Tightwad Kitty's $$$ Stretching Blog

This is extracts from an article written late 1950’s as part of this article was burnt many years ago, I have no idea the name magazine or author and thanks to them for me seeing the wisdom in their writing many years ago their words live on.

Note do remember prices & wages back then were pittance to what you can be earning today.

My own wage at this time for a 15 year old was one pound and eighteen shillings about $3.80Au and with paying my family board at one pound per week.

Spend a Little … Look Great

What is the cost of being a beauty? Can be as little as five shillings per week.

A pittance buys a wealth of beauty – If you spend it wisely.
Pounds-a - week buy very little – if they tossed around without a plan, and without a care.

Here is a three point course in clever spending; makes you a new year gift of ready worked out budgets to suits your purse to follow.


Another No spend day here

One thing that I did find in these boxes was the first magazine articles that I cut out on saving money over fifty years ago. It funny what you do keep, Spend a little - Look Great, it's on save on beauty products & how to use them in three lessons not much has changed but some brand names and Prices. The other one is "How to dress well on 2 pounds per week". Not that I had 2 pounds a week to spend then on clothes or 5 shillings on beauty products per week either. As 15 year old, I was lucky to have train fare to go to work and keep myself in shoes and pay board at that time but one could dream and plan. Once I did put them in the fire by accident as one has burnt corner on it but its still readable. I don't know which magazine they came out of or if it's still in print. They don't write articles like these any more. I will never be throwing these away now that I have kept them for so long and information still works for today.
Weekly Main Meal Menu Sunday ~ Omelet with Shredded Cheese and Salad Monday ~ Tuna Salad with Rice Crackers Tuesday ~ Steak & Vegetables Wednesday ~ Soup & Crackers Thursday ~ Spaghetti Bolognese Friday ~ Steamed Fish and Salad Saturday ~ Chicken Kebabs with Salad No spending today

Today I decide to de-clutter some of the papers & items that I have boxed in my dining room.

I have a wall that is behind the table that I have been putting plastic boxes against for a while now, last week I needed one for storage in another area instead of going out and buying another one.

It’s mostly paper that I collect for some reason at the time on my sideboard and when I get visitors it get put into these containers I’m not talking about small ones either 57 litres on rollers and stackable ones too!

So I have decided to cull these boxes big time, so my dining room table is full of items out of these boxes and the boxes have now been removed. I do keep papers & information for others, this has to stop. It’s just a small step one I will be happy to see the back of. So here is my challenge for next few weeks and list of questions for me to think about too!

Declutter Paper Challenge

• Is it out of date?
• Why have I kept it in the first place?
• Do I need this piece of information for ME?
• Do I want it now?
• Can I live with out it?
• Can I replace it with information on the net?
• Ask yourself will I miss this piece of paper or booklet.
• Does it have any value?
• If it’s a heritage document and do I keep it?

What to keep
• Is this item a Tax or budget data for my benefit?
• Past medical Information needs to be kept in a file.
• Keep all pension information for my benefit.
• Is this Information on general topics of interest for my benefit or has historical value? # Can I replace it with information on the net?

File all papers that you are keeping in filing cabinets that are in the house.

The last two days have been, No Spending days.

As I start my new annual budget each year around now.
I am reviewing my past spending and goals before I start posting my goals and plans for 2008.

As you may have read, I had a spending spree this year.
New Front Door & Security Door, 3000L Tank, Water Hot Tank, New Mower, New Computer & Printer etc, Digital Camera plus extras, Holiday Interstate.
All bills paid on time throughout the year
And credit card at Zero balance at end of each month.
Best of all I’m still under my pension income and things are looking good for next year goals.

My goals & plans for next three months ~ December to February.

~ No Spending but for planned items. (If I have an item in the house or can borrow it, then I’m to use that first.)
~ I have only two gift vouchers for Christmas to buy as all other gifts have been bought.
~ Saving as much cash I can for a new stove & oven later in the year.
~ Have my credit card at Zero balance by end of the each month.
~ Come under budget. (Only if you don’t count major project)
~ Deposit into the online accounts.
~ Pay All Due Bills on pension days or ahead of time. (As my budget is now in Excel, I can see a working model of these figures. When due and approx amount needed for each month.)
~ Chiro visit (one every 4 weeks)
~ Known outings to budget for in December - February –dining out 5 times
~ Live off my Bulk Food Assets & Storage Assets
~ Gardening Mowing & weed back garden & put water saving techniques in place.
~ Cull & de-clutter computer files not in use.
~ Downsizing storage areas and clean these areas (zones 9, 10 & 11)
~ Lay a load wood chip that our neighbor hood (10 households) got for FREE, so far I have moved 30 Wheel borrows full for my garden. Still wheel borrows more to go.

