Tightwad Kitty's $$$ Stretching Blog

I have started making my budget for 2012, as my budget is finished for this year as when I made it years ago, it was a few weeks before Christmas so I just keep following on. My expenses have risen over the past year and spending money on new computer didn’t help either. I now think now my spending now is about $1500 more than my age pension so I am going backward a little but I can cut back in some areas to make this money up. The medical fund and antenna is coming out of 2012 fund so that’s around $3200 next week. The Money is already in the bank to pay these as I never spend money without having it in the bank first.

So my challenge for 2012 is to spend money on getting my house painted. My goal is to only spend what I get paid from age pension to live on and just use earmark money for the painting that I have been saving for the past few years. The painting can’t be put off any longer it must be done next year.

No spending over weekend

My Digital Antenna is up and works the way it should. The installer took over 4 hours to do the job and cleaned up after too! I was able to find the old antenna cables and remove them so they are gone now! I am lucky that no one can live under my house as all the lines are visible for all to see. I have tried so if I could work out which cable was for what. Most are old phone lines which I am leaving there but none work now, the main power cable runs under there too! I do write on them what I think each one is, as I am worried that someone will try to move them one day when I am not around. I even found the original phone line 60 years old. You can't legally live under there but it's a great storage area. Height is not high enough for someone 5ft 6inches or over to walk freely around without hitting they head on a beam or ten. In some places its only 4 feet high. The total cost was the quote $840 with better antenna which was stronger and cord for one of TV which didn't have one. This sounds a lot of money it done now. I am very happy with the service that I received.

I finally booked the job so I will be getting the Digital Antenna this week, as I have been going to do this work done for last 2 years since I got my first digital TV 3 years ago now! They are the cheaper end of Digital TV so no fancy one here. Large Plasma TV don’t work in this house as you would be sitting on top of them. I didn’t go for Plasma TV as these are expensive to run power wise.

I did a Phone around here for my Christmas present to myself that Digital Television Antenna I have been putting off for year or two now! I least I can afford it and I will need to get one soon. I rang up three installers and got one quote by phone and another company came out to do the quote. The third company I am still waiting for a call back but they the dearest one if past dealings with them it will be expensive. The quotes were very much within $10 of each other when I add in amplifier on the phone quote. I need this as I get no signals with antennas I got now, if I have any breeze as I am below the buildings around me. Some are three stories high.

And the phone quote is for only 4 points only. This will allow moving the TV around without worrying NO signals on some Channels. If I don’t have amplifier I can have only one point and drop outs. I own three TV and plan one into other rooms if I need too! These are the bedrooms that have no TVs if I was ill then I would need one.

$840 with amplifier with 5 points cost of on 3 points so 2 points, splitter free and discount on amplifier. Saving discounts are around $470.

They will be the mostly likely will get the job as it’s the one that my son had to do his.

Australia is going all digital TV over the next two years some areas are already 100%. By 31 December 2013 there will be no Analog TV signals are phrased out altogether. Our area will be complete by June 2013.

Strategy - Ask about any discounts and don’t worry if you forgot to ask about it, worse they can say is NO if you go back and ask.

With the way the euro crisis is shaping up I think it time to pull that belt in a lot tighter, and any money that we save can go to something we need not just a want or whim. We are a lot safer here and I am worried about this.

Next year I will just do jobs around the house, like house painting which I have put off for too long now. For my Christmas present to myself I will spend money on a digital antenna for the TV as I still don’t get all the stations with the old system which is long past its use by date 1980 model it shouldn't work with digital but does most of the time! After that it will replace it or repair anything else. I can do a bit of painting on bits that I will not be getting the painter to do.

Another no spend day here!

While out walking this morning I found some money on the footpath, someone must have dropped it when getting into their car. I never find any money but this time I went a lot early than I normally do!
It’s only $5.00 but it can go with to the next donation that I make, normal if I find a Salvo collecting I will give them some money each Christmas.

My Christmas spending is nearly finished. Just three inexpensive token gifts and a gift card voucher to get now. The family is pulling in on their spending too! I just need a mobile car charger for my new phone and some odd & ends that gift card voucher will buy and I will be happy. I normally buy my own treats so I not missing out when they can’t afford it! Some will just get a big box of chocolates or other sweet treat I think!

I had a no spending day too!

