I will be combining most of it not all my challenges of the past years under this challenge.

I just got to reduce my spending for now!

I don’t have any personal debts at this time, only regular ones that normally come to everyone who own a house.

I do have some major jobs on the house over the next few years starting with painting the outside. A new kitchen and updating the bathroom are next one’s to save for, yes I only will have the jobs done when the money is there to pay in cash for them. Also a new washing machine and microwave as well upgrade on my computer system in next few years.

So my motto will stand for another year or two.

Its real hard to come up with $1000 but its easy to find 1000 ways to save a dollar or two!

So lets go and find those 1000 ways to save a dollar challenge and see what’s amount is at the end of 12 months.

I'm planning a frugal living year for 2011 so it's to spend wisely and only on needs, planned purchases and emergency replacements, so if I can do without it I will. This is because a few changes are around the corner and I have decided to go with the hospital cover and just make myself afford it after I had that fall last week.

So planning a very minimum frugal year by using what in the house or can be borrowed. This includes some food items, laundry & toilet paper, toiletries, linen, household goods, cookware, books, clothes & underwear etc, (buying only if I change sizes too much in clothing).

~ No Spending but for planned items. (If I have an item in the house or can borrow it, then I'm to use that first.)
~ Find ways to make my own grocery & cleaning items instead of buying them.
~ Repairing anything that can be fixed.
~ Two items that will be replaced if the breakdown are Washing machine and Microwave money has been put aside for these if I need them. (Microwave now replaced $200)
~ Have my credit card at Zero balance by end of the each month.
~ Come under budget each month and deposit into the online accounts any leftover amounts.
~ Pay All Due Bills on pension days or ahead of time. (As my budget is now in Excel, I can see a working model of these figures. When due and approx amount needed for each month.)
~ Chiro visit (one every 4 weeks)
~ Known outings are budgeted for, as social events.
~ Making and setting up emergency survival kit & resources.
~ Saving as much cash I can for my next project.

On a pension with limited funds I need to come up with little challenges to make them happen.

Note – Savings $stretch is the different between original regular price and money handed over. Coming under $stretch category

I am planning to get my house painted in the new year, I will have to get a few quotes as this job is worth thousands to do, one of my friend’s sent around some painters for quote as she is always getting quotes but never getting jobs done by them. I had a small painting job to be done here inside the house like the small bathroom ceiling which had gone mouldy so needed special cleaner and new paint after 20 years. I can’t do that room myself alone. So I got the price for that ceiling as gave them the job to see what kind of work they did and if they were messy and time wise. All work I had to do is clean out the bathroom and leave it bare. The only thing is they left they ladder at the other job they were doing but I had one here that was tall enough. How did they rate!

Time plan

Monday is due 8.00am - arrived 7.55am
8.05am - found and got my ladder out.
Washed and sanded down ceiling.
8.20am - One painter painted corners etc. with white enamel paint while the other painter held the ladder over the tricky parts.
8.30am - other painter used the roller
8.45am - finished first coat and left for another job.
11.05am - back to put the final coat on
11.50am - put back ladder in the right place.
11.55am - paid and gone

What I can say is that they had the timing down a tee and passed non-messy test. In the past I have painted the inside of my house so could work out what needed to be done and if it’s a good job. I paid them $220 for that job and will be considering them for the other job or at least getting a quote from them.

All small jobs around here are $150 minimum or have a callout fee of $100 for first 30 minutes also it very had to get trade people to do small jobs at anytime so if you can get one you jump at it.

These painters are painting hotels at the moment and its raining here so quick inside jobs between coats is what I think they are doing. At least I got a newly paint ceiling, now for freshening up rest of the bathroom for next few years. These jobs will have to wait until it stops raining at least.

Some time in the next month I will look at buying some white enamel paint if what I got is no longer useable. What needs to be done is the door both sides and door edges, widow frame, two mini wall cupboards, a chest of drawers, and 60 year old cane linen basket. Walls don’t need painting.

I will blog about my painting jobs next year.

Well today I had a trip to the city; I had to go to the optometrist for my annual check up. As earlier this year I had my handbag stolen and my sunny were in it, so they need to be replaced this time.

There was no change in my eye sight from last year and I had all blindness tests done as usual owing to 3 members of family went blind in their old age of which I know two of the disease that they had.

As this test is bulk billed and covered by our Medicare here but you pay for your glasses. I have extra health cover so my glasses are covered by some of this cover. In total they costed $205 and I got a rebate of $180 so I will be out of pocket by $25.00. Not bad when you think of it as new frames can cost $140 to $900+ for platinum frames but this is not in my league and I’m not into designer frames either.

So saved around $180 today

Yesterday I took my elderly neighbour to the hardware store the largest in our area, as she had to buy some plastic ground sheeting to cover her garden where she is not growing anything this year in it as she is going interstate for a few months this summer. Now the one she uses is a builder black plastic and you buy it by the roll, 20m $54.95, some cord to tie things up in the garden and around the house, you could buy this by the metre but no she wanted a roll of it $25.75. Another large plastic container $16.95, some garden supplies, odd and ends $48.35 worth so hardware trip costed about $146.00.

