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=====$61.05
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $109.94
Non-Food===$17.00=====$18.90
Clothes ====$35.00=====$15.00
Grooming===$15.00=====$14.52
Gas======$25.00
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$15.17
HH items===$42.50======$202.00
Fares== ====$9.00
Entrainments= $12.00
Garden =====$10.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00=== $14.00
Medical =====$15.00=====$44.50
Misc ======$9.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ==$26.75

Note only one amount is no spend
Budgeted for this period $530 spent $521.83
No Spending days over the 28 days =13 days in total.

Personal allowance covers confectionery, lotto, books, stamps, craft & hobby supplies, and I did donate some more money for our floods. Eating out including meal out with family we all go Dutch.
As for medical this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up this month it’s was Vitamin D tablets as I can up on the low side on my last blood test. My credit cards are still paid in full each month.

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. I have started to bank each month out of this amount $180 to cover my medical & hospital cover so that I will have it available at the end of the year. 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. I just got my next house & contents insurance quote up $200 on last time but the value is over the top but will review these amounts before I pay it. I am not planning to charge insurers as this company is one of the few that cover us for flooding any kind. This budget will be tight but just doable. On my budget excel modelling chart I can pay the full amount this year.

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. HH items (Household) was the cost of the microwave so if took off $200 I didn’t do to bad this month after all.

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

While the floods were on and having a blackout because of the flooding when one of the substation when under in our area. I wasn’t affected in the floods but lost of power for 4 hours and all the traffic lights were out around us and the businesses were on half power or rolling blackouts. Places went under water only 200 metres down the hill from where I live and the shopping centre is out of action for a number of months as it went underwater to the roof around 30 shops and businesses.

My 22 year old microwave decided to stop working and I had go out an get a replacement which I did when the rain stopped and some of the roads were safe to drive on. So I went looking at a large shopping centre not affected by the flood to price out a new one. My budget for a replacement was around the $300.00 mark for the largest and best in that price range. I looked at a number of models started to cross check pricing between stores. As I wanted 34L model with large inside cooking area. Most I found didn’t have large inside cooking area. It was between two models of the same brand that I liked LG - 34L 1100W - 3446 or 3448 models the only problem was, that they didn’t have any in stock to buy. One place was selling them for $226 (3446 model) and another $219 but no stock for 2 weeks but with all the microwaves that will be sold in the next few weeks, it could be months. So I came home without one. Later in the afternoon my DF-D was going out to drop off some items for the flood victims so I went with her and afterwards we went shopping for my microwave in a different shopping centre. I end up getting the LG - 34L 1100W - 3446W one for $200.00 cash. So I saved $26 on that model and $100 less than I budgeted for.

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=====$75.85
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $118.70
Non-Food===$17.00=====$11.61
Clothes ====$35.00=====$47.74
Grooming===$15.00=====$20.00
Gas======$25.00=====$25.70
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$36.47
HH items===$42.50
Fares== ====$9.00 ======$20.00
Entrainments= $12.00
Garden =====$10.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00=== $153.00
Medical =====$15.00=====$59.90
Misc ======$9.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ==$55.13
Note only one amount is no spend

Budgeted for this period $530 spent $624.10
No Spending days over the 28 days =14 days in total.

Personal allowance covers confectionery, lotto, books, stamps, craft & hobby supplies, and stationary. I got strung on buying Christmas stamps now I have enough for next few years. I also had a blow out on confectionery /candy buying some Christmas candy and box of chocolates for myself. I did donate some money for our floods as well buy some gift cards for the family. Eating out included my input into the Christmas dinner this year. As for medical this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up this month. My credit cards are still paid in full each month.

I do keep my bill money separated from this summery. This year I will be budgeting around $630 per period month to cover all my bills. I have started to bank each month out of this amount $180 to cover my medical & hospital cover so that I will have it available at the end of the year. 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. This budget will be tight but just doable. 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.

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

So far in my challenge to reduce spending in 2011, I have changed my

internet & phone plan and topped up my mobile plan for the year by $20.00, with the credit on it plus very limited use this amount will be almost all I will pay until December.