I am a very late in putting up my monthly, others things did get in the away at times but that’s another story which you have been reading about lately here. I only just updated my Excel so here are the figures for last month.

As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to a calendar months so here are the figures for my last period.

It’s time to start again on reviewing my monthly daily living allowance.

These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent
Eating out===$35.00=====$52.95
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $119.90
Non-Food===$17.00=====$6.99
Clothes ====$35.00=====$35.00
Grooming===$15.00=====$10.00
Gas======$25.00
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$77.32
HH items===$42.50=====$51.10
Fares== ====$9.00
Entrainments= $12.00 ====$4.00
Garden =====$10.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00===$101.80
Medical =====$15.00======$69.56
Diabetes Expenses====$50
Misc ======$9.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ====$62.85

Note only one amount is a no spend

Budgeted for this period $580 spent $591.52 so over budget by $11.52 + computer outlay

No Spending days over the 28 days = 8 days in total.

Personal allowance covers confectionery, lotto, books, stamps, craft & hobby supplies.

Eating out including meals out with family and friends, we all go Dutch.

As for medical this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up this month just on medicine
As for my medical visits out of pocket expensive if they are related to Diabetes then I will class them as Diabetes Expenses will come under this new category.

Diabetes Expenses – nil

A most will be one off items or once per year expenses. But I need to track these items on my small budget and pension. Each time I pay for some things in this category I will need to cut something in other categories.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month.
Spending on books and papers $35.05 for the month including 5 papers.

I do keep my bill money separated from this summery. This year I will be budgeting around $650 per period month to cover all my bills. This month bills were around $ 3107.94 so no balance banked this month.

This included buying a new laptop and all the extras that went with getting back up to the latest. I don’t upgrade until I buy new computer then do it all at once. This fund does cover all my fixed bills for the year if I can stick to this schedule as I have done for the past ten years or so. This fund does cover replacements when needed. My next replacement due is a new washing machine the money is already saved. On my budget excel modelling chart I can pay the full amount this year. This amount includes the cat’s trip with the Vet.

As for food out, I dined out 3 times this month costing between $25 & $9 a time most were around the $9 mark as I can no longer eat at fast food outlets. That $9.00 meals at casino is still looking the healthiest and best deal in the city for now.

My grocery bill came in under budget for this month.
My clothes and grooming budget was on target this month I bought 2 handbags.

Most of my social outing are dining out this is part of my social outings money and spending allowance.
If any changes to my spending habits will need to come out of my daily living allowance categories of my budget as my bill categories are very tight now.
Still need to work on a few categories as you can see but over all I had expensive month.

Strategy: - Track your daily spending down to the cent by writing it down daily.

How can a nurse do this!

Nurse in custody as fire takes fifth life

I had appointments with my chiropractor and podiatrist yesterday. Both appointments went well!

I bought 2 sushi rolls and took my own drinks to the city. With Diabetic 2, I need make sure that I do drink when I am thirsty and as I don’t like paying over $3.00 a bottle for water or a soft drink. Coffee ends up costing arm and leg when you need to buy unnecessary snack to go with it at $3.50 to $4.50. I can buy 6x popper drinks @$2.20 in supermarkets if I remember to take one or two with me when I go out. I found a cute little food bag that fits two of these in plus a small brick if I need one!

I find time to top up my Go Card (local public transport pass) as we do get our fares cheaper if you use these cards. As a pensioner I only have to use it twice in the same day and all other trips that day are free! I normal put $20.00 on it when I top up this card.

I did remember to bank some change that I had counted the other day.

On the computer front I am learning to use the ribbon in the window picture gallery this will be a long task as I did delete around 13500 photos out my download out of 24500 photos and all filed under the same title. I did remember to empty my recycle bin that how I know many there were!

We had a very bad Nursing home fire in Sydney today. Four residents were killed and another 31 are in number hospitals over 100 residents lived there.

Nursing Home Fire

It’s beautiful weather here at the moment, sunny and 30 C. We have had no rain for 13 days straight so far this month. If doesn’t rain tomorrow I think it’s a new record for November. They are going to drop the Dam levels as next rainy season is on us. Heavy rain storms and at least 4 Cyclones. A bad hail storm went through the outback town and wiped out a shed used as house that was Cyclone safe five year ago last night.

