Away From The Madding Crowd

middlewife

Hi Humboldt, love reading your posts, lucky you having rain. Currently 33 degrees here, so we're driving to the coast this afternoon where it should be around 25. The joys of retirement, when you can just get up and go, ☺️stay cool...

Humboldt

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82048558#Comment_82048558

Morning @middlewife, good to hear from you. I hope that you had a lovely time at the coast. Lots of positives about retirement, and being able to be spontaneous is one of many. Routine, spontaneity and time to 'simply be' in equal measure works for me.

Today's simple pleasure - an early morning cuppa in the sunshine. Just me and the low hum of bee's as they went about their work collecting pollen from the lavender.

louby40

I enjoy the warm, sunny weather as much as anyone but this week has been quite unbearable hasn't it. I do some occasional supply teaching work and did a days supply in a lovely village school on Tuesday where the class had air conditioning. What a result!

But I declined further work for the remainder of the week with my supply agency and I'm so glad I did as temperatures reached low 30's over the next three days.

My old colleagues said it has been very difficult to teach in school and little learning has gone on.

Humboldt

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82049998#Comment_82049998

Hi @louby40 I have to agree, these extreme temperatures have presented challenges for many. When at home I have attempted to do whatever needs to be done in the morning when it has been cooler, I then choose the coolest room in the house to do other things in the afternoon. Thankfully, when I have been out and about, the majority of venues have had air conditioning. I empathise with those who commute, or work in buildings with no air conditioning at such times, having endured both over the years when working.

Today's simple pleasure - our courgette plants that are now in the veg boxes have survived another night.

I have taken to watering the veg boxes early in the morning, hoping that this will lessen the amount of slug/snail damage. I also read that sourdough discard in containers that are sunken into the soil, much like beer, can help with slug issues, so I am going to give it a try.

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week.

Yes, I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world – Oscar Wilde.

Money saving.

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £300. Week 4 spend for June was £60.80. Total spend for June is £247.60.

Took advantage of S@insbury’s wine buy 6 save 25% offer – saving £10.40, plus £8.50 Nect@r price savings. Just a reminder that alcohol is not included in my grocery budget.

As advertised in this week’s MSE email, I linked my Nect@r with a free-to-join Marri0tt Bonv0y Hotels account, to gain 1,000 free points – equivalent to £5 off a S@insbury’s shop. We save our Nect@r points and credit card points (paid in full each month so no interest incurred) for Christmas food spends. Nectar points total to date is £35.16, so this addition will be a great bonus.

I took advantage of some Am@zon Pr!me Day offers via a family member's account. I bought 2 x electric toothbrushes (DH’s had died & mine didn’t hold a charge for long), and a multipurpose pan with lid (my wok & frying pan were no longer fit for purpose). I was able to purchase all the items for less than the best price that I had found for the toothbrushes alone. Very pleased with all the items (SUR! toothbrushes 30% off & K0rdisen pan 15% off). Spends covered via our household savings account, which we add to each month and use to replace items as and when needed.

Made full use of this week’s free electric from our provider.

Taking advantage of seasonal fruit and veg to create healthier, inexpensive and tasty meals.

This week’s main menu.

Monday – Chicken Provencal (H@iry Dieter’s recipe). Garlic/rosemary/oregano is homegrown.

Tuesday – Chickpea, courgette & pesto orzo salad (B0ldbean C0 recipe) – I will use a jar of B0ldbean C0 chickpeas (currently on offer at S@insbury’s £2.60). I accept that tinned are cheaper, but because these are the star of the show, I feel they are worth it. Rocket/garlic/basil are homegrown. I will make fresh pesto and what is not used will be frozen. I will swap the pine nuts for walnuts when making the pesto.

Wednesday – Salmon with ratatouille (slow cooker recipe) – I will add some chopped kale towards the end of the cooking time, because it is good for us and we have some. Kale/basil/garlic are homegrown. Salmon was reduced in price and frozen until required, I will cook it in the air-fryer.

Thursday – Imam Bayildi (Turkish stuffed aubergine – P0N recipe), with orange & almond couscous (Heart UK recipe). Good sized aubergines are currently £1 at M&S, they also sell whole-wheat couscous which I struggle to find elsewhere. I will swap the apple juice when making the couscous recipe for boiling water and a little more freshly squeezed orange juice. I will add some feta and use the remainder for the pizzas on Saturday. Mint is homegrown.

Friday – Spanish style chicken bake (H@iry Dieter’s recipe) – garlic/new potatoes are homegrown. I already had half a chorizo in the fridge that needed using up.

