My Digital Antenna is up and works the way it should. The installer took over 4 hours to do the job and cleaned up after too! I was able to find the old antenna cables and remove them so they are gone now! I am lucky that no one can live under my house as all the lines are visible for all to see. I have tried so if I could work out which cable was for what. Most are old phone lines which I am leaving there but none work now, the main power cable runs under there too! I do write on them what I think each one is, as I am worried that someone will try to move them one day when I am not around. I even found the original phone line 60 years old. You can't legally live under there but it's a great storage area. Height is not high enough for someone 5ft 6inches or over to walk freely around without hitting they head on a beam or ten. In some places its only 4 feet high. The total cost was the quote $840 with better antenna which was stronger and cord for one of TV which didn't have one. This sounds a lot of money it done now. I am very happy with the service that I received.

I did a Phone around here for my Christmas present to myself that Digital Television Antenna I have been putting off for year or two now! I least I can afford it and I will need to get one soon. I rang up three installers and got one quote by phone and another company came out to do the quote. The third company I am still waiting for a call back but they the dearest one if past dealings with them it will be expensive. The quotes were very much within $10 of each other when I add in amplifier on the phone quote. I need this as I get no signals with antennas I got now, if I have any breeze as I am below the buildings around me. Some are three stories high.

And the phone quote is for only 4 points only. This will allow moving the TV around without worrying NO signals on some Channels. If I don’t have amplifier I can have only one point and drop outs. I own three TV and plan one into other rooms if I need too! These are the bedrooms that have no TVs if I was ill then I would need one.

$840 with amplifier with 5 points cost of on 3 points so 2 points, splitter free and discount on amplifier. Saving discounts are around $470.

They will be the mostly likely will get the job as it’s the one that my son had to do his.

Australia is going all digital TV over the next two years some areas are already 100%. By 31 December 2013 there will be no Analog TV signals are phrased out altogether. Our area will be complete by June 2013.

Strategy - Ask about any discounts and don’t worry if you forgot to ask about it, worse they can say is NO if you go back and ask.

While out walking this morning I found some money on the footpath, someone must have dropped it when getting into their car. I never find any money but this time I went a lot early than I normally do!
It’s only $5.00 but it can go with to the next donation that I make, normal if I find a Salvo collecting I will give them some money each Christmas.

My Christmas spending is nearly finished. Just three inexpensive token gifts and a gift card voucher to get now. The family is pulling in on their spending too! I just need a mobile car charger for my new phone and some odd & ends that gift card voucher will buy and I will be happy. I normally buy my own treats so I not missing out when they can’t afford it! Some will just get a big box of chocolates or other sweet treat I think!

I had a no spending day too!

I had appointments with my chiropractor and podiatrist yesterday. Both appointments went well!

I bought 2 sushi rolls and took my own drinks to the city. With Diabetic 2, I need make sure that I do drink when I am thirsty and as I don’t like paying over $3.00 a bottle for water or a soft drink. Coffee ends up costing arm and leg when you need to buy unnecessary snack to go with it at $3.50 to $4.50. I can buy 6x popper drinks @$2.20 in supermarkets if I remember to take one or two with me when I go out. I found a cute little food bag that fits two of these in plus a small brick if I need one!

I find time to top up my Go Card (local public transport pass) as we do get our fares cheaper if you use these cards. As a pensioner I only have to use it twice in the same day and all other trips that day are free! I normal put $20.00 on it when I top up this card.

I did remember to bank some change that I had counted the other day.

On the computer front I am learning to use the ribbon in the window picture gallery this will be a long task as I did delete around 13500 photos out my download out of 24500 photos and all filed under the same title. I did remember to empty my recycle bin that how I know many there were!

We had a very bad Nursing home fire in Sydney today. Four residents were killed and another 31 are in number hospitals over 100 residents lived there.

Nursing Home Fire

It’s beautiful weather here at the moment, sunny and 30 C. We have had no rain for 13 days straight so far this month. If doesn’t rain tomorrow I think it’s a new record for November. They are going to drop the Dam levels as next rainy season is on us. Heavy rain storms and at least 4 Cyclones. A bad hail storm went through the outback town and wiped out a shed used as house that was Cyclone safe five year ago last night.

Today I went to the city again for my annual eye test and new glasses. This pair will cost some money around $185 extra as I am getting the works done on it. Bifocals, transitions lends etc. as well a new frame. I should have them by end of the month if I am lucky, as last time something went wrong and had to be done again. I have pick out next year’s frame that I like so they put the code on my file.

I also got my passport photos done today I don’t like them but who does. I think it’s because I had to take off my glasses for the photo. I am not planning to go anywhere in the near future but I will someday soon!

I paid off my credit card so they are paid in full.

I had lunch at the casino today and played the pokies for a few dollars only. Spent $14.00 here.