Today I went to the city again for my annual eye test and new glasses. This pair will cost some money around $185 extra as I am getting the works done on it. Bifocals, transitions lends etc. as well a new frame. I should have them by end of the month if I am lucky, as last time something went wrong and had to be done again. I have pick out next year’s frame that I like so they put the code on my file.

I also got my passport photos done today I don’t like them but who does. I think it’s because I had to take off my glasses for the photo. I am not planning to go anywhere in the near future but I will someday soon!

I paid off my credit card so they are paid in full.

I had lunch at the casino today and played the pokies for a few dollars only. Spent $14.00 here.

Spent $526 all up today including credit card

I had my hearing test today and they fixed the problem that I had with my hearing aids, I got them a two years ago or so now! They just didn’t fit properly it was the part that you put in your ear piece on both ears that were two small as my opening is much larger than normal so with these attachments they now fit and don’t fall off when wearing them. Change is part of the annual fee of $55 including batteries as age pensioner I get vouchers for the hearing aids but do have paid extra when I do buy new hearing aids, this time there is no extra changes so will stay with the old ones.

While I was out I bought coffee & raisin toast $3.50 at a food outer on the way back down to the city to catch my bus home. Whilst in this area I went to a handbag store that I had bought handbags before at and found the right style that I liked for a general all-purpose bag. I also found one that I liked but the wrong colour so I bought the black one instead. So 2 handbags $35.00 which is not bad in price as I find the handles go first no matter how much you pay for it. Still would like to have that red handbag too! It’s only $15.00 so if it’s still there on Monday I may get it too!

I try to buy only black handbags so their go with my black shoes that I wear.

I gave the musician in the tunnel $2.00 as I liked his music he was playing.

So all up I spent $40.50 today.

I finely finish culling my pictures and getting them back to one set of pictures each. I don’t know how many copies of my son’s trips were in the download but I just kept seeing the same pictures now the fun part is tagging these pictures in Window 7 Picture Gallery. Seeing that there were over 24000 pictures to start with and I do have a job on my hand, I am planning to just do my own pictures and scanned ones. The others I will burn to DVD and remove some too!

I bought my next voucher for my prepaid mobile phone this costed $40.00 and thinking of have one ahead so will buy another voucher in the next week or so, so that I am ahead as the place that I buy them from isn’t open on the weekends.

I went shopping today and bought a new iron for less than half price off the RRP of $79.00.

I have now worked out how to use Word 2010, and got all my files over that I wished to bring over as some were files for programs that I don’t plan to run on this computer. I had to use create libraries so I could get to them easily.

Still learning to use Pictures Live Gallery but as my import of old computer pictures still is some trouble with multiples of each, I need to fine and delete most of these multiples as that area is still a mess. I am planning to burn on DVD’s some of these pictures and remove them. It’s too large to back up or scan without taking hours. My computer is not on that long to do that. Because of thunder storms with lighting I need close my computer down if not sitting with it.

Talk about messes I need to get back into housework or I will be buying multiples because I can’t fine things.

I paid one credit card off and now waiting for the bill on the other one. I could go down and paid it as this money is sitting there for it!

Today is the horse race that stops the nation. On the first Tuesday in November every year this race is run.

I wasn’t planning to go today but as a ticket for luncheon was non-refundable as one person is in hospital so couldn’t go and needed someone to watch the group of elderly friends and one with dementia I was asked to go for free.

We had a good feed of cold picnic style food this is the kind of Spring weather food that is eaten at Flemington race track in the car park and each of us got ticket on the sweepstake which gave us had a horse to follow in the race. One in our group won on the sweepstake taking home $24 for a $2.00 outlay.

None of us had a bet on any race including the Melbourne Cup, in our state over $30M was bet on that one race and $100M across Australia. For five minutes the whole nation stops if it can to watch the race, including toddlers for the last 151years. A number of toddlers and babies were at the function today.

It was held at local football club which we are all members. The daughter of one them drove us there and picked us up afterward she didn’t want to go today. I spent about $11.00 all up today. The luncheon would have costed $45.00 if I had paid.

Melbourne Cup

I am a very late in putting up my monthly, others things did get in the away this time but that’s another story which you have been reading about lately here. I only just updated my Excel so here are the figures for last month.

As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to a calendar months so here are the figures for my last period.


