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*

12 Ways You Can Start Saving Today

Living on a Budget, Frugal living, Savings Year, Debt Reduction Year, No/Low Spend or whatever name you want to give to time spent living within particular cash constraints (because you're not using your credit card are you!) does not have to involve drastic changes. Just a few simple everyday alterations to habits can go a long way to removing debt and start to build savings.

Remember too ~ a savings plan does not mean hoard your money and never use it. I believe savings should have a goal or target amount ~ starting with an 'available when required' emergency fund of around three months income or $3000 (whichever is the greater). Savings should also have a purpose - be it a house deposit, a holiday fund, enough to get landscaping done or a water-tank installed. 

Bob Proctor, business man, life coach, author of six minutes to success, says: "Always remember, money is a servant; you are the master. Be very careful not to reverse that equation, because many people of high intelligence have already done so, to their great detriment. Unfortunately, many of these poor souls loved money and used people, which violated one of the most basic laws governing true financial success. You should always love people and use money, rather than the reverse!!"

Here are 12 changes you can make today to get your savings under way and start living a frugal life without taking the frugal life too far over the 'tight-arse' line.

1. Eliminate Daily 'Luxuries'

Stop buying sandwiches from the deli, bring food from home and enjoy lunch in the park; Borrow books from the library instead of buying magazines; Read the news online rather than grabbing the paper to read on the train ~ all those 'normal' daily habits which seem inconsequential as small individual purchases add up - costing you a fortune and not even be factored in your budget. There is nothing wrong with the occasional treat of lunch out, and we all should be able to treat ourselves every so often, but regular daily expenditures you can easily cut down without a dramatic impact on your life. Instead of buying a coffee every morning ($4 per cup = $20 per week), make it at home and save $1,000 annually on coffee.

2. Prevent Repair Costs

There should be no need to avoid spending on maintenance - without regular maintenance on equipment, home and personal health, the repair work may ultimately cost more. Keep up to date with your oil changes, water, plugs and tyre rotations on a regular basis to prevent expensive car breakdowns. Regular maintenance and repairs around your house; regular check ups at the doctor and the dentist; Cleaning out the filters of whitegoods will help reduce costly repairs creeping up on you. 

3. Share Kids' Stuff

Buying clothes, toys and baby equipment can be expensive and rarely is it all used to its full potential. Share your kids’ stuff with your family and friends. This allows your children to play with a variety of toys without the expense of buying each item ~ kids today seem to have too much 'stuff'. Sharing allows the variety to remain affordable. Those little baby clothes are outgrown so quickly - usually with minimal wear. Create a system that will allow multiple households to share in the fun and costs together. I've had several good quality pieces given to Mudguts, passed through 3 or 4 other homes and returned back in good nick for SmallBoy to wear.  Don't stop at the kids stuff ~ get together with a group of friends and swap the clothes you no longer where with those they no longer wear. Yes - sometimes its hard to find a group of people of similar shape, size and so forth. But it might also allow you to get something you might not usually purchase and discover it is just perfect for casual at home wear, the office or a special do where you had 'nothing to wear' and would end up shopping for something new. If you can, even borrowing between friends and family can work - although you may need to be prepared for repairs or replacement should something go wrong.

4. Shop on a Full Stomach

Shopping on an empty stomach encourages over spending - and usually on foods grabbed on a whim. Hunger makes you vulnerable and you end up purchasing what you crave at that moment, usually these some costly ready-to-eat snack full of empty calories, sugar and enhancers. With media reports of people being charged with stealing for eating while in the supermarket - eat a sandwich at home while writing your shopping list (after you've done your menu plan, of course *grins*). It's also better on the budget to shop generically as much as possible. $1.99 vs $4.89 for a kilo of wholemeal flour is a big difference in price. For those 'label' critics - decant your 'no-names' into a storage container and 'brand snobs' cant convince you the products are inferior. When you catch yourself initially choosing the premium brand and changing to the generic choice, consider adding the difference to your savings.

5. Buy in Bulk

Buying in bulk is usually a great cost saving technique, more so now with unit pricing on shelf tickets. This is especially true for cleaning and daily use items such as paper towels, detergent, or bleach. Wait until they are on sale and buy enough to last you until the next sale rolls around. Try to ensure you buy things that can be stored for a long time without running the risk of waste due to expiry. Consider buying bulk items with friends or family ~ 20kg of rice is considerably cheaper per kilo than single packet buys, but many shoppers won't get through that amount within safe times or have room for appropriate storage. Dividing 20kg between 2-4 shoppers means you all get the necessary amount at a great price.

