Tightwad Kitty's $$$ Stretching Blog

I do have a few floats so that I have money if I ever need it. These are basic amounts to start with as I do have a credit card to pay any difference, with a plan to pay off the credit card ASAP if I ever have to use them. Starting with the float amount I have already haves saved. Floats - Emergency Fund -$1000, Car Repair Fund - $1000, Vet Fund - $300 so I would have some money in an emergency to start with plus my Bill Account starting Float - $1300.

These are my projected monthly figure for my Daily Living Budget and any thing not listed is to come out of my Personal Allowance or is covered in fixed budgeted Bill Account.

Eating out $33.50
Groceries $135.50
Non- Food $16.50
Clothes $33.50
Grooming $12.50
Gas $25
Pets $49
HH items $41.50
Fares $8.50
Entrainments $12.50
Garden $8.50
Gifts & Donations $33.50
Medical Prescription $5
Misc $8.50
Personal Allowance $84

Medications here are subsidized and as a pensioner pay only $5.00 per prescription most times. I am lucky in that I have only one prescription each month to fill.

On comparing 2008 year budget with 2009 projected budget, I have managed to prune off over $285 so far. I am hoping to not to use all money that I have projected but to find saving where I can both in my bill budget and daily living allowance. As I do not pay rent but do have all the others bills that go with owing your own home then some. If I do save any money next year then some lucky painter will get a job to paint my house as this my next project to work on.

Having over projected on my Fixed Bill Account by 20- 40% in most cases, with floats in place for any emergency that comes along and my projected daily living budget with a low but fixed income in the form a single age pension. Which even our government members has said, they could not live on it at today prices. It is around 40% of basic wage here. My pension is only $1135.80 a month to live on. I do think I can survive a global recession.

Once I had my Excel budget set up for next 12 months using the templates that I had kept. It was easy to review my budget using 2008 figures as all was on the spreadsheets.

Looking at my Bill Estimates Tracker which is my best program, I could work how much I would need for next year bills & regular expenses. I did over estimate here by 20% in some cases as with so much natural disasters around the place and my friend house insurance coming up to over $1000 per year on her renewal I have allowed extra 40% on that one and same with my car. All our bills have gone up mostly likely never to come down again; if they do you will find new tax or cost to keep at that level or higher. Normally I add 10% on the each bill per year but with everything going up its best to add more I hope I can go back to my 10% for 2010.

Here a little idea on how it works.

As this Bill Estimates Tracker can be changes by just changing the figures in it. You can see what any changes has on your budget at any point in the year, it done monthly with input on the amount going in, adding to want is left from the previous month on next column, list of bills for that month and next column has the amount with a total of that months bill and in next column you have whats left for that month hopefully it doesnt have a minus in it.

Column 1 ~ Months
Column 2 ~ Bill money input for that month
Column 3 ~ Money input plus previous month leftover money total
Column 4 ~ Bills for that month in order of due dates
Column 5 ~ Amounts of bills (including total in last line of that month - this let you see outgoing total on monthly bases)
Column 6 ~ Different between Column 3 & Column 5, This now becomes previous month leftover money for next month.

Each month is worked as separate to each other but interwoven into each other. So that if you change one figure all will change in the spreadsheet giving you a good overview of any shortfalls in the months to come.

I have found since I use this spreadsheet I know how much money I will need as a float to keep it going without worry where the money will come for the next large bill month which I have about every 3 months which more than my income before any rent or food is bought and on a fixed income you need to know these things. This year my kick start float is $1300 so that I will not at anytime going into a minus for any month. Last year it was around $1000 but I have taken two items out of it and made floats which will be a back up to this bill account money. Emergency Fund and Vets float, I have save enough not to include any more money for now. My bill account is now at $275 per pay input which has to be classed as bill money to keep this system working and cant be spent in other areas of my budget. I have been doing this kind budget on this scale for a many years now I know that I will not spend it on others things. Any money leftover at end next year will be the kick start float for the next year and any money above amount that will go into the Emergency Fund float.

This spreadsheet is only part of a group of spreadsheets used.

