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Archive for April, 2009

Birthday party with a difference

April 22nd, 2009 at 10:35 am

Well I went to a different kind of restaurant this week, Japanese Steakhouse on the Gold Coast for a Teppanyaki Banquet. There were 8 of us in our group at $45 per head with drinks & desserts extra. We had the Group Teppanyaki Bonsai Banquet menu with a personal sushi chef at each table as it was cooked at the table.

Menu - Onion Soup, House Salad, Hibachi Vegetables this was framing of cucumbers mushrooms & onions, Prawn Appetizer, Hibachi Steak, Hibachi Chicken, Hibachi Prawns & Hibachi Fried rice which was made into a heart and lighted birthday candle with happy birthday sung by all. Very filling too!

Some of our group order dessert too! This was fried ice cream made into a roll then cut into three pieces, it looked good but as we had to have a Chocolate mud cake for birthday cake this was to much for me. I had green tea and water which was free but the others had soft drinks at $4.50 a can plus wine etc. My bill just the $45 plus a birthday gift. This was budgeted for, in my annual budget.

There was no recession at this hotel that night as they had two weddings and engagement party and all restaurants were full so bookings only.

Free Garage Sale found

April 12th, 2009 at 10:05 pm

Found a local Church that has FREE Garage Sales now & then, so as I was never able to find anyone to buy my stuff that I had in the first place and to void the sign finds by the local council $300 @ sign. One of my neighbor keep putting up signs when you have a garage sale but as you are the one advertising it you are the one who will get the fines as he put up six signs. It can cost you $1800 to make $40 to $100 not worth it and the stuff is not modern enough for some now!

I have now decided to donate some of it to them when they have their next one. As they do give it away for free to the needy. Some of it will go to other places as I dont think some of the books will be right for them. By looking at their books on the boxes to go by!

Now that I have a place for my junk to go to I now can make it my winter project and what doesnt go to them will be sent to the local school fete this year. Both these places dont change the earth for second hand goods either. Other charity shops think, if not under two years old or new in it original packaging/price tag on it or antique then they think its no good and will send it to the dump or what they keep, will then change people almost the price new for it! My idea of all second goods should never sell for more than 40% of their original price when bought new. The other day I was looking at cookbook that I wanted for a set that I am making up, I only have 6 books to go, I found one of them but they wanted $6 for it, when I bought all others for under $2 each and they were around $2.99 each to start off with new. I left it there too!

I did pick up a cookbook & a glass pie plate at the free garage sale.

It was a no spending day too!

Review of My Daily Living Allowance for February & March

April 7th, 2009 at 09:38 pm

Well I thought I better start again with blog. It's back to basic for now.

Time to review my daily living allowance for the next two months of my 2009 budget.

First I would like to say that I dont work on a calendar months as my budget always starts a few weeks before Christmas as I am procrastinator if I dont do it then it will take months for me to getting done if at all. I am working on it.

I am hoping to cut over $1000 from it over the year on what I spent last year or better. Its all those little items included that mount up. As this the area that I do have some control over in my spending.

First number is what I have averaging amount budgeted for these two months; second figure is what I have spent. The figures in brackets are the area and amount spent with the stimulus package see below.

Eating out= $67==$80.46
Groceries=$271.00= = $94.56
Non-Food=$33.00= =$7.10
Clothes =$67.00==$181.93
Grooming=$25.00==$17
Gas=$50.00 ==$18.25
Pets= $98.00 ==$52.87
HH items=$83.00==$91.14
Fares= $17.00 == $25.00
Entrainments= $25.00 == $99
Garden =$17.00==$141.66
Gifts & Donations =$67.00= =$75
Medical Prescription =$30==$101.29
Misc =$17.00 ==$10.63
Personal Allowance =$168.00 ==$87.19

$1045 = $1045 to spend over this period, spent $1083.08 came over by $38.08. In this period I budgeted to spend a little more of my $1400 Stimulus package over these two months as I didn’t get any in the second around of Stimulus package that is being paid now. So what did I buy; a DVD player that I found for $99 saving of $30, Garden blower & cord $141 which was needed for my garden, some more clothes & shoes for next summer at the summer marked down sales $181.93== $421.93

Spending was as normal over this period but still cutting back on grocery & pet food over these months. My medical expenses are going up owing to a current medical condition.

I had 28 days of no spending days over this period.