Tightwad Kitty's $$$ Stretching Blog

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.

While we are on weather, I just found some webcams that may help anyone who feeling little snowbound at the moment.

We are having summer storms here so can see updates on these sites.

webcams SE -QLD

NSW Webcams & other links

surf webcams

Hobart Tasmania

Do go to the bottom of these as there are more links or webcams there.

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.

Sun is shining in this part of the world, but it’s very muggy as we have had a lot of rain over the past few weeks. Its part of the climate change I think,

La Niña conditions will continue to dominate the tropical Pacific as it has done for the past few months, we have had a very wet spring this year and have had rain or very cloudy days for the past few weeks and we are into 9th day of summer. Cyclone season is yet to come so we will be in for it I think.

Some parts of Australia it’s flooding as the ground is very saturated and can’t take much more water anywhere but for WA and that’ s to far away from where its raining.

Some parts of Australia have had over 100mm today but not here.
Here we are most likely will get more rain tomorrow.

Here a link to Bureau of Meteorology

Check the rivers & flooding as there are flooding in some parts of SA, Vic, NSW, & Old and number of rivers are flowing again so this flooding will last for weeks.

I am planning to get my house painted in the new year, I will have to get a few quotes as this job is worth thousands to do, one of my friend’s sent around some painters for quote as she is always getting quotes but never getting jobs done by them. I had a small painting job to be done here inside the house like the small bathroom ceiling which had gone mouldy so needed special cleaner and new paint after 20 years. I can’t do that room myself alone. So I got the price for that ceiling as gave them the job to see what kind of work they did and if they were messy and time wise. All work I had to do is clean out the bathroom and leave it bare. The only thing is they left they ladder at the other job they were doing but I had one here that was tall enough. How did they rate!

Time plan

Monday is due 8.00am - arrived 7.55am
8.05am - found and got my ladder out.
Washed and sanded down ceiling.
8.20am - One painter painted corners etc. with white enamel paint while the other painter held the ladder over the tricky parts.
8.30am - other painter used the roller
8.45am - finished first coat and left for another job.
11.05am - back to put the final coat on
11.50am - put back ladder in the right place.
11.55am - paid and gone

What I can say is that they had the timing down a tee and passed non-messy test. In the past I have painted the inside of my house so could work out what needed to be done and if it’s a good job. I paid them $220 for that job and will be considering them for the other job or at least getting a quote from them.

All small jobs around here are $150 minimum or have a callout fee of $100 for first 30 minutes also it very had to get trade people to do small jobs at anytime so if you can get one you jump at it.

These painters are painting hotels at the moment and its raining here so quick inside jobs between coats is what I think they are doing. At least I got a newly paint ceiling, now for freshening up rest of the bathroom for next few years. These jobs will have to wait until it stops raining at least.

Some time in the next month I will look at buying some white enamel paint if what I got is no longer useable. What needs to be done is the door both sides and door edges, widow frame, two mini wall cupboards, a chest of drawers, and 60 year old cane linen basket. Walls don’t need painting.

I will blog about my painting jobs next year.

Well today I had a trip to the city; I had to go to the optometrist for my annual check up. As earlier this year I had my handbag stolen and my sunny were in it, so they need to be replaced this time.

There was no change in my eye sight from last year and I had all blindness tests done as usual owing to 3 members of family went blind in their old age of which I know two of the disease that they had.

As this test is bulk billed and covered by our Medicare here but you pay for your glasses. I have extra health cover so my glasses are covered by some of this cover. In total they costed $205 and I got a rebate of $180 so I will be out of pocket by $25.00. Not bad when you think of it as new frames can cost $140 to $900+ for platinum frames but this is not in my league and I’m not into designer frames either.

So saved around $180 today

I phoned my internet & phone provider yesterday and charged my plan to a lower deal which is in more keeping with my usage. I don’t wish to charge provider but to get on a better plan. I will lose some services but with the amount I am using over all as I don’t use that much so if I allow about extra $10 to 15 per month on average above minimum charge then it may work out. I will have to be on a fixed provider for another 24 months but as I don’t plan to charge it’s not that much a problem. A lot of fees if I pull out before that all most better to stay put.

I was on 7G down & upload but using under 3G per month and phone cost with free national & local landline phone call plus free mobile use to provider’s mobile phones of which I was using around 4 calls per month. Now it 5G down & upload and landline phone cost with free national & local landline phone calls but I will be paying for all mobile calls plus 13 ….. numbers, these are at local call cost and mobile phones will be expensive if I get to make a lot of them but not as much as before.

