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.

The Rising Costs of Fresh Fruit & Veg

Oh what a beautiful morning... 

I don't think anyone hasn't been gob-smacked by the cost of bananas.

But $4 for a small capsicum? My youngest sister came to the conclusion its time to "drink more wine. It's cheaper, tastes better, and I look fantastic after a few!" after pondering if hers was a Magic capsicum. She decided it must be for such an insulting, exorbitant price. 

Most likely, this is the fall out from the crop poisonings last August which destroyed millions of tomato, capsicum, eggplant and other such produce when water was contaminated by unknown saboteurs. Another poisoning attempt was recently made on strawberry produces but thankfully that was stopped due to increased security against possible attacks.

Why are people at war with the farmers? It's not like farmers are the ones dictating prices at the supermarket and, from what I understand, they barely make enough profit to make ends meet themselves. Bananas for $15 per kilo ~ and I am positive the sellers would barely get a quarter that price. Especially know we have bought bananas for $4-$5 per kilo at the markets here in Bundy. 

It's been a tough year for our fruit and veg ~ hasn't it. There's been floods and cyclones, locusts and mice, and some parts of the country have had droughts for the past 10 years only to get washed away in the first year offering some opportunity to grow. Potato farmers striking, crops being poisoned, petrol/oil costs increasing and supermarkets bringing prices "down down, prices are down" ~ just not so much on the fresh, Australian grown goods.

What would life be like if we all had to buy locally. If the cost of transporting produce became so unreasonable that primary producers could not get their goods to buyers? Do you know how grow fruit and vegetables for your family if necessary? Can you milk a cow (if you had one), slaughter a chook, make yogurt or cheese, or savoury shapes? Imagine the cost of food doubled in September . . . and stayed at those prices for the next 12 months. Would you be able to afford your shopping habits as a consequence of economics ~ if you could afford to continue shopping the same way?

We've made our own bed... 

Making the Bed 

In light of that above, we have started to build our 'temporary' vegetable beds here. Mind you, the climate in Bundaberg is a mighty site different to that of freezing Ballarat. In fact, the veggie growing season appears to be coming to an end for the main bulk of crops. Things we plant now will be harvestable (if that is a word) around November and December with not a lot of the summer gardening we are used to - but I think we should be able to produce enough to freeze, pickle or preserve for the hot, wet, humid months to come.

We do already have basil, chives, oregano and parsley growing in a herb pot, plus some lettuce, strawberries and mulberry in other pots. We are about to fill a third pot (the old laundry sink actually) with some snow peas, wombok, coriander, mint and mustard greens. And, having met some wonderful local home growers, we've got ginger and yakon rhizomes to plant in next month.

The Laundry Tub ~ ready for herbs... 

Looking at Gardenate ~ there are quite a few of our favourite vegetables which can be planted over the next 4-6 weeks.  Vegetables like beetroot, celery, carrots, potatoes, onions, beans, lettuce, cucumber, pumpkin and radish. We can also start seed trays of leeks, capsicum, chilli, melons, cabbage, tomatoes and lots of different herbs.

Aside from building a raised garden bed and the laundry sink, we also have two concrete tubs and the inside barrel of a washing machine to use for growing produce in. Along with a few big pots and tubs, we hope to be able to share and exchange with others for things we don't have ~ like eggs. Oh we do miss our fresh laid googie eggs.

Miss my gerls...

Most of the manual work at the moment is being done by Husband, with a lot of advice, guidance and directions from moi! Our financial outlay so far has been zip and we hope to continue that way. Thanks to friendly local Freecyclers, we've also got some fresh, organic seaweed fertiliser - a wonderful surprise and a huge money saver.

We will be sharing the progress and hope to be able to get lots of personal tips from successful vegetable growers around the country. Saving money at the shopping end will mean more available to get rid of this debt and buy ourselves our own home here - ideally close to the high school SmallBoy will be attending for the next five years. Loving our new environment and already feeling part of a lovely community. *cheers*

Until tomorrow ~ keep that wallet closed (unless of course you want to contribute to our Spare Change Jar or Treasure Chest). All the little pennies add up and help us in more ways than you can imagine :D

Money Saving Markets...