Well I have been off learning to use my new computer and printer; I did fine some free online lessons so I have been doing these for the past two weeks.

Well I have been busy looking at my next major project.

Unlike most people living on limited income, I believe in buying the best quality products for my money that I have to spend and not spending to save money by buying the cheapest I can get.

I’m updating my computer, printer, & programs this time. After checking out what was available for the price that I wanted to pay! I found one that I had made up to what I wanted. I was able to buy all branded parts just over my total budget $1500 cash only. On Programs Window Office 2007 & anti-virus programs, I saved $220 on top prices quoted. Printer I got one that I could print in black only, and refill the ink. Saved $20 as it went on special the day before I picked up the computer and USB data stick 2GB saved $13
HP Pavilion or Dell had for the same money only, had 512MB Ram and Memory 80G to 200G in $1000 to $1500 range with paying for expended warranty extra.

My computer has Ram 1G, Memory 250G with fast drive, 19 inch LP flat screen monitor including Window ® XP Home, floppy drive, optical keyboard & mouse,
DVD burner, safety power pack and temperature warning system plus five years labor warranty and including help to exchange data from old to new computer, loading all the programs.

On what I got included in one computer that I bought, saved about $900 on one with same standard components around $2000 mark.

Summery
Computer $1044 - saved $900
Programs $305 - saved $220
Printer $69 - saved $20
USB data stick $27- saved $13
Office 2007 book $27 -saved $13
Warranty - Free - saved $248
Safety power board- $149 - top of range
Total spent $1594 Total saved $1414
saving 47%
Over budget by $94

(If I had paid by credit card that would have been extra 3% charge of $37.29)

So now it’s back to saving for a holiday next.

During the last week my last refund for my tank arrived, $500. Bring the total to $1500, therefore the water tank cost $90 out of my own pocket, and it’s full with rainwater as we had rain in the last few weeks.

I have been saving money with my medical bills also, as I have been to a number of different specialists and have had a number scans. So far as I’m on a pension and most but not all doctors do charge a different rate. It has just cost so far $105 out of my pocket, but without these rebates & Medicare on these services would have cost over $1000.

I will have to get back to writing more regularly as then I will keep to being on track a lot better.

So today, I went to Bunnings our major hardware to check out the prices. About 3 years ago I was thinking that I had to buy one then, so I had worked out which one I was buying and how much I would pay for it. You can get many cheaper lawn mowers but as this one I hope will last one I will be buying if it last as long the last one. It was coming up to about 30 years plus, and it came with the house when I bought it.

I had motor fix a few years ago hoping it would last around 10 years that was about 6 years ago. I decided when I had to pay any more money on this one it was dead. It has been breaking down and pieces falling off over that time.

As I just went in to look as I was there on Monday was a friend, and saw that brand on special for $419 so I went back today to see which one it was! It was not the one I wanted but one down from it, so I check the price on my chosen one and found it was $50.00 off the price since I last price it six month ago. I had set my mind that was close to what I would have to pay for it around $500, so I did buy it today for $449. I got one made in Australia too! The company is planning to make them in China next year. Three years ago they were around $489 so something has come down in price. I had to put it on my credit card but I will have it paid off before bill comes in. I have save for this lawn mower three times then had to buy some else so I just got it, as it would has cost between $35 - $ 50 to pay someone to mow my lawn every three weeks just to mow weeds. I spent some more money on a few odd & ends that I found there for my garden too!

Weekly Main Meal Menu
Sunday ~ Pea & Ham Soup with toast
Monday ~ Chicken Mustard with Rice.
Tuesday ~ Garlic Chicken Schnitzel with Tomato Salsa & Steamed Vegetables.
Wednesday ~ Hot Beef Curry with Rice.
Thursday ~ Chilli Con Care & Corn Chips
Friday ~ Sweet & Sour Fish with Rice (Pineapple & Vegetable.)
Saturday ~ Scramble Eggs on Toast

My Spending today $489.00

Well it’s almost two week since I lasted posted here.

