Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

earthgirl · 17 July 2018 at 4:59PM

lovely to the stir fry! I'm going out for a meal for my anniversary and I am looking forward. Being frugal makes you appreciate things

themadvix · 18 July 2018 at 10:00AM

So true Karma, although it does mean I'm likely to get entangled in lengthy conversations every time I step out of the house (she can talk!). She was very appreciative of the naan and invited me in for lunch, but fortunately/unfortunately I had to go out - I've been promised fish biriyani next time!

Also very true Earthie - being frugal definitely makes me appreciate the bigs things (meals out) more, just like the small things.

themadvix · 18 July 2018 at 10:19AM

Morning all,

So, I'm here procrastinating instead of going to the butchers to get the chicken for the cats.... problem is, once I've got it, I'll have to cook it and having the oven on and then cutting up the chicken will be unbearable in this heat! (Better this morning though, before the sun comes round.) Can't have the window open as the chicken attracts flies.

Have optimistically planted more spring onions - I did notice the date on the seed packet is 2013, so it's no wonder that germination rates have been low. I've chucked loads in, and will keep trying - anything that grows is a bonus and then I can get rid of the packet once its done. I have quite a few seed packets in similar states of agedness

Maybe I should aim to use up all the ones I can - salad, herbs, cress etc., before the end of the year.

Returned more than half of M&S order yesterday as it was no good. As their system was down they refunded it all to my card :T so I'm definitely up in cash terms on that spend! Paid the money my dad gave me for fuel into the bank, so will send that to cc as I definitely used at least that much fuel ferrying him around (apparently he still seems to think he was doing me a favour letting me do that????!!). Trawled the charity shops, but didn't see anything on my list, so nothing spent (and free parking too).

Did spend in the evening though - we're having kitty weeing problems again (although all good today so far), so more biological cleaner required. Purchased with cash through ebay as the best Am could do was by the beginning of August for £4 more!! (Ebay should be here tomorrow!). Used £20 of Am vouchers (PC and gift) to buy some maintenance stuff for our tent - we had to put it away damp and it has suffered for it. It's also probably due some reproofing anyway. I consider these frugal spends though as they are maintaining our equipment (and cheekily sis is ordering using her (work-paid-for) Prime account

).

MS things:
* DH will cancel T4stecard as we now have meerkat meals - £30 saved (I think he can be persuaded)
* VB, MS rw, SBs (lots of codes today

)
* YG survey
* Post posted
* HM quiche made for DH's lunches

Gratitudes:
* Our health - it makes a huge difference to how frugal and self-sufficient we can be
* A slightly cooler day today
* A lovely call from the RM survey lady to check I was happy with everything

Have a great day all!

themadvix · 19 July 2018 at 11:01AM

Morning all,

Had a super-productive day yesterday - am really feeling on top of things at the moment. DH and I are focusing on a short list of three jobs to get done each evening and it seems to be working. There's even hope that the snagging list will be reduced soon! This morning I've listed a couple of bits on ebay to get them out of the house (and will appreciate the pennies, but that's less important).

MS things:
* VB, MS rw, SBs (did well there yesterday, need to claim)
* PA survey
* MM surveys (nearly at £25 voucher)
* Buddha bowl for dinner tonight to use up some flagging greens
* DH brought home some free socks and a t-shirt from a supplier (he'd only said that morning that he needed new socks

)

Gratitudes:
* The motivation and energy we seem to have at the moment - long may it continue!
* Hm pizza for tea last night (used leftover whey from ricotta making - was good!)
* A quick walk with DH last night (and 10k steps)

I'm off to see Nan later and do some volunteering stuff, have a good day all!

ETA: Tax bill paid and 75p TT to savings.

Karmacat · 19 July 2018 at 12:21PM

Lovely stuff, madvix - you and OH are *both* doing well. Loving the universe providing the socks

themadvix · 22 July 2018 at 12:06PM

Morning all (well it was, but I forgot to hit post!),

It's been a busy and plentiful few days.

