Tightwad Kitty's $$$ Stretching Blog

As I haven’t done any housework last week so I set my 100 minutes timer and went at it.

It’s great when I set myself a challenge to get as much done in that time. I can’t get the whole house done but the main areas are done. Just the general stuff everyone does I would say. I also cleaned my refrigerator out as I needed to see if anything has been move to the back of it, it was all was clear just needed a wipe down.

I need now to think about clearing the area where the new door is going as I have a bookcase and coffee table across that area. Now where will I put it all, some will only be going until the door is in but some of it will need to find a new home? I will look at some of it to see if any can be culled. It’s mainly my ASL tutor teaching stuff that I collected a few years ago so maybe I’ll box it up for now! It’s my next minor project; it’s one of my steps in the Major Door Project. Sorry that I write about projects but I do get things done around here if I think in projects.

I read a novel today instead of working around the house or being on my computer, it's a charge for me to do that. It's another no spending day so find a recipe or two to include.

Impossible Pie - Quick & Easy Savoury

4 eggs
2 cups Milk
1/2 cup Plain Flour
125g (4oz) Margarine, melted
1/2 level tsp. Baking powder
pinch of salt

Mix all together then
Add one at a time -

1 medium can tuna or salmon
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Pour into greased 25cm pie dish.
Bake at 180 C Gas or 190 C (375 F) electric until custard is set and top is browned.
Time 30-35 minutes.
Serve 6-8

For other Savoury Fillings try:
1. Bacon sauteed and crumbed, sliced Tomato and Onion.
2. Cooked or Canned Prawns, sliced spring onion or shallots and grated cheese.


Quick Tuna Pie

1 pkt (100g-6.5 Tbsp.) instant mashed potato
1/2 chopped onion or celery
1 large can tuna
1 egg
grated cheese

Mix potato as directed and line pie plate.
Mix other ingredients and pour over potato.
Top with grated cheese
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 F

It’s the day that I spend doing my budget, checking that I have paid my bills and balancing the figures and it’s so far so good on that front. There is enough money in Bill A/c to pay for all the bills for the next month. So everything is working out, as it should.

I had a look at my no spending days so far this year. I had 12 No Spend Day since the 1st January so far. I did say I was going to cut back a bit.

It’s a DIY day in that I mowed my own lawn today saving myself $35.00 on hiring someone to do this job. But I think the price has gone up around here some are charging now $50.00 each time. so if you can do your own mowing if worth it as you can buy a new lawn mower for around $300 to $500 but the better to buy a better quality on in the first place. When I do replace my lawn mower I will be going for one $400.00 plus range. It’s around $498 but when on it’s on special it can get down to lower price around $425.
Saving $35.00 DIY

Today’s Full price Tally $ 0.00
Today’s Savings - $ 35.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9249.37

Working around house doing chores. It’s washing day and water my garden with the recycle water. While I was at it, did the path edges in the backyard so I am ready to mow the lawn. Today I finish my ironing and only have to do the stuff that comes off the line today.

Early this morning I did full up my car with gas. Costing $30.39 this includes my motor mower gas as well. As I don’t use my as much as some people do. Saving $1.13

I did go to the city again today to visit the Chiro. Refund $19.40. I did some shopping for some things while I was the city. Including some 75% off Christmas lines, one was Cranberry Sauce for $2.95 saving $8.00 and some coffee at the right price RRP $39.30 saving $$16.50, all up I spent $49.55 saving over $39.99.

Today’s Full price Tally $ 121.06
Today’s Savings - $ 60.52
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9214.37

Early this morning at my favorite time of the day, which is dawn. I was cutting path edging in front garden with a pair of scissors so that I didn’t wake the neighbor’s. Saving money by not having to pay someone to cut it for me.

I did some more of my ironing project that about 2/3 done now and I have delivered what I have done too! My next large rate’s bill arrived today for just under $300 it will get paid next week sometime but I do have 3 weeks to pay it. I have no problem finding the money for this bill as it’s in my budget and on target too!

