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Archive for November, 2011

I don’t like the look of Euro crisis that’s coming.

November 29th, 2011 at 07:00 am

With the way the euro crisis is shaping up I think it time to pull that belt in a lot tighter, and any money that we save can go to something we need not just a want or whim. We are a lot safer here and I am worried about this.

Next year I will just do jobs around the house, like house painting which I have put off for too long now. For my Christmas present to myself I will spend money on a digital antenna for the TV as I still don’t get all the stations with the old system which is long past its use by date 1980 model it shouldn't work with digital but does most of the time! After that it will replace it or repair anything else. I can do a bit of painting on bits that I will not be getting the painter to do.

Another no spend day here!

My luck is a charging and Christmas spending

November 27th, 2011 at 05:55 am

While out walking this morning I found some money on the footpath, someone must have dropped it when getting into their car. I never find any money but this time I went a lot early than I normally do!
It’s only $5.00 but it can go with to the next donation that I make, normal if I find a Salvo collecting I will give them some money each Christmas.

My Christmas spending is nearly finished. Just three inexpensive token gifts and a gift card voucher to get now. The family is pulling in on their spending too! I just need a mobile car charger for my new phone and some odd & ends that gift card voucher will buy and I will be happy. I normally buy my own treats so I not missing out when they can’t afford it! Some will just get a big box of chocolates or other sweet treat I think!

I had a no spending day too!

11th Monthly Financial Summery for 2011

November 22nd, 2011 at 09:31 am

I am a very late in putting up my monthly, others things did get in the away at times but that’s another story which you have been reading about lately here. I only just updated my Excel so here are the figures for last month.

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=====$52.95
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $119.90
Non-Food===$17.00=====$6.99
Clothes ====$35.00=====$35.00
Grooming===$15.00=====$10.00
Gas======$25.00
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$77.32
HH items===$42.50=====$51.10
Fares== ====$9.00
Entrainments= $12.00 ====$4.00
Garden =====$10.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00===$101.80
Medical =====$15.00======$69.56
Diabetes Expenses====$50
Misc ======$9.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ====$62.85

Note only one amount is a no spend

Budgeted for this period $580 spent $591.52 so over budget by $11.52 + computer outlay

No Spending days over the 28 days = 8 days in total.

Personal allowance covers confectionery, lotto, books, stamps, craft & hobby supplies.

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

As for medical this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up this month just on medicine
As for my medical visits out of pocket expensive if they are related to Diabetes then I will class them as Diabetes Expenses will come under this new category.

Diabetes Expenses – nil

A most will be one off items or once per year expenses. But I need to track these items on my small budget and pension. Each time I pay for some things in this category I will need to cut something in other categories.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month.
Spending on books and papers $35.05 for the month including 5 papers.

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. This month bills were around $ 3107.94 so no balance banked this month.

This included buying a new laptop and all the extras that went with getting back up to the latest. I don’t upgrade until I buy new computer then do it all at once. This fund does 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 fund does cover replacements when needed. My next replacement due is a new washing machine the money is already saved. On my budget excel modelling chart I can pay the full amount this year. This amount includes the cat’s trip with the Vet.

As for food out, I dined out 3 times this month costing between $25 & $9 a time most were around the $9 mark as I can no longer eat at fast food outlets. That $9.00 meals at casino is still looking the healthiest and best deal in the city for now.

My grocery bill came in under budget for this month.
My clothes and grooming budget was on target this month I bought 2 handbags.

Most of my social outing are dining out this is part of my social outings money and spending allowance.
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 but over all I had expensive month.

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

Update on Nursing Home Fire

November 19th, 2011 at 06:47 am


How can a nurse do this!

Text is Nurse in custody as fire takes fifth life and Link is http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8376517/man-faces-court-over-nursing-home-fire
Nurse in custody as fire takes fifth life

Nursing Home Fire & Another trip to the city this week!

November 18th, 2011 at 09:38 am

I had appointments with my chiropractor and podiatrist yesterday. Both appointments went well!

I bought 2 sushi rolls and took my own drinks to the city. With Diabetic 2, I need make sure that I do drink when I am thirsty and as I don’t like paying over $3.00 a bottle for water or a soft drink. Coffee ends up costing arm and leg when you need to buy unnecessary snack to go with it at $3.50 to $4.50. I can buy 6x popper drinks @$2.20 in supermarkets if I remember to take one or two with me when I go out. I found a cute little food bag that fits two of these in plus a small brick if I need one!

I find time to top up my Go Card (local public transport pass) as we do get our fares cheaper if you use these cards. As a pensioner I only have to use it twice in the same day and all other trips that day are free! I normal put $20.00 on it when I top up this card.

I did remember to bank some change that I had counted the other day.

On the computer front I am learning to use the ribbon in the window picture gallery this will be a long task as I did delete around 13500 photos out my download out of 24500 photos and all filed under the same title. I did remember to empty my recycle bin that how I know many there were!

