Flicking the Vs: October 2018

The £1m thought experiment: What would you do if you won the lottery?

For someone without a full-time job, I spend a fair bit of time thinking about FIRE, or Financial Independence Retire Early . I'm not pl...

As countries go, Croatia has a lot going for it. It's got a beautiful coastline, stunning cities, and rich history. I've been back three times, and when we landed back at Gatwick after our last visit, we were already talking about coming back next summer.

For our most recent holiday, we spent a week in Croatia's second biggest city, Split. The heart of Split is the palace of the Roman emperor Diocletan, which is now a warren of small streets that you can lose yourself in for hours. Split also meets the Adriatic: one of its main streets, known as the Riva, runs long the coastline and it's a great place to grab a drink and watch the world go by.

The vegan scene isn't huge in Croatia, but I found Zagreb delivered some cracking vegan food, while Dubrovnik didn't really rock my world. So how did Split's fare fare?

Here are a few places I stuffed my face in:

Bio and Bio

Bio and Bio is a chain of organic/health food type stores, and I'll be honest with you guys, it was one of my favourite places. It had so much fun stuff, including vegan cakes, ready made vegan sandwiches, spreads, tofu, cookies, pastries, and even vegan choc ices. Every day when we went out, we'd take a lunch with us, mostly from here and it was always fab. We also stocked up on other vegan usefuls, like vegan Nutella and crisps. This place isn't cheap, but it's full of good stuff. I wish we had a Bio&Bio on my high street.

A beautiful biccie from Bio&Bio

Vege Fast Food

Vege Fast Food is an all vegan place that's tucked away in Split's green market. There are a couple of tables, but it's mostly grab and go. The food is not exactly spectacular - it's a bit on the bland side -, and the service can be gruff at best, but we went back a couple of times. Not because we're some sort of traveling masochists, but because it's all vegan, and because it's cheap as chips. A large burrito of rice, fried veg, salad, and smoked tofu was the equivalent of £3.50 (and there's sriracha on the counter to fix the problem of a complete lack of herbs, spices, or seasoning). It's not fancy dining, but for filling food that's kind to your budget, this is no bad option. It's also nextdoor to a stall called Stixberry, which sells frozen smoothie lollies that are all vegan and all delicious.

Marta's Veggie Fusion

Marta's Veggie Fusion is not only all veggie, but pretty much all vegan too, and so it's another place we went back to a couple of times. First time around, me and Mr Flicking the Vs tried a hummus bowl and a burrito bowl respectively, then second time we got burgers and fries. I enjoyed everything about Marta's Veggie Fusion, apart from the wait - it's in a well trod street in Diocletan's palace, so it's always full. That said, the service is lovely, and there's raw desserts if you need something sweet to finish your meal.

Look at those black beans!

Makrovega

Makrovega is a little further away from the main tourist drag than the other two places I've mentioned, so it's a bit quieter and you're more likely to get yourself a seat. It's not all vegan, but there's a lot of vegan meals to be had. Me and Mr FlickingtheVs both got this plate of rice, tofu, and curried veggies. It was a bit on the bland side, but it was nice to have something that had a little bit of spicing nonetheless. The same people behind Makrovega also have a second veg*n eatery called UpCafe, which is a bit further out of town, but has some good reviews.

Rice, veggies, tofu, and... ketchup?!

Wok Bar

This place is variously known as Wok Bar or That's all Woks!, but it's the same little hole in the wall on the Riva. It's omni, but there are a couple of vegan stir fry options. You get to pick your noodles or rice, veggies, and sauce, and walk out with a massive box of takeaway. There are also vegan spring rolls to be had. I chose this box of coconut-curry noodles, which were a bit on the bland side (are you sensing a theme here?) but cheap and filling (another theme!), so no complaints. And Wok Bar is also next to Gelateria Spalato, which does some vegan ice cream flavours.

croatia

Eating vegan in Split: Where to get a good feed in Croatia's second city

As countries go, Croatia has a lot going for it. It's got a beautiful coastline, stunning cities, and rich history. I've been back t...

It really feels like London has got some serious vegan mojo at the moment. There are so many new places I want to go and visit that I've lost track (but you can bet that the capital's first totally vegan fish and chip shop is right at the top of my list though!) Here's a few I've been loving recently.

