2012 ~ the Demise of the Slack Tart Movement...

One step forward at a time... 

Let's welcome back the No Spend Challenge! 

And that whole concept of budgeting, planning, debt reduction, living over surviving and getting the balance realigned to our new environment and circumstances.  Oh Boy ~ do I feel like I have been the total slacker these last few months. 

Please know its been a big move from Ballarat Victoria to Bundaberg Queensland ~ not just in kilometres, but also the relocation and settling into schools, doctors, therapy and new friendships. The restocking of food stuffs, getting of uniforms, discovering of warmth and building of garden while learning about all the new plant 'preferences' and foods which grow in abundance! 

SmallBoy loving the lifestyle change 

Good to advise we have done it well! We've not added to the debt which is a relief. We've been able to trade foods for babysitting for wine ~ some times its about the bonus you receive because you wouldn't be out buying a box of beer too often so the odd 'thank you' slab has been a treat for Hubby. 

SmallBoy has surpassed all expectations, settled into the interrupted school year and made friends who will be joining him at the same high school in the next few weeks. 

Several classmates live very VERY close by so daily after-school and weekend visits here, loitering around here in conversation before heading to the various 'theres' has helped with socialising and friendships. He's got a mix of both guys & girls in his friendship groups ~ we've even had sleep-overs with both attending. OK ~ we admit ~ we did separate the sexes and the beds...

Such a relief and pure joy to see his confidence and personality developing. SmallBoy really has adapted well and relished the opportunity to make changes and develop his strengths. 

Plus he was super with the littler kids we spent time with throughout the travelling and again over New Year ~ even if he is 'so adult and mature for my age' at 12, its still a relief to be a child and play chasey, wave sparklers, play on the slip n slide without aggro, decorate cupcakes with the odd icing flower...

There has been a lot of making-do ~ I've seriously not bought any new clothes for me or Hubby since we've arrived, with SmallBoy really only needing school related uniform purchases. We've all had a pair of new sandals ~ an appropriate purchase that really was needed. They appeared under the tree for 'wrapping' the expenditure. 

Let's Start With Incoming and Outgoing...

Really simply and loosely ~ the current income comes to $676 per week / $1342 per fortnight. That covers all the pension, family payments and income we receive on a regular basis ~ Hubby has been actively looking for work, even if only a few days produce-picking to start would be fine. He has a few applications in and we wait with eager anticipation of a positive response. There's not a lot of work available - and plenty looking.

The outgoings are almost as simple and err'd on the side of the extra dollar - rounded up, not down to the nearest $5.  The current weekly outgoings are $650 per week / $1300 per fortnight ~ including a $15 weekly save to build up the emergency fund again. 

The menu for the week has been planned around what we have in the freezer, the pantry and can get from the garden. We've got carrots, asian greens, lettuce and some tomatoes which will add veg factor to a few meat, rice/cous cous meals. Instead of using this week's shopping budget of $75, I hope to do a $25 week and really only that much if I happen to feel there is a need to shop at the Co-op on Thursday or market for fruit and veg.

By going through and seeing what we've got and how we can get around without needing to buy any additional produce, our week and a bit of dinner menu, catering for three hearty eaters, is looking like this:

Sat: Pork Schnitzel and Spiced vegetable cous cous (meat $4, cous cous $1.50)

Sun: Chicken and vegetable pie (meat $1.50, veg $2, pastry $1)

Mon: Pasta ~ gnocchi and a tomato/zucchini/onion type sauce (pasta $2.50, sauce $2)

Tue: Butter Chicken and beans on brown rice (around $5 complete)

Wed: Pork Char Sui stir fry with noodles (meat $4, noodles $1.50, veg garden)

Thu: Vegetable pasties (bits from the fridge & freezer in pastry)

Fri: Tuna patties and chips ($3.50 patties, $2 potatoes)

Sat: BBQ & salad (9 fancy snags $3, salad garden, poss cucumber purchase)

Sun: Roast Beef & veg (meat $6)

Mon: Pie & veg with left over roast

Saturday's Fare ~:~ Crumbed pork schnitzel

Pork - $4.20, marked down from $11.90

Crumbs - grain bread, free; seasonings, garlic powder, parmeasan cheese (sprinkle)

1 egg for crumbing, free (thanks L&M's chooks)

Cous cous - Ainsley's packet, on special $1.50, exp 3/12

The basic ingredients ~ look at that meat score!!

