It is coming close to the end of my 56 days cycle in reporting my review on my daily living allowance.

I have had a quite two month so far just kept spending as I see fit. I will need to cut back on my grocery spending as I do have too much food both in my freezers and pantries. I have food stored in a number of places around my home. As one of refrigerators broke down as in not as cold as it should be and I hope I can learn not to need it any longer as it was an old second fridge and freezer combo. I have empted out the freezer section so far and put bottles of water in it to see if its still works for now as the fridge part looks to be still working for now. Items I do store in this refrigerator can be store out side a fridge but needs to be kept safe from vermin.

We will need to keep a close eye on my grocery spending for the next six months to see if I can get it much more lower and use some of my stockpile so that get my refrigerator stores into the freezer which is full the moment. It is a chest freezer only 160 L size so it is a small chest freezer suitable for a single household but not suitable for what I wish store in it.

Not that it make much difference to me but a lot of other things are happening as well to make the cost of living higher around here.

For one our state government has had an 8 cents a litre state tax subsidy on fuel here for many years now but come the 1st July it will be gone. This will increase the cost of not only fuel but cost of most things too! As our State was the only one that did not have this extra tax on fuel, it will an eye opener to the others states if the transport and supermarkets in Australia were averaging their prices with our states fuel subsidy because at times our prices for fuel were still higher then some of the other states. Someone was making money on this subsidy and not our state motorist. I see it as putting all the states on a level playing fielding but others see it as a rip off by the our state government for taking it off. Time will tell as their say.

Another price rise will be electricity price will be going up so will need to watch my power consumption until I get solar power installed. I still dont know how much but will review my contract with my supplier when I get an idea of how much. If I can get a better deal then I can change suppliers.

Another expense that is coming in on 1st July will Cat Licence this will be a problem as my cats do not like collars at all.

With all the rises that are coming in like rates, water, fares and everyday cost of living with fuel subsidy coming off even I will need take stock of everything and find more money out of my pension to pay all of it. Luckily single pensioners are getting a pay rise in September but there will not be much leftover in the end.

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.

With the way the economies of the world these days, with shares, banking, peck oil & shortages of some food items. I do think it time for me to start stockpiling more food & other supplies. Things are only going to rise and almost never will come back down in price. My starting point is reviewing what I have already got stockpiled. Then filling the gaps first, using any old or nearly old stock replacing them with new items that I will use and can cook without power if there is a shortage in electricity here. I’m looking into different ways of cooking so I can cook if there is rationing of the power grid. I do believe that is may be happing some parts of the world now. Solar cooker, hay box, camp gas stove & BBQ non-gas one, two of these methods I have already have. Food lines can be used in my normal cooking until needed but keeping them to a peak level when each comes on special in they cycles. They are many places now on the internet telling you how much you need to store per person. As I am in a single household I will be only storing for two, mostly things that other people will not to want to make from scratch too! Dried & canned beans, dried & canned vegetables, mainly canned tomatoes, and other foodstuffs, oil & vinegars, spices & herbs, coffee & tea, water plus paper goods and good first aid kit enough for a few months at least. Torches & radio with batteries, to name a few things I’m thinking of. Another thing is the information of how to use these foodstuffs using these cooking methods and how to make things & repairs them to last longer.

Today we had a ‘Wet Weekend’ for a one hour on odd & even house number system that we have. We could get our hoses out for just one hour this weekend. Some people didn’t use they hoses for this one time only in 18 months. For me it was a lot longer than that as I always started a lot earlier as when the next level was published not when it started and the first 3 levels were published together. So for first time in over 3 years I washed my house and window of dust and had time to wash my car also. I did get everything ready before hand and all I had to do at end of the time was dry the car down. We are still on 140 litres per day per person. I’m at below 90 litres per day so I’m well within my limit. Hopefully we may go to 170 litres per person when we go over 40% and we are at 39.5%.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~Apricot Chicken with rice
Monday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Tuesday ~ Leftovers night
Wednesday ~ Curried Sausages with Rice
Thursday ~ Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday omelet with salad

Well I did get my Hot Water System put in last Saturday, all is well and working as it should. I was lucky as the plumber that bought & put it in for me is a son of one my neighbor’s that do watch from time to time. So now I owe him some of my time as he didn’t charge me for the work of putting it in just bought the best one in that style, as they are three grades each one cheaper each other and not as strong. This one has thicker copper tank so I’m told. So I was out of pocket by $625.00. I had that money put aside for such emergency so no big deal on the money front. I do try to budget, some money for that kind of problem knowing that a lot of my appliances are on the old side and will need to replace in the near future. What is next, it should be a computer & lawn mower in that order with stove and washing machine coming in after that. Only a microwave will be bought straight away.