As for transport, as I limit the amount of driving that I do to planned trips with multi jobs, I can almost do without a car if I didn’t need it to travel across suburbs that don’t link up without a two hours bus trip one way then same trip back again or pay $60 each way in taxi fares to get there. We have a very large city so travel is on set routes but if you live or wish to travel outside these routes it can be a problem. Want can take 30 minutes around trip by car can take up to 4 hours and then you need catch multi buses to catch. So much about transport at least I do get cheaper fares with Senior discounts so that all helps.

My car with all it services, insurances and gas along with tolls does cost money that I could cut if things ever got out of hand. At the moment it’s my one luxury that I will live with for now. I do use the buses if I am heading for areas that I need to pay for parking as it works out a lot cheaper to do so.

Strategies
I don’t pay for parking unless I have no choice (unless e.g. hospital car parks or airports.)
I don’t use toll way unless I have no choice
I don’t drive in water across roads (my car is too low)

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

Eating out ----------$709.95--------over target by $289.95
Groceries -----------$1029.78--------under target by $596.13
Non -Food ----------$108.21---------under target by $95.79
Clothes -------------$510.54.--------over target by $90.54
Grooming -----------$169.80--------under target by $10.20
Gas -----------------$272.09--------under target by $72.91
Pets ----------------$612.40--------over target by $12.40
HH items ------------$578.33--------over target by $74.33
Fares ---------------$151.60----------over target by $43.60
Entrainment----------$330.25--------over target by $186.25
Garden---------------$145.70--------over target by $25.70
Gift & Donations------$426.77---------over target by $6.77
Medical --------------$173.85-------under target by $6.15
Misc -----------------$30.68--------under target by $77.32
Personal Allowance----$785.30--------under target by $234.70

Daily Living Allowance allotted amount for 2010 was $6354 and I spent total $5990.34--under target by $636.66
Even with being over in nine categories, I still just manage to come under my budget allotment for 2010.

This does give me the idea that I am subconsciously set myself amount to spend then holding back on some things if I think that I have to cut on my spending because I spend a lot one area that was needed like the medical.

By viewing

last year's Chart with this year’s one I am defiantly a subconscious budgeter.

Ok this Daily Living Allowance is the area that I will be working on to stretch and find any extra money I can. I also be looking at cutting back other on bills where I can. With utilities going up triple over next few years and with all these floods and storms, we have been having of late. My state is awash with flooding.

I can now stop pondering on this question now, as today I went and paid up front for the next year, now I will need to plan my spending to cover this extra amount for this bill, all $2001 of it. If you take the amount that I was paying before from it I need to find around $1600 extra per year for bills but where. I need now start to save for next year’s bill.

I did do a check on other options and it came up cheaper to stay with the one I was with.

I went with $500 excess cover and top hospital cover plus the same extra cover that I was with. First thing is to put aside a $500 in case I need it at anytime in the near future. I work in floats so this is already in the bank for anytime that it’s needed. Will only need to replace if used.

I can do this as I did save about $5500 in the 2010 in cash. So I will be starting my Frugal Living Challenge again for 2011. So how far can I stretch my dollars for 2011?

I still pondering about the hospital cover this year, I still have two weeks to do it before I need to pay an extra 2% on top of that amount quoted. I will have to pay this levy for next 10 years before it’s reduce down to what a 31 year old is paying which is 40% less than the quote given for this year. Now will I live to 75 is the big question and can I afford $20000 plus for next 10 years on a pension with the cost of living around here tripling in next 3 years. My figures say I can just do it but will have out of pocket expensive also plus the extra $500 on top. This $500 will be a float that I would need to budget for each year if I go into hospital every year.

I will need to re-just my spending as I’m planning to do the blue ribbon cover with the $500 out of pocket. As I had a fall yesterday on the back steps as everything is becoming mossy with all this rain we have had, just for the record it hasn’t been this wet since 1854 that long before our major floods here in our city, 1893, 1896 & 1974. I have a small garden bed that water is not draining down into the soil as its very large pipe and can’t be pull out an time soon. Oh my falls, I only hurt my elbow and thumb on different arms nothing broken just sore. I have asked my son to use his machine to clean my paths & steps ASAP. I may go and buy one myself soon.

