I put all the clothes that I decided to give away in the car this morning, and took them to a charity bin before I unpacked them again. I always give myself only 24 hours to get things out of the house if they are going. I started this when I found, that I had let DS leave things in his wardrobe after he left home. I had asked him to remove them, and always got, ‘I'll do it later’ remark, well one day I said enough was enough. So I just went in, only kept things of value, gave away clothes that were 6 sizes too small now, and papers from rentals he had lived in 8 years before. Some stuff had been in that wardrobe for 14 years. He had been married 5 years by then and left home 8 years before that! So the remark ‘ten years and waiting’ applies here! I do know that I keep things for a long time but I'm no longer keeping things for other people, for me to move around my house.

As I had to go to the shopping centre in the car, I did my cats groceries shopping too! Their dry cat food was on special and along with their regular cat food which went up yet again. Saving $1.50 I bought dairy markdowns, one my favourite health drink reg. $4.85 m/d $1.74, milk coffee 1L reg. $3.38 m/d $1.74 1L skim milk reg. $1.80 m/d 90c. Saving $5.65 2 jars of jam $1.99. Saving $2.86 I bought two books at the thrift shop $3.50 RRP $ 25.00 saving $21.50 and The Di Vinci Code shopping bag plus lotto tickets.

BREAKFAST Oatmeal & Currants with Milk Coffee 40c
LUNCH Crackers with Cheese & Mustard Pickle Relish Apple Coffee 40c
DINNER Honey Mustard Chicken with Vegetables and Rice, Fruit Coffee $2.20

Today’s Full price Tally $54.28
Today’s Savings - $31.51
Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $64.85
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $2473.90

This afternoon I had a good look in my wardrobe, culling some of my around house clothes for starters, that 14 T-shirts plus some of my old clothes that were in a bag downstairs. That’s another 12 items.

Now it’s time to look it in some of my wardrobes, another 12 items found to go the Charity bin. Total of 38 garments. One & half bags of clothes that are good enough to be resold and a bag for rags only. I have enough rags without adding to it. Nice work for an afternoon.

BREAKFAST Oatmeal & Currants with Milk Coffee 40c
LUNCH Sandwiches with Mustard Pickles & Corn Beef Coffee 70c
DINNER Fish Cakes with Baked Beans & Salad Orange Tea $1.40

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $61.85

Finding something to wear for the Tuesday’s morning tea. I don’t want to buy anything, so it will be something out of my wardrobe. As it cool here that you will need something with long sleeve it must be skirt or dress not pants which is what my wardrobe is mainly built around now! It’s will be very frugal indeed as most of my wardrobe is very old or 2nd hand.

I have chosen three outfits that may past muster for this event. One is a dark pink 2 piece suit that was my mother’s (20 years old), the mauve suit (I wore this to DS wedding that I now wear it to weddings & formal occasions) (6 years old) and is very out of date this season. Black skirt and long sleeve black plain top that I would wear my long pearl with. Black Shoes and Handbag (15 year old.) for all outfits.

Today was the last day of my gas voucher 4c off to get fuel for my mower, using my FREE Gas Gift Card that I won the last month. Saving $4.15 Had Coffee and Ice cream cone at Hungry Jack’s. Saving $2.40 (Senior Discount Card.)

Then went to the local supermarket around the corner to buy biscuits. I bought 1 tray each of veal & pork steaks for 50% off markdown. Saving $10.94

Later I went shopping with DF-D to Office Works, I bought some stationary $3.90 Saving $7.00

Then on to supermarket where I bought some markdown jam $1.50. Saving $2.00

The fruit shop outside was having a 50% off all stock sale. So I got my weekly fruit & vegetable there. spent $13.20 Saving $13.20

Only one thing today was full price and they were store brand chocolate biscuits saving $1.20 on brand name one. So 50% off.

BREAKFAST Oatmeal With Currant & Milk Toast & Jam Coffee 60c
LUNCH 2 Grilled Cheese on Toast With Seed Mustard Spread on Toast & Sprinkle with Hot Paprika on Top 65c
DINNER Bacon & Egg, Tomatoes, Baked Bean, Coffee $1.00

Today’s Full price Tally $71.97
Today’s Savings - $40.89
Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $59.35
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $2442.39

As a lot people had walked over them, it was necessary to wash all of them. I put them into colour and texture and whether if I needed to use wool wash on them and hand washing the lot.

