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Archive for January, 2015

This and That

January 30th, 2015 at 10:28 am


Budget updated
A No Spend Day here

I do track my spending and no spending daily.

We are voting tomorrow for new State Government.

You will hear about if the opposition wins that for sure! They only hold 9 seats but not many are happy with the present one!
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Strategy - Track your daily spending down to the cent by writing it down daily.

My Pension

January 28th, 2015 at 08:54 am

I receive Government Single Age Pension and I meet requirement to get it. I try to live on this amount and bank any extra pension money from suppuration fund against when it runs out in about 2030. I don't have a large suppuration fund as I came into it too late; all fees come out of the fund before I get it and I do get an allotment each month but not enough to live on and will run out in the end. It's now only about around $100,000 and it has to last a lifetime.

It not a lot of money so I need to save more money so the need to 'Living Lean on Pension'.

I can save better than I can earn money.

To live comfortable in future you are looking at around $1million, to do what I am living now! There is talk that anyone born after 1973 here will not get an age pension at all, so there will be a lot of poor people here in the future. Most people living on pension here are at the poverty level anyway and unemployed are worse off than the age pensioners which is around 25% of average basic wage.

Here is a link that will give you more details:

Text is Age Pension and Link is http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/age-pension
Age Pension
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Strategy - Know what you are entitled too!

Living Lean on a Pension

January 27th, 2015 at 08:58 am

2015 will be Living Lean year as I can and being on age pension. My goal and challenge is Living Lean on a Pension.

I have no other extra income other than my pension, so I have to be as crafty as possible to make it my dollars s-t-r-e-t- c -h further than before.

I do have a little amount put aside for rainy day. Which I use when I need to and pay this rainy day account back out of my saving I can find in my frugal living challenge and any saving I can make on getting low bills which of late are increasing instead.

I will try cut back on my food, entertainment areas and personal allowance. I do better with challenges by focusing on certain areas than trying to do it over all challenge in all areas at once.

I will try to reduce my spending on what spend in the supermarket and on treats in personal allowance areas to start with.

I still wish to go on holidays this year, that about 4 months way. I will try to keep expenses down to minimum as I will be staying most nights with family.

Supermarket Spend Challenge - Try to spend less than half over the next 15 weeks.

Normal amount allowed = $472.00 - Target $230 over 15 weeks starting on Friday when my next monthly period starts. Note all my budgeting periods are 28 days in length.

Personal allowance and entertainment will try cut by 30% for now and go lower if I can do so.
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So my motto will stand for another year or two.

It's real hard to come up with $1000 but it's easy to find 1000 ways to save a dollar or two!
So let's go and find those 1000 ways to save a dollar challenge and see what's amount is at the end of 12 months.

Annual Budget Report for 2014

January 26th, 2015 at 05:00 am

Annual Summary Daily Living Allowance parts of my budget for 2014

Here are my final totals for last year.

Eating out- $455---------- $393.65---------under target by $61.35
Groceries -$1625-----------$1213.41 ------under target by $411.59
Non-Food -$195------------ $59.42 ---------under target by $135.58
Clothes -$455---------------$401.96 --------under target by $53.04
Grooming -$260-------------$171.37-------under target by $23.63
Gas -$260------------------- $233.46------- -under target by $26.54
HH items -$520-------------- $558.10 ----- over target by $38.10 > Ninja + Curtains
Fares -$195-------------------$84.00 ------- under target by $111.00
Entrainment -$195-----------$368.95-------- over target by $176.95 > Camera
Garden-$195------------------$152.11-----------under target by $42.89
Gift & Donations -$455-------$250.34 ---------under target by $171.15
Medical & Diabetic-$910------$1755.84 -------over target by $845.84 > Dental + Medical
Misc. -$130----------------------$1.00 -----------under target by $129.00
Personal Allowance-$1170----$956.94 --------under target by $213.06

Daily Living Allowance allotted amount for 2014 was $7150 and I spent total $6697.04 under target by $452.96.
I will review some categories for 2015.

Even with being over in three categories, I still manage to come under my budget allotment for 2014.
This included new camera and major dental work excess plus updating my wardrobe this year.

This does give me the idea that I am subconsciously set myself amount to spend then holding back on some things if I think that I have to cut on my spending because I spent a lot more in one area that was needed like the medical with a lot of pocket expense or having major renovations done have to be a lean year with another lean year in 2015.

One thing this summery proves that averaging out over whole year is better than worry if you go over month as you can try to cut on other months.

Ok this Daily Living Allowance is the area that I will be working on to stretch and find any extra money I can. I also am looking at cutting back other on bills where I can.

So I will just track out of pocket medical, medicine and vitamins, glasses and diabetic section in this section of Daily Living Allowance. Allowing around extra $1500 for these items in next year tallies.
I do have major house maintenance to be done here for 2015 so I am looking at out of pocket bill of $5000. I will need to replace in capital deposit account over next year or so.

