Tightwad Kitty's $$$ Stretching Blog

Seeing that I didn’t post my menu plan this week.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Monday ~ Minestrone & Salad
Tuesday ~ Chilli Con Care & Corn Chips
Wednesday ~ Devilled Sausages with Mashed Potato & Peas
Thursday ~ Beef Stroganoff with Rice
Friday ~ Poached Fish with Steamed Vegetables
Saturday ~ Spaghetti Bolognese
Sunday ~ Beans Rissoles & Salad

I have been having a few gremlins on my computer of late, so I will have just to post a little now and then for the time being. My anti-virus program tried to download but I didn’t have enough RAM for the download, as I am working on an old computer. Now it has righted it self again with the new downloads so far. I was told only 10% of computers are now working on 128 RAM or less these days. I see this will be a problem in the near distance future with most old computer pre –2000 models. I try not to allow upgrade of any programs for this reason. This is one of reasons that I am saving for a new computer 1G RAM it possible. I had to turn the power off for hour and then reboot so that I could get the mouse to copy & paste anything in Word, I could copy & paste on internet but not into or on Word. Plus other little things were happening.

It’s another No spending day here again.

Happy Mother’s Day to all that are celebrating it today! Today here it’s Mother’s Day, my DIL & her family were have lunch today in a restaurant, Jade Buddha on the river. There were 11 altogether counting baby at 11 month old so five mothers & children and friends only DS was the only male. Cost was a little more than a week’s groceries budget for one this week. I had the best meal out of all of us. I had a ¼ part of Tapas Style Platter for starters then Chicken Katsu Curry, Japanese curry with steamed rice & Ginger & Chilli Green Salad. After sitting for 2 hours for a our meals, we were give each a free drink so I had orange juice, the other had wine, beer or soft drink or coffee. Then as its Mother Day each of us mothers were given a free Buddha special dessert value $14.50 each. On a white dinner plate, in small dish Chocolate Sponge with Chocolate Sauce, Chocolate Heart Shape Mould Dish filled with a scoop each of chocolate & vanilla ice cream topped with two chocolates twisted biscuits with small jug of fresh cream. The bill for all of us came to for what we paid for $280.00 and value of what we didn’t paid for $133.50 as the drinks were expensive. All meals were over $20.00 each, and some a lot more. All desserts were $14.50 each; some had Fried Ice Cream with a special liqueur sauce as well!

My Spending today $25.00
Any Savings today $17.50

I made it tonight; it's very tasty with the pineapple pieces & chunky tuna that I drained. As I only made up a half recipe making two serving, I use 1/2 can of chunky tuna drained, 1/2 can pineapple pieces reserving the juice, 1/2 can cream of the chicken soup plus small 1/2 cup of mushroom in butter sauce. I used some of reserved pineapple juice as the liquid in this dish keeping it on the thick side.. Heated in all a frypan served it with noodles. Being careful not break up the tuna too much. The chicken soup kept it yellow with the flecks of mushrooms in the mixture. I will make it again.

I caught up with friend today, after of many months not seeing one another. I had to go the Chiro again so we made it today. Even those we were to meet at one end of town after my Chiro visit. We run into one another at the bookstore near the casino so we finished of meeting there instead. I went off to the Chiro visit and she had a look around at the books. On returning I quickly looked at the books on sale and decided to return later in the day.

We walked across the road to the casino for lunch. Yes it was a deal, two courses for $10.00 with coffee. I had Thai chicken with spicy rice and vanilla slice. My friend had fish and salad with vanilla slice for the recipe look in Recipes folder as I wrote about vanilla slices last year.

Afterward we went and played to 1c slot machines until we sent our allotted money of $5.00 each then walked out. It’s good to know that we can walkout without putting all our money in them.

Then we left, we passed the man playing steel drums and put a few coins his way. Then I returned to that bookstore and friend went for her bus. I end up getting 4 books for $23.90, if I paid full price for them it would have been a lot more about $75.00 worth.

What do you do when the heel of your shoe break’s and you just started a twelve hours shift and can’t go home to get another pair of shoes or get them fixed? You guess it! Ring mum as she the only one not working today. So I had over a 50km around trip to my DS place to get another pair of shoes then on to where he is working today. While I was out I had a McDonald’s meal and a free coffee, saving $1.50 here, as it was a Senior Card deal.

That’s what mother is for!