We had a very bad Nursing home fire in Sydney today. Four residents were killed and another 31 are in number hospitals over 100 residents lived there.

Text is Nursing Home Fire and Link is http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8376007
Nursing Home Fire

This & that

November 14th, 2011 at 09:12 am

It’s beautiful weather here at the moment, sunny and 30 C. We have had no rain for 13 days straight so far this month. If doesn’t rain tomorrow I think it’s a new record for November. They are going to drop the Dam levels as next rainy season is on us. Heavy rain storms and at least 4 Cyclones. A bad hail storm went through the outback town and wiped out a shed used as house that was Cyclone safe five year ago last night.

Today I went to the city again for my annual eye test and new glasses. This pair will cost some money around $185 extra as I am getting the works done on it. Bifocals, transitions lends etc. as well a new frame. I should have them by end of the month if I am lucky, as last time something went wrong and had to be done again. I have pick out next year’s frame that I like so they put the code on my file.

I also got my passport photos done today I don’t like them but who does. I think it’s because I had to take off my glasses for the photo. I am not planning to go anywhere in the near future but I will someday soon!

I paid off my credit card so they are paid in full.

I had lunch at the casino today and played the pokies for a few dollars only. Spent $14.00 here.

Spent $526 all up today including credit card

Hearing test & handbags

November 10th, 2011 at 11:32 am

I had my hearing test today and they fixed the problem that I had with my hearing aids, I got them a two years ago or so now! They just didn’t fit properly it was the part that you put in your ear piece on both ears that were two small as my opening is much larger than normal so with these attachments they now fit and don’t fall off when wearing them. Change is part of the annual fee of $55 including batteries as age pensioner I get vouchers for the hearing aids but do have paid extra when I do buy new hearing aids, this time there is no extra changes so will stay with the old ones.

While I was out I bought coffee & raisin toast $3.50 at a food outer on the way back down to the city to catch my bus home. Whilst in this area I went to a handbag store that I had bought handbags before at and found the right style that I liked for a general all-purpose bag. I also found one that I liked but the wrong colour so I bought the black one instead. So 2 handbags $35.00 which is not bad in price as I find the handles go first no matter how much you pay for it. Still would like to have that red handbag too! It’s only $15.00 so if it’s still there on Monday I may get it too!

I try to buy only black handbags so their go with my black shoes that I wear.

I gave the musician in the tunnel $2.00 as I liked his music he was playing.

So all up I spent $40.50 today.

Finely finished

November 7th, 2011 at 10:11 am


I finely finish culling my pictures and getting them back to one set of pictures each. I don’t know how many copies of my son’s trips were in the download but I just kept seeing the same pictures now the fun part is tagging these pictures in Window 7 Picture Gallery. Seeing that there were over 24000 pictures to start with and I do have a job on my hand, I am planning to just do my own pictures and scanned ones. The others I will burn to DVD and remove some too!

I bought my next voucher for my prepaid mobile phone this costed $40.00 and thinking of have one ahead so will buy another voucher in the next week or so, so that I am ahead as the place that I buy them from isn’t open on the weekends.

I went shopping today and bought a new iron for less than half price off the RRP of $79.00.

Computer & Messes

November 4th, 2011 at 09:00 am

I have now worked out how to use Word 2010, and got all my files over that I wished to bring over as some were files for programs that I don’t plan to run on this computer. I had to use create libraries so I could get to them easily.

Still learning to use Pictures Live Gallery but as my import of old computer pictures still is some trouble with multiples of each, I need to fine and delete most of these multiples as that area is still a mess. I am planning to burn on DVD’s some of these pictures and remove them. It’s too large to back up or scan without taking hours. My computer is not on that long to do that. Because of thunder storms with lighting I need close my computer down if not sitting with it.

Talk about messes I need to get back into housework or I will be buying multiples because I can’t fine things.

I paid one credit card off and now waiting for the bill on the other one. I could go down and paid it as this money is sitting there for it!

Ended Up at a Melbourne Cup Function

November 1st, 2011 at 10:16 am

Today is the horse race that stops the nation. On the first Tuesday in November every year this race is run.

I wasn’t planning to go today but as a ticket for luncheon was non-refundable as one person is in hospital so couldn’t go and needed someone to watch the group of elderly friends and one with dementia I was asked to go for free.

We had a good feed of cold picnic style food this is the kind of Spring weather food that is eaten at Flemington race track in the car park and each of us got ticket on the sweepstake which gave us had a horse to follow in the race. One in our group won on the sweepstake taking home $24 for a $2.00 outlay.

None of us had a bet on any race including the Melbourne Cup, in our state over $30M was bet on that one race and $100M across Australia. For five minutes the whole nation stops if it can to watch the race, including toddlers for the last 151years. A number of toddlers and babies were at the function today.

It was held at local football club which we are all members. The daughter of one them drove us there and picked us up afterward she didn’t want to go today. I spent about $11.00 all up today. The luncheon would have costed $45.00 if I had paid.

Text is Melbourne Cup and Link is http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8368052
Melbourne Cup