All it takes is sticking to the list ~ and adhering gaffer tape or some other sealant across the mouths of 11yo boys who want this, need that and plead for those as well... *sighs*

SmallBoy was reasonably good to be honest ~ but there were so many objects of desire he will be saving lots of pocket money to obtain some extravagant items . . . or blowing it every week at the Markets. As for the produce available ~ this little chickie babe was in fresh, organic food heaven! For the princely sum of $31.20, we purchased broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, sweet potato, parsnip, zucchini, radish, tomatoes, snow peas, beans, bok choy, coz & mixed lettuce, cucumber, pink lady apples, pineapple, grapefruit, strawberries and, the diamond of them all, bananas! 

This is only half of the booty from Shalom Markets

Bananas have not been on the shopping list for months due to the ridiculous charge of $15+ per kilo. Blow me over if we didn't find them for $6 per kilo. Our new neighbour Bob said not to buy anything until we'd done a lap of the market and, knock me over one more time, we found three stalls selling them for $5 per kilo. It was like winning the lottery only so much sweeter!

Can you see the strawberries in the photo? We bought two packs of those for $7 and let me tell you we have never eaten such big, juicy, sweet-smelling berries ever! Using a little over half the pack for dessert tonight (dusted with caster sugar and decorated with a big dollop of cream) and felt like we were on millionaire's row! How the little things can mean so much ~ especially when you've not had them for so long. Yes, it was a splurge - $1.50 each on dessert when our dinners work out to cost roughly the same!

This Week's Menu 

It's back to being a lot more accountable with our budget. Because we plan to purchase a few (dozen) acres of land in the next three-four years, the savings need to start as soon as possible. As food is a major part of our expenses, we have allowed a weekly budget of $100. Spending $30 at the market on fruit and veg means we will have about $70 for "everything else" ~ meat, cleaning items, cat needs and personal hygiene products. We don't have a well stocked pantry or freezer at this stage and will be buying as much marked down, close to use-by foods as possible. 

Tonight's meal of BBQ pork loin in plum and ginger marinade was a $19 piece marked down to $12. Not only did it provide a delicious dinner (with all the fresh veggies from the Market), about a third was saved to become a pie for tomorrow night's meal. Cooking up extra vegetables tonight means all the filling is pre-prepared and only the pastry needs to be made. Even the water used for steaming the veggies was kept as this is more flavoursome than water for the pie filling's roux. For under $21 ($12 pork, $6 veg, $2 pastry), we will have two main meals for three hearty eaters ~ at $3.50 per head it is a little more than the budgeted $2-$3 per head I aim for, but by week's end it should average out.

So this week's menu is set as follows:

Sunday: BBQ Pork and Roast Veg  ~ $3.50pp

Monday: Pork and Veg pie ~ $3.50pp

Tuesday: Sausages and salad ~ $2.00pp

Wednesday: Beef Stir Fry ~ $2.00pp

Thursday: Sticky Chicken Drumsticks and rice ~ $1.50pp

Friday: Nachos ~ $1.00pp

Saturday: Fish Patties and salad ~ $1.50pp

Sunday: Roast Lamb and veg ~ $2.50pp

Tomorrow I am off to my first chiropractic session in sunny Queensland. This first appointment is a little pricey ~ but the x-rays are bulk billed and I am keen to see how the ol' back is looking. I am confident my surgeon's forecast will be spot-on. He is, after all, the one medically trained and surgically experienced to provide such input and judgement - and I feel I might even be a little ahead of the schedule. The pain meds have been re-reduced now the trauma of the travel is easing and a little click'n'pop to compliment the acupuncture should iron out some of those remaining niggles.

Not 'perfect' yet ~ but I feel I am ahead of his five-year estimate on recovery. To quote Craig Ferguson from the Late Late Show: ~ "In Your Face!" *laughs* ~ I think I got a little touch of the sun today ~ hot, flushed and a little sandy. Now who would have dreamed I get to say that in winter!?!