After I packed up the car it was off to the supermarket for just a few things and quick look at the new upgrade at this one or so I thought. She like the new upgrade and $66.00 later including a tray of 12 mangos @$3.48 each for her family she is visiting today. We are off the Chemist, bakers and the butcher at another shopping area closer to home. She picked up medicine, along with the 5 bread rolls that she likes. At butcher’s cooked chicken ham and egg all up around another $74.00. Now I wanted to go home but first I had to take her home then unpack the car with all her stuff that she bought before I could. I got given half the chicken for lunch and 2 slice of ham. So 3 hours later after we started out I got home and again I had a NO Spend Day.

I do know that she has to pay for taxis if she goes anywhere alike this on her own and where we live to and from the hardware store would have been around $40 each way. If I want to buy anything its best I go on my own that way I can fit it in the car.

Until next time!

Finding things that I can afford to buy in charity op shops now days is rare as they have put up their prices up to nearly new or prices you would pay on Ebay or Antique stores, in fact some Antiques store are cheaper than some of our charity shops for the same things. I don’t buy that much collectible but I do look at them. Now I have started to go back to looking at Garage/Yard Sales. Just last weekend I went to one, the lady was quite nice and had the prices at reasonable inexpensive level.

I did buy from her as she was planning to leave the unsold stuff for the taking next day, I bought a black handbag hardly used, two money wallets in black hardly used, Gold Gomesh Keyring never used that I will put in my gift box for the future, tartan scarf, two teaspoons, one a collector item that will go with my collection of stuff from my old job. What else oh! Black & silver rolled neck jumper classic style that I can wear out at some time, Pair of cargo shorts in my size for summer, cookbook, and small brown ramekin dish as brown is not in at the moment. For me colour doesn’t count but size and what I can use it for does. I have a got a lot of bit & pieces in the way brown dishes so it will match anyway. This is how I can get things a lot cheaper as I don’t worry about matching colours nor get rid of things because the colour doesn’t match. It’s just a Rustic country style. Well anyway I just paid $7.00 for all the above and the real retail cost new would have been around $150 mark.

Today spending is part of my Bill budget so I am not panicking about it.

Car service $430, car insurance $551 then you have in 2 weeks time my house insurance $880. Paying my credit card off for the security doors $1600 and in full by the end of this month. Lucky for me I did budget for all these bills in this period so that money was sitting in the bank earning interest I just love that don’t you.

In the past few weeks someone broke into my house and stole my handbag! To make matter worse I was a sleep at the time. When I work out what they took it was over $900 worth in value. As I had my new mobile and digital camera plus an expensive wallet in it!

I did claim on my insurance and got back over $600 with excess of $200, it does pay to have photos or receipts of your purchases what you keep in your handbag this did saved me from not being able to claim. I keep everything even the box that coin wallet came in which was lucky as I don’t think they believed me on that one as the price was on that box as well as the style name and worth $160.

I have taken steps so that it will not happen again. By replacing my security doors as they were getting old and the fly mesh is how they got in. So bought 2 new security doors the best that I could afford I will need now to save to replace the emergency money fund that I used. I put in Crimsafe doors as these are the best one here they cost almost $1600 fitted. I am a great believer in safety first and will spend money when my safety is in jeopardy.

I am now back to normal and feel a little safer now that the doors are in.

As I am always finding it hard to find time to do things around the house, I have started to write lists of what I can do in a certain time frames. Here one of them.

1. Empty your handbag out and clean it out.

2. Stack magazines and remove the old ones

3. Check and toss the junk mail

4. Empty a trash can and recycle bin

5. Sweep the kitchen floor

6. Put on a load of washing.

7. Empty a load of washing

8. Fold a load of washing

9. Write a menu for the week

10. Add things to your grocery list

11. Empty the sideboard top and dust and polish.

12. Stack your dishwasher and put it on.

13 Empty your dishwasher and put them away.

14. Put your shoes away

15. Hang up your clothes and put away.

16 Water indoor plants

17 Pick up items that need to be taken to another room and put away.

18. Make a list of things to do

19. Jot down important dates on your calendar.

20. Start your anti virus program on your computer.

21. Give someone a smile

I have a large cane basket that I have put items of food that I wish to include into my menu in the coming weeks. This along with wants in the freezer is to be used first.

Stockpile list to work with.

