Renewed focus: the (less-than?) five-year plan to move

Greying_Pilgrim

Fantastic news tmv - thank you for your reply.

Greying X

themadvix

Afternoon all,

I survived beginners spin last night! It was actually quite fun and I've booked to go again next week. The lovely thing about the gym is that there's no commitment - all the classes are included in the price and you can cancel up to two hours beforehand (there's a strike system to stop people not showing up).

Dinner last night was the buffalo tofu - I still haven't worked out how to bake the tofu in the oven and get it crispy. I drained it for ages yesterday and it was marginally better, but not a lot. We could fry it, but it's definitely not as healthy then. Still, it's a tasty meal and there's slaw left (I didn't make a double batch of hummus, so we ate all of that last night). Soupy leeky rice for dinner tonight, using hg leeks. Processing the leeks is top of my non-work to-do list today - they're on the bench in the garden and I must deal with them.

Decluttering continues as per Cheery's challenge - but rather than being stuff from one place, it's a bit all over the shop, so I'm not going to detail it all here. Things are beginning to look a bit better though!

Messaged Dishoom this morning and have already had an acknowledgement and request for a copy of the bill (I would have attached it, but of course had to submit a web form to get in touch).

Am hoping to finish my work (unless there's more) in the next hour or so so I can deal with the leeks and package up a present for the friends we stayed with back in May - it's a combination housewarming (I think they've been there over a year now!) and thank you present - but it was out of print until recently (it's a game that we know they'll like). Just need to find an appropriate card from my stash and get the box it came in resealed and addressed and that's another thing out of the house.

Meeting a friend for a drink at 5 for a quick catch up so need to crack on.

MS things:
* VB poll done
* 1P surveys done
* £1 YL survey done
* PA survey
* Continue to eat as planned

Gratitudes:
* Enjoyed spin - the instructor was really good
* Last day of the working week for me today - very unusually I've taken tomorrow off while Mr MV is working - meeting friends for breakfast, then I've got my 'spa morning' at the college and then will go to the refill shop in the afternoon.
* House is starting to look better for the decluttering - a little here and there makes a difference!

Have a good afternoon all!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Drink with friend turned out to be a cuppa at her mum's house and some time with a puzzle, which was both fun and very MSE. Had breakfast at the farm this morning with friends and the baby (£11 spent) and then the 'spa day' at the local college - the massage was a bit of a tickle, but the facial was lovely. And the afternoon tea was delicious (if rather chaotic - it's early in the year and all the customers did arrive at once!). In all, £40, which is coming from the last of my Christmas/birthday money for the year. I am stuffed, so hoping Mr MV will be happy with beans on toast for dinner later (I'll just have a slice of toast if I need it) (he's in a meeting at the moment). Pub soon, but I'm driving as I've got some cats to look after afterwards (for my friend, in barter).

Used RM survey stamps to post friends' gift, but annoyingly RM have changed it so the PO workers can't credit postage already applied to tracked services, so it's gone untracked (and I therefore paid over the odds). Will remember that for next time - really annoying though as what else am I meant to spend 1st class large letter stamps on?

Visited the refill shop while I was in that town - £40 spent, which was less than I thought it might be (given I bought a lot of rice, citric acid and some raisins (for mincemeat)). Stocked up now though, so shouldn't need anything else from there for a month.

MS things:
* VB poll
* 'Free' postage
* Bargainous spa day

Gratitudes:
* Catch up with friend last night
* Breakfast with other friends and the cutie pie baby
* Afternoon tea with stepmum

Have a good evening all!

BookWorm

Hi Vix. I used to sell my surplus large letter stamp supply on the Bay of E. I no longer do the RM survey but still have a fair supply of stamps.

beanielou

Oh I dident know about not being able to use the stamps in part postage anymore. That’s a pain.

South_coast

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82194749#Comment_82194749

I was just about to suggest the same. It blew my mind that people would pay c20p less than the face value of a book of stamps and be happy to wait days for them to arrive 🤷‍♀️

themadvix

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82194878#Comment_82194878

Only for tracked/signed for, I think Beanie. And do double check - that’s just what they said at this PO.

themadvix

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82194749#Comment_82194749

I’ve tried and failed at this in the past, but I’ll have to give it another go!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Had a quiet weekend - did housework, jobs and gym visit on Saturday and went for a walk yesterday (followed by a nap while Mr MV was at the gym). It was a low/no spend weekend: pub on Friday night and a loaf and pastries from the farm yesterday, as I didn't have time to bake a loaf, but otherwise, I ordered some cat food last night and I think that was it. Today has not gone as planned - Mr MV was going to take the mini as I needed the car this afternoon, but with thick fog this morning, we decided that wasn't a great idea, so I dropped him at the station…. only to find the thing I was going to has been postponed due to illness. Also, my friend's cats got spooked by the neighbour unexpectedly arriving (she thought she was feeding them) and one wouldn't return to have his collar on (despite me waiting for half an hour), so they are stuck inside today.

