Here is my Financial Summery for July -August period.

I have updated my Excel so here are the figures for last month.

This for period of 28 days each as I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its very near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

This is my first review for last month's budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$32.09
Groceries===$125=== =$152.79
Non-Food===$15====$4.00
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20=====$19.00
Gas======$20=======$36.95
HH items===$40=======$8.00
Fares== ====$15 ====$40
Entrainments== $15 ====$50.00
Garden =====$15 =====$14.00
Gifts & Donations ==$35 ===$13.00
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$146.60
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$32.36

Note only one amount is a No Spend

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $525.19 under by $24.81

No Spending Days 13 of 28 days

Personal allowance covers health drinks , lotto, books, stamps, craft and hobby supplies.

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

My credit cards are still paid in full each month, it was $33.00
Grocery allotment $125 for each period over by $27.79 this period
This period we had our EKKA show and I went for one day only this year plus a visit to the eye specialist and now need to see him yearly.

Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.

Here is my Financial Summery for June - July period.

I have updated my Excel so here are the figures for last month.

This for period of 28 days each as I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its very near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

This is my first review for last month's budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$34.05
Groceries===$125=== =$105.74
Non-Food===$15 ====$4.60
Clothes ====$35=====$2.00
Grooming===$20
Gas======$20
HH items===$40=======$3.00
Fares== ====$15 ====$10
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15
Gifts & Donations ==$35 ====$2.00
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$146.60
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$63.95

Note only one amount is a No Spend

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $371.74 under by $178.26

No Spending Days 13 of 28 days

Personal allowance covers health drinks , lotto, books, stamps, craft and hobby supplies.

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

My credit cards are still paid in full each month, it was $480.00
Grocery allotment $125 for each period under by $19.26 this period

Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.

Having a quiet weekend here! I have spent nothing over this weekend, on Friday I went up and paid my Rates which has gone up like most bills this one by $10.00 per quarter, and I bought a Sundae at the fast food outlet here “Hungary Jacks “ as they are have a penny pitcher specials at the moment. So I got a sundae for $1.20 instead around $3.25. One threat once in a while is ok in my book.

So far I have had eleven No spend days so far this period and still have one week to go! I have been spending time on my computer and working on a craft project as all is not lost time wise.

Here is my Financial Summery for May -June period.

I have updated my Excel so here are the figures for last month.

This for period of 28 days each as I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its very near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

This is my first review for last month’s budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$30.20
Groceries===$125=== =$55.80
Non-Food===$15
Clothes ====$35=====$11.00
Grooming===$20=====$33.00
Gas======$20
HH items===$40=======$70.65
Fares== ====$15 ====$10
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15
Gifts & Donations ==$35
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$5.35
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$19.28

Note only one amount is a No Spend

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $235.28 under by $314.72

No Spending Days 15 of 28 days

Personal allowance covers health drinks , lotto, books, stamps, craft and hobby supplies.

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

My credit cards are still paid in full each month, it was $450.00
Grocery allotment $125 for each period under by $69.20 this period

Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.

Looking at my food and supplies stockpiles, I think I can go at least until November without buying too much in the way of food and supermarket items. Just all the perishables will still need to be bought so I will see how much can get my grocery allotment in my budget down in the coming months starting with my next post. My next monthly summery is almost ready to be posted here.

I have been working on reading and editing on

trove this past few weeks so haven’t posted that much anywhere.

Here is my Financial Summery for May period.

I have updated my Excel so here are the figures for last month.

This for period of 28 days each as I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its very near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

This is my first review for last month’s budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$18.30
Groceries===$125=== =$113.61
Non-Food===$15
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20
Gas======$20=======$39.86
HH items===$40=======$10.00
Fares== ====$15 ====$10.00
Entrainments== $15 ====$3.00
Garden =====$15=====$1.50
Gifts & Donations ==$35 ===$2.00
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$12.85
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$34.42

Note only one amount is a No Spend

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $250.64 under by $299.36

No Spending Days 16 of 28 days

Personal allowance covers health drinks , lotto, books, stamps, craft and hobby supplies.

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

My credit cards are still paid in full each month, it was $160.00

[i]Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.

I have been working on another site of late but spending very little money too!
One of my hobbies is reading recipes that posted years ago, so as I have joined the Local History group, I was given a link to our National Library Australia digital archives

trove where they have posted most of our old newspapers and the Australian Women’s Weekly until under copyright periods. So anyone can read these online now.

