Tortillas!

Since we have not perfected the balance for flour & corn tortillas to give us the same result as the Wahaca ones we used to buy, we have been really sad that Tesco stopped selling them.  But last week when I was doing the shopping, they had some Wahaca "kits" that contained a package of our favourite tortillas in them.  They're stupidly priced and contain marinade and salsa packets that we probably won't ever use, but one of the flavours was on offer for £2.50, and it was a way to get the tortillas again.

So I bought a kit.  And we had our Mexican platter using our favourite Wahaca tortillas on Saturday night.   My husband took a bite first, and the look on his face... he actually looked sad, so I thought the kit ones were somehow different and he was disappointed.  But, no... he was just so happy, yet sad because he knew we couldn't justify buying these kits every week, so this was a fleeting thing.  But, man... that was a good Mexican platter.  I mean, the platter is usually good, but those tortillas are the best!

Those tortillas are good!  I quite like the marinades and am happy to pay the price for them.  But they sell a two pack of the taco kits in Costco for c£4.   

Those tortillas are good!  I quite like the marinades and am happy to pay the price for them.  But they sell a two pack of the taco kits in Costco for c£4.   

Apart from the tortillas, we make everything from scratch (well, using dried herbs and stuff). If I thought we would use the marinades and salsas, I wouldn't mind the price so much.  But the non-offer price of £3.89, or whatever it is, is just way too much to pay for one packet of tortillas.  I felt weird about the £2.50 offer price.  But my husband looked at the packets and thought the flavours sounded interesting, so maybe we'll use them for something.

Two pack of Wahaca taco kits?  What's in them?  I actually don't know what kit I bought.  I just know it was £2.50, and it had a 10-pack of corn & flour tortillas in it, and it was like seeing a long-lost friend again after a long separation.

Apart from the tortillas, we make everything from scratch (well, using dried herbs and stuff). If I thought we would use the marinades and salsas, I wouldn't mind the price so much.  But the non-offer price of £3.89, or whatever it is, is just way too much to pay for one packet of tortillas.  I felt weird about the £2.50 offer price.  But my husband looked at the packets and thought the flavours sounded interesting, so maybe we'll use them for something.

Two pack of Wahaca taco kits?  What's in them?  I actually don't know what kit I bought.  I just know it was £2.50, and it had a 10-pack of corn & flour tortillas in it, and it was like seeing a long-lost friend again after a long separation.

Yeah, it's two chicken soft taco kits.  One mild and one medium.  Can't remember the names!  They have the 10 pack of tortillas (overkill as it's only me and the 3 year old who can have them), a marinade, and a salsa.  I have no shame in using kits!   

Yeah, it's two chicken soft taco kits.  One mild and one medium.  Can't remember the names!  They have the 10 pack of tortillas (overkill as it's only me and the 3 year old who can have them), a marinade, and a salsa.  I have no shame in using kits!   

Oh, trust me.  I don't shun kits just because they're kits.   I just have always looked at a sauce or seasoning packet and thought, "For the price, I could make that myself for so much less..." and in the US, I would add "... and with far less salt!"  I wasn't poor (I think I am, now, thanks to UKVI!), but I've always been very frugal.

I do that with everything.  Food, clothes, furniture... I think it's the luxury of being retired and not having to care for children (which I've done as a nanny for a few months... I acknowledge the full-time job that that is!).  I have plenty of time on my hands, and I have internet access.  So I just make it if I want it.   

So we already have a really good flavour profile for our chicken taquitos on Mexican Platter night, we wouldn't want to mess with it.  But maybe I can find some other use for the marinade.  Perhaps a slow-cooked pork shoulder with it, or something.

Oh, trust me.  I don't shun kits just because they're kits.   I just have always looked at a sauce or seasoning packet and thought, "For the price, I could make that myself for so much less..." and in the US, I would add "... and with far less salt!"  I wasn't poor (I think I am, now, thanks to UKVI!), but I've always been very frugal.

I do that with everything.  Food, clothes, furniture... I think it's the luxury of being retired and not having to care for children (which I've done as a nanny for a few months... I acknowledge the full-time job that that is!).  I have plenty of time on my hands, and I have internet access.  So I just make it if I want it.   