I have been to EKKA again this year, which is on now. I wrote about it in last year August 2006 blog. I spent around $40.00 this time and $20 was on books.

Today I went to the second hand bookstore near my home and bought all the back dated copies of Australian Gourmet Travellers, which I collect. I bought around 35 copies this time. 5 for $2.00 which is good buy as they are new $7.95 each.

I got a free coffee again today - saving $2.45

Today’s Senior Card Savings - $2.45
Add to total $20 Challenge $89.95
My Spending today $54.00

Well I did get my Hot Water System put in last Saturday, all is well and working as it should. I was lucky as the plumber that bought & put it in for me is a son of one my neighbor’s that do watch from time to time. So now I owe him some of my time as he didn’t charge me for the work of putting it in just bought the best one in that style, as they are three grades each one cheaper each other and not as strong. This one has thicker copper tank so I’m told. So I was out of pocket by $625.00. I had that money put aside for such emergency so no big deal on the money front. I do try to budget, some money for that kind of problem knowing that a lot of my appliances are on the old side and will need to replace in the near future. What is next, it should be a computer & lawn mower in that order with stove and washing machine coming in after that. Only a microwave will be bought straight away.

I will try coming on here bit more regular and update starting a fresh.

My Spending today $625.00

In the city today, paid my credit card off again in full and paid another bill too!

We went to the Sizzler’s again, just having the salad bar & drinks today $11.95 as they have put the price up again. Saving $2.80 with my senior card. Even though I went to five other places to buy things on my list not one had them anything I wanted so I just walked out again.

Lucky I did as when I left this morning, I was having trouble with hot water system, it over 13 year old so it a replacement job. The thermostat is gone I think, and the $200 to fix it for around 2 years is not worth it. As it only will cost about $600 –700 to replace it for next 10 years plus. Life span is around 10-15 years for an electric hot water system. It not economical for me, to buy solar hot water system at $4000 and only $1000 rebate with about same life span.

Why I know it needs to be replace is for the last few weeks it been just eating the kWh big time. I have been reading the meter every few days, have use 68 kWh since Saturday, and had NO hot water when I went to shower this morning and I used so little hot water in that time too! It took over 20 minutes to fill the tank until it overflowed, then I read it and check the meter box was on too! When I came home this afternoon I read it again I had use 13 kWh in 7 hours which means that thermostat is not turn off when hot and all I am getting is the laundry full of steam instead. I rang the energy company and found when the next power reading is and as I am 100kWh over now and still 4 weeks to ago before next reading. I spoke to a plumber, we will buy one and replace it on Saturday. In the meantime the power tariff that is on 24/7 used only 12 kWh in all this time since Saturday with 2 large refrigerators & chest freezer as well all the lights, TV’s & computer etc. So another Major project expense this week, lucky I bank that $1000 rebate a few weeks ago.

Today’s Senior Card Savings - $2.80
Add to total $20 Challenge $87.50

I was having a bit of time out from writing here. I will try to come back a bit more from now on.

I went to Aldi on Friday and bought a pasta machine, so now I can some fresh pasta along with rolled oats & powdered milk as I do make my own cereal and yoghurt & mix my own skim milk. All these have a shelf life of more than 12 months and I have put the cereal in the freezer for now. Prices are going up here big time. I went to the fruit shop today to buy tomatoes but the cheapest were $3.99 kg and they were not that good, so I decided to buy avocados instead they were 6 for $2.00.

Just got my first water tank rebate back! I open my online account to check if my debit had been taken out and found that my first rebate of $1000 has been debit credit to my account. I quickly transferred it to my ING account so that I won’t spend it and save it for one of my major project later this year like a new computer as my computer is very outdate now and 8 years old but still working very slowly and can’t be upgraded anymore.

I have been very busy this week so
Here a link to pictures of water tanks. More to be found on the links too!

I went shopping this weekend, and bought heaps of fruit & vegetables as the Granny Smiths Apples, brown onions, sweet potatoes were only 79c kg. So I bought a lot of them as I have dehydrator with 10 trays so I will be over next few days, I took over 3 hours to cut and lay out seven trays today. I had to cut them up very finely for what I need them for, as I am making seasoning mixers. I have to do the onions on they own but the others can be done together. I also bought celery, peppers, & kiwi fruit. I will do the apples & kiwi fruit together then get around to them. Dried apple slices are 250g for $2.99. Before I went shopping, I went to Hungry Jack’s and got a free coffee and single cone 40c, with my senior card. Saving $2.45 here.

