Living the Good Life - mortgage free and living in line with our values

themadvix

Afternoon all,

I think I started a post at the end of last week but didn't actually finish it! Work was rather all-consuming, but I have made good progress with some Cambridge stuff. Now need to focus on two SE projects though. House is looking better due to flying!

Well we had a quiet but productive weekend. I made two large batches of marmalade, and managed to simmer of less liquid than previously, so I have a *lot* of marmalade now. Quite a bit will be given as presents next Christmas, so that's fine. We also planted the asparagus crowns - third time lucky, but they looked good when they went in the ground so fingers crossed. Other than that, we did some further planning for the year (our YHA gift membership arrived, so lots of looking at opportunities there) and played some games and generally chilled. Mr MV needed a quiet one after a very full-on week. Opted for halloumi in the end with the squash bake as I just didn't have time to make the stuffing around marmalading and allotmenting. Last night we had mince and mash (deconstructed shepherd's pie) using some of the sunflower mince. I think we might have bolognese tonight (hopefully it's not too samey  - we're rapidly running out of carbs except pasta).

We've invited the in-laws next Saturday for a murder mystery evening, so I need to work out what to cook then. Will probably roughly follow the suggestion in the box - with adaptations for MIL and no prawn starter as SIL doesn't eat fish. I don't really want to shop before next Saturday so I can keep as much of Jan's grocery budget intact, but we'll see - I'll have to get up early to avoid Saturday crowds if I do that.

Took the car to the insurance assessor on Thursday and it's being collected next week for the repair at last!

MS things:
* Have fully committed to Keeper for passwords, and deleted my LP account - saving £30/year. This has been transferred to a new savings pot for replacement rads ahead of getting a heat pump (and also because the rads really need replacing - single panel, very inefficient)
* NW Reward money also diverted to this pot
* YG survey (at £48 now)
* Y Live survey

* RM survey stuff done, inc finishing Correctly Delivered, so £3 of points earned there
* Planning on booking a couple of short stays away - and intend to maximise discounts/benefits from them - TCB sent me an email about 12% cashback from Hotels.com and we need to book a night through them in June for Mr MV's birthday present, so we'll do that tonight (think there may also be Amex cashback to stack with that); still planning on booking a weekend using my LNER birthday discount (20%) which definitely has a 5% Amex cashback bonus. Intend to book the Radisson for that to benefit from Mr MV's status upgrades there - just need to confirm date with friends and wait for status upgrade to come through (it's a HeadforPoints thing).

Gratitudes:
* Mr MV's help at the weekend at the allotment
* The delicious smell of marmalade throughout the house
* Some gentle fun playing board games - the weekend was definite food for the soul (just wish it could have been longer!)

Back to work now... have a good afternoon/evening all!

greenbee

I'm about to retry asparagus crowns having pulled the dead ones out with the weeds. Any tips?

themadvix

No Greenbee - let's just see if this lot do anything. Cover them to protect from nosy beaks would be my main tip - I lost some originally to that problem. Previously I tried the no-dig planting technique, but this time we've gone full-on trench, mound in the middle etc., so hoping it will work. Just need to keep them weed free now (easier said than done).

MissRikkiC

Did you buy them recently MadVix? I can’t seem to get my hands on any anywhere! 

Also was NW reward the Nationwide reward? 

greenbee

themadvix said:

No Greenbee - let's just see if this lot do anything. Cover them to protect from nosy beaks would be my main tip - I lost some originally to that problem. Previously I tried the no-dig planting technique, but this time we've gone full-on trench, mound in the middle etc., so hoping it will work. Just need to keep them weed free now (easier said than done).

Thanks. I think I need to prep the beds before I order as I suspect that failure last time was down to leaving them too long before planting. I’m weeding them at the moment, and considering companion planting with strawberries. 

themadvix

Morning all,

@MissRikkiC I bought them from Crocus online (via TCB, of course 😉). I actually only got 5 rather than the 6 I paid for... should probably complain about that, but we only had space for 5 and they were on offer... Might drop them an email. NW was Natwest in this instance - only the £3 cashback on our account that we get each month (and I'm planning on closing the account in April, so not for much longer).

@greenbee I've heard about companion planting with strawberries and I might do that now you mention it. But I think you have to let the asparagus get established first? More research needed (on my part anyway).

An early post because I have things to report! Call from Dad out of the blue yesterday asking for my Octopus referral code, which was excellent - thanks to a kind MSEr too we now have £100 credit pending in our Octo account 😁 And my friend mentioned the other day that she'd used my R'ford referral too, so I need to check that that is credited in due course.

