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

Our local supermarket closing this weekend for a year and they are building a new one on the site. So no more daily walks to the local supermarket for my neighbour, she will have to plan better in the future. This is the supermarket that has some wonderful bargains in the past. Which I will miss but then I have such a large stockpile of things that need using up. I will need now to plan so that I shop for needs only to fill any gaps but no longer stockpiling.

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

So it’s into a saving mode from now on!

I am saving up for new flooring and kitchen as the painting outside will cost about $8000 all up. I will try and get more quotes next week but almost likely will go with the one I have got now!

I need to review habits when it comes to food, I think I am getting a bit lazy at times.

Groceries ----$1755-------$1601.08-------under target by $160.42

I have allowed $33.75 per week for grocery but I should with want I have in stockpile this should be able come down to below $27.00 per week or under $1404 for this year.

I have nearly used up want is in my downstairs storage area in food. Only very bulky things will be store there in the future.

I do need to do a stock take of what I actually got in the way of food. I do have some gaps but I should I be able to last for few months without worrying about them. Just use something else instead in meantime.

The strategies for this challenge are to list and menu plan my way through until I use a lot of stuff I have already have bought. While I still have protein in my freezers and beans and lentils in fridge with over 5 kilos of rice and a number of packets of pasta still to get through.

I have a lot of flavouring and sauces that I have bought or got in sample bags that I should be able to come up some different and interesting meals.

I will trying to limit my food spending to a very small list of basic items and any food for my diabetics that I need. Some of those items are fruit and vegetables in season, eggs, bread, milk, cheese, margarine, and yoghurt including some fresh fish and chicken, with some red meat when my freezer stocks are lower. I should be able to go about seven weeks without buying too much other than fruit and vegetables in season, eggs, bread, and milk.

I think will need to go back to writing my menus on here.

Menu for this week

Monday - Fresh Fish with Salad and Cob of Corn
Tuesday - lunch out - Dinner Fruit and Milk Only
Wednesday - lunch out - Dinner - Noodles Chicken with Vegetables
Thursday - Satay Chicken with Salad
Friday – Fresh Fish with Vegetables and Fruit
Saturday - Curry Mince with Rice and Fruit
Sunday – Pasta with Lentil Sauce

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

With all this work on my computer, getting my freezer down a bit is a major problem I am still not getting to the bottom of it. I need to defrost some of the bottom of chest freezer meat so that is what I will be doing as it’s time do so. I have 2 turkeys’ leg & roasts there so I am cooking the oldest this weekend. Plus about 3 Chicken Maryland so will using these up and I have a lot of chicken legs packs so will putting these into my menu over few weeks two for the cats and two for me as there are 4 legs in each pack. I got them cheap enough to use them for the cats as well! Most of the red meat is in the small fridge freezer there isn’t very much. But I do have a lot of white fish frozen pieces and some crumb fish so that enough for next two to three months’ worth as I buy in bulk at 5 kg at the time about 32 pieces in all I have used some of it.

As for frozen vegetables I do have enough for a month or so, I will just buy fresh for now!

Just went looking for the roasts and what was in the chest freezer as I was just buying meat & chicken when I saw a good buy It’s time to stop this pattern and use up some of protein that I have already bought.

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

I better follow that strategy for now!

I have done a lot of thinking about how I shop over the past few days, along with a lot of reading and writing and viewing different downloads and links. This task has given me some food for thought and I hope it's given you some ideas on shopping over the number of areas I have covered.

One area I didn't cover is eating and drinking way from home so try limiting the amount of food and drinks you have away from home. This area is the biggest waster of your food budget and I didn't even touch on it. Try writing down every cent you spend for a month and see how much you are spending here. You may find the money for that overseas holiday you only dreamed about.

One of the major points we all need to do at this point in time. Is to review what we have in own homes and use this before go out and buy more stuff.

Some of the other points to think about are:
- Check what we have bought and use it!
- Make a menu using what in the house first then what on special that week.
- Make a price book so you know what the cheapest price is.
- Don't be loyal to just one supermarket
- Learn to cook if you can't!

Links

While researching for this series I came across a number of interesting links some are for small families or singles and other ones can be used by everyone. I don't know how much anyone of you reading this series has explored your government resources in the way I have done here. There a number of free downloads or online reading that I can open on this side of the Pacific Ocean. I have included some I found from Australian websites also!

Some are from US government websites and others are from umaine extension and Mayo Clinic. If you can explore these websites a lot more as there are plenty more to out there to be found. I could give you the links to a lot of downloads but exploring them yourselves will make it more interesting.

The ones that I have given you here that are marked PDF will need a reader to open them.

Mayo Clinic
explore this link for interesting articles

Thrifty Meals for Small Families
At the bottom of this one you will find links to the other parts of this series 5 parts in all.
If you search for Thrifty Meals for Small Families, you will come up with other downloads versions.
Keep the Beat Healthy Heart Recipes PDF


healthier you links to recipes

School meals

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services There are two PDF files on this link that one 130 pages & the other one 160 pages PDF.

Vegetarian Learn about different types of vegetarianism, nutrients of concern, how to plan a healthy diet, and find recipes.

Nutrition index Shopping, Cooking & Meal Planning

Australian Links

Recipes & shopping - What's there to eat? PDF

The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating PDF

Victorian Better Health

Victorian Better Health - Recipes Here

The last of Shopping for one series

This is the sixth in this series

I am lucky enough to have an oversupply of beauty products. I was selling Avon a six years ago so I have a lot of leftovers that are now out of date that I am using up myself. I now only buying one item that I have finish my supply of and still using most other items more slowly as no longer wear make up that much these days. That's what you get when you are your own best customer.

As for hair care, I buy

hair dye and shampoos and conditioners, as I stockpile these when I find a good buys on them I have enough of these items for the next few years too!

So would suggest look at your discount stores for these items whether it a discount chemist or discount store always check size & price for the best price. At times Avon can beat both when they have some of their deals in their catalogue at times. Toothpaste, shower gels, soaps etc. you need to know your prices on these then buy when you find a good deal. I multiple buy if I find it at the best price I had found so far.