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=====$60.60
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $99.72
Non-Food===$17.00
Clothes ====$35.00=====$9
Grooming===$15.00=====$22.73
Gas======$25.00
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$$39.60
HH items===$42.50======$1.79
Fares== ====$9.00
Entrainments= $12.00
Garden =====$10.00=====$2.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00=== $30.95
Medical =====$15.00=====$17.40
Misc ======$9.00=======$15.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ==$59.10
Note only one amount is no spend
Budgeted for this period $530 spent $350.16

No Spending days over the 28 days =12 days in total.

I have been spending a little in the personal spending area on some books, and candy but as I had a small win on my playing pokies over the last month this did reduce the amount down a little. I had a lot of few bills this month in the way of painting and flea treatment for the cats so I had to watch what I spent money on. My eating out for the month was over a bit and it will be the same this month I would think too as I planning to a least two outings and putting in for the Christmas meal.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month. I am still under my budgeted allowance so I am on track by being under budget by $179.84, this saving did help to pay the painters bill.

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

I phoned my internet & phone provider yesterday and charged my plan to a lower deal which is in more keeping with my usage. I don’t wish to charge provider but to get on a better plan. I will lose some services but with the amount I am using over all as I don’t use that much so if I allow about extra $10 to 15 per month on average above minimum charge then it may work out. I will have to be on a fixed provider for another 24 months but as I don’t plan to charge it’s not that much a problem. A lot of fees if I pull out before that all most better to stay put.

I was on 7G down & upload but using under 3G per month and phone cost with free national & local landline phone call plus free mobile use to provider’s mobile phones of which I was using around 4 calls per month. Now it 5G down & upload and landline phone cost with free national & local landline phone calls but I will be paying for all mobile calls plus 13 ….. numbers, these are at local call cost and mobile phones will be expensive if I get to make a lot of them but not as much as before.

What I like about these packages is it’s cheaper to have internet broadband and landline combines then pay for the landline on its own. My friend is paying over a $100 per month for her landline only. I have been paying the same amount each month so I do know how much I had to outlay each time.

Now saving around $40 per month is a lot on age pension.

Over 12 month’s $1078.80 average on the old plan
Over 12 month’s $606.60 average on the new plan plus extra $120 to $180 for mobile calls for that I was getting for free before. I will just have to watch that I use landline phone numbers if possible more often. So businesses that only have mobile or 13 numbers will miss out on my business from now on if I can help it.

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=====$70.80
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $65
Non-Food===$17.00
Clothes ====$35.00=====$9
Grooming===$15.00=====$22.73
Gas======$25.00======$38.30
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$59.20
HH items===$42.50======$93.59
Fares== ====$9.00
Entrainments= $12.00 =====$17.55
Garden =====$10.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00=== $11.00
Medical =====$15.00=====$35.50
Misc ======$9.00=======$2.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ==$46.20
Note only one amount is no spend

Budgeted for this period $530 spent $488.82

No Spending days over the 28 days =10 days in total.
I have been spending a little on some books, household items and Entrainments over the last month. Some of these are covered in my personal allowance in which I got a book or two at good discount price that were on my buy list and a few treats. I had a lot of large bills this month so I had to watch what I spent money on. My eating out for the month was high and it will be the same this month I would think too! A few Christmas lunches are planned in the coming weeks.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month. I am still under my budgeted allowance so I am on track by being under budget by $41.18.

Today I started getting my Excel pages ready for next year’s tracking. I do track every cent that comes across my path incoming and outgoing. I have been doing this for many years now so it’s just part of my strategies. Timewise I have found it best to do this ahead of time as if I leave it to late I never get around to it and end up with a big mess budget wise. It’s easy as I have made templates for each set of pages.

I always am looking for the best way to do this. I work with floats as some bills I never need from year to the next but the money is there if it’s needed. Starting with $1300 in floats I do put total amount of bills plus extra 10% each pay away for just bills then just pay them all when due. Having worked out via my

Bill Estimates Tracker (I wrote about this here) then using this bill tracker to calculate the amount that I need at for each pay cycle. This amount is allotted to the bill A/c. I try never to spend this amount as I consider this is not my money to spend freely. On an age pension it’s not easy to make it up if you do so it’s best if you think it as not your money. I worked in retail for many years and took this view at all the money that crossed my path while working. It was not my money so its value to me was that of an item that I was selling at the time and I had to look after it just the same.