What I like about these packages is it’s cheaper to have internet broadband and landline combines then pay for the landline on its own. My friend is paying over a $100 per month for her landline only. I have been paying the same amount each month so I do know how much I had to outlay each time.

Now saving around $40 per month is a lot on age pension.

Over 12 month’s $1078.80 average on the old plan
Over 12 month’s $606.60 average on the new plan plus extra $120 to $180 for mobile calls for that I was getting for free before. I will just have to watch that I use landline phone numbers if possible more often. So businesses that only have mobile or 13 numbers will miss out on my business from now on if I can help it.

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!

Seeing that I didn’t have to go to my friend place for breakfast this morning I went to a Church Garage Sale instead. Not much in the way of things but I did find some craft books there so I bought what I bought I liked for $2.00 plus household items that I need for my project in the future at the price they were asking its buy now or never. I got metal napkin holder, metal plate, 2 bread & butter plates café style and placemat for $1.00.

Then I went to another section and pick up a beaded belt that I can use the beads for my craft necklace that I wear. I bought four books 3 medical ones and English text book $6.00.
Having spent my money I went home as I was walking I couldn’t buy too much then.

I went back to get some lunch but they were sold out of food. So I bought the balance of the craft books for $3.00 plus another kitchen garget that I didn’t see the first time around $1.00. Bought 7 craft books on the other stall $2. All up I spent $15.00 on both trips just one street over from my place and 4 houses as the crows.

I just did the RRP value of my bootie and I am in shock, the RRP on the books alone $538 and all up $590 on everything. That’s $575 saving. If I ever need some cash I could sell some of them as I will never use all of them, as I may have some of them in my storage boxes but at 20c each you need take it now and sell the extras later. I ask the Rev. if I could buy the balance of the craft books he said if I wanted too so I gave him an extra dollar for the balance so I had two pick then bought the balance as I didn’t buy lunch in the end.


Mommy cat helping me taking stock of what I bought


Some of craft books


The pile of craft books 21mm high, most are cross-stitch patterns

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.

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=====$70.80
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $65
Non-Food===$17.00
Clothes ====$35.00=====$9
Grooming===$15.00=====$22.73
Gas======$25.00======$38.30
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$59.20
HH items===$42.50======$93.59
Fares== ====$9.00
Entrainments= $12.00 =====$17.55
Garden =====$10.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00=== $11.00
Medical =====$15.00=====$35.50
Misc ======$9.00=======$2.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ==$46.20
Note only one amount is no spend

Budgeted for this period $530 spent $488.82

No Spending days over the 28 days =10 days in total.
I have been spending a little on some books, household items and Entrainments over the last month. Some of these are covered in my personal allowance in which I got a book or two at good discount price that were on my buy list and a few treats. I had a lot of large bills this month so I had to watch what I spent money on. My eating out for the month was high and it will be the same this month I would think too! A few Christmas lunches are planned in the coming weeks.

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 $41.18.

Today I started getting my Excel pages ready for next year’s tracking. I do track every cent that comes across my path incoming and outgoing. I have been doing this for many years now so it’s just part of my strategies. Timewise I have found it best to do this ahead of time as if I leave it to late I never get around to it and end up with a big mess budget wise. It’s easy as I have made templates for each set of pages.

I always am looking for the best way to do this. I work with floats as some bills I never need from year to the next but the money is there if it’s needed. Starting with $1300 in floats I do put total amount of bills plus extra 10% each pay away for just bills then just pay them all when due. Having worked out via my

Bill Estimates Tracker (I wrote about this here) then using this bill tracker to calculate the amount that I need at for each pay cycle. This amount is allotted to the bill A/c. I try never to spend this amount as I consider this is not my money to spend freely. On an age pension it’s not easy to make it up if you do so it’s best if you think it as not your money. I worked in retail for many years and took this view at all the money that crossed my path while working. It was not my money so its value to me was that of an item that I was selling at the time and I had to look after it just the same.

Then if any money is leftover above the amount needed at the start of the next year it goes into savings or special projects after I taken out my floats for the following year.

Most of floats can be used as an Emergency Fund at pinch but must be paid back as you will have problems later down the track. Creating Emergency Fund

I am trying to add the cost of hospital cover to my bill budget, before I have pay a lot more as I get older if I don’t, as it is I have to pay an age surgechange of 40% now and it will go up by 2% each year that I delay. This will mean an extra $95 per month on top of what I am out laying now for all other bills.