Spent $526 all up today including credit card

I had my hearing test today and they fixed the problem that I had with my hearing aids, I got them a two years ago or so now! They just didn’t fit properly it was the part that you put in your ear piece on both ears that were two small as my opening is much larger than normal so with these attachments they now fit and don’t fall off when wearing them. Change is part of the annual fee of $55 including batteries as age pensioner I get vouchers for the hearing aids but do have paid extra when I do buy new hearing aids, this time there is no extra changes so will stay with the old ones.

While I was out I bought coffee & raisin toast $3.50 at a food outer on the way back down to the city to catch my bus home. Whilst in this area I went to a handbag store that I had bought handbags before at and found the right style that I liked for a general all-purpose bag. I also found one that I liked but the wrong colour so I bought the black one instead. So 2 handbags $35.00 which is not bad in price as I find the handles go first no matter how much you pay for it. Still would like to have that red handbag too! It’s only $15.00 so if it’s still there on Monday I may get it too!

I try to buy only black handbags so their go with my black shoes that I wear.

I gave the musician in the tunnel $2.00 as I liked his music he was playing.

So all up I spent $40.50 today.

I finely finish culling my pictures and getting them back to one set of pictures each. I don’t know how many copies of my son’s trips were in the download but I just kept seeing the same pictures now the fun part is tagging these pictures in Window 7 Picture Gallery. Seeing that there were over 24000 pictures to start with and I do have a job on my hand, I am planning to just do my own pictures and scanned ones. The others I will burn to DVD and remove some too!

I bought my next voucher for my prepaid mobile phone this costed $40.00 and thinking of have one ahead so will buy another voucher in the next week or so, so that I am ahead as the place that I buy them from isn’t open on the weekends.

I went shopping today and bought a new iron for less than half price off the RRP of $79.00.

I have now worked out how to use Word 2010, and got all my files over that I wished to bring over as some were files for programs that I don’t plan to run on this computer. I had to use create libraries so I could get to them easily.

Still learning to use Pictures Live Gallery but as my import of old computer pictures still is some trouble with multiples of each, I need to fine and delete most of these multiples as that area is still a mess. I am planning to burn on DVD’s some of these pictures and remove them. It’s too large to back up or scan without taking hours. My computer is not on that long to do that. Because of thunder storms with lighting I need close my computer down if not sitting with it.

Talk about messes I need to get back into housework or I will be buying multiples because I can’t fine things.

I paid one credit card off and now waiting for the bill on the other one. I could go down and paid it as this money is sitting there for it!

Today is the horse race that stops the nation. On the first Tuesday in November every year this race is run.

I wasn’t planning to go today but as a ticket for luncheon was non-refundable as one person is in hospital so couldn’t go and needed someone to watch the group of elderly friends and one with dementia I was asked to go for free.

We had a good feed of cold picnic style food this is the kind of Spring weather food that is eaten at Flemington race track in the car park and each of us got ticket on the sweepstake which gave us had a horse to follow in the race. One in our group won on the sweepstake taking home $24 for a $2.00 outlay.

None of us had a bet on any race including the Melbourne Cup, in our state over $30M was bet on that one race and $100M across Australia. For five minutes the whole nation stops if it can to watch the race, including toddlers for the last 151years. A number of toddlers and babies were at the function today.

It was held at local football club which we are all members. The daughter of one them drove us there and picked us up afterward she didn’t want to go today. I spent about $11.00 all up today. The luncheon would have costed $45.00 if I had paid.

Melbourne Cup

I am a very late in putting up my monthly, others things did get in the away this time but that’s another story which you have been reading about lately here. I only just updated my Excel so here are the figures for last month.

As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to a calendar months so here are the figures for my last period.


It’s time to start again on reviewing my monthly daily living allowance.

These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent
Eating out===$35.00=====$22.00
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $78.18
Non-Food===$17.00=====$7.72
Clothes ====$35.00=====$105.50
Grooming===$15.00=====$35.00
Gas======$ 25.00=======$8.00
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$63.19
HH items===$42.50=====$40.44
Fares== ====$9.00====$20.00
Entrainments= $12.00
Garden =====$10.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00===$3.00
Medical =====$15.00======$37.15
Diabetes Expenses====$50
Misc ======$9.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ====$58.29

Note only one amount is a no spend
Budgeted for this period $580 spent $478.38 so under budget by $101.62

No Spending days over the 28 days = 7 days in total.

Personal allowance covers confectionery, lotto, books, stamps, craft & hobby supplies.

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

As for medical this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up this month just on medicine
As for my medical visits out of pocket expensive if they are related to Diabetes then I will class them as Diabetes Expenses will come under this new category.
Diabetes Expenses – nil

A most will be one off items or once per year expenses. But I need to track these items on my small budget and pension. Each time I pay for some things in this category I will need to cut something in other categories.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month.

Spending on books and papers $38.80 for the month including 4 papers.

I do keep my bill money separated from this summery. This year I will be budgeting around $650 per period month to cover all my bills. This month bills were around $ 378.80 so balance banked this month. This fund does cover all my fixed bills for the year if I can stick to this schedule as I have done for the past ten years or so. On my budget excel modelling chart I can pay the full amount this year.