Competition Reminder 

Don't forget to post the following statement (exactly) either in the blog comments below, on the facebook page or via twitter.to get your chance to win this gorgeous plush Koala and a tube of EukyBearub courtesy of my friends at EukyBear and Bosistos! 

I'm going to snuggle up with #EukyBearub when I have a cold ~ Thanks @MandsMission

Each mention gets you an entry and, if you get a friend to follow the blog or facebook (I'd like to include Twitter but it confuses me still and would hate to miss someone by accident) - get your friend to include "my friend (your name) suggested I follow" and you can have an extra entry.

PLUS: I have a special referral prize to be given to a current follower who has at least one friend join the Mands On A Mission facebook page. To be in the running to receive a gorgeous Angel pin, make sure your friend includes your name in the comment along with the all important EukyBearub entry statement.

Entries close Sunday 31 July 2011 at 5pm with the winner announced the following week. Every entrant will be listed below so please let me know if you've not seen your name appear within 24hrs of your entry. 

Let me know if you'd like any information, recipes or details on how we are reducing our debt you think might help you save a little more or rid a debt burden. We might not have the answers for everyone, but we can always suggest what we would do if it was us in the same position.

Until tomorrow...

Life really is a beach ~ especially where we live now

Tick Tock ~ its almost time...

Who says 13 has to be unlucky?

In 13 days we leave for our new, exciting life in Queensland and there will be come enormous changes being afforded to us :D

Already knowing we have sold many MANY items to help pay for our move, the final few things are getting ready to leave our possession as we bring our possessions to a minimum. The lounge suite, the refrigerators, the freezer, the television and beds are the last to go - hopefully providing us with about $700 for fuel and food on the road.

Today has been a day of packing into the garage and cleaning ~ we've replaced two doors we have being planning to for the past few years; repaired the hole in the hallway (courtesy of MudGuts) and removed the red crayon line drawings left by Miss Imogen but blamed on her big sister Ebony. Pity she forgot she'd signed her name in the same red crayon. Gotta love kids!

Tired, sore but seeing an end to packing ~ it's great to move to a minimalist lifestyle.

I am so glad there is no more stuff and baggage in our lives.

Who would have thought...

24 More Sleeps ~

 

And I do apologise for the intermittent posts...

It takes a lot to hold a garage sale but I am pleased to say THE Garage Sale Of The Century has reaped $470. There's our petrol money!! Feeling quite euphoric about taking all the coins to the bank and cashing them in for notes. People are still coming past and buying the more 'expensive' items like the washing machine, the lounge, the beds, fridges...

We are now in the packing down stages of the move ~ and it seems to be going remarkably smooth at this time. The garage sale has been the point of 'end' - from here we are going through the stuff and prioritising. 

By Thursday we will have the linen, laundry and bathroom packed - only 'required' items will be left for use over the next few weeks. By Wednesday, SmallBoy has to have only 5 toys in his room and, because Wednesday is a student free day, he and I will pack for storage, pack for taking and pack for the Salvos or trash.

By Friday we will identify all the repairs required and my Dad is coming up with his tradies truck and will help with plastering, painting, doors and the roof.

The weekend will see another of SmallBoy's mates over to play while Husband & I will focus on the spare room declutter. Dreading the office - that will be next week - with the lounge, dining and alcove area being clears as per 'required items only'

How expensive?

For the past two weeks the ONLY shopping has been milk, cat food, toilet paper, drinking water, petrol, bills - most paid out or in credit, too weird! Taking everything from the pantry & freezer - because the mini freezer is going to be sold, one of the fridges too. We'll only keep one in storage. And the shopping has been either as a mystery shop or using a voucher redeemed from surveys. Fingers crossed the two $100 vouchers arrive before we leave because that's petrol or setting up the pantry money!