I will try coming on here bit more regular and update starting a fresh.

My Spending today $625.00

Today I did a big run around shopping and pay my bills, as I haven’t been out for a while. I went to thrift shop on the way up the street and bought a large plastic container, for $2.50 that is normal sold for about $12.95 new. I also pick up some more Gourmet Traveller magazines, 5 for $2.00 I now have quite a number of theses now. I bought some grocery $4.70. I want to get some film developed but no one does it any more but at large shopping centres. So I had to go the another shopping centre in my car. So as I need to pay some bills as well, first put the film in to get developed, $11.63 then I had wait for 3 hours but I needed to shop, have lunch and pay the bills. Going to Aldi spending $19.93, buy some underwear $11.94, having lunch for $1.65 saving $1.50 on coffee with my senior card. Paying my car membership $62.00, and another bill for $94.50. I did buy the book The Secret $20.94 so I will know want it all about. I still have a few more bills to pay via my credit card. I will pay this before I need to put my next annual Chiro bill on it. But I will have it paid off along before the interest is due on it.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Monday ~ Chicken Mustard with Rice.
Tuesday ~ Beans Rissoles & Salad
Wednesday ~ Toasted Savoury Mince Jaffa’s
Thursday ~ Scramble Eggs on Toast
Friday ~ Poached Fish with Steamed Vegetables
Saturday ~ Spicy Pumpkin & Sweet Potato with Lentils
Sunday ~ Chicken Schnitzel with Tomato Salsa & Steamed Vegetables.

Today’s Senior Card Savings - $1.50
Add to total $20 Challenge $32.40

My Spending today $231.79
Any Savings today $11.95

I am making a habit of going shopping with others and not buying at all or very little. They are the ones who are doing all the shopping. Today was no exception as I went with DF-M daughter, from interstate. First off, we went to Bunnings Hardware to buy some things for DF-M. Then came home then went off to buy shoes. After 2 hours Shopping, she spent money on shoes but I didn’t buy anything. After visiting five shoes stores. To find her size 35 (3.5 size) was the most difficult part of this exercise. As only one store had her size and they had a sale on too! So she end up buying them for $30.00 off the RRP. All I ended up buying was a special tap handle for my garden tap $14.95, that allows me to leave the tap with no handle but I can use it with a special key.. After I had lunch with them at DF-M house before I came home.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Macaroni Cheese with Fruit
Monday ~ Beans Rissoles & Salad
Tuesday ~ Chicken Schnitzel with Tomato Salsa & Steamed Vegetables.
Wednesday ~ Omelette with Tomato Salsa
Thursday ~ Devilled Sausages with Cheese Risotto & peas
Friday ~ Poached Fish with Steamed Vegetables
Saturday~Curry Mince on Toast

My tank arrived today, I had it delivered & installed today, after a 217 days since I ordered it.

It cost $1540 plus extra $50.00 for a ‘Water Diverter First Flush’ so I can drink the tank water if I want too and the first lot of water doesn’t go into the tank so it clean water going into the tank only. I will get back $1500 in government rebates over next few months. I will keep you posted. So will end up paying $90.00 all up for the tank 3250L with pump, extra tap & extra pipe plus fitting from part of main roof near the garage.
I spent nothing else today.

Today the son of another neighbor that I keep an eye on from time to time. Came over and put water diverter on drainpipe for my washing machine water, he is a plumber for free. Now I can use my grey water hose, as it never fitted before to my machine. It’s a little slow, but I can now put my soapy water straight on the lawn near the fruit trees.