As for food out, I dined out 4 times this month costing between $5 & $9 a time most were around the $9 mark as I can no longer eat at fast food outlets. That $9.00 meals at casino is still looking the healthiest and best deal in the city for now.

My grocery bill came in under budget for this month.

My clothes and grooming budget was well over this month I bought 4 new bras and only paid for 3 and had a watch battery replaced along a haircut.

Most of my social outing are dining out this is part of my social outings money and spending allowance.
If any changes to my spending habits will need to come out of my daily living allowance categories of my budget as my bill categories are very tight now.

Still need to work on a few categories as you can see but over all I had a good month.

Strategy: - Track your daily spending down to the cent by writing it down daily.

Well I have been thrown into this decade as my computer died on Thursday.
As you know that I have been disconnected from my Cable server and had to go to Wi-Fi last week. Three days in on Wi-Fi my computer packed in and is not worth paying another $200 to repair so I bought a new laptop and programs to go with. As all are upgrades now I have to learn to use them and along with learning to use a new mobile phone and Wi-Fi also working out how download my external HDD all my files & photos since 1999. They still there but not on the new computer but will work on this over the next few weeks. Yesterday I had set up the laptop to work and then download any programs that I needed also, so all this will keep me busy for a while and a very big learning curve to do it all by myself. Now to start saving again.

It’s has been a very expensive week.

As I buy very few new clothes anymore which a rare. The last time I bought a complete expensive outfit was for my son’s wedding back in 1999. The rag trade would close up shop long ago if it depended on me. I do buy some slacks, ¾ pants, shorts and t-shirts when I do buy new, I buy on special or markdown that’s the same price I can buy at the Charity /goodwill shop or second hand clothes stores. I get better quality in charity shops than when I buy new. I mainly buy the bottom half of my outer clothes new as this were I fine the shortage for my size and the most damaged clothes with elastics or Zip failing in a short time after buying. I need to take up the hem lines or wear the ¾ pants longer than you would do so if you were normal height. I like the longer length so this part doesn’t worry me that much. Under wear and socks are always bought new.

I have had busy few days, as our local charity shop is having a fill a bag sale of clothing for $5.00 last week. One morning I went up to browse around and as they were short staff until some arrived I opened up the second shop and watch other customers until the staff arrived hour later. As I knew the way around this sale and could look at the same time I was ok with this. I just was there as everyone else was just looking too when the staff arrived.

So I end up spending $20.00 for $1070 worth of clothes.

I bought 4 Bags of clothes totalling 42 items of which only one was not wearable. So at under 48 cents per garment this how can keep my clothes cost to under $300 per year. Buy very little new.


Pile of women’s clothes for picking over.


Bounty from two of bags of clothes

You don’t get the latest fashion buy second- hand clothes which I am past that stage now. The colour may be few years past in shades and styles that don’t matter if you feel good in the outfit and it goes altogether in tones. I buy by the look and feel of the fabric then the colour then look at the size then at the tag if has one. I was able to find all these off a pile on the floor with all size mixed together within under two hours. Everyone had the same task if you wished to buy something.


List of clothes bought - approx RRP

T-shirts
White -Bot Cornsurf RRP$25.00
Brown & cream, stripe V neck – Susannegrae RRP $25.00
White & beige stripe Cotton - Millers RRP$15.00
Black & White Stripe - Relaunch RRP$25.00
Grey & off white stripe - Pun Nai RRP$20.00
Yellow - Cherokee RRP $20.00
Pink & Beige stripe sleeveless – CMS RRP$20.00
Light Blue -CTM- DNM RRP$15.00
Black & white Floral sleeveless - Jag RRP$25.00
Pink with design printed -Jag RRP$20.00
Dark green with collar - Urbane RRP$20.00
Total RRP $230

Shirts
White Millers Cotton RRP$25.00
Black plain ¾ sleeves Ramie - Katies RRP$25.00
Pink ¾ sleeved Cotton/spandex - Crossroads RRP$25.00
Pink ¾ sleeved - cut off brand name RRP$30.00
Pink floral Poly - Daxon RRP$25.00
Lime plain Ramie - Now RRP$30.00
Lime cotton - Aqua by ping pong RRP$35.00
White& Brown Poly/cotton – Millers RRP$20.00
Cream background with Beige pattern , Rayon -Millers RRP$20.00
Green with mauve floral pattern, rayon – Millers RRP$20.00
Light blue with trim, Poly Rayon – Millers RRP$20.00
Blue small check with Grey trim, 100% cotton- Panola RRP$25.00
Blue Pattern rayon poly – Millers RRP$20.00
Dark Green poly - Postie Fashion RRP$25.00
Orange Plain background with a breaded trim, Poly - Millers RRP$20.00

Total RRP $365

Tops
Burnt Orange Rayon /Poly Perri Cutten RRP $40.00
Cream background with floral print, Silk – Real Clothes RRP $35.00
Black nylon S-less tank top - Now RRP $20.00
Black with white flowers Nylon S-less - Katies RRP $20.00
Total RRP $115