Next day to day living budget soon!

Other links in this series

My way of working a budget out is both with a notebooks & Excel cross checking them both it only takes about hour longer to do each month.

I firmly believe in tracking all money down to the last cent. This is done with a note book I keep by my computer and once a week I will make an entry in the Excel program too! Having done this method for over seven years now I have got it down pat.

Now the next thing I will need to do is set up my next year templates in Excel ready to go!

Yes the way to go is making templates if using Excel it makes life a lot easier, you can always change them if you find an easier method. If I can work out how to write an Excel budget anyone can. HP online classes were a great help for this mind exercise.

Having done all that now its down to business with working out my future spending and reviewing all my bills to see if any can be changed to a better deals when they are due to be renewed. This is one I will need to list these so I can act on them when they are due by adding extra column in the Excel. This will be a new list as I have contracts with some companies and cant remember when they are due to be off contract so will need to work out a Reminder Calendar to keep up to date on this one. I would think many people could have this problem too!

To be continued soon

Well I just did my 2nd last monthly tracking budget for this year, so its time to start making my next budget work for global recession. Being on an age pension puts me in the poverty level but I am not there in the true sense of that word. I can still live on what I am getting but I do have to make choices on what I can and cant do with it. Over next few weeks I will be working on my next annual budget for these troubling times.

My first thoughts are to get all my last year bills and expenses and add about 20% on to them as we here will be hit with a carbon tax on everyone so everything will be going up in price I will be better off if allow a large amount than keep change the amount as I go along.

Why I think every bill will be hit with a carbon tax?
Each business will be charges a carbon tax at different rates then will past that carbon tax down the line in the end to the each consumer.

Then you have credit shortage.
On top of that as credit is short owing to global recession some businesses will fold and other will start adding extra charges to their bills to get money in quicker. Like some are doing now but on much larger scale, pay in X days you will get a discount or after so many days will start charging you interest of what is still owing even if they havent sent you your bill but still in the pipeline. Fees for using credit card or debit card payments but this is the only way you can pay that bill.

How to beat them at they own game!
So you have to read ALL the fine print on each bill and service so you do not end up spending more than you dont have too! You need to shop around for the best deals and if you can change then do so.

Well I didn't go to the city last week for my monthly lunch date as planned. But I needed to pay my credit card as it was due.

Instead of taking the car as usual with cost of gas the days, I took the bus and went into the city costing $2.20 for senior off peak day trip ticket.

The plan was to pay the credit card in full and take some cash of the bank and buy a pair of hosiery, but first as it was lunch time so I walked up the casino for lunch as at treat. The first thing was to play to machines for 5 minutes before I go to lunch. I like to play on one machine (1c only ones I play) if its not being used. I put my $2.00 in after 6 spins the jacket pot spin came up winning enough to play for 15 minute and a free lunch of Chicken Schnitzel with chips & salad, coming out even.

Later I went off to do my banking and the shopping for my friend.

My days outing cost $2.20 fare plus $60 on the credit card. Free a lunch and playing pokies, good walk down the Mall and three hours out of the house.

Remember your health and safety and that of your family is the most important at this time with so many people heading into a rough tough times ahead if they not in them already.

Here is my list of what steps that would need to be taken now.

1. Make or Redo your budget to stop any money leaking.

2. Spend only on needs not wants.

3. Learn to track your money- to make sure you know where you are spending your money.

4. Pay Off Debt - ASAP by snowballing if there is no other way.

5. Speak to your bank and get CC interest rates lowered or consolidated or swap to a 0% card. Shop around see what is available. Dont put anything else on your CC if its still got a balance on it. Pay it off ASAP.

6. Cut out or down on unnecessary expenses where possible, like your internet, phone, cable TV, DVD hires, Gym etc.

7. Stop buying little things like candy, magazines, newspapers, coffees and drinks when you're out.

8. Cancel memberships if they are costing you money, or dont renew when due.

9. Find a way of doing the same for FREE in some of the above in No 6, 7, 8.

10. Stop looking at and listening to advertising in any form. Now is not the time to be buying if you are short of cash but stretching your dollars is what counts.