So my strategy here is to buy when I found at good price and buy enough to last 3 months or longer.
At a pinch you could use some homemade beauty products but will leave search for those on Google
Try using -- good homemade beauty recipes

Paper goods in the way Hand towels & toilet paper I only buy only on special or TP at 50c per roll or less. I only buy one brand in toilet paper which now here which sold at 50c per roll in 20 or 24 packs.

As for laundry and kitchen cleaning items, I have a bit of stockpile I need to use up first.
I buy dish detergent at the chemist when they have it marked down. As for laundry detergent I use 50% of homemade one and using up some bought packs that were bought on special. Again do a price check before you buy these lines buy at the price and size.

Here some links
The Benefits of Organic and Natural Cleansers

Homemade Household Cleansers

Alternative Cleaners and Recipes

vinegar and baking soda cleaning recipes

This is the fifth in this series

I eat very basic plain food so I can get away without having all these artificial additives in my food more about that later. I do buy canned food and packaged goods but only the one I want and are good for my health. If I don’t understand what in the product from reading ingredient list, I am likely to leave it on the shelf.

On occasions I will find a very good buy in the marked down bin of item that I could make from a recipe found in cookbook or on the internet, I then may buy it to try out then find a way in making that item myself, I do keep the packaging or label for a reference then set out to find similar recipes or methods to make that item. You have to remember that we in Australia do not have any coupons like you have in America so the price you see on the supermarket shelf is the price are going to pay unless it’s marked down or on special in some way.

Single household shopper may not need 10 cans or packets of the same to get these specials deals so we will need to look for other ways or places that sell in singles a can or packet at that price. The other day I saw an offer of Mars candy bars 18 share packs in store the shelf price $2.79, near it was a table with these same Mars candy bar share packs with $4.00 on it didn’t make sense so I asked the staff about it, it was buy 2 packets @ $4.00 or single pack @ $2.79. They are doing this quite a lot lately with other lines.

Only you can workout what food you like and get in your local area you live in.

Here in Australia we can get most things but if they are imported name brand as listed in American or British recipes they can be far too expensive on limit food budget. The answer is in substitution of local or cheaper items from your own area. So look at what’s cheaper in your area and learn to like and cook with these kinds of foods.

I do buy canned tomatoes as I have worked out that when fresh are expensive then I can use the cans for cooking. I try to grow some cherry tomatoes to use in fresh salad and use canned tomatoes for cooking. Only buy when on special at the cheapest price you can find. For a single household just buy 6 - 10 at a time unless you are making soup out of them. I bought 50 cans of tomatoes a few years ago now I still have 7 cans left to use. Far too many!

As for frozen goods I only buy the basic vegetables single packets of spinach, peas, beans & corn and a store brand mixed a vegetable that is diced for quick use, if money is real tight then mixed vegetables and peas and use what’s cheapest in fresh only and make do with these. As for the others frozen good on if the special is 50% off or bigger packet for the same price and then on special I may buy some at times.

I do buy jams buying only the ones I will use in a can and decant it into jars. As for honey I buy 3kg containers of my favorite when I can then decant this overtime the last lot took 3 years to use up but then honey will keep for 7000 years if sealed well.

Bottle sauces, spices & herbs, vinegars these will brighten up your dishes. Look into buying one or two seasonings starting with salt & pepper in each shopping trip so budgeting for these over time will build a good supply up.

Bottle Sauces over time buying a few that match your foods that you eat and in your recipes that you are using. There are some recipes around that will give list of what you need for this. Look into make your own sauces too! I will buy some fancy sauces for some dishes so that I know how they taste like but then look for a more basic version or these if they are in the bargain bins then will buy them again if cheap enough.

With spices & herbs I will buy a little bigger size than the supermarket size and give some of it away to friends if they use it! I have found that buying it in Asian or ethnic specialty grocery store I can buy it for around same price but almost 3 times a much. So check your supermarket out in their normal spice & herb area then ethnic specialty area for a price check & sizes then out outside for other specialty grocery store or deli.

See what you like in the way of pasta, rice, grains that you use to bulk out your meals. Just buy the variety you will use not every variety named in cookbooks. I use basmati rice and buy this on special in 2 to 5 kg bags. Forget buying in small bags unless you are just trying out to see whether you like it or not. Keep rice & pasta in the refrigerator if you have room there. But well sealed, I keep them there but the open container is out on the bench to use. Rice has a bay leaf in it.

Vinegars are a must have in the kitchen but only buy what will use in your kitchen use and in small amounts unless you are making chutney and pickles. Check your recipes for what ones you need and then buy them over time.

Cereals can be handy but expensive so I stick to just one, rolled oats or oatmeal and in the summer I may make up a

muesli

I use powdered skim milk (nonfat milk) for all my dairy needs. I will buy if I find some UHT milk on special then I will buy 2 cartons to have on hand for visitors and use up myself when it come nears the use by date.

Over the years I have been able to make a stockpile of extra foods mainly when GFC was on and now working my way though this, to reduce it down to a more normal level to buy when I’m are opening the one to use or 4-6 spare. I will not be affected if there is another recession any time soon.

My main aim now where possible use & buy on basic items that you can make food from scratch, that’s most food lines sold in supermarkets today. Somewhere on the internet you will find that recipe you will need or just look at the ingredient list on the can or package for clues of what should be in it.

Forget all the humbo jumbo of flavor enhancers, preservatives, emulsifiers, vegetables gums etc, do you want things to last that long. If they are natural and can be bought easily you could use them at a pinch.

This is a short run down of something’s I am doing to shop without coupons.

Some other ideas can be found in this ebook Save on Grocery Shopping on this link

Eating Well on $1 A Day


$120 food challenge for family per fortnight

50 tips for grocery shopping

Seeing that I have not posted my bean patties recipe
I thought I better do so here.

I found this recipe in an old cookbook that had lost it cover. At the time I was looking for a bean recipes to use up 3kg beans, I and my friend was growing at the time. I still have some of these beans left. You can use any kind of bean for this recipe.