This is because up till now I couldn’t afford to cover for hospital and we have a free public hospital here, but they are now over crowded with a very long waiting list for any surgery. This hospital cover I am thinking of getting is just for basic cover, so I may have to go to public free hospital if I need major surgery like hip or knee replacement. I will have an excess of $500 for hospital per year if need it but will have a float to cover this part.

By putting away around $300 each fortnight I can do this, but any car services will need to come out my personal living area of my budget. I am thinking that may be by buying a few less books and few other little treats at times when I do have to do something with the car, as I always have floats so I can borrow from these at pinch and pay back as soon as possible by cutting back on wants but not needs.

In our area it’s this time of the year again, over a full year about 8 suburbs get a week get to put out rubbish that’s too big for our bins, you are allowed to put out only certain items but you do get a list of what can be put out. Like old electrical items or furniture but the some things you have to take any doors off to make them safe and children can’t climb into them. I put out two very old TV 30 year plus ones, well the copper scavengers came calling the first night they took the electric cords off everything, next day some more came with cordless drills and took all the valuable metals inside the TV’s and microwaves. They can have it as they had been sitting here for next Kerbside Pickup anyway.

I did a bit of scavenging myself; I found a good dinning room chair that just needs coat paint and cushion. 10 medium size garden pots that I have run out off, waste tidy bin that just need a wash, pair of old fashioned salt & pepper shakers that I will sell or give to Op Shop, Maui Girl brand new backpack, hemp shopping bag Save the Planet kind, folding cooler bag that will be ok to keep in the car, a print of old city will need to have better look at it but not valuable, piece of green cloth thick and big enough to make a bag or cover a stool with and small galvanized letter box still usable.

If I went out and bought this all stuff I would be looking at around $160 worth. The chair alone is worth $80 at IKEA new, Backpack $30 as it’s a brand one and I pick up a second one just awhile ago not so new but washable again Maui Girl brand.

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!

This is my final blog in this series as I could find many more recipes if I looked hard enough, but any full recipes that I have found in my recipes collection. I will be posting in the My Pages section on the left here. Here the link

Beans and Rice Challenge Recipes

Now it's time to make a file for myself for personal use on all these recipes, so if anytime in the future that I may need them they can be found without another full search on this topic. I hope many of you will do the same and then you will have at your finger tips many different recipes for Beans and Rice in the future. May your debts be few and you're saving great in the future. There are many more recipes on internet these are just sample of what's out there.

More links to recipes
Tortilla & Rice Soup
Bean & Shrimp Risotto
Asian Bean & Rice Rolls
Jamaican Red beans and rice
Kidney Bean and Cheesy Rice Casserole
Red beans and rice
Rice and Beans 5 Ways
Hawaiian Beans and Rice
Beans and Rice Recipes

More beans recipes on the US Dry Beans Council website

This question came up in the last blog - I could be wrong but I thought in order to get the complete protein that you had to eat the rice and beans at the same time. ~Aleta

I did a bit of research today on this topic, this is what I did find so do have look at the first four links then just pick any of the others that takes you interest to view. This theory was initially promoted in Frances Moore Lappe, 1971 bestseller Diet for a Small Planet. In which she in her later edition did changed her position on protein combining. In the 1981 edition of Diet for a Small Planet view text in this article

Protein combining

"Complete" Proteins?
Eating Beans and Rice with recipes
Complementary Protein Myth Won't Go Away!
The Protein Myth

Do beans need to be combined with rice to make a protein?
Vegetarians: Pondering Protein?
What alternative proteins are there for vegetarians and how much protein should a healthy vegetarian main course meal provide?

What's Complete Protein -Inquiring Vegetarians Want Know
Human Protein Requirements
Food for Thought

I have been looking into this topic to find out more about it. I can't find anything written by Dave Ramsey on the topic that I can get into for FREE. Some blogs that I have read go as far back as 2006 are saying that his followers are taking it literally that you must eat them at every meal. I can't find out that if this is the case but I would fine it very boring but if I had too because I didn't have other foods then so be it.

Economically it a good idea if you had very little money for the week or two. To buy just rice and beans can be expensive if go about it the wrong way, both in health wise and moneywise.