I got phone call from my son on Saturday evening to say that I was to drive up to his place and we all shall go for a drive to-morrow. Well there were five of us going to mountain behind the Gold Coast to the markets or so I thought but first a detour to a shopping centre at the Gold Coast. Last night they were at one of my DIL sister’s place. When she joking said the she would like a Beagle puppy she seen in the pet shop that day as she had lost her beagle of 11 years two week’s before and still was very upset about it. We went to see it and if it was still in the pet shop, Yep so her mother bought for her, then we had go and give it to her. I will not tell the price but more than I would pay. He is just six-week-old and so cute too! Guess where I spent my birthday, as they got the puppy, the sister went and bought lunch for all of us. So we had roast chicken and Coleslaw and Potato salad and chocolate almond cake for my birthday. This was fun just to see the reactions of everyone about getting the puppy and much more memorable than a day walking around a wet markets anyway. I don’t have any other family than my son here so my DIL family is my family too!

I spent the grand total of $8.20 for the day. When we went back to the shopping centre late in the afternoon. On Bananas I bought 8 of them and gave away half. Bananas are a luxury around here and at times was paying up to $16.99kg, today they were $1.99kg and still in some places $6.99kg. When they get back down to around under $1.00 they will be back on the daily menu.

Today’s Full price Tally $8.20
Today’s Savings - $ 3.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9153.85

It’s one of my strategies to wait for next week catalogues to arrive before I buy some items that I will need next week, if they are in this week catalogues. Well as I have run out of dried cats I will need to buy more and it’s on special at another supermarket this week but not as I hoped next week. So it’s drive the car over to this store one suburb away from mine, so not far. I bought 4 packets of dried cat food, one was just for treats as I don’t give them thing different in the way of treat but for this one brand which is a lot dearer than the other one and half the size too! All were 3.19 saving $2.70 here. So lean ground beef was markdown so I bought 2 small trays saving $2.00 here. Some Christmas gift-wrap 50% off that I could use 2 of the roll for birthday wrap so I bought 2 x2 packs saving $4.00 here. I did buy a magazine that I like for a change so I spent $2.60 on that. Groceries that I did buy were cheaper here than I price in other stores so I stock up them or bought a one to try, to see if I like it. Saving $2.60 here.

Today’s Full price Tally $44.63
Today’s Savings - $ 11.30
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9150.85

Its Mediterranean style way serve a light lunch or meal. Mezze or meze is little bits of tasty treats to please the palate. All served on separate plate so that you can take a much or as little as you want.

Almost anything that is small and tasty qualifies as a mezze dish. Mezze can include miniature versions of main dishes.

Meze - Mezze cuisine is collections of tasty dishes that be can served as appetizers, a light lunch, a main meal or select a combination of dishes and serve as a meze or feast.

Recipes cover a range of appetizers, dips, sauces, salads, sweets, meat and vegetable dishes served with bread.

Here is what I may put on my platters. I just put out enough food out per person serving plus one extra serve for the table.

Little dishes with nuts - mixed and dried fruits Dried apricots and almonds: Stuff each apricot with a whole almond. Or Sultana raisins and nuts: Combine equal parts of whole walnuts, peanuts, almonds or hazelnuts with sultana (golden seedless) raisins and serve in bowls.

Serve bowls of fresh fruits in season & Sliced can pineapple as it's Summer here.

Bowls of marinated olive, pepper, feta cheese, or pickled cucumbers.

Plate of sliced tomatoes, sprinkled with Italian herbs.

Dips of Hummus, Red Lentil Dip or Lite Cream Cheese Spread or Labni - Fresh Cheese made from Yogurt (if have no feta and I have fresh yogurt made.)

Salad greens, red onions or shallots that I have in my garden.

Platters of can tuna or sliced ham what ever in the fridge at the time.

Can asparagus or artichokes whichever that I have in the pantry.

Pita, Lavash Turkish Pide Bread or Crackers if I have none of the others.

Sweets - Turkish Delight or Greek shortbread

Some Recipes

Greek Village Salad

Serve 6-8
6 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
1 red onion, cut into rings
2 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced
185g kalamata olives
200g feta
1/2 cup olive oil
dried oregano, to garnish

Combine the tomato, onion, cucumber and olives in a bowl.
Season to taste.
Break the feta into large pieces and scatter over the top.
Top with olive and oregano.
Calories 235, fat 20g

Tunisian Tuna Salad

1 chopped onion
1 large fresh tomato
1 can of tuna
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
5-10 olives (pitted)
1 boiled egg

Mix chopped onion, peppers and tomatoes and put them in a bowl.
Season the tuna with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Mix all ingredients and garnish with the olives and rounded pieces of the boiled egg.