Cooked Minced Beans Mixture
Any kind of beans can be used for these dishes. If dried beans are use they must be well washed, then soaked in water overnight, and cooked until tender but not mushy. Mince the cooked beans or rub them through a coarse sieve, using the back of a wooden spoon. (I use a potato masher)

Make a mixture of 2 cups of beans and 1 cup of the following (or a mixture of them): Breadcrumbs, wheatgerm, mashed potato, or cooked cereal. Up to 1/2 cup of cheese or chopped nut may be added, but these are optional. (That's for every 2 cups of minced beans add 1 cup of bulk mixture. Up to about 3 teaspoons of flavorings.)

In the following recipes any of these foods and /or flavorings can be added: Soy sauce, grated garlic, mixed herbs, chopped celery, Worcestershire sauce, Chilli sauce, 2 part curry powder + 1 part turmeric, finely chopped capsicums (red or green), paprika, mustard, chutney, sage, thyme, rosemary, lemon juice, cider vinegar, tomatoes, eggs, milk or whatever you like. Make to your taste. Note:- I divide mixture in two and do two flavors normally curry & herbs ones.


3 dishes of beans

Closer look at Mashed beans texture

Mixing in the mashed potatoes

Using Cooked Minced Beans Mixture

Bean Croquettes
Shape the cooked minced beans mixture into sausage shapes about 20mm (3/4 inch) thick and 90mm (3 1/2 inches) long. Cover with beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs or wheatgerm. Shallow fry in hot oil or in Teflon pan until golden brown. Two per serving.

Bean Rissoles/Patties
Shape the cooked minced beans mixture into patties cakes shapes about 20mm (3/4 inch) thick and 60mm (2 1/2 inches) round. Cover with beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs or wheatgerm. Shallow fry in hot oil or in Teflon pan until golden brown. Two per serving.

Bean Cutlets
Shape the cooked minced beans mixture into cutlets using a piece of macaroni inserted into the end to resemble a bone. Cover with beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs, or wheatgerm. Shallow fry in hot oil or in Teflon pan until golden brown. Serve with tomato wedges and green peas or beans. Serving size: 2 bean cutlets (80mm x 50mm each)

Mashed Beans

Bean Loaf
2 cups cooked & mashed beans
1/2 cup milk
6 tsp. Soya flour
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup wheatgerm
1 cup chopped celery
1 egg, well beaten
salt

Mix the milk into the Soya flour and stir until smooth. Add the other ingredients and shape into a loaf. Bake in greased baking dish in moderate oven (375 F) 190 C for 35 minutes.

Baked Bean Casserole
1 cup cooked & mashed beans
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated onion
1 cup chopped celery
salt
tomatoes slices
grated cheese
wheatgerm or breadcrumbs

Place vegetables in layers in greased casserole, season and top with the sliced tomatoes, grated cheese and sprinkling of wheatgerm or breadcrumbs. Bake in a moderate oven (375 F) 190 C until the wheatgerm or breadcrumbs browns - usually 20 to 25 minutes.

From Old Vegetarian Booklet

Curried Bean Rissoles using the above method

4 cups cooked beans unfrozen
2 large potatoes cooked & mashed but still hot.
2 tsp curried powder
1 tsp turmeric
Few pieces finely chopped capsicums (red or green)
Add Breadcrumbs as dried filler if mixture is too moist.

Blend and mix well.

Shape the cooked minced beans mixture into patties cakes shapes about 20mm (3/4 inch) thick and 60mm (2 1/2 inches) round.
Cover with beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs or wheatgerm.
Shallow fry in hot oil or in Teflon pan until golden brown.
Two rissoles per serving.
About 16 rissoles/patties


Curried bean mixture


Plates of bean patties ready for the freezing

Freezing Instuctions
Mold rissoles or Croquettes as above and put on to plastic plates about 8 to a plate with glad wrap over them to keep freezer clean. Freeze for about 2 hours or more until solid remove from plates and wrap in serving size amounts and label. Cook from frozen this whole shapes better.

Note:-
**You could divide the mixture up before adding flavoring ingredients so that they are not all the same. I have done this on occasions.
**I usually soak and cook 4 - 6 cups of dried beans at one time in large pasta cooking pot with a drainer, cool and then put 2 cups cooked beans per bag then put into freezer. Defrost and use as above when required.
**Now if the beans are old and the skins are the tuff then remove the outer coating of the cooked beans. The beans in the picture were grown in 2006 and dried in my garden I got around 3kg worth. They were a heritage bean. I still have a few left of them.

The Bold and Beautiful Book of Bean Recipes PDF

there are recipes on here including some bean ones

This is the second in this series

Can's of Tuna - You can buy small cans 95g, 185g or large 420g tins only buy when on special or at the lowest price you can get. Most tuna now is canned in Thailand in our area. So buy the size that suits your needs.

I use sardines in tomatoes sauce 1/2 can for me & 1/2 can for the cats. I tried to keep it for myself but that is not going to happen. As for smoked salmon that I do not let them even taste it as one will take the food off my plate if she gets the chance.

Same with canned salmon I have be very careful how I make my meals or very quick about putting it away. As for frozen fresh fish and seafood I use these too! Mainly grilled or poached again the cats get one piece between them I get the other. I don't buy fish that much so it's a treat for all of us. Frozen crumbed fish I get to eat as I will not give them any of it. Same with marinara mix I buy when on special then bag it into single serving lots and freeze. If there is a lot of normal fish pieces in it the cats may get a treat if not then I get the lot. Shopping for one can have its perks by having more expensive threats but in small quantity.

Is Canned Tuna Frugal?


MARINARA PASTA
1 quantity Basic tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
650g marinara mix (see note)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Cooked spaghetti pasta, to serve
Make Basic tomato sauce
Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes or until liquid has reduced by half then adding wine
Add marinara mixture for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
Serve with spaghetti.
Top with parsley.
Serves 4 -6
Notes
Marinara mixes are available from your local fishmonger, seafood retailers and some supermarkets. Marinara mix here is small pieces of white fish, fresh salmon, mussels, green prawns & calamari mix together. All in bit size pieces. Whatever is the cheapest normally white fish & calamari has the most portions in this mixture at times you will get no salmon at all.

