Tightwad Kitty's $$$ Stretching Blog

Needed to buy milk for my DF- M, so I had to go the supermarket where I am paying my bills today. As I had to go Transport office to update my information after buying my new car so that I would get my pensioner discount, its worth over $52 for ½ year off the regular car registration. I paid local rates & water bill at the Post Office where we can pay most of our bills in person and it’s agent for some of the banks too! If you would like to pay something, you just look on the back of your bills and it will tell you if can pay them at the post office. (I am claiming pensioner discount on Rate’s Bill that’s a saving of $161.28 a ¼ year) + by due date % $15.04 Saving $52.00 + $161.28 + 15.04 = $228.32

As usual I gravitate to the markdown areas of any store that I go into. Today was not any different I got two tubs of Hummus with 6 week to go on used by date, its just not readable. Reg. price $5.89 tub markdowns price $1.99 saving $7.80 there! I also bought some ‘T-Cut for scratches on cars”, as last night my DS, back into my car with his wife car and marked and scratched both cars. We’re not happy about that one. I tried the stuff that I bought when I got home and got the marks off first time on my car! It cost $7.15 – 50% off plus a lot of peace of mind all round. As I used just the tinniest amount, there is enough for the whole family to use on their cars too!
Saving $7.30 here or saving on $300 x 2 excess car insurance.

Full amounts on Bills ($477.92 + 284.32) = 762.24 – 228.32 = $533.92 paid

Today’s Full price Tally $788.47
Today’s Savings Tally $243.32
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $357.38

Went late night shopping with DS & DIL last night. We had dinner in the food court; they bought crepes with a voucher from the Entertainment Book with two for one deal. , I bought two for one deal Spicy Chicken Baguette, with Hungry Jacks voucher that was in my letter box this week along with a free coffee that’s valued at $2.45 with senior card and small cone. (5.25 x 2 + 2.45 + 30c) = 12.45 – 5.55 = $7.70 saving.

We went to Target; I bought a new hair brushes @50% off plus my 5% retired staff discount of the total of the bill. Save $3.88 off here. Found some Baby Toiletries for a baby gift basket I am making for new baby in the DIL family. Baby items cost $12.35 saving $5.30 after retired staff discount.

Total of my shopping for the night. $21.40 saving of $16.88 on regular prices of $38.28

That’s 44% off saving on the regular prices for the night shopping.

I don’t think you can get this kind of return with shares!

Drove the car to my son's place.

Today’s Full price Tally $38.28
Today’s Savings - $16.88
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $114.06

That’s 2 household worth of ironing DF-D plus odd pieces for DF-M. & mine who doesn’t like doing any fancy stuff. I like to iron in very early the mornings around daybreak, when everything is very still and you can hear very little traffic on the main roads near by.

Today is my lunch date, meeting up with my old ex-work friends each month. As I need to make sure that I get out the house and talk to people other than my neighbors only. We go to a restaurant that has salad bars and gives discount to seniors too! This is part of my food budget each month, as I do believe in a healthy mind & body as well as healthy wallet. As these friends stop coming to this luncheon then I plan to join a local senior group. But I don’t think I am ready to start play cards, bingo or doing jigsaw puzzles just yet!

I spent every little today other than what was budget for. Monthly Visa card balance paid off. Lunch & monthly lotto ticket. The only item that I bought was a car duster -$6 that was on my shopping list to buy. (I budgeted over $20 so I saved $14 here.) Bus fares were pre-paid for this month. I buy ten trips ticket this is saving money, as two of the trips are free. It’s cheaper to go by bus to the city than pay for gas and parking when you are on a pension here. Around trip cost only $2 for pensioner and Car parking is between $4 to $10.00 hour.

While out today, I paid my credit card balance off so I am back to $0.00 again this month.