I have been having fun reading and these old newspapers and Australian Women’s Weekly what I did is studying just one year and period that I am interest in. Copying and correcting recipes as I read them and other information as I found them.

With the newspapers I have been looking out for information for my local history group too!
It’s interesting to see how people lived and worked and died over this period, as I am reading World War Two year as I am interested in how to save money and cooking and rationing during that period.

NLA Trove

I am trying to use up some of the items that I have in my pantry that I have bought over the years.
Sago and tapioca are some of these items that I have to use up they are way past their use by dates by a number of years.

Its use it or bin it exercise. I am not putting on weight when eating this recipe so that is why I still have them in the pantry as other recipes I used cause a weight gain in the past.

Lemon Sago
Serves 4
2oz sago
1 1/2 cups water
Soak for 2 hours
Add pinch salt and boil.
Add the rind of half lemon and juice of whole lemon
Then add 1 tablespoon golden syrup and 1 tablespoon brown sugar (white sugar will do if you have no brown sugar).
Dissolve and mix this in the boiling sago mixture and pour mixture into basin to set.
I eat this cold when set with poached whole pears or stewed apples.

Do you have items in your pantry or kitchen cupboard that needs to use up?

Four days of no spending here.

Our city hall has been closed for restorations for past few years, and now is open to the public again. Today I joined my ex-work friends in going to the cheaper restaurant they have there, it's was known as Red Cross tea rooms but a company has been allow to put a coffee shop rest rooms there. It's been laid out just like the old Red Cross tea room without the clock rooms. We had our lunch there today, the menu is limited but eatable, I had feta and spinach quiche and salad plus a mug of coffee. This set me back $14.00 so it's not cheap by any means. Some of the others tried toast sandwiches or scones and cheese cake. Next time if we go again, I will have a chicken salad I eat a lot of toasted sandwiches or soup for lunch over winter so I don't wish pay for something I can make myself. Later we went to look at the other tea rooms that have been put into the city hall, "Shingle Inn" this is a 1920s style one that was pull down to make way for a new shopping centre and was to be put back in the same spot when finish's but never was so the council said they would allow room for it to go into city hall when it reopened and they kept their word on that one. It's so popular that you have to book in 24 hours ahead to go there just for morning tea or afternoon tea. This tea room is the same period as the city hall and all the old fittings have come out of moth balls only thing that not the same is the staff uniforms as old one were not up to safety standards of today. So they have changed them to old fashion 1920s black servant uniforms instead. The original one was colourful prints and long skirts. We worked next door to this restaurant for many years and saw these girls over the years.

Here is my Financial Summery for April - May period.

I have updated my Excel so here are the figures for last month.

This for period of 28 days each as I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its very near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

This is my first review for last month’s budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$36.10
Groceries===$125=== =$44.86
Non-Food===$15=======$10.88
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20=======$4.98
Gas======$20=========$5.65
HH items===$40=======$70.00
Fares== ====$15 =====$10.00
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15
Gifts & Donations ==$35 ===$3.00
Medical & Diabetes Expenses =$70
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$20.27

Note only one amount is a No Spend

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $205.74 under by $344.26

No Spending Days 15 of 28 days

Personal allowance covers health drinks , lotto, books, stamps, craft and hobby supplies.

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

My credit cards are still paid in full each month, it was $590.00

[i]Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.

I have been living off my Greek food for most of the week but I couldn't eat the Easter bread fast enough so I had to bin it. Most of it I froze as I was given more spinach pie I now will have lunch for a few weeks. I have been putting on my new relish them.

I made tomato relish this week and will give away some of that as it's too much for me to eat within the time frame, as I can't eat a lot of it. 3 tablespoons of one lot had me going for ECG. As I took a turn going to the doctor's app. for annual check-up. Looking back it was the tomato relish as my blood pressure and ECG were ok! I had a feast on the tomato relish for 3 days and one has all the things I was food indolence (allergies) years ago. Tomatoes, onions, capsicum, and chilli since I haven't had any for the rest of the week I am ok. No weakness in limbs, chest pains, muscles pains, tiredness, back in pain and neck. I only had tomato sauce last night ok today.

So I will go back to my 5 day rotation of these foods again, see if I am off colour again next time, I eat it.