Then if any money is leftover above the amount needed at the start of the next year it goes into savings or special projects after I taken out my floats for the following year.

Most of floats can be used as an Emergency Fund at pinch but must be paid back as you will have problems later down the track. Creating Emergency Fund

I am trying to add the cost of hospital cover to my bill budget, before I have pay a lot more as I get older if I don’t, as it is I have to pay an age surgechange of 40% now and it will go up by 2% each year that I delay. This will mean an extra $95 per month on top of what I am out laying now for all other bills.

This is because up till now I couldn’t afford to cover for hospital and we have a free public hospital here, but they are now over crowded with a very long waiting list for any surgery. This hospital cover I am thinking of getting is just for basic cover, so I may have to go to public free hospital if I need major surgery like hip or knee replacement. I will have an excess of $500 for hospital per year if need it but will have a float to cover this part.

By putting away around $300 each fortnight I can do this, but any car services will need to come out my personal living area of my budget. I am thinking that may be by buying a few less books and few other little treats at times when I do have to do something with the car, as I always have floats so I can borrow from these at pinch and pay back as soon as possible by cutting back on wants but not needs.

While I was cleaning out some papers today, I found some old power bills from my parent’s time in this house. They pasted way in the early 1990’s so I do know they are their old bills as dates match that time.

My current power bills with 1kW Solar panels and solar hot water system are lower than that time by $60 and cost has risen somewhat. Same amount of power to run this house as then pre-solar.

I don’t use as much power now as then with solar and as there are not as many people in the house now. Four adult’s then and now only one adult.

Here are some samples
Winter - 1989 … 97 days … 2197KW cost $169.66
Summer - 1989-90 … 90 days … 1587KW cost $120.71

I haven’t got any bills since when the solar Hot water was installed.
Pre solar hot water bills
Winter - 2010 ….. 90 days … 898kW … solar rebate 42kW - cost $109.50
Summer - 2009-10 ….93 days … 1027kW… solar rebate 127 kW - cost $68.98

Rate now are very different to then. They now charge for service to property and as rates for anytime usage and off peak HW usage as well a solar rebate. These go up each year too!
Rates now around 20c kW and off peak 11.66c kW + service daily 24.55c then less solar rebate 44c kW

In 1990 it was about 11.51c kW and off peak HW 6.11c kW and no service charge.
(I have added them together here above) Both lots of bills do have Senior% in them.

Then you have now a Community Ambulance Cover at rate 30c daily per power bill in our state.
It’s good in one way we don’t need to pay for Ambulance if you need one. Just don’t own multiple properties in this state that all, pensioners are exempt from this charge.

Yesterday I went out with a friend and her Asian student to the local sport club. I had to pay my annual membership again. All of two dollars but it does have a lot of discounts that you can get too!

First up we had lunch as it was pension day, with a special menu for pensioners @ $6.90

Roasted Beef or Pork with Vegetables
Fried Fish, Chips and Salad
Spaghetti Bolognese
All served with a Steam Ginger Bread Pudding and Custard

I had Roasted Pork & Vegetables and dessert

If you weren’t a pensioner you paid $10.90 + $5.90 for the dessert but you do have more choices.
So I saved $9.90 with senior %.

Afterwards we went to coffee shop there and had coffee and muffin or raisin toast for $5.50 instead of $7.50 with our membership cards, it looks like with a member card you can pick up a lot of deals but it can be expensive if you are not careful as they have poker machines there.

$2 membership, $5.00 pokers, $12.40 food, I spent in total $19.40 and saved $11.90 by having the right cards.

All these come out of daily living part of my budget. So along we don’t do this to often my budget will still work.