11. Carpool, walk, use public transport or ride a bike instead of taking the car.

12. Multi task when you are out and about, planning the trip to save gas. Do as many tasks as possible dentist & doctors visits, taking children to school, shopping, banking and bill paying etc.

13. Cut back on extra after school activities so that you are not stretched to the limit. Try to limit one activity per child hopefully all the same one, this will save you in time, gas, stress & money.

14. Plan to stay home a bit more often.

15. Make up and plan your menu for the next week.

16. Make an inventory of what food you have in the pantry, fridge & freezer and work your menu around this so there is no need to go shopping.

17. Cook from scratch and get creative with your food.

18. Bulk food up with beans, vegetables, lentils, pasta etc.

19. Eat your leftovers, never waste food now is the time to take lunch to work and school if you are paying for it.

20. Plan to eat a few meatless meals each week.

21. Cut back big time on eating out and buying takeaway food and snacks.

22. Cut back on portions sizes, dont up size but downsize and your waist line will love you so will your pocket book.

23. Start a stockpile food and groceries - this is one the best thing you can do to prepare for tough times ahead. Buy rice, washing powder and toilet rolls and pet food in bulk.

24. Buy clothes at Thrift shops & Consignment stores or start swap group with other families.

25. Cut down and adapt clothes for younger children.

26. Learn to sew and repair clothes.

27 Do minor repairs around the house and any DIY jobs that you are capable of doing yourself.

28. Cut down on your consumption of your electricity and water by learning to read the meters and by turning off everything at the wall.

29. Reduce your heating & cooling costs by having your temperatures set at recommend level and wearing extra clothing if you still are cold.

30. Get your family involved by explaining to them about the current tough times ahead and see if they can work with the other members of family to cut back. Anyone over three years age can do they bit. Make it a game with children.

Well I got a funny offer for my house this week, it took me all of two seconds to think about it and not reply but just smile. I live in house which does have lowest value in the area as the saying goes the worst house in the street. But I do have lot a storage areas much more than the normal. I would have to change my lifestyle and sell my family antiques then sell up in a few years if I took this offer up too!

The young business man across the street has just built an eight apartment block behind his parent house; I would take it as a joke that he would swap one of his top apartments for my house and land. They are nice small two bedrooms and no storage at all, no garden, lot of stairs and no pets; I would never do that to my cats. Not just for a view of the city no way.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Devil Sausages with streamed potatoes
Monday ~ Spaghetti Bolognese
Tuesday ~ Sweet & Sour Chicken with Rice
Wednesday ~ Seafood Casserole with Rice
Thursday ~ Leftover night
Friday ~ Spaghetti with Tuna & Peas
Saturday ~ Omelet with salad

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s back to gardening here, the weather is good. I spend all Sunday working the garden weeding the lawn and getting it back up to scratch, it was full Bindii which were under other weeds so had to be done by hand then I mowed to lawn which by this time I was done and had to get a neighbor to start it for me and it a quick start mower too! It’s done now for a few weeks. My vegetable garden beds are still giving me plenty of broccoli, baby tomatoes & spinach, and the Chinese vegetables went to seed so I pulled them out now. The bird netting is working so will put it on the next bed that is planned for this month.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Sweet & Sour Chicken with Rice
Monday ~ Teriyaki Beef & Noodles
Tuesday ~ Mixture of Eggs, Bacon & Vegetable Scramble
Wednesday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Thursday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Seafood Casserole with Rice
Saturday ~ Chili Beans with Corn Chips & Salad

My friend DF-M is elderly Italian lady who has difficulty with reading English & Italian but can read numbers ok!

Her phone broke down the other day and was replaced by her son. But it had no instruction booklet for it to be able use it and put speed dial on it for her. So I made a list of phone number charts for her of her most used numbers in large type then printed then I used my new laminator for the first time and making it easy for everyone but color coding the names. I was able find instructions to put the speed dial on for her putting color code there too!