It’s time to start again on reviewing my monthly daily living allowance.

These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx. Budget===Spent
Eating out===$35.00=====$22.00
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $78.18
Non-Food===$17.00=====$7.72
Clothes ====$35.00=====$105.50
Grooming===$15.00=====$35.00
Gas======$ 25.00=======$8.00
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$63.19
HH items===$42.50=====$40.44
Fares== ====$9.00====$20.00
Entrainments= $12.00
Garden =====$10.00
Gifts & Donations =$35.00===$3.00
Medical =====$15.00======$37.15
Diabetes Expenses====$50
Misc ======$9.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ====$58.29

Note only one amount is a no spend
Budgeted for this period $580 spent $478.38 so under budget by $101.62

No Spending days over the 28 days = 7 days in total.

Personal allowance covers confectionery, lotto, books, stamps, craft & hobby supplies.

Eating out including meals out with family and friends, we all go Dutch.

As for medical this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up this month just on medicine
As for my medical visits out of pocket expensive if they are related to Diabetes then I will class them as Diabetes Expenses will come under this new category.
Diabetes Expenses – nil

A most will be one off items or once per year expenses. But I need to track these items on my small budget and pension. Each time I pay for some things in this category I will need to cut something in other categories.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month.

Spending on books and papers $38.80 for the month including 4 papers.

I do keep my bill money separated from this summery. This year I will be budgeting around $650 per period month to cover all my bills. This month bills were around $ 378.80 so balance banked this month. This fund does cover all my fixed bills for the year if I can stick to this schedule as I have done for the past ten years or so. On my budget excel modelling chart I can pay the full amount this year.

As for food out, I dined out 4 times this month costing between $5 & $9 a time most were around the $9 mark as I can no longer eat at fast food outlets. That $9.00 meals at casino is still looking the healthiest and best deal in the city for now.

My grocery bill came in under budget for this month.

My clothes and grooming budget was well over this month I bought 4 new bras and only paid for 3 and had a watch battery replaced along a haircut.

Most of my social outing are dining out this is part of my social outings money and spending allowance.
If any changes to my spending habits will need to come out of my daily living allowance categories of my budget as my bill categories are very tight now.

Still need to work on a few categories as you can see but over all I had a good month.

Strategy: - Track your daily spending down to the cent by writing it down daily.

With all this work on my computer, getting my freezer down a bit is a major problem I am still not getting to the bottom of it. I need to defrost some of the bottom of chest freezer meat so that is what I will be doing as it’s time do so. I have 2 turkeys’ leg & roasts there so I am cooking the oldest this weekend. Plus about 3 Chicken Maryland so will using these up and I have a lot of chicken legs packs so will putting these into my menu over few weeks two for the cats and two for me as there are 4 legs in each pack. I got them cheap enough to use them for the cats as well! Most of the red meat is in the small fridge freezer there isn’t very much. But I do have a lot of white fish frozen pieces and some crumb fish so that enough for next two to three months’ worth as I buy in bulk at 5 kg at the time about 32 pieces in all I have used some of it.

As for frozen vegetables I do have enough for a month or so, I will just buy fresh for now!

Just went looking for the roasts and what was in the chest freezer as I was just buying meat & chicken when I saw a good buy It’s time to stop this pattern and use up some of protein that I have already bought.

Strategy - Do remember what you have stored before you go and buy more of the same.

I better follow that strategy for now!

Getting things for my new computer and buying Christmas presents will be the norm around here for a while. This week I have bought 3 computer books, two for Windows 7 and one for MS Office 2010 these along with online Help and asking around should keep me going for now! Also I picked up USB Travel Hub, 8G USB sticks and extra DVD-R blanks plus a Mouse for a Laptop.

Until I learn to use this computer much better I will be on the slow side.

As my son has just got a new computer too! I have been buying a few odds & end for him as well.

So far I have spent a bit of money in getting it right without needing to go to IT tech for help.
Books were full price $107.65
But the other items were on special of 50% off or less = Totalling $178.00
So another $285.00 spent hoping this will be the last unless my printer doesn’t work but it should do so. Some items I got Senior discount off so every 5% off helps.

All this is coming out my emergency fund and I have been told I am not spending enough money by my financial adviser as I saved too much money since I lasted saw him. I knew I could save but not that good; it was so much that finding ways to stretching that dollar must be working. A lot of that is bill money and saving fund that I stretch it more than six times in the last year.