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=====$42.60
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $82.48
Non-Food===$17.00= ====$34.66
Clothes ====$35.00
Grooming===$15.00=====$21.03
Gas======$25.00======$30.00
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$58.30
HH items===$42.50======$35.67
Fares== ====$9.00
Entrainments= $12.00
Garden =====$10.00=====$30.85
Gifts & Donations =$35.00=== $22.92
Medical =====$15.00=====$5.40
Misc ======$9.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ==$114.91
Note only one amount is no spend

Budgeted for this period $530 spent $478.82

No Spending days over the 28 days = 13 days in total.

I have been spending a little more on some books, stationery and gardening over the last month. Some of these are covered in my personal allowance in which I got a few books at good discount price that were on my buy list and along with bulk computer paper which was at very good price so I bought a box of 5 reams instead just a ream enough until this time next year or longer. So this is now off to buy list until I am down the last 2 reams as I have some other reams in storage also.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month. I am still under my budgeted allowance so I am on track.

I finely was able to pay my last payment on the Solar Hot Water as when I went to my online bank site I found that the Aus. Government rebate had come through and I could pay the state government for their outlay in this project. I was happy to get it over and done with; I went to the bank and had them transfer the money over to their account. My part of the project is now finish, the problem is if people spend the money before it paid over like mortgage payment. They never sent any email or mail that the rebate has paid, as you sign the right for the State government to take the money out of your account after 7 days.

Update on my Solar Hot Water

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=====$32.60
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $86.74
Non-Food===$17.00= ====$9.00
Clothes ====$35.00=====$5.00
Grooming===$15.00=====$21.00
Gas======$25.00
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$78.14
HH items===$42.50======$54.94
Fares== ====$9.00 =====$20.00
Entrainments= $12.00
Garden =====$10.00=====$36.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00=== $25.00
Medical =====$15.00=====$2.95
Misc ======$9.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ==$48.28

Budgeted for this period $530 spent $419.65

No Spending days over the 28 days = 18 days in total.

I have been spending a little more on some books and gardening over the last month, also had my haircut and donated to the Pakistan flood too! As I had more bus rides in August I had to top up my bus ticket again. I did spend extra in my budgeted bill area as it was time to pay some large bills this month and in the coming months so will need to kept this area under control as more large utilities bills are due before the end of the year. My credit cards are still paid in full each month. I am still under my budgeted allowance so I am on track.

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

I have been spending a little more on some books and cookware over the past few months than I really should on my monthly allowance but it’s spent now so I will to have work around that and make up for it over time. I am still just under my budgeted allowance so I am on track.

These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35.00=====$42.05
Groceries===$135.50==== $109.77
Non-Food===$17.00=====$4.29
Clothes ====$35.00=====$69.95
Grooming===$15.00
Gas======$25.00
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$7.47
HH items===$42.50======$117.39
Fares== ====$9.00 =====$20.00
Entrainments= $12.00
Garden=====$10.00=====$19.96
Gifts & Donations=$35.00=== $36.00
Medical=====$15.00
Misc======$9.00
Personal Allowance=$85.00 ==$75.39
Note only one amount is no spend

Budgeted for this period $530 spent $502.27

No Spending days over the 28 days = 14 days in total.


I have to still line up some painters for quotes the outside of my house over the next year this should be my major expense if all goes to normal here. I think I just like having the money in the bank and not spending it. I do know that it will make me save a lot more when I do spend it as I don’t like not having money in the bank as safety blanket for me.

As for banking in the past month I have saved over $200 in cash so you still can save money on a pension but need to make choices on where you spend your money. As for saving money on things I will save that for another blog.

I had a great day in the city today! I went to lunch at Casino again with my ex-workmates. We haven’t worked in 12 years next month, all of us were retrenched at the same time and enjoying our retirement now. We do meet every month like clock work not always the same ones but someone turns up each month, this time nine of us turned up about the normal number for our group.

Before lunch I set out to pay all my bills that are due this pay. This saves me an extra trip of running around early next month as most are due then. I like to pay as many bills over the counter as I can as this is away I can remember that I haven’t missing them. It’s a route now to pay the bills on certain dates that I go to the city. Some of the bills are paid via bank debit and another’s via post then the council rate bills are paid at the main counter so that I remember that they are paid and I get my discount and all credit card bills are paid when I am near the banks again over the counter. I did buy some birthday cards for the August Birthdays, another USB stick, A Moroccan Cookbook that I wanted, top up my fare card which is called a Go Card here which allows me travel around without having to find change for fares.

