For 2 years now, I have had a very noisy garden tap, no matter what was done with it. It still had the problem. So today we worked on it and put new screws into the wall that was holding on the tap. You guess it that was the problem the screws were to small and pulling out of the brickwork all the time. Longer screws and the problem are now solved. Over 30 man-hours to find out this and the water meter reading problem is still to be solved as this tap upset the water meter also!

He bought some new fluo light tubes for me costing $7.00.

I went up to get the handbag for DF-M and bought a novel and another cookbook for a set of cookbook that I am making up. They are 20 in this set so far I have been able to buy 2nd hand eleven of them. I do carry a list of the one’s I have got in my wallet. Saving $5.00 here.
$$$ Another Strategy.

Today’s Full price Tally $13.50
Today’s Savings - $ 5.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $ 10,018.97
$$$ Another Strategy

I was the driver today for my friend DF-M grocery shopping expedition of 4 hours. On these grocery shopping expedition I do try not to buy too much. As I can’t match her shopping habits or her way of spending. I don’t try too!

First stop, the Italian deli specialty store you name it, I think she bought it. But as she is going to the country to-morrow for a week, I don’t know how much is for the families up there. I bought Cheese and a spice here costing around $7.78. No saving here.

Next stop, the supermarket where she bought her monthly groceries, I bought few groceries cat litter and meat here saving $5.12 here by making wise choices in want I bought.

As I deli ham for my lunches, they small packets for 50g each that you can out when you need to use. I can buy these in 100g (2x50g) for $2.79 per pack or like today I bought 300g (4x75g) for $5.45 @ unit price for 100g = $1.81 saving $2.92 over the other option. I do know that if I bought in the deli section it may have been cheaper but I would have had to make to many trip to the supermarket and use gas just to by that one item with to much room for impulse buying. But I am on maximizing my no spending days challenge $$$ Another Strategy.

Last stop was the butcher’s and the boot repairer shop so they could fix a handbag for her DD. This I will need to pick up on to-morrow. I was given some rib fillet steak (4 serving worth) in return for my trouble. Value $15.00

Today’s Full price Tally $52.12
Today’s Savings - $ 20.12
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $10,013.97

Today I filled my gas tank, as the price was right for a change and I had a voucher for 6c off a litre also. Saving $1.73 but last Sunday’s price was $1.10L but today I got it for around 93.9L. not bad.

While I was out I took myself off to Hungry Jack’s and had a chicken baguette and ice cream cone along with 2 free cappuccino @$2.90 each (senior discount). Saving $5.80*

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Lunch out*
DINNER Omelette and Mild Chilli Salsa Apple Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $29.53
Today’s Savings - $ 7.53
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9993.67

I did go shopping today to buy some olive oil for DF-M family in the country. 4x 4L cans of olive oil which was the cheapest that brand it has been for a while & I did get them some staff discount off it also, $116.00 worth of oil in fact. I bought only some groceries, game steak to try and very tender too! Cream Cheese spread 2x $2.49 –5% off = $4.73, saving $1.79 here & generic brand ice cream & some 2nd hand books $3.50 saving $12.00 on them. I did pretty well for shopping someone else in not getting to tempted to shop. 2 of the 3 items were on my list.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Crackers & Marinated Feta Cheese with Marinated Peppers Fruit Coffee
DINNER Savoury Mince on Toast. Fruit Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $28.75
Today’s Savings - $13.79
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9986.14

IGA is one of our independent store chains for Groceries here. When they have some specials on I will make the effort to drive over to buy the specials that are not available that week if I need too! This week no one had dry pet food for sale at the price I wished to pay for it but IGA, as a dollar in my pocket is better than their competitors. Well I think so anyway! So I got 2 bags of more expensive brand Cat Food for they treats. 3 boxes of Friskies Dry Cat Food all @ $2.99 each, saving $3.80 on cat food here. Can fruit was the lowest for a while so I bought 4 cans of can fruit @$1.99 saving $3.28 on them. I had a treat myself of Christmas chocolates for 99c saving $1.76 As I eat sunflower seeds in my cereal I’m able to buy these in bulk at this store and not in packets. So I had a good morning and it’s rained on the way home so I was able to wash my car also with rainwater!