Here is the recipe.
Tomato Relish with Chilli
1lb ripe skinned tomatoes and chopped
1lb onions - finely chopped
1/2 red Capsicum - deseed and diced
1 long red chilli - deseed and diced or 1 tsp chilli powder or to taste
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar - malt vinegar used
2 tsp salt
4 tsp yellow mustard seeds or mustard powder
4 tsp curry powder
6 heaped tsp of tomato paste (optional)*
4 tsp Cornflour (for thickening) and little vinegar or plain flour and little water
Method
Chop tomatoes, onions capsicum and chilli.
Put all ingredients in saucepan and boil for 30 minutes or until texture looks right and you can smell the spices.

*Add tomato paste when you can smell the spices and cook for few minute longer then add cornflour.
Thicken with 4 teaspoons cornflour blended with a little vinegar.
Into a Sterilise Bottles and keep airtight.
3-4 small jars

'Favourite Recipes' Old Charity Cookbook circa - pre 1982- AUS Pre-metric recipe

As we are 4 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon here, I will make the whole recipe into teaspoons. In cups use 8oz cup (227.28ml) - Our cups now are 250ml.

As I am behind in my posting here is my Financial Summery for March - April period

I have updated my Excel so here are the figures for last month.

This for period of 28 days each as I looks like I missed one somewhere. As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its every near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

This is my first review for last month�s budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$4.00
Groceries===$125=== =$176.17
Non-Food===$15=====$23.12
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20
Gas======$20=======$18.80
HH items===$40
Fares== ====$15 ====$12
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15========$65.00
Gifts & Donations ==$35
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$125.00
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$41.21

Note only one amount is a No Spend

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $467.70 under by $82.30

No Spending Days 14 of 28 days

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

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

As for Medical and Diabetes Expenses - this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up over this period just on medicine that is not covered be refund claims.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month, it was $32.00

Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.

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

It’s time that I posted, this Financial Summery as I almost ready to post my third one.

I have updated my Excel so here are the figures for February - March period.

This for period of 28 days each as I looks like I missed one somewhere. As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its every near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

This is my second review for last month’s budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$21.55
Groceries===$125=== =$79.78
Non-Food===$15=====$7.96
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20=====$22.00
Gas======$20
HH items===$40=======$4.95
Fares== ====$15 ====$4.76
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15
Gifts and Donations ==$35
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$38.50
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$54.15

Note only one amount is a No Spend

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $ 233.65 under by $316.35

No Spending Days 12 of 28 days

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

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

As for Medical and Diabetes Expenses - this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up over this period just on medicine that is not covered be refund claims.

Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.

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

It’s time that I posted, this Financial Summery for 2013.

I have updated my Excel so here are the figures for past month.

This for period of 28 days each as I looks like I missed one somewhere. As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its every near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

This is my first review for last month’s budget.
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$35.20
Groceries===$125=== =$50.67
Non-Food===$15=====$2.00
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20
Gas======$20
HH items===$40=======$203
Fares== ====$15 ====$10
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15========$9.00
Gifts & Donations ==$35
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$44.14
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$72.26

Note only one amount is a No Spend

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $ 426.27 under by $123.73

No Spending Days 14 of 28 days

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 & Diabetes Expenses - this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up over this period just on medicine that is not covered be refund claims.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month, it was $240

The high cost in the Household was for an electrician to fix my solar hot water element. $203

I do keep my bill money separated from this summery. This year I will be budgeting around $750 per period month to cover all my bills and bills for this period it came to $1313.47 part of this was Car major service$ 254.00

My grocery bill came in under budget for this period.
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. I was very tight in some areas of this daily living allowance over this period but I did work out in the end.

Still need to work on a Grocery category and personal allowance as I got to stop spending money on books, I think this is my biggest downfall most of my personal spending is spent on books as half of it was spent on books.

How am I going with my finances in 2013, up and down once I get over paying all my major bills for this half year, I have about little over $1000 for next month then it’s back to saving for next few month until I need to pay these annual bills again.

Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.

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

Manage to get to the city early enough to get all my bill paying done before my first appointment today.

Paid the insurances and my credit cards off in full yet again, lucky there was enough money in my account to pay them. That’s withdrawal of $ 2700 today alone.

Had lunch in city of grill fish and salad, the salad wasn’t as nice as it could have been Avocado and Chicken Salad so next time will stick to a Greek Salad and the Grilled Fish $7.95 plus a Frozen Chilled Fanta $1.00 and Ice cream cone 50c all up the food $9.45.

As the Chiro is paid for this time but will need to outlay next 12 visits with the next visit somewhere around $600 I should think. But do get rebates of $19.40 for each one not much but it helps. My podiatrist cost $38.50 after rebate today.