All the bits to make the bread crumbs tasty 

A picture simply cannot convey the aroma and flavours

And thus we have the first of many meals under $2 per head. Left with a full belly and not much to do other than thank the chef...

Love the smell of rain...

So it rains more frequently in Queensland...

I get that. At around 2pm, maybe 230pm, you can almost guarantee it is absolutely pouring with rain, school pick up time is impending and no matter where you live, if it is going to rain today it will always be around school pick up time. Sarcastistically more so often than if you have washing on the line, get it off before 230pm and it will be dry - before it rains. The kids and collectors will still get wet.

Nah - that's not a real statistic but it is probably true. Today was a picture of that scenario, and SmallBoy's raincoat was staring me in the face as it hung on the bedroom door ~ and not in the schoolbag where it is supposed to be stored. Be assured, in true saving style, I wasn't rushing off to pick him up from school in the car and save him the saturation of a 15minute walk home. Be damned if good petrol be used because an item was not returned to its appropriate 'home' and would mean a good soaking for its wearer. Let him get drenched and perhaps remember where things are supposed to go. Or not ~ as it was, the rain stopped for the entire walk home and started about 5minutes after SmallBoy walked in the door. No lesson learned - today...

Still, one lesson which has been 'learned' is that by doing all known 'tasks' such as change out of uniform, do homework, handwriting, put dishes away, feed the cats and then ask if you can <please> play on the computer one is more likely to get a positive response. Still, Friday has always been a bit of a screen night as there were usually school mates over from school for a night of movies, popcorn in front of the fire back in Ballarat around now. 

No spending here today. 

But some money transferring was undertaken ~ $700 from Emergency Savings Fund (ESF) and put on to the credit card to lower the debt. Every week $15 goes into the savings, $15 onto the mortgage as 'extra' payments, $50 into the LOC (plus a little more while tenant deposits & mortgage repayment dates align). All regular bill payments are up to date, food sort of on budget.

Got friends coming up the first week of holidays for a few days here then we all escape to the Gold Coast for a few days, then return home - collecting DMIL & DS20 but 21 the following day.  GC accomm is paid - just looking at best theme park ticket bundle. *sighs* Might also get QLD plates ($800ish, from ESF, but will deposit VIC rego refund back in) and transfer RACV to RACQ. Then get to do all the insurance details again *yippee?*

Spent $110 on groceries & sundries Thursday ~ this included coathangers (desperately needed), bulk staples, kitty litter, some garden 'stuff'. Still got $40 for the markets on Sunday so pleased with that. The weekend will see us washing the car, getting in the garden and going to the festival on Sunday (Blooms or something Spring-time related). Oh - and putting away clothes...

Obviously we have $40 for the markets at sparrow's fart tomorrow. It's really time to hit the hay and get ready to get some fresh produce then go to another "Blooming" Bundaberg festival. Actually this one has a parade at 230pm so we are going down with friends. Should be fun. 

*yawns* Just enjoyed a lovely dinner up at the Sims family ~ truly. Last time Hubby was doing the 'house maintenance check' in Ballarat so only SmallBoy and I went - this time her hubby was away. This evening we had a great time - a simple meal of roast chicken and chips which the kids enjoyed watching 'Despicable Me' while we talked, had wine, organised coming over to our place for a BBQ. 

