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

themadvix

Afternoon all,

I was all caught up with SE work and catching up on some Cambridge reports (and I've done OK with that I think), but main client has just emailed with a bigger project, so I'll be starting on that after lunch.

Dinner last night, as planned, was fish pie, but I did invite BIL over to share as there were three portions and he's on his own this week. Tonight will be leeky soupy rice. Inspired by QueenJess, I've made chocolate orange cookies this morning, so am trying not to eat all of those before Mr MV gets home! Supermarket delivery arrived this morning - have requested a refund of the bananas as they were a bit of a state. This was quite a bit stock up - but next month's should be much smaller.

Picking up a cat-sitting key tonight - next week is going to be mostly about cat sitting.

MS things:
* Ordered some S&S Argoose vouchers as need a non-stick frying pan. I love my Netherton Foundry ones - and they're much better value than I realised, since I've been looking - but there are a couple of things I just can't get to not stick, despite trying all the tips around - my Glamorgan sausages and pancakes. Currently we have an ancient Tefal that I really want never to use again. Annoyingly though, the pan I want is OOS. 🙄 Am hoping it'll come back in, otherwise we'll use the vouchers over time for sodastream gas, but it'll be annoying if I can't get the pan.
* 1P survey
* Sticking to meal plan
* Mr MV took lunch

Gratitudes:
* A good evening class last night (and Mr MV had someone to play Playstation with (i.e. his brother) while I was at it - he always wants me to play, but I'm rubbish!)
* Lots of work
* A good meeting with a work colleague yesterday (where little of the conversation was directly about our work!)

Have a good afternoon all!

Suffolk_lass

For sure, that expression is Scottish, and attributed to SAF, who may have been the first celeb to use it, but I heard it in the 1990s in the parts of SW Scotland where my parents were, where it was used to describe a near miss, and rather than people shifting in their seats, it alluded to moving around on a seat after filling your pants in panic

Suffolk_lass

Re pans that don't stick. We bought stone kind of non stick and I just found a griddle and frying pan on the Aldo's special buys link. Ours came from Sainsbug and is big enough for a one pot wonder in the campervan, but also super good for eggs.  Worth a look...

themadvix

Afternoon all,

@SuffolkLass - thanks for the second comment, but I'm not sure I wanted to know about the first! 😂 Will keep an eye out in Aldi, although I don't go there often. Really would prefer the greenpan to come back into Argoose stock, but suspect that won't happen!

I have resigned myself to working this weekend. The problem with having a major project on the go (with interim deadlines and a fairly short final deadline) that isn't for my main client is that I'm constantly trying to manage expectations and balance all the work. And sometimes that means weekend working - it won't always be like this and it's very much a case of making hay. (Speaking of, we've actually had sunshine today!). I've made relatively good progress today, and also managed to squeeze in a meeting with Cambridge boss/friend that was quite productive. New reports boss (mat cover) attempted to arrange an in-person meeting with me on Tuesday - I don't think so! I said we can do online next week or the first week of March for in-person! I had been introduced as a contractor, so I was a bit surprised that she thought I could drop everything - I'm sure she's just keen (given her only other member of staff has been signed off for two weeks!). Can't do Tuesday in any case, as I've got Niece for the day - which is another reason I need to work the weekend.... and the three lots of cats I'm looking after next week too....

I do intend to get out for a bit on Sunday - maybe for lunch with Mum, as Mr MV is off to help a friend with car stuff - but I'll have to see how things are going.

I was paid by Cambridge today, which was nice - first time in a while! Money has all been shuffled around, personal and grocery budgets topped off (although personal spends were still looking pretty healthy anyway - turns out I don't spend much!), money to radiator fund and holiday fund too.

Not MS things: we bought a(n inflatable) kayak! MS element: we ordered one that was superb vfm (£299 with an RRP of £1000), but they didn't have it in stock, so we've been offered one for what we've already paid that has a slightly cheaper RRP but was being sold for £100 more for the price we'd paid for the original - it looks like a good option, so we've gone for it. We are planning on taking it on holiday with us and want to do some weekend camps where we can kayak too, so hopefully we'll get a lot of use from it (with BIL, SIL, Sis and Niece all water-borne too, we've got plenty of company).