Weekly Main Meal Menu
Sunday ~ Ham Omelette with Tomato Salsa
Monday ~ Chilli Con Care & Corn Chips
Tuesday ~ Chicken Schnitzel with Tomato Salsa & Steamed Vegetables.
Wednesday ~ Pea & Ham Soup & Toast
Thursday ~ Spaghetti Bolognese
Friday ~ Poached Fish with Steamed Vegetables
Saturday ~ Thai Satay Chicken with Steamed Rice & Green tea

Adding Coins $20 challenge -$12.50
Today’s Senior Card Savings - $2.45
Add to total $20 Challenge $84.70
My Spending today $35.56
Any Savings today $12.45

I went to the city to have lunch with my ex-work friends today! We went to Sizzler’s as usual, I just had the salad bar. Saving $2.00 with my senior discount so that another $2.00 for $20 challenge.

I did pay my credit card balance off in full. But as my internet bill was not on this, I had to ring to fine out why and make sure that I wasn’t cut off at end of this month. They did as no I would be and I would be charged for last month & next month on the next bill. Not happy with that but it was they problem not mine!

I bought some markdown organic pasta 1kg saving $1.50 and bacon bones to make pea & ham soup to-morrow.

Yesterday it rained all day but only light showers, my tank is full again! I now have enough water to last for a few months if didn’t rain for a while. I will use only full recycle & tank water for the next month or so.

Today’s Senior Card Savings - $2.00
Add to total$20 Challenge $69.30
My Spending today $445.00
Any Savings today $3.50

I dropped into the antique store and had a look around and end up buying a $3.00 very old cookbook with lots of old style recipes in it. It's instruction book for a refrigerator in the 1950's.

While I was out, I walk up to Hungry Jack's and had a free coffee $2.45 that's add to $20 challenge. It not bad for a treat now & then for 40c for ice cream cone that I have with it.

Here one of my favorites that I still make. This recipe is from the booklet above.

Peach Melba
Open a can of cling stoned peaches halves.
Put a half peach in each glass dish.
Fill centre with a good ice cream, pour over some raspberry syrup toping, then pile whipped cream on top of all.
Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Vary this by using fruit syrup (peach) from the can instead of raspberry syrup topping.

Weekly Main Meal Menu
Sunday ~ Homemade Hot Curry Chicken Soup & Toast
Monday ~ Spaghetti Bolognese
Tuesday ~ Spicy Pumpkin & Sweet Potato with Lentils
Wednesday ~ Scramble Eggs on Toast
Thursday ~ Garlic Chicken Schnitzel with Tomato Salsa & Steamed Vegetables
Friday ~ Poached Fish with Steamed Vegetables
Saturday ~ Curry Ground Beef & Rice with Sambal

Today's Senior Card Savings - $2.45
Adding to total $20 Challenge $67.30
My Spending today $3.40
Any Savings today $2.45

It’s very windy here but no rain. The temperature has dropped quite a lot too!
I am not going far from home at the moment. But today I did go out this afternoon and bought three packets of sweet & sour sauce, at 80c each instead of $2.40 each. Tin of chocolate milk shake flavouring for 99c, saving $2.00 here. Spaghetti 50c and 5kg of basmati rice $8.29 saving $2.63 here & a Milk for my friend 99c

I also went to my favorite clothes shop there and they had want I had on my shopping list 3 pairs of ¾ length pants on special at $9.95 each so I saved $30.00 here. My old pants are very worn so they need replacing for next summer. So my practice of downsizing my clothes will put these new ¾ pants on top of the list.

My Spending today $42.98
Any Savings today $39.43

Well I did spend some money this week.

My kitchen taps have been leaking if not turn very hard, My handyman friend drop by, said he would have a look at them last week. Today he came after he finish for the day as he had to work this morning on a job. They were very dirty under the handles and the swindle parts need new o- ring washers and new o- ring on water faucet part too! That I didn’t have in fix it drawer in kitchen so we had to go the hardware this afternoon and buy set of washers and a new garden tap that was leaking too! There was two kinds garden taps to choose from on sale 1st one $10.90, 2nd one was $5.87 just made in different countries. Price different for a taps that will not be used too much until we are using hoses again, so I bought the cheaper one. Costing $8.35 all up. Saving $5.00 on that choice.