MARINARA PASTA cheat's version

Cooking this for one person this is how I cook it.

Put your pasta to boil. When cooked drain and save small amount of pasta water to pour over pasta. This takes about 10 minutes to cook

In the mean time, I find it's better to cook the marinara mix in a frypan with drop of oil by starting with the thickest piece of seafood then work your way through mixture until get to calamari cook this for a few seconds, heat your pre made basic tomato sauce I do this in a microwave add the marinara stir through and serve over cooked pasta. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Basic Tomato Sauce

This is the first in this series

A little while ago someone ask in comments here.

" I am really struggling to keep my grocery spending down, I always allow $70.00 a fortnight, but I am finding it's not enough, I don't eat Meat, I only buy Chicken Drumstick's, can's of Tuna, lot's of Bean's, and veg, but it is very difficult, I would love some idea's from you, how I can stretch it, also Cat Food is very expensive here! I live off of a very tight Budget as it is, but find I am dipping into my saving's more and more, just to live, very depressing, thank you for sharing with us."

So over next few posts I will try to answer some of these areas.

In the past week I have bought more meat for the freezer.
1/2 kg (1lb) Short cut bacon packed into single serve with layer of freezer bag between each layer of bacon slices. 2-3 slices is enough for one serve.
4 kabanas, which I have sliced up and pack into 50g (2oz) packets.
Gypsy Ham 100g which is already sliced will eating over the week.

2 trays 4 x chicken drumsticks (see notes below)

3.6kg (8lb) 8 breast chicken with skin on. (@$6.99kg skin on and @$10.99 skin off this was a better buy even through I had do an extra 20 minutes work than I normally do when buying skin off breast chicken. I got the tenderloins which is most times missing). I bagged them up into 4 x diced chicken 250g each, 4 x 300g sliced chicken for poaching or frying. 2 x250g tenderloin chicken 3 pieces each

Chicken Drumsticks & Wings - I buy organic ones that marked down to almost half price when I can and come home and freeze them immediately. Thaw to use as needed. I buy normally 4 drumsticks packs and portion size is two per serve. So when I cook these I cook for 2 servings.
Rule of thumb
- Large drumsticks serve one & small drumsticks serve 2 per person
- Chicken wings 4-6 per person

Eating it later in the week again.

Breast or Thighs of Chicken - I do try to buy breast of chicken when on special for the same price as thighs and diced it up before freezing with no more than two breasts per pack. I will get four servings out of these packs and they can be refrozen to use later in the same month.

Some recipes that I found

Asian Style Chicken Drumsticks

Lemon and Thyme Marinated Chicken Drumsticks

Portuguese Style Chicken Drumsticks

Cheat's Apricot Chicken with Rice and Veggies

Spicy Yoghurt Marinated Chicken Drumsticks


On this site also there is an ebook p240 that you can download that has some very good information and recipes, these recipes above is in the ebook but written differently. P166


Thai Creamy Chicken Satay

Tomato Vegetable Sauce

2 cups (mixed vegetables, or beans, corn kernels, sweet peppers)
1 bottle of Cacciatore Sauce or any pasta sauce (2 cups)
1 can 400g diced or crushed tomatoes
Few dried herbs
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)

Place the lot in microwave dish, defrost and then cooked for 1.55 minutes (W1100)
or 3 minutes (W700) in microwave.
Serve 4

Cooked drumsticks then cover it with Tomato Vegetables Sauce
Can be served over fish as well!

You must remember that I'm cooking for one.

Size and the way you buy things does counts.

Buy only special or store brands if you can use coupons then use them if it's the best option.

I always think that a good buy in protein is around $1.25 or under per serving.

Its Medical appointments day, once every two months these appointments are on the same day.

Chiropractor and Podiatrist visits both within 1 ½ hours of each other this is so that can do things in between and be ready to catch the bus when finished the last appointment.

Today I planned to do any shopping that I would to do as well these appointments. When I got off the bus I found a pair of shoe that I was looking for but when I tried them on and ready to pay for them, I was informed these shoes shouldn’t have been put in the marked down bin they were full price $139.00 when all the other shoes were $69.00 oh I could have them if I bought gold or red ones for that price but not black which is the only colour that I wanted so I walked out. Not happy with that but I will not be tricked into buying something wanted but could live without. No sale.

Drop by the newsagent and bought GO CARD fare ticket top up $20.00. I don’t need to look for charge anytime I catch public transport with this card and I get senior discounts with it.

While walking around on Wednesday I checked the frypans out that were going on special this Thursday, as I need a new 20cm frypan as the one I got is burning food too much. So I got myself a nice new stainless steel one and a new measuring jug both 30%off all up (RRP $28.00) then marked down to $19.95 after I used my new staff card. When I went to the kitchen shop which had a silicone whisk that I saw on Wednesday RRP $7.95 to $1.55 so I got one of theses too!

I stopped for morning tea and had some pancakes $3.45 with a free Senior % coffee. Off to the book store but in the end didn’t buy any books today. Chiro visit went without any problems so then went to the Officeworks which sells computer programs and I found the one I bought that for $38.09 Saving $6.01 on price tag of which $2.01 was staff card discount. I just get don’t some price tags these days this not the first time the registers scan different to the shelf tags. If it’s lower I now just pay what they ask for it but if higher I pay the shelf price or walk out. In some cases you will get the item for free but not always.

I walked down to the medical refund office as this takes enough time to get my daily walk in as well. Went and did some window shopping in new revamp Wintergarden shopping building stage 1 without buying and shoes were only that I could afford but not my style before going to my next appointment. Off to get my next medical refund before I went home for the day and on the way to the bus dropping in to Crazy Clarks discount store for some hand wash. I found a few bargains while I was there so in the end my $2.49 had blowout to $62.37 I got some bargains while I was there and did buy my hand wash too!

Medium Amber Hair dye was on special this week normally you buy this at chemist for about $16.95 a packet at these discount store you can buy it for a lot less and at 2 for $10.00 all the same colour which is the important part of my system, I bought enough for the next two years $50.00 worth and put it on that credit card. I found a tip that I use to make this work.