MS things:
* Clicks and HW - had a small win from the HW the other day, so withdrew £5.00 yesterday
* We don't do Valentine's - we celebrate the anniversary of when we got together instead (Monday), so no money being spent here on presents (a small card spend for Monday) or overpriced food. Hm pizza for dinner tonight, which is plenty treat enough. We're out for dinner on Monday too, but it's likely it'll be paid for by the person we're meeting as it'll go through expenses (don't ask, we're quite happy to pay and pay for him, but we don't get a chance!). Might have a private meal out at some point, but maybe we'll go to the tapas bar with our birthday voucher.
* No pub tonight - BIL and SIL are both away (separately) and other pub friend likely to be spending it with his new gf. We might crack open a large (and relatively strong) bottle of beer we bought last year from Crossed Anchors down in Devon.

Gratitudes:
* A quick walk at lunchtime - I felt the heat of the sun on my skin! (Was still blimmin' cold though!)
* Picked up key for friend's cat sitting yesterday and got to play with her gorgeous kittens (not that they're that small any more!)
* A lovely afternoon playing games with my ex-Brownie friends yesterday

Have a good afternoon all!

themadvix

And I've just done a PC survey for a product that didn't push my blood pressure through the roof! Miracles do happen.

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Had a nice weekend, despite the work. Did a fair chunk Saturday morning and then a bit more Sunday morning. Saturday afternoon was grotty weather-wise, so I still haven't done any allotmenting or gardening or sowing... Mr MV and I pottered, read and didn't do a lot on Saturday afternoon, I think (I can't actually remember...). Sunday he went to his friend's, I did some work and then caught the train down to Mum's (£5.70 - from travel allowance) - we met in town, had lunch (£20.81 for two courses and a soft drink - and it was very nice too, from personal spends) and then went for a walk. Mr MV and I had courgette pasta for dinner on Saturday night and didn't need much yesterday evening - we toasted a couple of rolls and poached an egg each for tea.

I've booked tickets for a farm park tomorrow for Niece and I (£21). We're meeting my school friend and her two kids there, so it should be a lovely day. We'll take a packed lunch, but also expect to have a cake and hot drink there given it'll be rather chilly.

Work is going well - just needed a quick break - and I'm hoping to have returned both bits by the end of today. One client knows I'm not here tomorrow and I think main client probably won't be expecting his bit back until tomorrow anyway, so I'll be OK there. (I've just remembered what I spent Saturday afternoon doing - sewing a large patch onto Ginger Cat's favourite toy so it doesn't fall apart anymore - how did I remember this? Said mouse, let's call him Mickey, shares his name with main client! 😂 I did not name the mouse! The things we do for furry love.)

In exciting news, our kayak arrived this morning and our lunch break involved inflating it in our living room (away from cat claws!). It was massive! I think it's probably normal-sized, but it looked huge and took up the whole living room!

Tonight we're out with friend for dinner at the Korean. Cat sitting began this morning and is all OK so far - I'd not been to this house for about 4 years and didn't go for a refresh before this cat-sitting, so was a bit worried.

MS things:
* Another cat sitting booking for end of March
* MM survey
* 1P surveys
* YLive? (I think - I had a blitz on Saturday evening)
* HW - just won £10 from one of the bookies - swiftly withdrawn (and a few paid for spins to soothe their algorithm)

Gratitudes:
* Lovely time with Mum and so nice to get out for a walk too - I did 18k steps yesterday plus two cycles, so feeling like I've exercised properly for the first time this week
* Ginger Cat has approved the repair - I was so worried he might reject it as he's not keen on change, but he's picked the mouse up and wandered around wailing, which is his favourite thing to do
* Sunshine this week and looking forward to tomorrow - especially now work is under control.