So we already have a really good flavour profile for our chicken taquitos on Mexican Platter night, we wouldn't want to mess with it.  But maybe I can find some other use for the marinade.  Perhaps a slow-cooked pork shoulder with it, or something.

I used to be that way.  I definitely need to get back to that place.  The amount of money we spend each month is shocking!

I used to be that way.  I definitely need to get back to that place.  The amount of money we spend each month is shocking!

As long as you're saving, there's nothing wrong with paying for a little convenience and/or luxury.  And it sounds like you have been doing well on the savings/investing front.

As long as you're saving, there's nothing wrong with paying for a little convenience and/or luxury.  And it sounds like you have been doing well on the savings/investing front.

We could do a whole lot more.  We’ve struggled to find a financial advisor.  They seem to only deal with credit consolidation and life insurance.  And not investing and such.   

We could do a whole lot more.  We’ve struggled to find a financial advisor.  They seem to only deal with credit consolidation and life insurance.  And not investing and such.   

You need to start mingling with different people.  You need talk to people in your income bracket to find the right advisor for you.  My husband and I are in between.  We don't have investor-level assets, but we also don't have any debt to consolidate.  So we're happy to bumble along without advice.  I just keep a spreadsheet and we watch for the most efficient and safe places to keep our earmarked savings.

But, wait... you're in finance!  Don't you do your own financial advising?!

My husband is off this week for my birthday (he missed by a week, but close enough  ), so we finally got around to making our tortilla press!  And then we made tortillas and had chicken enchiladas for dinner.  Yay!





Also, yesterday we travelled to Bristol where I passed my Life in the UK test, so now we're just waiting out the clock 'til we can do my application and join the "no longer subject to immigration control" club.

OH MY GOD THAT SUGAR SKULL! I LOVE SUGAR SKULLS (our wedding was a Dia De Los Muertos  theme - loosely). I would happily purchase this from you (yet another thing to put on your etsy store you should have already) if I knew how to make tortillas for the design alone lol

But, wait... you're in finance!  Don't you do your own financial advising?!

NOOOOOO!!!  There are so many types of finance.  I do corporate finance - which is so very very very different to personal finance. 

Basically all we do investing wise is 10% to pensions (and fortunately my husband's company matches his full 10% contribution) and property.  So we have the growth of regular bricks and mortar appreciation (which I'm nervous about with Brexit) and monthly rental income.  But we don't even know what to do with our monthly rental income.  So far, we've just put it towards paying down the mortgage on that property (which fortunately is very small).  We are not very well diversified.

When I decided to major in finance, my parents went out and got a financial advisor.  I honestly think they were fearful that I'd go into personal finance and want them as clients.  LOL!  Anyways, their advisor has really really helped them.  They've consistently beaten the market for growth each year AND will have more income in retirement than when they were working.  Too bad he's in the US, or I'd use him in a heartbeat!

NOOOOOO!!!  There are so many types of finance.  I do corporate finance - which is so very very very different to personal finance. 

Basically all we do investing wise is 10% to pensions (and fortunately my husband's company matches his full 10% contribution) and property.  So we have the growth of regular bricks and mortar appreciation (which I'm nervous about with Brexit) and monthly rental income.  But we don't even know what to do with our monthly rental income.  So far, we've just put it towards paying down the mortgage on that property (which fortunately is very small).  We are not very well diversified.

When I decided to major in finance, my parents went out and got a financial advisor.  I honestly think they were fearful that I'd go into personal finance and want them as clients.  LOL!  Anyways, their advisor has really really helped them.  They've consistently beaten the market for growth each year AND will have more income in retirement than when they were working.  Too bad he's in the US, or I'd use him in a heartbeat!

I know Brexit will slow the demand for houses some, but there is such a shortage that I don't think you have to worry too much about your investment not working out.  We offered on our house a few weeks after the referendum last year, and I haven't worried that it was bad timing at all.  Okay, admittedly, I'm not worried because I know we can afford our mortgage, and because I know we don't intend to ever sell, so we don't have to worry about whether or not depreciation will occur.

