our forever patch challenge

sammy70

Well was soggy and windy this morning, so got mucking out etc done, im currently half way through house cleaning, then will see if things have improved for a tootle out on my horse.

Cant wait for hubbys pay day monday to get back on track with overpayments. I feel the need to do more, ive been looking back through my early diary entries, and i think im not doing as many as i used to, but then i suppose we didnt have the bigger mortgage then..

I did well in december for overpaying both diy loan and mortgage, so lets see what i can achieve this month!:)

hugglemonster

Hope you're feeling better, I think you've done loads - lots of jobs you've needed to do so whilst you may not think you have done as much, actually you've directed that money to the guttering, fencing etc, etc.

Hope you can get out for a ride.

H x

EatingTheElephant

Good luck with your 2019 plans, I’m sure you will smash them.

I can’t believe how fast January has gone either! It’s a tough time of year for us horsey folk, but the nights are drawing out now thankfully.

Your sheep sound like right little characters

sammy70

hi ETA and hugglemonster

Well i got out for a ride Saturday, it turned into a feat of endurance for us to say the least! as we had got to the half way mark, a heavy rain fall/sleet as well as the already strong winds meant we were freezing cold, and horsey was somewhat jumpy with trees creaking, wind howling. My arms had a good workout as he was ready to leg it thinking some monsters were coming to get him, so i had to take a firm hold of the reins ..
As we neared home, a guy was chainsawing a tree in the field right at the side of the track, -in a tee shirt!! it was freeezing cold!!and just as we drew alongside the blooming tree came crashing down, cue stallion snorts and prancing/ start of grandnational imitation from horsey, though i held him from legging it it was one of those moments when you think- why do i have animals :rotfl:
o got home absolutely soaking wet, wet horse/tack, and to complete my day, he rubbed his dripping face on the gate post, caught his bridle and of course leapt back breaking it in two places so, i have used bits from an old bridle to make it usable, but its a bit mismatched ..

undeterred, sunday off we went out complete with tatty bridle, had a better dry ride, though horsey decided a small child wearing a woolley unicorn hat was really a horse eating monster in disguise, and prancing/snorting and farting passed a large group with the child, we managed to get home in one piece.. last sunday he was terrified of a small child in a white fun fur coat.. im seeing a pattern emerging.. lol :rotfl:

Also on sunday:rotfl:, we had an absolute nightmare when a dog appeared running accross the lawn scattering the chickens, then it dissapeared back up the path, it must have squeezed under our gate.
When things had calmed down and i was just setting of for my ride, i realised our timid smallest chicken had gone.
Fearing the worst, i set off in pursuit to try to find the dog and owner, but despite my search no luck.

3 hours later no sign of her, so i asked hubby if he would come for a walk, as i had an awful feeling the dog owner would have taken her off the dog and hidden her little body in an hedgerow to avoid us knowing their dog had taken and killed her.

We set off, and searched the tracks looking over walls/in hedges etc but no luck.
Just as we got to the back of our house, i was overjoyed to see her hiding under the hedgerow :T

After a small battle through brambles and a little dash around to escape us, we caught her and brought her safely home. She had managed to find the hedge behind her coop, but couldnt get back into our land because of the fence.hedges etc bless her, She was so lucky, as the track is a very popular sunday dog walking route, she had hidden away, so lucky that no dog had found and hurt her,

I was so relieved and happy we went for that walk and spotted her, i had felt sick with worry that she had been killed and suffered a horrible end .

She was very scared the rest of the day, but happily she is back to being her usual happy self wandering about in the little chicken gang hunting for food.:)
its when things like that happen that its makes you feel really lucky and blessed to have your family home and safe, both human and animal.

try_harder

I hope you are feeling better sammy and everything is going well for you now . I must say that i think you do amazingly well every month ,you have achieved so much in the time i have been reading your diary

sammy70

Thankyou tryharder, its good to hear such kind positive comments

This pay day ive decided to pay a lump off the diy loan of £650, plus in december i had the stable roof removed and relined with marine wood, it has made such a difference, no more dripping condensation after a frosty night, and the stable is so much better insulated and warmer .But this meant an unplanned bill of £312 which ive also paid for from January pay. Also we had overspent on the c.card, so another £130 to clear..

No mortgage overpayment due to the above, i intend on making weekly small overpayments from small savings from grocery budget etc, as this will have the added incentive of making me more careful on what i buy, and no more overspending!!

It is freezing cold here, was minus 8 this morning when i set off to work at 5.15 am, was minus 1 when i got home again at 3pm :eek:

Roll on spring :rotfl:

sammy70

1st February update

Interest for January- £525.29
Daily- £16.94
new balance - £214,775.29

Direct Debit - £1246.54

New balance- £213,528.75 :beer:

I will be starting making weekly overpayments next week- so sticking to the grocery/fuel/ spend budget will be the priority to allow this to happen.
Im going back to basics though february, keeping a spending diary, and really focusing on savings where i can.

sammy70

lovely and sunny at the moment, but ice and snow covering the ground still, and freezing :eek:

Just got back from morning at work, getting stuck into tidying up, then mucking out and wood bins to fill, as we have run out..

£6.96 saved from account tidies towards next weeks mini overpayment

sammy70

oh, nearly forgot, £50 win on Februarys p.bond draw :beer: that is set to re-invest :j

sammy70

£28.75 made in mini overpayments this month so far, leaving a balance of £213,500 :beer:

Ive been good with grocery/fuel budget to, my monthend tommorow, new budget starts 13th of month. I do this as thats my statement date so i can keep track, as i get all food/fuel on c.card, and payin full on payday each month.
Ive had this card with halifax 8 yeas, and never paid a penny interest, which shows credit cards can work for you if you budget correctly, and plan carefully

A lovely springlike day here today, the animals are loving it, and so am i!:j