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

QueenJess

themadvix said:

That sounds familar RT! I am currently eating the last of last year's stewed on my porridge. I'd probably be better at doing this and using them up sooner if the freezer lived in the kitchen, not our external utility room! Generally though, I freeze them ahead of making jelly - at this time of year I don't have the time (or in the heat, the inclination) to make it, but I do usually make a decent sized batch - MIL seems to consume quite a bit so I'm frequently telling her that she doesn't need to buy any as I've got some for her.

Summer pud is always an option, if you have the rest of the ingredients. And I'm going to have a go at this recipe using them (apologies, it's in German!).

They are also lovely in a crumble. Pear and redcurrant is a personal favourite

redofromstart

I haven't made summer pudding in years, used to be one of my favourites and a regular make by my mother. It'll be a good way to use up some more of the enormous crop of raspberries here. 

Thank you for the reminder. 

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Apologies for being AWOL again. Work continues to be busy, life continues to be busy and I'm struggling to keep up with everything. Have also been battling B&W cat peeing in a new (wrong) place. Feel we've almost resolved this (although after a pee-free weekend, he spoilt it by going there this morning). It gets to me more than you'd believe!

We have signed on the line for a heat pump. Waiting on the asbestos testing company to get in touch (not expecting any concerns - we've had the artex ceilings tested on multiple occasions previously) - 🐙 have chased them, so hopefully we'll hear soon. Because we signed up when we did, we sneaked into the competition to win a year's electricity (to the value of £1750), which would be lovely. We've also got 15% off (that's running until end of August I think). So total cost was £3099, including two extra radiators than we needed. Very comparable to a new boiler in that respect I think. Payment will not be due until the install is complete and we're looking at an end of August/beginning of September date for that (depending on when the asbestos company get their act together). Currently I have about £1000 saved (it was £1200, but we've also paid someone to do some repointing work that we've been not getting around to for 8 years). This may also take another hit as the garage roof needs attention - have contacted roofer and he should be around today or tomorrow to have a look. We do have other savings that we could put towards it, obviously, but I'm aiming to minimise the hit to those savings as far as possible - so the challenge is on! (See next post.)

We've also been to Wales and collected the teardrop kit. It's all laid out in the other garage awaiting the sealant we have to paint it with. It was a *very* long day - up at 4am and didn't get back until 5pm (with hire van due back at 6pm). Wales is quick to get into, but it appears to want to hold on to you - took us forever to get back out and then we were so late we hit the rush hour M25 traffic. Obviously the commonsense thing was then to go paddling in the evening with BIL and SIL! To say we were kn4ckered was an understatement! (And then we went to a bbq the following day and didn't get home until midnight  -we are too old for this nonsense!). Unfortunately the paddling came with an unexpected cost in the form of a parking ticket.... entirely legitimate and council issued, so it's been paid (was £35 within 14 days, so not horrendous) and lesson learnt.

I went to Cambridge last Tuesday for work, which was nice - and always good to be paid for meetings in my book (such a novelty). Am still busy with work for main client too, and this doesn't look like it'll settle much over the next month (allowing for the closure of client's client for two weeks in August). Cat sitting is picking up too, although I'm not taking any more bookings for the summer now - I know I'll have had enough when I've done what I've already got in the diary.

Had a Disney meeting with Mum and Sis on Wednesday, so we now have a plan and know what meals we're buying, when we're having a cheapo McD's (eurgh, but a necessary budget option) and what we need to get from the hypermarket en route. Balance of accommodation and tickets has been paid too, and I should have enough saved to cover the remaining costs (I don't know about Mr MV, he's able to wing it more though).

MS things:
* Eating from the allotment - haven't had a R'ford box in two weeks now and won't have one this week. Am still picking and processing currants. Beans are coming along well and I'm just about to pick my first (yellow) courgettes - they seem to be a long way behind. We have a lot of random food in the house too at the moment (in the short term, stuff brought back from Sis's birthday tea on Saturday, but also longer-term randomness), so I'm going to try to focus on clearing the cupboards out alongside eating our fresh produce (and preserving the rest). Aiming to save £100 of the grocery budget this month - will go towards heat pump.
* Dyed Mr MV's t-shirts. I think they could have done with a second pack of dye in with them, but they'll do. Cheaper than buying new.