All the lemons we got from Rosscoe are juiced and I have a hankering for lemon meringue pie so much so I might have to make one. Chicken cooked in the camp oven, with salad from the garden and the markets, and lemon meringue for dessert. Mmmmm ~ no wonder I've gone over 62kg for the first time in 11 years. All this decadent food and dessert I've been making and partaking is adding the kilos to my meager frame - must up the ante on physical activity and bulk up the vegetables over the meat. And cut back to one dessert portion ~ this regime must also include dear Hubby who looks about 6months along at the moment... 

On that note, I'd best scoot. It's market day - early start with an afternoon jaunt. Might make pie for another night and enjoy it with a light meal. *yawns* OK ~ night y'all. Been great... 

Been linking up to some of the blog connect groups ~ this includes:

Poshonabudget - Friday-friend-connect ~ I know it is now Saturday (if not Sunday) - just doddling the last few days...

Say What you Really mean...

You say "battler" like its a bad thing *grins*

Bit of a thinking process going on about those who are "strugglers" and those who are "Battlers" ~ whether there is a difference in the two? Do strugglers really just like to brag under the guise of complaining about how they couldn't really afford the new $149 shoes, marked down from $200 at least, but managed to buy them any way and now its going to be a struggle to find an outfit that matches that shade of mauve.

Is there a class which is really in a position to do well, just has this silly habit of over extending and believing if they think they deserve it then they really should have it ignoring the fact they cannot in fact afford it? There are some who can afford to spend in whimsy, knowing the bills will still be paid and debt reduced. I hope some are reading and willing to contribute to the Spare Change Jar on the left as confirmation there are actually some who can afford to spend on whimsy for real and not just in our imaginations, dreams and wishes...

Seriously, I think there is a type who bemoan their lot when wanting to share an ill-afforded extravagance ~ in some ways I consider myself a battler, but the difference is probably in the region of getting $50k a year less than the "average struggler". Plus I see ourselves as being clever, frugal and powering through with what we have, rather than what we have not but must get regardless of the possible future detriment. The whinging battler is one often wanting to change but sees only the half empty glass, not feeling that happy tiddly feeling the first half put in your head...   I'd just tell her that we don't do takeaway, don't buy new, love fossicking opshops, use no-name and bake my own biscuits and pies. Why hold back - being in control and having control is something to be proud of.

It's like it is someone else's fault they are put in the position of feeling guilty for making a purchase (most likely via credit) which wasn't really needed but desired enough to actually hand over the plastic and cast aside that little voice asking 'but how long can you push that purchase payment out' for that extra dose of guilt on the side ~ and see others on half as much seemingly do twice as well as themselves with some jealousy. Guilt and jealousy ~ the "average struggler". 

Just as some love to say they enjoyed dinner out at that new trendy eatery, spending around $50 a head plus the drinks, I love being able to say I fed all three of us the type of meal you'd expect at a new trendy eatery for under $10 including a nice clean skin sparkling wine. 

Today was even more exciting and rewarding as we ate our own produce in tonight's evening meal. Using $4 of marked down steak, half the red onion from yesterday's salad, left over bean shoots, boiled brown rice and from our garden: bok/pak choy, snow peas, parsley, basil and ginger, I made the yummiest stir fry meal for less than $2 per person ~ easily as good as main from that trendy place others go....

Whose Fault Was It Anyway? 

If you think it was mine (and those goes for anything you think I may have been the one in the wrong from my early teens right through to tomorrow mornings' offerings) ~ fine ~ blame me. Don't care if I am not taking the problem on as my own ~ I do that well enough for myself alone. So knock yourself out ~ not my problem. Bridge, built - over it...

If you are a teacher however, or one who 'looks after' other people's children, or one who understands the concept of 'you kinda need to be responsible for your kids yourself too you know' ~ enjoy the following article:  What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents.

Until the next time ~ do feel free to toss any spare change into the Spare Change Jar or Treasure Chest ~ it all goes on our debt and hopefully is indicative of the fact you find the blog informative, entertaining, education or you can tell we need all the help we can get *grins*

Did someone speed up time?

The things my Husband finds ~ love his photographs... 