Week before he went on holidays interstate and left his mother alone with his teenager son the only contract here. So each day I had to check on her to make sure that she was ok. As she has had a fall before and was on the floor for over 12 hours so everyone was a little nervous about her at 87.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Poached Fish with Marinated Pepper & Steamed Green Beans Topped w’ Chilli Sauce
Monday ~ Devilled Sausages & Mashed Potato
Tuesday ~ Beans Rissoles & Salad
Wednesday ~ Thai Satay Chicken with Steamed Rice & Green tea
Thursday ~ Beef Bourguignon with Basmati rice
Friday ~ Pasta with Pasta Sauce & Tuna
Saturday ~ Curry Ground Beef & Rice with Sambal

Another No spending day

My DS turned up today, ask for me to go to his house and help him do some of the housework with him. As I haven’t seen him for a few days and needed a change. I yes I would spend the day with him. Well I got a few things for my trouble in the way of freebies. First off I got my Easter egg that I didn’t get over the Easter weekend. As he had been working long hours and had been very busy too! Also I got a small gift of a brooch from my DIL when she was away over Easter. I got a old mobile/cell phone so I could have a new one as I am on pre-paid and they have just got a new lot of mobile phones so I asked for one of they old ones. I will have to learn to use it a bit more as he has put in the wrong setting for me to understand. I will not be making any calls on it until I will see him again.

After we had done a few jobs around the house we went up the shopping centre to get birthday card & gift for my DIL to-morrow. I bought a bag of chocolate at the dollar store and looked but didn’t buy anything at the supermarket for DF-M plastic containers that she is after, this supermarket was out of stock. In the end we didn’t buy lunch out but came back to have leftover Spaghetti Bolognese instead that DS remember that was in the fridge, a first. We found a few more little goodies that I could take home. Like a Peri Peri Wedges Set that my DIL bought a few years ago but out of date RRP $24.95, buts it could be used so I got it to take home. Now I can use those little metal serve tins and sauce but the Mayo sauce was unsafe to use.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Spaghetti Bolognese Coffee
DINNER Fruit Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $26.95
Today’s Savings - $ 25.95 + 2nd hand mobile phone.
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $10638.46

I did the washing today saving all the grey water that I could. Using every trick that I have mention before in other post so that I could to get every drop. This routine does take a little of more time (around 1½ hours for two loads and one load of hand washing) than when I can just leave it to go down the drain.

After I did drive up to the Hungry Jack’s for lunch. They were having a two for one deal again so I had a Spicy Chicken Baguette for $5.25 for both. Using my senior card I was able to get two cappuccinos for free saving $4.90 and I bought a cone for 40c. So as I only ate one baguette at lunchtime I will have the second one for my dinner, as I was able to refrigerate it before it was unfit to eat. Less than two hours is the limit we have been told here. Four elderly people have died in a nursing home from food poisoning just last weekend and over twenty are very ill. This was in Victoria but the risk of food poisoning here is high because of our hot climate so we maybe more watchful.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH lunch out *
DINNER 2nd Spicy Chicken Baguette Grapes Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $10.55
Today’s Savings - $4.90
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $10612.51

I have always watered in the early morning at dawn. Now I have to water only after 4pm until 7pm with a bucket only. But I can water at anytime if I have grey water or tank water. As my tank has not arrived yet! We had no rain for a month now, so it will have no water in it until it rains next when does arrive. We are on a odd & even house numbers as before. So now I have to change my jobs around so I can water in the afternoon before sun goes down, that only gives me about one hour to water the whole area. Some plants only need watering once per week so I will do them on the odd day. As I only water twice per week now. I will have to change my strategy on which plants to water and when. With the view that we may not be able to use buckets or water our gardens at all when we get to the next level in about September at 15% dam water level. My daily water use is only 129 litres per day. So I am saving money on my water bill. $12.50 for 3 months is not bad!