Marinated Peppers - Pipperies
I usually use green bell peppers to make this recipe because they're so easy to find, but it's delicious and colorful made with a range of colors. The recipe is very simple and the peppers keep in the refrigerator for weeks, so if you love them, make a large batch to keep on hand for a tasty and unusual last minute salad or appetizer.

bell peppers (any color or mixed)
red wine vinegar
salt
olive oil
Wash peppers and trim stems (do not remove entirely), and cut into quarters from top to bottom. Do not remove seeds.
Bring enough water to cover peppers to a boil, add peppers, and cook for 5-6 minutes, until partially softened.
Drain in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
Place in a ceramic or glass container and cover with red wine vinegar.
Cover and refrigerate.
Peppers are ready to use after 1 hour, and will keep for weeks.
When ready to use, take pieces of pepper from the container and shake off excess vinegar.
Serve marinated peppers as an appetizer or side salad:
Cut marinated peppers into thin slices or smaller pieces and drizzle with olive oil to taste.

Labni - Fresh Cheese made from Yogurt
2 cups yogurt
1/2 t. salt
Need:
Muslin sack or several layers of cheesecloth made into a bag
Large bowl

Combine yogurt and salt.
Pour into a muslin sack, tie up, and suspend over a large bowl. Let drain overnight.
The bowl will catch the dripping liquid.
In the morning, discard the water.
Unwrap the cheese and use as a spread on pita or form into small balls.
Serve with olive oil and chopped fresh mint or with black olives.
Makes 1/2 cup

From "Mediterranean Cooking" by Paula Wolfert

Mahammara Labni - Fresh Yogurt Cheese with Dill and Pimento
1/2 cup labni - fresh yogurt cheese (refer recipe for Labni)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 T. chopped fresh dill
1 roasted pimento, chopped
Sweet paprika
8 melba toasts or crackers

Combine labni, salt, pepper, dill and pimento, mixing well.
Spread on melba toasts and sprinkle with paprika.

From "Mediterranean Cooking" by Paula Wolfert

Hummus bi Tahina - Chickpea and Sesame Dip
125 g (4 oz) chickpeas, soaked for a few hours
juice of 2 lemons
3 Tbs. tahina
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt

Garnish
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. paprika
a few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped

Drain the chickpeas and simmer in fresh water for about an hour or until tender.
Reserve the cooking water.
Process the chickpeas in a blender (or food processor) with the lemon juice, tahina, garlic, salt and enough of the cooking liquid to obtain a soft creamy consistency.
Serve on a flat plate, garnished with a dribble of olive oil, a dusting of paprika (this is usually done in the shape of a cross) and a little parsley.
Serve with warm pita bread for dipping. Serves 4-6.
Note: I only put garnish on when I am serving. I do freeze this in small containers. Put out to thaw the night before.

From "Mediterranean Cookery" by Claudia Roden

Have a look at these links for more information

As needed to pay my phone bill $44.15 today. So I drove my car down to that shopping centre that I pay my bills. I could have walked but the supermarket did have a stationary special of display books that I wished to purchase in bulk, 24x 48c each instead $1.99 each. So I saved $36.24 here. Along with a loaf of multi- bread & tomatoes. After I went up to the local supermarket and I walked this time just for exercise. I bought 2x Yakut light drink 5pks markdown 99c instead of $3.88 ea. Which I froze Saving $ 5.78, Cos lettuce marked down 60c saving $1.68 some Christmas paper bowls 78c saving $1.70 and loaf of Raisin Bread $1.98 saving 70c so I had a good day with my bargains. Saving all up $46.10

Other than shopping, all I did today was working on the ironing pile. It will get done soon I still have another week to go when I have put MY deadline for it to be done. I am doing my own ironing as well!

Today’s Full price Tally $107.03
Today’s Savings - $46.10
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9139.55

This morning I did my housework before my handyman friend arrived today.