Two piece outfit
Top - Off white back ground with Blue floral print, Rayon/linen - Geiger Essentials RRP $25.00
Skirt - Off white back ground with Blue floral print, Rayon/linen - Geiger Essentials RRP$25.00

Pants
Brown Cargo shorts long – Millers RRP$20.00
Light grey linen /cotton slacks - Giordano Linen RRP$50.00
Grey Cargo slacks expensive ones RRP$50.00
¾ casual pants Beige 100% cotton - Jay Jay’s RRP$20.00

Total RRP $190

Dresses
Cream & black check - floor length will cut shorter RRP$30.00
Check - Potarorri Floor length will cut shorter RRP$30.00
Long blue with yellow floral print on hem line. Polyester Millers RRP$20.00

Odd pieces
Cardigan -Cream short sleeved -cut off brand name & buttons missing. RRP $25.00
Sarong aqua with mauve-pink flowers – Vanuatu- RRP $15.00
Bath robe -Pink poly -Shooze Zone (never worn) RRP $50.00

Total RRP $170

Grand Total RRP $1070


Clothes Line some of the clothes.


Two other posts on clothes shopping tightwad style.

Retail Therapy - Tightwad Style
the fill a bag sale

Strategy - Know when the best sale may be on and be ready to go!

I went to local Church Car Boot Sale last weekend, I found some wonderful bargains.

This is what I found.


Mixture of items found


Oil painting and books


Oil Painting


Both oil paintings are by the same artist

Spent about $16.00 all up.

I am a little late in putting up my monthly balance others things do get in the away at times, my cat is doing fine until his operation on next Wednesday to have his teeth removed so far its only two of them.

As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to a calendar months so here are the figures for my last period.

It’s time to start again on reviewing my monthly daily living allowance.

These are the categories for this challenge.
Items === Approx Budget===Spent
Eating out===$35.00=====$67.75
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $87.72
Non-Food===$17.00=====$26.43
Clothes ====$35.00
Grooming===$15.00=====$50.00
Gas======$25.00
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$607 less 500.00 =$107
HH items===$42.50=====$32.15
Fares== ====$9.00======$20.00
Entrainments= $12.00
Garden =====$10.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00===$29.95
Medical =====$15.00======$10.00
Diabetes Expenses====$50
Misc ======$9.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ====$56.56

Note only one amount is a no spend

Budgeted for this period $580 spent $487.66 so under budget by $92.34

No Spending days over the 28 days = 11 days in total.

Personal allowance covers confectionery, lotto, books, stamps, craft & hobby supplies.

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

As for medical this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up this month just on medicine
As for my medical visits out of pocket expensive if they are related to Diabetes then I will class them as Diabetes Expenses will come under this new category.

Diabetes Expenses – nil
A most will be one off items or once per year expenses. But I need to track these items on my small budget and pension. Each time I pay for some thing in this category I will need to cut something in other categories.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month.
Spending on books and papers $49.50 for the month including 4 papers.

I had to buy a birthday gift a watch last month, now I have paid for it to be engraved $29.95.
I do keep my bill money separated from this summery. This year I will be budgeting around $650 per period month to cover all my bills. This month bills were around $1005.12 so balance banked this month. These funds do cover all my fixed bills for the year if I can stick to this schedule as I have done for the past ten years or so. On my budget excel modelling chart I can pay the full amount this year. This amount includes the cat operation with the Vet.
As for food out, I dined out 4 times this month costing between $5 & $9 a time most were around the $9 mark as I can no longer eat at fast food outlets. That $9.00 meals at casino is still looking the healthiest and best deal in the city for now.

My grocery bill came in normal for this month.
Most of my social outing are dining out this is part of my social outings money and spending allowance.
If any changes to my spending habits will need to come out of my daily living allowance categories of my budget as my bill categories are very tight now. Still need to work on a few categories as you can see but over all I had a good month.

Strategy: - Track your daily spending down to the cent by writing it down daily.

I was having trouble posting my next post, so this is a fill in.


Front of the Casino


Side wall of a bank


Treasury Casino

My favourite Australian bird is a

Kookaburra and I have this young one taking a liking to my backyard and will sit on my clothes line, garden wall and my garden arches and waits for free food, lawn grubs I think to appear. Here are a few photos that I got from my kitchen widow; it’s been raining for the last few days so the ground is wet. These are the kind of native pets I love to visit. The crows don’t like him one bit. Kookaburras normally stay together in family groups this one is alone so he has been kick out to fend for himself. Has been around for a few weeks but this time I was able to get a closer to him.

At lunch time


At 4pm

I had the morning at home and waited for my son to drop in. He wife is away with work so we could use both pass on Friday. He arrived at my place 15 minutes after he finished work. Getting dressed we were on our away by 2.30pm arriving to park the car near the showground Carparking was $15.00 so we found street parking for $6.00 for the last four hours on the meters. He waited until 3.00pm so we only had to pay for 4 hours.
Walking over to the

EKKA showground we used our pass to get in again. Then walked though Side Show Alley and the Show Bag Pavilion we never bought a thing here. We had afternoon snacks at a Red Rooster stand at least my son did cost him $15.00, I had a fruit drink and mandarin from home.