In all it was expensive day.

I just tried to get on to the Garage that I got that car deal with and haven’t heard back from them as yet!
I will ring again tomorrow just in case the guy who took the call got my phone number wrong as the boss has to phone me!

I want to have a major service done plus a check on my rear tyre as it has a very slow leak. I had a problem about 15 months ago with tyre so it may be the same one if it is then I will save for a new tyre to replace it. It’s a worry as I drove the other day with a slow leak tyre and didn’t know it was that bad. On Monday night I got my son to put more air in the tyres most were 29+ but this was only 13. He put up to 35 in them each time. So I am not taking it out again but to the garage.

It’s very hot here; Friday will be 33C and Saturday will 35C it has been up to 39C but in some parts of the Australia 49.5C. Birdsville QLD, has been hot most days this year so far and was 49C one day this week and not under 40C since Boxing Day last year. Our lawns are almost dead but for weeds so you have to mow them still which I got my son to do yesterday.

Annual Summary Daily Living Allowance parts of my budget for 2012

Here are my final totals for last year.

Eating out- $455---------- $441.95---------under target by $13.05
Groceries -$1655-----------$1368.82--------under target by $256.18
Non-Food -$195------------ $200.41---------over target by $5.41
Clothes -$400---------------$250.28.--------under target by $149.20
Grooming -$260-------------$339.05--------over target by $79.05
Gas -$200------------------- $122.71------- -under target by $77.29
Pets -$200--(5 months)-----$274.52--------over target by $74.52
HH items -$520-------------- $468.29--------under target by $51.71
Fares -$380-------------------$360.75 ------- under target by $19.25
Entrainment -$520-----------$658.58-------- over target by $138.58
Garden-$100------------------$7.00-----------under target by $93.00
Gift & Donations -$455-------$584.73---------over target by $219.95
Medical & Diabetic-$910------$1045.22 -------over target by $135.22
Misc. -$75--------------------$29.00----------under target by $46.00
Personal Allowance-$1170----$1004.28--------under target by $165.72

Daily Living Allowance allotted amount for 2012 was $7495 and I spent total $7155.59 under target by $339.41

Even with being over in six categories, I still manage to come under my budget allotment for 2012.
I did buy new Camera and had interstate holiday that has been included in the above totals.

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.

One thing this summery proves that averaging out over whole year is better than worry if you go over month as you can try to cut on other months.

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 am looking at cutting back other on bills where I can. We will have a very large hike in household insurances this coming year as I haven’t received the bill, I don’t know how much it will be as yet!

I know that my medical out of pocket costs will much higher for 2013 so some this need to be add to bills section as I already am over by $1000 and the first month isn’t over yet! I will set aside $3500 for this one next year. This is for just out of pocket costs.

I know that my medical out of pocket costs will much higher for 2013 so I need to up my bill budget by known cost. Dentist, 2 specialists with op so will add these bills there. So I will just track medicine and vitamins, glasses and diabetic section in this section of Daily Living Allowance. Allowing around $1250 for these items in next year tallies.

No Spending Days 154 of 365 days

Strategy - Review your bills every six months that you are still saving money with your changes that you made since renewed or changed bill companies. Change your habits if you can’t change the company.

I's time that I posted, this Financial Summery for the year.

I have updated my Excel so here are the figures for past month.

This for period of 28 days each as I looks like I missed one somewhere. As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its every near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance
These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent
Eating out===$35=====$86
Groceries===$125=== =$147.05
Non-Food===$15=====$12.27
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20=====$7.49
Gas======$20=======$35.56
HH items===$40
Fares== ====$15 ====$10
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15
Gifts & Donations ==$35===$62.10
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70====$66.49
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$43.20

Note only one amount is a No Spend

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $ 471.16 under by $78.84

No Spending Days 14 of 28 days

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 & Diabetes Expenses - this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up over this period just on medicine that is not covered be refund claims.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month, it was $710

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 and bills for this period it came to $637

My grocery bill came in over budget for this period.
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. I was very tight in some areas of this daily living allowance over this period but I did work out in the end.

Still need to work on a Grocery category and personal allowance as I got to stop spending money on books, I think this is my biggest downfall most of my personal spending is spent on books.

Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.
Strategy: - Track your daily spending down to the cent by writing it down daily.

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and seasonal holidays where ever you live!

