Milann’s mutterings through retirement

Seasidegal58

Pleased to hear that your BP was in the acceptable range milann. Good luck with SW going forward. 

Building costs!  Yep they're enough to raise the BP!😂. Still it's good to be able to see the work that the builder has already carried out elsewhere - and once the work has completed, I'm sure you'll be happy that you had it done. 

milann

I just about fitted everything in the freezer after my cooking session yesterday. I had to sacrifice half a GF loaf though if I wanted everything to go in. It’s left over from dds visit and I don’t know when she’ll be here again. The trouble is I enjoy cooking and find it very therapeutic. Now I have to eat it 😂😂😂as I can’t fit another thing in the freezer. It’s all healthy though 😁
I’m really trying to cut down on the UPF whilst doing SW - I’m aiming for an 80/20 balance. It could get silly but I’m being sensible. I will have occasional bacon but am trying to cook my own cold meats for sandwiches. I know technically anything wrapped in plastic is supposed to be classed as UPF but it’s not practical nor affordable for me to shop like that….but I’m doing what I can. I’ve gone back to full fat Greek yoghurt and am enjoying it so much more. I’ve had yogurt, strawberries, raspberries and banana and a few walnuts for breakfast. I feel quite full. I do have to count it in the SW plan though. 
Late dinner early tea will be spag  Bol 😁 I always make my own ready meals and batch cook so I’m doing ok I hope. 

No spends planned for today I need to keep my eye on the ball since the cupboard is much more than I’d anticipated and I’m hoping not to have to dib into my savings. He is coming on Wednesday. I’ll miss my craft group but I’ll just craft at home instead. At least I can eat from the freezer and travel with my bus pass once it arrives 🤪🥴😂😂

Seasidegal58

I think it's a matter of being sensible with UPF. In an ideal world we would all be eating 100% unprocessed but as you say, it's not affordable or practical for most of us.  I eat baked beans, packaged bread, other tinned vegetables, legumes and fruit, oat milk, packet microwaved grains and rice - all of which are classified as processed, but are still relatively healthy, and I mix these up with fresh foods. 

It's the packaged cakes, biscuits, pies, fizzy drinks, sweet stuff etc that are the worst!

milann

I agree Seasidegal…..baked beans and wholemeal bread is a healthy meal yet it’s classed the same as cake and sweets. It’s a matter of being sensible. It’s the ultra processed that causes the problems not the processed. There’s enough guilt around food without more reason to beat ourselves up. It’s all a matter of balance and doing what we can 👍

I went down the black hole of sorting my paperwork box out this morning. They’ve been on my dining room table for the last couple of days. I’m surprised how long it is since I did it. There were some 2022 papers that weren’t filed 😳 It’s used to be a school holiday job when I was working…..more time to do things but no structure anymore. I think I can get rid of some cc statements……I have about 10 years worth 🥴 I’ve got as far as separating into various bank piles and a hospital pile. I’ve ordered the cc ones as they were easiest. Next is to order the bank and tax papers….thats this evenings job. Then a some point all the various hospital stuff. I’ve searched for relevant information when filling forms in and just thrown the papers back in the box….BIG mistake. I also think I can dispose of the reams of paperwork relating to my early retirement and work pension 😳😳😳
i had a break this afternoon and went to the building society to get the passbooks updated. We went a walk along the canal and had a lovely cuppa in a pub garden by the canal. No cash spent from me - Dh treat 👍

beanielou

A good day then 

milann

It was Beanie. 

Dh has gone out so I’ve got a lovely peaceful evening 😁

Seasidegal58

You've reminded me of something -  I bought a new box file for my papers some weeks ago. I did shred a lot of stuff and put things into their relative category piles then put the whole lot into one heap and stuffed them in the file in order to rearrange them the next day into the relevant pockets. Then put the box under the bed where it's been there since.....🫣

Enjoy your peaceful evening!😀

milann

Well what a rabbit hole I disappeared down when I sorted my paperwork. I had statements and hospital letters from years back. Of course instead of just getting rid of some I started reading them…..what an eye opener it was. The % of my wage that was going on paying debt off and that wasn’t when it was at its worse was eye watering. In a funny sort of way though it helped me as when I took a drop in wages when i had to finish work, I’d already become used to not squandering the cash. 👍 I’ve got 2 big bags of paperwork to burn one evening soon…..it’ll take forever and probably burn the motor of the shredder 😱😂
The future is looking good. I have received my bus pass this morning- although I didn’t recognise the fugitive in the photo. It’s the worse photo Ive ever seen of me 😱🤷🏻‍♀️😂 My pension starts at the end of the month which is more than the ESA I currently get. So if I can manage on the amounts when I was paying my debts I can manage being a pensioner. I will never be rich and always have to prioritise my wants but will try to have some fun along the way 😁 - my needs will be met 👍
Im at the hospital in the morning to get measured for a different foot brace and then I’m going to use my pass to visit my brother….😁 that’ll save me the £5 I usually pay to see him.
I had a lovely afternoon on Saturday. The chap who runs the singing group I go to has released a single. He is quite a talented guy. Anyway he brought all the daytime singers from his 6 groups together where we did a bit of a fun concert in celebration. I’d say 75% of us are vocally challenged but love singing 😂😂 Each group performed a couple of songs and then we all went on stage together there was over 100 and belted half a dozen songs together included backing him on his single, He had a professional flautist, violinist and piano player thee to back us and I was quite amazed that we didn’t sound half as bad as I expected. 

There was a jumble trail around the area yesterday and my friend hosted a stall for her daughter. I took a few bits the gks didn’t use anymore so cleared a bit of clutter. Her gks were chuffed to be able to use whatever they got for them - it’ll have been a fiver at tops 😂😂between 3 of them.
Tidy up day today. The window cleaner has just been £12 well spent for outside and then just inside downstairs done. I can reach upstairs easily but need to do mountaineering to do my inside bay. 

WinterWarrior

You have been busy! The baking all sounds delicious. I really struggle to reduce UPF’s, but was please when I read they are mostly wrapped in plastic…as the tunnocks tea cake I am eating is in foil, so it must be fine 🤣

milann

Love it WW 😂😂😂😂😂 I haven’t had a tunnocks cake for years although I’m quite partial to they’re caramel wafers 😀