I have, however, caught up on decluttering - emptied and cleaned the fridge this morning (only a tiny bit of work, which was quickly done). I'd seen someone suggest this on Insta ahead of Christmas and thought it was a good idea. Decluttered a couple of salad dressing sachets that were past their best, plus the end of a pot of cream and a nearly full pot of mint sauce that I inherited from my Nan's fridge (BBE 2018!!) - it has survived many previous clear outs, but if I've not got round to using it by now, I'm not going to. The fridge looks so much better now. Also decluttered a small shelf in the kitchen where I keep a few regular recipe books - and other stuff (Riverford newsletters/recipes etc.) get shoved.

Unfortunately we're having issues with B&W Cat eating again - basically he doesn't like what we're giving him and mostly just licks the fat off of it (he'll occasionally have a few kibble, but he's not really keen on them now - since he felt sick after having them when he spat his anti-sickness tablet). He's hungry and interested though, so I can work with that. We have some different food (tuna, from the same brand) coming tomorrow and I will discuss options with the vet when I see her later in the month - unfortunately she's on holiday at the moment, so we'll have to manage until then. I don't blame him - it's really processed stuff and has no texture (obviously no idea about flavour, but can't imagine it's great). It's possible he could have human-quality meat (that's not chicken), but I think that's a veterinary call - it may inflame his stomach.

I was quick to check and book my yoga and pilates classes for this afternoon when I realised I wasn't going elsewhere, so heading off to the gym shortly.

MS things:
* VB poll
* PA survey
* YLive survey
* Sticking to meal plan (ish - but subbed an easy freezer meal last night when an appointment meant we weren't sure if we'd be home in time to cook)
* I'll collect Mr MV later - cheaper than him getting the train back
* Using some S&S points to buy something from Argoose

Gratitudes:
* A lovely (dry) walk yesterday through some local countryside
* B&W Cat wants to eat - which is still a vast improvement on where we were
* There were free spots on the classes at the last minute!

Have a good afternoon all!

themadvix

Morning all,

Gym done yesterday (6 hrs so far in November) and had a cuppa with Stepmum who was also there and not supposed to be (we'd both said we had other things on)! (She paid, it'll be my turn next time.) Mr MV did get the train in the end, mostly because I actually had some work arrive, so it was worth getting on with that - and I'm carrying on with that this morning.

In good news, B&W Cat has decided that the rabbit-based food he didn't like originally is preferable to the lamb-based food he was eating, so he's now eating that (which his brother was eating because he'd finished up what B&W Cat didn't want! Are you keeping up? I don't think we are!). He's had a decent portion this morning (still not overly enthusiastic, but I think he was hungry), but I'm just hoping it doesn't upset his stomach. He was a nightmare last night - didn't even want his treats, which had me in a panic, but he's had some this morning and was quite happy to come in from the garden for them. Will see what he makes of the tuna-based variety of tinned food at some point - it's arriving today, but might leave him eating rabbit while he's happy to.

Washing is on the line - not sure that it'll dry much but the sun is out here. It'll have to finish on the heated airer overnight, but as it's sheets, it'll be good to get some of the moisture out outside. Hope to get to allotment today - maybe harvest the remaining leeks, but also just do some maintenance. Dinner tonight will be roasted cauli in a sweet soy sauce type thing (it's an adapted recipe) - it's fairly quick and I have my monthly catch up with evening class this evening (where dessert will be provided!).

MS things:
* Y Live survey (£3)
* 1P surveys
* Short PA survey
* Yesterday was a NSD
* Dinner was IP Sweet potato and chickpea satay curry, using homegrown sweet potatoes - very yummy!
* No R'ford delivery needed this week (no idea what we'll eat, but the freezer is full!)

Gratitudes:
* Nice to see Stepmum for a catchup (seem to have seen more of her than either of my actual parents lately!)
* Work
* B&W Cat eating

Have a good day all!