Today I found UHT Milk that was markdown with a few months still before best before date. I bought the 4 cartons there @ .50 each and being organic they were around $2.15 RRP each. There were some soy milk also but I did buy it as I’m not great lover of soy milk. I will keep some of this milk in stock so I have milk if we have a problem with our water supply at anytime. I can use about one carton per week normally so when they get to near use by date I work them into my normal week supply and replace with fresh supply. I bought my cat some more cat litter as I do need to stockpile more for them too! Prices are going up fast here, so it will be cushion against prices rises as well having more in the cupboards.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Roast Chicken & Vegetables
Monday ~ Stir Fry Beef with Rice
Tuesday ~ Beans & Rice with Vegetables
Wednesday ~ Apricot Chicken with rice
Thursday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Saturday ~ Leftovers

I have been shopping only twice since last week, still haven’t spent any money on Grocery. But I have spent $33.50 on books all used ones too! They are by an author that I am trying to read when I get some time to do so as they are in trilogy form, I need to get them all before I start to read most of them. I do have the first book but I don’t have any others in first trilogy but I do have the first book in the next trilogy, the other ones are from other trilogies that she has written. I am planning to buy new next two books of the first trilogy for Mother Day as I will ask for gift vouchers again this year. They do come in handy when you want something that is not a need but you would like to have it. As I am a slow reader I do need to buy these books as I’m still reading War & Peace after 32 years. I have seen the that movie a few times but with the book I get very bored in the war parts of the book and then stop for a few years then have another go. I may get there one day. Some books I can read in a few hours but others it takes years.

I did have lunch with my ex-coworkers again this week, and paid my visa so it’s back to Zero again.

The other thing I did spend money is getting prescriptions filled and packet of candy as the treat for the week not that I didn’t get any chocolate for Easter, I just a need to buy some non- chocolate candy too!

We may get some rain tonight so heres is hoping.

This week it’s time to charge the batteries in the smoke detectors, I have 3 of them so I went and bought a pack of 4 x 9 volt batteries @ $16.57 pack or if I wished to buy them in single packs @ $6.99 a pack it’s crazy but I’m saving money by buying four. As three of them would have cost $ 20.97 and I got four for $16.57 value of $27.96 saving $11.39 on the four. It’s the end of our day light savings in the Southern States, we don’t have it here. Fire dept recommends’ to change at beginning of the day light saving but as I did put new ones up at this time last year I’m doing at end of it each year, it still one year but at a different time of the year.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Monday ~ Apricot Chicken with rice
Tuesday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Wednesday ~ Omelet with salad
Thursday ~ Leftovers night
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato

Today I filed some of papers that I have been pulling out of my craft bedroom. I did find a very unusual one that was printed in January 1974, two days after the flood here when over 13000 homes went under. In it they are telling you how to save most of the things that we are told to get ride of now. Like carpets, books, furniture, clothes, save the plaster walls, how wash outside walls, how to get your car going etc. Back then I do know that so much was not make with glue and particle boards but more solid woods and brick. Our old house that was sold 3 years before this flood only needed a quick hose out and dry out then it was fine; the people living there had time to up most of their goods into the ceiling including the carpets as there were two large man holes build into that house and it was one of the last houses to go under at 35 feet above sea level. The house that we moved to then now is my home and is high on a ridge but the low areas near the river did get flood then. Funny what we kept.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~Beef Rissoles & Salad
Monday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Tuesday ~ Stir Fry Chicken with Rice
Wednesday ~ Beans & Rice with Vegetables
Thursday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Omelet with salad

I had a very busy morning; first I spent 5 hours with my Italian DF-M, as she is elderly and wanted to make pasta today. So we were up at first light this morning making and rolling pasta for Easter. It was just the two of us do this today.

After having lunch I started working on an area in my workshop. I got to put some stuff away into they right place after I had finished the painting the other day. With that lot cleared it made way so that I could get to the area that I wished to clear out. I did half this area today which took about 2 hours so far. I needed to put some wood away that I would need to repair the outside of the house what was sitting the corner from my door project a year ago. If I ever get dry rot I will have matching boards to replace with and I do have the storage there.