We had lunch together another one of Mezze platters with crackers. I have fridge full of unusual and salad ingredients that can be used for mezze, as well olives, Hummus and feta cheese.

Together we put up the bird-net and pegged any openings that were left after it was tried up.

My dripping tap got fixed, it had worn felt and it was reset and new felt & washer replaced, this tap was done in October too!

After buy the trading post and looking at want was on offer for French doors 2nd-hand. Well! Not much and price was from $195 to $700 and none saying if it was for outside use. So we went off to check the prices for new doors and what was available. It was place that sold only doors and they were having a Sale as well. As it’s odd size door opening 1390mm wide so I can only have a normal door and half door panel that will fit. After looking at all the half doors side from $299 each then the buy a door on top it would cost around $700 for both plus fittings.

We looked around and found some doors on sale full solid wood door RRP $211 each. Looking at it, an idea came into my head why couldn’t we buy two doors and cut one to make a mock side panel that is a half opening door bolted to look like a half side panel that is in fact a door. I bought two full doors that I will need to varnish after one is cut to size. We bought also the doorknob and hinges for both doors only bolts will need to be bought for this part of this project. Costing $340 all up (RRP price $531) saving $191. My friend was a tradesman so was able get a better price than I would have had bought them on my own. Best price I would have got was $427 for the same things. I have budget around $1200 for this job, so I will be able now to put the rest towards the security door and bolts etc. I still got $860 earmark for this project but I don’t need to spend it all!

Today’s Full price Tally $ 531
Today’s Savings - $ 191
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9093.45

So that you can see what I am saving money wise. I added a extra few categories in. Money Banked, Major Projects & Cut Small Stuff have been added of late.

As I am a hoarder big time and I have a house full of Stuff of all kinds of things. This is what I will be using instead of buying to much more stuff, so I can find the money to pay for the Major Projects.

I will target what I will be buying and stop buying what I don't need and could live without. Last year I saved over $2000 cash and only took money out of my capital fund to buy a very good 2nd car under 2 years old.

Yes I can live off my pension and save.

This is my 300th post to date.

I got a dripping shower tap that needs fixing and will have to keep a bucket under it until someone is available to come and fix it. May be to-morrow!

Today I had a look at my budget to see if I could cut some fat from it, not much to cut. So I will need look at cutting my spending as much as possible in the future. I have worked out what I will need to spend and when in a time frame so that helps. The first half of the year is water tank and door. So both those will be covered. Next item will be termite spraying and that will get done after I get my rebates back on the water tank. So three of the four items on Major projects do have some money available for them. As I do have the money too pay for the water tank now! I will to put any money saved in the second half of the year towards my computer replacement project and this I can do in small amounts as money comes available. So I only hope nothing-Major need replacing in the mean while. So my challenges for this year are ‘Cut Small Stuff ’ for Major Projects. So it ‘Use It Up, Make Do, Mend It, & Do Without’ for the Small Stuff Challenge.

I can see a lot of no spending days ahead.

I did a rack of ironing today, that was the business shirts for my neighbor’s son so I am ahead on time. As this was only thing required before his mother comes home in eight weeks time but I am planning to have it all done and out of my house before he comes home in two week’s time.

My other project for the day was to get the bird netting repaired & the extra piece added to it. There is a trick to put it together too! First you do needed to repair any holes from the last time it was used. I did this by laying out the bird net on the ground then getting some clothes pins/pegs and putting them, where the hole is so I could fix all the holes at the same time.

So here is my steps for this project.

Step1 Find the hole, tag with clothespin then look for more until all found.

Step 2 Get a safety pin or bobbin using a thick NYLON string (50m roll I had bought last time I fixed it at $2.00 store). Thread the nylon string around the holes one row past hole making a circle then pulling the thread tight & tie off that hole with a knot. As so on until all holes are done. My bird net had about 15 holes to fix this time.

Step 3 Using the same nylon string, I sat in the backyard on a stool looped & knotted every 2 inches, the extra 4 x 4 metres on the old bird net. Making it now over 8x5m long with the other piece added to it.