I swear it was Sunday ~ and now its Wednesday morning!

Hope all the Dads, stand ins and children all over have enjoyed the togetherness of Sunday ~ now come on, the 'special' day is over, back to the normal. Yes, it would be nice to have days like that all the time, but it takes some coordinating, planning, doing things in anticipation... *bit of a hint dear* 

So who spent a small fortune? Ours came in under $50 ~ including the petrol for our afternoon, our self catered lunch and a yummy roast dinner! Enjoying the left overs from the $11 roast as a pork and vegetable pie for Monday nights meal keeps us about $2-$3 per head per meal ~ we could have stretched both meals to feed four people - it was more fun feeling like happy stuffed little piggies *burps* 'scuse me...

The Week Ahead... 

The garden is about to yield forth its first edible offerings ~ about half the first of the Asian greens are ready and calling for a stir fry or warm salad use. Hmmm ~ that's an idea for the weekend. As for tonight, I took the $5 schnitzels out of the freezer, marked down meat but only two large schnitzels in the packet. So fried them up on the stove, sliced into strips and added to a bowl of salad of lettuce, bean sprouts, baby spinach, radish, cucumber, snow peas, onion, parmasean cheese, walnuts, green apples and a ceasar style dressing... 

Doesn't that sound fancy?! I reckon it looks decently fancy too, happy to serve that up to the Queen should she drop in. Cost under $7 for the whole meal and if HRH had dropped in, it would have stretched for one more as well ~ but she didn't so we ate it all *grins* SmallBoy was a little grumbly over the sprouts but demolished his plateful. Then he had the last of the vanilla cream over a chopped frozen banana ~ the cream freezes on the banana and is a delicious, quick dessert to use up left over cream! 

I am trying desperately to push out this week's grocery shop to build a little 'cash' surplus for some staples we will need in anticipation of the wet season. By not using the remaining $42 of this weeks shopping budget for groceries, I can get bulk wholemeal flours, brown rice, epsom salts, vinegar, coat-hangers and mulch instead.

Just jumped in the shower between making up some peanut butter biscuit dough to make biscuits ~ mainly because they are yummy and it will help lower the craving for long-absent chocolate, but also to compensate for 'boring' sandwiches for lunch SmallBoy has to endure for two, maybe three days in a row *gasps in mock shock*

I've used a variation of the peanut butter biscuit dough from the delightful website Stay At Home Mum, really only changing the peanut butter to smooth. This recipe makes about 30 biscuits - I used the last quarter of the dough to add a few of the Ballarat walnuts for variation. It could probably take nicely with some choc chips - if I had any...

Rather than do a standard grocery shop ~ we can have the pasties made and frozen last week for dinner tomorrow, then the shop can be base more toward those bulk purchases along with some cloves, mince, milk, rolls. With more flour I can make more scrolls, do some biscuits, cakes and get ready for using the bread maker when I get yeast next shop. 

Quick Reflection...

The move to Queensland was not about saving/making money ~ a big part has always been quality of life, a balance of work and play, a climate to aid recovery and movement. More than anything, I am grateful for the way things happened ~ there is a saying: "Things fall apart so other things can fall together" ~ that's what this has all been like.

While it might not be a big deal to many to get a meal on the table (physically or financially); to be able to there in the morning for breakfast, walking, talking, eating, laughing ~ and then again in the afternoon and evening. Some times I feel blessed with the chance to 'do life' with less stress and more enjoyment, even appreciating that it all needs to be done a little slower or with some rest along the day.

I really do enjoy making biscuits ~ they really don't take a lot to put together. Trying different meals to incorporate more salads and vegetables, getting up at sparrows' fart to go to the market, reading or (now) riding over screen related activities for all of us. OK ~ I'm not at riding yet, the boys are and I am jealous. I'm not able to vacuum but I can mop. It's all just a heck of a lot better than expected and imagined.

