Escape to the country & living off savings

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks SQS and MF. Hope you have both been safe from the storm in your parts of the country 

I drove to the leisure centre this morning. Wind not too bad but heavy rain and some localised flooding. Lots of muddy water running off the fields

Aquafit was hard work after a few weeks away but enjoyed it. Picked up a cooked chicken after & had some for lunch with veg and a couple of new potatoes. Popped round my friends house for a cuppa and catch up. We are planning a trip to Leeds on the train next month for shopping, lunch & cocktails 🍹 Not been there for years. 

Skint_yet_Again

Dark & damp morning here. No plans for today apart from some cooking and cleaning. 

Have had porridge with mashed banana for breakfast. I had cut out bananas but have decided to reintroduce them. I try to buy green ones as they are meant to have more resistant starch & better for blood sugars. 

DF has given me 4 butternut squash, 2 cauliflowers, 2 parsnip and a leek from his allotment 😊 I steamed the 2 cauliflower yesterday and they have been bagged up and frozen. I am making butternut squash soup this morning in the slow cooker and I will be making a curry on the hob. Once the butternut squash is cooked enough I will add some to the curry & blitz the rest into soup. 

Skint_yet_Again

Lovely sunny morning but cold. Heating is on. I’ve decided on 15 mins in the morning mainly to dry my bath towel after a shower, otherwise they stay damp & smell fusty. Then 15 mins in the early evening which is enough for me together with my sofa throw. Will dig out my thermals. Porridge for breakfast 

Stew will be going in my slow cooker & I will tray bake Cajun chicken fillets with roasted peppers, courgettes, onions, mushrooms & butternut squash. 

Will walk up the hill to the book exchange later and take back the 2 books I read while dog sitting. Hopefully there will be something else I fancy reading 

SuzeQStan

Same here SYA re heating / towels. I do think it’s a false economy to scrimp too much on heating as it can have a knock on (potentially costly) effect on the fabric of the building and its occupants.

last winter we completely blocked off 2 rooms from any form of heating and resulted in cracked plaster, having to replace carpets and a mattress. And we were a bit miserable too so decided to have more heating this year.

has the dehumidifier had a good effect?

MovingForwards

It's amazing how the body has to readjust after a few weeks of not attending classes.
City trip sounds exciting, there's been a lot of changes over the years but you'll have loads to do.
Food sounds delicious.

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks SQS and MF 😊

Haven’t been using the dehumidifier long enough to see much in the way of results yet but it has felt a bit drier and more aired since I started using it every night. The temperature indoors didn’t drop below 16 degrees yesterday & the sun made an appearance so that makes all the difference ☀️ It’s 15.5 degrees this morning & doesn’t feel cold, but I will pop the heating on at shower time to dry my towel. 

Made beef stew in my slow cooker & walked down the village to my friends house for cuppa. The river has burst its banks & the fields are flooded but thankfully not as high as the houses nearest to it. It has not got as far as the houses in the 54 years since we moved here. 

I didn’t get round to making the Cajun chicken & Mediterranean veg tray bake yesterday so I plan to do that today. Also making a fish stew in my slow cooker 

Aquafit again on Tuesday morning, then picking up my friend to go to lunch & trip to little nearby town. 

Yesterday I sorted through the bedding I have for the spare room. I need a mattress protector, 4 x pillow protectors  and a double bed sheet. I will look in B n M when I go out with my friend tomorrow, but it is only a small store so I may need to have a trip to a larger store. 

MovingForwards

My dehumidifier throws out some warmth too. I'll having taking moisture from the room (drying clothes) while depositing heat in another direction.

Add dumplings, or a few gnocchi, to your stew's for extra comfort.

Eak to the water, hope it doesn't get too close.

A1D1 have bedding in Sunday, might be worth a look, but no protectors showing online.

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks MF. Still trying to eat lower carbs. Will see if I can find any recipes. 

Grey and raining here today. Have been to aquafit then picked up my friend and went to lunch £8.99. Got a few bits & pieces in the shops. Spek savers changed the nose clips on my glasses and no charge 🤓

Then we went into £ land and I found 2 x £10 on the floor. Couldn’t bring myself to stick it in my pocket so I handed it in.   

No bedding in the little b & m. It has been removed for Christmas stuff. Will go to one of the larger stores. 

DigSunPap

Skint_yet_Again said:

Thanks MF. Still trying to eat lower carbs. Will see if I can find any recipes. 

Grey and raining here today. Have been to aquafit then picked up my friend and went to lunch £8.99. Got a few bits & pieces in the shops. Spek savers changed the nose clips on my glasses and no charge 🤓

Then we went into £ land and I found 2 x £10 on the floor. Couldn’t bring myself to stick it in my pocket so I handed it in.   

No bedding in the little b & m. It has been removed for Christmas stuff. Will go to one of the larger stores. 

Finding £20 in the floor is crazy - well done to you for handing it in. I am sure you are due some good financial karma soon!

SuzeQStan

Hey SYA - you are too honest! But I’m sure whoever dropped it will be grateful - like the above agree about those karma credit points 😊👍🏻

it’s really annoying when stores put away useful household stuff only to replace it with plastic Christmas tat. Especially it’s W!lkos gone now there are very few ‘useful’ shops left.

Really prefer buying things that will
be next to the skin in person - M&S has some nice deals on bedding at the mo - got a brushed cotton duvet & pillow case for MiL for less than £20