Now it’s time to iron them up and cull some clothes this weekend.

In the mail today, got a free sample of toothpaste from Colgate’s.

BREAKFAST Oatmeal with Currants & Milk 2 Toast & Jam Coffee 60c
LUNCH Pasta with French Onion Chicken Mixed In. Mandarin Coffee 80c
DINNER Steak, Egg, Tomatoes, & Grilled Onions Dinner $1.80

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $ 57.10

As you read in the last post that I did end up at Thrift’s Shop ‘Fill a Bag’ Sale for $2.50 bag.

I bought 3 bags for $7.50.

28 garments in all RRP value between $12.00 for Undergarment Vest to Designer Label Jumper around $125.00. That’s under a 27c per garment. All designs are of last two years fashions. 6 pieces were Designer Labels (DL)

5 Jackets (2 DL) - $60 –125
6 Jumpers (2 DL) - $40 – 125
8 Tops (2 DL) - $25 – 75
2 Pants Casual - $15.00 each
5 Summer Tops $25 – 35 each
2 T-Shirts $25.00 (one new a Hard Rock Café London)
Value Around $950. Saving $942.50

Lucky that I have neutral color pants and skirts that will tone in with what I have bought.

Now I will have to wash & iron them and go through my own wardrobe and cull around 30 garments that I don’t look great in. (Something In & Something Out Strategy)

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk with LSA Coffee 60c
LUNCH Baked Beans on Toast Mandarin Coffee 90c
DINNER Apricot Chicken & Vegetables 2 Chocolate Biscuits Coffee 2.00

Today’s Full price Tally $950
Today’s Savings - $942.50
Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $ 53.90
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $2401.50

You never seen such a site, all the clothes were mixed up just as they came out of the bales (they were the size of wool bales) about 25 of them. There was one mirror at the back of the shop but no fitting room. The clothes were waist high all over the floor of the shop, you had to climb on top and walk over all the clothes & just pull out what took your fancy, then put it into the red bag that you were given. If you rolled the items up tight you got a lot more into the bag. There was no room for widow shoppers. It was hard to find kids clothes if you found any you called out anyone want kid’s is or that. The bales were all mixed items of summer & winter with men’s, women, teenagers, children & infants together and to hard find anything in the one spot.

I went early and got some of good bargains. I looked for colour, texture, style then size if looked near my size. When I had a bag full then, I went and looked in the mirror to see if I liked it and if may fit. If it didn’t like it or didn’t fit across my chest, it was tossed back into the pile. I was luck that all I bought did fit.

Todd Russell & Brant Webb the two Beaconfield’s Miners are in New York now.
In the next day or two, will be interview on Good Morning America They were trapped underground for 14 days in a Gold Mine in Tasmania. I hope, I have got the right show here but it’s the Morning show from New York.

Well we went to our local Target store to buy sleepwear for (DF-M) her young grandchildren that she is visiting this weekend. One of our other neighbors has a vineyard in the same town DF-M daughter lives. He will take her up for the weekend & bring her home again too!

So I took my car out today. DF-M bought lunch at the local Pizza Parlor at the shopping centre. ½ each only, I wouldn’t let her buy by two. As she only eats 2/3 of ½ then you have to eat all what’s left. Munch, Munch! I am watching my waistline too! I’m too skinny to her but my BMI read 29, her is 41. Oh well! Free lunch and gas money. Saving $6.50* on lunch.

I bought only needed items for the cats, so that I don’t need to take the car out to that shop until next month, only if I go the other supermarket. Spent $11.00 this trip saved $2.00 on a bucket for the garden that I priced before hand.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk with LSA Prunes Coffee 70c
LUNCH ½ Pizza (Lunch Out) Soft Drink – Free*
DINNER No Meal Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $17.50
Today’s Savings - $8.50*
Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $50.40
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $1459.00