No Spending Days 163 of 365 days

So 2015 Challenge will be 'Living Lean on a Pension ?'

Strategy - Review your bills every six months that you are still saving money with your changes that you made since renewed or changed bill companies. Change your habits if you can't change the company.

13th Monthly Financial Summery for 2014

January 25th, 2015 at 09:55 am


Here is my Financial Summery for November period.

I have updated my Excel finally so here are the figures for last month I have been quite busy here.

This for period of 28 days each as I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its very near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

My review for December /Early January budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$33.50
Groceries===$125=== =$68.57
Non-Food===$15
Clothes ====$35=====$121.49
Grooming===$20=====$51.49
Gas======$20=======$31.61
HH items===$40======$37.60
Fares== ====$15
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15
Gifts & Donations ==$35 ===$20.49
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$482.50
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$171.85

Note only one amount is a No Spend

No Spending Days 13 of 28 days

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $1019.05 over by $469.05 on general spending.

If you took my dental bill excess out of above, I would have been under by $13.48.

This period covered some season gifts and food buying and I had a few huge bills this period.

I took advantage of Summer Clothing Sales and bought 10 new pieces for my wardrobe.

Personal allowance covers health drinks, lotto, books, stamps, craft and hobby supplies.

Eating out including meals out with family and friends, we all go Dutch.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month; it was $29.94 this period.

Grocery allotment $125 for each period it was under by $56.44 this period.

Strategy - Try to buy brand name groceries on special when you can at 40% off or better.

12th Monthly Financial Summery for 2014

January 23rd, 2015 at 07:00 pm


Here is my Financial Summery for November/Early December period.

I have updated my Excel finally so here are the figures for last month I have been quite busy here.

This for period of 28 days each as I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its very near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

Here is my review for November/December budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$25.70
Groceries===$125=== =$80.34
Non-Food===$15=====$8.48
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20=====$2.50
Gas======$20=======$33.11
HH items===$40======$7.40
Fares== ====$15
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15 =====$27.46
Gifts & Donations ==$35 ===$89.14
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$12.00
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$75.79

Note only one amount is a No Spend

No Spending Days 12 of 28 days

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $362.02 under by $187.98 on general spending.
This period covered some season gift and food buying

Personal allowance covers health drinks, lotto, books, stamps, craft and hobby supplies.

Eating out including meals out with family and friends, we all go Dutch.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month; it was $1815.15 this period.

Grocery allotment $125 for each period it was under by $44.66 this period.

Strategy - If store or generic brands are cheaper than and just as good as brand name ones then buy them.

11th Monthly Financial Summery for 2014

January 23rd, 2015 at 05:36 am

Here is my Financial Summery for November period.

I have updated my Excel finally so here are the figures for last month I have been quite busy here.

This for period of 28 days each as I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its very near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

This is my review for November budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$22.22
Groceries===$125=== =$45.88
Non-Food===$15
Clothes ====$35======$5.00
Grooming===$20=====$5.25
Gas======$20
HH items===$40======$3.00
Fares== ====$15 =====$20.00
Entrainments== $15 ====$329.95
Garden =====$15 =====$40.00
Gifts & Donations ==$35 ===$18.20
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$156.59
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$28.97

Note only one amount is a No Spend

No Spending Days 13 of 28 days

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $675.04 over by $125.00 on general spending.
I bought a new camera as my best camera was broken and it my treat for the year as I am having dental work done for my birthday gift this time.

Personal allowance covers health drinks, lotto, books, stamps, craft and hobby supplies.

Eating out including meals out with family and friends, we all go Dutch.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month; it was $354.00 this period.

Grocery allotment $125 for each period it was under by $79.12 this period.

Strategy - Don't believe all the advertising you see on TV or in the mail you didn't know you wanted it 15 minutes before you saw that advertisement.

10th Monthly Financial Summery for 2014

January 21st, 2015 at 05:56 am


Here is my Financial Summery for October/November period.

I have updated my Excel finally so here are the figures for last month I have been quite busy here.

This for period of 28 days each as I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its very near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

This is my review for October/November budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$28.75
Groceries===$125=== =$45.10
Non-Food===$15=====$5.50
Clothes ====$35======$26.80
Grooming===$20
Gas======$20
HH items===$40======$70.35
Fares== ====$15 =====$20.00
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15
Gifts & Donations ==$35 ===$108.00
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$30.20
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$21.75

Note only one amount is a No Spend

No Spending Days 13 of 28 days

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $364.45 under by $185.55 on general spending.

Personal allowance covers health drinks, lotto, books, stamps, craft and hobby supplies.

Eating out including meals out with family and friends, we all go Dutch.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month; it was $78 this period.

Grocery allotment $125 for each period it was under by $79.90 this period.

Strategy - Only buy what you will use when shopping without a list


It's about time I started posting on here.