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Mixed Salad & Hummus on Crackers Fruit Coffee
DINNER Pasta with Pasta Sauce & Tuna

Today’s Full price Tally $35.19
Today’s Savings - $8.84
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9972.35

After reading about this Simple Green all purpose cleaner for so long. I did finally find it at Bunnings Warehouse, our large hardware chain in their cleaning supply aisle it was just by chance as I don’t normal go down that aisle. I did buy some to try also this will make up to 5 gallons. I went on to their

I had to recharge my pre-paid mobile today as it is soon due and I didn’t want to lose my credits if I forgot to re-charge it on the date due. Too much to lose, and I not talking about cents here. it’s annual pre-paid plan that I am on as I only use it for SMS & incoming calls. I will only use it for actual calls if I am in trouble or have lost the person I am with and need to find them. As we all have mobile phones in our family. My family bought this mobile phone about three years ago so that I could have on when I am driving back and forth from they place 20 minutes away on a freeway and they can find me if I am out. It’s when I do put my mobile on.

So back to the costing of this mobile phone, Ok I got it for FREE with $30.00 free calls on it. As I can’t hear it ring only see the lights when a message come in. I don’t use it much to talk on, as the calls on this annual plan are .60cent per minute. I have no voice mail, rarely call out, only SMS mainly. After first 2 months, I bought $50.00 recharge and put it on annual plan. At the end of the first year I had $49.00 left which rollover to next recharge which I put another $50.00 recharge on it and next year another $50 recharge. Because now, I have still $72.00 left to rollover this year I put only $20.00 on it this time which is the lowest I can get. This is not all I saved, as I got 15% off each of those recharges as well! So what’s the cost of my mobile phone to date. As the phone was free with $30.00 in call. I spent only $127.50 out of my pocket. In 3 years I had $200 of call credits now have $92.00 left. Using only $108.00 in this time. $108.00 call credits used on Mobile phone calls in 3 years with a phone that is in daily use. Can anyone else beat this?

Also I went shopping today, bought some groceries $3.85 saving $2.00 and had lunch out $2.95 and free coffee, saving $2.45 and I bought chocolates as I do have a sweet tooth. $3.88 saving .60 here

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Crackers & Marinated Feta Cheese with Marinated Peppers Fruit Coffee
DINNER Savoury Mince on Toast. Fruit Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $33.10
Today’s Savings - $ 8.05
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $ 9963.51

The more I do this challenge more, I see that having the pension and claiming all benefit that you are in titled too, does save money over and above what I am saving with other areas of this challenge. I must give you a list of the things that I am getting with pension benefit and see if I can work out before the end of this challenge at the end of April. How much of this Challenge is pension related and how much frugal buying or DIY savings. I will need to review all my posts to date to do this.

Today is one the day’s that I balance my budget and check that I paid all my bills due. I do this at least twice per month. Once for my own balancing and once for this blog as they don’t run at the same time and are 2 week’s apart which does keep me on my toes. All is well with my budget to this point. So much so that I did order some books in online today, and went to get at check to pay for them, as I don’t use my credit card online if I can find away not too! The firm that I am buying from is Australia and does allow a cheque but it can take a little longer but in this case not as the books are not available until end of the month. Free postage is part of the saving at $7.90 per book that is a large saving here on top of saving of RRP $11.44 per here. I may have got it cheap if I bought from other online book companies but it’s the postage & handling charges that cost the money and my bank cheque /check are free because I my pension card. Saving $8.00 here.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Crackers & Marinated Feta Cheese with Marinated Peppers Fruit Coffee
DINNER Poached Fish with Salad

Today’s Full price Tally $78.88
Today’s Savings - $27.34
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9955.46

It’s my day to go to the city, and a visit my Chiro, I do this once every four weeks. As I can’t be fix with Chiro but it keeps me balanced and not falling and carrying most of my weight to one side like I use to do as this my way of not coming up for a hip replacement in the future. By the time I got an operation that I could afford I would no longer need it. I cost me around $25.00 per month for the treatment out of my pocket but it works for me. (Note :~ This amount was recorded early in a bulk payment) Refund $19.40 here

While in the city I paid that credit card off that I was telling you about yesterday. So I am back to Zero on all my credit cards yet again!