Today’s Senior Card Savings - $1.50
Add to $20 Challenge $29.40

As I was going though an old handwritten recipe book today, I found this recipe which I will put into my pantry recipe file. What do you think of it?

EASY TUNA DISH

1 large 425g can Tuna in springwater
1 small can mushroom in butter sauce
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can 440g crushed or pineapple pieces in juice

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat through.
Serve with boiled rice or fried noodles

Ideal if you need to just mixed a few cans together and you have no refrigeration.

It's another No spending day here.

I am making a habit of going shopping with others and not buying at all or very little. They are the ones who are doing all the shopping. Today was no exception as I went with DF-M daughter, from interstate. First off, we went to Bunnings Hardware to buy some things for DF-M. Then came home then went off to buy shoes. After 2 hours Shopping, she spent money on shoes but I didn’t buy anything. After visiting five shoes stores. To find her size 35 (3.5 size) was the most difficult part of this exercise. As only one store had her size and they had a sale on too! So she end up buying them for $30.00 off the RRP. All I ended up buying was a special tap handle for my garden tap $14.95, that allows me to leave the tap with no handle but I can use it with a special key.. After I had lunch with them at DF-M house before I came home.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Macaroni Cheese with Fruit
Monday ~ Beans Rissoles & Salad
Tuesday ~ Chicken Schnitzel with Tomato Salsa & Steamed Vegetables.
Wednesday ~ Omelette with Tomato Salsa
Thursday ~ Devilled Sausages with Cheese Risotto & peas
Friday ~ Poached Fish with Steamed Vegetables
Saturday~Curry Mince on Toast

My tank arrived today, I had it delivered & installed today, after a 217 days since I ordered it.

It cost $1540 plus extra $50.00 for a ‘Water Diverter First Flush’ so I can drink the tank water if I want too and the first lot of water doesn’t go into the tank so it clean water going into the tank only. I will get back $1500 in government rebates over next few months. I will keep you posted. So will end up paying $90.00 all up for the tank 3250L with pump, extra tap & extra pipe plus fitting from part of main roof near the garage.
I spent nothing else today.

We all meet today at our usual spot Sizzlers. They have put they prices up so I will now need to re-think what I buy in future. Today I had the salad bar & drinks with the manager’s special of fish. Costing $15.90 with the senior card off of $3.00. We put in $2.00 each for a lotto between all of us each time we meet up but never won a large prize, it would be nice to won! I bought my only magazine that I each time comes out for $2.60. Recipe + is the name of the magazine and I have never seen it 2nd hand. I paid my credit card so it's back to Zero again.

Today’s Senior Card Savings - $3.00
Add to $20 Challenge $27.90

Today I thought would put away all those painting & carpentry items that were still out on the workbench and cleared the floor of the workshop. So that two zones are now done for this month.

Another No Spending Day

Today I need to get some pet food & cat litter so as had to drive the car. So I went to Hungry Jack’s for lunch seeing that they had two for one deal vouchers on their Spicy Baguettes, I bought that and got single cone and 2 Free cappuccinos with my senior card. Saving $9.75 adding $4.90 to $20 challenges.

While at the grocery store I found some can pineapple chunks on clearance trolley with a good shelf life. At 40c a can instead of $1.73, so I bought 4 for my bulk assets pile. Saving $5.32 here.

Opening $20 challenge $20.00
Today’s Senior Card Savings - $4.90
Total $20 Challenge $24.90

Today the son of another neighbor that I keep an eye on from time to time. Came over and put water diverter on drainpipe for my washing machine water, he is a plumber for free. Now I can use my grey water hose, as it never fitted before to my machine. It’s a little slow, but I can now put my soapy water straight on the lawn near the fruit trees.

Week before he went on holidays interstate and left his mother alone with his teenager son the only contract here. So each day I had to check on her to make sure that she was ok. As she has had a fall before and was on the floor for over 12 hours so everyone was a little nervous about her at 87.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Poached Fish with Marinated Pepper & Steamed Green Beans Topped w’ Chilli Sauce
Monday ~ Devilled Sausages & Mashed Potato
Tuesday ~ Beans Rissoles & Salad
Wednesday ~ Thai Satay Chicken with Steamed Rice & Green tea
Thursday ~ Beef Bourguignon with Basmati rice
Friday ~ Pasta with Pasta Sauce & Tuna
Saturday ~ Curry Ground Beef & Rice with Sambal

Another No spending day

As I have finish my Mirror Image Challenge and now it’s time for a new style format and challenges.