I found the instructions for the phone on Google. As I had the brand & number of the phone I put that info plus manual in Google and found them in PDF file for free. One of the earlier links there were asking $8 each for each download I just kept looking and found and two as I had no instructions for my cell phone either.

How to find instructions
(Brand names, model number manual) look for PDF files but be prepared to look at more than 20 pages if your phone is old one. You may need to fine a picture of your phone with number if you don’t know it's model number.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Omelet with salad
Monday ~ Roast Chicken & Vegetables
Tuesday ~ Teriyaki Beef & Noodles
Wednesday ~ Leftover’s night
Thursday ~ Grilled Steak & Onions, Mashed Potatoes with Baked Beans
Friday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Saturday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato

I did end up buying the massage machine. It’s great I have used it every day since, both my doctor and chiropractor was happy that it has worked. My visit to the chiropractor last week was the first time that I wasn’t tense up as my muscles have been for such a long time.

Now it’s time to get back into the garden and make my third vegetable garden plot for spring and summer here.

Well it time I looked in on this blog. I have been busy doing nothing major but just not enough time to do it all.

Budget wise I have been spending a little more than I should but not on major items. These things will keep me healthy and my storage a little more organized I hope. So far I have not gone over budget target but could if I keep it up. It’s time to pull in on spending after I get my next item on the list.

As you know I go to chiropractor each month and still do but between him and my doctor they haven’t been able to fix the pain when I’m walking that has been there for last 4 years. So as this week our show (Ekka) here, I have been once so far and tried a German massage machine there. 15 minutes on it and that pain has gone, and its 4 days now so I planning to buy one sometime this week, its expensive $390 cash (normal price $499) but it did work. Now I hope I will use it at least three times per week so I will get my money worth out it. I don’t plan on lending it out it’s for my use. If I had massage twice a month for this muscle only at $60 ago and I think it more than that. It would pay for itself in seven visits and then have it for the next 10 years or so. I will let you know if I do buy it as this one I don’t need anyone to help me use it like most I have tried.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Monday ~ Leftovers night
Tuesday ~ Homemade Vegetables Soup with Chopped Chicken
Wednesday ~ Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables
Thursday ~ Omelet with salad
Friday ~ Poached Fish and Vegetables
Saturday ~ Roast Chicken & Vegetables

I have been off online for a while now but I am back.

I have my vegetable garden up and running, I picked my first vegetable yesterday to cook an Asian green which is the fasts to grow in just little under 7 weeks. I have two beds so far just for vegetables and I am planning to add another one by the end of month. So far I have cabbages, broccoli, spinach, Asian greens, chilies, fennel, green onions, baby carrots and strawberries planted. Before I make the other bed, I will have to move my compost bins and cut a scrub down a bit as this is sunniest spot left to grow vegetables.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Hamburgers and Salad
Monday ~ Chili Beans on Toast
Tuesday Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables
Wednesday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Thursday ~ ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ poached fish and vegetables
Saturday ~ Omelet with salad

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

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

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

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

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

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

Busy week this week I went to the Gold Coast and went up to 78 floor of Q1 building at Surfers Paradise it’s World Tallest Residential tower it’s 322.5 M high 526 Apartments 12660 sq m
You have to pay to go up in it too! After we went another Apartment complex and had lunch at one of restaurant there. I had corn beef and vegetables for a change. This must be my month this year for dining out. I am up to number three and still another few to go. I will need to cut back next month on eating out it can get a bit expensive.

I have been busy making vegetable garden beds, on my lawn. I have just finished doing mixing soil today. I will be planting some vegetable seedling & seeds on Tuesday as I will be going to my son place to work on his garden.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Mother’s Day Dinner at a Chinese Restaurant
Monday ~ Curried Sausage & Vegetables
Tuesday ~ leftovers
Wednesday ~ Omelet with salad
Thursday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Saturday ~ Apricot Chicken with Rice

I had visitors here, number of day trips to the country and little time to get on here. Now things are back to routine so I will be able to post more.