I also bought a snack today, as I didn’t want to buy any burgers to get a free coffee, I went to one of supermarket in the city and bought some snacks for my lunch, 2 bananas, 1 Texan Muffin, and 250ml of Ice Coffee Milk all this for $3.85 much cheaper than $5.25 the cheapest healthy meal with coffee, I could get. Next time I will just buy 1 banana, bread roll and drink this would be cheaper yet again about $ 2.30 this would stop me from being hungry until I got home.

BREAKFAST Baked Beans on Toast Coffee
LUNCH Muffin, Fruit, Coffee Ice Milk
DINNER Beans Patties with Mixed Salad & Hummus on Crackers Fruit Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $5.25
Today’s Savings - $ 20.80
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9928.12

Today I made a special trip down to the place where I paid my bills as I am a bit old fashion and like to visualize that I paid a bill and hand over my cash or cards as the case may be. Well as I never pay many of my bills via credit card unless I am very short of money that week and I can be paid before next payment is due. What different about today’s phone bill it’s only a very bill and I can afford to pay it cash too! The phone bill is only $38.35 this month I do get a payment with my pension once every 3 months for a discount on my phone bill $20.30 so I better count that in my tally as I was paid it this week.

Different is that I have more than one credit card and this one hasn’t been use for a very long. While as I was talking to a cashier at another bank, I said need to make sure that I use it at a least once every few years so the bank knows that I still what it. The cashier did hear of a lady that had hers cancelled because she never used it. As I am going to the city in the morning and will have time to pay the credit card off again so it’s back to zero. I don’t have any fees on this card and it only there for a safety blanket, as I don’t qualify for any new cards so I need to keep them open even if I don’t use them. After tomorrow I will put it back in it home. This is one of the problems of having a very low income. Here you need an annual income of $25000 plus to qualify for one and my annual income is below $15000. Do any of you have this problem?

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Crackers & Marinated Feta Cheese with Marinated Peppers Fruit Coffee
DINNER 2 Sausage & Egg with Baked Beans

Today’s Full price Tally $58.65
Today’s Savings - $ 20.30
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9907.32

I started to get to on with my major project, one of the minor jobs to be done before any work can be done on the widow that will become a door in the near future. So today job was to move all the books off the bookcase that in the in the way. I moved it the corner of the room, I may leave it there for now. It’s full of books on fugal living and cooking. I still have another bookcase to move but this will be going to another area of the house. At the moment it can stay where it is for now!

I went to buy a rubbish bin for DF-M but they didn’t have any so I will ring before go again. I did buy some waterless car wash that I may need at some time in the future as I will not be able to wash my car on the next water use level which is coming in a few weeks and I will not get fined for cleaning my car. I drop to the fruit shop on the away home and bought some milk & tomatoes.

BREAKFAST Baked Beans on Toast Coffee
LUNCH Mixed Salad & Hummus on Crackers Fruit Coffee
DINNER Omelette with Cheese

Today’s Full price Tally $16.80
Today’s Savings - $ 5.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9887.02

Well it’s another no spend day all I did today was the lawn again it did rain here a bit but it was no drought breaker though, and the weeds have grown. I mowed until the mower stopped then have up just a small part not mowed. It’s where my pumpkins are growing so I may leave it to them.

At lease the weeds are down around here and no seed that my main aim in mowing in a drought. I get dew each morning so may grassy weeds and some grass is a bit green in most parts some bare brown patches in parts too!

Today’s Full price Tally $35.00
Today’s Savings - $ 35.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $ 9882.02

I had to make two trips to the shops today. Because I broke one of my own rules I didn’t check my docket before I left the shopping. When I got home and eating one of these treats with a coffee, and looked at the docket and found that they had charged me full price for it. So I got in the car and went back within the hour to check it out, as it was advertise line too! It was advertise for $3.29, I was charged $4.49 for it so I got it for free. I did buy anything else just walked out too!