As the Major Projects are still on going and I need to find the money for these without taking any money from capital investments as there is not enough money invested for me to live into the future only a few just years not a lifetime. (Lifetime = 30 years more plus) I do need to get the compound interest working on this when I don’t have even six digits in my investments to last a lifetime. So I plan not to touch it and try to live without it for next few years if possible. Without any income (other than my pension) and keeping my house livable on my pension is my goal for now. - Major Project reports

$20 Challenge on Senior Card Discounts and loose change.
I am hoping to bank my entire Senior Card Discounts amount but not Government Pensioner Rebates that I get. Along with any loose changes that I get in the way of 5c –50c coins. ING –EF - $20 Challenge.

Adding to my EF –ING online account updating progress on this. - Money banked.

What I am keeping from last year’s format.
$$$ Strategy & useful tips found.
In the last 28 days
Bi-monthly Goals & Planning Ahead
Monthly Summary of how I am going (I may change the timing on this one) - Bill & Budget.
Weekly menu with Grocery Challenge on using my stockpile up. - All Food /Bulk Assets
Recipes from time to time. - Recipe
My Garden & Our Water Problems – Garden / $Saving on Utilities
Whatever – Small Stuff Challenge
Frugal Memories

I may not post everyday from now on but will still post a few times per week.

I’ll also add this post to my pages.

It’s another No spending day here.

Today is my blogoversary. 28 April 2007

Finally the answer to my question in my first post.

Just twelve months ago I started this blog asking myself a question that I been wondering about for sometime. My Question was this “What is the true value of my lifestyle now that I am living on a pension?” and still living within my means.

As I have never included my other saving accounts in this challenge only what was money banked into them. The main aim of this challenge was to write a daily account of my life style and living solely on my pension and cash reserves (by this I mean any money that I get within the hour) without going into to my investments. I did start with a small emergency fund as a back up and two credit cards at zero balance and no debt.

After crunching the numbers, I am better off than I was when I started this challenge with the door finished and adding $6000 to the value of my home. I am still debt free as I have the money there to pay any money that I owe when due!

My motto for this challenge.

“Its real hard to come up with $1000 but it’s easy to find 1000 ways to save a dollar or two!”

So let’s go and find those 1000 ways to save a dollar challenge and see what’s amount is at the end of 12 months.

So here are the numbers to this question.

I’ve crunched My Challenge numbers. I spent an average of $498.75 a pay, on living expenses, including the major project –Door, over the year after savings but I don’t pay any tax. My Credit Card is balanced now $55.00 in the No % period.

At the end of 365 days these are the totals showing up. That if I was the one who paid original full price for everything that I use, ate or bought in that year, my income would need to be around $24149 and not $13312 that I get in the way of my pension plus some cash gifts and interest.

Here are few numbers to look at.

Pension Income $13312.00
Cash gifts & Interest $1050.00
Banking in $2020.00 & out $1400.00
Major project $1690.00
Money Left $881.00 + Water Tank Money $1540.00
Senior % $3423.49
Other % $8045.38

To recap
My Real Spending Total : $12968.04
+ 2006 - 2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally: $11469.07
= Full Price (RRP) Income Challenge: $24149.11

So that’s a saving of 47.5% on RRP & Senior Discounts savings overall. ($11469)
My senior discount ratio 30% other savings 70%.

Looking at savings and senior discount numbers

Total Savings at following weeks.
4th wk $1343.50
8th wk $2826.02
12th wk $3427.84
16th wk $4590.28
20th wk $5814.26
24th wk $6645.21
28th wk $7521.90
32nd wk $8304.36
36th wk $8886.27
40th wk $9629.66
44th wk $10,018.97
48th wk $10,473.01
52nd wk $11469.07

Senior Card Discount & Senior Rebate Amounts

Rates ___________ $855.00
Car _____________ $322.28
Insurance 55over_ $125.00
Coffee free ______$92.10
Lunch ___________ $79.31
Medical _________ $1309.80
Dr_______________ $180.00
Power ___________ $120.00
Phone ___________ $120.00
Fares ___________ $58.00
Free Cheque______ $96.00
No Bank fees_____ $60.00
Movies __________ $6.00
________________= $3423.49

Power of senior card & senior pension discount rebates is averaging out around $3500 or more if I used the State Travel Voucher once this year on what I have done over past 12 months. Much more senior card discounts are available that I didn’t use 5 – 20% off different things for just showing your senior card.