On Friday I came home from Brownies (and picking my in-laws up from the airport) with a couple of tasty consumables as thank yous, a tea towel and a £10 M&S voucher (super generous present as girl isn't even leaving Brownies!), as well as empties to put homemade wine in and reimbursement for the wine we bought for the in-laws in Calais (40 euros to Christmas market trip).

I got home to find DH hadn't cooked - he said he'd 'got curry'.... and it certainly smelled like it... I knew he wouldn't have got takeaway... so I was confused.... Until I saw the huge pile of fish biriyani, with two side salads and dessert! Our lovely neighbour had been round! It was delicious and there were leftovers for lunch yesterday!

In addition, I'd sold something on FB for £5 which had been collected while I'd been out. And the other thing on ebay has just sold, so two large items out of the house and a few pennies in. (Have just messaged buyer.... postcode is other end of country... hmm).

Listed a huge number of things on Freegle and the Bay yesterday, so hoping to clear more out of the house in the next few days. Someone came and collected my old desk yesterday - glad it's going to a good home as I've had it since childhood and it was in the house when my parents bought it (when I was 4!). It had served its purpose for us though and was taking up space.

Also got some house jobs done that will make a huge difference

And (just sneaking this in here) transferred an excess of £600 from bills account to savings - just shy of £2,000 in there now :T

Think that's all, have a lovely Sunday x

Busy_Mee1 · 22 July 2018 at 2:03PM

Wow MadVix it sounds to me that you are "reaping what you sow" All the good things you do for other people being repaid in kindness. Lovely stuff.

themadvix · 23 July 2018 at 4:52PM

Busy Mee - what a lovely thing to say

Not sure it's true, but thank you!

themadvix · 23 July 2018 at 5:17PM

Aaargh just lost a post!

Long and short is: Working in garden - breeze is nice; 3rd spring onion has appeared :rotfl: , 3 x PA surveys, all the usual bits, sold a small ebay item, collection-only item fell through.

Neighbour has just arrived with yet more food.... what do I do?? We're having pizza for dinner tonight (going to try cooking on BBQ). I've put the dish she made into the fridge (probably testing the fridge but it was rice).... but I can't cope with this! It's so lovely, but..... (it sounds ungrateful to hope she sells her house soon and I don't mean it that way, but it's getting to be very awkward!).

Gratitudes:
* a breeze in the garden
* a visiting dunnock
* delicious neighbourly kindness

Have a good evening all!

themadvix · 24 July 2018 at 11:40AM

Morning all,

So the kettle is definitely dead

Unfortunately it's £50 for a new one, and I'm going to replace like with like as it's the least plasticky kettle out there and that's important to me (the thought of the plastic and boiling water....yuck). I will order vouchers from S&S and MM (nearly at payout) to purchase it with. In the meantime, our camp kettle has appeared, and fortunately it's so hot there's little tea being drunk.

I've been called for jury service.

I'll have to defer as it's due to start the week of the BIL's wedding (on a Friday, accommodation already booked). But that means we have to make some decisions about holidays in the next year so I can tell them when I'm available. It looks like I'll be able to take my laptop with me when I do have to do it - so if I'm not assigned a trial at least I can be working then (I assume?).

It's SO hot today... I've been out twice already to post RM items. And there was an avalanche of same in the post today (jury summons was the only interesting bit). Might pop out later, as I need something to make a repair, but I may just decide it's too hot!

MS things:
* RM survey
* PA survey
* SBs, MS, VB
* Froze the half eaten loaf as there's neighbour's daal for lunch

Gratitudes:
* Plenty of work
* Shade
* I'm not a furry black cat (my poor kitties are struggling

)

Btw, BBQ pizza worked, but wasn't great - the tops took so long to cook that the bottoms were very crispy.

Have a good day all!

Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

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