Basic staples
Rice
Pasta
Noodles
Cereal
Rolled oats
Flour
Lentils
Chickpeas

Items in the baskets to be used next
4 cans of Tomatoes
425g Tuna Chunks in Brine
310g Corn Kernels
420g Heinz Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce
95g Tuna with Tomato & Onion
1 jar x500g pasta sauce
1 x can 400g pineapple pieces
1 x can 400g Apricot Nectar
165g can Coconut Cream
180g pkt of Rich Tomato & Cracked Pepper - last one
1 x 45g pkt Fish Chowder
1 x 45 Caribbean Chicken mix - last one
1 x 400g can buttered mushrooms
1 can 3 Bean Mix
Can of Plum Pudding
Butter Cake Mix
Jar of Fruit Mince 410g
Mixed Fruit 375g
2x 825g can Apricot Halves
2 x pkt Flavour Jelly Mix
1x 400g Skim Condensed Milk
420g Cream of Mushroom Soup

Protein
500g ground beef
Basic mince mix
Whole Chicken
breast o f chicken
250g diced chicken
2 steaks for grilling
Bean patties

Plus basic spices & other condiments.
Basic vegetables in fridge & freezer.

What can I make meals out of this list?
This is what I came up with so far
Steak with mushrooms, grilled onions and mixed vegetable
Tomato Sauce - 2 can tomatoes + tomato cracked pepper sauce (sauce makes about 4 cups)
Spaghetti Bolognaise = basic mince + 2 cups tomato sauce - 3 serves plus Chilli mix
Chilli Con Carne = 1/2 Basic mince used for bolognaise, 1/2 can baked bean, chilli powder - 3 serves
Caribbean Chicken with rice -flavouring packet + 250g diced chicken, pineapple piece & juice, & peppers - 3 serves
Pasta & Tuna - 1/2 can flavoured tuna, 1/4 cup tomato sauce mix- balance of tuna used for lunch with lavish crackers
Roast chicken - with roasted vegetables and chicken for salads - 4 serves
Tuna Mornay Fish chowder + tuna + coconut cream + corn kernels - 4 serves
Tomato soup - made from can of tomatoes - 2 serves - lunch with toast
Beans salad - 3 Bean Mix + diced shallots & celery

Jelly & Apricots
Plum Pudding & custard
Boiled Fruit Cake
Fruit mince tarts
Cookies made with the cake mix + Skim Condensed Milk.

Any meals that have more serves that I am unable eat in one day, which can be frozen, are for next weeks menu. Ones that cant be frozen then are use later in the week.

Made and used so far
Tomato Sauce
Pasta & Tuna
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Chilli Con Carne

Saving Money so far of grocery surplus
Banked = $162

This week s menu
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Apricot Chicken with rice
Steak and onion with vegetable
Omelette with tomato sauce
Bean patties with vegetables
Beef Stir Fry
Pasta & Tuna

I have set up a zoning system for my house downstairs, there is about 15 Zones in all for that part of the house. This way I can work on one zone at time and not feel overwhelm by how much there is to do or being able to fine something if I need to look for it. As each zone have only the simular things in it. So when you tidy it up after removing anything unnecessary stuff its easy to find things. All the boxes are labelled that will give you an idea what may be inside but not labelled in away that would make it easy to take a box and you would not know about it. As most are books so learning would be Brain food. This is one box that will go when I get to it next but it not in Zone 7.

I did about hour there; I did find a few empty boxes from items that I bought that are no longer under warranty so I could remove them to the recycle bin. I also found one box of books that needs a new home so I empty one plastic container of odd and ends and use it. Again the label tells me whats likely in it but not a stranger. It looks a lot better I will do some more work in that area until I am finish. Its 4 metres square as are most of the Zones in my system. Today I am planning to review the odd and ends that I remove from that container. I have five large containers or bags to check on before I finish this Zone 7 or I get bored with it. I will find a few treasures in these containers as when I clean up for visitors, I bag or box up everything that in the way and take it downstairs.

I do need to get into the one next door to it soon! It will be falling on the floor if the cats have a play in that area.

No Spending Day

I have a large cane basket that I have put items of food that I wish to include into my menu in the coming weeks. This along with wants in the freezer is to be used first.

Stockpile list to work with.

Basic staples
Rice
Pasta
Noodles
Cereal
Rolled oats
Flour
Lentils

Items in the baskets to be used next
4 cans of Tomatoes
425g Tuna Chunks in Brine
400g can Creamed Corn
310g Corn Kernels
420g Heinz Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce
95g Tuna with Tomato & Onion
1 x 400g can pineapple pieces
165g can Coconut Cream
180g pkt of Rich Tomato & Cracked Pepper
1 x 45g pkt Fish Chowder
1 x 45 Caribbean Chicken mix
1 x 400g can Champignons Pieces & Stems
1 can 3 Bean Mix
Can of Plum Pudding
Butter Cake Mix
Jar of Fruit Mince 410g
Mixed Fruit 375g
3x 825g can Apricot Halves
2 x pkt Flavour Jelly Mix
140g pkt Lavish Crackers
1x 400g Skim Condensed Milk
420g Cream of Mushroom Soup