Step 4 Now I need to get it back over my Persimmon fruit tree, which by the way is now over 6 metres tall. I do have a special long pole that I recycled a few year’s ago. That I use to lift the bird net over this tree. The Flying Foxes (Bats) to still can get at the fruit but only the ones nearest to the net. We have a large 100,000 Bat colony near where I live. $$$ Another Strategy

It’s a case of going to the supermarket for more cat food. Before going I made a list of their lost leaders this week that I use. While there I bought only fours lines only but in multiply buys.

John West Tempers Tuna 95g x 10 @ 79c RRP $1.59 ea. … saving $8.00
Just Juice Orange Juice 2L x 4 @ $1.39 RRP $2.73 ea. ……saving $5.54
Praise Salad Dressing 330ml x 1 @$2.29 RRP $2.99 … saving .70c
Cat Food generic x 10 @ .69c reg. price at the momen, it was 75c each, two months ago it’s the only item that has come down in price around here..
As I get a 5% off the total docket saving here $1.09

I did have a milk shake while I was out saving $1.55 than buying it at Wendy's.

Today’s Full price Tally $39.44
Today’s Savings - $16.18
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $8902.45

Well it’s time that start tiding up some of my bookshelves. I have a corner that need a good tidy up and put some of the books back in order, as well cull some of them. I do have a lot of books, most shelved in categories all over the house. When I go looking for a subject I need to look in some of these categories as well the other ones. The information may by in some of these books as they are on multi topics as a lot of these books are like ‘Mother Earth’ magazine that I do have one old copy of. But I have many copies of the Australian ‘Grass Roots’, I like reading these books but can never picture myself living that kind of lifestyle. I have been always a city girl, but a very much ‘Make Do, Use It Up’ person from the old school of thought. I do get a lot of my ideas and a lateral thinking from these books. One bookcase done and ten other’s to go.

Well have finish my entire neighbor’s washing, it’s time that I did some of my own.

I have left it a bit long in doing to its time schedule but just by a few days. I did do two loads a little larger than normal this time. My going out clothes for Christmas & New Year are in this lot for hand washing. I do hand washing, as this does save on wear ‘n’ tear on good clothes and helps with not going into a third load as I only use one-eighth of the water in hand washing. As I did kept one bucket of sudsy water for hand washing from the first load and use some of rinsing water from the first load also. $$$ Another Strategy Ways of save water in a drought. I did water the garden while I was washing as I was using recycle water this was allowed.

It’s a no spending day here. A very quite day just work on my computer and resting.

In the last 28 days I have

Gone shopping or bought something 21 times

Went to the city by bus 7 times

Drove my car only 10 times

Had food bought or had for free away from home 10 times

And had 7 No Spending Days.

Lets see what next 28 days tallies will be.

Oh! You can tell it’s Pre & Post Christmas Sales here and I never once used my credit card.

Challenge at 36th week.

Kitty’s Real Spending Total $8216.73
+ 2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $8886.27
= Full Price (RRP) Income Challenge $17103.00

Opening CC Balance $120.00
Kitty’s Opening Balance Rollover $95 ($0.00 Bill A/C)
$$$Money in - $1035.00
= Total Income Balance. $1130
Bills Total $378.10
Other Spending & Groceries $456.10
$$$ Money out = $834.51
Cash Banked in other A/C’s $40
Kitty’s Rollover Balance $255.49 ($94 Bill A/C)
CC Balance $0 (Zero)

My son arrived at 7.30am just after dropping DIL off at her business breakfast meeting to pick up the cheesecake. So we went off to breakfast together, as there was a special of two for one deal at local fast food outlet that I get my free coffee at, instead of dropping in to DF-M place this morning. My time with him is precious as don’t see him enough and it was only for any hour. The only catch was that I had to buy him his drink as he only had enough for his meal. My meal came to $3.95 plus 2 free cappuccino’s saving $4.90 and then paying a $1.95 for his drink. Oh well! He took the cheesecake in the DIL work after 8.30 then went home to sleep. As he had just had just finish work when drove his wife to work. The cheesecake was enjoyed by all at the morning tea.