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

This has been my motto from the beginning and still is; now I can choose better items than the cheapest ones around because of it.

With one thing and another I knew I was in for an expensive week but not that expensive.

All my large bills were due soon so I paid the Car Registration, Rates, and Water Utilities totalling $985.

Then getting a new mobile, accessories, prepaid card and then a new laptop and accessories totalling $1319
Then one of the cats had to go back to the vet for a check because a fur and food was compacted around a tooth so I found out later costing $45 with return visit & senior discount.

So far I have spent $2349 without dining out with family and normal cost of living. I am only two week in this month budget. It’s lucky that I budgeted for my bills each pension, and have a large emergency fund of $5000. So I will be saving to return cost of the new mobile and laptop so $1300 needs put back into emergency fund.

Now for a new washing machine this should be the next problem area as its 27 years old so I will be buying a new one when it gives up working.

Well I have been thrown into this decade as my computer died on Thursday.
As you know that I have been disconnected from my Cable server and had to go to Wi-Fi last week. Three days in on Wi-Fi my computer packed in and is not worth paying another $200 to repair so I bought a new laptop and programs to go with. As all are upgrades now I have to learn to use them and along with learning to use a new mobile phone and Wi-Fi also working out how download my external HDD all my files & photos since 1999. They still there but not on the new computer but will work on this over the next few weeks. Yesterday I had set up the laptop to work and then download any programs that I needed also, so all this will keep me busy for a while and a very big learning curve to do it all by myself. Now to start saving again.

It’s has been a very expensive week.

They turn off our cable this morning. So I am on Wi-Fi and mobile now!

The monthly outlays will be $79.95 for both. I end up getting unlimited calls & text within Australia plan and the 10Gb plan for the internet. This is all I will ever need as I don’t download music or movies ever. My son now has his own Wi-Fi and computer now and lives in another house!

Now to learn to use both, this will stop me getting dementia for a while. I use these challenges as a training exercise to keep my brain active. Just think 12 years ago I couldn’t turn on a computer. I am still very nervous when upgrading or adding new programs.

Well today my new internet system arrived for my computer, as the computer & phone company that I am with is no longer having cable in some areas. So anyone in these areas being cut off from the cable for good. I thought maybe it’s just our street but I found out today that our next suburb is loosing their cable lines as well. It’s because our energy supplier has put some areas underground and therefore removing all the lampposts holing up these cables and with the national broadband coming here within the next two years they are not going underground so it’s sign up with the underground supplier or go Wi-Fi & mobile only that’s what I have gone with. My Wi-Fi Mobile broadband pod arrived today, it’s slower than my cable set up but I will learn to live with it. As for my mobile, I am still working though with that one. I still have about week to fix it up before I lose my landline altogether. I will be paying a lot more for a less then useful serves from what I have been told. I still don’t know how much more per month. Finding the plan for your style of use is the biggest problem. I am looking at three that look promising. Having my own phone I can switch if I find one not working.

I wrote about doing my annual weeding in my front garden

here


Azaleas were flowering in late winter now all the other are flowering.

All the bulbs, lily and iris that were replanted or left in the soil are now in flower.

Gladys are the same bulbs stock that my father planted 40 years ago.



They are like a weed but no annuals grow in this garden so I let them just grow here you don’t need to take them out for next year as we don’t have any frost. If you move them the baby bulbs just fall off.



I don’t know the right name of these ones but you don’t break them up if you want flowers that year. A friend thinned hers out and got one flower this year. I didn’t thin my out.



I counted over 23 irises in flower at the same time this morning.

As I buy very few new clothes anymore which a rare. The last time I bought a complete expensive outfit was for my son’s wedding back in 1999. The rag trade would close up shop long ago if it depended on me. I do buy some slacks, ¾ pants, shorts and t-shirts when I do buy new, I buy on special or markdown that’s the same price I can buy at the Charity /goodwill shop or second hand clothes stores. I get better quality in charity shops than when I buy new. I mainly buy the bottom half of my outer clothes new as this were I fine the shortage for my size and the most damaged clothes with elastics or Zip failing in a short time after buying. I need to take up the hem lines or wear the ¾ pants longer than you would do so if you were normal height. I like the longer length so this part doesn’t worry me that much. Under wear and socks are always bought new.

