The library called to say that the book I ordered had come in in the middle of last week’s crisis!

“Affluenza , The All –Consuming Epidemic” 2nd edition. by John De Graaf, David Wann & Thomas H. Naylor. I didn’t need to buy it like I normally do this time! I will read it over the next few weeks and give my view on it. Anyone read it?

Well going to the library does cost money, 55c fee for order it in, that was Ok. But I had a $5 voucher off clothes at full price only to use up before the end of the month. So I bought another top, a nice brown one for $11.95 saving $5.00. Then off to the supermarket in this shopping centre, I prefer not to go to shopping centre if I can help it. I got 50L container on special $7.95 saving $4.00 on that one. Oh! As usual I gravitate to the markdown areas, this time dairy case found 3 cartons of skim milk for 28c each, RRP $1.15 saving $2.51 and 2 packs of chicken thighs $1.00 each saving $2.00. I went to the Thrift shop there & got another book on same theme as “Affluenza” title is Slaves of Chic by Joanne Finkelstein. (An A- Z of Consumer Pleasures). RRP $19.95 cost $2.00 saving $17.95

I did use the car today only second time since I filled up the tank too! No wonder I get six weeks between fill up!

After my afternoon nap, if I don’t have it I am so tired by 7 p.m. that’s it time for early night. Then I will wake up around 2am, not a good idea.

I went for a walk up to my Hungry Jack’s for my favorite 30c cone and two cups of free cappuccino, saving $4.90. Bought some eggs at our local supermarket because they have them in the refrigerator not on the shelves. On the way home, I drop in at 2nd hand bookstore and bought 5 novels for $2.00 (The sign said $1.00 each or 5 for $2.00 someone got that one wrong.) RRP value $40.55 saving $38.55

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Prunes Coffee 45c
LUNCH ½ Baguette and Sardine & Tomato Sauce Coffee 50c
DINNER Apricot Chicken & Rice 1 Pancake & Ginger Jam $2.00

Today’s Full Price Tally $108.63
Today’s Savings - $75.49
Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $32.20
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $1343.50

So it my favorite 30c cone and cup of free cappuccino at local Hungry Jack’s mood pick up before I went shopping for my pets. Oh well on these kinder of days I do spend a bit more than normal so I allow some free spending up to $20.00. I went to the thrift shop and had a look at they books any found three that took my interest one was a cookbook on freezing and the other were on health the ‘Take Care of Yourself’ in two versions, one Australian and other American which had more info in the style that I like and printed 5 year later too! It’s cost only $6.00 for the lot. (About $54 new) Now off the get the pet food and other items on the list. Coffee Flavoured Milk 2L bottle 67% off - $1.10 and ‘Fresh’ for Veggie @ 55% off - $2.85, Cat Food $6.75

I drove the car to the shops.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk with LSA 2 Toast & Jam 75c
LUNCH Corn Beef and Mustard Pickle on 3 Crackers, Bunch of Grapes, Milk Coffee - $1.50
DINNER 2 Egg Cheese Omelette and Tomato Pasta Sauce, Chocolate Paddle Pop, Coffee - $1.00

Today’s Full price Tally $70.15
Today’s Savings - $53.45
Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $8.40
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $1044.74

This DF-M is old enough to be my mother. So I am the driver & trolley pusher etc. It’s part of our local block community barter system. (See below.) As we were doing banking, chemist, thrift shop drop off, & grocery shopping in one go, it took over 2½ hours. She always gives me her ‘4c off fuel voucher’ plus a cooked chicken & little cash for fuel. So I am not out of pocket only thing is time & my energy level and whether I can do anything else for the day.

Did some shopping today also, I was to buy eggs but there were none that at the price, I wish to pay & they price has gone up by 12c per dozen too! I looked at the bargain areas again it had some good buys, so I bought some items that I can use or try! Spent $6.90 full price $20.67. So my meal tonight will be part portions of the free chicken & fresh mushroom and Garlic Focaccia Bread which were all part of the bargain areas markdowns today. I drop off some Avon that I pick-up for someone else and with given ¼ of chicken & stuffing, for my trouble. I am well feed in this community.

Our Local Block Community Barter System.
We exchange garden produce, tools, cook meals, ironing, house sitting when tradesmen are coming, water gardens, putting out & returning Trash bins, feeding pets, doing errands for others, shopping, checking on one’s living alone each day. As well driving around, (including to airport (50 km trip), which the fuel & parking is paid, doctors visits, shopping, take them visiting friends etc or taking bulk trash to the dump) time in involved is free, over 8 hours each week, I am doing this for others. As my most valuable asset is that I have a car & time. With this barter system, you do something for someone, then they give you something in exchange and pay any the cost involved as you may be paying bills or doing shopping for them.

Today’s Full price Tally $32.67*
Today’s Savings Tally $25.77
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $383.15

*Full price includes items bought & value of free items or bulk assets storage.