Also I bought as well this:
Craft supplies - moulding clay 3@$1.47 & beads for necklace $1.47 = $5.88
Date rolls biscuits 2@ 1.00 & smoked oysters 2 @1.00 = $4.00
Hand wash $2.49

Total $62.37

My savings for the day

Medical Refunds $70.35
Computer program $6.01
Senior % coffee free - saving $2.80
Kitchen items saving $14.45
Craft supplies $12.00
Hair dye $119.50

Saving over all $225.11

I don’t think I have loss my touch. No more unplanned shopping until of

EKKA show time in two weeks time.

Strategy - Know when the best sale may be on and be ready to go!

Strategy - Only buy what you will use when shopping without a list

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=====$22.85
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $208.67
Non-Food===$17.00=====$43
Clothes ====$35.00
Grooming===$15.00=====$50.25
Gas======$25.00
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$42.76
HH items===$42.50=====$190.19
Fares== ====$9.00
Entrainments= $12.00
Garden =====$10.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00
Medical =====$15.00======$7.65
Diabetes Expenses====$50
Misc ======$9.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ====$85.08
Note only one amount is a no spend

Budgeted for this period $580 spent $650.45
No Spending days over the 28 days = 13 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 thing in this category I will need to cut something in other categories.

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. This month bills were around $56 so balance banked this month. These funds do cover all my fixed bills for the year if I can stick to this schedule as I have done for the past ten years or so. On my budget excel modelling chart I can pay the full amount this year.

As for food out, I dined out 3 times this month costing between $5 & $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 looking the healthiest and best deal in the city for now.

I did buy a few new appliances this month a electric skillet and food processer coming in at $169.00 this month for both. My grocery bill was a little high this month as I was stockpiling a few items both food items and non-food items.

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 a good month.

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

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=====$73.45
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $230.61
Non-Food===$17.00
Clothes ====$35.00======$8.45
Grooming===$15.00
Gas======$25.00=======$29.60
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$82.56
HH items===$42.50=====$158.98
Fares== ====$9.00 =====$20.00
Entrainments= $12.00
Garden =====$10.00====$28.56
Gifts & Donations =$35.00
Medical =====$15.00======$44.50
Diabetes Expenses====$50===$43.47
Misc ======$9.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ====$51.04
Note only one amount is no spend

Budgeted for this period $580 spent $811.27
No Spending days over the 28 days = 11 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, bought a Medicine and vitamins tablets.

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 – Books $43.47
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 thing in this category I will need to cut something in other categories.

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. This month bills were around $1125 so no balance this month. These funds do cover all my fixed bills for the year if I can stick to this schedule as I have done for the past ten years or so. This budget will be tight but just doable. On my budget excel modelling chart I can pay the full amount this year.

My food went up this month because I am stockpiling items that I will use over the winter months hopefully my food amounts will start to get back to a normal range but may be a little higher as I need to change to some more expensive range in a few things like bread is now $5.00 per loaf instead of $1.49 per loaf, and I need to buy more nuts and seeds as well special grains.

As for food out, I dined out a 7 times this month costing between $4 & $18 a time most were around the $10 mark as I can no longer eat at fast food outlets. That $9.00 meals at casino is looking the healthiest and best deal in the city for now.

Another large category is for the household section that was a once off purchase of Gerni (water pressure machine) costing $149.00. This was a need as with all the wet weather we are having slimy paths and steps are becoming an issue.

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 a good month.

No Savings for this month over by $ 251.27 on budget for amount. This equals the cost of the Gerni and extra I laid out in food stuff this month in stockpiling both for my own and pets.

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

Went to the first of free diabetes classes, I found it interesting and learnt some things about what is diabetes. The next class is on food so I will be looking forward to that one.

While I was in the area I went too for this class has the top breakfast restaurant in Brisbane so I dropped in for a coffee and had a mini breakfast as I had to start out very early to get to that area on time so had my breakfast 3 hours earlier. This cost $12.65 and when coming back to the city I had a Asian Chicken & Rice Noodle Salad $4.00 with a drink that I had in my bag.

I have been bulk shopping this month so buying ahead to save money down the track. I don’t like having to go shopping for things that I can get cheaper buying else where. By timing my shopping to go with where I shop and whether I have the car with me. So far I have bought $67.82 worth of cat food. For myself I bought yoghurt mix $8.48, coffee bulk $13.30 = $21.78

As I have been changing my diet to more friendly foods for diabetes so the cost of this month is a little high but it will work out over time.

Two days no spending then I had to go buy lunch at Subway $4.75 for 6 inch sub of seafood with the lot including chilli. At least I enjoyed it. I had my list to buy at supermarket, 3x cat litter, 1kg skim milk powder, and fruit. As most of fruit growing areas have been flood here, I look for what was on special seedless green grapes stood out as this is my favourite fruit and I won’t be buying bananas for a while the prices have already skyrocketed. Cyclone Yasi destroyed 85% of the plantations here. I do still have some frozen banana for baking so I will make some banana muffins to use them up. I have some firm pears still in the fridge so I will make some stewed pears as these don’t taste nice and I will sweeten them up when I cook them.

How did I go with my shopping list.

Cat litter x3 - check
Powdered milk - check
Grapes - check

Found myself at the empty checkout so paid for the above and drove home. $18.15 lighter.
I should need to go near a supermarket for my own shopping this week but will be taking my DF-M to do her monthly shop soon!

Well I didn’t go to the shops today but I did buy something for the cats.



Their Flea treatments online as I have to paid for postage so I order enough for six months for both of them. It’s the cheapest I can fine and they are local vet store on the other side of the city. It would cost same amount in postage to pay for tolls ($6.00 return) plus gas to get there.

So I spend $124.70 including postage.

Top price in pet store for flea treatment per packet is $117.20 and I bought two of them all up for $58.60 each at

priceless pets


Saving $109.70 on RRP

After reading this blog

15 Items or Less. I had a look at my own last two grocery shop dockets both are under 15 or less too! Shopping for one person does have it little savings at times. Remember we have no coupons here.