We went down to government pavilion for my son to look around then went over the Woolworth Pavilion and got some free food samples and two kid’s aprons and shopping bags for the junior members of the family as there are different offers each day.

Walked around companies show case pavilion never spent any money there, walk over to the wool pavilion and had a look at the animal nursery the cows and horses then walked over to find something to eat yet again. I had a bottle of water and steak sandwich $10.50 DS had coke & hamburger $11.00.

On the walk up to the grandstands, we drop in at RM Williams stand, I bought T-Shirt for $15.00 but I had a voucher for $10.00 so I was able to use this so only paid $5.00 for the t-shirt in the end.

We went to the member’s grand stand at around 5.30pm and stayed there until 8.30pm when we went home. My son bought some coffee and hot chocolate for both of us. I had my muesli bar that I had with me.

Friday night was the night at they open the show, so we were there for this once. I did take a few pictures, they had some different breeds of cattle & cows on the ground and bullock team while the grand opening parade matched on to the oval. The person opening the show this year was our first lady of the Australia the Governor General Quentin Bryce, I meet her when she was the State Governor for Queensland here in 2006.

Ekka 2010 pictures are back up


Bullock Team


Opening Honour Guard Parade & Cattle



Honour Guard


Opening speech and police horses


Just before blessing of the plough


Also we watched the camp drafting, HiLux Heroes (5 truck team), bike jumping, Monster Truck Mania, Jet Van and then the firework.

That’s my day trips to the Ekka for this year! Home by 9pm.

Strategy - Have a treat now and then!

Strategy - Park your car in a spot that you will get your daily walk done too!

I went to the Ekka on Thursday & Friday this week . Day one I caught the bus, got off at the special Ekka bus stop in the city and had to wait 30 minutes for the bus to come so much for bus every 10 minutes service when we got to the other end you could see what was happening with the buses and why they were late in doing round this trip. Traffic parked in the bus lane to drop off people in wheel chairs with both lanes blocked in a two lane narrow street aright first day stuff up. It’s only 10.25am.

I didn’t have to worry about special Senior Day as I use the family guest member pass each year so I can get in for Free as I normally have it for the first two days of the show then the others use it the rest of the time.

My first stop was the Woolworth Pavilion a look at what going on there, missed all the cooking show this year. Had a cheese toastie at the Coon Bar for $2.00 and then kept walking. Went off down that side of the show grounds to find the Art & Craft pavilion only find it had moved downstairs, wandered around paintings and the cake icing and all that baking. Mine never look that good! While viewing the painting I got talking to a senior couple who husband put a painting in the show. After leave there wandered down to the fruit & vegetable pavilion, boy have they cut back there not so many entries as before I think the flooding back in January has a lot to do with it too!

As the Qld Government area is a demolition site they have moved over the lower level of the cattle building near where the school band play. I had a walk around there and went to see about fire ants updated as I always looking out for these when I walk around as we are in tail end of an area for these buggers. There are still only 500 nests in Qld but if left unchecked half of Qld be covered in less than 20 years. I was given and post pack if I was to find a nest and was told to kill the ants by freezing it before sending off it too! I don’t think so I just phone them I think. If it’s on someone else properties just don’t tell them just call the DPI and leave the telling to them.

Next stop was lunch, I had 2 Greek Chicken Souvlakia and I had a fruit drink that I bought from home. Had a little rest while eating then off to see the show bags pavilion which is in a marquee smack in the middle of side show alley resulting in rides and stalls now partly on the second oval and around this huge marquee. The old show bag pavilion area is a demolition site as the whole site is being revamped.

I didn’t like that area so returned to the Woolworth Pavilion had another walk around collected some recipe leaflets and walked back to the Super food Ideas stall and bought 2 bags for $10.00 and walked out the door, I was stuffed for the day It’s only 1.30pm. Walk down to the bus stop and caught the bus back to the city which with it drop off across the road from my bus stop to go home wondering if I will catch my closest bus to home, I did by 2 minutes walked in my house at 2.20pm. Tired but saw as much as I could stand up for that day and there another day to come!

Spent only $20.00 for the day.

Boiled Fruit Cakes


Some Cake Icing Pictures





Crafts




Soft Pastels


Oil Painting

Its Medical appointments day, once every two months these appointments are on the same day.

Chiropractor and Podiatrist visits both within 1 ½ hours of each other this is so that can do things in between and be ready to catch the bus when finished the last appointment.

Today I planned to do any shopping that I would to do as well these appointments. When I got off the bus I found a pair of shoe that I was looking for but when I tried them on and ready to pay for them, I was informed these shoes shouldn’t have been put in the marked down bin they were full price $139.00 when all the other shoes were $69.00 oh I could have them if I bought gold or red ones for that price but not black which is the only colour that I wanted so I walked out. Not happy with that but I will not be tricked into buying something wanted but could live without. No sale.