I bought some grocery when I bought the treats too!

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Crackers with Hummus & Herbs Fruit Coffee
DINNER Pasta with Pasta Sauce & Tuna

Today’s Full price Tally $10.77
Today’s Savings - $ 4.49
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9847.02

After breakfast I drove up to my DS &DIL house to say good bye, as I wasn’t going to the airport this time, as I can’t drive they car for a start. With their entire luggage there was no room for me to go for the trip to airport anyway as an extra passenger and DS-MIL was going just drop them off an go to work anyway. They will be home in a 12 days.

I when to the shops and got a phone card so I could save money on oversea phone calls we have found this is the best way of calling them or they calling us as you know what you are spending on the calls. As my DS has his mobile with him this time I can SMS him at anytime.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Crackers & Marinated Feta Cheese with Marinated Peppers Fruit Coffee
DINNER Pumpkin & Lentil Stew with Garlic Focaccia Bread

Today’s Full price Tally $10.00
Today’s Savings - $ 0.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9842.53

It was a busy day today at dawn I went and got gas for the car saving $1.93 off with shopper docket then extra as the price went up again a few hours later by 10c litre. Timing is the key with buying gas around here.

I had lunch again with my friends at Sizzlers ‘all you can eat salad bar’ place and I had the manager’s special of fried seafood @ 3.95 and salad bar costing $14.32 for both. Saving $8.58 as I get a senior discount here.

Today I paid my car annual insurance and zeroed my credit card yet again. I ‘m getting good at that one. This time of the year I have a lot of major bills coming in so I can’t go spending big at the Summer clothing sales with their big discounts. If I want to buy something next year I will have to save some extra money for clothes at this time period. I like to pay most of my bill annually as I save money by doing this it this way. Take my car insurance if paid monthly which I can do, I would be paying extra $77.56 per year that I would need to fine and on my budget that is not easy. I am saving here that amount plus over 55 discount and multi insurance on top. That’s around $180.28 for just my car insurance.

I did by some remnants at dressmaker store it’s call Lincraft’s, these were about 60% RRP saving $10.57.

When I came home later, and had a rest, I went shopping for cat food and a few groceries, saving $7.80 here.

So I had a very busy day.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Lunch out*
DINNER Grilled Cheese with Mustard Toasted Slices Fruit Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $842.36
Today’s Savings - $ 209.87
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9842.53

My DS and DIL is going overseas yet again! today we went to large shopping centre to get some last minute items that he needed. While we were we both bought a CD each. I bought a very old one ‘16 Most Requested Songs by Harry Belafonte’ for $5.00, as I use to like listening to him many moon ago.

I have lunch with DS. I had a Subway Grilled Chicken roll on special for $3.95 saving $3.00 here

Other then the CD & lunch I didn’t spend much at all.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Lunch out
DINNER 2 Egg Cheese Omelette and Pasta Sauce & Grilled Peppers

Today’s Full price Tally $11.95
Today’s Savings - $ 3.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $ 9632.66

40th Week’s Summary of $$$ Stretching challenge

Challenge at 40th week.

Kitty’s Real Spending Total $9134.41
+ 2006/7 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9629.66
= Full Price (RRP) Income Challenge $18761.70

Opening CC Balance $0
Kitty’s Opening Balance Rollover $255.49 ($94 Bill A/C)
$$$Money in - $1057.20
= Total Income Balance. $1312.69
Bills Total $340.35
Other Spending & Groceries $557.71
$$$ Money out = $898.06
Cash Banked in other A/c’s $140.00
Kitty’s Rollover Balance $315.18 ($190 Bill A/C)
CC Balance $49.15 (No % period)

Taking DF-M to the butchers and the bank again today. I didn't buy anything when I was with her today but I got given 250g Ham off the bone. I don’t think I can stop her but then I am on 24/7 call when she is at home. After I went to the post office I bought some stamps there and then on to my bank for a cheque for her as I do get free one’s with my account& banked some charges as well! I did do some shopping while I was there. Asian Stir-Fry Vegetables on RRP $3.96 markdown $1.99 saving $1.97. A fresh chicken $9.22 markdown $4.60 saving $4.62. I bought some sauce mix that buy one get another one free so 4 sauces @ $1.37 saving $2.74.


BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Tuna and Cranberry Sauce Roll Apple Coffee
DINNER Beans Rissoles & Salad Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $ 30.71
Today’s Savings - $13.99
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9629.66

I was given some free homegrown mangoes and not just the common one that you would make mango chutney with, but R2Y2 mango I think it’s call, four of these RRP $2.50 each and 8 Kensington Pride mangoes RRP $1.00 each. Had a R2Y2 mango and it was beautiful and I gave one away too!

On my DIY varnishing job is on the 4th day, I have got into a pattern in the varnishing, you do need have a pattern so you know where you are painting. You must follow the grain of the wood and not put your hand on the one wet varnish too! I did turn the doors around so that I could varnish the other side of the doors, as they had to be standing against posts while I am painting them.

Today’s Full price Tally $ 18.00
Today’s Savings - $ 18.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9615.67

I thought I would just go to the shops for eggs and few things that were on special at price book best buys. I needed more, dry cat food and that was on special this week. Saving $1.06 and while I was at it I bought my regular tin cat food that they will eat! It was Heinz Baked beans that I needed to stock up on this time. I bought 12 tins @75c with my staff discount as well! Saving $6.96. I found some mark down package meats that I could freeze if I did that start away. 2 x Ham Steaks (4 in pack) RRP $3.56 @ .95c, 2 x Spanish Choriza 15slices pack RRP $3.29 @ .50c so I saved $10.80 on these. 100’s Display Folder Refills $3.99 save $1.00 and I will need them before the year is over. I did spend money today but I did make some good savings as well.
I will work the deli meats in my next weeks or two menus. I did pack them so I could just remove the numbers slices that I would require for that meal.

Today’s Full Price Tally $62.37
Today’s Savings - $ 19.82
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9597.67

I had to made a trip to the hardware store as DF-M wanted a rubbish bin for her recycle water. It was easier to go and get it than give her one of mine. We use these to put our grey water in until we need to water our garden. As we both wash a random and not when we need to water our gardens. I went before they were open today so had to sit and read for 30 minutes, I have a book on nutrition 1962 very interesting to read when I get a free moment. A lot said in this book has now come out true. Funny that! I can read it at random as some the information is not available today so it makes very informative reading.

I bought a few items as usual, something that I did see in a mail order catalogue late last year. tool- Pick up and reaching - 1 metre long . That you can reach some thing of a shelf, it was $14.95 plus $7.90 postage. & $1.50 insurance so that $23.45 but I got it for $4.89 saving $19.46 so it pays to shop around if you see something these catalogues. I would have save if I bought more items on postage & insurance. I did buy paint tray and roller set that was on special $4.48 saving around $5.00.

When I came back I did my washing that two loads and some hand washing. After I had done that I got into doing the coat of varnishing on the doors.

While I was delivering the rubbish bin. DF-M asks if would like some prunes as I thought she say so I said yes that I would use them. Next minute she is giving me 2/3 of the prawns that she bought on Friday. At $24.95 kg so I was given about $14.50 worth of prawns, I told her next time just ask for the number of prawns and don’t buy them by the kilo in future. I had six of them for lunch on crackers with marinated feta and my evening meal I just peeled prawns and seafood sauce and just dipped. They had to be used by today.

Today’s Full price Tally $33.33
Today’s Savings - $38.96 (including free prawns)
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9577.85

My handyman friend came by so we went off to buy the paint for the door project. It’s my job to do all the painting which I like doing. So the doors are new and have never been painted before I will just varnish them and let the natural wood show through no straining before hand. This look does take me back to my childhood days. Why does wood needs to be strained so you have a fake wood colour of another wood? As I do like to have the best paint I can afford when I do paint and good brushes etc. This is an area I don’t try to cut back on. I did get a 10% discount off with a voucher on total of the docket. Saving $4.83.