Shop 1 - 6 items

3 pkt Savoury Biscuits @1.09 =$ 3.27 -off $1.51 pkt - saved $4.53
1 Pkt Bread Roll $1.50 -off $1.50 -saved $1.50
1 can Spam $3.00 -off $1.01 -saved $1.01
Home brand Ice Cream $2.19

Saved $6.69 off RRP this week

Shop 2 - 5 items

1 dozen Eggs $2.55
403g Sweet Potato .80
Mixed Fruit $2.00 -off .89 - saved .89
1 kg Tasty Cheese $7.98 -off $2.01 -saved $2.01
1 kg Hans Bacon Rashers $6.99 -off $5.00 -saved $5.00 (manager mark down)

Saved $7.90 off RRP this week

So that’s $14.89 off my groceries in two days.

Also that’s about 20 meals in the future of the protein parts.

I planning of using vegatables and fruits up that I had got here and garden vegetables first. I have plenty of beans and cherry tomatoes for now!

As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to a calendar months so here are the figures for my last period.

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

These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx Budget===Spent

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

Budgeted for this period $530 spent $478.82

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

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

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

Both my fridge and freezers are full as my friend as cleaned her freezer out and we went shopping today and she bought me a cooked chicken and 2 T-bone steaks as well buying her self the same. I got 4 x 1kg each bags of frozen fresh broad beans & large bag another kind frozen fresh bean. I did give two kilos away of broad beans and re-bag the balance into 200g portions which will give you about 3 servings when cooked. I found an interesting recipe that I liked for them. I will post the recipe later.

Broad Beans Provencale

I had one of the T-bone steak for dinner tonight now I can’t let go to waste can I! I had fresh mushrooms in butter, grilled onions slices, cabbage, an egg to go with it along fruit salad & ice cream.

I need to think about my meals for next few days as I will eating out twice in the coming days. Its EKKA time here again I did post about it a few year’s back now in August 2006.
Ekka -August 2006

Trying to use my food stockpile up is slowly working down but no hole in the pantry or freeze yet.

This week I have used some chicken drumsticks and chicken sausage, I made them into meals for 4, this give me another 6 single servings plus the two eat that week. This is how I use my stockpile, I cook recipe for 4 that I can freeze then eat one and freeze the other 3.

This week I will be making a Caribbean Chicken and Fish Chowder both these I have in Maggi sauce mixers that I am trying use up.

I have a large cane basket that I have put items of food that I wish to include into my menu in the coming weeks. This along with wants in the freezer is to be used first.

Stockpile list to work with.

Basic staples
Rice
Pasta
Noodles
Cereal
Rolled oats
Flour
Lentils
Chickpeas

Items in the baskets to be used next
4 cans of Tomatoes
425g Tuna Chunks in Brine
310g Corn Kernels
420g Heinz Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce
95g Tuna with Tomato & Onion
1 jar x500g pasta sauce
1 x can 400g pineapple pieces
1 x can 400g Apricot Nectar
165g can Coconut Cream
180g pkt of Rich Tomato & Cracked Pepper - last one
1 x 45g pkt Fish Chowder
1 x 45 Caribbean Chicken mix - last one
1 x 400g can buttered mushrooms
1 can 3 Bean Mix
Can of Plum Pudding
Butter Cake Mix
Jar of Fruit Mince 410g
Mixed Fruit 375g
2x 825g can Apricot Halves
2 x pkt Flavour Jelly Mix
1x 400g Skim Condensed Milk
420g Cream of Mushroom Soup

Protein
500g ground beef
Basic mince mix
Whole Chicken
breast o f chicken
250g diced chicken
2 steaks for grilling
Bean patties

Plus basic spices & other condiments.
Basic vegetables in fridge & freezer.

What can I make meals out of this list?
This is what I came up with so far
Steak with mushrooms, grilled onions and mixed vegetable
Tomato Sauce - 2 can tomatoes + tomato cracked pepper sauce (sauce makes about 4 cups)
Spaghetti Bolognaise = basic mince + 2 cups tomato sauce - 3 serves plus Chilli mix
Chilli Con Carne = 1/2 Basic mince used for bolognaise, 1/2 can baked bean, chilli powder - 3 serves
Caribbean Chicken with rice -flavouring packet + 250g diced chicken, pineapple piece & juice, & peppers - 3 serves
Pasta & Tuna - 1/2 can flavoured tuna, 1/4 cup tomato sauce mix- balance of tuna used for lunch with lavish crackers
Roast chicken - with roasted vegetables and chicken for salads - 4 serves
Tuna Mornay Fish chowder + tuna + coconut cream + corn kernels - 4 serves
Tomato soup - made from can of tomatoes - 2 serves - lunch with toast
Beans salad - 3 Bean Mix + diced shallots & celery

Jelly & Apricots
Plum Pudding & custard
Boiled Fruit Cake
Fruit mince tarts
Cookies made with the cake mix + Skim Condensed Milk.

Any meals that have more serves that I am unable eat in one day, which can be frozen, are for next weeks menu. Ones that cant be frozen then are use later in the week.

Made and used so far
Tomato Sauce
Pasta & Tuna
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Chilli Con Carne

Saving Money so far of grocery surplus
Banked = $162

This week s menu
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Apricot Chicken with rice
Steak and onion with vegetable
Omelette with tomato sauce
Bean patties with vegetables
Beef Stir Fry
Pasta & Tuna

Oh dear what I have I started here!

Its time to use the make up and toiletries that I have in one of my stockpile cupboards, most are now out of date so they cant be sold but are all sealed so I use them over time. Just need to remember what is there. Enough deodorants, soaps, shampoo and conditioners, tooth paste, toilet paper, foundations, lipsticks, hand creams, face creams and masks to last a few years.

What was I thinking of buying more shampoo and conditioners when I had so many in the first place. I do use a lot more conditioner that shampoo so will start by using up some of the samples that I have first of whatever there is there.