Drop by the newsagent and bought GO CARD fare ticket top up $20.00. I don’t need to look for charge anytime I catch public transport with this card and I get senior discounts with it.

While walking around on Wednesday I checked the frypans out that were going on special this Thursday, as I need a new 20cm frypan as the one I got is burning food too much. So I got myself a nice new stainless steel one and a new measuring jug both 30%off all up (RRP $28.00) then marked down to $19.95 after I used my new staff card. When I went to the kitchen shop which had a silicone whisk that I saw on Wednesday RRP $7.95 to $1.55 so I got one of theses too!

I stopped for morning tea and had some pancakes $3.45 with a free Senior % coffee. Off to the book store but in the end didn’t buy any books today. Chiro visit went without any problems so then went to the Officeworks which sells computer programs and I found the one I bought that for $38.09 Saving $6.01 on price tag of which $2.01 was staff card discount. I just get don’t some price tags these days this not the first time the registers scan different to the shelf tags. If it’s lower I now just pay what they ask for it but if higher I pay the shelf price or walk out. In some cases you will get the item for free but not always.

I walked down to the medical refund office as this takes enough time to get my daily walk in as well. Went and did some window shopping in new revamp Wintergarden shopping building stage 1 without buying and shoes were only that I could afford but not my style before going to my next appointment. Off to get my next medical refund before I went home for the day and on the way to the bus dropping in to Crazy Clarks discount store for some hand wash. I found a few bargains while I was there so in the end my $2.49 had blowout to $62.37 I got some bargains while I was there and did buy my hand wash too!

Medium Amber Hair dye was on special this week normally you buy this at chemist for about $16.95 a packet at these discount store you can buy it for a lot less and at 2 for $10.00 all the same colour which is the important part of my system, I bought enough for the next two years $50.00 worth and put it on that credit card. I found a tip that I use to make this work.

Also I bought as well this:
Craft supplies - moulding clay 3@$1.47 & beads for necklace $1.47 = $5.88
Date rolls biscuits 2@ 1.00 & smoked oysters 2 @1.00 = $4.00
Hand wash $2.49

Total $62.37

My savings for the day

Medical Refunds $70.35
Computer program $6.01
Senior % coffee free - saving $2.80
Kitchen items saving $14.45
Craft supplies $12.00
Hair dye $119.50

Saving over all $225.11

I don’t think I have loss my touch. No more unplanned shopping until of

EKKA show time in two weeks time.

Strategy - Know when the best sale may be on and be ready to go!

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

As it’s that time of the month again to meet up with my ex work friend for lunch and Medical appointments, planning my bill paying and shopping for these two day of the month. As I said my last post that I needed to start using my credit card for next $1000+ purchases and bills. I spend very little so need to plan this very carefully. I started out with paying all the bills that I had to pay first none could paid via credit card so they came out of my debit card as I don’t carry these large amounts around with me. The council rates, water bills and credit card payments were paid up for this period to date. On the spending side I bought book of stamps for my wallet so that I don’t need to go shopping for just a stamp and spend extra money when that’s all I need. I got a 50% off key ring for $5.00 that will make it easy to find extra set of house keys that I have here. Had a cup of coffee at the Coffee Shop, Senior Discount offer medium size cup for the $3.65 instead of $4.80. This is all done before I meet up with my friends for lunch.

We are now eating at the cheap venue for members $9.00 for main meal, fruit salad and coffee I had lamb shank and roasted vegetables. Had a play on a 1c slot machine and won $30.00 so came out winning for the day that is rare as I only play with $3.00 per day just to keep my member card active. As it was Wednesday the Farmers Markets were on and I bought bag of broccoli and 4 avocadoes for $4.50 and a newspaper then went home.

Money wise
Bills total $809.00, Lunch Food $12.65, F&V $4.50, misc items $12.10 = $850.35
Gambling outlay $3.00 won $30.00 so $27.00 I came out spending $823.35 for the day.

Senior % saving $1.15

Strategy - Don’t spend your forward bill money on trivia, it’s been put aside for a purpose and keep you stress free.

My family finally booked the tickets to take me to

Australia Outback Spectacular 2 - Heroes of the Light Horse for my last birthday which was back January. So I didn’t need to pay for my ticket. We went in group of ten made up of DIL girlfriend family and my son, DIL and myself and we got a group photo taken too!

Everyone gets a special outback hat which has a coloured band on it and this is how you know which side or station as they call it you’re on. The pavilion or shed is divided in two each side has a cattle station name. Each row has 15 seats and faces on to a table bench which has one drawback if you come in late you need climb into your seat from the walking platform behind your seat row if the your row is all most full. A few people in front of us had to do this as they were in the middle of the row.