Must mosey ~ another full and exciting day. I do hope we get coat hangers in the next day or so. I'd really like to hang the last of the clothes and get everything out of the campervan completely. Out come the nick-knacks, pictures and books. Might need another bookshelf...

Let me know if you try the biscuits or what more details about the meals we prepare and eat, budgeting $2-$3 per person per main meal per night. Most nights usually cost $6 for a meal for three hearty appetites, occasionally with leftovers for lunch.

Things that make change

Who said you had to spend heaps to make a veggie garden? 

OK ~ you probably didn't but I know others who have. In the past six weeks, we have not only set up a raised veggie bed for nothing, we've got the seeds, fertiliser and more in for next to nix. Building the garden bed used a lot 

We have saved hundreds of dollars over the years. Instead of paying up to $5.00 for packets of seeds which may or may not sprout, we have started grabbing packets of seeds from the herb and soup sections of the supermarkets. 

The seeds you get for coriander, mustard, fennel, cardamom or celery in spice packets from the supermarket for cooking can be planted in your garden. These normally cost around $1.00-$1.50 per packet and you will get a lot more seeds than the packets bought from a plant store. 

We also get the full dried peas (not freeze dried) from the soup section (with the lentils and McKenzies packet mixes) and these successfully grow ~ we've had the sweetest sugar snap peas ever from soup peas! A packet normally costs $1.50-$2.00 and you get well over 100 seeds. In comparison to buying 'packet' seeds it would cost you five times as much for about 20 or so seeds. Just remember not to buy the split peas ~ they won't grow at all.

Another way to save buying seeds is cut the ends off shallots and replant them, it takes about three weeks before they get over their 'shock', but you will have an endless harvest of shallot stems to use in salads. We do the same with old onions, including salad onions, that have hidden themselves away in our cupboards and sprouted. Plant them in your garden, let them flower and go to seed to get great seed stock for the next few years. No need to buy more!

Garlic can be done in the exact same way. Grab a clove and plant it flat end into the ground. After about four months you will get a great bulb of garlic from your original clove. A few cloves turns into a bumper crop and look great drying in the pantry or kitchen. Be aware that garlic from China or Mexico has usually been treated with Bromide (a carcinogenic) so only use Australian grown garlic.

Pumpkin, cucumber, capsicum, tomato, chili and other vegetable seeds can be cleaned, dried and then planted out to give you more seed stock to play with. If you plant two different types of pumpkins near each other, they cross pollinate and you can end up with a hybrid which tastes great. We usually let one or two of each vegetable go to seed so that next years planting will cost us even less. This works well with  lettuce, silverbeet, rocket, Asian greens, mint, corn, loofah, tomatoes and sugar snap peas.

Old potatoes and sweet potatoes that start sprouting can be replanted and will give a good crop. Just cut a sprouting part of the potato and plant it, from one potato you get up to five new plants, with around 30-40 potatoes from each. Some people don't recommend the growing of potatoes in old car tyres ~ we've never really had an issue with it as it has always been easier to add an extra tyre and layer of dirt as the potato plant leaves come through the soil ~ but you can always use an old hay bale or hessian bag of soil if you'd prefer.

Sowing broad beans, carrots, onions, radishes and spinach can be difficult and fiddly and the best way to solve the problem is to make home-made seed tape. It is an easy family activity and something we've done for years. I actually submitted this as a hint to Simple Savings about four years ago and its still there in the Vault and was mentioned in one of the newsletters.

1. Unroll a strip of toilet paper on a table (any ply, unbleached and non-scented), to the length you wish. While it might seem quicker to do one long, straight row it is easier with a few shorter strips when planting out.

2. Make a thick paste of flour and water. Dab the paste onto the toilet paper using a cotton bud, spaced apart as per the seed packet recommendation, for example 20cm.

3. Place a seed on each paste blob.

4. When the paste is dry, the seed tape is ready to fold. Starting along the strip's long edge, fold a third of the paper over the seeds, then fold the other third over to cover the seeds completely. Lightly dampen the paper, misting it with a spray bottle of water to secure the seeds. Make as many of these strips as you need then carefully carry them to the garden.