I think I mentioned that the in-laws are coming at the weekend. Was worried that this would be a bad start to the month grocery budget wise, but actually this month's groceries budget (standard total of £300, but aiming for a cheap month) still has £74 in it, despite the fact that I used it to stock up on the sunflower seed mince/chunks (£50) and bought a bed sheet with it (£30). So, it has been a cheap month - it just doesn't look like it particularly. So next month should be fine, even with a meat-based dinner for 6 (options are very limited as MIL has a hiatus hernia that means she can't eat anything with flavour - garlic, onions, chillis etc., so all my usual veggie options are out). And I have that £10 Sains voucher from PC which I will use to buy most of the meat (it'll be organic, so it won't cover all of it).

We did spend money on some more future activities/trips last night - but as planned cashback obtained.

Was awake at 5.30, so have cleared surveys from my inbox too.

MS things:
* £50 referral for Octopus
* 1P surveys done
* YG survey (now just £1.50 from cashout)
* NV survey/Y Live - both screened out sadly
* Mr MV took lunch
* Hotel booked for Mr MV's birthday present course - price had gone up (of course), but used Mr MV's £18 H-tels.com credit, went through TCB (12% cashback offer) and used my MBNA card (5% cashback), making the total about £73 all in for a nice hotel with swimming pool (as I won't be doing the course, it'll be nice to have something to enjoy at the hotel - also plan to visit an NT property or two)
* Mr MV also booked tickets for two things in March/April - but we have a fun fund that will cover these (still have a couple of things to book before offers run out - it feels like we're front loading our fund spending a bit this year, but I think it will balance out. We're for a night 3 weekends in a row in March, but only one of these will be spendy (and I have mitigation plans already for that)
* Was cold yesterday but used my wheat sheep to keep warm instead of turning heating up

Gratitudes:
* 10 mins yoga this morning and I feel like a new woman... definitely more work needed though...
* Watching a red kite from my window as I type 😊
* Looking forward to dinner with my evening class friends this evening as we've not got class. To be paid from personal spends (which will still have £50 in and no more spends expected until next month - will be squirrelling this away for more expensive months)

Today I have a meeting at 3pm with Cambridge boss/friend; before then I need to finish something for UK client and then I really want to crack on with main client's work - I'd like to be able to invoice for it this month.... but that's a big ask currently. Have a good day all!

EssexHebridean

We too made marmalade at the weekend - well in fact batch 2 got finished last night - and so now have a mass of lovely looking jars sitting on the kitchen worktop ready for labelling! I'm with you ion the small too - isn't it glorious! 

That sounds like a lovely balance of time away against cost/cashback/savings. I'll be glad when I get our joint fun account back for helping to cover the odd nights away here and there, but at the moment it's all being diverted to our Channel Island trip later in the year - so a few more months without it yet. 

I'm also pleased with our grocery spend this month, and am firmly considering seeing if I can do another month with a restrained approach to the spending in that area. The freezer says I can... 

greenbee

I haven't done any research re. the strawberries, so if you get to it before me I'll be reading with interest I try to get the asparagus done and place an order before everywhere runs out. 

themadvix

I must have missed that you were off to the Channel Islands EH - bit the wrong direction for you! We are certainly fitting in the trips/nights away this year, although I've just looked at our usual hostel and they seem to have doubled their prices... so that may not get booked on whim, despite now having membership!

I won't be doing anything imminently about the strawbs Greenbee - but the asparagus has gone in adjacent to my ailing raised strawberry bed, so it may well be a natural direction in which to move the strawberry runners.

Have made good progress with main client's work today - am feeling that my Friday deadline *might* be doable, although I will have to crack the whip tomorrow.

Dinner out with evening class friends has been cancelled due to illness. Am flitting between Mr MV and I sticking to Plan A (freezer food) or taking advantage of a free Tuesday to get BOGOF pizza from a local pub that does delicious ones.

Suffolk_lass

I'm keeping up the Scottish trips, although not to the Hebrides - we are just booked for a week in Plockton; a pretty village not far from Skye and will spend the surrounding week with my Mum.

I think I will try moving strawberries to the asparagus bed - our asparagus was a miserable disappointment last year when it should be in its prime. I'm going to feed it and the rhubarb this week, as I have an aggregate bag of compost hanging around ready to go. The compost was reserved for these but it was too late, so I held it back. January is traditionally the time!