Best part other than the spectacular show was the meal that came with your ticket. Each person was served the same meal if you weren’t a vegetarian you would need to have informed them when you bought your ticket of that as all tickets are pre-booked. Entree was a mixed Queensland salad mixed with tangy mango dressing and rolled in a flat bread swag, main course beautifully cooked barbecue tenderloin beef steak with rich gravy, seasoned with Kakadu plum sauce and served with garden vegetables and Australian Damper and for dessert you got traditional baked Pavlova with Queensland berries and country cream Drinks were wine, beer or lemonade and water and at the end of the meal there was coffee or Bush Billy Tea. All this was included in your ticket. Photos cost $15.00 each for one or $10 if you bought more than one, our group bought 8 photos between us you couldn’t take your own photos as they have No photo were allowed to be taken inside the shed policy.

Everything was alive or on a film on the screen back wall. There horses, dogs, camels, sheep and cattle. It went for two hours almost none stop as the food and drinks was served as you watched the show by staff dressed in outback that’s around thousand people per performance.

Do explore the link as there are lot of pictures there.
Australia Outback Spectacular 2 - Heroes of the Light Horse

I only wished that I got to see the Australia Outback Spectacular 1 now!

I have millions of ants on my property, about four different kinds but no fire ants though. If they stay in the yard I let them be but in my house that’s another story. Owing to the very wet past eight months and now cold weather they have decide to move in and make nests inside.

I have found nests in my curtain rods in my bedroom and another bedroom’s drawers. Today I have found them in some my videos that I still have here, I had to just dump them into the rubbish bin as the nests are inside the tape area. As least CD’s don’t need to be dumped, just dusted!

Now the house smells of surface spray that I have used to kill them. I’m hoping that I don’t find too many more nests but you never know until one sees an ant trail somewhere. These areas have no food or water near them either.

They are starting to cost money!

When I went to go shopping the other day! I saw a carton on the road at the intersection of our local street. Seeing that I would need to drive over it so I went to look, it was a broken carton of

Pensfolds Rawson’s Retreat Cabernet Sauvignon, someone had removed some bottles but left the broken ones where were two broken ones and one still unbroken just the wet. There was broken glass everywhere some very large pieces. I took the full bottle of wine back to my house and went and got broom and dustpan and good size container to pick it all up, so I didn’t want more problems with my tyres. Some cars came by and the drivers were happy someone was looking after the glass. After sweeping and pickup the glass I took down two watering cans full of water and wash the wine off the road. That job done, now I can use some red wine in my cooking.

This make you wonder how some people put things in the trucks or cars. Last week someone lost a ladder in peak hour on a bridge. Many a time we fine nails & screws on the roads so you get flat tyres.

On Sunday my niece came for a visit, she had flown in to work here for the weekend, as she lives in another state she is a trainer in the medical field. When she has finished training she comes to my place until she fly home again. This time it was for two nights and one full day free here. So Sunday night we went out for dinner at a local Asian restaurant, we had Thai Yellow Curry and spring rolls, she paid as she had a meal allowance for that day. Next day we went to our local shopping strip to look at op shops and antiques shop. Which we didn’t buy to much just some odd’s and ends. I didn’t go out with my son & niece in the afternoon as I had other things to do for her and mother that she was taking back with her and they needed some time together as each time she has come up here before he has missed her, but that night we all went to Irish pub for dinner, I had steak & chips and pancake & ice cream cost of meal $16.00 and $5.00 on pokies.

Today I had lunch out with my ex work friends, only 5 of us this month. Some them were airing they problems with they retired husbands, and they knee operations. Both topics are not my lot. I had Salmon Quiches & Salad with Fruit Salad Cost of the meal $9.00 and playing the pokies $3.00.

I hope not to eat out again this month if I can help it.
No hotel or casino will ever make a lot of money from my style of gambling.

Eating out so far this week $25.00 and pokies $8.00

Strategy - If you got family heirlooms that you wish to give to your interstate relatives then give them some things to take home when you see them and have the joy of seeing them taking it home.

My exercising is working I am losing weight just a little but its going down that what counts. I am trying to walk more than I did before that a lot as I didn’t walk as much as I should have. Now walking twice per day up to hour per day, six times per week, today walked up the to the local strip shopping centre twice that takes a little longer than just doing the four blocks on the ridge.

Shopping area was busy this morning around 11am with most of the coffee shops were full and most of shops busy for once. Went again around 3.00pm again in the same area the coffee cafes were all closed and most of the shops too! It’s was as all quite this time.

We have three charity shops, large antique store, shoes & bookmakers shop, three hairdressers, Indian and normal supermarket, bakers shop, two coffee shops plus two restaurants as well chain food outlets a little further along, number of chemists shops, camera shop and second hand bookshop and apple computer repair shop, Irish pub and a few more odd businesses. The area is getting revamped with my modern shops and businesses. All this is less than 400 metres from my house.

Today I did the mowing as the grass need doing this is a year around job in this part of the world. I will mow again about eight times before next spring. I still have to wait until I have my neighbour husband around to start the mower for me. When he is no longer around then I will need to get a new key start mower. I will be saving my pennies for that time in future too many another things need doing before then.