Buying rice can be expensive if you buy fancy pre-cook ones or one minute packets that cook for one meal. This challenge calls for the bulk purchase of rice, the larger the better. Long grain, Basmati or brown rice is better choice. Brown rice will spoil quicker than white rice so buy less of this but it's the best choice. So do, do your maths on this one, unit price per pound of the value each bag of rice. No good buy 50lbs bag of rice if you haven't the place to store it or you need that money in another area of your budget. I'm thinking in small amounts but larger than just enough for the next meal. (I personally buy in 2 to 5 kilo lots of Long grain or Basmati.) With this challenge you can't afford to buy all the fancy kinds of rice, just one or two varieties only and be creative with it.

Buying beans can be expensive too! If you are in the habit of buying only canned beans and not taking the time to learn to cook them from scratch. So try buying DRIED Beans in larger quantity where you can. I buy them in 1 kilo or 2.2lbs of each at a time and having a number of varieties in the pantry so I don't tire of eating the same kind.

Is there another way of putting variety into this challenge, yes I think so. First off you will need to take stock of what in your pantry, freezer and refrigerator. Make a list of what's there and try to use this food you have already paid for, by incorporating it into the Beans and Rice Diet Challenge.

Start with a meal plan for the next week using as much food that you found without going the supermarket but still having at least one meal per day of beans and rice. As for only having beans and rice combined which does make

complete protein, you still could have meal made with just rice base and having the beans at another meal that day. Still you will get your protein for that day.

One can of beans equal about 2 cup of cooked beans after you rinse and drain them.
As for cooking the beans it's best that you cook and freeze beans if possible so that you can use the many recipes that have can beans as an ingredient. It best that you freeze beans in serving sizes (I personally freeze in 2 cups lots.)

How to Use Dried Beans
Links
Bean Prep & Recipe Tips
New American Plate
Nutrition & Health FAQ


More to come soon!

Beans and Rice Diet Challenge - Inspired by Dave Ramsey

This blog has inspired me to look into my recipe collection for more recipes.
I found these few just doing a search on the internet.

Check out these links then look at the recipes that are linked in the articles.

How to Live Well on Rice and Beans

The Beans and Rice Way to Better Health and More Wealth

Some of the recipes found in these links and more.

Caribbean Red Beans and Rice
Cajun Red Beans and Rice
Creole Black-Eyed Peas and Rice
Creole Red Beans and Rice
Black Beans and Rice
Black Beans & Rice
Brazilian Style Black Beans and Rice
Zesty Red Beans and rice (Rajma Chawal)
Khichadi

more beans and rice recipes

One recipe if you get bored with beans & rice.
Garbanzo Tacos this is a must try one!

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.

On the weekend DS took me to see the Dam spillway of our largest dam here are some of the pictures.


The drive into the spillway along fire trail as the main loop road in and out was used for the way out only and walkers, it took 45 minutes to get in.


Flow of flood water along side of the fire trail


Spillway

Driving over the spillway


1. Spillway from top of dam wall


2. Looking back at flooded area


Dam from the picnic area

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.

I finely was able to pay my last payment on the Solar Hot Water as when I went to my online bank site I found that the Aus. Government rebate had come through and I could pay the state government for their outlay in this project. I was happy to get it over and done with; I went to the bank and had them transfer the money over to their account. My part of the project is now finish, the problem is if people spend the money before it paid over like mortgage payment. They never sent any email or mail that the rebate has paid, as you sign the right for the State government to take the money out of your account after 7 days.

Update on my Solar Hot Water

Our dams that were around 16% full 3 years ago are now overflowing and causing minor flooding as they can’t top up the only other dam that’s not full (25%) quickly enough but they can top it up so that part is good but they need to pump it up a mountain range. All our dams here now can fill each other I think.

The infrastructure was put in place to do this because of the long drought we had, now all four dams have all their gates open allowing water to run free into the rivers as we are having more rain in the coming days and weeks, yesterday was a fine day but more rain today.

The only thing I think should have happen is that they should have started filling the lowest dam when it got to 97% on the biggest dam as the flood plane is where they are worried about now. All four dams are over 100% full.

Water Leaks

Watering the garden at Level 5

It’s time to start removing some of the papers around here, I just picked up a file in the filing cabinet at random and it just had old flyers for school supplies for 2004. Now why did I keep them it’s time to move forward I think? I am still working on the very old print outs, as I do have quite of number of folders to go though. If they don’t make any sense then they are going, I don’t think I will ever finish this task any time soon.