I have had busy few days, as our local charity shop is having a fill a bag sale of clothing for $5.00 last week. One morning I went up to browse around and as they were short staff until some arrived I opened up the second shop and watch other customers until the staff arrived hour later. As I knew the way around this sale and could look at the same time I was ok with this. I just was there as everyone else was just looking too when the staff arrived.

So I end up spending $20.00 for $1070 worth of clothes.

I bought 4 Bags of clothes totalling 42 items of which only one was not wearable. So at under 48 cents per garment this how can keep my clothes cost to under $300 per year. Buy very little new.


Pile of women’s clothes for picking over.


Bounty from two of bags of clothes

You don’t get the latest fashion buy second- hand clothes which I am past that stage now. The colour may be few years past in shades and styles that don’t matter if you feel good in the outfit and it goes altogether in tones. I buy by the look and feel of the fabric then the colour then look at the size then at the tag if has one. I was able to find all these off a pile on the floor with all size mixed together within under two hours. Everyone had the same task if you wished to buy something.


List of clothes bought - approx RRP

T-shirts
White -Bot Cornsurf RRP$25.00
Brown & cream, stripe V neck – Susannegrae RRP $25.00
White & beige stripe Cotton - Millers RRP$15.00
Black & White Stripe - Relaunch RRP$25.00
Grey & off white stripe - Pun Nai RRP$20.00
Yellow - Cherokee RRP $20.00
Pink & Beige stripe sleeveless – CMS RRP$20.00
Light Blue -CTM- DNM RRP$15.00
Black & white Floral sleeveless - Jag RRP$25.00
Pink with design printed -Jag RRP$20.00
Dark green with collar - Urbane RRP$20.00
Total RRP $230

Shirts
White Millers Cotton RRP$25.00
Black plain ¾ sleeves Ramie - Katies RRP$25.00
Pink ¾ sleeved Cotton/spandex - Crossroads RRP$25.00
Pink ¾ sleeved - cut off brand name RRP$30.00
Pink floral Poly - Daxon RRP$25.00
Lime plain Ramie - Now RRP$30.00
Lime cotton - Aqua by ping pong RRP$35.00
White& Brown Poly/cotton – Millers RRP$20.00
Cream background with Beige pattern , Rayon -Millers RRP$20.00
Green with mauve floral pattern, rayon – Millers RRP$20.00
Light blue with trim, Poly Rayon – Millers RRP$20.00
Blue small check with Grey trim, 100% cotton- Panola RRP$25.00
Blue Pattern rayon poly – Millers RRP$20.00
Dark Green poly - Postie Fashion RRP$25.00
Orange Plain background with a breaded trim, Poly - Millers RRP$20.00

Total RRP $365

Tops
Burnt Orange Rayon /Poly Perri Cutten RRP $40.00
Cream background with floral print, Silk – Real Clothes RRP $35.00
Black nylon S-less tank top - Now RRP $20.00
Black with white flowers Nylon S-less - Katies RRP $20.00
Total RRP $115



Two piece outfit
Top - Off white back ground with Blue floral print, Rayon/linen - Geiger Essentials RRP $25.00
Skirt - Off white back ground with Blue floral print, Rayon/linen - Geiger Essentials RRP$25.00

Pants
Brown Cargo shorts long – Millers RRP$20.00
Light grey linen /cotton slacks - Giordano Linen RRP$50.00
Grey Cargo slacks expensive ones RRP$50.00
¾ casual pants Beige 100% cotton - Jay Jay’s RRP$20.00

Total RRP $190

Dresses
Cream & black check - floor length will cut shorter RRP$30.00
Check - Potarorri Floor length will cut shorter RRP$30.00
Long blue with yellow floral print on hem line. Polyester Millers RRP$20.00

Odd pieces
Cardigan -Cream short sleeved -cut off brand name & buttons missing. RRP $25.00
Sarong aqua with mauve-pink flowers – Vanuatu- RRP $15.00
Bath robe -Pink poly -Shooze Zone (never worn) RRP $50.00

Total RRP $170

Grand Total RRP $1070


Clothes Line some of the clothes.


Two other posts on clothes shopping tightwad style.