Already we have planned our route to QLD to match up a few mystery shops at supermarkets so it covers our expenses on the road and allows us to have lunches and snacks covered in the budget. I feel better than frugal and will blog our successes.

Getting through the contents of the pantry & freezer - an oxtail casserole for dinner tonight - a $5 meal from the freezer because everything was bought on mark-down and frozen. Eating down the contents of the cupboards is requiring some creativity now - have no idea what to do with some of the tinned fruits. Trying a 'kind of' pudding with cherries - should be interesting...

Hubby was gob-smacked the other day seeing three lamb shanks on 'sale' for $15 - thats $5 each! We pay $1 for ours from the Halal butcher, but we've heard the prices have doubled of late. Still $2 vs $5 is still a big difference when you want 4 shanks for each meal.

Have a great evening ~ we are going to rest well tonight ~ hope you do too :D

Moving State on a Non-Existent Budget

 

Could be seen to be quite a silly notion by some...

I am very grateful to not have had the misfortune to not have had the pleasure of discussing our plans with the nay-sayers *grins* All our family, friends and dear loved ones certainly are on our side ~ understanding the why, why now, why not's we know this move will do for us ~ and our dear loved ones know they are going to be mightily missed physically only until the next time we or they visit.

SmallBoy has shown enormous acceptance, resilience and excitement about the adventure in the actualities of a move north ~ even the cull is something he sees as being an opportunity of a simple, clean start supported by strength of family and those very good, loving friends he has cheering him on. Most of the younger cheers come seeking either a place to stay in the warmth, near the sea, to play for a week or so in the holidays, or with that little tinge of 'wish we could do what you're doing'

MudGuts is still processing the information ~ more the fact we won't be around the corner to be ignored any more. We'll be further away and not around the corner should the need of help, care or comfort zone security blanket value be required. He is almost 21 ~ he doesn't realise we have a car waiting for him to be licensed and if he could have this by his 21st, bonus - otherwise it is there for Christmas and a flight for his 21st. 

More appointments with him over the next weeks to help him maintain the positive outcomes, deal with those perceived as negative, address the fears, provide information to him and update specialists, doctors, mental health professionals involved. And MrCentrelink for a heck of a lot of 'stuff' - that's a process hey!? Both Nana's see it as a good, growing move for their oldest grandson. We all go 'gulp' and get ready to hang on...

What are we doing??

And how many ways can you express that sentence to convey so many different messages!!??

'What are we doing' getting rid of absolutely everything? Its been talked about, planned, wished for so many times before so many moves over more than a decade the moment is NOW to actually do what has become a mammoth task. Once done - never need to again... 

The magazines, the jars, the newspapers - all cleaned for all the home made stuff 'gonna' be made before surgery stopped it all, kept because it would happen - out for freecycle, then dumper. If someone comes, takes it - bonus, its still gone. If it is too personal, contains 'numbers' or has memories no longer wanted or carried through to our future ~ we'll burn it.

Ruthless, fearless, release, be free of 'it' forever...

'What are we doing' going where we know no-one to a place we've never been to a house we've not been to owned by people we don't know who are leaving for an unknown guaranteed period of time??!! You know - even reading that I feel the adventure that should come with the "we won't die wondering why we didn't do it" decisions. Says it all really.

No more waiting for 'when we can' or thinking about 'if only'

'What are we doing' for a future? To those staying behind? About work opportunities? For income for all the 'stuff' in life? ~ gee there are a lot of questions but the biggest has been 'How are we doing this' with several messages defined by tone. It's not cheap but we think we've done it the most cost effective way possible.

'What are we doing' about the house? The chooks? The cats? School for SmallBoy? Care for MudGuts? Ideally with having someone we trust with our home - our primary residence and not just 'a house' - the mortgage side of our expenses are covered for at least two years. Not charging much more than our payments and we've managed on pension payments and savings over the years. IF the chickens 'come with the house' or not - we have avenues to give them new homes. The school is sorted and the care stuff is in process as we speak. 