Protein
Basic mince mix
Whole Chicken
Kangaroo roast
250g diced chicken

Plus basic spices & other condiments.
Basic vegetables in fridge & freezer

Can I make meals out of this list?
This is what I came up with so far
Tomato Sauce - 2 can tomatoes + tomato cracked pepper sauce (sauce makes about 4 cups)
Caribbean Chicken with rice -flavouring packet + 250g diced chicken, pineapple piece & juice, & peppers - 3 serves
Pasta & Tuna - 1/2 can flavoured tuna, 1/4 cup tomato sauce mix- balance of tuna used for lunch with lavish crackers
Spaghetti Bolognaise = basic mince + 2 cups tomato sauce - 3 serves plus Chilli mix
Chilli Con Carne = 1/2 Basic mince used for bolognaise, 1/2 can baked bean, chilli powder - 3 serves
Roast chicken - with roasted vegetables and chicken for salads - 4 serves
Small Kangaroo Roast with vegetables & Champignons 1/2 can - freeze balance - 2 serves
Tuna Mornay Fish chowder + tuna + coconut cream + corn kernels - 4 serves
Tomato soup - made from can of tomatoes - 2 serves - lunch with toast
Beans salad - 3 Bean Mix + diced shallots & celery
Creamed corn - served for breakfast on toast - 3 serves
Baked beans on toast for breakfast - 1/2 can
Jelly & Apricots
Plum Pudding & custard
Boiled Fruit Cake
Fruit mince tarts
Cookies made with the cake mix + Skim Condensed Milk.

Any meals that have more serves that I am unable eat in one day, which can be frozen, are for next week menu. Ones that cant be frozen then are use later in the week.

Made and used so far
Tomato Sauce
Caribbean Chicken with rice
Pasta & Tuna
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Chilli Con Carne,
Small Kangaroo Roast with vegetables
Baked beans on toast for breakfast - 1/2 can
Jelly & Apricots
Plum Pudding & custard

Saving Money so far
Banked $40.00

In the Waste Not, Want Not Challenge the plan is to use down my stockpile that I have collected over the past few years. There are a number of areas that are covered in this challenge.

Having found a few cans that I didnt want to open, because they didnt past my safety check when I looked at them.

Please first of all note some of my cans are well past their use by dates so I am going on look of the can and look of stuff inside it when opened. If it looks like any way different than a new can then it failed the test. My health and that of my pets are well more important than a few cents saved.

So Rule number one here is - If it is not safe to use then dont. Never use dented or leaking or blown cans or if the product doesnt look right or smell right in anyway. Still up to now you havent tasted it so also if taste is wrong too! The more different ingredients in the can the more closer to the use by date it needs to be.
Rule two - Only buy want you will use and in quantities that you will use.
Rule three - Know what you can do with it before you buy large quantities of anything. If it food have at least 5 different recipes or ways of using it up your sleeve.

On last Saturday Morning, I end up going to a shopping to get the best deal at Jeweler store chain as they have their best sales around this time. I got some money for Christmas gift and a birthday gift voucher from this store of $25.00 so when I put the two together I can get some nice as I need to buy gift with the money and use that gift voucher before the end of the month. Its a show and tell kind gift.

So to upshot was that it was a 50% sale until Sunday then a new sales of some kind most unlikely on silver. I got a beautiful silver chain for Christmas so I wanted some extra silver locket to go with it. There were three lockets about the size I wanted there, priced at $149, $85, & $69, as I didnt like the design on $149 one and it was toss up between other two in the end I got both.

So RRP for both $154, less markdown of $76, less $25 gift voucher so cash outlay in the end was $53 of which $50 was gift money. Cost $3.00 out of my pocket. Saving of $151.00

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

That was not all the bargains that I end up with either. I had just five items on my list and lunch there as its a very large shopping centre and can take you 20 minutes to walk from one end to the other without shopping.

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

Item two - New computer ink cartridges
I always buy twin pack cartridges for printer as it work out better in the end. Doing a price check in the last few weeks want everyone was selling it for. So I went to Big W store here as they has the cheapest price the one I came to buy was sold out but another one of two twin packs was even better buy. Top RRP for a single twin pack $44.88, but I got 2x twin packs that 2 color & 2 black ink cartridges pack for $69.88. Saving of $19.88 if you just believe the sale talk that they sell it for the cheapest price you can get. Not likely after my experience!

Strategy - Dont believe all the sale talk, do your own leg work.

Item three & lunch
As one of the items need to bought at the supermarket I went to one that I can get a retire staff discount from. Now as I didnt know what was on special it was nice to know everything that I got was but for the drink to with my lunch. Potato crisps, personal items, crackers, Xmas bows & drink RRP $ 25.67 costing $18.54 Saving of $7.04

I had only two items my list for the supermarket, one was on sale personal items so I bought two packets saving $2.15, potato crisps 50% off special again bought two saving $3.15, multi buy on crackers that I use all the time 3 for $5 less my % saving $2.90, then Xmas wrapping bows in sliver, gold & red colors saving $1.32 plus my drink buying the drink small bottle of ice coffee at supermarket not where I am planning to dine in open plan food court saved a lot of money as drinks are around $3.30 where I was dining.

Using the supermarket strategy for buying my drink that cost only $1.49.