Retail Therapy - Tightwad Style
the fill a bag sale

Strategy - Know when the best sale may be on and be ready to go!

My computer was getting on the slow side, and making a noise on start up too! So I put it in the repair shop to get fixed. They found one sector of the memory was lost and power to the computer was on the way out. So these were fixed and cleaned. I paid $180 for the service next time, I will upgrade my computer altogether. I had too many other bills to lay out for a new computer at this time. I have to get a new mobile that is unlocked just to name one. So I have been without a computer for 3 days so I just hope it will last another 18 months or so.

Strategy - If can be fixed then repair it, but use the less then half rule on replacement costs.

I went to local Church Car Boot Sale last weekend, I found some wonderful bargains.

This is what I found.


Mixture of items found


Oil painting and books


Oil Painting


Both oil paintings are by the same artist

Spent about $16.00 all up.

I am a little late in putting up my monthly balance others things do get in the away at times but that’s another story.

As I work on 28 day cycles, my dates may be out to a calendar months so here are the figures for my last period.

It’s time to start again on reviewing my monthly daily living allowance.

These are the categories for this challenge.

Items === Approx Budget===Spent
Eating out===$35.00=====$20.05
Groceries===$135.50 ==== $151.46
Non-Food===$17.00=====$40.44
Clothes ====$35.00=====$25.00
Grooming===$15.00
Gas======$25.00
Pets====== $50.00=== ==$23.05
HH items===$42.50=====$42.54
Fares== ====$9.00
Entrainments= $12.00 ====$29.95
Garden =====$10.00=====$11.99
Gifts & Donations =$35.00===$21.95
Medical =====$15.00======$5.60
Diabetes Expenses====$50
Misc ======$9.00
Personal Allowance =$85.00 ====$70.99

Note only one amount is a no spend

Budgeted for this period $580 spent $443.02 so under budget by $136.80
No Spending days over the 28 days = 13 days in total.

Personal allowance covers confectionery, lotto, books, stamps, craft & hobby supplies.

Eating out including meals out with family and friends, we all go Dutch.

As for medical this is the extra out of pockets amounts that came up this month just on medicine
As for my medical visits out of pocket expensive if they are related to Diabetes then I will class them as Diabetes Expenses will come under this new category.
Diabetes Expenses – nil
A most will be one off items or once per year expenses. But I need to track these items on my small budget and pension. Each time I pay for some thing in this category I will need to cut something in other categories.

My credit cards are still paid in full each month.
Spending on books and papers $39.50 for the month including 4 papers.

I do keep my bill money separated from this summery. This year I will be budgeting around $650 per period month to cover all my bills. This month bills were around $74.96 so balance banked this month. These funds do cover all my fixed bills for the year if I can stick to this schedule as I have done for the past ten years or so. On my budget excel modelling chart I can pay the full amount this year. This amount includes the cat operation with the Vet.

As for food out, I dined out 4 times this month costing between $5 & $9 a time most were around the $9 mark as I can no longer eat at fast food outlets. That $9.00 meals at casino is still looking the healthiest and best deal in the city for now.

My grocery bill came in on high side for this month.
Most of my social outing are dining out this is part of my social outings money and spending allowance.

If any changes to my spending habits will need to come out of my daily living allowance categories of my budget as my bill categories are very tight now.

Still need to work on a few categories as you can see but over all I had a good month.

Strategy: - Track your daily spending down to the cent by writing it down daily.

One of my neighbours just came over with a bag of food left at her place by house sitter while overseas. They don’t eat these foods normally, and the fish has bones in it that my cats may like to eat it!



Yes red salmon has some bones but my cats are not going to get much of it @ $5.99 a can and $3.99 for the small can. The soup packets are $1.89 each and can of soups are around $2.49 can here. You guess it I will eat the lot myself thanks very much!
Value Total$26.62 that helps $-t-r-e-t-c-h the budget quite nicely.

Other day I was looking in the bin of old magazines and found this copy for 50c. Looking at it had no date on it. It's rare copy of this magazine it was the very first edition 1972.