Today my handyman friend arrived and took off my back screen door that was showing signs of weather over 20 years needing new fly screen and painting, as it was full of rust which was surface rust only. After remove the rust and fixing the fly screen panel which is separate piece. I put the first coat of metal primer on today and over the next few days I will be putting on next two coats before my friend come back to put it back up as this door is very heavy and need more than one person to put it back in place.

No spending days this month:- 4

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

Using the omelet marker for the first time, as I normally make fluffy omelet I made this but it did rise went flat when took them out the marker. As there was no booklet with it, I’m going by just trail & error. It was still eatable but good enough to serve visitors I would think. I will need to look around for the right mixer recipe. I got this one for free its value new $49.99, it was only used twice before.

No Spending Days so far this month :~ 13

I had to go to the supermarket today. I bought fruit and vegetables that were much cheaper than buying at the supermarket with all this rain the farm are flooded in some places and the supermarket prices, apples and pears at 99c kg instead of $3.98 kg. Along with pet food stocking up on dry pet food as these were on special also my cats treats cat food was on special too! I also got a few bargains in chicken stock satchels for 20c each so I bought what was left. So if I shopped different place than where I did I would spent. Meat Lamb $2.30 marked down from $3.96

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $43.09 (my cash outlay)
Savings $stretch $28.36

Went to a Garage (Yard) Sale I help there today I took a few boxes books and few other items also .

I had a great day spent $7.50, sold all my books for $10.00. I came home with $8.50 profit. But you should see what I got for my money about $400 worth on retail value alone, there were a some free stuff Leather handbag, 3 lunch bags, beauty bag, 2 shoe bags, heap of vintage jewelery including a watch which you can charge its faces 6 ways, many cookbooks, craft books, 2 milk bottles & 1 water bottles all glass for the fridge, Sunbeam Waffle Maker, Omelet Maker, and 12 silver plate napkin rings, 6 Brass Christmas Napkin Ring, 4 Brass Heart Napkin Rings and 6 Wine Glass Ring for Christmas also a lot other odd & ends.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $7.50 (my cash outlay)
Savings $stretch $400

I went to the city today. Visit to the Chiro and to pay my car insurance which is due next week. Went to Hungry Jack for lunch again, having burger, coffee and ice cream as the coffee was Free, so costing $2.40 only. I did buy some batteries that I need to replace. I went and bought some birthday gifts at chemist as they had them on for buy one get lowest price free, what you do when they do this, you buy both at same price so you getting at least 50% off. I got two toiletries gift boxes that were a great price $7.48 each so I only paid $7.48 for both.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $555.90 (my cash outlay)
Savings $stretch $9.93

It’s been so wet here lately that it was too wet to mow. We just had a window of three days to catch up on mowing the lawn around here. Nearly everyone got out they mowers or had they lawn mower service come and mow and tidy up they yards.

I did get my yard tidy, as I work long before the noise level can go up at 7 am and 8 am on weekend. I like to have my edges done long before these times. I still cut my edges with scissors which easy to do in short energy bursts.

It’s now raining again with two lows moving down the coast, again flooding around the place. I’m just watching it on the TV news now! 43 people had to be rescue off the coast, 37 on one yacht and 6 on the other, all are safe now.

Well I did spend a little today; I had to go to the city.

Afterwards I checked out the supermarket for markdown goods while there and spent about $5.00 on clearance food lines, saving around $11.00 there.
I did drop into the op shop on the way home and bought some more books 3 cookbooks for 50c each saving around $30.00 here on Reg. Price.

I did go to Hungry Jack for Coffee (free) and had a burger & cone as well. Cost $2.40 saving $2.45 here.
Not bad but not good when you think about it, a little of no will power.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $8.90 (my cash outlay)
Savings $stretch $43.45

No Spending Days:- 8

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Tuna Pasta with Salad
Monday ~ Leftovers night
Tuesday ~ Apricot Chicken with Rice
Wednesday ~ Omelet with Shredded Cheese and Salad
Thursday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables

You remember all that free stuff that I left behind for others to take or move. It’s all now rumble the tree lopper came in on Monday morning and a large crane came in yesterday and did the rest, if the rain didn’t get to it first. Anything that was left is now under the rumble, this includes some furniture too! These people get you to do everything for them. Another neighbor went to get some garden plants that needed to be moved. They wanted her to move them for them, they just watching her and were bit upset when she took them home. Want her to redo they garden for them as half their garden had to go at they place too!