With the price of gas now, I did drive my own car doing over 500 km while they were here. I did go to a country town and found some canning bottles for under 30c each, I will have to buy lids and seal when I do get around to using them. I will find time to review my chutney bottles and get new lids and seals as I haven’t use them for along while.

Starting a new vegetable garden here, one of my visitors did dig the beds for me, now I am waiting a few weeks to let the mulch kill some of the weeds that may be in the lawn area that is now vegetable garden. I was looking up the seed companies online as I wish to void hybrid seeds where possible. I will be going organic with this garden. I do know that planting times are very important around here as we are sub tropics here. So I have made a list of what will grow here all year around, fall & winter, spring & summer. These lists will help when planting out and when. Some vegetables I will never eat so will not be buying them. So far I have spent around $100 on garden soil mixtures and edging bricks. Will be spending about $35 on seeds but these will be for next three years of planting.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Roast Chicken & Vegetables
Monday ~ Omelet with salad
Tuesday ~ Grilled Steak & Onions, Mashed Potatoes with Baked Beans
Wednesday ~ Leftovers night
Thursday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce

First off DF-M gives me some ripe tomatoes which I made some pasta sauce with, then another friend bought some breast of chicken and chicken wings about a 1 kg of each. This morning DF-D came over when I was out but arrived back just in time to get 5 kg box a frozen fish and 4 Chicken Maryland frozen. I think, I will have enough for a few weeks now. So you can see I will be using a lot of chicken in the coming weeks. That’s over $50 worth of food for free. Mind you some of it is a birthday gift.

I just found a tip on using frozen fish which I will try with my bootie. You can retain the taste of fish in frozen fish, if after freezing; the fish is left to thaw in a bowl or container of cow’s milk. Just pour enough milk to cover the fish and allow it to sit until it defrosts. In our climate that’s in the refrigerator. I do poach most of my fish in enough water to cover, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 8 peppercorns and whole red chili or a stick of lemon grass. My cats do love this as much as I do. I have lemon grass and chili growing the garden here.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Teriyaki Beef & Noodles
Monday ~ Apricot Chicken with Rice
Tuesday ~ Teriyaki Chicken Wings & Fried Rice
Wednesday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Thursday ~ Satay Chicken & Rice
Friday ~ Beer Battered Fish & Vegetables
Saturday Grilled Steak & Onions, Mashed Potatoes with Baked Beans

Gone shopping or bought something 30 times

Travel to the city by bus 5 times

Drove my car only 16 times

Had food bought or had for free away from home 8 times

And had 35 No Spending Days since the last count.

Let’s see what next month’s will be

Today I found UHT Milk that was markdown with a few months still before best before date. I bought the 4 cartons there @ .50 each and being organic they were around $2.15 RRP each. There were some soy milk also but I did buy it as I’m not great lover of soy milk. I will keep some of this milk in stock so I have milk if we have a problem with our water supply at anytime. I can use about one carton per week normally so when they get to near use by date I work them into my normal week supply and replace with fresh supply. I bought my cat some more cat litter as I do need to stockpile more for them too! Prices are going up fast here, so it will be cushion against prices rises as well having more in the cupboards.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Roast Chicken & Vegetables
Monday ~ Stir Fry Beef with Rice
Tuesday ~ Beans & Rice with Vegetables
Wednesday ~ Apricot Chicken with rice
Thursday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Saturday ~ Leftovers

I’m joining in on this event tonight; I will be turning off my lights, computer and TV between 8pm – 9pm local time.

A quite few places are joining in here including a large function with 3000 dining guests will be eating by candlelight as whole function will in darkness for that hour.

Many people have planned Earth Hour Parties by candlelight and one sport stadium is showing the Alan Gore movie while this is on. It should be an interesting to see how much power can be saved over all as this event is worldwide this time and not just Sydney this year.