Needed to buy milk for my DF- M, so I had to go the supermarket where I am paying my bills today. As I had to go Transport office to update my information after buying my new car so that I would get my pensioner discount, its worth over $52 for ½ year off the regular car registration. I paid local rates & water bill at the Post Office where we can pay most of our bills in person and it’s agent for some of the banks too! If you would like to pay something, you just look on the back of your bills and it will tell you if can pay them at the post office. (I am claiming pensioner discount on Rate’s Bill that’s a saving of $161.28 a ¼ year) + by due date % $15.04 Saving $52.00 + $161.28 + 15.04 = $228.32

As usual I gravitate to the markdown areas of any store that I go into. Today was not any different I got two tubs of Hummus with 6 week to go on used by date, its just not readable. Reg. price $5.89 tub markdowns price $1.99 saving $7.80 there! I also bought some ‘T-Cut for scratches on cars”, as last night my DS, back into my car with his wife car and marked and scratched both cars. We’re not happy about that one. I tried the stuff that I bought when I got home and got the marks off first time on my car! It cost $7.15 – 50% off plus a lot of peace of mind all round. As I used just the tinniest amount, there is enough for the whole family to use on their cars too!
Saving $7.30 here or saving on $300 x 2 excess car insurance.

Full amounts on Bills ($477.92 + 284.32) = 762.24 – 228.32 = $533.92 paid

Today’s Full price Tally $788.47
Today’s Savings Tally $243.32
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $357.38

Went late night shopping with DS & DIL last night. We had dinner in the food court; they bought crepes with a voucher from the Entertainment Book with two for one deal. , I bought two for one deal Spicy Chicken Baguette, with Hungry Jacks voucher that was in my letter box this week along with a free coffee that’s valued at $2.45 with senior card and small cone. (5.25 x 2 + 2.45 + 30c) = 12.45 – 5.55 = $7.70 saving.

We went to Target; I bought a new hair brushes @50% off plus my 5% retired staff discount of the total of the bill. Save $3.88 off here. Found some Baby Toiletries for a baby gift basket I am making for new baby in the DIL family. Baby items cost $12.35 saving $5.30 after retired staff discount.

Total of my shopping for the night. $21.40 saving of $16.88 on regular prices of $38.28

That’s 44% off saving on the regular prices for the night shopping.

I don’t think you can get this kind of return with shares!

Drove the car to my son's place.

Today’s Full price Tally $38.28
Today’s Savings - $16.88
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $114.06

Today is my lunch date, meeting up with my old ex-work friends each month. As I need to make sure that I get out the house and talk to people other than my neighbors only. We go to a restaurant that has salad bars and gives discount to seniors too! This is part of my food budget each month, as I do believe in a healthy mind & body as well as healthy wallet. As these friends stop coming to this luncheon then I plan to join a local senior group. But I don’t think I am ready to start play cards, bingo or doing jigsaw puzzles just yet!

I spent every little today other than what was budget for. Monthly Visa card balance paid off. Lunch & monthly lotto ticket. The only item that I bought was a car duster -$6 that was on my shopping list to buy. (I budgeted over $20 so I saved $14 here.) Bus fares were pre-paid for this month. I buy ten trips ticket this is saving money, as two of the trips are free. It’s cheaper to go by bus to the city than pay for gas and parking when you are on a pension here. Around trip cost only $2 for pensioner and Car parking is between $4 to $10.00 hour.

While out today, I paid my credit card balance off so I am back to $0.00 again this month.

Today’s Full price Tally $32.25
Today’s Savings Tally $16.70
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $97.18

By the end of this week I will need to use my last Fly buys voucher up for gas, it’s worth looking for the best price as I have to drive 10 km each way to get it. Lucky, Shell has a website that tells you what the prices are at these outlets. Only a few take these vouchers too! Checking the one I normally go to were 4c dearer than next nearest so went to that one only extra km but in the opposite direction and did some shopping and errands that I need to do too!

This gas station is next door to one of larger shopping centres, so I don’t make it a practice for go there just for gas. I found a car park after a few minutes, then walked to do that errand of getting the exchange on clothes that I bought last time there. I by-passed the eatery and walked down to the craft shop, found chair pad cushions on special that I had on my shopping list to buy when found. These ones are the top quality and $8.00 off each that’s $32 for the four that I bought. Saving $32

I headed for the Shell gas station next door. I filled my tank for $31.50 after all the rebates. $1.195L less 14cL in rebates. That was a saving of $5.40 but the cost of fuel here at times differs so the saving would have been much higher if I had bought two days earlier. This car takes a little more fuel than my old car but then it’s six weeks since I did fill up last time! Saving $5.40

Bargain shopping at my local grocery store.

After buying my gas today, I drove to my local grocery store. I do my bulk frozen shopping this week. I bought two pizzas, 6 packet of frozen vegetables for winter, as the cost of vegetables here is high. We have had a cyclone which wiped out most crops. Some yogurt that was marked down to $1, some Sweet & Sour Lite Sauce 3 jars of those, & some sweet corn. Saving for this little trip $22.26 more than it cost me all up. Remembering that little rule of DON’T go shopping when hungry. I went and bought a milk shake @ $1.45 at nearby snack bar saving here too as they're cheapest for milk shakes in the area, this was my only luxury today. Saving $1.55 on milk shakes. Total savings today $61.36

Today’s Full price Tally $162.19
Today’s Savings - $ 61.36
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $ 61.36

I am starting this challenge as from today! -Day 1