Right better get back and finish it off!

themadvix

Evening all,

Have been lurking, but not had a chance to update my diary lately. Not a lot of much interest happening here - work has been very busy which is great. Have finished (more or less) the large project for UK client, which is a relief as I was getting to the point where it was a pain (not the project itself, but all the managing expectations). Still busy with work for main client - and fitting in Cambridge around that, which really needs a bit more attention. There was a lot of cat sitting last week, which I am glad is over now - when will I learn that three bookings at once is too many? Have already got some further bookings in the diary for the coming months though.

Saturday I finally got some seeds sown - peppers, tomatoes and basil in the propagator (the latter two already showing their little heads); spinach and a second sowing of broad beans in seed trays outside; and sweet peas in the bed. Also prepped and covered a bed at the allotment ready for potatoes to go in soon. Pulled the remaining sprouts and we're going to have some of them in a stir fry this evening. It felt *so* good to actually get some gardening done.

Groceries will come in under budget for the month, despite the expensive hosting at the beginning of the month; personal spends are also well under - which is good as I think March and April might be expensive! We have a lot of social events coming up in the next month which will all no doubt incur additional costs.

Mr MV is off on Friday and we're having a day out in MK as the car is visiting the garage. We plan to have a walk round a lake, wander into the centre and maybe visit a relative's leisure venue (that sounds weird but the alternative is very specific!). Lunch out will be required - but we do have a voucher for chain restaurants, so might use that.

MS things:
* A £10 HW win - that was quite a surprise!
* My frying pan came back into stock, so ordered and collected that - actual cash spent = £2
* Generally keeping on top of food and cooking (when we've been here - we had a lovely, huge lunch at Dad's on Sunday and I was out for a (previously paid for) lunch on Monday

Gratitudes:
* Sunshine and warmth!
* Lovely catch ups with family and friends over weekend/Monday/Tuesday
* The project is pretty much done (I've only got queries to deal with) - it's been a bit much alongside lots of other work

Have a lovely evening all!

Cheery_Daff

Work does indeed sound busy! Glad you've got some gardening done though. I'm feeling the pull of the garden today, the sun is shining and I spotted the first crocus on the drive just now 😊

themadvix

It's amazing what a difference a bit of sunshine can make, isn't it? I actually want to be outside for the first time in ages!

themadvix

Evening all,

Mr MV slowly on his way home from a site visit. I'll start dinner shortly (am starving as there wasn't much bread left for lunch today - suffice to say the mini shortbread biscuits I'd stashed from Christmas have taken a beating).

Have finished work for main client - he's not expecting it back yet, so he'll get it tomorrow afternoon, when I'm out and about.

Have just paid myself (and invoiced UK client for large project). Money shuffle all done and more than expected (and calculated ??) gone into savings - February is good for that. There'll be surplus from both the grocery and personal spends pots too to allocate, but they're staying where they are until the EOM - personal spends will take a bit of a hit tomorrow, I suspect.

Food wise, I do need some bits - dried fruit for some hot x buns, pasta and white rice from the refill shop and a small list is coming together for the supermarket delivery. None of it urgent yet (and I'm eyeing up the jar of grain (whose name has temporarily escaped me) as needing finishing before we start on more rice. Will try to eke it out for the next week in any case - there's spaghetti and orzo and brown rice, so we're not totally bereft of carbs. We're away next Friday night, so if we can get past then before shopping that would be good. Will need eggs and cheese before then of course. Will see how things are with R'ford, but will probably order this week. Will try not to do any big stock up shops this month - this will be helped by being out a lot at weekends (with its own attendant costs), but we also have quite a bit in still.

My grocery and personal spends pots are probably both a bit generous - good when I'm earning this much, but I probably won't always be so busy. But then, I've always managed previously, so I'll just adjust as I go - I'm not finding the temptation to spend it all just because it's there (the opposite, mostly!) and I will build up savings pots for both of these to some extent so that I have something to fall back onto for leaner months.

MS things:
* Clicks and HW
* YG survey
* Tomatoes, peppers and baby basils all showing their heads

Gratitudes:
* Have had the time to do a few niggly jobs today, which has stopped them from becoming frogs
* Sunshine! And a quick walk in the middle of the day
* Meeting with Cambridge boss/friend didn't result in a big to-do list!
* It's our Friday as we're both off tomorrow!

Have a lovely evening all!