Onwards and the debt goes downwards!

lucielle

Happy New Year. Hope it’s a good one. 

L

lucielle

What’s been happening?  Not a lot! OH went out with some work friends and I tagged along as the token bloke but was also the chauffeur.  OH went through his wardrobe so en route dropped the clothes off at a clothing bin and also took some of the old sheep netting to the tip. Hopefully 1 more load and it should all be gone. I aim to get an appointment at the vets as 1 pooch needs her boosters and take the last bit at the same time. 

B&b work have been in touch re opening and what shifts to do, possibly a meeting at the end of the month. 

Cleaned a couple of cottages. Possibly another one to do next Saturday. 

Went to the next door neighbours for lunch on NY day. 

Had a bit of a financial chat with OH but not sure if it achieved very much. 

Bought some tickets for up coming events, which reminds me I need to get some dosh off neighbour for hers. 

L

Blackcats

Happy new year!

I think any financial chat with our OH's is worthwhile - at least some of it must filter through 😉

MrBC doesn't have any day to day responsibility for managing our money but I try to explain to him what I'm doing and why and he knows where to find important info.  I view it in the same way as me not having overall responsibility for the dustbins but I know where, when and what to do with them!

however, I do make a deliberate fuss about success stories eg showing him when interest has landed in an account or a regular saver has matured.  I think after years of being in debt with poor financial management (or no financial management at all) it's nice for us to be able to celebrate our little wins,

savingholmes

I think celebrating the wins together is important - and ensuring he know what to do the finances etc. We never know when we'll need help.

Hope you are having a good start to the new year.

Sarahwithlove

Happy New Year! 

lucielle

Met up with a friend for a walk. She did ask if I wanted to go for a wild swim. I declined as I still don’t feel 100%. So glad I said no as the temperature was 5 degrees!
The path was very slippy but did manage just over a mile before admitting defeat and turning back. 

L

lucielle

Thoughts and musings for 2025 
In 2024 from February I managed to plod 170 miles (that were recorded) best month was March with 42.03 miles and worst was May with a paltry 1.75. I’m hoping to really increase this as long as my ankle and the weather behaves it really is doable. So even if it’s just a mile extra I’ll take that as a win. Obviously hoping for a lot more. 

I also want to practice more self care. I’m quite good at slapping moisturiser on day and night. I’m trying to remember to use body lotion/butter after I’ve had a bath. My nails are really awful so I’m trying to remember to use some serum on them before I go to sleep. I’d also like to factor in a massage or facial every 6-8 weeks. That depends on cost and I need to look into it. The big one (literally) look at paying to have the fat jab. Again cost will need to be looked at. 

Finances
So, OH and I have sat and had a wee chat about the things we want to do. 

Currently the main one we’re saving up for is electric garage doors. The current ones are up and over ones. The one we actually open is rusted through at the bottom and is likely to decapitate you at any moment. 

I have to go to hospital next week so we will call in at some places and get an idea of costs. In my head I’m thinking 3K. We are going to finance this via DD1 and DS1 who are repaying us back some money lent. So technically not really saving but reallocating saved money. As they pay us back each month this is going into premium bonds and I’ve got a tally so I know where we’re at. Still on the garage, we’ve decided to paint the floor but that will be a summer job. We did think about putting some special flooring down which worked out at £700. Yesterday when I was using the log splitter, it dawned on me that we wouldn’t be able to sweep the floor as the holes in the matting would get bunged up. Looking at special floor paint I think it should come in at £150. Also had another thought while splitting logs that it would be a good idea to lay a concrete pad in front of both doors. This would be handy to stack the logs on before they’re split and if any of the cars needed working on. Discussed this with OH and he thinks it’s a good idea as well. Need to look into it to see if it’s cheaper for us to do it ( we have a cement mixer) or to buy a wagon load. I’ll let OH sort that out. 

In other Destroy It Yourself projects we still need to take the chimney out in the living room. Had a chat with DS2 and he’s going to come up after his next off shore stint, which will probably be February and help us with that. Associated costs will be getting it plastered up and decorated. I’m at an age where I’m happy to pay someone to do it. 

Garden. 

Still got loads of ideas. I wish I knew somebody who could do drawings of what I’d like. Anyway it is what it is. We will need to buy a land drain to connect to one that’s installed and ‘open’ then we can bury it and tame another wild area. OH to cost that one.
Holidays
Already booked a week away at the end of June. Potentially would like another week away September/October time, not sure where or if funds will allow. 

Mad ideas!
We have enough garden/wilderness that we could put some pods on. I’m not completely against the idea but also not sure how it would work in practice. In order to look at what’s available I think we’re going to go to a caravan and camping show.  That’s for me to look into. 

Christmas 
It worked really well last year having the holiday cottage and might do it again. This might depend on DS1 who has accepted a job offer and moving back to nearer his siblings. I think this year him, gf and DGD might want to do their own thing, which is absolutely fine. Just to set the ball rolling I’ve bought my first Christmas present!  Don’t hate me, lol. 

I think I’m going to book a premier inn or something like it when I need to go to hospital. It’ll give us time to do some jobs and hopefully not rush round like a beheaded chook. I’ll look into that today. 

Congratulations if you made it to the end 
L

beanielou

Good idea to book a PI. See I got to the end! 

lucielle

Gold star to you Beanie!!
L

lucielle

So I completely forgot about my pots in yesterday’s saga. These have taken a hit after the cc fiasco and my plans went mammary skywards. 

Next month we have 2 savers (who knew we could save?) maturing. Both of these are going in the holibobs pot as this got raided to bring that back to where it should be. 

For the next couple of months the regular savings amount we were putting away is going to replenish the other pots and get them back onto the correct trajectory. Once that’s completed we’ll reassess our priorities and hopefully open another savings account. 

Still need to book a premier inn for Monday night. OH had a snow day yesterday, literally just as they arrived they closed. He’s off again today as well. I did give him a big list of admin jobs to do which has been completed. We now have a rough idea of costs. 

Booked one of the hounds in for her boosters and vet check so she can have her tablets. Groomers moved to this Sunday from last Sunday. Hope the weather is kind!
OH is cooking fajitas for tea tonight. 

L