Two outings in the same week first off a Birthday dinner at Mexican Restaurant Montezuma's , it's not a expensive restaurant so picking the most suitable meal from the menu is the biggest challenge
Taking into account what I learnt at my diabetes class I had to pick something with beans in and with not a lot of cheese. The family always orders cheese and bean dips with corn chips for starters. You get three dips so I had a bean dip with corn chips, this turn out a big mistake as it filled me up for the dish that I order. It was the house special Montezuma's Delight as it had a white corn tostada smothered with frijoles, cheddar, heaped with diced raw vegetables salad, ranchero sauce, sour cream topped with two black olives. I had the Pollo/chicken version, it was nice and eatable but I only could eat half of it and had to ask for container so I could have the balance next day. But it wasn't as nice as the sour cream did't microwave as good. Next time I will not have the bean dip and corn chips and then I may be able to eat it all. Cost for the meal $18.00 plus 1/3 the dip and I had water to drink.

It was lunch date with my ex work friends at the casino and as they have put up the cost of the meals in restaurant that have been going to we went back to cheaper one. There they reduced the prices for members but with limited choices. Looking at the menu when you are on no mashed or chip potatoes or jasmine rice with limited cheese choices, there isn't much to choose from. The choices from memory were Beef Lasagne with mashed potatoes and mushy peas, Battered fish salad with chips, 2 Lamb & rosemary sausages with steamed vegetables & mashed potatoes, Chicken kebabs with pickled salad and jasmine rice and Smoked salmon quiche with salad. I had the Smoked salmon quiche with salad with small bowl of fruit salad and 2 cups of coffee plus water all included for $9.00 for members and $14.00 for non members . You could have had 30cm square of cake instead of the fruit salad but I had had my fair share of sweet things this weeks and I had taken along with me small Easter eggs to share with the others also. At night I had a

bowl of lentil soup with toast for evening meal.

Strategy - Try to drink water with your meals when you are dinning out and if you on a special diet try to stick to it as best you can.

I had to go to the Eye specialist one day for tests to make sure that my eyes weren’t affected from the diabetic so far. My cataracts are stable for now and no problems from the diabetic so $190 later I am all clear for next two years so long I see my optician annually which I do as I am allowed one almost free pair glasses annually and I have 4 pair in use. While out I found another GI Diet Handbook that I didn’t have so I bought it for $22.95 and I seen it else where for $38.99 and they had the one I was looking for $38.99 also but didn’t buy it.

Second day was my lunch date with ex-co-workers. I had to pay a few bills and get a refund on that Eye Specialist Bill so Medicare paid $70.00 so out of pocket was $120.00 as I knew I would be it was expensive last time I went. Paid my credit bill in full $50.00 and my power bill $74.00 and bought the book on GI Diet on Diabetes that I was looking at the day before for $35.00 and the latest version 2011 too! Online ones were published 2007 for $35.00 + postage. So I am ahead on that one.

Lunch menu this time was expensive as the casino had put there prices up by $10.00 and no member discount but did get a senior card discount 10% so $27.00 for lunch just to expensive for my liking and the food menu has changed to a more Asian foods and it wasn’t hot for that matter. So we said at that price and menu change we move on to a different restaurant next time. Some of them don’t like the other restaurant but we will go there until we find somewhere else to go. I can’t afford to pay that price every month it was bad enough at $20.00 but now that I have to be real picky about the food I eat with my diabetes.

Saving on books RRP $38.99 each
$38.99 -$ 22.95 = $16.04
$38.99 -$35.00 = $3.99 or online $ 6.50 p&p
Saving $20.03 on books that I needed by shopping around.

I am trying to do two 20 minutes walks a day now, as part of my exercise as I can’t do to much as it makes me lightheaded and very tried. But I am still giving it ago.

This morning I did walk to the shops for my neighbour MF-M to get her some fresh milk, and I bought some ground cumin as I was out of this when I went to cook the other day. I stopped by the second hand book shop and got 2 cookbooks and 4 magazines about greening world, they have some articles that I wish to read at some time and at 50c each it’s now or never buying.