Saturday – Homemade wild garlic pesto and feta cheese pizza, with rocket. Pesto is homemade and from the freezer. Rocket is homegrown. Only read on if you are not a gardener … rocket is quick to germinate and so easy to grow in the garden, a plant pot, or like me you could use a mushroom basket lined with an old plastic compost bag. A packet of seed will provide you with several sowings and if you cut a leaf rather than pulling the plant out of the soil, they will grow leaves again. Sow every few weeks and you will have enough for the summer.

Sunday – Chilli con carne, with a small portion of rice. I will use a small pack of 5% beef mince and add a tin of green lentils, not only to save costs, but to also make it a bit healthier. I will use half of the chilli con carne for tomorrow’s meal (stuffed peppers and salad).

Healthier lifestyle.

Last week’s step count was 41,297.

Completed 0 free online workouts – it’s just been too hot!

Completed 5 free online meditations.

Simple pleasures.

Being able to make purchases knowing that we had saved the money to do so.

The kindness of family members who enabled us to take advantage of Am@zon Pr!me Day offers when replacing items.

A cuppa and natter with a friend who I hadn’t seen for some time.

The scent of the jasmine in the garden on the warm evenings this week.

My kale, broccoli and chard seeds have germinated and are doing well. I harvested the potatoes that had grown from some that we had missed when harvesting last years – a tasty bonus.

Books read 14/26 – Where We Belong – Anstey Harris – a library book.

Cate Morris and her son, Leo, are homeless, adrift. They’ve packed their belongings, said goodbye to their friends and set off for Hatters Museum of the Wide Wide World.

Cate doesn’t want to be there, in Richard’s family home without him to guide her any more. And she knows for sure that Araminta, the keeper of the museum and its collections, doesn’t want them there either. But they have to make the best of it. They have no other options.

A story of love, loss and friendship. I do not want to say too much for fear of spoiling the story but at times I was both shocked and moved by the storytelling.

Books read 15/26 – Sisters under the Rising Sun – Heather Morris (a library book).

In 1942, the Japanese Army entered World War 2, conquering the island of the Pacific, reaching Malaya and the then British colony of Singapore, which fell to the Japanese on 15 February 1942. The Vyner Brooke, a merchant ship carrying desperate evacuees away from Singapore, was bombarded from the air by the Japanese Air Force. Many survivors made it to a remote island in Sumatra, Indonesia. They were soon captured by the Japanese, the men and women and children separated and sent to prisoner-of-war camps deep in the jungle, along with hundreds of others rounded up by the invading army. The camps were places of starvation and brutality, where disease ran rampant. They would remain there, moved from camp to camp, fighting for survival, for over three and a half years. This is their story.

Heather Morris is passionate about stories of survival, resilience and hope. I have read all but one of her books. This particular book is about the amazing women and children who survived the brutal Japanese Pow during World War 2.

Lest we forget.

Thank you for popping by and taking the time to read my diary.

Nebulous2

Good to see your week again Humboldt. I often think of you when I've spent £50 in the supermarket - with only enough food to make 3 or 4 main meals to show for it. There are often additional bits and cleaning stuff as well, but I gauge my success by the amount of meals I've covered. I always like a reduced price, particularly on expensive stuff like decent-sized roasts.

As I said before - I've never had much interest in gardening, but I'm determined to grow some veg this year. After a mixed start we seem to be making progress. We haven't bought lettuce for weeks, and given we have a salad most days for lunch that has been a pleasant surprise. It's very tasty as well!

Early potatoes will soon be ready, I'm determined to resist the temptation to dig them up too soon.

Simple pleasures - wild orchids - lots of them. Heath spotted ones, if I've identified them correctly. A range of colours, from very pale almost white, through various shades of pink to a very dark pink/purple one.

Have a good week….

Humboldt

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82052726#Comment_82052726

Hi @Nebulous2 good to hear from you. Prices are continuing to rise at such a rate that I am now having to seek alternatives to my usual purchases, or stocking up when they are on offer. That said, we can still eat well within our self imposed budget if I plan, shop around for the best price/offer, and cook from scratch. Having the time to do this is another positive of being retired.

Overnight oats continues to be our economical breakfast staple, and now include summer berries when on offer or reduced in price. Homemade soups for lunch have been replaced with salads alongside homemade frittata, quiche, hummus, fish pate, or smoked mackerel, tuna, eggs, etc (not all at once!). Thank goodness for shop bought seasonal veg/fruit and a bit of homegrown produce. Can't beat the taste of homegrown potatoes, I'm sure yours will be worth the wait. I had to dig my 'bonus potatoes' up early because I needed the space in the veg box for other things.