Strategy - Try to buy drinks at the supermarket if dining in open plan food courts.
Strategy - Only buy what you will use when shopping without a list.

Lunch was another saving as I bought a small size meal that was on special for $4.95 instead of $6.80 of Japanese Chicken Curry saving of $1.85 plus saving on my ice coffee of $1.81 so saved total of $3.66 here.

I saved another $2.00 buying some green seedless grapes for $3.99 per kg instead supermarket ones at $5.94 kg.

Strategy - Price check other shops before going to the supermarket As both supermarket in this shopping centre have a fruit & vegetable store outside each other at opposite end of the complex.

Bargain Price rite store that beauty & chemist lines as chocolates & gift lines, I couldnt resist the bargain here Tim tams Mugs gift set pack only $4.00 saving $10.99 and tin of cookies for $3.50 saving $6.49 here. I have enough treats now until end of February at least.

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

Now off the K-mart store another one that I can get retired staff discounts at. This was just shopping for the fun of it here. First off the only item left on my list was a Christmas Wreath that needs to be replaced for next year. Found on a Clearance trolley with someone there to mark them a further 50% off the mark price with another 50% off when you at the checkout. I got two wreaths for 75c saving of $14.40, Christmas Santa for $3.00 saving $16.95, two x Christmas empty tins set of 3 for $2.50 saving of $21.50 plus candy shocking for $1.25 saving of $3.50. as well some two x gifts sets that were price wrong RRP $9.00 checkout of price $5.00 but on shelf price for $3.00 so I question it and got it for $3.00 each. If they are $5.00 each I will have my money back please. I thought the shelf tag said $3.00 and there were a lot of them there!

Strategy - Check your dockets and ask for a refund If they pull a its in the wrong place or wrong code talk
Strategy - If you will use it and cheap enough then have a treat now and then!

Whats the moral of this story, I had planned to go shopping with gift money & voucher to get a few items on my list, namely silver jeweler, printer ink, personal items, wreath and have a look at sandals which I would buy if in my size. But subconsciously set myself amount to spend of around $200 including the $50 gift money plus the gift voucher of $25.00. What did I spend in the end was $203.30 but out of my pocket cost only $128.30 RRP price of items $418.31, saving of $290.01 on the day. Now if I went bought these items at normal times like pre-Christmas I would have been poorer by $290. Now that what I call is stretching ones dollars.

RRP cost $418.31
Out of my pocket cost $128.30
Saving of $290.01

(All in Australian dollars)

As its Christmas Day here, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season.

Yesterday I went to our local Food for Less Store at 5pm about 2 hours before closing on Christmas Eve. (It has different times to other supermarkets here.) The manager was marking down all the markdown goods as I was one of two people in the store he was calling to me which was the best deals as he wanted to get rid most of these items. I went for Brandy Custard which was markdown 50% off Monday price. As I only walk refrigerator areas if I am not shopping for anything in the aisles, when I got to the meat section I found the manager. He asked if I looking for anything, no as I have got an almost full freezer but then said the porterhouse steak was marked down for $5.65 from $18.82, four nice thick pieces too! Chicken thighs markdown to $2.06 from $8.39. At the baking section all the markdown were 75% off so no baking for few days, I cant heat my oven for these prices Double Chocolate Butter cake $1.37 from $5.48 Banana bread slices $1.06 from $5.98 and 8 mini chocolate chip muffins .69c from $3.89 I would never have bought these at full price ever. All in my freezer for now! I got to get over Christmas day first. I never even cooked this year as it just me here and I will be going to my DS place for Christmas Lunch today.

Saving $35.23 - Cost $14.33 -RRP $49.56 (71% overall discount which is not bad for here as we have no coupons at all!)

Well the local council finishing gang came yesterday and finished the road surface off. No dramas this time, but I am just leaving my car in its garage and will take it out on Christmas day as I dont need it until then. The road is still warm but driveable even after a very heavy storm today. The heat coming off the road this morming was hot.

I can walk or catch a bus to where I wish to go. In fact I did catch a bus today to the city so I could post a special letter that I need to make sure that it was posted and not lost. I posted it in the main post office as our postal workers are on strike and it on then or off kind of strike just before Christmas for the last few days.

While in the city I paid in full my credit card so I will start the New Year debt free but not for long as all my early January bills are starting to arrive. Its no big worry as I have the money ready to cover them.

Buying that extra little crazy or silly presents for Christmas is something I do all the time.

I give store gift cards as the main presents each year plus a crazy or silly present. I do have very practical view on gifts I just dont like buying rubbish. I am always on looking out for bargains when I shop.

So this year is no different I had just two gift still to buy when I did my wrapping up. Both token gifts one for my son and other his 3 year old niece. I budgeted around $20.00 for both gifts.