I went to a five star hotel for Christmas lunch this year. It was a nice smorgasbord kind of thing about 200 people for lunch. There were eight of us in our own group seven were relations and one family friend. We had turkey, ham, chicken, all hot plus baked vegetables and lot of salads, prawns and large oysters just to name a few things you could eat. There were lots of little cakes and mini plum puddings and custard along with Christmas candy. Drinks were what you paid for when bought your ticket months ago. At our table there six were non -drinkers as we had two children. Drinks were non- stop for over two hours all house wine and beers and non- drinkers we had diet coke and lemonade or other drinks. At the end we had coffee for those who wanted it! Children under 12 got a gift from Santa and if under seven they meal was free too!

I am now looking forward to watching TV on New Year eve. Two of my favourite shows will be on then. Both are English reply plays Edinburgh Tattoo and Night at Proms –Vienna that are show on New Year Eve here.

As for being offline, I was downloading some ebooks and my anti-virus failed twice and I got a page saying that I use up all my Gigabits for the month. As I only have a small amount I still didn’t think I should have used that much as I have never use it in the past year when I was paying for higher amount. So I went offline for an few days then retried my internet Wi-Fi and found I still had over 2G left so will go easy on downloads until next middle of month.

I had a spending spree of sorts today I had to order some new glasses at certain shopping centre as my optical store closed down and the staff move elsewhere. I paid for them via cash and medical benefit refund they cost $179, I will pick them up in the New Year as I am in no hurry for them. I get a new pair each year so I have enough pairs around the house. I handed in 5 old pairs of glasses so they can be recycled for those who can’t afford them in poorer counties. It’s a system that optical store do here.

While I was out I posted a Christmas parcel then did my grocery shopping for the things that were on special that I wanted for December. After having Subway sub and coffee I went to find some Christmas ideas and presents for last few on my list. I got a comfort and toiletries gift for one person which I thought I was paying full price for but it was on special as was the other gift that I bought for the other person which was grocery hamper and both of them had 20% off, I was happy about that!

Also I bought tins of biscuits and candy for other gifts as shocking fillers or extra gifts.

I had a very long walk today so my exercise of walking took hours today. Medical research is now telling us ‘we are sitting too long now these days and this not good for our health’. Well I walked and stood for over 5 hours around this shopping centre today. I struck at it until I got all on my list finished so I wouldn’t have to go again to the shops as the school children finish up this Friday for their annual summer holidays. No parking or very little park in shopping centres after this date or at least none in the shade at 39 degrees C. I was very tried by the time I got back to car to drive home.

I will only shop locally from now on until they go back to school.

It’s time that I posted, before I do the next month’s Financial Summery.

I have updated my Excel so here are the figures for past month not posted so far.

This for period of 28 days each as I looks like I missed one somewhere. As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its every near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Included is my trip to a wedding which I took earlier in the month.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

These are the categories for this challenge.
Items === Approx. Budget===Spent
Eating out===$35=====$72.75
Groceries===$125=== =$30.35
Non-Food===$15=====$11.00
Clothes ====$35=====$95.75
Grooming===$20=====$175.5
Gas======$25
HH items===$40=====$200.45
Fares== ====$15 ====$310.75
Entrainments== $15 ====$56.47
Garden =====$15
Gifts & Donations ==$35===$173.5
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$70.00====$144.75
Misc ======$10==========$8
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$16.89
Note only one amount is a no spend

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $357.64 at home then $800.00 for trip and holiday and wedding came in at $938.52
Total $1350.00 budgeted for month and spending came in at $1296.16 under by $53.84

No spending days 8 of 28 days

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 & Diabetes Expenses - this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up over this period just on medicine that is not covered be refund claims.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month, it was $150.00

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 and bills for this period it came to $1220.00

My grocery bill came in well under budget for this period.

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. I was very tight in some areas of this daily living allowance over this period but I did work out in the end.

Still need to work on a Grocery category and personal allowance as I got to stop spending money on books, I think this is my biggest downfall most of my personal spending is spent on books.

Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.
Strategy: - Track your daily spending down to the cent by writing it down daily.

Enjoy your dinner out on last week. I have always average out on spending money over the year so long as I have some money left at the end of that week or pay period. I also keep a float so that I have some money for these kinds of nights out. I have to budget in Christmas dinner this year at Five Star Hotel as my DIL family likes to dine out $189 for one meal. You only live once.
I would not go if it was every year that they did this. I know they can't afford it!

