Time to get serious

EatingTheElephant

Today I've been sat in the sun up the stables for ages and it definitely hasn't felt like October, absolutely beautiful.

Because our field had been empty and not looked after for 4/5 years before we bought it there are a lot of brambles taking over parts. I am hoping to completely clear these within the next year or so in quiet time. Today i was collecting lots of blackberries from them, which are now in the freezer. I can't wait to make crumble.

We've also been cutting up fallen wood from the copse to put on the fire, so it felt like quite a frugal day until I bought a winter rug for the horses. Although it was nearly £100 cheaper than rrp as it was on offer and then there was a 10% discount code, so could have been a lot worse.

I had planned to buy it from this month's money, so when the discount code came through I knew I had to grab it quick!

Yesterday hubby had to do a repair at our old house, luckily it didn't cost much apart from time. He popped into B00ts to pick up his prescription after leaving there and the posh lady was ever so shocked he had to actually pay for his prescription. Maybe it was the old 'work' clothes he had on. Funny how people judge that you are poor when you don't walk around in fancy clothes. He did say that he thought she wouldn't be surprised to learn that we collect logs to keep warm too :rotfl:

EatingTheElephant

My main account is looking a bit low after the big spends yesterday. The RS I set up a year ago just matured though, there was not much in there as I raided it to buy the field then lowered the monthly amount to the minimum.

£22 in interest, free money, so not to be sneezed at. That plus the remaining money has been shuffled over to the savings pot. £444 now in there, quite pitiful but definitely better than nothing.

DD1 has paid her rent for our old house, but DD2 hasn't paid her rent. Her wages are very poor after her time off after her car accident. At least we have a good buffer in the bills account, she is going to ask for an extra shift each week at work to pay it back that way.

I'm having a ponder whilst ironing, I prefer to be out doing things at the weekends (walking/riding/events etc) so don't want to have a backlog of household jobs to do, so I'm trying to work out how to fit it all in during the week. I think it will have to be early mornings as my energy levels really drop by the evening. There just isn't enough hours in the day!

Karmacat

Even when the planned expenditure costs a lot, its still necessary

I know what you mean about not enough hours in the day - I don't have enough either even though I'm retired. Not all due to ill health, either - some of it is due to too many interests I keep juggling :rotfl:

Hope you get free and clear for the weekend.

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Watty1

Totally get the 'not enough hours' thing.....

greent

Watty1 wrote: »

Totally get the 'not enough hours' thing.....

Oh yes.... me too. I sometimes think if I came off mse it would help - but there's a level of sanity gained by following diaries
x

EatingTheElephant

Thank you Karma, Watty & Greent. It is very frustrating not being able to fit everything in! It will no doubt be a conundrum that won't be solved, it doesn't stop me trying though

I have deliberately not been trying to get on top of house/field/work stuff during this week off, although a few bits have been done.

We've had a couple of lunches out, been to the beach, visited my mum, sat in the sun and generally lazed around.

Today hubby wants to tinker with the 4x4 for a bit, he is replacing the heater so we will have heat for the winter. I will be baking some banana and choc chip muffins to use up some overripe bananas. I had forgotten that I used to do this a lot until DD1 reminded me and said how much she liked them (I think it was a hint!). I would also like to stock up the feeezer with soups for work lunches. Then we can take the dogs out. It shouldn't be too strenuous!

EatingTheElephant

Last day off today, it really has gone too fast.

By this time of the month I should have done the first shop, but this hasn't been done yet. A combination of eating out of stores and eating out for our staycation has meant we have managed so far.

Freezer inventory, meal plan and shop to be completed asap.

I have got quite a few muffins, which may reduce drastically when DD1 comes round for dinner today. Also 9 portions of two types of soup in the feeezer for lunch, I might possibly manage to make a third type to give more variety, we will see how time goes today.

Account rewards for a few months have built up in one of my current accounts so £12 has been swept to savings.

The washing machine has finally died. We asked it to please last until divi time, which it has, so we can't complain. It has seen us through both DDs growing up, so we feel we have had our money's worth from it. New one ordered from B00ts, which was the cheapest place and went through t0pcashback. It is coming next week.

smallholdingsister

That's a good innings for a washing machine.

Moneyfordreams

definitely had your moneys worth... They are all so complicated. I use one programme.

EatingTheElephant

Goodness knows how many programmes it had mfd, but we only ever used two!

It has had a few repairs over the years, but nothing too expensive. It has done very well. It has even had horse stuff in there at various points through the years.

I've finally sat down and spent a couple hours going through all the house/field paperwork. There are mountains of it and quite a bit of it duplicated. It feels good to have it all filed correctly with everything clear. It has also freed up space on the bookcase as it was all in a big (irritating) pile for ages.