Costs
Lunch _________$13.50
Gambling ______$8.00
Fares __________$20.00
USB stick_______ $12.99
Cookbook ______$14.95
3 Birthday Cards _$2.00
Bills total ______$505.00

Total __________$576.44

It’s time to review my daily living allowance for last month’s budget.

These are the categories for this challenge.

Items===Approx Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35.00=====$72.35
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $76.61
Non-Food===$17.00= ====$19.64
Clothes ====$35.00=====$5.00
Grooming===$15.00=====$18.00
Gas======$25.00==== ==$65.50
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$26.61
HH items===$42.50======$77.50
Fares== ====$9.00 =====$26.60
Entrainments= $12.00 =====$23.07
Garden =====$10.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00
Medical =====$15.00=====$38.15
Misc ======$9.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ==$67.20

Budgeted for this period $530 spent $515.72

No Spending days over the 28 days = 10 days in total.

I didn’t bank any Money this month owing to paying my credit card off in full after buying the security doors $1600 worth now to replace my emergency fund over next few months by cutting back on the above where I can.

I have had a few blowouts in some of listed items but overall still came under budget just. All my bills are paid and up to date. All smoke detectors have to have new batteries along with some other batteries so the HH items budget was a little bigger than usual. Personal allowance was mainly books and only one was new. One was a collector’s item a craft book printed in 1918 on stencilling on clothes of all things. As for eating out I did dine out a few times this month and gas I was driving a lot in March too!

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.

Its time to review my daily living allowance for last month budget.

These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx Budget===Spent

Eating out==$35==$43.85
Groceries==$135.50 = = $57.38
Non-Food==$17.00= =$3
Clothes ==$35==$44.95
Grooming==$15.00==$7
Gas==$25.00 ==$0
Pets== $50.00 ==$88.83
HH items==$42.50==$30.00
Fares== $9.00 ==$0
Entrainments== $12.00 ==$3
Garden ==$10.00==$0
Gifts & Donations ==$35.00== $2
Medical Prescription ==$15.00==$6.90
Misc ==$9.00 ==$0.50
Personal Allowance ==$85.00 ==$50.23

Budgeted for this period $530 spent $337.64

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

Money banked this month $400

Review of Daily living allowance which is part of my waste not want not challenge this year, these are the areas which I have dont a fixed spending amounts but can go over board at any point. But can cutback quickly if the need does rise. Medical out of pocket expenses not covered in the fixed budget. Approx amount are for one month.

Here is a summery of spending this period. More spending in some areas than normal as I had to replacing a stolen handbag, is the reason that this part of budget is over. Pet food this month is over owing to it being on special so I bought enough for a few months. Eating out was a little higher than budgeted for but at times its a can be lot higher than this amount too! I am still trying to cut back on buying too many books this year.

Its time to review my daily living allowance for last month budget.

These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx Budget===Spent

Eating out==$35==$64.00
Groceries==$135.50 = = $52.00
Non-Food==$17.00= =$0
Clothes ==$35==$129.00
Grooming==$15.00==$15.96
Gas==$25.00 ==$30.27
Pets== $50.00 ==$32.72
HH items==$42.50==$35.00
Fares== $9.00 ==$25.00
Entrainments== $12.00 ==$190.00
Garden ==$10.00==$0
Gifts & Donations ==$35.00== $0
Medical Prescription ==$15.00==$14.10
Misc ==$9.00 ==$0
Personal Allowance ==$85.00 ==$32.24

Budgeted for this period $530 spent $620.29

No Spending days over the 31 days = 9 days in total.

Money banked this month $250

Review of Daily living allowance which is part of my waste not want not challenge this year, these are the areas which I dont a fixed spending amounts but can go over board at any point. But can cutback quickly if the need does rise. Medical out of pocket expenses not covered in the fixed budget. Approx amount are for one month.

Here is a summery of spending this period. More spending in some areas than normal as I had to replacing a stolen camera & fare card, is the reason that this budget is over and buying two pairs of sandals this month, mind you they were 50% off the original price. Eating out was a little higher than budget for but at times its a lot higher than this amount too! I am trying to cut back on buying too many books this year.