Earth Garden first edition

I did buy lots of Earth Garden magazines about 54 of them @ 20c each I just love this kind of book and have been buying ones like it for years some of these date back to 1973 a bit like 'he Mother Earth' at the local School Fete this year.
I wrote about this

here

Here the only recipe in this edition



Irene's Vegetables Chow Mien

1 pkt long life noodles or any thin egg noodles
1/2 of Chinese cabbage
1/4 lb (125g) mushrooms
One onion
1/2 bunch spring onions
1/4 lb (125g) peas
Bean sprout
2-3 carrots
vegetable oil
salt

Sauce
1 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce (Kikkoman preferably)
1 tbsp cornflour
1/2 tsp sugar
Black pepper
(Mix the sauce ingredients and leave standing until need.) *

Boil noodles, strain and drain. This is best done an hour or so before the meal is to be cooked.
Chop up all the vegetables.
In some vegetable oil fry the noodles until golden and crisp. It's easier to do in small portions at a time until all noodles are cooked.
Put a little oil, water or soy sauce in a pot, and then add the vegetables then sprinkling of salt.
Cook fairly high heat for about a minute without lid and three to four minutes with the lid on.
The vegetables are then cooked, but retain a fresh crispness and green keep more of vitamins than usual.

Add the sauce, which is best mixed and left standing before cooking begins. *
Braise the mixture for one minute, then add the fried noodles on top and braise for another minutes or two. Gently stir the whole mixture and serve.
This should be sufficient for six
For a change eat the vegetable sauce with some add little bean mixture then serve over boiled or steamed rice.
You can use the vegetable sauce mixture with some boiled or steamed rice or add little black bean mixture to the sauce.

Meat eaters Variation
If you want to add meat:-
Into a bowl put diced beef (skirt steak will do) bacon, ham or pork with 1 tablespoon of water.
Fry a little garlic in a small amount of oil, add the meat mix and braise for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add this to the vegetables mix at the same time you add the sauce.

First edition, page 39

Earth Garden
Earth Garden Index

A while ago I wrote about sorting some socks for a neighbour and getting paid to do in

sock monster & over coming it .

The other day I found a few rolls of film that never was processed which just got done a few weeks ago. I found these photos in them.


Two full baskets of odd socks


My sorting method using a rotary clothes line.

I still have this clothes line it’s a 1949 vintage, I have restored it since these photos were taken.


Here is another photo of the kookaburra on the rotary clothes line

I have done a lot of thinking about how I shop over the past few days, along with a lot of reading and writing and viewing different downloads and links. This task has given me some food for thought and I hope it's given you some ideas on shopping over the number of areas I have covered.

One area I didn't cover is eating and drinking way from home so try limiting the amount of food and drinks you have away from home. This area is the biggest waster of your food budget and I didn't even touch on it. Try writing down every cent you spend for a month and see how much you are spending here. You may find the money for that overseas holiday you only dreamed about.

One of the major points we all need to do at this point in time. Is to review what we have in own homes and use this before go out and buy more stuff.

Some of the other points to think about are:
- Check what we have bought and use it!
- Make a menu using what in the house first then what on special that week.
- Make a price book so you know what the cheapest price is.
- Don't be loyal to just one supermarket
- Learn to cook if you can't!

Links

While researching for this series I came across a number of interesting links some are for small families or singles and other ones can be used by everyone. I don't know how much anyone of you reading this series has explored your government resources in the way I have done here. There a number of free downloads or online reading that I can open on this side of the Pacific Ocean. I have included some I found from Australian websites also!

Some are from US government websites and others are from umaine extension and Mayo Clinic. If you can explore these websites a lot more as there are plenty more to out there to be found. I could give you the links to a lot of downloads but exploring them yourselves will make it more interesting.

The ones that I have given you here that are marked PDF will need a reader to open them.

Mayo Clinic
explore this link for interesting articles

Thrifty Meals for Small Families
At the bottom of this one you will find links to the other parts of this series 5 parts in all.
If you search for Thrifty Meals for Small Families, you will come up with other downloads versions.
Keep the Beat Healthy Heart Recipes PDF


healthier you links to recipes

School meals

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services There are two PDF files on this link that one 130 pages & the other one 160 pages PDF.

Vegetarian Learn about different types of vegetarianism, nutrients of concern, how to plan a healthy diet, and find recipes.

Nutrition index Shopping, Cooking & Meal Planning

Australian Links

Recipes & shopping - What's there to eat? PDF

The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating PDF

Victorian Better Health

Victorian Better Health - Recipes Here

The last of Shopping for one series