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Macaroni & Cheese Fruit Coffee
DINNER Stewed Lentils & Tomato Sauce & coffee

Today list of chores was washing and some ironing. This is saving money as I am saving every bit of water for my garden in the backyard. As some of you may have read that I do save first suds load to put back into the machine for the second load thus saving 80L of water each wash day to start with. I am saving as much recycle grey water that I can now we are at level 5.in a few days time. I am getting around 240L of grey water each washday. In doing so now I am saving the second suds load too! This is for plants that if I lost them it will not matter that much. So far I am able to water for two days with water and spot water the pot plant with tap water on the days that I am allowed to use potable water. I am hoping that my tank arrives soon & we get some rain so that I can fill it somewhat! We are coming into our dry season I do think it will have not much water to fill it before next spring. It’s over month that we in the city have had any rain here and almost 2 years in catchment area, now my grass is a just a lot of weeds and dry grass with dirt patches. I will still have to mow as the weeds are still flowering. That’s on the list for next week.

I did do some of my friend business shirts today also some of my own ironing that was still to be done. I did go for a walk around the block for some exercise today.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Macaroni & Cheese Fruit Coffee
DINNER Stewed Lentils & Tomato Sauce & coffee

I had to recharge my pre-paid mobile today as it is soon due and I didn’t want to lose my credits if I forgot to re-charge it on the date due. Too much to lose, and I not talking about cents here. it’s annual pre-paid plan that I am on as I only use it for SMS & incoming calls. I will only use it for actual calls if I am in trouble or have lost the person I am with and need to find them. As we all have mobile phones in our family. My family bought this mobile phone about three years ago so that I could have on when I am driving back and forth from they place 20 minutes away on a freeway and they can find me if I am out. It’s when I do put my mobile on.

So back to the costing of this mobile phone, Ok I got it for FREE with $30.00 free calls on it. As I can’t hear it ring only see the lights when a message come in. I don’t use it much to talk on, as the calls on this annual plan are .60cent per minute. I have no voice mail, rarely call out, only SMS mainly. After first 2 months, I bought $50.00 recharge and put it on annual plan. At the end of the first year I had $49.00 left which rollover to next recharge which I put another $50.00 recharge on it and next year another $50 recharge. Because now, I have still $72.00 left to rollover this year I put only $20.00 on it this time which is the lowest I can get. This is not all I saved, as I got 15% off each of those recharges as well! So what’s the cost of my mobile phone to date. As the phone was free with $30.00 in call. I spent only $127.50 out of my pocket. In 3 years I had $200 of call credits now have $92.00 left. Using only $108.00 in this time. $108.00 call credits used on Mobile phone calls in 3 years with a phone that is in daily use. Can anyone else beat this?

Also I went shopping today, bought some groceries $3.85 saving $2.00 and had lunch out $2.95 and free coffee, saving $2.45 and I bought chocolates as I do have a sweet tooth. $3.88 saving .60 here

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Crackers & Marinated Feta Cheese with Marinated Peppers Fruit Coffee
DINNER Savoury Mince on Toast. Fruit Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $33.10
Today’s Savings - $ 8.05
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $ 9963.51

I started to get to on with my major project, one of the minor jobs to be done before any work can be done on the widow that will become a door in the near future. So today job was to move all the books off the bookcase that in the in the way. I moved it the corner of the room, I may leave it there for now. It’s full of books on fugal living and cooking. I still have another bookcase to move but this will be going to another area of the house. At the moment it can stay where it is for now!

I went to buy a rubbish bin for DF-M but they didn’t have any so I will ring before go again. I did buy some waterless car wash that I may need at some time in the future as I will not be able to wash my car on the next water use level which is coming in a few weeks and I will not get fined for cleaning my car. I drop to the fruit shop on the away home and bought some milk & tomatoes.

BREAKFAST Baked Beans on Toast Coffee
LUNCH Mixed Salad & Hummus on Crackers Fruit Coffee
DINNER Omelette with Cheese

Today’s Full price Tally $16.80
Today’s Savings - $ 5.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9887.02

Well have finish my entire neighbor’s washing, it’s time that I did some of my own.