No Spending Days 6

There is not much to report on the money front I still haven’t spent a cent! I did earn $5.00 ironing today for one of friends who has two dresses that she is planning to wear to a wedding that needed ironing. It was a bit of job as both were four layers each. Why is it that people who don’t like ironing buy clothes that they can’t iron or press themselves? They took over 50 minutes to iron both and spot clean one. This is not the first time I have end up ironing a four layered dress for some else they didn’t what to do and not the same person either.

On weather front the Cricket got washout again. It’s rained most of late afternoon and evening. Today it will rain this afternoon again as weather is unstable.

A climatology expert said yesterday that he doesn’t think all this rain will break our drought as we still need another 600mm of rain in the southeast area of the state around our main dam. It’s raining everywhere else. None of the flooded areas will get into that dam. Our Dams are at 30% full and were around 18% full before Christmas. Some parts of the state still have had little or no rain at all.

Heavy rain ‘unlikely’ to break drought

No Spending Days 5 this month

Why do people leave stuff with families that are renting, then they do a runner leaving no forwarding address after 6 months the owner need to move it as they are pulling the house down next week to build eight apartments, as they know I am bookworm they asked me if I would go though it for them. I did collect only the stuff I could use. I got a very nice saucepan & measuring jug that had been in the yard, yes all this stuff had been outside on a patio for six month. Some boxes of jewelry and number of books on history (I did leave the books that I would never use) and Lord of Rings game to paint. What I did take I will give some away to others. Stuff toys and children linen given too others. The person did have unusual interest in some things. I don’t know what will happen to the rest of the stuff, I could take the rest to the op shops but then I will need to carry it over to my place, there is far too much stuff to do that and they have a truck to take it but it will end up in the dump for all I know.

Today is the day I go to the city for lunch with friends. While showing this morning I hit the nail on my index finger on the shower tap and it was a bit sore with a black spot on it. My first appointment this morning was the doctor’s so I wasn’t too worried. As it was raining the bus just got to the city in time. After checking me for my annual medical check and writing up scripts for blood tests and medicines. He checked my finger I had a piece of metal in the nail so no gardening for a few days.

I did put more money on my pre-paid mobile plan for another year. Mobile phone prepaid recharge
Taking this total too $149 for 4 years averaging 37.25 per year, very few calls, mainly text messages.

Paying my rates and water bills and I had only 9kL of water in last 92 days. So I am on track with my water targets that have been set by the government. Which is a goal of 140L per person mine is only 97.8K.

Meeting up with some of my ex-coworkers, at the casino, there is a deal going there for $10.00.

I had Fish & Chips with Salad (reg. price $13.50) and vanilla slice as usual (reg. price$5.90), posted in this blog October 29, 2006 in recipe section. Coffee (reg. price 2x $3.00) total = $25.30. I did play the 1c poker machines for just two dollars then left.

As for shopping I only bought some books again today spending $13.00 (reg. price value $175.65) on them.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $369.00
Savings $stretch $168.15

Going through some of the baskets of cookbooks & files, I didn’t find too many to chuck out but I put them back into better order than before. I have still got along way to go in this computer room and library. As I’m looking for a set of cookbooks for my next month’s menu. Not that finding them is a problem as I can always look on the internet if I have too! That’s what you get when have more than one bookcase of cookbooks. I want to do some OAMC cooking and single meals for one over the next month with new recipes with a few old ones if I don’t fine the missing cookbooks.

It’s another no spending day here.

I was sent a gift voucher from Jewelry store for $25.00. It expires at end of month.

So I went to a shopping centre to spend it. I got 4 photo frames 50% off for extra $5.25 out of my own pocket. They did have much marked down to choose from without spending too much, I need spend much more if I didn’t buy some things for my gift box. I did spend some money on a nice wallet for myself to use later. This was marked down to $4.95 from $19.95 so it was great buy. I did have lunch out today, just hamburger and soft cone with a free coffee all for $2.40.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $12.60 (my cash out lay)
Savings $tretch $51.45 + $25.00 gift voucher = $76.45

A few weeks ago I told you that my paper shredder died. Well in yesterday junk mail there was a better paper shredder for sale, as it’s a new model they had an introductory price for it saving over $50 on it as well the staff discount that I get. With all the gift cards that I got for Christmas & birthday this month for this new paper shredder as had said this want I wanted to get this year, my cost came to just over $4.74. Oh and I didn’t buy any this else even though they had some very good bargains this time of the year with Back to School Sale on, as I had the car out yesterday.