Spent $4.00 on books and $1.30 on spice
Tonight I am having dinner with the family so don’t know what I will be eating yet!

What you may ask? I went to the doctor’s one day last week to get the results of Glucose test that I had done. It came back that I was now Diabetic type 2 this may explain my chronic fatigue that I have been having over the past few years where I didn’t feel like doing any housework but for things that had to be done. Then only in short tasks time periods if it took more than 2 hours it never got started or it never ever got finished period. After two hours I had it for the day and had to sit or lie down for an hour or so just I could finish off if I had too! If had to do something for other people then that was it for the day. Just getting the basics done some days was a chore, that was only cleaning up after the cats, empty the rubbish, wash the a few dishes and make my bed.

My glucose levels at fasting have been border line for the past 20 years or so but never going into diabetic levels. So it has been coming on for years but I am still in a fasting 5.5 range but with a 12.9 after 2 hours. So now I am a diabetic type 2 and on diet control. Until told other wise I will be trying low GI diet control along a higher protein intake using more legumes in my diet to keep my budget in control. I will be having more expenses but that can’t be help.

Now I have to do a lot of reading on diabetes and what I can and can’t eat extra. I have join our local Diabetic group and downloaded some of their recipes and found out about free classes that they have and what I can get by signing with my health card. Yet it’s very earlier days.

I will have to make up a balance menu plans and look at what not wanted in my pantry anymore.

I have a lot of books on GI Diet so I don’t have go out a buy them.

I have been only buy things that I need in the way of food and will need to change my shopping a little to take into the need for my fresh vegetables and only buy enough for the next few days not enough to last until the next shopping trip. Less is more will be the way to go. I will need to exercise more about 30 minutes per day. But I don’t wish to walk to the shops each day exercise either. I may do this in the early morning and again in the late afternoon for about 20 minute’s time each. Plus any extra exercise that I get when I go to the shops but when I go to a shopping centres or city I don’t need to exercise at all as I will walk long distances when I am in these areas for hours.

On the Free food front. Yesterday DF-M was looking for me while I was out to give me my share of black grapes and Roma tomatoes about two kilograms of each from the family farm. These will be the last lot of grapes that I will eat for a long while. Now the persimmon tree is fruiting and I been give one each day so will need to check out this fruit as they are so big 350g each on my new diet. Cash Value of all this free fruits is quite high much of these lines were hit by the rains if not flooding. Tomatoes $6.98kg, black grapes $3.98 kg and persimmons are $1.50 each here.

I found a easy soup recipe that I will today. I will post it later if it’s any good.

I have spent the last few days around home in a heat wave. So had 5 no spend days and one day other where I just bought Gas.

So today I went out and I finally I did spend some money today, I went to the city to have lunch with my ex work friends, this is our 13th year of having lunch once per month together. We still are going to the same place the casino; we each pay $20 for all you can eat meals. As king prawns are quite plentiful so prices are down that they are on the menu so long you peel them yourself.

I did spend some on pokies but end up winning more than I put in so came out square.

I also bought my next top up on GO CARD which is the way pay travelling on public transport here, if you didn’t have a Go Card then you will pay more for the same trip. The way I see it on Fares is buy in advance for next few months, as I only travel in about 3 round trips per month. I like it when I don’t have to worry about if I have enough money on the Go Card so when I am down to the last 4 trips value on my regular trips then will top up when I am in the city next . One thing you have to remember is to reregister your GO card if you don’t have a senior card version which I do as you can lose the credits on your card if you don’t. ….. $20 on Go Card.

This afternoon I walked up the street to the shops to buy a newspaper but it with sold out but in the end I bought some candy, yoghurt and grapes spending $7.57.

I also bought some second books as I felt like buying a book or two, I did go to two books stores in the city but the end I didn’t buy anything from them, so Looked at the op shops locally and end up buying 4 books not that I need any books just something different to look at and at $3.00 for the lot I came out better than buying some the new books that I was thinking of buying earlier in the day.