After I went down to DF-M place to see her and her grandchildren who had stayed for the week. I don’t think she is up to minding young children of school age any more it’s not much fun for them, if she can’t see them they can’t go anywhere nor will she take them anywhere even if I go with them too! So it’s just watching TV or read a book or using the colour pencils that I gave them for Christmas as I do know how boring it can be when the minder doesn’t understand some of basics of schooling that we can do now days. I have to do all her reading and writing for her if the family is not around. Anyway she is going back today with her grandchildren as a family friend is going back to they hometown at lunchtime and taking them with them.

My Medibank debit payment is due today, I do pay it in six month installments. So I have tallied this in my expense total.

As you can see from precious posts that I have a Zero balance on Credit Card at this time of the year and I hope to keep it at that into the future.

Today’s Full price Tally $205.65
Today’s Savings - $ 4.90
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $8886.27

After having my morning coffee & toast with DF-M. I went home for an hour then was asked over to my Greek neighbor’s house for coffee and chat. Coming home with a plate of Greek goodies too!

Later I went shopping for DF-M to buy bread and I spent $5.47 saving $6.21
Gift packs x 4 @ 40c saving $ 3.40 on RRP price.
1L milk x2 @ .59c saving $2.42 as their were markdown, I froze one.
Some Organic Shaved Ham $2.69 saving 50c

Later in the evening my handyman friend arrived with belated Christmas gifts, one was Full size Gourmet Café Cheesecake (RRP $40.00 & 15000 calories worth). I had just one half slice and paid the price for that piece. Now find a home for it. oh my liveeeeeeer!

Will not count it in the tally, as I will have to give it away. I will ring my DIL to see if she can pick it up to take to work in the morning. It need’s a large group to eat that one and they are having a morning tea party at her work tomorrow. My DS will call in to pick up.

Today’s Full price Tally $11.68
Today’s Savings - $ 6.21
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $8881.37

Well have I finished stage two of my gardening project, that is put all the cane mulch, along with digging and fertilizer the soil beforehand. This did take a few hours so it was done in two 2 hours lots over the course of the day. Then clean up the area and put away all the tools.

I have a strip bed garden that was laid out by my father over 35 years ago. Some of the plants were in the garden when we came here then or in neighbor’s gardens at the time. Seven large Crotons which take up most of front strip beds and is only 24inch wide,(these shrub should not grow there but they do) you only have a few feet between each for any others plants as my father had planned was to make a hedge of them. I have a liking for Geraniums and have five different dark reds & pinks colors and ivy geraniums two different colors in pots. These grow between the Crotons and in colors that blend with them. Also there are two Azalea, one is Red Wings. In one part of the front garden the crotons are have meet so I have bearded iris growing under them. I have a few gladiolus growing, I just leave them in the ground as we do have a warm climate here.

There are other bulbs in there too, Yellow Callas, Hippeastrum and Snowflake. I do let Italian Parsley grow wild if it take hold between weeding’s. In this area I have four small beds with one very old Gardenia that came from a neighbor’s yard when they going to make a office carpark of the backyard it was very sick at the time, now I have the best one in the neighborhood and ixora chinensis ‘Prince of Orange’ which came from this garden also. There are other plants in pots on the front porch including orchids and my herb garden.

As I don’t water the garden very much at time, just a light water once a week if it doesn’t rain and mainly its recycle shower water. These plants are the one that seem to grow well in this area without too much trouble as we will be going into level five water restrictions soon! I would like my water tank in before then as this the garden that I will keep going as it will be NO Watering with town supply. I hope you can still use rainwater Tank water & recycle water only. If it gets too bad than I will have to see what will be left in the end. The crotons have keep growing even when they were never watered. I like my Crotons as they do make a beautiful color show with all those red & yellow leaves and they are over six feet tall.

Lunch out today we again went to Sizzlers which is much better then what we had last month.

Today I had the manager’s special of firecracker prawns & (chips which I gave to young lad who was with one of the others) along with salad bar & dessert & drinks costing $13.65 saving $3.80 with my senior card.

I paid my visa card off yet again so it’s now back to Zero. That’s right I never put anything on Credit Card for Christmas, and haven’t put anything on in the post Christmas sales.

I spent more on my gift card today buying a special cookbook that was on my shopping list saving $5.75. I found some Lock n Lock Cereal Containers @ 50% off I bought x2 plus a smaller one 1L size, saving $23.00 here.