Years ago when I had finish with any papers that I did want I would burn them now that we can't light fire anymore in our area but for BBQ's, and at time not them either. $$$ Another Strategy letting it go

Having a paper shredder is the nearest too burning, a letting go of the past feeling that use to get back then.

Is a question that I’m thinking about at moment? I have two rooms that have mixed boxes in them. These are my junk rooms where I put any stuff that I don’t need there while I have visitors to stay. Well I did start today on one of the rooms, first that opened only had a few books on top then some coat hangers on the bottom. Another box has my OAMC cookware in it, so that 2 boxes down today.

I had my hair cut today costing $17.00 for a style cut. I did go shopping since I last wrote, buying pet supplies, my cats get a treat each day of more expensive dried cat food just a small handful when I have morning tea each day, O boy do they tell me if I forget to give it to them. They do get another dried cat food normally but they only like one kind of that brand. I am having trouble with their cat litter that they like as the company making it has had problem at the factory. We are being told it could up to six months before they can supply it. So now I need to try a new brand each time at double or triple the cost of the old cat litter, so spent $13.46 on them today. I’m not to happy with that one.

I did go to a Chinese restaurant for dinner we had a good time too! It was my birthday and I was given some very nice presents. We often go out to a restaurant for our birthdays the person who is having the birthday gets to pick the restaurant. What did we have as there were four of us, my son and I had Chinese banquet for two at $18.00 each plus drinks and the others had soup, Main meal & drinks.

Banquet had in it one Curried Puff & Spring Roll each, chicken & corn soup, one plate of each beef & chicken meals, fried rice for two and ice cream & fruit salad. I had green tea the other soft drinks.

Our main meals were King with Egg Noodles, Mongolian Lamb & Beef, Sweet & Sour Chicken, with streamed &fried rice. The bill came to $90.00 for four of us. I do find that a banquet is the best buy if you can get them here. Value of the banquet separately would have been around $28.00 one of the others paid $29.00 for what they had ordered. Lucky we don’t have too many of these feast each year, but most are in the first half of the year.

I had quite day today, I did go shopping and walk. Dropped into the 2nd hand Charity stores, I got temped and bought a very nice Pottery fired small fruit bowl for $1.50 value $15.00. I would think never used ideal for a gift of homemade goodies, plus two magazines one has some nice craft patterns in it at the other 2nd hand Charity store only $1.35 value $10.90 other than that I spent very little else only some cheese for lunch. I booked a hairdressing appointment for Thursday.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $4.75
Savings $stretch $25.15

My friend took me out to lunch today, as she had to go shopping at one shopping centres. I just was so good in my non- spending goal that all I did was walk around with her as she spent her money other than paying the balance money off my credit card. She even paid for our lunch which is nice of her, we both had Mediterranean salad and quiche with coffee. We did pick out a birthday present for later in the week and she bought her annual new watch 50% off at the jewelry sale there. Later we came home and we had tea & cake at her place on the back deck. It was definitely a girl’s day out.

I'm doing inventory of my pantry this week, so see what I have left that I had bought last year! It's good to know what you have to work with, as at times we keep on buying the same items over & over again but never using them all. I did put out four shelves today and checked dates and marked a date on it if I didn’t find date and write it down too! I manage to put back three shelves today but one of my cats decided to have a sleep on the bottom one while I worked. What did I find in my stockpile, that I rarely use 4 packets of sago, 14 packets of 2 minutes noodles, 2 bags of polenta, 3 bottles of apple concentrate and lot’s of sugar white, raw, brown, and caster I mainly use white sugar for chutney. It’s no good give it away as most is past they best before dates. I can use this lot if make something with them soon. Today I made Vanilla Sago Pudding and I got 5 serves from this as I use some latte mugs that I was given for Christmas to put them in.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~Sweet & Sour Pork w’ Rice , Vanilla Sago Pudding
Monday ~ Meat loaf & vegetable, Vanilla Sago Pudding
Tuesday ~ Dinner out
Wednesday ~ Sweet & Sour Pork w’ Rice, Vanilla Sago Pudding
Thursday ~ Omelet with Shredded Cheese and Salad, Vanilla Sago Pudding
Friday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce Vanilla Sago Pudding
Saturday ~ Curried Sausages with Rice

It's a no spending day here

One of my friends had me drop off some dry cleaning during the week, so this morning I went to pick it up. It was very large lace quilt that was expensive to buy. It cost $30.00 to have it dry cleaned. I hand wash things like this and I do have the line space to dry it too! I don’t remember the last time I had anything dry cleaned.