Today’s Full price Tally $32.25
Today’s Savings Tally $16.70
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $97.18

I worked out a washing day strategy to save water in this drought we are having, as my water is very low to start with less than 22KL per quarter. I need to do something out of the ordinary to start with. I work out a washing schedule chart to see if washing more or less often would help in anyway! It’s a 10x 10 grid I posted this in the forum some where. Anyway after doing this chart up, I found that if I washed one load every five days or 2 loads every ten days seeing that I am in single household. I would save money and time than washing every Saturday morning like I did before. Now I do two loads and small hand wash and this lasts me until next wash.

I am saving money on my washing detergent too! As I have of washing powder on hand from specials that I have bought that I need to use up. I also have made up a frugal mixture that I use to wash my bed linen and things that I don’t iron. This mixture cost under $1 to make six months supply (about 40 loads) so I am save money by using only 50% of soap powder.

To save my Grey water, I recycle washing machine water by keeping the first load wash water for second load also using the second loads water on the garden as I always wash in cold water I am saving electricity too!. A little work but it does save money and I line dry all my washing too! I use recycle Grey water, in backyard to keep my trees and pot plants a alive, there just enough Grey water to do this, plus I only water one week otherwise for less than 20 minutes.

When I was writing up a piece for the ‘Re-reading Tightwad Gazette’ in the forum. My mind started to wander to some frugal stories from past generations handed down over time. So I thought that I would now and then, past on a story or two.

There is a story in my mother’s family about my great grandmother Bridget petticoat. She was immigrant from Tipperary in Ireland around 1884 to Australia, and pasted away before I was born.

She would tell all & sundry (everyone) “My petticoat has lasted me, 65 years it came up out with me on the sailing ship, why do I need new one.” The family explained, yes it did last 65 years, but with seven charges of new linen and five charges of new lace in that time. But it still in her eyes, it was the same petticoat. She was lucky that two of her daughters & a grand daughter were dressmakers and also did very fine crochet, I am lucky to have some of they crochet tablecloths still today. That is what I call being Frugally Creative.

Today DF- D and I went grocery shopping together, it's her grocery shopping day. I also have to go as I get a discount there! When we go I always buy something in the way of specials.

Today we got 75% off salad greens; I got 2 packs of them. In the Meat Dept. we got Chicken Kebabs 50% off, I got 2 packs x 6 of them, I freeze want I don’t eat today, that’s 6 meals there. Grocery items are on super special prices this week at this one supermarket.

So a few things for storage, plus my generic cat food for next two weeks that I get from this grocery chain.

Everything I bought but for the cat food was on markdown or on super special and I saved $18 off the regular prices then got 5% off on top of that too!

We don’t have coupons here. How much did I spend you may ask, only $22.45 in total. It should have been $41.57. I didn’t go over aboard.

Today’s Full price Tally $41.57
Today’s Savings - $19.12
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $80.48

I got my pin money of $50 .00 for the odd jobs that I do for my friend D today until next time, when the tally of jobs goes in the red again! I get this in advance so it gives me a better feeling that you are not wondering if you are going to get paid or not! You do odd jobs for some people that take hours of your time then they don’t want to give anything for it. Just saying like ‘You're not doing anything /going anywhere!’ or ‘Will you just do or buy this for me, just this once I don’t have the time’, so they can go watch TV or go to work and get $100,000 a year! Then say I am broke; I’ll pay you back soon! 'In Ten years and counting.'

D is OK and this system works best for us both. I’m the one doing the tracking. We have a unit value system as one item is storage, or buying stuff for her or doing her ironing which she hates or watering her garden when they are away overseas as well as other things.

It does have some perks too! They buy expensive coffee that I can not afford, and have this when I go over to their place or when we go out together. As D is a better haggler than I am too! I do remember to take her with me; when I need to haggle at times! Often we go grocery shopping together.

And she appreciates me too!