The cats are coming ~ be it immediately or with a wee 'stop' at MILs and flown up if a better option. They are acclimatising to knowing the cupboard with some jumpers of ours as warmth to be their new 'outside bed' and do that whole 'pecking' order of which shelf for which jumper to which cat. This will change with the weather no doubt. It is my almost perfect to know the cats will be fully outside, not this in and out habit it seems to have become ~ in the 'zero' temperatures, its not fair they freeze like cattle...

Keeping a Tally

Only because I think I need to have a really good way to keep on track and accountable. It's not going to be cheap but we've only got about $5000 to do this and no caravan or car capable of towing one at this moment. If our solar panels can be transferred to another residence, even another name then we've got an additional $1000 deposit possibly refunded on thsoe - if not, investment to the solar industry...

The station-wagon has had a 'new / change-over' engine purchased ($650) and replaced, now running over for roadworthy ($550) ~ although there may be a new bits to replace/rectify for registration and the VicRoads inspection. Hopefully to be registered and the job can be done/finished this week and (even better) come in under $2000-$2500 - because we might also need to get some brake system if we get a pop-top or larger van to tow. Still only got a trailer/camper type budget - and there are some decent looking ones around the top end of our budget...

We will have whatever comes at tax time to start up in QLD as payment into the Line Of Credit for a buffer against mortgage payments while our 'tenants' get all their bizzo set up. I know she'll be right, but when someone close is involved you worry about that 'expectation of a little leniency' you know you have in transition over flow. Oh I just want a buffer of a month or two.

There is the option to get an 'advance' payment which is about $1500 all up but deducted incrementally for six months leaving us with about $400pw; but adds an extra month, so there can be that first month hiccup covered if required. And to appease my poor brain, settle my nervous financial nerves. Adding $200 a fortnight with the family payment will keep this ahead if all transacts smoothly. At mental ease having that out there ~ even if it makes no sense to anyone but me it makes sense. 

At this stage, sort of in my head I know the mortgage will have a buffer of a month and a half ($1500), the Line of Credit will be receiving our $200pf as well as $1000pm in. Using the reduced disability and carer income only, we will have about $450 per week from June. This is food, petrol, bills, whatever other fees, expenses of changeover required.

Still hoping a few services can simply transfer across states - like the internode internet/phone package. Hoping the "Helstra" saga of disconnection does not $c?#% this up or make it expensive and difficult. Stuff like finally getting rid of 'MS Games' subs and get back $10pm to the budget. I don't know - each as they come and once organised, on to the next is the way I am getting through it all. Semi prioritised in as best way possible ~ it will all get done as it does...

Solar Savings : $5200

Plus 'carport $1 sale': $170

Now Hello QLD Acct: $5370

Less: 

-$60 : Towing to Recomm 

-$650 : Changeover engine

-$650 : Installation & work to RW

-$299 : Bloody big skip bin

Spend: $1660

Hello QLD Acct : $3700

Needing to keep another $200 on hand for the skip removal and weight charge. All up it is going to be $426.62 ~ so still got $127.60 at least to go. The car rego is up to $450 with appt fees ~ ideally this will give the car an ZYX end rego. We think a trailer or pop up van rego will be $120ish. Plus there is about $1000 *assigned* to getting it passed for rego to go through OK. Over the next few weeks that's $1700 'needed' from the account ~ $2000 for a camp trailer is more the budget at this stage.

We plan to have a garage sale over the weekend ~ this one where we get rid of a fridge (not for $1!!), motorbikes, tables, wardrobes and an unbelievable amount for coins. Not caring about the whole profit money making but ensuring items go on for use, stay out of the skip as rubbish weight and maybe we cover the cost of this Mothers' Day present. Or aim for the higher limit of the engine expenses!

Entered a competition to win ~ (wait for it) ~ a year's supply of Kleenex toilet paper, a month of Bakers Delight yummies and a clever cleaning pack from VIVA.  So if you want to win a Blue Mountain holiday which I am not interested in winning at the moment - its a time constraint thing - go visit Digital Parents Mega Bonanza Giveaway - there is other stuff to win.