My friend had taken my Free wheel borrows, wheel away a few months ago to fix it and return it today. So that job is now done. As he wouldn’t take any money for it so saving $15.00 on that cost. Now I have 3 wheel borrows but one is for cementing jobs only as I can’t move it when full so I had to buy a new one 15 years ago that I could move. Now I have a 2nd one that I can use in the garden. If I had to wait for someone to come over to move it the jobs would never get done. So everything that I buy, I must be able to use and not have to wait for someone else to do it for me! $$$ Another Strategy

Today’s Full price Tally $ 48.35
Today’s Savings - $ 19.83
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9538.86

Today is DF-M Grocery Shopping day and I’m the driver. So it was off to the bank and chemist when down to the shopping centre and I just paid my Rate bill. Pensioner & Homeowner Discounts on rates bill $209.77. I got given some cherries when she bought some for herself, as she has a set shopping plan and there is no way of change her mind when it made up to buy or do something. I try not to buy anything when I’m on this shopping trip as when I do, most times it get add to her shopping tally. Madding and it not the checkout staffs fault. No lunch today as we had frozen food this time.

Today’s Full price Tally $505.97
Today’s Savings - $215.12
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9519.03

For my Birthday I got a FREE store gift voucher from a jewellery store here, to the value of $25.00. You just need to have your email address with them and you get a discount card plus this gift card for use in your birthday month. Only I didn’t need anything from there so I did make a trip with DF-M today. Just so that I could use gift voucher, they were having a 50% off Sale too! So we just bought photo frames for my gift box. My out lay was just $5.00 in cash for three photo frames. $$$ Another Strategy DF-M bought one frame for $5.00 too!

We went to another store for some underwear for her, which was on special also saving her $11.65 so she had a good shopping day too! We then went off to Aldi down the road to shop. Spending $13.05 and saving $2.54 here.

Today’s Full price Tally $73.05
Today’s Savings - $57.54
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9306.91

It’s a DIY day in that I mowed my own lawn today saving myself $35.00 on hiring someone to do this job. But I think the price has gone up around here some are charging now $50.00 each time. so if you can do your own mowing if worth it as you can buy a new lawn mower for around $300 to $500 but the better to buy a better quality on in the first place. When I do replace my lawn mower I will be going for one $400.00 plus range. It’s around $498 but when on it’s on special it can get down to lower price around $425.
Saving $35.00 DIY

Today’s Full price Tally $ 0.00
Today’s Savings - $ 35.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9249.37

Early this morning I did full up my car with gas. Costing $30.39 this includes my motor mower gas as well. As I don’t use my as much as some people do. Saving $1.13

I did go to the city again today to visit the Chiro. Refund $19.40. I did some shopping for some things while I was the city. Including some 75% off Christmas lines, one was Cranberry Sauce for $2.95 saving $8.00 and some coffee at the right price RRP $39.30 saving $$16.50, all up I spent $49.55 saving over $39.99.

Today’s Full price Tally $ 121.06
Today’s Savings - $ 60.52
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9214.37

I got phone call from my son on Saturday evening to say that I was to drive up to his place and we all shall go for a drive to-morrow. Well there were five of us going to mountain behind the Gold Coast to the markets or so I thought but first a detour to a shopping centre at the Gold Coast. Last night they were at one of my DIL sister’s place. When she joking said the she would like a Beagle puppy she seen in the pet shop that day as she had lost her beagle of 11 years two week’s before and still was very upset about it. We went to see it and if it was still in the pet shop, Yep so her mother bought for her, then we had go and give it to her. I will not tell the price but more than I would pay. He is just six-week-old and so cute too! Guess where I spent my birthday, as they got the puppy, the sister went and bought lunch for all of us. So we had roast chicken and Coleslaw and Potato salad and chocolate almond cake for my birthday. This was fun just to see the reactions of everyone about getting the puppy and much more memorable than a day walking around a wet markets anyway. I don’t have any other family than my son here so my DIL family is my family too!