I did sell for Avon at one time and bought a lot of samples then stop selling, I need to use up this stuff first, same goes for some of creams and masks too! Its almost 5 years since I bought it and I am still using this stuff up. I have been taking samples away with me when I went on holidays but my holidays are so few now!

Here just a sample of my sample stockpile

Shampoo& conditioners - 10 of one kind
Shampoo -6 of another kind
Shampoo & conditioner of Head & shoulders -10 sets from sample bags these are most the latest ones.
Two Face masks tubes so very old that plastic tube are perished and have emptied them into a container as they were the same kind. Plus 20 sample masks to use up before I start on any of the six that are there tubes.
I just gave myself my first mask for a year. That was with my 12 year old stuff with perished tube. I do know how old it is as it has my old job store tags still on it.

Oh dear! Waste Not, Want Not and this is just the tip of the pile.

I banked $50 today

I have a large cane basket that I have put items of food that I wish to include into my menu in the coming weeks. This along with wants in the freezer is to be used first.

Stockpile list to work with.

Basic staples
Rice
Pasta
Noodles
Cereal
Rolled oats
Flour
Lentils

Items in the baskets to be used next
4 cans of Tomatoes
425g Tuna Chunks in Brine
400g can Creamed Corn
310g Corn Kernels
420g Heinz Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce
95g Tuna with Tomato & Onion
1 x 400g can pineapple pieces
165g can Coconut Cream
180g pkt of Rich Tomato & Cracked Pepper
1 x 45g pkt Fish Chowder
1 x 45 Caribbean Chicken mix
1 x 400g can Champignons Pieces & Stems
1 can 3 Bean Mix
Can of Plum Pudding
Butter Cake Mix
Jar of Fruit Mince 410g
Mixed Fruit 375g
3x 825g can Apricot Halves
2 x pkt Flavour Jelly Mix
140g pkt Lavish Crackers
1x 400g Skim Condensed Milk
420g Cream of Mushroom Soup

Protein
Basic mince mix
Whole Chicken
Kangaroo roast
250g diced chicken

Plus basic spices & other condiments.
Basic vegetables in fridge & freezer

Can I make meals out of this list?
This is what I came up with so far
Tomato Sauce - 2 can tomatoes + tomato cracked pepper sauce (sauce makes about 4 cups)
Caribbean Chicken with rice -flavouring packet + 250g diced chicken, pineapple piece & juice, & peppers - 3 serves
Pasta & Tuna - 1/2 can flavoured tuna, 1/4 cup tomato sauce mix- balance of tuna used for lunch with lavish crackers
Spaghetti Bolognaise = basic mince + 2 cups tomato sauce - 3 serves plus Chilli mix
Chilli Con Carne = 1/2 Basic mince used for bolognaise, 1/2 can baked bean, chilli powder - 3 serves
Roast chicken - with roasted vegetables and chicken for salads - 4 serves
Small Kangaroo Roast with vegetables & Champignons 1/2 can - freeze balance - 2 serves
Tuna Mornay Fish chowder + tuna + coconut cream + corn kernels - 4 serves
Tomato soup - made from can of tomatoes - 2 serves - lunch with toast
Beans salad - 3 Bean Mix + diced shallots & celery
Creamed corn - served for breakfast on toast - 3 serves
Baked beans on toast for breakfast - 1/2 can
Jelly & Apricots
Plum Pudding & custard
Boiled Fruit Cake
Fruit mince tarts
Cookies made with the cake mix + Skim Condensed Milk.

Any meals that have more serves that I am unable eat in one day, which can be frozen, are for next week menu. Ones that cant be frozen then are use later in the week.

Made and used so far
Tomato Sauce
Caribbean Chicken with rice
Pasta & Tuna
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Chilli Con Carne,
Small Kangaroo Roast with vegetables
Baked beans on toast for breakfast - 1/2 can
Jelly & Apricots
Plum Pudding & custard

Saving Money so far
Banked $40.00

In the Waste Not, Want Not Challenge the plan is to use down my stockpile that I have collected over the past few years. There are a number of areas that are covered in this challenge.

Having found a few cans that I didnt want to open, because they didnt past my safety check when I looked at them.

Please first of all note some of my cans are well past their use by dates so I am going on look of the can and look of stuff inside it when opened. If it looks like any way different than a new can then it failed the test. My health and that of my pets are well more important than a few cents saved.

So Rule number one here is - If it is not safe to use then dont. Never use dented or leaking or blown cans or if the product doesnt look right or smell right in anyway. Still up to now you havent tasted it so also if taste is wrong too! The more different ingredients in the can the more closer to the use by date it needs to be.
Rule two - Only buy want you will use and in quantities that you will use.
Rule three - Know what you can do with it before you buy large quantities of anything. If it food have at least 5 different recipes or ways of using it up your sleeve.

Each year since I have been writing blogs, I have picked a part of my budget to have a closer look at, on how and what I am doing in that area so this year is no exception. I have found some surprises too!

I will be looking at storage & stockpile areas and making effort to use up what I can that I have bought over the years. Now its no good to give this stuff away as much of it is very old fashion or past it best before dates if they have one so it will only end the dump if I gave it away. A little picky, thats the modern world for you! Now if it has any value I am not giving it away, anyway. I will find a use for it!

So a hunting we will go in 2010 the year of Waste Not, Want Not Challenge!

If you read in an earlier post I said that I still have a $100 worth of vouchers that I need to spend by the end of the year at one shopping center.

Well I did manage to get my son to take me there, but by the time I got to his place because he was coming off night shift and needed to sleep first, I got to his place around 2.30pm after getting caught up in Friday afternoon traffic with all the semi trailers (18 wheeler trucks) some doubles coming to the warehouses or depots near his house.

We changed cars and head off to the shopping center which he works at too! This is about 20 minutes from his house as he hadnt had any breakfast let alone lunch we first stop in Lunch hall, just leaving me one hour to shop. So the first shop that used the vouchers as not all stores did. I bought there.

Restocked my underwear & nightwear as I was 20% ahead with my vouchers in the first I think I did pretty well, 2 night gowns, 4 bras that fit, 10 pairs of pants all for $82.69. Now you know me, I like a bargain and yes they were all on special at 25% off for bras and nightwear and 50% off pants.