* Lots of solar, so energy costs have been low
* Man doing repointing is cheaper than original quote (our friend gave us the original quote, but he's too busy, so sent his protege along instead!)

Gratitudes:
* Lovely family catch up at the weekend for Sis's birthday
* Nice walk yesterday with Mr MV as part of his new volunteer role
* Loved our evening paddle (less so the parking ticket) - will try to do another before the nights get too dark

Have a good afternoon/evening all.

themadvix

Totally forgot some other pertinent MSE stuff! 

* Tax return done and submitted. 
* Have opened a new cash LISA to transfer into (the only way to open one now I'm old!). Awaiting confirmation that transfer is underway (only sent the paperwork at the weekend, so it'll be a couple of weeks).
* Santander want to start charging me £10/month to operate my business account. I am, of course, not staying with them. Currently switching to the Starling, although if they keep messing me around, I may yet go elsewhere (asked twice for whole load of detail, which I provided on first time of asking, but apparently they can't read. Also asked about my boarding licence for cat sitting.... clue is in the name!

* Am considering reopening my Nest pension - they came out best in Ethical Consumer's review and Vanguard... better not to mention their ethics. Currently thinking I'll open it with this year's contribution and wait until VG has climbed back up to where it was before Trump (this is definitely putting the decision off). Thoughts welcome from those with similar ethical dilemmas!

* Broadband switch should happen on Friday (had to wait for openreach to fit the fibre) - this will save us £3/month (which annoyingly we've had to pay this month because we've been waiting on the engineers!)

themadvix

So, where to find £2000 in eight weeks (allowing for time to pay cc off - because we'll pay with a cc to get the points, of course!)?

Last month was a bit quieter workwise (mainly because I had two weeks off for holiday), so pay will be below my normal amount this month, which doesn't make things easier. However, I will get  a reasonable Cambridge pay, so will use this to top off pots/add to savings midway through the month.

Plan is:

* Grocery budget for August and September £200, instead of £300 (should be easily doable with allotment/use up challenge). Aim to reduce further to £150.
* Personal spends won't be reduced because it's the summer and I want to enjoy it (since our trip to Henley right at the beginning of the month and then the parking ticket cost me half of my pocket money this month, I'm looking forward to it being renewed in August!). However, I did get paid in cash by one cat client and this money is slowly being used/is floating around, so will use this in personal spends allowance (for clarity, money has been put aside for tax man), thus reducing amount needed from SE pay (I need to pay most of it in - the taproom doesn't take cash).
* There's £103 in our boiler service pot - boiler service is due, but for obvious reasons, won't be done. Will be sad that we'll be using the Octo service plan and I won't get to see our lovely boiler engineer for a while).
* VM RS matures end of this month. Will split interest between long-term savings and heat pump.
* Need to check Mr MV's contributions (he puts so much into savings each month, this wouldn't be a challenge if he joined in properly, but he will certainly be able to contribute from his non-savings money)
* Work hard this month so earnings back up to standard next month - this is in progress. Will pick up platform jobs if I have quiet periods and try to ensure I'm using all my Cambridge hours (when there's a lull in report writing, which there is now, there's always data entry to do). In a normal month I usually have about £400 to contribute to the various savings pots I have on the go at any one time, so this will be a big help.
* Prolific - I've had a bit of a lapse recently, but given sorry state of income this month, have picked this back up. Rather annoyed (insert a stronger word here) that I did a whole survey earlier and there was an issue with a feedback question (no arrow to move on appeared) that meant I won't get credited. I did complain!
* Mr MV has a couple of bits on the Bay of E at the moment - if they sell I'll suggest that money is added to the pot.
* Obviously any little extra bits that arrive (TCB etc.) will be squirrelled away, as will any TTs (in fact a £2.99 TT went there this morning).

At the moment August is looking quiet, but I'm hoping we'll be able to enjoy some paddling trips and be building the caravan. We're going to see Oasis on the 30th July, but apart from train tickets (from travel budget) that should be free (because we're dead jammy and Mr MV has been offered hospitality tickets); also going to visit Buck House (but also free because we've got a friend who works there) - but there will be additional costs that day as we're likely to go for drinks/food afterwards. I've also got Niece on one day, but expect we'll be taking a picnic with us whatever we do. I'm cat sitting for most of the month, which will limit any opportunities to disappear overnight.

