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Archive for December, 2010

Hospital cover now a done deal

December 31st, 2010 at 07:40 pm

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?

A fall and Heath Cover and Levy

December 27th, 2010 at 11:09 pm

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.

Season Greetings to all

December 24th, 2010 at 09:13 pm

Its Christmas morning here and all is quite as most the children that live here are grow up or in their teens and only one small baby in our block.

I didn’t get temped to go shopping for marked down bargains or to go to get an extra present that I was told to get because DS thought my present wasn’t good enough for his SIL. I did fine an extra present that I got when I was selling Avon a few years back worth over $25.00 so that along with the family box of chocolates will have to do. It’s still in it bubble wrap so it hasn’t been use.

There is a salad bowl set to go with it but I am giving that to my friend along a re- gifting gift that I will never use. Her husband who does start my mover each time is getting a gift box card games.
My son’s MIL is get basket of toilettes worth $20.00plus $25 in cash for Christmas lunch. I don’t do any work so I put money in instead.

My DS & DIL are getting store gift vouchers each as I didn’t go to the trouble buying extra small gifts this year, I add that cost on to the voucher instead. I hope they like them.

As for the rest just a Christmas card exchange.
So far I have only received my cat’s gifts as its still early here.

It’s going to be a wet Christmas here but not as bad as some parts of the state.

Christmas Shopping

December 20th, 2010 at 06:39 am

That should say what Christmas shopping for the little of it that I done. Last week I went into the city on two days in a row, one was an outing with a friend and the other was medical appointments and paying a bill, plus buying a new black handbag for me that was on special. $49.95 down to $37.45. and some under wear that was on special that I wear. It pour down here on the way home a very old fashioned thunder storm , I caught the bus but got caught when I got off, I had to wait under an awing for nearly 30 minutes before I was able across the main road with the lights the traffic could see you and there was lighting around too! Anyway I got home safely.

On Saturday I went to buy my family gift cards as this is what they won’t. I only can afford token gifts so they know I will not go overboard $50 each and card. The others will get gift that I bought over the year and a one family will get a box of chocolates one that all ages can eat.

As I went with two different friends to the same store, I bought the chocolates on the second trip down. I also bought some jars of gherkins, sun dried tomatoes and 2 jars of olives for summer lunch next year all for me.

So my Christmas shopping came to $120 that included gifts cards plus my own gifts to myself. So you would say about $180 all out this year for gifts.

I won’t keep the retail sector going for long if everyone shopped the way I do!

Since the 10th December I have had six no spend days.

Weather Webcams - Australian

December 15th, 2010 at 08:38 pm

While we are on weather, I just found some webcams that may help anyone who feeling little snowbound at the moment.

We are having summer storms here so can see updates on these sites.

Text is webcams SE -QLD and Link is http://webcams.bsch.au.com/index.html
webcams SE -QLD

Text is NSW Webcams & other links and Link is http://australiasevereweather.com/video/webcam.htm
NSW Webcams & other links

Text is surf webcams and Link is http://www.coastalwatch.com/camera/cameraOverview.aspx
surf webcams

Text is Hobart Tasmania and Link is http://www.rosebay.tased.edu.au/webcam/medium.html
Hobart Tasmania

Do go to the bottom of these as there are more links or webcams there.

Financial summery of the past month

December 13th, 2010 at 07:04 am

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.

Mowing the lawn in a storm

December 11th, 2010 at 07:57 pm

Today I got one of my neighbours to start my mower for me. I can’t start it but I can push it. So they will start for me as they know that I‘m not asking them to mow my lawn. As he was going away to visit his mother in few hours I had do then or not at all. So at 3.30pm I got the mower started and off I go, I could hear a storm coming in but at times they go around us, it takes about 50 minutes to mow my lawn as it’s on different levels and you need to empty the catcher a few times too!

I got the front & side done and most of all the backyard but for one patch about three push of the mower would do it, around a garden bed before the storm started to come down quite heavy and I had to give up all together, I still need to go back and clean the mower and catcher this morning.

It was so heavy that the state cricket match a 3 miles away was washed out for the day and there was minor flooding too! (over 30mm here) We had two days of fine weather and the rain is back again.

I had a no spend day today.

Sun is out for now!

December 9th, 2010 at 05:59 am

Sun is shining in this part of the world, but it’s very muggy as we have had a lot of rain over the past few weeks. Its part of the climate change I think,

Text is La Niña and Link is http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ahead/ENSO-summary.shtml
La Niña conditions will continue to dominate the tropical Pacific as it has done for the past few months, we have had a very wet spring this year and have had rain or very cloudy days for the past few weeks and we are into 9th day of summer. Cyclone season is yet to come so we will be in for it I think.

Some parts of Australia it’s flooding as the ground is very saturated and can’t take much more water anywhere but for WA and that’ s to far away from where its raining.

Some parts of Australia have had over 100mm today but not here.
Here we are most likely will get more rain tomorrow.

Here a link to
Text is Bureau of Meteorology and Link is http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/
Bureau of Meteorology

Check the rivers & flooding as there are flooding in some parts of SA, Vic, NSW, & Old and number of rivers are flowing again so this flooding will last for weeks.


Painters came on time

December 6th, 2010 at 07:37 pm

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.

New sun glasses

December 2nd, 2010 at 06:27 am

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