Here is that salad recipe that mention a few posts ago.

Traditional Greek Salad
(Tomato and Feta Salad)

Serves 6
Prep time 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
2 Lebanese cucumbers
2 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 red onion, thinly sliced
100g roughly diced Bulgarian style feta or firm feta
1/2 cup pitted Katamata olives
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice and/or Balsamic vinegar (50%-50%)

METHOD
Halve each cucumber lengthways and then slice thickly.
Place in a large bowl with remaining ingredients and toss well to combine.
Season to taste
Serve with Chicken Souvlakia or Keftethes (Greek Rissoles)

Well they would come here in the storm season. Only here for 5 days and we just had the two worse storms for a long time. They are staying a motel near where my niece is working this weekend; my sister came up with her this time. The place where they are staying got damaged and one guest left a baloney door open and the storm and wind damaged the room and everything of theirs too! At least my sister knew how bad our storms can be here and left their's locked. Trees down everywhere and just down the road from them a street flooded and 20 parked cars went under water. Where I live and my sister was at my place when the first storm hit we got very little damage here. This first storm lasted about 30 minutes and moved very quickly over. However the second storm lasted for hours it seemed as I went to bed and it still was raining and lightening flashing 3 hours later when we lost power for a few seconds but enough to stop all the clocks working. I know it just a summer storms but over 33000 lighting strikes between the two storms and the loss of power in some areas.

Severe storm warming in South East Queensland We did go out on Friday and I spent the day and evening with them. My son and his wife meet up with us all at South Bank Night Markets (Friday night and day time on Saturday and Sunday) do go there if you happen to in Brisbane on the weekend at any time and we had dinner there and Greek restaurant the food was great too! With an entertainment voucher of 25% off the table cost it was around $32.00 per head including drinks. I didn't spend any money other than on food for the whole day. We had two entree of cheese and dips for the table plus a main course each, I had Chicken Souvlakia with Tomatoes, Feta and Olives Salad (Greek salad I will post recipe) and the others had Moussaka and Green Greek Salad or a non -Greek dish. My niece just loves these craft markets and does make a bee line for them when she comes here to lecture on the weekends every so often they are fly in fly out trips as she lives interstate over 5 hours away from here in the country South Australia. Spending for the day $39.00 all up including lunch which was Thai Vegetable Curry with Brown Rice. Some three more storm cells have arrived today so far but were light here but much heavier on the north side up the coast a little. I will post now as I need to close my computer down each time a storm cell comes over and I have loss my Wi-Fi a number times today.

It’s time that I posted, before I do the next month’s Financial Summery.

I have updated my Excel so here are the figures for past month not posted so far.

This for period of 28 days each as I looks like I missed one somewhere. As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its every near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

These are the categories for this challenge.
Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$20.95
Groceries===$125=== =$111.83
Non-Food===$15
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20=====$9.00
Gas======$25
HH items===$40=====$44.00
Fares== ====$15 ====$10.00
Entrainments== $15
Garden =====$15
Gifts & Donations ==$35===$5.75
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$14.05
Misc ======$10==========$2.50
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$121.87

Note only one amount is a no spend

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $329.95 so under budget by $220.05

No spending days 15 of 28 days

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 & Diabetes Expenses - this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up over this period just on medicine that is not covered be refund claims.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month it was $90.00.

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 and bills for this period it came to $136.69

My grocery bill came in under budget for this period.
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. I was very tight in some areas of this daily living allowance over this period but I did work out in the end.

Still need to work on a Grocery category and personal allowance as I got to stop spending money on books, I think this is my biggest downfall most of my personal spending is spent on books.

I am still donating some old books to a number of charity stops around the place that I will never read or never read again as I need the plastic containers that they are stored in as this will save money by recycling the plastic containers that I own.

Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.

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

I haven't not been near the shops for over 5 days now! I will need to go tomorrow thorough with my friend but I am hoping not to spend at all.

I had some free pizza given to me today as my friend decided to have pizza for lunch. When she does this she buys 3 of them, one to share with me for lunch, one for her freezer and one for my freezer too! I put this pizza into Gladwrap with 2 pieces at time then freeze I do get 4 lunches out of this.

I think she is lonely and tries not to cook in hot weather as it was 35C today here and no rain.
I do other things for her so it's her way of paying me back I think.

Here is another Vegetarian recipe that I found.

