our forever patch challenge

sammy70

thankyou betterthanever!

Well my smugness has been wiped away- went for soak last night- no cold water! luckily hubby was home , and spent hours tinkering but no joy.
We were without water to upstairs, including toilet!!
I spent ages up and down stairs with a bucket filling cold water tank/loo from the less than flowing downstairs tap.

After a sleepless night going through various disaster signarios, i got up at 6am, and hubby and i went up on the moors behind our house where our bore hole is to see what it was playing at.

After a lot of slips and cursing we found the pipe to the bore hole is blocked with debris- heather bits etc, this no doubt due to the heavy rainfall we have had all last week.
The blockage is too far up the pipe to reach by hand, so tools required!!

We are relieved its nothing major like an underground pipe broken etc, so todays task is to either get a drain clearance company out, but hubby is on a training course, so thats my task, or more than likely when he gets in tonight we plan in going up armed with many torches, and rods etc to do it our selves.
The joys of living off grid!:eek:

sammy70

catch up time!

We have had a busy month, short daylight hours means rushing before and after work to get mucking out/feeding etc done, shortest day tommorow though, then the days start getting very slightly longer- though colder no doubt :eek:

Our water problem we ended up sorting ourselves, we bought rods and unblocked the pipe, i must admit it was a bit like something off youve been framed at times, me clutching the pipe while hubby cleared the blockage, when it cleared it was like niagra falls, i expected to be carried away on the wave of water:rotfl:

we have learnt that you cant get tradesmen to do these sort of tasks,
they dont want to know, but we are learning that with a bit of thought and work, we are capable of doing most tasks ourselves, up to now we (hubby mainly) have learnt roofing, fencing, stone wall building, and now bore hole unblocking, we dont get a chance to be bored!!:)

sammy70

Been really poorly with flu type virus this week, both hubby and i , luckily both were laid up for two days but one after the other, so we have muddled through with animals etc..

Today i still feel breathless and lightheaded after doing anything for longer than 5 minutes, so my plan is to take it steady, im off out now to do mucking out, then work thorough house tidying..

Hubby has finished work till thursday night now, i have to work xmas eve:(

I think we have just about got xmas organised, once ive got house work done, i plan a soak in the bath, and im going to try and relax and get into the xmas mood, i havent been eating for the last few days hardly with being ill, so hopefully now my appetite is coming back a bit, and i can enjoy the xmas goodies..:)

We both get paid xmas eve, so will be thursday probably before i organise overpayments etc, i dont know if i will have time monday to sort the finances, i will see how i go. Im trying to not stress about getting everything done , same at work, though i cant seem to switch off and leave things like some people can, dont know why.

Anyway, first step, get out and muckout!:rotfl:

sammy70

Horse mucked out/haynets/waterbuckets filled, chickens cleaned out and eggs collected..

Its muddy and rainy here, summer seems a long time ago- oh for a day of that heatwave..:)

Having 5 with a skinny latte and a flu tablet, then round 2, washing and house tidy p:)

robmark1221

The plans were really good and it helped me. I can now understand the importance of mortgage finances.

sammy70

house work done:j

Im shattered and red hot, think the dreaded lurgy is still lingering

Im trying to take it easy, next job is teatime for the animals, fetch buckets of coal in, then i intend relaxing in a bubbly bath, before having a lovely m& s pizza, chips, and a g&t in front of the tele snuggled up with hubby:)

ive decided xmas eve i will sort the january budget, and make the last 2018 overpayments to the mortgage, and another payment off the diy loan..

I also need to set our 2019 goals, id like the mortgage below £200,000 for xmas eve 2019, also i want the diy loan paid off for end october 2019, and to build up our p.bond savings, as 2020 is the year i plan to start working for myself, if all goes as we want, so the savings will be needed to enable this to happen, ..

Looks like thats my targets for 2019 sorted!:beer:

We have more fencing and walling repairs to get through too, and to get a quote for replacing our heating system, which is again a 2020 project ..

ive been a little unfocussed on finances for the last few weeks, family life has taken over, but things are settled again, so must get focussed, those goals wont sort themselves!:)

sammy70

made an overpayment of £600 :j

New balance is £215,000

I will update 2nd January one december interest has been applies, and the direct debit has cleared.

Looking forward to my 2019 challenges

Right, im off for a ride now house work is done :T

sammy70

Heres my fresh 2019 mortgage update-

Interest for December was £528,51 :eek:
Daily- £17.04

Direct debit- £1246.54

New balance 1st January= £214,281.97

My goal for the mortgage for 2019 is to be below £200,000 by xmas eve ....

soo, just made £31.97 overpayment, leaving a nice rounded balance of £214,250 :j

sammy70

work is pants at the moment, roll on self employment

On a positive note, £60 winging its way to me- quidco payout for my car insurance in october, yey :j

https://images6.moneysavingexpert.com/images/forum_smilies/sport-smiley-001.gif

sammy70

Where has January gone!

Ive been busy this week with hospital appointments due hopefully minor health problem.. been off work last couple of days due to this, but hopefully fighting fit and back to work monday.

The weather has been freezing here this week too, water buckets frozen solid, snow, and having to take flask of water to defrost frozen gate lock has been a challenge :rotfl:

Its a good job we love the british countryside and living in the middle of no where, we are adapting to the weather condtions, making sure we are stocked up with feed for animals, and fuel and food for us, its sort of an adventure everyday!

I will be glad when the warmer weather arrives though, looking forward to getting out riding more, and getting out on our land getting jobs done, my first task is to start de-blackberry bushing , as in places they are getting long again and the sheep keep getting them stuck to their fleeces.

Pay day for me today, hubby monday, so monday night i will do all transfers to relevant accounts for bill etc, and see whats left for overpaying to diy loan /savings/ mortgage.

The grocery, fuel and feed budget seems to be going well, im having a cash week next week too for fuel and grocery shopping, as hubby got paid for helping with a car clutch replacement, so that has come in handy :T

Hoping to get out for a ride in the morning if i feel up to it, the wether for sunday is wet and windy, so may be my best shot tommorow f i want a pleasant ride