This the text from 'The Answer to my Question'

Just twelve months ago I started this blog asking myself a question that I been wondering about for sometime. My Question was this “What is the true value of my lifestyle now that I am living on a pension?” and still living within my means.

I have posted my summery of this Mirror Image Challenge in Pages.

The Answer to My Question

It’s Another No spending day

Gone shopping or bought something. 10 times

Went to the city by bus. 2 times

Drove my car only. 6 times

Had bought food or had for free away from home. 5 times

And had 16 No Spending Days.

Lets see what next 28 days tallies will be with a new beginning?

Challenge at 52nd week and end of this $$$ Stretching challenge.

Kitty’s Real Spending Total $12968.04
+ 2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $11469.07
= Full Price (RRP) Income Challenge $24149.11

Opening CC Balance $317.00 (In % free days period)
Kitty’s Opening Balance Rollover $648.00 ($265 Bill A/C)
$$$Money in - $1212.00
= Total Income Balance. $1860.00
Bills Total $339.00 + 262.00 CC = $601.00
Other Spending & Groceries $239.61
$$$ Money out = $840.61
Cash Banked in other A/C’s $138.00
Kitty’s Rollover Balance $ 881.39 ($400 Bill A/C*)
CC Balance $55.00 (No % free days period & to be paid next shopping day)
Major project bills outstanding = $360*

* (To be paid when my friend returns from a NZ holiday.)

Well it’s the last day of this Mirror Image Challenge, keeping up with the tally sheets and doing all the Maths did take sometime and at times days. Especially when you find after 28th weeks that the numbers are out by around 1000 dollars because you were adding in the wrong column into the totals at times and had to do the figures again and then go and fix it in the blog. Until I made up templates, it did take time to work it out and to keep it going for whole year. But it was worth it in the end, as now I do know that I can save money on what I am doing and where I am saving it. I will do a summery of my senior card discounts and pension rebate discounts and give you all and idea what different if I didn’t have this extra.

Some of our pensions here aren’t allow these discounts. So not all get them, our Age & Disability Support Pensions do but the others don’t to my knowledge, depending on the age of the person (60 plus) with different rates for couples than singles but with all pensions and allowances do get Pharmaceutical Allowance and some other benefits. All my figures were for a single household on Full Age or Disability Support Pension and in 60 plus group.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Turkish Bread with Hummus Lettuce Tuna Marinated Feta with Marinated Peppers
DINNER Poached Fish with Salad Coffee

Another No spending day

Today is the day that we as a nation, remember our soldiers who fort and lost their lives for us making our nation the spirit it’s today. Every soldier tries to live up to that spirit and courage of those who lost their lives today on the morning of the 25th April, the date of the original landing of Australian troops at Gallipoli (Turkey) in 1915 and all wars and actions since. With dawn service here at 4.29am in heart of our cities which thousands go too then stay to watch the match at 10am in the streets or watch it on TV. I listen to radio this morning for the dawn service from Canberra War Memorial. Some of you may ask what does ANZAC stand for Australian New Zealand Army Corps. Have a look at the movie Gallipoli if would like to know more.

Less we forget

Today DS ask me if I would drive to pick him up as he had to put one of they car’s in for a service then drive him to his house. So I end up at his local shopping centre for the day. I did make a day of it too! I did some shopping at the Aldi not much as I didn’t need a lot of things. Spending only $14.70

Then visited the thrift shop and bought a few cooking magazines & one cookbook signed by the author too! All for $3.00, saving on RRP about $31.70 here.

I bought lunch at the Chinese Restaurant as they have a great lunch time deal for $9.50. Two courses & soft drink dine in. My favorite Chicken & Corn Soup (reg. $4.50), Sweet & Sour Chicken with Fried Rice (I would haven’t this one again there). I try something else next time. (reg. lunch $7.00) Diet Coke $2.00 saving $4.00 here. *

While out I filled my tank with gas spend $23.64 saving $2.16 using 4c off voucher but did save much more as the price went up by 11c litre next day.