I was in the toy section of the Target store, looking at what was available for the 3 year old what is very spoilt and she likes DORA items. All toys were 25% off but the prices were still not in price range. I only do see her once or twice per year and she is on my DIL side of the family. I did pick out 2 cheap dolls but then I found a DORA laundry basket near the price I could pay, $12.88 markdown from $25.00. So I put back the cheap doll that I had my hand while walking back I came across the sporting department. In which I found my son gift that was practical and little crazy. Billiard accessories, table brush $3.48 to 65c, billiard chalk $3.52 to 66c, mixed piece care kit $15.65 to $2.51 and tip replacement kit $8.96 to $2.24 they were all markdown so some of the items were markdown by 50% off and further 25% off as they were classed as toys plus 5% retired staff discount off the total also. Not bad all up. In the end I paid $18.37 for both gifts thats $12.24 for laundry basket and $6.13 for the billiard accessories. I still dont know if my son still plays billiard but he does have a very large slate billiard table in his family room.

Saving (RRP $56.61 -$18.37) = $38.24 so my crazy gifts are not so crazy after all!

Around this time each year I get my eye tested and a new pair of glasses order as I am allow one pair each year on my health fund up to $250 worth. I go to optical store that bulk bills so that I am not out of pocket that much. If I left it a few more weeks I would missed out for this year glasses.

Today I pick up my new glasses, this year I got two pair ordered, one pair I provided an old frame so that I can replace my house glasses as they were so old and brittle that they needed replacing ASAP. I am luck that I have had no change in the lens prescription so that I can use all other ones for different jobs.

Last year I got sunny & glasses that I got were not as good as they should have been when driving so now I will need special pair in the car in both sunny & clear glasses for day & night driving. If I am not wearing glasses I can not drive as I can't see past the bonnet clearly! I do have enough pairs to do this and to keep them in the car at all times. So today costs for value $418 plus with extra special discount were $115 for two lots of lens and one very nice Italian frame. Not bad when you can get it. I am getting back what I paid into my health fund each year so I come out even when I add some dental work and chiro refunds onto it.

Saving today $303

If you read in an earlier post I said that I still have a $100 worth of vouchers that I need to spend by the end of the year at one shopping center.

Well I did manage to get my son to take me there, but by the time I got to his place because he was coming off night shift and needed to sleep first, I got to his place around 2.30pm after getting caught up in Friday afternoon traffic with all the semi trailers (18 wheeler trucks) some doubles coming to the warehouses or depots near his house.

We changed cars and head off to the shopping center which he works at too! This is about 20 minutes from his house as he hadnt had any breakfast let alone lunch we first stop in Lunch hall, just leaving me one hour to shop. So the first shop that used the vouchers as not all stores did. I bought there.

Restocked my underwear & nightwear as I was 20% ahead with my vouchers in the first I think I did pretty well, 2 night gowns, 4 bras that fit, 10 pairs of pants all for $82.69. Now you know me, I like a bargain and yes they were all on special at 25% off for bras and nightwear and 50% off pants.

I end up with $15 worth of voucher left so as I was going out for dinner with son & DIL, I end up giving them the vouchers as part of my share of our meal plus the extra cash to make up the different. We had a Chinese Banquet for 4 but as only there were 3 of us, I got to take home any leftovers now I can see a least 3 meals this weekend will be Chinese leftovers, Chicken & Corn Soup, Fried Rice, Sour & Sweet Pork plus mixture of the chicken dishes. Its not everyday that I have Chinese banquets but I do like them. Normally my son would the leftovers for his next days meals but they are not working this weekend and have a party to go to Saturday.

As for using these kinds of vouchers again, I would not buy them again when you take in the gas and the time to get there. It wasnt worth gas to go back and spend that extra $15 worth of vouchers when the others go there 5 days a week.

As for saving on the day

$20 off the cost vouchers (paid $80 for them)
Underwear & nightwear save $34.50 of RRP
Paid $30 for the meal but took home $30 worth of meals
Snack 2.45 with coffee save $2.45 on free coffee (Senior%)

All up spent $115.14 for the day
Value RRP $152.09 plus $20 off vouchers & leftover food to take into account.

About 12 months ago I got a Climate Smart Meter Power checker installed here, one of our state government deals to reduce power usage here. Its a device that checks how much power you are using that minute and it cost. I needed do a battery change a few months back so the pricing got changed by accident and now is out by a few cents for each watt. Not that I am worried that much as the power cost has gone up since then and its in the pipeline that its to go up a lot more over next few years something like 25% more.

My hot water is not on this tariff but still shows on the climate smart power meter, when this is on 49c less any phantom power and then if you put anything else then its more. I am averaging around 12.6c most of the time. Lowest before charging batteries was about 1.6c but now is about 2.35c at night with no hot water on and just phantom power for things that needs to be still on and with no fridges or freezer on.

A few months ago I got six solar panels installed here, another government grants to the tune of $8000 plus our state government working on bulk order deal that in the end costing to low income earners a few hundred dollars to have installed this offer is now over. After nearly two months our energy supplier finely came and installed the new meter so that I can get rebates on any extra solar power that is sent to the grid because I wasnt using it. Daytime power is now mostly solar powered and I even sending some back to the grid.