Sri Lankan Vegetable Curry

Mix together in large saucepan
1 cup coconut cream
3 cups vegetable stock
10 curry leaves
1 -2 stalks lemongrass
1 cinnamon stick
Boil up for a few minutes then simmer and add -
1 tbsp curry powder
1/4 tbsp turmeric
Simmer and stir for approx. 10 minutes.
Chop up bigger chunks
1-2 carrots
6-8 small chat potatoes
Add cook 15 minutes then add-
2 chopped zucchinis
Cook another minute.
Then add in
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup cashew nuts
2-3 tbsp coriander
lime juice to taste.
Cook further 2 minutes.
Serve with boiled rice.

It’s time that I posted, before I do the next month’s Financial Summery.

I only just updated my Excel so here are the figures for past month not posted so far.

This for period of 28 days each as I looks like I missed one somewhere. As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its every near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

These are the categories for this challenge.
Items === Approx. Budget===Spent

Eating out===$35=====$10.90
Groceries===$125=== =$76.47
Non-Food===$15=====$4.99
Clothes ====$35===== $24.00
Grooming===$20=====$14.97
Gas======$25=======$6.95
HH items===$40
Fares== ====$15 ====$10.00
Entrainments== $15 ===$66.35
Garden =====$15======$7.00
Gifts & Donations ==$35===$45.60
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$6.05
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$85.34

Note only one amount is a no spend

Budgeted for this period $550 spent $292.27 so under budget by $252.73

No spending days 14 of 28 days

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 & Diabetes Expenses - this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up over this period just on medicine that is not covered be refund claims.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month this period I finished paying off my painting and awning that were put on Credit Card it was $937.00.

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 and bills for this period it came to $173.41

My grocery bill came in under budget for this period.
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. I was very tight in some areas of this daily living allowance over this period but I did work out in the end.

Still need to work on a Grocery category and personal allowance as I got to stop spending money on books, I think this is my biggest downfall most of my personal spending is spent on books.

I am donating some old books to a number of charity stops around the place that I will never read or never read again as I need the plastic containers that they are stored in as this will save money by recycling the plastic containers that I own.

Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.

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

Well I have now type up 48 old vegetarian recipes.
From three different booklets and have another three booklets to go on non-vegetarian recipes that I would like to keep. I may have some of these kinds of recipes elsewhere in boxes and folders on computer. But some are old and just a bit different too!

Here are a few vegetarian ones that I have found.

Soy Luncheon Meat
1 medium onion chopped or sliced
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
1-1/3 cups soy flour
2 tbsp cornflour
1/2 cup tomato juice
1 tsp sugar
Note: all level spoons
METHOD
Lightly brown onion in oil.
Blend peanut butter in water.
Combine all ingredients till smooth.
Pour greased basin with a cover and steam 1 hour in pot of boiling water.
Can be turn out when cold.
Serve hot or cold. Serve in slices with tomato sauce.
* Family Favourite

Meatless Sausages
1 cup mashed potato
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 large onion -cut fine
1 cup grated cheese
1 egg
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp marmite
1 tsp gravy quick
Salt
Extra: breadcrumbs
METHOD
Mix together.
Form into sausages and roll in breadcrumbs.
Fry until golden brown in very hot oil.
* Family Favourite

Vegetarian Italian Meat Balls
Mix together:
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove minced
4 slices wholemeal toasted -crumbs
2/3 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
2 tbsp cream
Salt to taste
3 eggs beaten
METHOD
Form into small flattened balls.
Saute slowly.
Put into baking dish and add 1 can tomato soup.
Place in oven and bake at 300F (165C) for 20 minutes.
*Family Favourite

Walnut Cutlets
1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp peanut butter
1/4 cup celery finely
2 tbsp walnuts chopped
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1/3 cup grated onion
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup parsley
2 tbsp hot water
1 tin tomato soup
METHOD
Mix peanut butter with hot water.
Add all ingredients except tomato soup and mix.
Allow to stand for 1/2 to 1 hour (the longer the better)
Form into patties and shallow fry.
Place patties into casserole dish.
Dilute tomato soup with equal volume of water and pour over patties.
Bake in oven for 1/2 hour at 180C. Soup will be absorbed during cooking.
*Family Favourite