I have been shopping only twice since last week, still haven’t spent any money on Grocery. But I have spent $33.50 on books all used ones too! They are by an author that I am trying to read when I get some time to do so as they are in trilogy form, I need to get them all before I start to read most of them. I do have the first book but I don’t have any others in first trilogy but I do have the first book in the next trilogy, the other ones are from other trilogies that she has written. I am planning to buy new next two books of the first trilogy for Mother Day as I will ask for gift vouchers again this year. They do come in handy when you want something that is not a need but you would like to have it. As I am a slow reader I do need to buy these books as I’m still reading War & Peace after 32 years. I have seen the that movie a few times but with the book I get very bored in the war parts of the book and then stop for a few years then have another go. I may get there one day. Some books I can read in a few hours but others it takes years.

I did have lunch with my ex-coworkers again this week, and paid my visa so it’s back to Zero again.

The other thing I did spend money is getting prescriptions filled and packet of candy as the treat for the week not that I didn’t get any chocolate for Easter, I just a need to buy some non- chocolate candy too!

We may get some rain tonight so heres is hoping.

This week it’s time to charge the batteries in the smoke detectors, I have 3 of them so I went and bought a pack of 4 x 9 volt batteries @ $16.57 pack or if I wished to buy them in single packs @ $6.99 a pack it’s crazy but I’m saving money by buying four. As three of them would have cost $ 20.97 and I got four for $16.57 value of $27.96 saving $11.39 on the four. It’s the end of our day light savings in the Southern States, we don’t have it here. Fire dept recommends’ to change at beginning of the day light saving but as I did put new ones up at this time last year I’m doing at end of it each year, it still one year but at a different time of the year.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Monday ~ Apricot Chicken with rice
Tuesday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Wednesday ~ Omelet with salad
Thursday ~ Leftovers night
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato

With the way the economies of the world these days, with shares, banking, peck oil & shortages of some food items. I do think it time for me to start stockpiling more food & other supplies. Things are only going to rise and almost never will come back down in price. My starting point is reviewing what I have already got stockpiled. Then filling the gaps first, using any old or nearly old stock replacing them with new items that I will use and can cook without power if there is a shortage in electricity here. I’m looking into different ways of cooking so I can cook if there is rationing of the power grid. I do believe that is may be happing some parts of the world now. Solar cooker, hay box, camp gas stove & BBQ non-gas one, two of these methods I have already have. Food lines can be used in my normal cooking until needed but keeping them to a peak level when each comes on special in they cycles. They are many places now on the internet telling you how much you need to store per person. As I am in a single household I will be only storing for two, mostly things that other people will not to want to make from scratch too! Dried & canned beans, dried & canned vegetables, mainly canned tomatoes, and other foodstuffs, oil & vinegars, spices & herbs, coffee & tea, water plus paper goods and good first aid kit enough for a few months at least. Torches & radio with batteries, to name a few things I’m thinking of. Another thing is the information of how to use these foodstuffs using these cooking methods and how to make things & repairs them to last longer.

Today I filed some of papers that I have been pulling out of my craft bedroom. I did find a very unusual one that was printed in January 1974, two days after the flood here when over 13000 homes went under. In it they are telling you how to save most of the things that we are told to get ride of now. Like carpets, books, furniture, clothes, save the plaster walls, how wash outside walls, how to get your car going etc. Back then I do know that so much was not make with glue and particle boards but more solid woods and brick. Our old house that was sold 3 years before this flood only needed a quick hose out and dry out then it was fine; the people living there had time to up most of their goods into the ceiling including the carpets as there were two large man holes build into that house and it was one of the last houses to go under at 35 feet above sea level. The house that we moved to then now is my home and is high on a ridge but the low areas near the river did get flood then. Funny what we kept.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~Beef Rissoles & Salad
Monday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Tuesday ~ Stir Fry Chicken with Rice
Wednesday ~ Beans & Rice with Vegetables
Thursday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Omelet with salad

I had a very busy morning; first I spent 5 hours with my Italian DF-M, as she is elderly and wanted to make pasta today. So we were up at first light this morning making and rolling pasta for Easter. It was just the two of us do this today.