Today’s Full price Tally $85.40
Today’s Savings - $ 32.55
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $8875.16

Note.
What happen to the white backgrounds? As I can no longer read it for long periods. If does goes any darker it will be not reading it at all.

Well after 3 weeks into this year’s budget, I better work on want I have to live with for next 12 months. My projects for 2007 are over budget by around $5000. I will have to see where I can cut back, so some can get done.

My living expenses at moment are around $420 and bills $530 per 28 days with some over estimates on bills by 10%. This only leaves very little leftover for these projects. Three projects need to be done this year, each costing around $1800 each. On a gloss income of under $13500, I will have to cut fat big time.

As you know I am getting a water tank in the next few weeks, that’s $1540 there will be a rebate on it too! But will have to wait anything up to six months for it. So that rebate will go to one of the next projects on the list. My handyman friend wants to put an exit door and security screen door in my computer room, YES does need doing if there were a fire in this end of the house I can’t get out full stop! About $1200 for that job, as he is returning to New Zealand soon, it will be fixed before he goes. I had another person quote on this job but he has died since. The other project is buying a new computer, as this one is now too old to update any longer. I have about 10 months before I need a new one. I have to have my termite spray this year as well and will put it off as long a possible. That one is expensive and may have to come out of my capital savings if necessary. All other projects will be on unable to be fixed needs replacement list only. That’s will be only way they will be replaced in 2007.

So you may see a lot of no spending days in the future, as I go looking for the fat in this budget.

I will start with my grocery and eating out budgets, and see what can be done to cut back here.
Normally I annual budget is these amounts in these areas so I will keep them at these amounts and see if I can go under.

Grocery $1500 (last year $1160), target of $800 (I will live off bulk assets for a while.)

Eating out $400 (last year $520), target of $350 (As known spending is 4 birthday’s dinners and 18 lunch dates this year.) As I don’t budget for other’s eating at my place other than what on that week’s menu. I have to spend money to go with them to eat out as this is they lifestyle and we all go Dutch. I do keep a float $40 for this kind of spending so I am never notable to go. $$$ Another Strategy

I had a quite New Year Eve and end up going to bed around 10pm. As I was going to sleep at the computer while watching TV. I have a TV beside my computer, I can see some of the programs that I may miss at times.

I did a bit of gardening this morning not much, but an hour of trimming the edges with scissors as I have more energy at 5.30am than any other time of the day. No power tools allowed before 7am and 8am on Sunday and public holidays a local council by-law. Don’t want to wake the neighbor’s do we!

This afternoon my DS & DIL arrived to go shopping at Target in my local centre. But it was closed so we went of, to the city Target store that was still open. They just bought some marked down Christmas cards @ 50% off. You can get a better range if you do buy some at 50% off mark down price, than waiting to buy it all at 75% off markdown. Here most is junk or broken packaging items or very slow selling lines when it gets down to that price. $$$Another Strategy

I didn’t buy a thing, so another No Spending Day for me.

Happy New Year to all.

I wanted to go the Hardware store here, to get some bird netting for my persimmon tree. I need to make it larger as the tree has grow bigger now, the one I got is to small so I will need to add more netting to it. 4m @$2.76 =$11.04. I got some recycle bags with three bags in each. RRP $3.96 x 3 $11.88 I paid $1.00 each =$3.00 saving $8.94. Also bought a 60L rubbish bin it was not on the docket when I got home. So saved $10.00 here. I saved $18.94 at hardware store.

I went off too the supermarket on the way home. I had a look the Christmas special there. Not much but some Christmas bags. I bought Grapes, which were on special costing $2.78 and only one item at full price for $1.11.

8 small @ 49c & 4 medium Christmas Bags @ 79c each. $1.00 off each so I saved $13.00 here Christmas Cake $3.49 …saving $3.50
Calendar 99c saving $1.00
Frypan $7.99 … saving $4.90
4 x Easyo Slimmer Yoghurt $1.33 each …saving $3.42
Le Rice $1.40 …saving $1.39
Complete Family Salad $1.10 …saving $1.18
Sweet Corn $1.30 ….saving $ $1.15
Sponge cake $2.00 …saving $1.98

Total cost $34.40 but saving $31.52 on RRP before Christmas.