I'm aware that this is a nebulous plan, but as always, it depends on my work. I'll keep you updated with progress. Ooh, it's nice to have a target!

rtandon27

So true - it is always nice to have a target.  I always feel a bit let down when I manage to meet mine!  A sigh of relief is usually followed by the question 'what next?'

themadvix

Morning all,

@rtandon27 there's nothing quite like a target to focus the mind, is there?

In the interests of starting as I mean to go on, this morning I have:
*Cancelled tomorrow's milk - we have plenty (because I had technical issues when trying to cancel Monday's after buying a top-up in the Coop)
* Done a PA survey - 70p while I was still in bed
* Clicks and HW. Have slipped from doing these, and I've just seen I have nearly £12 (cashout level) in VB, so will definitely get back into this. Benefit of not having logged into the bookies for a while was getting free spins - £1 won there.

* Bread is proving.
* Dinner last night used up coleslaw made for the weekend and some hg potatoes (potato salad) with bean burgers from the freezer.
*Lunch today: I'll be having the fresh bread; Mr MV is off to a supplier visit and they have said they'll feed him.
*Tonight we're having courgette kuku (a herby courgette omelette) - the first hg courgette (at last!) and herbs from the garden.
* Mr MV away from tomorrow overnight, so food will be covered by his allowance. I've got my eye on a large potato for a jacket for dinner tomorrow night - a rare treat as Mr MV doesn't like jacket spuds.

Only little things, but it's a start. Have also logged the time I've spent on Teams this morning mentoring a colleague on how to write a report - one of those jobs I'm wishing I'd just done myself! (I'm meant to be training her and delegating some of the reports, but this was not the one to start with!)

Back to work for main client now - am hoping I'll get it finished today, or tomorrow morning at the latest. Collecting a cat key later (and have a cat to feed). Will also return library books and need to pop to a supermarket - depending on when/the weather it'll either be Sains (car or bike), or just get the minimum (eggs) at the Coop. Approx £30 of food budget left to last until end of the month, so should be fine but no R'ford or supermarket deliveries.

ladysummerisle

Ooh I have a question (now I’ve caught up!) around the clothes dye. I bought the one for the washing machine (apparently) for husband. He now wonders if it’s a faff given the many rinse cycles needed and potential to transfer. Is it really? Or is he griping unnecessarily? 😂

(I think I’ve only used one in a bucket before)

themadvix

ladysummerisle said:

Ooh I have a question (now I’ve caught up!) around the clothes dye. I bought the one for the washing machine (apparently) for husband. He now wonders if it’s a faff given the many rinse cycles needed and potential to transfer. Is it really? Or is he griping unnecessarily? 😂

(I think I’ve only used one in a bucket before)

It does require four cycles (once to wash the items, then to dye, then to rinse them and then to rinse the machine - and not short ones - mine were 2hr20 each), so it will take the whole day (and not ideal when you have a cat peeing on pads that need washing regularly 🙄). I would definitely say to use the recommended amount of dye too - the t-shirts could have come up blacker, but that was my fault for not weighing them and wildly underestimating how much would be needed (it dyed my sock that wasn't meant to be in there beautifully). But I didn't find any cause for concern once I'd washed the machine out (and that could probably have been done on a shorter cycle (1hr). It's a bit of a faff, but if the items are in good condition, I'd say it's worth it. Just allow a whole day.

themadvix

Just scooped a bit of excess (£23.28) from my bike maintenance fund into HP savings. 

Savings now standing at £1155.85 (there was clearly a bit more in there than I thought before I took the £160 out for the repointing). 

Mr MV has pinpointed his £700 of 'Not overpayments' (this is literally what the pot is called - and it's not earning any interest 🙄) as his initial contribution to the HP, although I've told him this will make it too easy 😆. We also need/want to save for a second house battery before the winter so that we can run the HP as economically as possible whilst also staying on Intelligent Octo for car charging (rather than switching to Cosy Octo). This will cost another £3k (probably).... so really the target is £6k before November 😆 

I'm beginning to feel some Newgirly-level juggling will be required (haven't entirely given up hope of some sort of winter break yet either, although at least it won't be a cruise!).