After finishing off the mowing I got dressed and went around to my neighbour‘s house with the last of my Chokoes and some lemons, she was getting ready to go to the local school fete and asked if I would go with her. I never say no but I wasn’t planning to go today. I put $15.00 in my pocket and went to the school fete as both our children were past pupils of this school so you feel it right to donate if you find something to buy, she bought some stuff toys for her grandkids and plants, I bought lots of Earth Garden magazines about 54 of them @ 20c each I just love this kind of book and have been buying ones like it for years some of these date back to 1973 a bit like ‘The Mother Earth’ and five cookbooks of which I may have two of them but these were updates, one was Laurel’s Kitchen and Diane Seed’s cookbook that I didn’t have but I like the pictures in these books as they watercolour drawings I think I may have 5 or 6 of them now. Most are on Italian cooking but not all so I have found out. I also bought a framed oil painting of the bay with an Australian bush scene in the foreground it was I nice size and on wood. I do have another one painted near 1770 which is a town in Queensland, a relative painted that one. The painting only costed $2.00 so it was a good buy it’s now hanging in my kitchen under my air-con and signed too!

All up I spent $13.00 at the fete I only went to the white elephant stall near where we parked the car.

Strategy - If you will use it and cheap enough then have a treat now and then!

I left early this morning for my diabetes class as I have to go two hours early to get there on time. When I got there I was 45 minutes early so I had breakfast again, this time a vegetarian one. it consist of grilled mushrooms & baked beans both in ramekins with a poached egg and lettuce & tomato as a garnish with buttered multi grain toast on the side. I had water this time to drink. Cost $9.95 all up. After at the class I had a cup of coffee and later an orange drink on the way home and I was full and didn’t have anything else until around 3pm.

At the class we learnt about what food to eat and how to space them out. It was very interesting to see the charts and be given booklets to take home with us. I am planning to copy and laminated some these charts for my personal use as reference and reminder to stay focus on this diet as it’s for life. I know I can do it.

Learning to choose meals out will be my main problem as I have a number of outing in the near future to attend. I will write about my choices from these menus as I attend.

I am watching the Royal Wedding on TV now!

I am trying to do two 20 minutes walks a day now, as part of my exercise as I can’t do to much as it makes me lightheaded and very tried. But I am still giving it ago.

This morning I did walk to the shops for my neighbour MF-M to get her some fresh milk, and I bought some ground cumin as I was out of this when I went to cook the other day. I stopped by the second hand book shop and got 2 cookbooks and 4 magazines about greening world, they have some articles that I wish to read at some time and at 50c each it’s now or never buying.

Spent $4.00 on books and $1.30 on spice
Tonight I am having dinner with the family so don’t know what I will be eating yet!

At least two days are no spending day here and other was hairdresser appointment for hair cut that I need. About every 8 weeks or so I get my hair cut then I will dye it myself after the cutting. As I have a number appointments this coming week, it was best did it now. While out I buy two more cookbooks for $2.00 to read. One was on vegetarian cooking and the other one on Jewish cooking.
I do have number of these cookbooks so I like to crosscheck some of the recipes in them.

I doing a lot of reading on diabetic at the moment so learning about it. I did sign up for the free classes in April so that is all organized. As for my GI Diet I am still learning about what I can and can’t eat and what best for me. I did start a food diary but keep forgetting to write the food down. Two days out of seven is not good in my books. One thing still I need to do is drink more fluid as I need cut back on my coffee as I have hypotension along with the diabetics. I got appointment to see an eye specialist next week that was quick. That means I will get eye drops and I will have blurred vision for a few hours as I had these test before I do know the drill. NO driving the car for 24 hours and sunshades.

As for some of the meals that I have been making her, it was hot last week 33C so I a cold salad of boiled egg, Cos lettuce, 1 Roma tomato, chunky cut, 1tbsp charred pepper strips , a few bread & butter cucumbers, 3 black olives with Italian low fat dressing. On the side I had one slice pear (skin still on), two tbsp cottage cheese with 1tsp pepitas (pumpkin seed) on top plus water as it was to hot to cook here.

Tonight I have spiced chickpeas and spinach with 2 sausages and some grapes. Cold Peach Tea

I am having only porridge and sultanas with LSA as a cereal now as this is one thing that keeps my level down.

It’s Earth Hour tonight here so at 8.30pm I will be turning off my lights for one hour. I will be sitting on the front porch watching the stars and may be having a pot of green tea.

As I had a fall over Christmas which I hurt my thumb, I also had a sore upper arm on the same arm. So today I visited a Physiotherapist as I can get one visit in which Medicare pay for part payment. So I had to spend money as I had to pay $19.90 of this payment then I had to buy a large wheat bag $40.00 for my back as this is part of the treatment that I need. As the sore arm problem is stemming from a neck and back problem that I have. I don’t need to go back unless I have more problems and do the exercises suggested. I end up buying some lunch of Crumbed Cod for $5.00 as it was raining and needed to stay put for a while.