So all up I spent around $50.00 for the day.
One social outing, Fares, grocery, books

Update on the Christchurch Quake - 145 bodies and still 200 missing but some of these will be in the body count. 1/3 of the city will have to be pulled down as they are unsafe to go near, this includes the tallest building a 26 stories Hotel.

NZ's quake toll surges, hundreds missing

Christchurch CBD to be cleared: minister

Musician recalls 'mayhem' after earthquake

The family next door to me has family in Christchurch but all are safe but 2 families have lost their houses and one house was only 2 years old and is standing on it side. Also she was in a shopping centre at the time in a change room trying on clothes and only had her undies on. She had a toddler with her in a pram; she found her clothes and quickly left the building. Went to get the car only to find that the car parks ramps had all come down, then had to walk home only find her house on it side. At least they are all safe.

I went to a handbag party at my DIL house but I thought better of buying any of the bags they had. They are the ones that you can change the outsides to make a new handbag with just few clicks. There were four sizes but at the prices that I could ill afford. I did take a friend with me and she did buy one so did most of the others at the party. The one that was big enough for a carryall tote bag had a price tag of $208.95 for that price you get a basic bag plus 2 overside covers. But this bag is still too big for me and the one smaller is just too small and I have a number of bags that size at home. So I didn’t fall for buying a bag that I didn’t need so a No Spending Day.

I ended up just having lunch and coming home to rest. I was driving with a headache coming on so didn’t like to be out to long.

While the floods were on and having a blackout because of the flooding when one of the substation when under in our area. I wasn’t affected in the floods but lost of power for 4 hours and all the traffic lights were out around us and the businesses were on half power or rolling blackouts. Places went under water only 200 metres down the hill from where I live and the shopping centre is out of action for a number of months as it went underwater to the roof around 30 shops and businesses.

My 22 year old microwave decided to stop working and I had go out an get a replacement which I did when the rain stopped and some of the roads were safe to drive on. So I went looking at a large shopping centre not affected by the flood to price out a new one. My budget for a replacement was around the $300.00 mark for the largest and best in that price range. I looked at a number of models started to cross check pricing between stores. As I wanted 34L model with large inside cooking area. Most I found didn’t have large inside cooking area. It was between two models of the same brand that I liked LG - 34L 1100W - 3446 or 3448 models the only problem was, that they didn’t have any in stock to buy. One place was selling them for $226 (3446 model) and another $219 but no stock for 2 weeks but with all the microwaves that will be sold in the next few weeks, it could be months. So I came home without one. Later in the afternoon my DF-D was going out to drop off some items for the flood victims so I went with her and afterwards we went shopping for my microwave in a different shopping centre. I end up getting the LG - 34L 1100W - 3446W one for $200.00 cash. So I saved $26 on that model and $100 less than I budgeted for.

I still pondering about the hospital cover this year, I still have two weeks to do it before I need to pay an extra 2% on top of that amount quoted. I will have to pay this levy for next 10 years before it’s reduce down to what a 31 year old is paying which is 40% less than the quote given for this year. Now will I live to 75 is the big question and can I afford $20000 plus for next 10 years on a pension with the cost of living around here tripling in next 3 years. My figures say I can just do it but will have out of pocket expensive also plus the extra $500 on top. This $500 will be a float that I would need to budget for each year if I go into hospital every year.

I will need to re-just my spending as I’m planning to do the blue ribbon cover with the $500 out of pocket. As I had a fall yesterday on the back steps as everything is becoming mossy with all this rain we have had, just for the record it hasn’t been this wet since 1854 that long before our major floods here in our city, 1893, 1896 & 1974. I have a small garden bed that water is not draining down into the soil as its very large pipe and can’t be pull out an time soon. Oh my falls, I only hurt my elbow and thumb on different arms nothing broken just sore. I have asked my son to use his machine to clean my paths & steps ASAP. I may go and buy one myself soon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eating out===$35.00=====$60.60
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $99.72
Non-Food===$17.00
Clothes ====$35.00=====$9
Grooming===$15.00=====$22.73
Gas======$25.00
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$$39.60
HH items===$42.50======$1.79
Fares== ====$9.00
Entrainments= $12.00
Garden =====$10.00=====$2.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00=== $30.95
Medical =====$15.00=====$17.40
Misc ======$9.00=======$15.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ==$59.10
Note only one amount is no spend
Budgeted for this period $530 spent $350.16

No Spending days over the 28 days =12 days in total.

I have been spending a little in the personal spending area on some books, and candy but as I had a small win on my playing pokies over the last month this did reduce the amount down a little. I had a lot of few bills this month in the way of painting and flea treatment for the cats so I had to watch what I spent money on. My eating out for the month was over a bit and it will be the same this month I would think too as I planning to a least two outings and putting in for the Christmas meal.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month. I am still under my budgeted allowance so I am on track by being under budget by $179.84, this saving did help to pay the painters bill.

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

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

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

I had a no spend day today.

Well I did it, 7 days straight not spending any money, I did try to on last Sunday but in the end I came out better than I went in.

My friend is away for a few weeks so I am not shopping for her now! My other friend has just come back from a trip with her daughter and I did do the collect the mail and feed the birds & fish run each day while she was away. So last Sunday she took me to the local club and paid for my lunch and I played the pokies while we were there. I tried to spend $10 but I end up coming home with $25.00 so in fact I didn’t spend any money but came out ahead.

Today is a spending day as I have a trip to the city, and I need to pay a bill and check as few things out the whether I go with the hospital cover or not. I need to do the sums as the public hospitals are having trouble keeping pace to the number of people going there. The question is still can I afford over $132 per month for the rest of my life plus everything else.

Yesterday I took my elderly neighbour to the hardware store the largest in our area, as she had to buy some plastic ground sheeting to cover her garden where she is not growing anything this year in it as she is going interstate for a few months this summer. Now the one she uses is a builder black plastic and you buy it by the roll, 20m $54.95, some cord to tie things up in the garden and around the house, you could buy this by the metre but no she wanted a roll of it $25.75. Another large plastic container $16.95, some garden supplies, odd and ends $48.35 worth so hardware trip costed about $146.00.

After I packed up the car it was off to the supermarket for just a few things and quick look at the new upgrade at this one or so I thought. She like the new upgrade and $66.00 later including a tray of 12 mangos @$3.48 each for her family she is visiting today. We are off the Chemist, bakers and the butcher at another shopping area closer to home. She picked up medicine, along with the 5 bread rolls that she likes. At butcher’s cooked chicken ham and egg all up around another $74.00. Now I wanted to go home but first I had to take her home then unpack the car with all her stuff that she bought before I could. I got given half the chicken for lunch and 2 slice of ham. So 3 hours later after we started out I got home and again I had a NO Spend Day.

I do know that she has to pay for taxis if she goes anywhere alike this on her own and where we live to and from the hardware store would have been around $40 each way. If I want to buy anything its best I go on my own that way I can fit it in the car.

Until next time!

Yesterday I took my elderly neighbour to the hardware store the largest in our area, as she had to buy some plastic ground sheeting to cover her garden where she is not growing anything this year in it as she is going interstate for a few months this summer. Now the one she uses is a builder black plastic and you buy it by the roll, 20m $54.95, some cord to tie things up in the garden and around the house, you could buy this by the metre but no she wanted a roll of it $25.75. Another large plastic container $16.95, some garden supplies, odd and ends $48.35 worth so hardware trip costed about $146.00.

After I packed up the car it was off to the supermarket for just a few things and quick look at the new upgrade at this one or so I thought. She like the new upgrade and $66.00 later including a tray of 12 mangos @$3.48 each for her family she is visiting today. We are off the Chemist, bakers and the butcher at another shopping area closer to home. She picked up medicine, along with the 5 bread rolls that she likes. At butcher’s cooked chicken ham and egg all up around another $74.00. Now I wanted to go home but first I had to take her home then unpack the car with all her stuff that she bought before I could. I got given half the chicken for lunch and 2 slice of ham. So 3 hours later after we started out I got home and again I had a NO Spend Day.

I do know that she has to pay for taxis if she goes anywhere alike this on her own and where we live to and from the hardware store would have been around $40 each way. If I want to buy anything its best I go on my own that way I can fit it in the car.

Until next time!

Today I went shopping with my elderly Italian neighbour, the one I have breakfast with each morning. First off it’s a trip to the doctor’s then off to a big shopping centre, I am the driver. Trying to tell her that the two winter nightgowns that were to big for her will not returned at full price was impossible without a docket so instead of getting $29 each for them you only can get the refund on the last price registered in the store so she got a refund slip of $19.57 for both. Off to the sleepwear department no winter nightgowns only summer ones. She bought three them and had to pay an extra $33 for them after the refund slip.

Next stop, looking at drinking glasses that were 25% off we found nice ones for $50 less 25% =$37.50 for six. Not good enough I like crystal ones so off we go to the major department store. Found the ones that she liked @$32.95 EACH. Oh she wanted to buy SIX of them, help I wanted to go home. So we went looking for the item that we went in there for but they didn’t stock it. Then we go back to look at the crystal glasses again after being told it would cost her almost $200 she decided not to buy them but buy the other ones instead later. Her glasses get broken often and I think she has too many anyway but that’s another story.

Next stop to buy the cleaning product she asked me to buy yesterday. I thought that is all she wanted but no she did a full shop and we are here to buy bulk stuff at the last store near the car, help I want to go home. So $140 later we exited the supermarket. Then I had to take the grocery to the car as with a walking stick and elderly neighbour I couldn’t handle a second trolley too!

Next stop to buy the Glasses we first saw for $37.50 for six, not happy with just six but eighteen of them. So $112 later, we are off to get the stuff we came for large box of laundry powder on special, two trigger hose nozzles, and 81L plastic container now I am worried that I will not get it all in my small 2 door car. So $88 later we are out of there. I got it in by putting the groceries on the back seat and box and glasses etc in the boot. I had a good NO SPEND DAY as I was just the driver there was no room for anything that I would have bought anyway.

While I was cleaning out some papers today, I found some old power bills from my parent’s time in this house. They pasted way in the early 1990’s so I do know they are their old bills as dates match that time.

My current power bills with 1kW Solar panels and solar hot water system are lower than that time by $60 and cost has risen somewhat. Same amount of power to run this house as then pre-solar.

I don’t use as much power now as then with solar and as there are not as many people in the house now. Four adult’s then and now only one adult.

Here are some samples
Winter - 1989 … 97 days … 2197KW cost $169.66
Summer - 1989-90 … 90 days … 1587KW cost $120.71

I haven’t got any bills since when the solar Hot water was installed.
Pre solar hot water bills
Winter - 2010 ….. 90 days … 898kW … solar rebate 42kW - cost $109.50
Summer - 2009-10 ….93 days … 1027kW… solar rebate 127 kW - cost $68.98

Rate now are very different to then. They now charge for service to property and as rates for anytime usage and off peak HW usage as well a solar rebate. These go up each year too!
Rates now around 20c kW and off peak 11.66c kW + service daily 24.55c then less solar rebate 44c kW

In 1990 it was about 11.51c kW and off peak HW 6.11c kW and no service charge.
(I have added them together here above) Both lots of bills do have Senior% in them.

Then you have now a Community Ambulance Cover at rate 30c daily per power bill in our state.
It’s good in one way we don’t need to pay for Ambulance if you need one. Just don’t own multiple properties in this state that all, pensioners are exempt from this charge.

Yesterday I went out with a friend and her Asian student to the local sport club. I had to pay my annual membership again. All of two dollars but it does have a lot of discounts that you can get too!

First up we had lunch as it was pension day, with a special menu for pensioners @ $6.90

Roasted Beef or Pork with Vegetables
Fried Fish, Chips and Salad
Spaghetti Bolognese
All served with a Steam Ginger Bread Pudding and Custard

I had Roasted Pork & Vegetables and dessert

If you weren’t a pensioner you paid $10.90 + $5.90 for the dessert but you do have more choices.
So I saved $9.90 with senior %.

Afterwards we went to coffee shop there and had coffee and muffin or raisin toast for $5.50 instead of $7.50 with our membership cards, it looks like with a member card you can pick up a lot of deals but it can be expensive if you are not careful as they have poker machines there.

$2 membership, $5.00 pokers, $12.40 food, I spent in total $19.40 and saved $11.90 by having the right cards.

All these come out of daily living part of my budget. So along we don’t do this to often my budget will still work.

I had a great day in the city today! I went to lunch at Casino again with my ex-workmates. We haven’t worked in 12 years next month, all of us were retrenched at the same time and enjoying our retirement now. We do meet every month like clock work not always the same ones but someone turns up each month, this time nine of us turned up about the normal number for our group.

Before lunch I set out to pay all my bills that are due this pay. This saves me an extra trip of running around early next month as most are due then. I like to pay as many bills over the counter as I can as this is away I can remember that I haven’t missing them. It’s a route now to pay the bills on certain dates that I go to the city. Some of the bills are paid via bank debit and another’s via post then the council rate bills are paid at the main counter so that I remember that they are paid and I get my discount and all credit card bills are paid when I am near the banks again over the counter. I did buy some birthday cards for the August Birthdays, another USB stick, A Moroccan Cookbook that I wanted, top up my fare card which is called a Go Card here which allows me travel around without having to find change for fares.

Costs
Lunch _________$13.50
Gambling ______$8.00
Fares __________$20.00
USB stick_______ $12.99
Cookbook ______$14.95
3 Birthday Cards _$2.00
Bills total ______$505.00

Total __________$576.44

I will need to report on what I am using and how I am using it if its not the norm and what I have found to use in the future.

Doing my Weekly Menu plan again

I will continue with my Monthly Living Allowance reports.
Hopefully I will see a downwards trend on my spending.

Include a report on any saving money transferred to ING account or other accounts.

Any saving will used to replace the cost of painting my house this year.

I wouldnt say I was a spendthrift by any means just have a collection of a lot of stuff over time. Some things came with the house and are still here today. Its a case of do you have still got Mum or Dad or Nana or Aunty this or that! Now that may be a strange to some of you that move around a lot but as a family member built this house in early 1950s and some family member has been living here ever since. Its alway been thought of as the family retirement home the only problem is that I just retired in the last few years as I came here in my twenties with my parents and have been here ever since. A few pieces of the furniture came into the house when it was new!

Its time to use what I have got here then find a home or sell things that I will never use again. I do know that I could sell some of it on eBay if I ever wanted or had too!

If I ever move from this house in the future I would reckon that I could only take about 20- 25% of what I have here now! I think its time to start review what is that very special to me.

Weekly Main Meal Menu
Sunday~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Monday ~Steak & Vegetables
Tuesday~ Scramble Eggs on Toast
Wednesday ~ Spaghetti Bolognese
Thursday~ Leftovers night
Friday~ Grilled Crumbed Fish with Vegetables
Saturday~ Chilli Con Care & Corn Chips

Today was my monthly lunch with friends; we went the casino again but to a different restaurant this time. They have charged the rules there. Early on you could get a meal for $10.00 with Coffee and Cake with about 10 different meals to choose from with table service, now it has charged a great deal, it self service in that you get your own tray, cutlery and napkin tell the chef which meal you are having then you move on to get a cake if you are having that then to cashier.

Most of us a have members cards but different colours so if you white one which by the way most do have that one then you are classed a non-member and need to paid $14.00 for same thing as before but the menu for this meal now is a pick of two dishes only, all other meals are $9.00 or $12.00 and extra for coffee & cake of $6.90. Personally I was not happy with the meal today but our lot the majority wins!

So next month we may go back and see what the other restaurant has in store for us. They may be changing the rule there too!

So I had Chicken Kiev but I have seen the same piece of heart shaped chicken in the supermarket deli as Chicken Schnitzel pieces for about $2.50 each. I had to pay $14.00 less my Senior 5% off for it with small salad and chips along cake & coffee. It was better the two beef rissoles I would think!

I dont have that many leftovers as the others have kept the meat & salad leftovers but I got all the Christmas sweets treats that was leftover this year. Greek shortbread, Apricot balls, white chocolate crackles, a mini plum pudding and coconut ice animal lollies that the children made. I do have some brandy custard in my fridge so I will be right for sweet treats for a week or two with what I have in the freezer too! All White food again but for coconut ice which is bight pink!

I also was given today more gifts today of box of chocolates and tin of Belgium Chocolate Cookies, these were from DF-M daughter who flew in last night to bring DF-M home and then she flew back home today! Her mother doesnt like flying on her own. Her other daughter and family took her down (interstate) earlier in the month but only stayed for two weeks.

No spending today

Christmas has come and gone here, I had lunch with my DS in laws, White Christmas Dinner with turkey, chicken, ham off the bone, potato salad, pasta salad and coleslaw when you looked at the plate everything had tones of white. Including the desserts wine trifle and lemon meringue pie there was a plum pudding and fresh cream but no one wanted it! Its summer here so we went swimming between courses in my DS pool, sun was out but some light showers though the day.

As for the presents that I bought, they were happy with them! My DS still played billiards but never when I am around. My DIL gift was something she was looking at in the home catalogue this month.
As for the 3 year olds gift they were happy to have something that wasnt a toy and could put all the other bits into it. She got a Barbie pool for Christmas but left her Barbies dolls at her place, so my DIL end up digging up one of her childhood memory Barbies for her to play with she had 13 of them! Her Mum s plant was well received as she had killed the one she had.

As for my Christmas presents I got a beautiful long silver chain to go with a silver owl drop I got earlier in the year, CD of Susan Boyle I Dreamed a Dream, DVD Masterchef & cookbook , DVD Boxed set of Miss Maple with 4 movies, DVD Australia movie, Baking calendar for 2010, Dutch Pancake Maker plus Secret Santa present of some toilettes.

One of my DIL presents from her mother was ideal for someone who loves going shopping on Boxing Day. A Small Christmas Tree with paper gift tags on it each gift tag had $50 note on it!

So my crazy presents were not that crazy after all but they were more lot more frugal than what the others had bought.

Buying that extra little crazy or silly presents for Christmas is something I do all the time.

I give store gift cards as the main presents each year plus a crazy or silly present. I do have very practical view on gifts I just dont like buying rubbish. I am always on looking out for bargains when I shop.

So this year is no different I had just two gift still to buy when I did my wrapping up. Both token gifts one for my son and other his 3 year old niece. I budgeted around $20.00 for both gifts.

I was in the toy section of the Target store, looking at what was available for the 3 year old what is very spoilt and she likes DORA items. All toys were 25% off but the prices were still not in price range. I only do see her once or twice per year and she is on my DIL side of the family. I did pick out 2 cheap dolls but then I found a DORA laundry basket near the price I could pay, $12.88 markdown from $25.00. So I put back the cheap doll that I had my hand while walking back I came across the sporting department. In which I found my son gift that was practical and little crazy. Billiard accessories, table brush $3.48 to 65c, billiard chalk $3.52 to 66c, mixed piece care kit $15.65 to $2.51 and tip replacement kit $8.96 to $2.24 they were all markdown so some of the items were markdown by 50% off and further 25% off as they were classed as toys plus 5% retired staff discount off the total also. Not bad all up. In the end I paid $18.37 for both gifts thats $12.24 for laundry basket and $6.13 for the billiard accessories. I still dont know if my son still plays billiard but he does have a very large slate billiard table in his family room.