The first is the Amersham Arms in New Cross. If you live in south London and you need a good vegan Sunday roast, get yourself down there -- you'll be in for a feed of the highest order. Sunday roasts are one of those classic meals that so many people are familiar with, and often it's as a family meal. You all get together and sit down for a big old meal at lunchtime, and then you spend the rest of the afternoon digesting and snoozing. When I was kid, it was a weekly occurrence. Things were always at their quietest on a Sunday afternoon -- we'd all have a full Sunday roast, then watch rubbish on the TV (the only time when I could sit and watch Formula One races for hours) or slope off and read a book.

Which is all a long winded way of saying I love Sunday roasts. Sad thing is, I never get to cook roasts at home any more -- they take a good while to make properly, and there's never enough of a gap between revision, dissertations, and life to spend hours cooking dinner. So, the only way I get a Sunday roast these days is if someone else makes it for me. Luckily, the Amersham Arms is there to fill the void in my Sunday -- and my stomach!

The Sunday menu at the pub is all vegan -- normally four or five different mains and a dessert if you need one. I pretty much always choose the Wellington because I believe there are few things in life that can't be made better by wrapping them in pastry. The Wellington filling is gorgeous, but with a pastry coat? It's heaven. And, like any good roast, the Amersham Arms does a cracking variety of sides -- carrots, parsnips, roast potatoes, even a vegan Yorkshire pudding. And a boatload of gravy, because a roast is not a roast without enough gravy to swim in.

Next Sunday, get yourself a paper, and get yourself down the Amersham Arms. It's what Sunday was made for.

A few weeks back, we went to Vegtoberfest. I'm not sure who put it together, but I think the local student prom committee could have done a better job. There was nothing really Oktoberfest-y about it, apart from the month. A handful of the staff were dressed in costumes that look like they cost £2.99 and were probably a fire risk of such proportions it would terrify 1970s polyester. They weren't even vegan -- the hats had feathers in! There were all of two vegan beers on tap, eye watering queues for the couple of vegan food sellers, and nowhere to sit. There was all the atmosphere of a library. I kept thinking whoever was behind it wasn't vegan, because vegans are kind and passionate folk -- they take pride in vegan events. This felt like someone trying to make a quick buck off the back of the growth of veganism. Ugh.

We had a beer, cut our losses, and left. In need of cheering up, we went to Purezza. Purezza is an all vegan joint, and they know how to make great pizza, and how to make vegans happy. So good are they at making vegan pizza, they recently won the National Pizza Awards, ahead of all the omni competition. These guys know their pizza.

I know it's wrong, but every time I go to Purezza, I order the lasagne. It's reeeeaaaaallly good. But visiting just after the National Pizza Awards, I finally let them persuade me to order a pizza -- I chose the special when I was there.

Appropriately for a pizza called the Fall, I couldn't resist its temptations. Instead of the customary tomato base, the Fall had a white base of truffled mozzarella. There was smoked tofu, yellow tomatoes, and mounds of cashew cream. I valiantly tried to eat the whole thing, but I failed at the last couple of slices. Happily, they'll box up the leftovers. Even more happily, they do some good desserts -- if you have room, getting the brownie is never a bad idea.

And from two old favourites to a new discovery. Cafe Forty One is a new vegan patisserie in La Suite West, a hotel a stone's throw from Hyde Park.

With the weather turning more autumnal, me and Mr Flicking the Vs took a stroll around the park to kick the leaves and revel in the change in seasons. Suitably glutted on autumn vibes, we went down to see if a vegan French patisserie was as good as it sounds.

Sadly, we got a table in the dark interior so my snaps of our food were pretty poor -- unlike the food, which was distinctly lovely.

Here's the chocolate and praliné mille feuille:

And here's the poire belle-Helène:

While both were on the spendy side for what you'd normally pay for pudding, but really, for your £5 or £7 you get to feel a little bit posh with your dainty dessert. You may not feel stuffed, but you won't feel robbed. There's not enough vegan patisserie in the world, so anything that changes that situation is good with me.

I loved the dainty artistry of both dishes, but they didn't stay pretty for long: we snapped that little chocolate basket, destroyed the arrangement of biscuit and candied pecan, and happily broke the mille feuille into a thousand pieces. Then we made approving noises while we ate, passing the chocolate sauce back and forth between it like the jug carried the elixir of eternal youth. Not a drop was wasted.