Its now 14 days since that meter box was changed. I have use 83kW of grid power and generated 56kW of solar power and sent to the grid 16kW on top of what I have used. I am averaging 1/3 solar and 2/3 grid kW use per day. I have been monitoring it for 78 days now, so I can see a pattern forming of using 8 to 9 kW on grid power and generating between 4 -5.9 kW of solar power per day..

Last summer I was using 16.27kW per day with very mild use of an Air Con at times when temps got over 34C inside the house.

So in all it will cut my bill down to a bearable price and ever more if I get solar hot water installed next year as my name is down for another grant for that one too! I would never be able to afford it if I had to pay full price. So I have done my little bit for Climate Change in this household but I will be on the look out to do more in the future.

Update
Costing of all is well over $9500 in the end I am out of pocket only $355 including the Climate Smart Meter which I got a refund of the cost from the local council.

Still to come is the Solar Hot Water worth over $2500 out of cost I am told will be with senior discount around $100 out of pocket. Which checking my inbox just a while ago I am just now waiting for the grant approval then it will just need to wait my turn for installing.

With all these schemes will, its hope save on building extra coal power stations in the near future. We do have the sunshine here as I am getting over 13 hours per day with my solar panels now!

Its time to think Christmas again so all my Christmas storage areas got raided today and things that I will use this year have come out to be used yet again! All my decorations are reused from year to year as I have stopped buying them now!

I have just finished putting up my decorations, two small Christmas trees one is Advent Christmas tree and other one is two feet Christmas that I bought over 11 years ago when I gave up on large trees and all work that goes with it. I put out some things to remember the past generations and memory of years gone I have put the plastic wreath on the door and hand made one in a fixed window plus out the angels that people have given the family over the years. Now it down to doing my Christmas card which I have enough to last a lifetime as a lot are now sent via email instead. As for wrapping paper now with not having a lot of people to give gift to its now enough for lifetime too!

Now its down to look at my gift list and last of my Christmas shopping before the shops are fill with children and people buying last minute gifts. I now dont walk fast enough for them so I avoid this time of the year in shopping mall if I can!

Some will say I have had a spending frenzy as all were wants not needs but its Christmas shopping time. I have budgeted for $300 Christmas presents for me. So far I have found some DVDs to buy that was on my want list if I found them.

1. Masterchef - Masterclass -DVD (RRP $39.95) for $19.92
2. Australia Movie -DVD (RRP $32.95) for $16.10
3. Cook & Chef -boxed set of 4 DVD (RRP $79.98 with cookbook) for $20.00 (I have download all the recipes so I dont need the cookbook.)
4. Agatha Christie Miss Maple -boxed set of 4 DVD (RRP $39.95) for $20.00
5. Gardening Australia -boxed set of 3 DVD (RRP $39.95) for $16.00
6. 2 Cookbooks set by Jamie Oliver - (RRP $99.00 if bought single) for $39.95

RRP $331.78 - Spent by waiting for the right price to come at this time only- $131.97

I still have a $100 worth of vouchers that I need to spend by the end of the year at one shopping center.

Of late I have been doing a bit of stockpiling in some areas and making an inventory of what I do have already. This is so I dont go and buy things that I already own in abundance and dont need to buy again for along while if ever. When my parents were alive they had a habit of buying ahead, I do think I have taking on this habit also.

Now if you saw that large suitcase under my bed then you would know why I was shocked as when I go shopping with friends I do the feel the need to buy some little thing as well, so when I am in one store here I will buy underwear so 5 pairs of the one's that I buy when they are on special. Now it has got to the point I have no longer have the space in that suitcase to fit in any more.

I am trying to do one hour per day, working on my inventory as I am planning to do the whole house then use it before buying anymore. This is part of my challenge for this year and it's not just on food.

I hoping to use items that I have bought both in food and stuff around the house until its gets to a more comfortable level, any money saved will be banked for the future as I still need to stretch my dollars around here as the cost of living is rising faster than ever.

My menu for the week

Sausages and Vegetables
Grilled Streak, Onion, Poached Egg with vegetables
Fish Cakes & Vegetables with Poached Egg
Omelet with Grated Cheese & Ham
Pasta with Tuna Tomato Sauce
Spaghetti Bolognese
Potluck or a rice dish

It is time to review my daily living allowance for the next two months of my 2009 budget.

These are the categories for this challenge.

Items ==budget==spent

Eating out= $67==$144.70
Groceries=$271.00= = $128.30
Non-Food=$33.00= =$19.64
Clothes =$67.00==$0
Grooming=$25.00==$19.64
Gas=$50.00 ==$22.60
Pets= $98.00 ==$82.13
HH items=$83.00==$68.88
Fares= $17.00 == $0
Entrainments= $25.00 == $0
Garden =$17.00==$0
Gifts & Donations =$67.00= =$40
Medical Prescription =$30==$488.24
Misc =$17.00 ==$3
Personal Allowance =$168.00 ==$146.95

No Spending days over the 56 days = 33 days in total.