I have left it a bit long in doing to its time schedule but just by a few days. I did do two loads a little larger than normal this time. My going out clothes for Christmas & New Year are in this lot for hand washing. I do hand washing, as this does save on wear ‘n’ tear on good clothes and helps with not going into a third load as I only use one-eighth of the water in hand washing. As I did kept one bucket of sudsy water for hand washing from the first load and use some of rinsing water from the first load also. $$$ Another Strategy Ways of save water in a drought. I did water the garden while I was washing as I was using recycle water this was allowed.

It’s a no spending day here. A very quite day just work on my computer and resting.

Today it’s driving DF-M around, first to medical appointment then off to get blood tests.

After we dropped it at Hungry Jacks for Coffee & pancakes. The coffee was free saving $2.45 a cup with our senior cards.

Next stop bank, chemist & butchers in the nearest shopping area. Then home to drop off the meat bought at her favorite butcher, she bought meat for me too, some ½ kg fillet steak and 200g ham off the bone, around $20.00 worth.

After that stop, we went down to the supermarket and then on to another supermarket that she likes and had lunch together as she had not eaten much since last night. As her family is coming to stay for the weekend, she needed to buy food for another five people along with her monthly bulk shopping. I was very good with my shopping and spent only $2.00 saving $2.00. Paying my phone bill while I was at it!

I had to have my afternoon nap by the time we arrived home at 2.30pm, having started out 8am this morning. It was defiantly her day, I was just the driver today.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Ham Salad Roll & Orange Juice*
DINNER 2 Egg Ham Omelette and Salsa Apple Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $78.00*
Today’s Savings - $ 35.80
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $7394.66

We are in the middle of a drought here and we are going to the next level on 1st November.

Our state government along with some local councils are have a plumbing Waterwise service in which a plumber visits households for $20.00 (value @$150.00.) You get a AAA shower rose, air aerators fitted to you kitchen & bathroom taps plus 3 dripping taps fixed, you do have to invite them in to house by calling a special number. Along with my handyman doing all the others taps, I should be right for awhile. So I saved $130.00 here. My water bill is low to start with so it may go lower yet! I am at 46% below the amount used in an average single household and I do water my garden with 80% recycle water.

I also went for a walk and bought a bag of ‘MilkyWay’ ® again. Saving $1.50

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Soup & Toast Coffee apple
DINNER Poach Fish & Salad Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $152.98
Today’s Savings - $ 131.50
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $6645.21

October / November Goals & Planning Ahead
~ Have my credit card at Zero balance by end of the each month.
~ Come under budget.
~ Deposit into the online account.
~ Pay All Due Bills on pension days.
~ Chiro visit (one every 4 weeks)
~ Known outings to budget for in October / November -lunch out 3, dinner 1
~ Live off my Bulk Food Assets (on going)
~ Make up another eight meals OAMC. Out of Bulk Food Assets.
~ Gardening Mowing & repotting all pot plants using water saving techniques.
~ Cleaning and painting garage before the tank is installed.
~ Downsizing storage and clean these areas (zones 1 & 3)

Review of the last two months.

August / September Goals & Planning Ahead

~ Have my credit card at Zero balance by end of the each month. (½ paid other ½ within %Free)
~ Come under budget. (But for Car it’s to come out of Bill A/C.)
~ Deposit into the online account. done
~ Lodge my tax claim before middle of August - done & Chq. Bank
~ Pay All Due Bills on pension days. - done
~ Have my car service and rust proofing installed ($600.00 plus service.) done
~ Chiro visit (one every 4 weeks) Done
~ Doctor Visit & 2 Hearing visits for August & September (done see blog)
~ Known outings too budget for in August / September (Trip to the Annual Show, Lunch 3, Dinners 2.) done
~ Live off my Bulk Food Assets (on going)
~ Make up another eight meals OAMC. Done Out of Bulk Food Assets. done
~ Downsizing storage and clean these areas (zones 4 & 5 ) done

This morning the man came to measure and check if I could put in a water tank. He said yes, his firm could get a tank over the garage roof no problem at all! So I am getting one installed a 3000 litre size with best pump, road base and all work done by them too! I didn’t get another quote as I have seen they work before and all paper the work has come thorough, which is the most important part of getting the water tank as the REBATES are almost the full cost of the tanks. Mine will set me back six months of NO interest and $40.00 out of my own pocket when finished. The waiting time is around 12-14 weeks so it will be around January before anything happens with this project. I will factor in costs and saving when I hand over the cheque.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Macaroni & Cheese Apple Coffee
DINNER Devilled Sausages with Garlic Focaccia Bread