Wild orchids - beautiful. Thanks for sharing your simple pleasure.

Today's simple pleasure - a trip to coast and a walk along the beach.

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

This week’s motivational quote.

The salvation of man is through love and in love - Viktor E Frankl.

Money saving.

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £300. Week 1 spend for July was £77.23.

Made full us of this week’s free electric from our provider.

Each time we reduce our energy use between 5-7pm on weekdays, our provider enters us into a monthly prize draw. We won £2 credit in last month’s draw. Whilst it wasnt the top prize of a year’s free energy, every little helps 😉

Interest gained on various savings accounts in June was £133.22.

June’s V!nted sales total was £16.50. Money transferred into the Christmas/Birthday account. A little more decluttering done.

July’s premium bond win was £0 (total for 2026 is £325). We would like to try to make the most of this year’s ISA allowance before the reduction in April 2027. This month we will be replenishing a cash ISA with money from our premium bonds.

I took advantage of a Sp@rks offer in my M+S app. I bought a pack of 8 meringue nests for £2.10 and gained £1 credit. I have family visiting in August and the meringues will be a quick and easy dessert option.

This week’s main menu.

Monday – Stuffed peppers, with a large dressed green salad. I am using leftover chilli con carne (not including the rice), from yesterday. The stuffed peppers will be cooked in the air fryer.

Tuesday – BBQ – minted lamb burgers, spiced chicken, corn on the cob and vegetable kebabs. Burgers were reduced in price and frozen until required. M+S chicken legs are still only £1.50 and often contain 3 in a pack. Chicken spice was bought when on holiday.

Wednesday - Breaded cod, a small portion of chips, peas and sweetcorn. I will cook this meal in the air fryer. I recently purchased 4 x frozen chunky breaded cod from Ald! for £4.99. Given the price, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the fish.

Thursday – Basil pesto, whole-wheat spaghetti, with a squeeze of lemon, grated Italian cheese and fresh basil. Pesto is homemade and from the freezer. Basil is homegrown.

Friday – Spinach & chickpea curry (G0od F00d), with a small portion of rice. I will use a jar of Bold Be@n C0 chickpeas, bought when on offer in S@insbury’s £2.60 (Nect@r price). I will use the remainder of the spinach in tomorrow’s meal.

Saturday – Salmon fishcakes, new potatoes, grilled tomatoes, and wilted spinach with wild garlic butter. Salmon fishcakes were reduced in price and frozen until required. Wild garlic butter is homemade and from the freezer.

Sunday – Venison sausage toad in the hole, minted new potatoes, carrots, kale and gravy. Sausages were reduced in price and frozen until required. Kale/mint is homegrown.

Healthier lifestyle.

Last weeks step total was 43,396.

Completed 0 free online workouts last week.

Completed 5 free meditations last week.

Simple pleasures.

A trip to the coast. A walk along the beach, watching a colony of sand martins dart in and out of their nests, a takeaway cuppa enjoyed with a wonderful sea view.

Decluttering continues with another bag of items dropped off at Oxf@m.

Perfectly ripe Picota cherries. Absolutely delicious and only 79p for 200g at Ald!.

Books read 16/26 – The How Not to Age Cookbook – Michael Greger (a library book).

Over 100 recipes for getting healthier and living longer. The author has also written How Not to Die and How Not to Diet; this is the only one that I have read. He states that the aim of his latest book was to cover every possible angle for developing the optimal diet and lifestyle for the longest, healthiest lifespan based on the best available evidence. The introduction to this cookbook therefore provides an overview of the scientific evidence behind interventions to regulate what he refers to as the eleven aging pathways, and the anti-aging eight, which gives information regarding specific foods, supplements, or behaviours that have the potential to offer some of the best opportunities to slow aging or improve longevity.

I found the science element a bit heavy going at times, but worth the effort. It also briefly includes other information regarding the use of non-stick pans, aluminium cookware, artificial sweeteners, etc. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the concept that ‘we are what we eat’. Some inspiring recipes too.

Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to read my diary.

KajiKita

I have got copies of HNTDie and diet but they are so thick I haven’t even braved opening them yet! 😉 Are there many veggie recipes in his latest book?

Your trip to the coast sounds lovely ☺️

KK

Humboldt

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82061724#Comment_82061724

Morning @KajiKita this book has just over 300 pages and contains over 100 vegetarian recipes.

I do love a trip to the coast.

Today's simple pleasure - online workout completed early this morning.