Spilt Pea Roast
1/2 lb. (250g) split peas
2 cups boiling water
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup liquid from peas
2 tbsp butter- melted
2 eggs - beaten
1 cup oven- dried crumbs made from stale bread
1/2 tsp herbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1-1/2 tsp salt
Extra butter
METHOD
Drop peas in boiling water; cook gently 40 minutes until soft. Drain well, reserving liquid.
Mash peas with spoon and add 1/2 cup liquid butter and crumbs, beaten eggs.
Combine all. Stand 30 minutes.
Spread 1 -1/4 inch deep in shallow dish and dot with some extra butter.
Bake in moderate oven 400F (227C) for 1 hour till firm and lightly brown.
Serve hot with mint sauce.
*Meatless Mealtime

Spilt Pea Roast is most likely comes from a Vegetarian WW2 era as there were very little split peas recipes to be found at that time that were published but you could get 8lbs on points system then and not all would use just for Spilt Pea Soup. Eggs would have been dried ones and onions would mostly were leeks if it was used in UK. Little else has changed.

Do you notice that most of these titles have a meat sounding names?

Soy Luncheon Meat, Meatless Sausages, Walnut Cutlets, Vegetarian Italian Meat Balls and Spilt Pea Roast

So with these recipes I could make a Luncheon Meat, some Sausages, Italian Meat Balls, Cutlets and Roast.

Of late I have had trying to live off my pantry and freezer, so I have been looking into recipes that I can use with what I have not what need, in other words substitution of ingredients if it's not right.
Using less instead of more ingredients and making portions go just one more serve. So I can cook a meal that will serves 2 then I make it serve 3 by adding something else on the side.

A friend has lent me some of her vegetarian recipe booklets that I have found a lot of recipes that were used in the past, before TVP, Nutolenes, nutmeats, gluten steaks, and rissolnut which I can't find any of but have do recipes for it, so I have left all these off my to saving list. I do have cookbooks for these ingredients but for rissolnut which is the trade name only now!

There are recipes for Nutolene, nutmeats, gluten steaks and you can buy these ones in cans under trade names here too!

Here is an unusual recipe from one of these booklets.

Potato Coconut Casserole
Heat 1/2 cup coconut in 1 cup milk. Slice potato and onion in rounds and place in baking dish in layers adding salt. Pour coconut and milk over and add enough extra milk to come up to top layer of potato. Turn over top layer of potato to put coconut underneath to prevent burning. Bake until nicely brown in a moderate oven.
From Meatless Mealtimes

It’s early days yet but so far I haven’t spent much in past few days. I have been looking at my stockpile and making inventory of what I have got.

Will be making new menus from what I do fine there.

I plan use up what cooked meals that I fine first then cook some more meals up later on! Until I get my dental work done I can only have soft foods. So far I had a roasted chicken meal with roasted vegetables that was in the freezer. Spaghetti Bolognese is for tonight meal. I did fine a tripe and onion sauce and devilled sausage meals so they will on the menu soon. There are still a few sausages in the freezer so will be planning to use those along eggs like Scramble eggs, boiled and omelettes are a good choice too! There is a least 6-8 serves of seafood on the freezer as well dried and canned beans and number of meals of chicken both raw and cooked. When the seafood runs out I will be making fish cakes and Tuna Mornay dishes instead of buy more fresh fish.

I am allowing about $60 for fresh food and one meal out per month for now!

Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." - Boyd K. Packer

It’s time that I posted, before others things do get in the away again.

I only just updated my Excel so here are the figures for past month not posted so far.

This for period of 28 days each as I looks like I missed one somewhere. As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to calendar months so here are the figures that will bring it up to date as its every near the end of next 28 day cycle.

Reviewing my monthly daily living allowance

These are the categories for this challenge.
Items === Approx. Budget===Spent
Eating out===$35=====$43.20
Groceries===$125=== =$116.37
Non-Food===$15=====$26.54
Clothes ====$35
Grooming===$20=====$17.00
Gas======$25
HH items===$40
Fares== ====$15 ====$10.00
Entrainments== $15 ===$66.35
Garden =====$15
Gifts & Donations ==$35===$40.00
Medical & Diabetes Expenses ===$56.20
Misc ======$10
Personal Allowance =$90 ===$69.15

Note only one amount is a no spend

Budgeted for this period $ 540 spent $444.91 so under budget by $95.09

No spending days 9 of 28 days

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 & Diabetes Expenses - this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up over this period just on medicine that is not covered be refund claims.

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 and for this period it came to $606.88

The grocery bill came in over budget for this period.
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. I was very tight in some areas of this daily living allowance over this period but I did work out in the end.

Still need to work on a Grocery category.

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

Now back to trying to SAVE for a new Kitchen next year.