Tightwad Kitty's $$$ Stretching Blog

I have been staying low and keeping myself busy here, limiting who and where I am go. I can't visit my son and DIL as they have gone off for a holiday within our state as our borders are closed for at least until almost Christmas or at least until after the next State election in late October.

We have some cases here but our State open so we can move around and holiday within our state.

You are having a bad time over in US with Covid 19, I hope this Virus is over soon!

On the budget front I'm still doing my budget and paying my bills on time.

Until next time

All is well here, we can now travel around our state but by car as there is no planes to take you anywhere. If is a flight it's been already booked out.

Our tourist towns are haven't much things going to see as only 20 people can go into or go at a time.

As for Covid 19, we are down to 3 active cases now!
I have had one test so far, but I could have had it in early March, when they weren't testing for local cases over overseas case. I had everything else but no cold or sore throat. I was off colour for over 42 days.

As I have diabetes-2 and heart condition. I'm stay home as much of possible.
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I am still around but at the moment coming on here very often.

Just popped in to say hello!

All is well here, and back to feeding the cat next door for a month. Family is off to Sweden and England. Lucky them!

Merry Christmas everyone just dropping to say hello I hope post more often in 2017.
Kitty

Hi everyone
Just quick drop in again.
On the computer front that one I bought in February was a Lemon and was replaced when it ATE the DVD disk and end up in the back of the computer it was too risky to leave there for the warranty to run out. And it was just 3 months old.

It was replaced at no cost with a better one which turns out is a touch screen and double Gigabyte etc. But costed money to download all the programs as there was only Widow 10 on it with the amount data that was download that month. I only can have Mobile Broadband which is expensive here. Now I have a better deal with IP. So in the end I did win for now!

Strategy - Know what you are in title too!

I have been doing a lot around here but not online as much as before.

Spending my savings on eye operations and new computer as my last one died on me. I am still trying to learn to use Window 10 was having major problems with it. Like not working with major error.

I will update later when I can see better.

Have a great leap year day for 29th February.

This doesn't count any fixed bills or planned budget spending only items that I could if need to cut back on at any time.
Eating out - $547.89 - over $92.89
Groceries - $1394.95 - under $230.05
Non-food - $48.30 - under $146.70
Clothes - $241.23 - under $213.77
Grooming-$190.86 - under $4.14
Gas -$113.91 - under $146.09
HH items -$285.34 - under $234.66
Fares-$95 -under $100.00
Entertainments -$285.45 - over $90.45
Garden -$116.36 - under $78.64
Gifts -$278.70 - under $111.30
Donations -$134.80 - over $69.80
Medical -$1001.88 - over $91.88
Misc. - $125.00 -under $4.00
Personal -$930.11 - under $239.89
Totals -$5789.78 - under $1361.22

Because I have kept up with my excel budget I am still able to still post my annual summary.

Medical is only amounts not budgetted for or gap between my medical benefit and the outlay plus any other medical outlay not in budget.
Donations to medical / cancer and red cross appeals plus odd donations here and there.
Entertainment I have been buying some DVD's online and other outings over the year.
Eating out - My social life has picked up and venues are more expensive these days.

I will need to cut my expenses somewhat for 2016, as I am having some operations and the out pocket is in the 1000's I have save most of this money but will need to be replaced in the future to build my finances back to a healthy level again.

No Spending Days 167

All credit cards are up to dates and all bills paid.


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

It's a long time since I last posted on here, a lot of things have been happening here, the last of hail storm damage has been done. It took almost 12 months to finish.

The cost would have been around $40,000 Au, all up if not more.

I will need to update my spending on monthly daily living allowance at least a summary of the last six months.

I will work on it in the next few days.

Then start on this year's new challenge.

Strategy - Put in writing what you are worried about and see the figures then work out an action plan.

Here is my summery for May

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

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

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

Review for May budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$27.40
Groceries===$125=== =$167.59
Non-Food===$15
Clothes ====$35=====$95.00
Grooming===$20 ====$35.95
Gas======$20
HH items===$40======$1.50
Fares== ====$15
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15
Gifts & Donations ==$35====$57.50
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$118.30
Misc ======$10========$121.00
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$90.99

Note only one amount is a No Spend

No Spending Days 13 of 28 days

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $715.23 over by $165.23 on general spending.

This is because I have paid deposit of $121.00 for Awing for one of my windows with another two being paid by my insurance company. I also had a medical bill out pocket of $118.30 from skin specialist. Taking out these two items of $286.30 I still am under in my spending $428.93.

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

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

My credit cards are still paid in full each month; it was $335.00 this period.

Grocery allotment $125 for each period it was over by $42.59 this period.

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

Is on its way after a long wait of almost 7 months since the storm hit. When you have over 70,000 roofs to be replaced and limit number of tradesmen to do it all and still build new houses it a big ask.

Owing to our cyclone codes here it has to be done to that standard and all jobs have to the latest codes.

My house had asbestos roof at one stage and all that rubbish was left in the roof and not removed so it wasn't up to days code standard so I had a bit of wait for them go ahead with the job after they put up all scaffolding as they had get it reviewed by the insurance company for the extra cost.

They are now back and putting on the new roof and hope to be finish it soon. A lot of the houses around here have scaffolding up and work men working on them.

Here is my summery for April.

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

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

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

Review for April budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$62.75
Groceries===$125=== =$103.45
Non-Food===$15
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20 =====$23.96
Gas======$20=======$26.40
HH items===$40======$15.75
Fares== ====$15
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15
Gifts & Donations ==$35====$52.00
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$51.11

Note only one amount is a No Spend

No Spending Days 13 of 28 days

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $335.42 under by $214.58 on general spending.

This saving went into medical bills over this period.

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

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

My credit cards are still paid in full each month; it was $30.00 this period.