I had to use my car to pick it up.

Found a tray of markdown chicken schnitzels saving $3.60 with 14 servings, along with a caramel mud cake markdown to $1.49 saving $3.00, and some fresh green seedless grapes for variety in my fruit intake. Along with some display books that were a faction of their true cost saving over $18.00 here. So in light of these saving I would have had to spend over $ 24.60 extra if I did pay normal regular price on all items I bought as some people do.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $18.62
Savings $stretch $24.60

If you have read some of my earlier blogs you’ll know that I do ironing for pin money. My friends don’t like ironing so they pay me some money to help me with a little extra bit of money. One hasn’t bought over any since long before Christmas it was a large pile of ironing. And other one given me her best garments to iron. Along with my own ironing I have over 3 hours of ironing to do. So this morning around 3.30am this morning I got up and started iron as this is the coolest time to iron in summer. I got most of it done now so I only got to do the best of the garments to iron then wash me own hand washing so I can iron them too!

Other than doing the ironing I didn’t do too much today. So it was a no spending day here.

Oh it’s hot here, not because temperatures are high but for the humidity that is around! The dams have risen 4% so far and one on the Gold Coast is overflowing.

I did go shopping today, first to get some items on special at one supermarket then off to other one to get cat food that it stocks. Oh fuss cats don’t you love them! Grocery shopping for my cats was up in the range of $35.00 and I still need to buy cat litter which was out of stock today. I will try again next time; I do buy a month supply at time so I still have one week’s supply left which is my backup supply. Fruit & vegetables are getting expensive around here , just bought cherry tomatoes, bananas, pears, oranges coming to $5.20. All other fruit & vegetables were too expensive this week; I will use what I still have left instead. I do have a good supply of can tomatoes so use these in cooking.

The total today was more than I normally spend but some items were for my survival kit project in the way of extra powdered milk as I do use this item so I bought 2 bags extra than I would this time. More 2 bags BBQ heat beads giving me about 5 bags now, I don’t use gas bottles for my BBQ’s and I have two different sizes ones. I went to the Two Dollars store and bought my first item for my car’s survival kit pack, it’s a whistle with a compress, key ring & thermometer called a 4-in-1 whistle. I did see other items that I may buy too! I had lunch at my favorite local food stall for a hot dog and milkshake, price $2.50 elsewhere it would be around $5.95.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $80.02
Savings $stretch $20.08

Well I had to get off the computer at lunchtime, as I heard thunder in the distance with means a summer storm is on it way.

If I am home I always close down my computer at first sign as once we have lightening strike next door it was the first one for the day. I saw it strike too! Burnt the trees next door and they lost all appliances in the house.

It just stopped raining a few minutes ago so I checked my rain gauge and we just 60 mm - about 2½ inches. My tank is overflowing as we had more than 160mm -almost 6½ inches since Boxing Day in my property. I hope this last storm started near the Dams as it came from that area. They may been a storm over the dam catchments in the past few hours.

The areas that is notorious for flash flooding are up and overflowing around here. I’m lucky as I live on a hill even if polar ice caps melt by 14metres, I will high and dry.

I have been working on my HP tutorials in the last few days just more lesson to go for this month. And new ones start on Monday. Have enrolled in about four courses for January classes, one is a repeat and another one is just two lessons so I will do those one first.

Still storm clouds around so I will not stay long on the computer.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce on Baked Potato
Monday ~ Honey Soy Stir Fry Beef with Rice
Tuesday ~ Leftovers night
Wednesday ~ Omelet with Shredded Cheese and Salad
Thursday ~ Curried Sausages with Rice
Friday ~ Steamed Fish and Salad
Saturday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce