We will be into Level 3 Water Restrictions to-morrow! That no hosing or sprinkling. Only washing of vehicle/house /widow / boat permitted with buckets filled directly from the tap. You can use a Bucket or Watering Can that is filled directly from the tap to water your garden only. I hope I don’t get a sore back from using buckets as I will be water two houses as DF-M is away again too! This is for next two years if not longer or when we go to level 4 and no buckets at all. I'll see how I go; as I don’t fill buckets up to the top and will use the walking back to the tap all the time as an exercise.

I will keep my water level near to what it's now! Under 20KL per quarter. Hopefully saving money too!

I will need to get some more buckets and hose reels to put my hoses away for now.

BREAKFAST 2 Boiled Eggs Toast & Jam Coffee 60c
LUNCH Crackers with Hummus & Tuna Apple Coffee 50c
DINNER Devilled Sausages Yogurt & LSA Coffee 75c

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $79.20

This fortnight my budget balanced and is on track. I finished this time with a balance of $188.00 cash surplus, I have open an online account with $100.00 of this money and too rollover the balance to my next pension fortnight.

I have only the monthly phone bill to pay this time. The balance will go on to pay the CC which has all bills on it. I allot certain amount of my pension to bills each pension payday, this is rollover method that I use. As long as I don’t use it for other things or lend it to other people because they have over spent. It works for me. I use the CC as buffer, as at times, the bills can be due a few days before the next pension payday. Which is the case this time.

How long can I go before I withdraw out of my Bill & EF saving account? I am aiming for August if I buy a new lawn mower or November when all my large bills are due at the moment. To make this work I have to bank $40.00 into that account each month and not withdraw any money. It’s my version of the saving game. Any surplus savings will now be going to the online account at end of each month.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee 45c
LUNCH Crackers with Cheese & Mustard Pickle Relish Apple Coffee 40c
DINNER Poach Fish & Vegetables … $2.50

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $71.50

Fernberg is the state residence of Her Excellency Quentin Bryce AC, our Governor, the Queen's representative in our State. As today is 'Queensland Day' in our State, so DF-D was invited to morning tea and she could bring someone along too! As her husband didn't want to go I was invited to go. Well things didn't go to plan. My friend D had to go Interstate yesterday. But I still went on my own. I drove my car on to the grounds to park, as people with a disability were able to park there.

Fernberg House was built in 1864-65 and was bought by our State Government in 1910. Has been the residence of all governors ever since. It's only open to the public a few times a year. Around 1500 people had invitations for today's event. I wore my dark pink 2piece suit and people did compliment on how nice I looked. If they only knew, I wore it a little differently than I did before as I had lost some weight since I last wore it. It has a blouse-on top with a band around the bottom which I pulled down so it looked as if I was to wear it at the top of my legs making me look a lot thinner around the bust and waist area.

Morning tea was set in the garden area with seating for two hundred people, as this was an all day affair; people could come until mid afternoon.

Tea or Coffee were served in hot water urns and it was paper cups too! Food was not much in the way of variety. There were Scones with Strawberry Jam & Fresh Cream, Lamingtons and Anzac Biscuits. Recipes below.

After I had morning tea, I then had time to walk through the Fernberg Public Reception areas, as there is a formal dinner tonight the table was set up which we were able to see. Seating is for 24 guests. Look at Image Gallery - 26 January 2005/2006 Open days in September -Government House Open Day for pictures. This house has full staff, all in uniforms and as well as the aides-de-camp. If you have ever seen pictures of the stately homes of England then this is what this place looks like. And the flags flying on top of the roof too! Gardens are beautiful and I think they have bore water there. As I walked back along the drive way to my car I met the Governor herself and had a quick chat about the first time I visited Fernberg as a child. I stayed about 3 1/2 hours.

Home made Lamingtons

Anzac Biscuits

Easy Pumpkin Scones

Plain Scones

This afternoon I had a good look in my wardrobe, culling some of my around house clothes for starters, that 14 T-shirts plus some of my old clothes that were in a bag downstairs. That’s another 12 items.

Now it’s time to look it in some of my wardrobes, another 12 items found to go the Charity bin. Total of 38 garments. One & half bags of clothes that are good enough to be resold and a bag for rags only. I have enough rags without adding to it. Nice work for an afternoon.

BREAKFAST Oatmeal & Currants with Milk Coffee 40c
LUNCH Sandwiches with Mustard Pickles & Corn Beef Coffee 70c
DINNER Fish Cakes with Baked Beans & Salad Orange Tea $1.40

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $61.85

As a lot people had walked over them, it was necessary to wash all of them. I put them into colour and texture and whether if I needed to use wool wash on them and hand washing the lot.

Now it’s time to iron them up and cull some clothes this weekend.

In the mail today, got a free sample of toothpaste from Colgate’s.

BREAKFAST Oatmeal with Currants & Milk 2 Toast & Jam Coffee 60c
LUNCH Pasta with French Onion Chicken Mixed In. Mandarin Coffee 80c
DINNER Steak, Egg, Tomatoes, & Grilled Onions Dinner $1.80

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $ 57.10

Well my washing is update and everyone else ironing is done! I got another pile ironing last night to do. Now it's mine to do and what’s left of mine ironing will just have to be done at later date.

I had quite time in the afternoon resting and working on clearing out the junk out & downloading what I need to taken off my computer emails. I do this about once month working on downloading information. That I would like to keep and read when I am resting. Now I am finished for another month.

BREAKFAST Oatmeal & Currants Coffee 35c (Breakfast at Neighbor’s 2 Toast & Jam, Coffee – Free)
LUNCH Crackers with Cheese & Chutney, Mandarin Coffee 65c
DINNER Omelette with Cheese, Sweet Chilli Sauce Apple Coffee. 75c

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $ 49.70

Well! If you call doing the washing and having all the ironing up to date.

After I had done those chores, it was a day for working on the files on my computer. Clearing out files, downloading what I need to take off & out of emails files. Deleting the junk out of my email addresses boxes. As I have multi –email addresses so I need to do this once month to all of them.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk with LSA Prunes, 4 Honey Puffs, Coffee 70c
LUNCH Chilli Tuna Salad & Crackers Apple Coffee 60c
DINNER Two Chicken Kebabs with Garlic Focaccia Bread, Yogurt & LSA Coffee $1.50

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $44.20

All I can say it’s about time too! I have been ‘go-an-do-that’ for so long now! I don’t remember the last time I did it. I do tidy it up but not a deep clean and clear everything off it. I rearranged some of the stuff that I have on the counter and put some stuff away too. I feel much better now that I have done it! Now what is the next area that bugging me MMMMMMM!

BREAKFAST Oatmeal & Currants with Milk Coffee 35c
LUNCH Corn Beef Salad, Crackers, Honey Puffs, Coffee 60c
DINNER Devilled Sausages Yogurt & LSA Coffee 75c

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $41.40

Gone shopping or bought something. 17 times

Went to the city by bus and had lunch out. 3 times

Used my car only. 6 times

And had 15 No Spending Days.

Lets see what next 28 days tallies will be.

It’s time to see how much I still got left on that account. My shares dividend was deposited $124 that will need to transfer that over to the other account before I spend it. After transferring dividend I still have $340 left in my pension account. I will rollover this until I have paid all my bills due for next three pays and what’s is left then I will bank for future large bills at end of the year. $340 is not bad when I only had $85 in it to start off last pay. I only get $500 every two weeks. It’s has have been this way for years. I know that I am stretching my money as much as I can and I have saved money as well as the other bank account balance was down to $400 only 18 months ago. Now it looking more healthy that I will need to phone in my balance to Government pension office soon!

BREAKFAST Bacon, Egg, Steamed Mushrooms, & Tomatoes Coffee $1.00
Snacks Only ~ 5 Greek Honey Puffs (Free), 1 Slice Pagnotta Bread & Mortadella (Free), Yogurt & Tropical Fruits Salad, Coffee 60c (Eaten over 4 hours, snacks at neighbors houses)
DINNER ¼ roast chicken (free) & vegetables coffee 2 pancakes & whipped cream with maple syrup $1.00

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $37.15

Boy! I got a lot of groceries in my two pantries; I have a storage cupboard downstairs for the overflow, along with my Toilet Paper and cleaning items. One of my freezer/refrigerator is there too! I have a very large storage area under my house. It can’t be made into living areas, as only one area is legal height but just a good height for me to walk around. If you are over 5 feet 5 inches then you will hit your head on the beams as you walk around.

I think I will have enough Grocery items to last until I run out of the proteins meats in about two to three months. Too many items of some things and very little of salad items left which I like to add to my salad in the way of Bread & Butter Pickles which will be on my list in a few weeks. Here you can have salads all year around. I think I will cut back on my bulk asset stock by 50% just buy enough for 3 months not six months supply like I have been doing. I will use up want I have got before I replace it too! I have got a small Gourmet Deli corner in my pantry as DIL loves to buy Gourmet Christmas Hampers in the ‘After Christmas Sales’ but doesn’t like all the food so I end up with it. MMMMMM. YUM!

Did do some cooking in the slow cooker today, ‘French Onion Chicken’. I used the two trays of chicken thigh I bought yesterday along with half can French Onion Soup and two cans small crushed tomatoes. I portioned the chicken into soup ladle meal sizes and I plan to add it to pasta or rice. I will get another nine meals doing this for 80c a serve.

BREAKFAST - Oatmeal & Currants with Milk, 2 Pancakes & Maple Syrup with Whipped Cream. Coffee. 60c
LUNCH French Onion Soup French Bread & Hummus Apple Coffee + Health LSA Bar (That I won. $3.95 ea.) 50c
DINNER French Onion Chicken Chocolate Paddle Pop Coffee $1.25

Today’s Full price Tally $3.95
Today’s Savings - $3.95
Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $34.55
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $1350.69

I can get mad times with them. One moment they like it then they don’t. They do have they favorites but the contents are charged and range has being deleted of they favorites and you are back to square one yet again. I own two cats, which in fact they started out as my son’s cat. Yes female who had kittens about 10 years ago. I finish up with 3 cats at first the one that I was to keep got bitten by a snake when she was about 18 months old. From that day on other two cats have never gone very far from home.

The area that I live in has many more cats now than in the past. So if they don’t like some thing now after 24 hours, I now put it out on the driveway for the other cats and they will eat it. I like to give my cats clean plates with each meal. So I am washing up four to 6 plates per day when they I don’t like this or that and wont eat it! I’m told off too! I have one very vocal male. He will not allow you to pick him up but you can brush & stroke him as much you will do. If I am lying down then he will get on the bed, talk in my ear to get what he wants and pawing me also!

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Toast & Jam Coffee 60c
LUNCH Pumpkin & Lentil Hotpot Crackers Coffee $1.00
DINNER Roasted Chicken & Tomato & Vegetable Medley $1.25

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $28.40

Got out some meat to defrost for next two days. One lot is just ready to heat up, other lot I will make a dish up for 4 meals plus a lunch for tomorrow. (Thinking Ahead Strategy)

One of my cookbooks with a menu planner for 14 days had this system in it. Menu & recipes planned for the whole 14 days and steps of what you need to do the day before. (Printed about the 1980.) I never did use the recipes but I have taken a liking to the ideas and strategies used in it. Once I even thought making a personal cookbook for one using the same ideas, then I found OAMC method and how to do this for singles.

Which is to cook for 4 then divide into 4 portions and freeze, normally I eat one portion then I would freeze other three portions. You need to make sure that you make the portions out to the right amount when you are serving them up or you will find that you only getting enough for three or two servings only and your waistline is getting bigger. If there isn’t enough of the main meal to you liking then you eat a piece of fruit as well or have one of your serving of bread with it or adding extra 1 serve of the filling with.

Cutting back on the meat in meat meals, is another method I use too! If recipe says 1 pound (500g) then I will use ¾ pound or 300g, mainly I cut back to three serves meat serve for four and add extra 1 cup vegetables to mixture or TVP if using ground beef.

Once every two weeks I may have a piece of steak if I can find a markdown ones. My favorite is steak with grill tomato, grill onions and egg, if I have some in the pantry can buttered mushrooms, as I live alone I now buy the 400g tins and portion then out in 3 serves and freeze want I don’t use for later.

I made up some menus for both summer & winter so that I would use up the frozen dinners that I have put aside & so that they are spaced out over two months or less. I am posting these menus and notes in “what is your menu for the week?” in Food & Recipes in the Saving Advice Forum. I have also posted some recipes in ‘I need cheap meals ideas’ in Food & Recipes.

As you can see, I do use portion control as a strategy to save money and stop gaining weight.

BREAKFAST 2 Boiled Eggs Toast & Jam Coffee 60c
LUNCH Crackers with Hummus & Chilli Tuna Apple Coffee 50c
DINNER Devilled Sausages Yogurt & LSA Coffee 75c

Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $25.55

Today, I just finished the mowing the lawn it take me twice along to do it now but I get some exercise doing it and save money as well! In fact $35.00 each time. I am putting this money in my new mower fund and very soon I will have enough to buy new one. I am lucky that this one is still going. I had the motor recondition a few years back but other things are breaking so I will get a new one when I need to pay any money out on it. The fund is now at $280 so I can afford to buy new one any time now! The goal price is around $450. I will get a new one for next summer if it doesn’t breakdown before hand.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Pancakes & Maple Syrup with Whipped Cream 80c
LUNCH Crackers with Chutney, Home-cooked Corn Beef & Salad Coffee $1.00
DINNER Devilled Sausages Orange $1.00

Today’s Full price Tally $35.00
Today’s Savings - $35.00
Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $21.25
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $1180.84

Today I charged over my seasons in my wardrobes. Taking out my winter clothes and put away my summer clothes that I will not wear again until October here or later. It’s still in the twenties in the middle of the day but it’s getting cooler in evenings. But sleeveless tops are no longer needed and any items that you can’t wear a vest under it.

I also refilled my moth ball holders in each wardrobe as they were empty. I buy extra loose mothballs and refill the hanging holders ones, you can get them from Chinese supermarket here, if you know want you are looking for. Hanging holder cost $2.00 for 2, but once you bought them you have got them for many years. But the supermarkets would like us to buy the hangers only. I found that the bottoms do come off, you need to use a knife to open it. Then you can put the refill in & close it again. I almost can get two full refills out of one bag for around $1.50 bag. I keep the mothballs in an old coffee tin that is well labeled so that they are airtight until next time. I has have four sets of these hangers so I am paying $8.00 for original outlay + $1.50. So each time I replace them I saving $7.25 by using ‘Refill It Strategy’. With using around 1.5 bags per year. That’s $21.75 saving per year on mothball hangers.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk 2 slices Toast & Jam - 75c
LUNCH Cheese Salad Orange Coffee .60c
DINNER 2 Egg Cheese Omelette and Pasta Sauce & Grilled Peppers - 50c

Today’s Full price Tally $8.00
Today’s Savings - $7.25
Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $18.45
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $1145.84

My hair is starting to show grey again, so I dye it today a Copper Blonde. I was a redhead so any red tone dye I can use. I saved money using a strategy that I found in Amy’s D book, ‘The Tightwad Gazette’ in article ‘Three ways to save’ Vol 1 - p42 (CTG)

To recap on the strategies in use.
1. Buy it cheaper.
2. Make it last longer.
3. Use it less.

I have explained this strategy in ‘Re-Reading The Tightwad Gazette’ >> Frugal Question & Answers forum in Saving Advice. I paid $5.95 instead of $16.95 this time, using all three strategies.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk 2 slices Toast & Jam - 75c
LUNCH Leftover Spicy Chicken Baguette Coffee - FREE
DINNER 2 Egg Cheese Omelette and Pasta Sauce & Grilled Peppers - 50c

Today’s Full price Tally $16.95
Today’s Savings - $14.00
Bulk Food Replacement Fund - $1.25
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $952.40

Well it’s about time that I did a Freezer Inventory, as I don’t know what’s lurking at the bottom of my chest freezer. Just living off the top half! I will defrost while I am at it too! Not that it too bad, but a little more than wants recommend ¼ inch I think it is. All three freezers (2 fridge freezers & 160L chest freezer) that I have are now full. As this morning, I got 4 loaves of free bread & 2 whole Pumpkins homegrown one’s to go with the 2 whole pumpkins that I have grew myself, when I cut up each one I will share it out with the others that have given me food gifts at times. The bread I packed into half loaves then froze in my downstairs freezer.
Free bread RRP $2.20 x 3 + 3.20 = $9.80
20kg pumpkin @ $1.60 kg = $32.00 (av.5kg each x 4)
Value of free food $41.80

I will not be buying much in the way of food in the next few weeks. I will be costing my meals that come out of bulk food assets so that I can put aside that amount for replacements later. Now it’s on to the next step Grocery Inventory. Then it’s menu planning. This is my project for this weekend.

Today’s Full price Tally $ 41.80
Today’s Savings - $41.80
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $938.40

Fitted & flats sheets are required. I did have some a few years before I retired so it times to find them. Oh Boy docket said I paid $7 each from them. That would now be 428% saving on today’s prices x 5. (I did get them at 90% off when I did buy them at a closing down sale.) $150.00 - $35.00 = $115 saving. Not a bad return for storing linen for the future they were only 7 years in storage. Never store linen for more than 10 years without checking it now and then. Wash and getting them ready for use, the elastic on fitted sheets are OK! That's major problem with storing them.

Greenwaste was pickup today. I got 2x free bags of compost 25L, as I had to put out two piles as I cut the neighbor tree & hedge and put it outside her place also! About $3.50 a bag, I will not count in tally as anyone who did it got a free bag for each household also!

Today’s Full price Tally $ 150
Today’s Savings - $115
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $498.15

Today was a working in the garden day, cutting branches off my trees and next doors hedge as its falling into my yard. The gardener only cut they side and not the top of it or my side. When I crop it back, I cut it back to its original height. Which is 4 feet lower than it is now! It looks bare now but it will grow again by summer. If it’s not cut on my side you can’t use the carport. Had morning tea with my Greek neighbors across the road in the middle of doing the hedge. After I had coffee and a biscuit, I was sent home with plate of these biscuits also! Now I got two large piles of ‘Greenwaste’ on the footpath to be picked up next week by the local council. This happens once every two years and on the other year we have major bulk garage waste which a free for all, Dumpster Divers fun time.

I am starting my living off my bulk pantry this week and only buying perishables and pet food or other items for them. For lunch I had a salad & cheese and 3 crackers with Hummus. For dinner tonight, I had an omelette and ½ serve Tomato Vegetable Sauce that I made the other night. Yogurt and peaches for Dessert.

I need to have it to guest room standard in a few weeks along with all living areas rooms that’s the upstairs parts of this house. Downstairs just the laundry and walkways only.

Now is the time to start de-cluttering but I refer the term downsizing as this is want is needed here. If I ever moved house then I would have to downsize by 80% to move into a smaller house or apartment. I have a large house with a lot of storage areas.