Grocery allotment $125 for each period it was under by $21.55 this period.

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

They are still not done but it's on its way, so by the end of June, I should have 99% of the work done.
I had that job done but whether it has been done right it's another matter. At least I have a State company doing it, some roofers are coming from oversea and interstate to do the work but are doing it wrong as we have different codes here than some of other states because of the Cyclones which means a lot more roof nails and special tying down code has to be done and they doing as their own codes and with all the rain we have had in the last few months, some of the roofs are leaking and causing more damage and insurance companies now checking the work with other Asser's to see everyone doing the right thing. All the companies that are doing my work are Asser's firms.

Well the Labour government is running our State but with the help of independents. Things are not going the way they would have hoped but they are still governing. Early days yet! They are the one who had 9 seats in the last government now have 43 in 89 seats house the others have 42 seats.

Our dollar is still falling against the US dollar is now around 76 to 77 cents. I am still getting the age pension so I am ok but they are going to change a few things if the Federal Government have it's way but are being block by the senate here. They are coming up for their second annual budget and somethings in the first budget are still not passed. They are not happy is putting it mildly.

Here is my third period summery for March.

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

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

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

Review for March budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$37.15
Groceries===$125=== =$41.30
Non-Food===$15=====$2.00
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20
Gas======$20
HH items===$40======$7.10
Fares== ====$15 ======$20.00
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15
Gifts & Donations ==$35====$5.80
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$273.85
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$36.19

Note only one amount is a No Spend

No Spending Days 15 of 28 days

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $423.39 under by $126.61 on general spending.
This saving went into medical bills over this period.
Personal allowance covers health drinks, lotto, books, stamps, craft and hobby supplies.

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

My credit cards are still paid in full each month; it was $29.00 this period.

Grocery allotment $125 for each period it was under by $83.70 this period.
Strategy - Track your daily spending down to the cent by writing it down daily.

Over 2 million visits who would have thought when I started here I would be seeing that many!

Now for the next milestone of 2000 blogs!

2nd Monthly Financial Summery for 2015
Here is my second period summery for February .

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

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

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

Review for February budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$29.20
Groceries===$125=== =$45.36
Non-Food===$15
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20 =====$24.00
Gas======$20=======$13.15
HH items===$40======$6.60
Fares== ====$15 ======$20.00
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15
Gifts & Donations ==$35
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$42.70
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$63.45

Note only one amount is a No Spend

No Spending Days 16 of 28 days

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $224.46 under by $347.41 on general spending.
This saving went into some of my huge bills over this period.
Personal allowance covers health drinks, lotto, books, stamps, craft and hobby supplies.

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

My credit cards are still paid in full each month; it was $825 this period.

Grocery allotment $125 for each period it was under by $79.64 this period.

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

My saving and budget are taking a hit in the past few months with my major bills all coming in the first half of the year and then having dental work done at the same time. These ones I did budget for but then I had to fixed my roof and now to have more dental work done that could cost between $900 and $5000 depending on how much work has to be done. All will be out of my saving as I have use up my health fund major dental refund for this year.

Having a lean year now is for real if I am ever to regain my happy security point in saving again in the future.
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Strategy - Don't spend your forward bill money on trivia, it's been put aside for a purpose and to keep you stress free.

Here is my first Summery for January period.

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

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

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

Review for January budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$31.00
Groceries===$125=== =$58.72
Non-Food===$15
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20
Gas======$20
HH items===$40======$12.80
Fares== ====$15 ======$20.00
Entrainments== $15 ====$20.00
Garden =====$15 ======$86.60
Gifts & Donations ==$35 ===$25.50
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$18.20
Misc ======$10=========$4.00
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$70.59

Note only one amount is a No Spend

No Spending Days 13 of 28 days

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $347.41 under by $202.59 on general spending.
This saving went into some of my huge bills over this period.
Personal allowance covers health drinks, lotto, books, stamps, craft and hobby supplies.

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

My credit cards are still paid in full each month; it was $390 this period.

Grocery allotment $125 for each period it was under by $66.28 this period.

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

You will hear about if the opposition wins that for sure! They only hold 9 seats but not many are happy with the present one!

Guess what they won, we have a new state government after all this time it has been decided that opposition have won and can form government.

Tell the voters you are going to sell or lease the state assets and you will lose government that's the message everyone has got I hope this time. The premier was voted out of his sit, his party lost 37 sits in an 89 sit parliament now that tell them off. It finished off with 44 to 42 with 3 independents one which sided with the opposition to give them right to govern.

A No Spend Day here

We had major hail storm in my area late last year; I am down for a new roof and a few other things that need to be replaced. The insurance company will pay up but only if I have some maintenance done on one part of the roof first. I have tried to get someone to do this work so that other jobs can be done. Out of the three companies that contacted only one came up with a quote and call here. I will go with this company now. It's over month now since I was told about the maintenance to be done and all were called that day. Now if there was no work then the quote most likely cheaper but with two major storms within two weeks and over million widows broken and over 50 suburbs in trouble from the hailstorm alone. Some houses still have boards over windows and will not be look at before end of March, as for getting a tradespersons that can do insurance work you are lucky if one is around before middle of 2016 for any other jobs.

The quote is under my maximum price but a bit on high side. I am looking at a bill for $3800. It's lucky I have my suppuration rainy account to fall back on but I must top it up again so I will be stretching those dollars a little bit more.

I am only keeping this house liveable but not at resale standard. So only maintenance jobs that I have to do will get done.

It's lucky that my car was not Hail damaged it was in the garage as all of them are being written off.

Budget updated
A No Spend Day here

I do track my spending and no spending daily.

We are voting tomorrow for new State Government.

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

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

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

I can save better than I can earn money.

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

Here is a link that will give you more details:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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