On the garden front, we pruned the Gardenia in the front garden so it’s not so stressed, as don’t wish to let it get to high.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Minestrone with Toast
Monday ~ Chicken Mustard with Rice.
Tuesday ~ Garlic Chicken Schnitzel with Tomato Salsa & Steamed Vegetables.
Wednesday ~ Hot Beef Curry with Rice.
Thursday ~ Chilli Con Care & Corn Chips
Friday ~ Sweet & Sour Fish with Rice (Pineapple & Vegetable.)
Saturday ~ Scramble Eggs on Toast

My Spending today $8.57
Any Savings today $5.00

Owing to the rain my ground was soft enough to work on last week. So I start tidying up the pumpkin patch area. When my handyman friend arrived and started to help out. I had three wheel borrows of dirt from putting in the tank area plus two other piles of dirt. So we got to and clear this area and mowed the whole yards lawn. My mower is about to be replaced very soon. So will need to put as side about $500 for a new one. I may get three more mows out it if I am lucky I had plan to replace it last year so its not to bad that I got another year out of it. It was bought in mid 70’s so it time for a new one, I hope the next one will be my last one.

On the first day we worked on getting the ground cleared and lawn mowed. The 2nd day we made two gardens area. Still need to do a third area. We recycled all the soil and ran it through a sieve that I had too! I had bought a few years ago some garden edge that were never used. So had that also five bags of potting mix to replace the soil in the large pots that I have a Neen, Bay, Curry Trees in, these can’t go into the ground but must stay in pots. They are on a cement slab so the roots will not go into the ground as they will grow too high for the area that I have here. Another problem is next door has Cocos palms that’s a weed in our area, I have to keep on the look out for these as I don’t wish to pay a fortune to have them cut out in the future. I did find four young plants when we were clearing the areas too! I the new garden I have used only plant that I had in my garden taking some from others area and cutting of other plants. Any plant that dies before the drought end will be not replaced. On the three day I work on my own planting all the under plants using want I had around the place, Iris, tee tree native, rosemary, geraniums, a lot of bromeliads, gladiolus bulbs (that I had laying about) & snowflake. All have lasted in my garden as well as the crotons that I have in the front yard for many years with very little watering at times. So there is one more area to work on and the pruning in late July of the trees & the hedge until this time next year when I will need to clean up again. I don’t do any gardening but mowing in summer and our summer starts around late October temperature wise. We got a first cool weather after the 1st June this year until then it was over 28 C everyday.

Four days of no spending days here.

I have been a bit lazy with this blog of lateas I have been watching the Big Brother program here, too much TV anyway. I will try get a little more with it and blog a bit more often and I will post a full update tonight.

On the rain front, we end up getting one & half days of good rain here. My tank & all the tanks that were in stalled are now full. But elsewhere in the country (NSW) have been in trouble with a low of the coast and flooding and tanker running a ground in the height of the storm. A whole family of five was washed away when a road gave way. Another couple lost their lives when a bridge gave way, such a lost too! Just before that we had train crash in Victoria with eleven people dead when a semi-trailer ran into a train at a level crossing.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Vegetable Soup with Toast
Monday ~ Chicken Mustard with Rice.
Tuesday ~ Devilled Sausages with Mashed Potato & Peas
Wednesday ~ Pasta with Pasta Sauce & Tuna
Thursday ~ Beans Rissoles & Salad
Friday ~ Poached Fish with Steamed Vegetables
Saturday ~ Garlic Chicken Schnitzel with Tomato Salsa & Steamed Vegetables.

For the last 24 hours it's been raining on and off all day & night. Still more to come for next two days.

This is enough rain to fill our new tanks up and enough soaking raining around the dams that any more rain will start to run into the dams. It's needs over 50mm of rain each time for this to happen at the moment as the ground is SO DRY. Some areas have had over 100mm, around here over 50mm so far.

I went out last night and was in the city when the rain started. No money spent but I had free food. In mall, I saw the down pipe working in full force. We have roof on one the covers there, that make a water fall when it rains. The pond at the bottom was empty last time I saw it now it full then drains into water tank. They have made a large storage water tank under this area so that it can be used to water the gardens in the Mall.