I am making six piles, Trash, Give Away, Thrift Shop, To Sell, Family Heirlooms, and Keeping. What is in the first three must be gone that week. Family heirlooms and keeping will be put back into their right place. In use items will not be packed up but put where they can be found. As I zone everything by kind or projects, this idea has helped me find things very quickly in the past. I will be putting aside items that I may sell on eBay one day. When I am finish with this project then I will need to make an inventory of what I have keep and where it’s kept. After this then will get and idea of value of my storage and craft items. Thrift shop and give away items will go to those that need that item, Freecycle or Charity Thrift Shop.

I will also need to put my DIY cap on, and fix the joins in a wall in the craft room. I will look in the workshop downstairs for item to fix it, my next project.

I worked out a washing day strategy to save water in this drought we are having, as my water is very low to start with less than 22KL per quarter. I need to do something out of the ordinary to start with. I work out a washing schedule chart to see if washing more or less often would help in anyway! It’s a 10x 10 grid I posted this in the forum some where. Anyway after doing this chart up, I found that if I washed one load every five days or 2 loads every ten days seeing that I am in single household. I would save money and time than washing every Saturday morning like I did before. Now I do two loads and small hand wash and this lasts me until next wash.

I am saving money on my washing detergent too! As I have of washing powder on hand from specials that I have bought that I need to use up. I also have made up a frugal mixture that I use to wash my bed linen and things that I don’t iron. This mixture cost under $1 to make six months supply (about 40 loads) so I am save money by using only 50% of soap powder.

To save my Grey water, I recycle washing machine water by keeping the first load wash water for second load also using the second loads water on the garden as I always wash in cold water I am saving electricity too!. A little work but it does save money and I line dry all my washing too! I use recycle Grey water, in backyard to keep my trees and pot plants a alive, there just enough Grey water to do this, plus I only water one week otherwise for less than 20 minutes.

I got my pin money of $50 .00 for the odd jobs that I do for my friend D today until next time, when the tally of jobs goes in the red again! I get this in advance so it gives me a better feeling that you are not wondering if you are going to get paid or not! You do odd jobs for some people that take hours of your time then they don’t want to give anything for it. Just saying like ‘You're not doing anything /going anywhere!’ or ‘Will you just do or buy this for me, just this once I don’t have the time’, so they can go watch TV or go to work and get $100,000 a year! Then say I am broke; I’ll pay you back soon! 'In Ten years and counting.'

D is OK and this system works best for us both. I’m the one doing the tracking. We have a unit value system as one item is storage, or buying stuff for her or doing her ironing which she hates or watering her garden when they are away overseas as well as other things.

It does have some perks too! They buy expensive coffee that I can not afford, and have this when I go over to their place or when we go out together. As D is a better haggler than I am too! I do remember to take her with me; when I need to haggle at times! Often we go grocery shopping together.

And she appreciates me too!

I made a meal out of my bulk storage assets today! I thawed four chicken drumsticks a day or so ago and need to use them today. I took 2 cups (mixed vegetables, beans, corn kernels, sweet peppers), bottle of Cacciatore Sauce that I have a lot of, a can diced tomato that needs using up and 1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder plus a few dried herbs. I place that lot in a microwave dish, defrost and then cooked for 3 minutes; I cooked the drumsticks on a browning tray in the microwave for 2 minute each side. I have cooked the chicken drumsticks and I have frozen the one's I didn't use which I will use soon! As for the Tomato Vegetables Sauce I serve it up with 2 of drumsticks and cover it with Tomato Vegetables Sauce. I got another 3 serves to freeze. I plan to have some over poached fish on Friday. One lot over Pasta lasts one with the chicken drumsticks again! My best meals come from my Creativity when I got to come up with something I got at hand. I will make this again too! No spending today!

I had no spending day cash wise. Got my son to return an indoor TV Antenna that was broken when I bought it last week. I am out of pocket there, as it a replacement for the one, I lent someone and they didn’t return it that was six months ago. I waited until a K-mart 15 % off Sale then bought it. So I didn’t need to drive 28km to exchange it and he was going there.