This afternoon DF-D rang to say that she got the fish we talked about yesterday. One of the bulk butcher had special on Pacific Dory for $25.00, I said I that I would like some as my cats & I have run out of fish for poaching. As she knows the owner she rang and asked for them to keep a few boxes for her. Frozen so we could put back into our freezer ASAP. We got 35 – 37 pieces each per box. Each box is 5kg. So I got 17 meals for myself & 18 meals for my spoilt cats. Her old cat loves it when we do this, as he will eat it raw mine like it poached. On a box of fish, I saved $19.75 on supermarket price.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Lunch out *
DINNER Poached Fish with Chilli Sauce. Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $98.75
Today’s Savings - $ 57.61
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $11469.07

I end up buying three wrought iron patio chairs that need a little TLC. Rose style for $30.00 all up, I did look up the price new about $79.00 each. Four new wrought iron patio chairs in a rose design with a table in England was price at 399 pounds, that’s about $1000 here.

DF.- D bought a top of glass bookcase that she will put on top of cupboard that as already own. This is the third one she had bought in the last few weeks. Her house is an early 20th century style that has this kind of furniture in it, she love a bargain so will buy something she likes and can use for the right price. I went to pay for a book that I found in this store and was given it for Free. Yes, it’s a cookbook ‘Esquire Cookbook’ (1956). Its making very interesting reading as it’s written for men. I did buy one other item today a 12-inch high Arab boy figurine with a tray on his head for $10.00. I don’t think it’s antique for one moment (more like reproduction) but in that style and I like it. Costing $10.00. I think the value would be around $50.00 – $100.00 as that is what we are paying stuff like that here. The quality finishing on it is like more expensive pieces that I have seen.

I did Phoned about tank installing date today. It’s now around the early May before they can install it at my place. I will not pay anyone until it has been installed on my property. The people that have supplied the tank have sent an invoice but I will not pay this until I got my tank. They don’t know that I haven’t received the tank yet! If I get a reminder letter then I will phone them because then I will know that other two companies involved (deliver & installer) have not done they job.

Today’s Full price Tally $287.00
Today’s Savings - $247.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $11411.46

Well I may get a few no spending days this time, as today is another one.

The most important thing I did today was watering my garden after 4pm until 7pm. It is taking about 70 –80 minutes to water my whole garden beds with a bucket or watering can. I trying to use as much grey water that I have each time I do water. I do like to have it finish before the daylight goes but soon it will be dark at 5pm here. Some parts of my garden don’t have any lights so will need to do these areas first in the future.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Pumpkin & Carrot Soup with bread & Hummus spread.
DINNER Spaghetti Bolognese Coffee

I went to visit my Greek neighbor’s place for morning tea and chat. I had some Greek Easter bread that was leftover from Easter. I don’t go as often as I do to my other neighbors.

After I came from to work in my computer as always doing something and exploring Internet after over 7 years on net. Other than picking some fruit off my Persimmon tree, I have been eating them as my fruit for weeks now, and I am on my third tree. DF-M has two trees and has had every large crop this year but the bugs did get to it so you couldn’t give many away but I ate them any way. Mine have been netted since December so the bats & bird are still keeping away, it has about 30 Persimmons on it these are different variety more like a Fuji fruit from DF-M. They sold here for around 99c to $2.00 each. My Meyer lemon tree has a lot of lemons on it but it under stress so I am pruning it a bit so it will have less stress on it. I also have passionfruit vines but they are only now starting to flower & set fruit.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Crackers with Ham, Hummus & Tomato Fruit Coffee
DINNER Curry Ground Beef top with Mashed Potato in Shepherd Pie Style

Today I did very little in the way of saving money. But I did tidy up my garden and start pruning a few trees & shrubs in the front yard. The way I look at it, the less branches & leaves the tree has to feed the better. As we have very little water too water our gardens. I am doing my best to use only grey water.

Now by June 2007 Federal Government (Canberra) is going to stop allowing irrigation of our food crops in Murray Darling Basin which runs from north of Brisbane to all of NSW, Victoria & (South Australia which is they main water supply.) Only water for humans allowed.

Here are two links on this topic.

I drove down the shopping centre to pay my bills. Rates and phone bills $339.00 with seniors discount savings of $239 to be added for a full price amount in this challenge.

I went to Target to buy a gift card and birthday card for MIL. Spending $33.00 here.

While I was at the shopping centre, I went to the supermarket for DF-M to get her some plastic containers that she wanted. I had to get 10 x 1 Litre flat plastic containers costing $2.95 each. This all bought too at the supermarket!