As DF-M daughter is here for the weekend. We went shopping together again, and drop into Bond's Discount Factory Outlet Store. (Bond’s here is an underwear manufacture & supplier)
While the other bought underwear but I got 4 sweater top, all the same but in different colours as they also sell casual wear and nightwear too! I paid $5.00 each, regular price was $11.99 so saved $27.96 here. I had dinner with the family that night too!

I counted my charge today and I have $30.00 to bank.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ (free)BBQ Fillet Steak with Tomato & Onion Salad, Italian Bread, cheese & Wine.
Monday ~ Scramble Eggs on Toast
Tuesday ~ Spaghetti Bolognese
Wednesday ~ Devilled Sausages with Mashed Potato & Peas
Thursday ~ Toasted Savoury Mince Jaffa’s
Friday ~ Pasta with Pasta Sauce & Tuna
Saturday ~ Garlic Chicken Schnitzel with Tomato Salsa & Steamed Vegetables

Adding Coins $20 challenge -$30.00
Add to total $20 Challenge $64.85

My Spending today $20.00
Any Savings today $27.96

June / July Goals & Planning Ahead

~ Have my credit card at Zero balance by end of the each month.
~ Come under budget.
~ Deposit into the online accounts.
~ Pay All Due Bills on pension days or ahead of time.
~ Chiro visit (one every 4 weeks)
~ Known outings to budget for in June / July - lunch out 3
~ Live off my Bulk Food Assets
~ Make up another eight meals OAMC. - Out of Bulk Food Assets.
~ De-cluttering 5 Storage Boxes
~ Gardening Mowing & weed back garden & put water saving techniques in place done
~ Cull & de-clutter computer files not in use. – (on going)
~ Downsizing storage and clean these areas (zones 6, 7 & 8) (on going)
~ Have my car service

Review of the last two months.

April / May Goals & Planning Ahead
~ Have my credit card at Zero balance by end of the each month. Done
~ Come under budget. Did come under.
~ Deposit into the online accounts. Yes
~ Pay All Due Bills on pension days or ahead of time. All bill paid to date
~ Chiro visit (one every 4 weeks) yes
~ Known outings to budget for in April / May - lunch out 2 - had more lunch out 5
~ Live off my Bulk Food Assets Yes
~ Make up another eight meals OAMC. - Out of Bulk Food Assets. Yes
~ De-cluttering Computer Room Yes
~ Gardening Mowing & weed back garden & put water saving techniques in place done Yes
~ Cull & de-clutter computer files not in use. – (on going)
~ Downsizing storage and clean these areas (zones 6, 7 & 8) (on going)
~ Install the water tank, paid and apply for rebate. ? Done

I did a big shop at the fruit shop ‘n’ grocery store. Getting some apples, mandarins, broccoli, shallots, tomatoes & some canned goods. Spending around $20. I went to the Deli there and got some ham off the bone & gypsy ham, just two slices of each, $3.50. I will not need to get any more fresh food for a week or so.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Monday ~ Garlic Chicken Schnitzel with Tomato Salsa & Steamed Vegetables.
Tuesday ~ Ham Omelette with Tomato Salsa
Wednesday ~ Minestrone with toast
Thursday ~ Spicy Pumpkin & Sweet Potato with Lentils
Friday ~ Poached Fish with Steamed Vegetables
Saturday ~ Spaghetti Bolognese
Sunday ~ Devilled Sausages with Mashed Potato & Peas

Gone shopping or bought something. 10 times

Went to the city by bus 2 times

Drove my car only. 5 times

Had food bought or had for free away from home. 7 times

And had 17 No Spending Days.

Lets see what next 28 days tallies will be.

I walked up to the shops today, and went first to Hungry Jack’s and got a cappuccino & a cone 40c spent here, as I got my cappuccino for free Senior Card Discount so that another $2.45 for $20 challenge. I drop into the supermarket and check the price on the eggs $2.85 so different of 56c between price for the same packaging & same company supermarket that I bought the other day. While I was there, that I had a look at the bargain bin, and found some spice markdown here our supermarkets are downsizing they stock so that they put in their own brand copying Aldi. You never know what they will be cutting out next at 60% off for items with a long shelf life I will not say NO, to thing that I can use. I bought Hoyt’s brand Cajun Spice Mix 125g @ $1.60, Oregano Leaves 60g @ $1.14 Hot Dried Chillies Crushed 100g @ $1.62, all normally priced in the $3.00 & over range. It looks like you will be only able to buy the 14g packets in future if they don’t cut them out too! They have bought a range of herbs & spices in they up market range store brand Select at over $2.00 -15g per bottle. I will be looking at Asian, Indian & Italian deli’s around the place. If I am to make my own mixer, I still need to base spices and some herbs that I don’t grow. So I will need to look outside the normal supermarkets for these. I saved around $5.00 here.