Saving (RRP $56.61 -$18.37) = $38.24 so my crazy gifts are not so crazy after all!

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.

The other night, I was all set to watch TV after News then have an early night when I got a phone call from a friend asking if I would like to go the theatre that night. Its free commentary ticket to see her daughter dance that night but I would need to be ready in 15 minutes if I was going. They were going to dinner before the show. I just had time to get dressed and wash up before she called to pick me up. Seeing that I had dinner, I just bought coffee and dessert when they dined at the restaurant. This is not the first time I have seen this International Aboriginal Dance Group, dance before so knew a little about them.

It was 20th Anniversary of the Bangarra Dance Theatre; the performance was ~ Fire - A Retrospective~. After the performance there was a free supper for selected guests including the state governor and her party as well a number of aboriginal elders as this was the first night performance. We had free canapes, sushi, sandwiches, wine or soft drink or fruit drink plus coffee or hot chocolate. Its not every night you end up having supper with state governor even if there were 50 other guests as well!

Bangarra Dance Theatre

Boy! Time get away with you doesnt it. I have had a quite few weeks here.

I did go to see the Leonardo da Vinci Codices & Machines exhibition here a few weeks ago with my son. It was expensive but worth it as he was my most favourite inventor and being self taught my most creative influence as I had to teach myself many thing over my life time and are still learning come to that.

Spending for this exhibition - concession fee $15.00 plus I allow myself to indulge on one book and DVD. So I bought the last catalogue they had $50.00 and DVD -DA Vinci Genius- $28.00 so all up cost $93. If I am ok this week, I will take myself off to the Art Gallery to see exhibition that is ending this month.

Well I went to a different kind of restaurant this week, Japanese Steakhouse on the Gold Coast for a Teppanyaki Banquet. There were 8 of us in our group at $45 per head with drinks & desserts extra. We had the Group Teppanyaki Bonsai Banquet menu with a personal sushi chef at each table as it was cooked at the table.

Menu - Onion Soup, House Salad, Hibachi Vegetables this was framing of cucumbers mushrooms & onions, Prawn Appetizer, Hibachi Steak, Hibachi Chicken, Hibachi Prawns & Hibachi Fried rice which was made into a heart and lighted birthday candle with happy birthday sung by all. Very filling too!

Some of our group order dessert too! This was fried ice cream made into a roll then cut into three pieces, it looked good but as we had to have a Chocolate mud cake for birthday cake this was to much for me. I had green tea and water which was free but the others had soft drinks at $4.50 a can plus wine etc. My bill just the $45 plus a birthday gift. This was budgeted for, in my annual budget.

There was no recession at this hotel that night as they had two weddings and engagement party and all restaurants were full so bookings only.

I had a lovely lunch with my friends on New Year Eve and won $15 on the poker machines. As for the Post-Christmas sales I only bought a handbag paying $14.50 for a $69.00 for casual handbag.

I was looking at buying a new CD player as it will cost more to have my old 15 year old one fixed than replace it with new more update one. So this afternoon I went an bought one so ended up replacing what I had before but with 3 CD player instead of one including a record player and twin cassette player cost $260 saving $69 plus the 30% that all electrical goods go up on 5 January because of drop in the dollar. That is one reason that I bought it today. Now cost would have been to repair the old one was around $100 plus $90 in gift money for Christmas so with my twisted idea, Peter Paying Paul budget it work out that I'm out of pocket by $170 and will buy grocery with gift card.

Christmas day - just driving to Christmas lunch - no spending
Boxing day - no spending day
Saturday - no spending day
Sunday - no spending day
Monday - no spending day
Tuesday - no spending day
But Tomorrow - is lunch with friends, driver licence renewal, bill paying, picking up new glasses and looking at Post-Christmas sales but I don't think I will buy to much as I don't need anything but I need to buy a gift with the money I have been given for Christmas.