5. Make shallow furrows in the prepared soil, lay the strips down, mist heavily with the spray bottle of water and cover with soil. Now, your seeds will grow in straight, spaced rows. Tip: Alternate carrot seeds with radish seeds because when the radishes sprout, they help to mark the row and break the ground.

The key to a successful veggie garden is good watering practices ~ having lived through drought in Victoria, investing in a water tank was the only reason we kept ourselves in vegetables until I became physically unable to tend the garden and Hubby's lengthy absences due to work made it an event in weed cultivation. 

Already we have Asian greens at the usable stage (although leaving them another week or two will mean they are bigger and require less in our stir fries) and we are about to sow the second cropping of corn, peas and carrots to ensure they are growing in a staggered manner. We have lettuce going to seed to add to those already growing and hope to have the beetroot ready for salads in the next month. 

This Fortnight's Menu

It's posted a little later than I hoped, but we have been eating to the menu as planned. The list was written up on Sunday and stuck on the fridge as usual, so I've extended to carry through to next week. In the middle of welcoming back my long lost kitchen Tupperware friends, released from the cold Ballarat shed and reunited with us here in Bundaberg. Oh FridgeSmarts, dear ModularMates ~ how I have missed thee... 

Yes, well - so here's what we've been having and what we will have going forward.

Sunday: Pork chops and steamed vegetables

Monday: Spaghetti Bolognes 

Tuesday: Tortellini with tomato, chilli and basil sauce

Wednesday: Pea & Ham soup (homemade, SmallBoy had face plant - will elaborate over the weekend)

Thursday: Pea & Ham soup for SmallBoy; Peri-Peri chicken salad for us - both homemade

Friday: *Splurge* Takeaway burgers, fish, seafood, chips

Saturday: Vegetable pasties

Sunday: Roast Chicken with all the trimmings - Happy Fathers' Day - :D

Monday: Thai Beef Salad (of sorts)

Tuesday: Chicken and vegetable pic

Wednesday: Tuna patties and salad

Thursday: Veal schnitzel and salad

Friday:  Nachos

Saturday: Gozlemes

Sunday:  Roast Pork

Having just eaten down our Ballarat pantry ~ moved to Bundaberg with 'nothing' and now building back the basics including herbs, spices and oils before we focus on too much stock piling purchases. I do want to make sure we have extra flour, sugar, rice and some other staples (considering this is the first time in years I've actually got no rice!!)  We are fine for cleaning, washing products - I have an abundance of shampoo & conditioner thanks to a trial on Soap. Couldn't give away as much as they gave me!

All the cat food has been sent up (thanks Mum) so that will last through until the end of the month of September - 15 cans and two packets of dry food (plus extra litter) is a huge saving! 

As September is school holidays, and we are going away to the Gold Coast with friends for four days in week 3, then we have 4 extra mouths for week 4, I've got a little spending cash aside for some restaurant meals. I've already planned some of the menu for visitors and have most of the items in the freezer already. I also expect that friends will contribute to some of the groceries - especially while we are on the GC. 

Week 1 - w/e 01 September ~ Budget $100

Week 2 - w/e 08 September ~ Budget $ 50

Week 3 - w/e 15 September ~ Budget $ 50

Week 4 - w/e 22 September ~ Budget $100

Week 5 - w/e 29 September ~ Budget $ 50

Part of this week (Week 1) shopping are some of those staples - just to start building some in reserve. It was suggested that, in anticipation of our first 'wet season', we do use some of the budget to ensure we have extra and start rotating stores as we get the chance to increase the volume. I'd like to have 5kg of brown rice on hand, so if I buy 1kg now and look for specials on 1-2kg to build it up. 