After having lunch I started working on an area in my workshop. I got to put some stuff away into they right place after I had finished the painting the other day. With that lot cleared it made way so that I could get to the area that I wished to clear out. I did half this area today which took about 2 hours so far. I needed to put some wood away that I would need to repair the outside of the house what was sitting the corner from my door project a year ago. If I ever get dry rot I will have matching boards to replace with and I do have the storage there.

1 large onion
2 tomatoes
1 potato cut into thin strips
1 carrot cut into thin strips
2 tsp. marmite or Vegemite
1 quart (1250 ml) of boiling water

Fry onion a golden brown, boil carrots and potatoes till tender.
Boil and strain tomatoes to remove skins and seeds, dissolve marmite in a little hot water
To these ingredients add 1 quarts boiling water.
Lets stand on stove and simmer gently for about 10 minutes before serving.
A delicious marmite broth can also be made by dissolving 1 teaspoon of marmite in 1 cup of boiling water.
1952 recipe

Self contained (without Stock)

2lbs (1kg) soup bones with a little meat on them (cut into small 3inch pieces)
(I did add a lamb chop that I had to the mixture.
2 quarts plus extra pint (5 litres) of cold water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
3 sprig of parsley flat & 1 sprig of rosemary tided together with cotton trine. You can thyme or marjoram with parsley. (I just had parsley & rosemary in the garden.)
Boil for 5-10 minutes until boiling skimming the scrum off the top then simmer on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Now cut up vegetable at the 2 hours mark.
Into chunky diced pieces I used 3 medium potatoes, 3 carrots, 1/2 medium yellow sweet potato, 1 medium onion, I would have used some celery if had any. I did put in some peas but found it's best to add when reheating it.
1 cup red lentil washed
As for flavoring I did use 2 heap tablespoons of curry powder and 1 teaspoon celery salt.
1 tablespoon beef liquid stock concentrated as I need some more flavor when I tasted it.

At the 2 1/2 hours stage, remove broth off the heat and remove the herbs and discard.
Sieve broth saving both liquid & diced meat pieces removing any left on the bones, removing the meat bones and discard.

Return broth, meat, chunky diced vegetable, lentils and flavoring to the stockpot bring to the boil, then simmer for another 30 minutes.

Serve about 3 soup ladles per person
It's a watery liquid broth; I have it with toast & vegemite.
I froze it and I got approx 8 servings.

I did go and pay my power bill this week and did a little shopping too! Bought beef soup bones and made a Meat & Vegetable Broth (Soup) and I got 8serving, so I will have a few meals for lunch time. I just add 2 multigrain toast with butter and vegemite. I know that black stuff us Aussie love. I just have a little not a lot. I did find a soup recipe for marmite soup while I was looking for a recipe for the beef soup bones recipe. Not to many around now I had to go back to the 1950's for the recipe. It's not a fancy recipe but more like a recession recipe with very little meat in it. Post recipe soon.

I finished painting the door is done, it looks good too, it just needs my friend to come back and put it back up. It's far too heavy for me to do and it's to go on the top of flight of stairs too!

Weekly Main Meal Menu
Sunday ~Apricot Chicken with rice
Monday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Tuesday ~ Omelet with salad
Wednesday ~ Leftovers night
Thursday ~ Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Kangaroo Steak with Mushroom Sauce & Vegetables

Today my handyman friend arrived and took off my back screen door that was showing signs of weather over 20 years needing new fly screen and painting, as it was full of rust which was surface rust only. After remove the rust and fixing the fly screen panel which is separate piece. I put the first coat of metal primer on today and over the next few days I will be putting on next two coats before my friend come back to put it back up as this door is very heavy and need more than one person to put it back in place.

No spending days this month:- 4

I went shopping this morning, for pet food, some groceries as well gas for the car. On Tuesdays it works out to be the cheapest day to fill up the cars. Not cheap but a lot cheaper than most other days of the week today I got it for 122.5c per litre that was with the 4c off discount shopper coupon that I had to, $35.11 not bad for 8 weeks between refills. A few days ago it was 137.9c I did go and have a snack at Hungry Jacks with my free coffee.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $87.27 (my cash outlay)
Savings $stretch $10.19