Today’s Full price Tally $116.32
Today’s Savings - $ 50.46
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $8842.61

Today is working in my front garden, first stage. As I don’t have a lot of energy no job or project is completed in the same day, if it take more than 2 –3 hours to do. I can do a few tasks in one day but not a lot. Gardening is one that needs to be done in stages. Weeding and mulching my front garden will take more then a few hours.

So today is the stage one. Pulling out all the Italian parsley that has gone to seed and save some seed heads. I put all this green mulch into my compost bed. Rake off all the dry leaves and rubbish from the beds as they have eight large scrubs, which do drop leaves and when I don’t feel like weeding these beds, I put all the leaves on top to kept in all the moisture. This is a drought garden in that most of all the plants that grow in this area grow quite well with minimum of watering and grey recycle water at that. As I am not much of a gardener I only weed these beds once or twice a year and only too put on cane sugar mulch, along with digging and fertilizer the soil beforehand which will be stage two of this project next week. I will save all the recycle water so I can water to soften the soil so it can be dug up. We are coming into the hottest time of the year from January to April and it should be wettest time too! If the rain fail at this time of year we will not get much rain before next summer. So I plan to add more mulch on this area as it breaks down too! I will have to think of name of the plants that are left in these beds and post when write about stage two.

I had two projects today but got a third one as well. I work better if I think in projects than just job tasks. So I make a goal to do so many projects each week as on some days I am doing too much of other things to do any. At the start of the day my goals were to do the washing & uninstall & reload the Anti-virus program with a new key code.

Finishing my neighbor’s washing so that it’s all done before New Year. See Painting Brick Walls in December 2006 archives about this project. Next challenge is to Iron it all before the son arrives back in three weeks. I do get Pin Money for doing it. See Pin Money for odd jobs in April 2006 archives.

Today is the day that I must update my anti-virus on my computer. It’s one job do I get very nervous about doing. I will keep putting it off until the last minute. It’s due around the New Year but I like to upgrade when I know that the IT help staff are working if I have a problem, they are there to help on the spot. This year I did need them twice before it came good. As I was to use a special programs & files this time. But in the end all is well for another year. Next year in 2007 budget will have in it a NEW Computer and programs figured into it. So I better get saving more money. If I am to pay cash for it or finance it myself with my credit card if have too! It’s cheaper for me to pay annual fee with my credit card than to take out a loan. As I do paid it off FAST. My water tank payment is the problem that I can’t buy anything for the moment. As it will eat into my emergency fund if I do.

I had to go shopping for my DF-M again. To get Milk & bread and a new mop which was broken. Having said that I was able to take home the broken mop and try to fix it for her. The mop head had come off but being a new Micro-fibre design @ $20.00 too! It was difficult to fix, I was able to work how the mop was put together and as she had all the parts and hammer I was able to fix it for now. Even if she use it just to clean the rubbish bins in the future. I will not try to fix it again.

I did buy something in the way of shopping while shopping for her. I bought three items and saved $4.60 today.

Today’s Full price Tally $13.66
Today’s Savings - $ 4.60
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $8792.15

Drove my car over to a shopping centre so that I could do some shopping there today, as I need to use a gift voucher I was given by a friend before the end of year.

It was for $10.00 at a chemist shop on non-medical lines. This gift voucher is a good one, in that you buy what you would like and then have taken $10.00 off the price of items bought. So as I needed some new batteries for my personal organizer even I could them cheaper else where but they would be the cost of the gift voucher @$9.90, there I got them for FREE, I bought just one other line that I would like to try too! So all up I spend $4.85 at the chemist. Saving $13.90 on the lines that I bought as the other was on a special discount price too! $$$ Another Strategy

I drop into the grocery store next door. Only bought four items that I wanted Italian herbs, @ $2.69, changed twice but found by the operator and cancelled out. Coconut @ $1.79, 4 rolls of Christmas wrap 50% off @ $3.58 saving $3.58 here. Some Fruit & Nut Mix @ $3.97 on special only but I was changed $6.99 full price on Thursday when the special had been going since Tuesday. So I got that item for FREE with a full refund. How can you get two mistakes in such a small order?

Today’s Full price Tally $37.38
Today’s Savings - $ 24.47
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $8787.55