Time to relax ~ bit of a garden and sorting kinda weekend. Hubby has brought some personal 'home' items for us to intermingle in the house, more of our belongings are out of the camper and finding places to be kept. We are finding our place and making our mark ~ I do like the feeling we are creating. Almost a full school term has passed, we've been here in our own for six weeks and so much has been achieved. Time for reflecting over the weekend too I think *nods*

Saving - not Spending

SmallBoy enjoying a winter swim... 

We are finally back on the no/low spend trail ~ aiming to not spend anything until the end of the month. This is the fourth day with no spending. Of course there are things that are best described as 'required' spending. Things like the electricity or gas bill, the rent or mortgage, those types of expenses are always needed.  However, we don't need to use the car - we can (and do) walk to school, walk up to the fruit & veg shop, walk to the doctors. We don't need to use the home phone - the mobile has calls and text included in the monthly charge, we can sent an email or pop over to someone's home for a chat. 

We don't need to go shopping - there is enough in the pantry, the freezer and fridge. A regular shop is often a habit which only brings you to the supermarket by force of habit. This is another reason why menu planning helps keep the costs down.  The only 'required' spends are $50 on electricity, $3 for school sports, $3 for milk over the weekend, maybe a few dollars on some veggies and fruit.

But that should be IT.

I am doing up our new budget now that we are settling in to a bit of a routine in our house-sit in Bundaberg. Restocking the pantry and fridge/freezer has been a bit of an expense but we have kept it to a minimum and put 'wants' on the shopping list and wait to find them on special. We've got all the essentials, its sufficient for now.

A big 'no spend' goal for the next 12 months is that of no new clothes. Seriously ~ having culled thousands of items to hundreds, left a few boxes in the shed in Ballarat and brought a suitcase (or three) here to Bundaberg which I cannot hang or store anywhere, if I buy one item ~ be it op shop, co-op, or some discount superstore ~ I will donate it AND three additional pieces to charity. Seriously, I have three times the amount of clothing than the boys combined. 

Husband is not really going to need anything either - perhaps shoes but probably not even them. SmallBoy will require new clothes over the year ~ strangely enough he keeps growing (or his clothes keep shrinking) and there will be new school uniform requirements in the new year.  

Clothes no longer possessed... *sobs*

This alone will make a huge dent in the outgoings ~ although I did see a really nice dress advertised for $15 today (stop it *smack* bad Mands). 

Today was actually a great day, involving no spending or money at all! The house is tidy, all benches and tables are wiped (with fresh lemon juice in the water too boot!), all dishes done & laundry away. The garden was watered, weeded and a trashy novel got read out in the sunshine. I went to school in the afternoon to walk home with the SmallBoy ~ thus meeting up with a fellow gardener/mum on the main road (who I met on Freecycle a few weeks ago), met her mum from Melbourne, checked out the vegetables growing and got an invitation to dinner on Saturday. Bonus! You can't buy a day like today *grins*

The veggies are starting to grow *yummo*

Time just flies...

When you are making a new house into a home *grins*

Big apologies for the lack of updates this past week. Life is busy and semi-active and by the end of the day, I am in agony ~ a bundle of oww's and ohhh's. The new pain meds are a wee bit strong (considering I was off them 2-3 months ago) but I am getting a decent sleep. 

It's taking a little time, but house-sitting a fully furnished place takes a little longer to set up and make into your own. Especially when you are going to be living in it for about five years! So why have we decided to house-sit.

Back in 1997, Hubby and I agreed we would move interstate within 5-10 years to enjoy warmer weather and fulfil our dreams. The location was not determined at that time - he wanted to be in the Coffs Harbour region, I wanted to be in the Sunshine Coast or higher. Neither of us were insistent on either location, we just knew we were looking for a place warm with oceans and/or mountains to provide us with a true sea/tree change.

When SmallBoy came along in 1999, we'd made the move to Ballarat ~ close enough to family to be some distance away. In a nice way. *grins*  We had mountains, wildlife, bushland - but could still get to family within an hour or two, and have them visit if they chose. While this was not too often (aside from Hubby's mum on regular welcomed occasions) - we were fortunate to rent a farm house with an acre to ourselves for $120pw - a pittance in any climate. This allowed us to save for a home, more when we both worked but cope when neither were employed.