I made a meal out of my bulk storage assets today! I thawed four chicken drumsticks a day or so ago and need to use them today. I took 2 cups (mixed vegetables, beans, corn kernels, sweet peppers), bottle of Cacciatore Sauce that I have a lot of, a can diced tomato that needs using up and 1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder plus a few dried herbs. I place that lot in a microwave dish, defrost and then cooked for 3 minutes; I cooked the drumsticks on a browning tray in the microwave for 2 minute each side. I have cooked the chicken drumsticks and I have frozen the one's I didn't use which I will use soon! As for the Tomato Vegetables Sauce I serve it up with 2 of drumsticks and cover it with Tomato Vegetables Sauce. I got another 3 serves to freeze. I plan to have some over poached fish on Friday. One lot over Pasta lasts one with the chicken drumsticks again! My best meals come from my Creativity when I got to come up with something I got at hand. I will make this again too! No spending today!

By the end of this week I will need to use my last Fly buys voucher up for gas, it’s worth looking for the best price as I have to drive 10 km each way to get it. Lucky, Shell has a website that tells you what the prices are at these outlets. Only a few take these vouchers too! Checking the one I normally go to were 4c dearer than next nearest so went to that one only extra km but in the opposite direction and did some shopping and errands that I need to do too!

This gas station is next door to one of larger shopping centres, so I don’t make it a practice for go there just for gas. I found a car park after a few minutes, then walked to do that errand of getting the exchange on clothes that I bought last time there. I by-passed the eatery and walked down to the craft shop, found chair pad cushions on special that I had on my shopping list to buy when found. These ones are the top quality and $8.00 off each that’s $32 for the four that I bought. Saving $32

I headed for the Shell gas station next door. I filled my tank for $31.50 after all the rebates. $1.195L less 14cL in rebates. That was a saving of $5.40 but the cost of fuel here at times differs so the saving would have been much higher if I had bought two days earlier. This car takes a little more fuel than my old car but then it’s six weeks since I did fill up last time! Saving $5.40

Bargain shopping at my local grocery store.

After buying my gas today, I drove to my local grocery store. I do my bulk frozen shopping this week. I bought two pizzas, 6 packet of frozen vegetables for winter, as the cost of vegetables here is high. We have had a cyclone which wiped out most crops. Some yogurt that was marked down to $1, some Sweet & Sour Lite Sauce 3 jars of those, & some sweet corn. Saving for this little trip $22.26 more than it cost me all up. Remembering that little rule of DON’T go shopping when hungry. I went and bought a milk shake @ $1.45 at nearby snack bar saving here too as they're cheapest for milk shakes in the area, this was my only luxury today. Saving $1.55 on milk shakes. Total savings today $61.36

Today’s Full price Tally $162.19
Today’s Savings - $ 61.36
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $ 61.36

I am starting this challenge as from today! -Day 1

I had no spending day cash wise. Got my son to return an indoor TV Antenna that was broken when I bought it last week. I am out of pocket there, as it a replacement for the one, I lent someone and they didn’t return it that was six months ago. I waited until a K-mart 15 % off Sale then bought it. So I didn’t need to drive 28km to exchange it and he was going there.

I finally have decided that I need to work on fine-tuning my budget. My Question is “What is the true value of my lifestyle now that I am living on a pension?” This is what I wish to find out the difference, than that of someone single paying full price for everything and what I am doing now! My pension is around $13000 per year before tax. What is the minimum income of someone single paying full price for everything, doing the same things and having essentially the same lifestyle? Mirror Image Challenge

I can save very little in the way of cash, but I can certainly stretch my money a lot more than most of those around me can! If I had to pay for what I do use in the way of goods & services at full price I would need a lot more money than my pension allows. I want to find out what is the difference. So I plan to tally up what the full prices might be and then find the difference between the discounts found or/and saving made by $ stretching and frugal strategies. Naming the strategy used if possible.

2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally is the amount that I would need to find or earn extra to live at this level. My challenge is to find what my true cost of living would be, I will be using every frugal and saving tip or discount that is available to me! All will be in Australian dollars. (Exchange rate is around 75c to US dollar)

Example of my Tally list is:
Today’s Full price Tally $150
Today’s Savings - $80
2006 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $80

“It's really 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 the amount is at the end of 12 months.