But, hrm.  You actually sound like you're in the same situation we are in, only with more assets to ponder.  We have been debt-free for a number of years, now, and slowly building up savings.  We used a fair chunk of it last year as a down payment on our house, and we have some set aside to cover this commuting situation (it was supposed to go toward the improvements our house needs, but we'll get there eventually)... but after ILR and especially if my husband gets this other job closer to home, we'll be back into higher-gear savings again... but we just don't know where to put it to make it grow for us.  I have an ISA that pays 2.72% but you know about the contribution limits to that, and I have a regular savings account that pays 2%.  I think my husband's dwindling savings (commuting fund) is around 0.5%?  Gone are the days of "based on 6% annual growth" safe-bet retirement calculations, unless you are willing to go with the somewhat riskier not-government-protected investments.

I just don't know what to do with our savings.  But so far we have been throwing a lot of it at UKVI, so it hasn't been much of an issue, yet. 

OH MY GOD THAT SUGAR SKULL! I LOVE SUGAR SKULLS (our wedding was a Dia De Los Muertos  theme - loosely). I would happily purchase this from you (yet another thing to put on your etsy store you should have already) if I knew how to make tortillas for the design alone lol

We used that sugarskull design on a different thing, too. It's not functional; it's just a carving.  But that means we don't have to pretend it's for making tortillas.    We only backlit it using a torch for the photo.  It's not quite as cool in real life.

I know Brexit will slow the demand for houses some, but there is such a shortage that I don't think you have to worry too much about your investment not working out.  We offered on our house a few weeks after the referendum last year, and I haven't worried that it was bad timing at all.  Okay, admittedly, I'm not worried because I know we can afford our mortgage, and because I know we don't intend to ever sell, so we don't have to worry about whether or not depreciation will occur.

But, hrm.  You actually sound like you're in the same situation we are in, only with more assets to ponder.  We have been debt-free for a number of years, now, and slowly building up savings.  We used a fair chunk of it last year as a down payment on our house, and we have some set aside to cover this commuting situation (it was supposed to go toward the improvements our house needs, but we'll get there eventually)... but after ILR and especially if my husband gets this other job closer to home, we'll be back into higher-gear savings again... but we just don't know where to put it to make it grow for us.  I have an ISA that pays 2.72% but you know about the contribution limits to that, and I have a regular savings account that pays 2%.  I think my husband's dwindling savings (commuting fund) is around 0.5%?  Gone are the days of "based on 6% annual growth" safe-bet retirement calculations, unless you are willing to go with the somewhat riskier not-government-protected investments.

I just don't know what to do with our savings.  But so far we have been throwing a lot of it at UKVI, so it hasn't been much of an issue, yet. 

You should see the rate they are building around us.  Yeah, we don’t plan to sell anytime soon so not something I lose sleep over.  And with my ILR, our mortgage went waayy down!    

You should see the rate they are building around us.  Yeah, we don’t plan to sell anytime soon so not something I lose sleep over.  And with my ILR, our mortgage went waayy down!   

Our mortgage is only in my husband's name.  The banks wouldn't consider my income, because I was on a time-limited visa, and my husband was able to qualify without me, anyway.  We have a decent rate on a 5-year-fixed mortgage because we put more than 20% down.  I can't imagine we could do too much better in the short term.  But we certainly wouldn't even try 'til after we've fixed the things we've broken while assessing the condition (heat, aesthetic details, the kitchen we ripped out), and probably not 'til the first five years have elapsed.

There's actually some building going on not too far from us.  There's a small housing estate going in and a new retail park is starting to see its first shops open in a nearby town (bigger than a village, but not a city).  But I think that is just a sign that our home's value will go up.  It's making this a more desirable area because there are shops and jobs coming in.

We used that sugarskull design on a different thing, too. It's not functional; it's just a carving.  But that means we don't have to pretend it's for making tortillas.    We only backlit it using a torch for the photo.  It's not quite as cool in real life.

I LOVE IT SO MUCH! You should make some type of wooden bread bin with sugar skull designs and I would totally buy it! I say that because I love sugar skulls and I need a bread bin and I feel like a cutting board would get ruined for sure hahah