Bought the house mid 2006, and less that a year later I was off work - and discovering there were fractures in my spine from a car accident a decade earlier. Oh the joys! Had to wait a year but had a spinal fusion, laminectomy and bone grafting. Sadly the graft failed - but the rest has been progressing exactly in the time frame the surgeon advised. Add in a blot clot, some severe depression and anxiety, its amazing things have progressed on track.  

There were a few who felt they knew more that the Head of Orthopaedics at RMH which did nothing for my mental health ~ imagine being told you're wallowing in a disability which isn't there. Personally I think a little encouragement, some helpful phone calls and lots of cheers at milestones would have done me 100 times more good boosting my depressed, loss state of mind than pathetic put downs. I learnt who my true, honest friends are through this experience ~ the result surprised me. Those who have helped me through - especially with spiritual, helpful friends in those first months post op and the caring, motivational friends during the last six/eight months - you have been so special to me and always will be regardless of the distance. I have even gained weight and in twelve months have put on twelve kilos - from 45kg to 57kgs - gee I am so please and proud of me (and grateful for support of friends).

There's been ups and downs, rights and wrongs but overall - our little family unit is so strong and happy together, we knew we could and would cope with the decision to move to an area we knew no-one, with a campervan and the idea we would be able to get long term, low/no cost accommodation in return for work or caring for someone. We decided so long as it was between Buderim and Cairns (our choice of area since around 2004), it would work. We thought Gin Gin to Maryborough would be best, having looked at a few properties in Tin Can Bay, Kia Ora and Childers over the years.

And here we are ~ house-sitting a three bedroom place in the Bundaberg area for the next three-five years while the retired owners embark on their around Australia adventure. With our only expenses being electricity and communications, we hope to reduce our debt by half this year and then start saving for our own Queensland piece of paradise. 

More importantly for the short term is building a social/friendship base in the area. SmallBoy has settled into school brilliantly ~ proving to be quite popular with his classmates and even developing tanned legs. This we discovered when out on the weekend and his 'tan' was highlighted by the white 'socks' on his bare ankles. *chuckles* He has been put up a year academically and is coping with the extra workload and subjects. We are considering a tutor just to ensure no gaps in his learning will make things difficult in upper high school. 

Finally my therapies are set in place and I'll be starting hydrotherapy next week. I've got the homoeopathic work scheduled plus I am working with weights, magnets and yoga to get more movement into my right side (which is considerably weaker than the left side). Costs a damn fortune - seriously half our income is on therapy at the moment so I will have to cut back. Scarily, there is some bone spur and nerve blockage going on in my neck (nice to know I wasn't making that up either!) and it looks like my hips are not aligned, but this last issue should self correct as I strengthen my core muscles again. Being in tune with my body is helping and will be a lot easier once this run on pain relief has ended and the pain management clinic sessions start.

So ~ a little history, goals and plans. Much more interesting than hearing how we have unpacked suitcases, set up bedrooms and worked out where things are stored in a 'strange' house. Oh, but we have built our raised vegetable bed and hope to be enjoying lettuces and asian greens in the next few weeks. Can't wait.

This Week's Menu 

Sunday: Beef Stroganoff with beans

Monday: Pumpkin Soup and Pide bread

Tuesday: Nachos and salad

Wednesday: Chicken schnitzel and salad

Thursday: Spinach and ricotta pasta

Friday: Tuna Patties and chips

Saturday: home-made KFC

Sunday: Pork chops and veggies

Baking/Making: Pumpkin scones; Ham and cheese scrolls; Lemon meringue; home-made 'Savoury Shapes' 

Gosh I am loving life at the moment ~ for all the crap, I ain't dead yet and hope to be out in the ocean in summer and riding a pushbike again by the start of next year. The scars are fading (but I am so proud of the big one) but the mental scars are still healing. Its a journey. Thanks for sharing it.