I end up with $15 worth of voucher left so as I was going out for dinner with son & DIL, I end up giving them the vouchers as part of my share of our meal plus the extra cash to make up the different. We had a Chinese Banquet for 4 but as only there were 3 of us, I got to take home any leftovers now I can see a least 3 meals this weekend will be Chinese leftovers, Chicken & Corn Soup, Fried Rice, Sour & Sweet Pork plus mixture of the chicken dishes. Its not everyday that I have Chinese banquets but I do like them. Normally my son would the leftovers for his next days meals but they are not working this weekend and have a party to go to Saturday.

As for using these kinds of vouchers again, I would not buy them again when you take in the gas and the time to get there. It wasnt worth gas to go back and spend that extra $15 worth of vouchers when the others go there 5 days a week.

As for saving on the day

$20 off the cost vouchers (paid $80 for them)
Underwear & nightwear save $34.50 of RRP
Paid $30 for the meal but took home $30 worth of meals
Snack 2.45 with coffee save $2.45 on free coffee (Senior%)

All up spent $115.14 for the day
Value RRP $152.09 plus $20 off vouchers & leftover food to take into account.

Someone said the other day Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more.

This is very true, I must have bought over the years heaps of stuff from bargain bins as well closing down sales that I have been to over the years. So much so that my storage areas are now overflowing with stuff, all good and usable too! I now dont go to any closing down sales or even look in to many bargain bins anymore I just leave it all for others now. I may from time to time look at food bargain bin ones if its a great buy that I will use very soon then I may buy it.

I can get very mad with myself if I need something and then have bought it just because that I forgot that I had it in the store cupboard. I have bought over the years number items because I did direct selling at one time and finish up with a lot of stuff leftover that I still need to use up even now!. I just dont even think about buying these items in supermarkets or department stores now!

One cupboard is still full of beauty products as I dont go by best before dates, I will use them up if they still look ok to me as they are all still sealed. Most were samples or special deals that I got as I end up my own best customer so I got out that side line once I work this out.

It is coming close to the end of my 56 days cycle in reporting my review on my daily living allowance.

I have had a quite two month so far just kept spending as I see fit. I will need to cut back on my grocery spending as I do have too much food both in my freezers and pantries. I have food stored in a number of places around my home. As one of refrigerators broke down as in not as cold as it should be and I hope I can learn not to need it any longer as it was an old second fridge and freezer combo. I have empted out the freezer section so far and put bottles of water in it to see if its still works for now as the fridge part looks to be still working for now. Items I do store in this refrigerator can be store out side a fridge but needs to be kept safe from vermin.

We will need to keep a close eye on my grocery spending for the next six months to see if I can get it much more lower and use some of my stockpile so that get my refrigerator stores into the freezer which is full the moment. It is a chest freezer only 160 L size so it is a small chest freezer suitable for a single household but not suitable for what I wish store in it.

I have decided to start using my stockpile to make room for fresh stuff next year. So far I found in the back of my pantry 3 kg of sultanas all bought for the same thing, the morning cereal and making chutney. So I opened one kilo which was very sugary put it into water and soaked for few hours then drained. As I needed 2 1/2 kilos of fruit I went looking in the freezer for the mangoes that were past they best. With sultanas, mangoes and 3 granny smiths I had enough for the making chutney along with 2 cups of cider vinegar and 2 cups brown sugar again found in the pantry.

While looking for the mangoes, I pulled out a tray of 16 small sausages and 500g ground beef along with 6 seafood sticks. Then went looking for what I had in the pantry for each meal.

## Seafood sticks diced , can asparagus soup,1/2 can of water or chicken stock, some frozen vegetables and dash of pepper. End up with servings 4 of Seafood Casserole. Serve with streamed potato, rice or pasta as a base.

## Ground beef, onions, 2 packets tomato & pepper sauce, 2 cans whole tomatoes & can of tomato soup, chicken stock. End up with 8 servings Spaghetti Bolognese. Serve with streamed potato, or pasta as a base

## Sausages, 1/2 cup cooked rice, 2 cups of chutney sauce (from making the chutney which I had drained off), 1/2 jar of Teriyaki Sauce, 1/2 cup sultanas, onions, chicken stock, and streamed cauliflower added at the end. End up with 5 servings of my version Devil Sausages. Serve with streamed potato, corn chips, toast or pasta as a base.

I didn't need to go to the supermarket at all as I had enough in my pantry and freezer to make all of the above. All meals now are in the freezer to use over next few weeks and the chutney is in fridge to be used in the coming months, I got 7 jars and 2 cups of chutney sauce from that recipe which is posted here under

Fruit Chutney.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Sweet & Sour Chicken with Rice
Monday ~ Devil Sausages with Streamed potatoes
Tuesday ~ Spaghetti Bolognese
Wednesday ~ Roasted Chicken & Vegetables
Thursday ~ Omelet with Salad
Friday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Saturday ~ Leftover's Night

It’s time to review my Frugal Challenge Year at the half way point.
I did use all my gift vouchers that I had received over past six month, even using one for part payment for my new stove & oven that I bought last month and paying the balance in Cash.

My credit cards are still at Zero balance but for the debit amount which is paid off each month.

My survival kit & resources are coming along nicely, only a few items needed to buy now. I will be able to stay out of the supermarkets if there is a food crisis in my area at anytime in the future. May go to the camping stores instead for extra items that I don’t want to stock to much of for now.

All bills are paid and up to date. I am able to go out when I like to as I have put money away for such outings.

Food and Gas prices have risen over the past six months but I am still able to manage as I have stockpiled some food items because of that I’m now living off last years prices and will only replace if I find a real bargain in that line only. I can afford to wait awhile!

As for Gas, I only drive on a need bases and limit the distance that I’m driving. Each time the gas is low in my area, I will fill up if I need too! But again I can afford to wait to see if the price does go down too! By shopping locally and keeping my driving to under a 50km around trips and staying off the troll ways this is helping with my budget, as time is not a factor for me.