My handyman friend came to work on my odd jobs. The list was a bit long as I am having my plumbing checked by state government plumbing program for $20.00 in October. You do get 3 tap washer charged, tap water flow on taps in the bathroom & kitchen. Plus a free AAA shower rose fitting. Value $150. But I had more problems then that to worry about, as I have very old taps to start with a some taps never had washer changed as long I can remember I have lived here for 36 years. Two of the taps were hot water ones that I didn’t use much and haven’t been turn on in years, so they were frozen on off and I could move them. The other two were the hot water tank tap and toilet water inlet tap both frozen in on position, a big problem if something when wrong. So he fix these taps for me as he has gear to do it. Put up my Smoke Detector and fire blanket in the right places. Fixed my kitchen cupboard which need to be replaced in next few years. I made him lunch as well morning tea. He keeps telling me that I am the only woman he knows has all supply that he needed to these jobs. Only thing we run out was large tap washers so he went an got a supply of them for himself and some for me to restock my supply too! Cost for all these job $5.00 in plumbing washers & Gas. 3 hours work too! Oh my handyman is not just jack of all trades is a he a license builder who does small jobs when he has time free, he like to keep my place just right lucky me! I always pay for any materials used and gas. It’s part of barter system, as I am there when he needs help with his computer and budgeting advice.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Honey Mustard Chicken with Vegetables and Rice, Fruit, Coffee
DINNER .Omelette with Cheese Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $100.00
Today’s Savings - $95.00
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $6203.96

In my local area the electricity company is installing new electricity meters in house that have old style ones, next year we will be able to choose whom you have as our supplier as at the moment it’s the state government is the only supplier. So we will have fun of locked in contracts and the good and bad along with it too!

As my meter box turn off switch is locked in a room and can not be access from the outside. I had to make contract with the company doing this job, so that I was home when they did come. Well he came today, I have a new digital meters and not the technology of 60 years ago or more. All houses that are over 50 years old are getting these new meters. No cost to us I hope! Keep you posted on that one!

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH French loaf with Low-Fat Cream Cheese & Tomato Coffee
DINNER Omelette with Cheese Coffee

Today I worked in a corner of my garden pruning a tree with the help of my next door neighbor's son. After putting in the branch in the two rubbish bins. I worked on the garden beds around that tree. Put in the water bottles etc. The families next door over the fence found a snake in their garden the other day. I was asked if i would lend them some of my garden tools so their could cut back the under growth in their yard as it’s a rental property with two family living there with young children. I think it was a lizard not a snake but they are about and are the poisonous ones too! So one cannot be careful. I got my tools back that is the main thing and now the garden beds are clear too! What the wive's have to do the get the their husbands to clear the garden. Just scream SNAKE!

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Pasta with Pasta Sauce & Tuna Coffee
DINNER Pumpkin & Lentil Stew with Garlic Focaccia Bread Coffee

I was thinking of going to the Circus this morning, it would cost about $10.00 plus to go, it was at the local school today. It was a proper circus too!

But I decided to have luxury bath instead. Using what I have in my storage from my gifts of the past years. So it was FREE!

I saved the water so that I can reuse it on the front garden to-morrow then I will water my garden.
I will need to bale it out some time today when it cools down a bit! I will need to put into my buckets and my Tuff tub that I have got for Grey water. Oh what fun this is! It’s a learning curb for us all! I will mostly likely fair the best as I am now at next step to next level. Trying to find other ways to save water. Without going to too much expense, like spending a lot of money on rain water tank and new front loader washing machine, even with rebates it would set me back too much expense wise. If the washing machine breaks down then I will look into it. I am talking thousands dollars here! All to save $2.00 on my water bill. I do have the lowest water bill around here as it is now! Unless I buy a water tank 5000L one at that and new AAAAA washing machine I can’t get my water bill lower.

