for the viewing 😁

EssexHebridean

More visitors! 

MAB - I'm going to guess about B definitely being B@rcl@ys, and the account being the Rainy Day saver? Although I may be wrong! 

Standing orders now amended, and a note made that I need to go and re-amend the service charge one in a month once the next (reduced) payment has gone out too. 

The password thing is generally pretty ludicrous I agree. I'm reluctant to use the password apps as I'm generally distrustful and wonder how long before those prove to be an issue as well. Currently I also use a code which tells me which if a selection of passwords I'm using for a particular thing - but it would be massively helpful if when you had to input one the website would prompt you as to what the format is - 9 times out of 10 I could probably work it out relatively fast them even without my code! Once you get into multiple security questions as well though, all case sensitive, it becomes impossible. the lady yesterday asked whether I'd made a note of the details anywhere - "Absolutely not - because you always say not to!" 

Done a few OnePoll surveys this afternoon - I need to make that my focus for the rest of the week. Also got screened out of several bits on ipsos this morning - I suspect it's sulking because I cashed out yesterday, or the site simply has an issue today - it's just thrown a hissy fit on another one, too. 

milann

So annoying when you’re screens out. I stopped doing them for that reason 😡

EssexHebridean

Another Ipsos screenout this morning - I've dropped a few survey sites over the years due to screen outs milann - when they start taking the P too much I'm out! 

After a rather grey and chilly day yesterday we're back to far more bright and cheerful today I'm delighted to say - in fact I must remember not to put my jacket on to cycle to the gym tonight as I'll be far too warm if I do. 

The photos for our new agents listing are being done tomorrow morning - and currently the forecast looks like we might have sunshine for those which should look better, with luck. Frankly I'll settle for "actually in focus" this time, I think. This evening will be a run around getting things tidied, and I quickly ran through the existing agents pics this morning to note anything that jars from those (aside from the out of focus thing) so we can sort that out ready for the  new set. 

I'm mentally committed to going to the gym this evening too - as usual increasing my levels of movement this week has given me an energy boost so I need to remind myself of that difference next time I'm having a CBA moment about it. Did yoga again last night - that's a four day streak now, and I'm hopeful of trying to rebuild the habit there. Traffic was a bit grim this morning so only managed a shorter pre work cycle but allowing I'll be racking up some extra distance this evening to and from the gym, that will balance out. 

Banks checked and ticking along fine in a "boring point of the month with nothing happening" sort of way. Mr EH will need to top up his Oyster again next week, and we'll probably need to stick some more diesel in his car ahead of the end of the month, but that's accounted for. Not a NSD today as I sponsored a pal for a long cycle ride they are doing for charity. 

Food this evening will be a stir fry using up the other half of the mince which was started to make the burgers on Sunday. It'll also see off the rest of a bag of curly kale, and various other veggie bits. I'm still thinking sausage pasta for tomorrow evening, although it might end up as sausage and sweet potato risotto or even a pasta bake as I've got a large sweet potato that probably needs used up too - I'm thinking I can cube it, roast the lot and use half for a risotto/bake, freezing the other half. In a similar state of affairs the red pepper I used last night was larger than it needed to be so I chopped and froze about a third of it. Nice to have some frozen peppers again considering there seems to be a global shortage of them still!  I did stage a little raid on the storecupboard last night and replenish a few bits in the kitchen too - so the cupboard looks a little more spacious and the kitchen a little better stocked! 

Sun_Addict

A stir fry is a great way to use up veggie bits, exactly what I'm doing tonight 😁

I hope the offer on your flat gets upped to a sensible one or the other viewing comes good. At least things are happening now. 

Nutcase243

The only way to survive with passwords is to put them all in one spreadsheet - and password-protect the spreadsheet.