My eating out in this period included a few restaurant meals so its way over budget.

I did buy an oil heater for my computer room; if the weather gets much colder here as my air conditioner doesnt come that far.

Another big expense this period was my medical extras, these included dentist visits, eye specialist, and first aid kit update. These were out of pocket expenses after refunds.

In personal allowance area was a mail order of books and other book purchases; this was the bulk of this period expense. Other than paying bills which come out of my bill accounts areas I didnt have many other expenses over this period.

$1035 budget total and I spent a total $1163 this included a few unexpected expenses like eye specialist & dentist visits. So was over budget $128 which is cover by an emergency fund if I was short of money but I didnt need to dip into it at all. By cutting back on a few areas I was able to cover any extra expense over this period.

Now two weeks into my next period so I am doing well with some money in the bank to pay my way.

My friend DF-M is elderly Italian lady who has difficulty with reading English & Italian but can read numbers ok!

Her phone broke down the other day and was replaced by her son. But it had no instruction booklet for it to be able use it and put speed dial on it for her. So I made a list of phone number charts for her of her most used numbers in large type then printed then I used my new laminator for the first time and making it easy for everyone but color coding the names. I was able find instructions to put the speed dial on for her putting color code there too!

I found the instructions for the phone on Google. As I had the brand & number of the phone I put that info plus manual in Google and found them in PDF file for free. One of the earlier links there were asking $8 each for each download I just kept looking and found and two as I had no instructions for my cell phone either.

How to find instructions
(Brand names, model number manual) look for PDF files but be prepared to look at more than 20 pages if your phone is old one. You may need to fine a picture of your phone with number if you don’t know it's model number.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Omelet with salad
Monday ~ Roast Chicken & Vegetables
Tuesday ~ Teriyaki Beef & Noodles
Wednesday ~ Leftover’s night
Thursday ~ Grilled Steak & Onions, Mashed Potatoes with Baked Beans
Friday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Saturday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato

Well it time I looked in on this blog. I have been busy doing nothing major but just not enough time to do it all.

Budget wise I have been spending a little more than I should but not on major items. These things will keep me healthy and my storage a little more organized I hope. So far I have not gone over budget target but could if I keep it up. It’s time to pull in on spending after I get my next item on the list.

As you know I go to chiropractor each month and still do but between him and my doctor they haven’t been able to fix the pain when I’m walking that has been there for last 4 years. So as this week our show (Ekka) here, I have been once so far and tried a German massage machine there. 15 minutes on it and that pain has gone, and its 4 days now so I planning to buy one sometime this week, its expensive $390 cash (normal price $499) but it did work. Now I hope I will use it at least three times per week so I will get my money worth out it. I don’t plan on lending it out it’s for my use. If I had massage twice a month for this muscle only at $60 ago and I think it more than that. It would pay for itself in seven visits and then have it for the next 10 years or so. I will let you know if I do buy it as this one I don’t need anyone to help me use it like most I have tried.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Monday ~ Leftovers night
Tuesday ~ Homemade Vegetables Soup with Chopped Chicken
Wednesday ~ Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables
Thursday ~ Omelet with salad
Friday ~ Poached Fish and Vegetables
Saturday ~ Roast Chicken & Vegetables

As I am doing essentials only, No Spending Month for the whole month of February here, it’s going to be a little drastic in some ways. I do have a few large bills in the next eight weeks so it’s a good idea that I join in this challenge too! Two of our money saving sites here are having this challenge in February.

If you got the item already bought you use that and not go out buy it again. Some people do go the supermarket because it’s they normal shopping day but never write a list nor look in their cupboards pantry, freezer or fridge. Wants needed to this challenge is a full inventory of all non-essentials and essentials items that you use in a month. Looking for alternative ideas and methods to make do for the month, e.g. laundry liquid look for a recipe to make your own or look at over supply a shampoo that you don’t use because the family doesn’t like it. Run out of soap, how about that fancy cake of soap you have in underwear drawer. Food what is largest item that you have there, go and find recipes to use it up. One person had 24 can baked beans, 12 can of corn kernels plus 48 can whole tomatoes for two people.

What’s essentials like paying bills, medical & vets bill, food if you have not a stockpile, gas for car to work by using your car so that you using it rarely by multi-tasking and tripping.

This challenge is a bit like putting together all the tips and hints you have read using every one of them for whole month and making the frugal ideas work and looking for answers and ways to do them differently if they don’t. Thinking outside the box in the way we are doing things.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Apricot Chicken with Rice, Vanilla Sago Pudding
Monday ~ Omelet with Shredded Cheese and Salad
Tuesday ~ Kangaroo Steak with Mushroom Sauce & Vegetables
Wednesday ~ Tuna Salad Vanilla Sago Pudding
Thursday ~ Chicken Kebab & Salad
Friday ~ Tuna Pasta with Salad
Saturday ~ Beans & Rice with Vegetables

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.

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 2- inches. My tank is overflowing as we had more than 160mm -almost 6- 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