I did drop into the thrift shops on the away home. I pick up some more Gourmet Traveller magazines 5 for $2.00 and a Woman’s Weekly cookbook for $2.00. Along with some Tupperware containers 3 for $3.00, one was a large serving container with a lid, that is not in their normal range and two spice containers. Saving heaps here, all in good condition. Spending $7.00. RRP for this lot books $52.70 & add about $35.00 for Tupperware, you are looking $88.00 for $7.00. So not a bad day at the office.

I did go on line to today, banked some money in ING, I have started to bank some of my $20 challenge money. $120.00 of which $40 is $20 challenge.

Today’s Senior Card Savings - $2.45
Add to total $20 Challenge $34.85
My Spending today $11.76
Savings today $88.45

I just paid off, the last payment for my doors of $400 as my handyman friend has returned from his holiday this week. Call in to do a little bit of work around the place too! Hood cover for my tank’s motor. He also put extended the pipe into my sunken pit area in my yard. All excess rainwater heads there before sinking into the ground. It’s nice to have such a good friend and all these small jobs he did today, I had in my workshop the materials for each job I never spent a thing. It's great when you can do a job and not have to run to the hardware for this screw or that right bolt for each job. No wonder my friend’s think I have a gold mine at times. I didn't have the right tools in something’s but what I didn’t have he did. I made him, his morning tea and lunch then we went to the bank to get the money thatI own him. He is going to price sand blasting job for me for those three wrought iron chairs I bought a few weeks ago. They do need to be sandblasted. I will have to pay for this to be done. He will take it to sandblaster for me. I went into the supermarket while I was out and only bought some eggs & candy $3.39.

My Spending today $403.39

Today I did a big run around shopping and pay my bills, as I haven’t been out for a while. I went to thrift shop on the way up the street and bought a large plastic container, for $2.50 that is normal sold for about $12.95 new. I also pick up some more Gourmet Traveller magazines, 5 for $2.00 I now have quite a number of theses now. I bought some grocery $4.70. I want to get some film developed but no one does it any more but at large shopping centres. So I had to go the another shopping centre in my car. So as I need to pay some bills as well, first put the film in to get developed, $11.63 then I had wait for 3 hours but I needed to shop, have lunch and pay the bills. Going to Aldi spending $19.93, buy some underwear $11.94, having lunch for $1.65 saving $1.50 on coffee with my senior card. Paying my car membership $62.00, and another bill for $94.50. I did buy the book The Secret $20.94 so I will know want it all about. I still have a few more bills to pay via my credit card. I will pay this before I need to put my next annual Chiro bill on it. But I will have it paid off along before the interest is due on it.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Monday ~ Chicken Mustard with Rice.
Tuesday ~ Beans Rissoles & Salad
Wednesday ~ Toasted Savoury Mince Jaffa’s
Thursday ~ Scramble Eggs on Toast
Friday ~ Poached Fish with Steamed Vegetables
Saturday ~ Spicy Pumpkin & Sweet Potato with Lentils
Sunday ~ Chicken Schnitzel with Tomato Salsa & Steamed Vegetables.

Today’s Senior Card Savings - $1.50
Add to total $20 Challenge $32.40

My Spending today $231.79
Any Savings today $11.95

There a few specials in the catalogues this week so I am planning to buy something in bulk or multiple buys. I normally buy between 2 to 12 items when bulk buying, 12 cans soup for meal bases this winter, 2 x 200g instant coffee until the next large can coffee goes on special, 2 kg powder milk, 2 dried macaroni. These will stock up my pantry up now to the point that I may not shop for a while now after done a inventory of my bulk areas. Unlike many of you who have snow in winter, I can walk to the shops all year round and seven days per week too! Keeping out of the shops or if do go with someone trying not to buy will be the challenge. Limiting to pet food and supply, fruit and vegetables, and the markdown dairy cases. I shopped at IGA & Aldi today. Today I used the car to go shopping. Spending all up $30.51

I had coffee & small burger today so another $1.50 for $20 Challenge.

Today’s Senior Card Savings - $1.50
Add to total $20 Challenge $30.90