Eating out ----------$630.98--------over target by $228.98
Groceries -----------$911.33--------under target by $714.67
Non -Food ----------$90.41---------under target by $107.59
Clothes -------------$288.40--------under target by $173.60
Grooming -----------$166.72--------over target by $16.72
Gas -----------------$166.86--------under target by $133.14
Pets ----------------$439.37--------under target by $ 148.63
HH items ------------$413.20--------under target by $58.73
Fares ---------------$87.20----------under target by $14.80
Entrainment----------$228.27--------over target by $78.27
Garden---------------$224.67--------over target by $122.67
Gift & Donations------$304.66---------under target by $97.34
Medical --------------$1110.66-------over target by $930.66
Misc -----------------$112.63--------over target by $10.63
Personal Allowance----$888.71--------under target by $119.29

Daily Living Allowance allotted amount for 2009 was $6210 and I spent total $6063.78--under target by $146.22.

Even with a medical extra outlay owning to eye problems this year and being over in five other categories, I still just manage to come under my budget allotment for 2009. As I have extra float for emergency Medical expenses to draw on to cover these costs, the problem of being short money for the year didnt rise.

This does give me the idea that I am subconsciously set myself amount to spend then holding back on some things if I think that I have to cut on my spending because I spend a lot one area that was needed like the medical.

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

These were January 2009 and last month of 2009 December. So by adding in here so I can finalize 2009 as I am going back to monthly summaries for 2010.

As I missed posting January 2009 here when I started so I am adding it to the December 2009 posting so that I can sign off on this challenge and have all the data in the same year.

These are the categories for this challenge.

Items ----- Approx Budget-----Spent

Eating out ----------$67.00------$84.05
Groceries -----------$271.00-----$173.03
Non-Food -----------$33.00------$27.17
Clothes--------------$67.00------$46.00
Grooming------------$25.00------$63.68
Gas -----------------$50.00------$34.01
Pets ----------------$98.00-------$72.77
House Items --------$83.00------$14.65
Fares ---------------$17.00-------$0.00
Entrainments -------$25.00------$46.67
Garden --------------$17.00------$25.13
Gifts & Donations-----$67.00-----$100.16
Medical & Scripts ----$30.00------$188.95
Misc -----------------$17.00------$0.00
Personal Allowance --$168.00 ---$122.28

Average for the month $1035 - Total $998.85

No Spending days over the 62 days = 31 days in total.

As I missed posting January 2009 here so I am adding it to the December 2009 posting so that I can sign off on this challenge and have all the data in the same year.

Again I had glasses add to medical as I was out of pocket $165 this year. In grooming I would have been shopping for hair dye as I do bulk if I find the right price at anytime of the year. Always buy clearance stock most of the time it because of new packaging or a change in colour and I only use only use red tone ones so I normally in luck here. I will buy a year supply if I can.

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.

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

Its time to review my daily living allowance for the past two months of my 2009 budget.

These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx Budget===Spent

Eating out==$67==$106.27
Groceries==$271.00= = $171.05
Non-Food==$33.00= =$16.34
Clothes ==$67.00==$35.47
Grooming==$25.00==$14.70
Gas==$50.00 ==$31.45
Pets== $98.00 ==$68.44
HH items==$83.00==$145.43
Fares== $17.00 ==$20.00
Entrainments== $25.00 ==$0
Garden ==$17.00==$41.88
Gifts & Donations ==$67.00== $4
Medical Prescription ==$30==$84.28
Misc ==$17.00 ==$99
Personal Allowance ==$168.00 ==$136.74

Budgeted for this period $1035 spent $975.50

No Spending days over the 56 days = 22 days in total.

As I said in the last review of Daily living allowance which is my challenge this year, these are the areas which I dont a fixed spending amounts but can go over board at any point. But can cutback quickly if the need does rise. Approx amount for the two months.

Here is a summery of this spending period. More medical out of pocket expenses not covered in the fixed budget. Along with going out a little more than normal and eating out a lot more than normal. Along with buying more books in personal allowance with portion of this amount are books.