So, there you have it -- the three places I've been loving recently. All vegan, all delicious. Maybe those new vegan joints will have to wait: I'm looking forward to going back to all three before too long.

london

Three London spot for a great vegan meal: From French patisserie to Italian pizza - and a Sunday roast

It really feels like London has got some serious vegan mojo at the moment. There are so many new places I want to go and visit that I've...

baking

A recipe for vegan barleygrass, matcha, and white chocolate scones

You can always tell how well (or badly) my studies are going by how much time I'm in the kitchen. If things are getting a bit hec...

Before I went back to university, I had a full time job. I quite liked it, and it paid enough for me to put money aside for my tuition fees. When I quit that job and signed up to be a student again, the only income I had to live on was my student loan: a variable amount that seems to be between £8000 and £9000 a year. That's £8000 or £9000 a year to live on, in London. Nope, not good.

While I was never a big spender, seeing my income cut to £700 or so a month meant I had to cut back. It's a very, very tight belt now. I'm practically bisected by the tightness of the belt. Here's everything I learnt about how to keep a handle on your spending, whether you're off to university for the first time, or you're just saving a few quid here and there.

1. Start a budget

You probably know this one, and if you know this one, you probably rolled your eyes. Budgeting is not anyone's idea of fun, but it is pretty essential. Once you know how much you have coming in, and how much you have to spend on necessaries like rent, council tax, and electricity, you know how much you have to put towards your savings, or spend on a new coat, or whatever you want to do with your cash. Loads of people seem to swear by YNAB (You Need A Budget), which you can try for free for two months, or for longer if you're a student. YNAB has loads of great advice and tutorials about managing your money, and it's a great way of getting the most out of every last penny. I found it a bit hectic to use, so I'm sticking with the slightly less exciting PearBudget. You can sign up for their monthly service (which costs money) or download their spreadsheet (which doesn't). Nope, budgeting isn't sexy, but it's a lot more fun than trying to work out how to pay your bills when there's 5p left in the bank! Getting your budget straight will help you make your money last as long as it needs, so there's no pre-student-loan-payday panic.

2. Have one really bad day

Most utilities providers (your electric, gas, broadband, phone, and all that sort of fun and games) will let you choose which day you pay them, so you can arrange to have all your direct debits come out on the same day each month. I found having all the bills come out on one day meant you have a better idea of how much money you have left once you've taken care of the essentials. This method might not work for everyone - if you're paid weekly, it's probably not for you! - but I find it really helps.

3. Set aside money for wasting

Even the best budgeters can feel a bit worn out by only spending money on essentials. Sometimes you just need a few quid to blow on something completely non-essential. It doesn't have to be a lot of cash, whatever you can fit into your budget - for me, it's £10 every now and again - but you need to have some money to spend without worrying. Stick 'spending on nonsense' into your budget and enjoy spending as you please. My vice? Random vegan ingredients. I'm powerless to resist a new vegan cheese, and thanks to the 'spending on nonsense' category, I can still afford to give into my cashew cheese cravings.

4. Take a run up
You can just about survive on a student loan, if you're lucky, but that's about it. There's no spare cash if your boiler blows up or you need some dental work done -- or even if you just fancy a holiday. UCAS applications for most university courses close the January before the course starts, so chances are you'll have a few months between knowing you've got a place and having to give up your job and start your course. Use those months to squirrel away as much cash as you can, so you've got an emergency fund in place before you jack in your job for good. A lot of money-saving blogs extol the virtues of a side hustle (a part-time job, really) and most courses should give you enough spare hours to do at least a bit of work. I've been able to work every year of my course so far, and apart from the money, I like keeping my hand in in old job. Starting afresh in a completely new field left me feeling a little unmoored, while freelancing in my old job reminds me I used to be competent at something.

5. Set your expectations, and anyone else's
Going from a full-time wage to a student loan meant I had to couldn't do all the things I used to. if you're used to going out for dinner every time you meed up with a certain friend, it can feel quite tempting to keep going for meals even when it makes your budget creak. I ended up having a few conversations with friends that went 'mind if we just stay in tonight? I'll cook tea... ' It felt a bit cringey to admit that my new found love of staying home was due to my lack of cash rather than a deep and abiding love for my flat, but the cringe was entirely mine - my friends didn't care in the least.