BREAKFAST Boiled Eggs & Toast Coffee
LUNCH Chilli Tuna Salad & Crackers Apple Coffee
DINNER Thai Satay Chicken with Steamed Rice & Green Tea

Today’s Full price Tally $611
Today’s Savings - $ 239.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $10877.46

I had to go to the city, as it was my Chiro appointment.
I didn’t have lunch today and went home instead. I need to do this more often.
I only bought some Band-Aids $2.55.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Soup & Toast Fruit Coffee
DINNER Bean Patties with Salad Fruit Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $2.55
Today’s Savings - $ 0.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $10638.46

My DS turned up today, ask for me to go to his house and help him do some of the housework with him. As I haven’t seen him for a few days and needed a change. I yes I would spend the day with him. Well I got a few things for my trouble in the way of freebies. First off I got my Easter egg that I didn’t get over the Easter weekend. As he had been working long hours and had been very busy too! Also I got a small gift of a brooch from my DIL when she was away over Easter. I got a old mobile/cell phone so I could have a new one as I am on pre-paid and they have just got a new lot of mobile phones so I asked for one of they old ones. I will have to learn to use it a bit more as he has put in the wrong setting for me to understand. I will not be making any calls on it until I will see him again.

After we had done a few jobs around the house we went up the shopping centre to get birthday card & gift for my DIL to-morrow. I bought a bag of chocolate at the dollar store and looked but didn’t buy anything at the supermarket for DF-M plastic containers that she is after, this supermarket was out of stock. In the end we didn’t buy lunch out but came back to have leftover Spaghetti Bolognese instead that DS remember that was in the fridge, a first. We found a few more little goodies that I could take home. Like a Peri Peri Wedges Set that my DIL bought a few years ago but out of date RRP $24.95, buts it could be used so I got it to take home. Now I can use those little metal serve tins and sauce but the Mayo sauce was unsafe to use.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Spaghetti Bolognese Coffee
DINNER Fruit Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $26.95
Today’s Savings - $ 25.95 + 2nd hand mobile phone.
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $10638.46

I did the washing today saving all the grey water that I could. Using every trick that I have mention before in other post so that I could to get every drop. This routine does take a little of more time (around 1½ hours for two loads and one load of hand washing) than when I can just leave it to go down the drain.

After I did drive up to the Hungry Jack’s for lunch. They were having a two for one deal again so I had a Spicy Chicken Baguette for $5.25 for both. Using my senior card I was able to get two cappuccinos for free saving $4.90 and I bought a cone for 40c. So as I only ate one baguette at lunchtime I will have the second one for my dinner, as I was able to refrigerate it before it was unfit to eat. Less than two hours is the limit we have been told here. Four elderly people have died in a nursing home from food poisoning just last weekend and over twenty are very ill. This was in Victoria but the risk of food poisoning here is high because of our hot climate so we maybe more watchful.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH lunch out *
DINNER 2nd Spicy Chicken Baguette Grapes Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $10.55
Today’s Savings - $4.90
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $10612.51

I have always watered in the early morning at dawn. Now I have to water only after 4pm until 7pm with a bucket only. But I can water at anytime if I have grey water or tank water. As my tank has not arrived yet! We had no rain for a month now, so it will have no water in it until it rains next when does arrive. We are on a odd & even house numbers as before. So now I have to change my jobs around so I can water in the afternoon before sun goes down, that only gives me about one hour to water the whole area. Some plants only need watering once per week so I will do them on the odd day. As I only water twice per week now. I will have to change my strategy on which plants to water and when. With the view that we may not be able to use buckets or water our gardens at all when we get to the next level in about September at 15% dam water level. My daily water use is only 129 litres per day. So I am saving money on my water bill. $12.50 for 3 months is not bad!

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Macaroni & Cheese Fruit Coffee
DINNER Stewed Lentils & Tomato Sauce & coffee

In a few weeks time I will be coming the end of my Mirror Image Challenge. I am working on summery of my Senior discounts against my other $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings ways of saving money. So to see how much being a senior on a pension with discounts that are available here.

So at the end of this month I will be able to post this summery answering that question that I asked in my first post in April 2006

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Chilli Tuna Salad & Crackers Apple Coffee
DINNER Curry Ground Beef & Rice with Sambal