I spent the grand total of $8.20 for the day. When we went back to the shopping centre late in the afternoon. On Bananas I bought 8 of them and gave away half. Bananas are a luxury around here and at times was paying up to $16.99kg, today they were $1.99kg and still in some places $6.99kg. When they get back down to around under $1.00 they will be back on the daily menu.

Today’s Full price Tally $8.20
Today’s Savings - $ 3.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9153.85

It’s one of my strategies to wait for next week catalogues to arrive before I buy some items that I will need next week, if they are in this week catalogues. Well as I have run out of dried cats I will need to buy more and it’s on special at another supermarket this week but not as I hoped next week. So it’s drive the car over to this store one suburb away from mine, so not far. I bought 4 packets of dried cat food, one was just for treats as I don’t give them thing different in the way of treat but for this one brand which is a lot dearer than the other one and half the size too! All were 3.19 saving $2.70 here. So lean ground beef was markdown so I bought 2 small trays saving $2.00 here. Some Christmas gift-wrap 50% off that I could use 2 of the roll for birthday wrap so I bought 2 x2 packs saving $4.00 here. I did buy a magazine that I like for a change so I spent $2.60 on that. Groceries that I did buy were cheaper here than I price in other stores so I stock up them or bought a one to try, to see if I like it. Saving $2.60 here.

Today’s Full price Tally $44.63
Today’s Savings - $ 11.30
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9150.85

As needed to pay my phone bill $44.15 today. So I drove my car down to that shopping centre that I pay my bills. I could have walked but the supermarket did have a stationary special of display books that I wished to purchase in bulk, 24x 48c each instead $1.99 each. So I saved $36.24 here. Along with a loaf of multi- bread & tomatoes. After I went up to the local supermarket and I walked this time just for exercise. I bought 2x Yakut light drink 5pks markdown 99c instead of $3.88 ea. Which I froze Saving $ 5.78, Cos lettuce marked down 60c saving $1.68 some Christmas paper bowls 78c saving $1.70 and loaf of Raisin Bread $1.98 saving 70c so I had a good day with my bargains. Saving all up $46.10

Other than shopping, all I did today was working on the ironing pile. It will get done soon I still have another week to go when I have put MY deadline for it to be done. I am doing my own ironing as well!

Today’s Full price Tally $107.03
Today’s Savings - $46.10
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9139.55

This morning I did my housework before my handyman friend arrived today.

We had lunch together another one of Mezze platters with crackers. I have fridge full of unusual and salad ingredients that can be used for mezze, as well olives, Hummus and feta cheese.

Together we put up the bird-net and pegged any openings that were left after it was tried up.

My dripping tap got fixed, it had worn felt and it was reset and new felt & washer replaced, this tap was done in October too!

After buy the trading post and looking at want was on offer for French doors 2nd-hand. Well! Not much and price was from $195 to $700 and none saying if it was for outside use. So we went off to check the prices for new doors and what was available. It was place that sold only doors and they were having a Sale as well. As it’s odd size door opening 1390mm wide so I can only have a normal door and half door panel that will fit. After looking at all the half doors side from $299 each then the buy a door on top it would cost around $700 for both plus fittings.

We looked around and found some doors on sale full solid wood door RRP $211 each. Looking at it, an idea came into my head why couldn’t we buy two doors and cut one to make a mock side panel that is a half opening door bolted to look like a half side panel that is in fact a door. I bought two full doors that I will need to varnish after one is cut to size. We bought also the doorknob and hinges for both doors only bolts will need to be bought for this part of this project. Costing $340 all up (RRP price $531) saving $191. My friend was a tradesman so was able get a better price than I would have had bought them on my own. Best price I would have got was $427 for the same things. I have budget around $1200 for this job, so I will be able now to put the rest towards the security door and bolts etc. I still got $860 earmark for this project but I don’t need to spend it all!

Today’s Full price Tally $ 531
Today’s Savings - $ 191
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9093.45