Now its time to work on tiding up the house for visitors. I will try to put notes in this blog, how I am going on that front. It’s very slow going!

BREAKFAST Oatmeal & Currants 2 Toast & Jam Coffee 45c
LUNCH Slices of Toast with Mustard Spread, Melted Cheese & Topped Paprika Coffee 50c
DINNER Steak Pork, Egg, Tomatoes, & Grilled Onions Dinner $1.80

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $102.95

I had a go at my new system with all my buckets and water holding rubbish bins etc for my grey water.

Some ideas worked but others were not as successful as I hoped! I need to empty my rubbish bins before I washed so I watered the back yard with them.

Saving the soapy water to put back in the washing machine and having enough buckets to do this task. 10 buckets and 2 large rubbish bins were not enough.

As for the recycle water hose that I bought, I need some way to fix it to my washing machine waste hose and be able to remove it also! I used up 2 ideas as far with very little success.

I am still learning on this one so it’s back to the drawing broad. MMMM!

BREAKFAST Oatmeal & Currants Coffee 2 Toast & Jam, Coffee 60c
LUNCH Crackers with Cheese & Chutney, Mandarin Coffee 65c
DINNER Omelette with Sweet Chilli Sauce Apple Coffee. 65c

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $100.20

I am cutting back on unwanted plants, tiding up some plants. Raking garden lawn as I don’t need to mow it just yet, another 2 weeks I would think then just cutting the tops off weeds in the lawn. As I plan to keep it a little higher than it is now!

Tidy the patio and sweeping it too! Removed any dead or unsightly plants.

As for watering it’s now via buckets or watering can only. I filled my yellow Tuff tub bucket up then just filled my watering can to half each time. As when you fill it to full it’s too heavy and I do have a sore back to start with.

As a younger adult I worked on a drink bar. So I know how heavy buckets can be if you are doing it for along time like we will be, then you just don’t fill them up to the top! At least I will not have to waters any plants above my head as I did when I was working filling drink machines with buckets on the drink bar.

This may be the reason that I am more safety conscious than other people, as I had that job for 10 years.

We will be into Level 3 Water Restrictions to-morrow! That no hosing or sprinkling. Only washing of vehicle/house /widow / boat permitted with buckets filled directly from the tap. You can use a Bucket or Watering Can that is filled directly from the tap to water your garden only. I hope I don’t get a sore back from using buckets as I will be water two houses as DF-M is away again too! This is for next two years if not longer or when we go to level 4 and no buckets at all. I'll see how I go; as I don’t fill buckets up to the top and will use the walking back to the tap all the time as an exercise.

I will keep my water level near to what it's now! Under 20KL per quarter. Hopefully saving money too!

I will need to get some more buckets and hose reels to put my hoses away for now.

BREAKFAST 2 Boiled Eggs Toast & Jam Coffee 60c
LUNCH Crackers with Hummus & Tuna Apple Coffee 50c
DINNER Devilled Sausages Yogurt & LSA Coffee 75c

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $79.20

I worked out a washing day strategy to save water in this drought we are having, as my water is very low to start with less than 22KL per quarter. I need to do something out of the ordinary to start with. I work out a washing schedule chart to see if washing more or less often would help in anyway! It’s a 10x 10 grid I posted this in the forum some where. Anyway after doing this chart up, I found that if I washed one load every five days or 2 loads every ten days seeing that I am in single household. I would save money and time than washing every Saturday morning like I did before. Now I do two loads and small hand wash and this lasts me until next wash.

I am saving money on my washing detergent too! As I have of washing powder on hand from specials that I have bought that I need to use up. I also have made up a frugal mixture that I use to wash my bed linen and things that I don’t iron. This mixture cost under $1 to make six months supply (about 40 loads) so I am save money by using only 50% of soap powder.

To save my Grey water, I recycle washing machine water by keeping the first load wash water for second load also using the second loads water on the garden as I always wash in cold water I am saving electricity too!. A little work but it does save money and I line dry all my washing too! I use recycle Grey water, in backyard to keep my trees and pot plant a alive, there just enough Grey water to do this, plus I only water one week otherwise for less than 20 minutes.