6. Turn off the Lights, Stand-by and Electric Blanket

Turn off your lights, shut the doors, put on a jumper, use a woollen blanket and minimalise the amount of appliances you have on stand-by just for convenience will provide an amazing impact on power usage. The same goes for water and other utilities. By changing your habits, reducing water and energy bills can be accomplished with ease. Depending on where you live might also allow options between several service providers and bundling services can result in discounts as high as 12%. Use websites that can help you find the best rates such as Energy Watch. A few hours of research and a couple of phone calls will save you money - hundreds, if not thousands - over the course a year.

7. Purchase Used Items

Sure, there are some items you would not purchase secondhand. But there are so many things one is better off buying used than new. Garage sales can often be a great money saver, especially if you haggle reasonable so both you (the buyer) and the seller feel its a good deal. Other items one can purchase used are home appliances, furniture and gardening tools. If the freezer is priced at $500 and you get $100 off, or find a second hand one for $200 ~ put the difference into your savings account (or put at least $100 into the bank). Cars are a depreciating asset, so buying a used car is usually much better savings value than a new one. Try to have someone who 'knows' cars available to come shopping with you, or at least give you a run down on what you should be looking for and when its best to walk away from a 'bargain'. 

8. Reduce Reoccurring Costs

Cut down on your internet, phone, credit card interest and other reoccuring costs by ringing around. Cancel your PayTV and magazine subscriptions and put the monthly/annual expense into an online savings account. You're already paying that $50 each month to "FoxStarNet" ~ pay it to your savings instead. And go play outside with the kids, walk the dog or potter in the garden. Small incremental amounts can end up taking a large chunk of your income. Review your internet and phone bills and start shopping for better plans using my pre-prepared script - it really works.

9. Save Your Spare Change

Set up a piggy bank or money box and start saving your spare change. You would not believe how much you can accumalte by saving small amounts of change throughout the year. This is a great way to add spending money to a holiday, upgrading to Gold Class for a romantic movie date or an unnecessary but truly desired item of choice. Prior to our wedding, Husband and I would empty all the coins from our wallets at the end of the week for 'restaurant' dinners while on our honeymoon. We expected to be able to eat out perhaps three or four times during our 10-day holiday. We ended up being able to eat out most nights and take a Great Barrier Reef cruise with a diving adventure. It all adds up if you stick to routine. 

10. Go Out ~ at Home

If you are planning on a Saturday night out and hitting the clubs, consider having a few pre-pub drinks at home before catching public transport into town. Instead of going out to a restaurant with friends each week, take it in turns dining in - where everyone brings or contributes to a course. If you have small children, set up a baby sitting network with friends in similar situations so you can each get the opportunity to see a movie, have a 'special' date night or romantic walk along the beach without kids in-tow and the expense of a sitter service. Just make sure you all repay the favour and it is possible to have 3-4 kid free excursions each year.  Ensure you have a designated driver, taxi money or be home before public transport stops running if you do plan to imbibe *be responsible with alcohol people*.

11. Start Bargaining and Haggling

Start bargaining and put every cent you get discounted into your savings account! Although you may not be able to bargain at Coles or Woolworths, you can do it at the local market, in the BBQ or whitegoods store, with your home and/or mobile phone provider, and many other purchases. Just ask! Actually, if truth be known - you can haggle with the big stoopermarkets. I do ~ often ~ noting the sales staff with the price gun in their hand and not so discretely stalk follow them through meat, dairy and other departments. Recently I even found meat on the shelf dated one day before use by and asked the meat manager to come and mark it down for me. Which she did. Almost by half. The meat went into the freezer and $7 went into the savings account. Actually, for us those "$7" go on to the VISA or Line of Credit at the moment, but you get the idea.

12. Do It Yourself

If you broke it you should be able to fix it ~ don't make calling 'someone' to get you out of a bind in the first instance. Fixing your broken items yourself can be a cost effective, so give it a go first. You can do your tax yourself and pay your 'accountancy fee' into your savings account - that can be $200 in the bank every July. With "my friend" Google and some amazing videos on YouTube you can virtually find the instructions for any job you need to do. Of course, be careful and make sure you have the right tools and skills for the job. Don't play with the electrical stuff or other work which needs to be done by a licensed tradesperson ~ and remember to get a few quotes and put the difference between the highest and the chosen quote into your savings.

I know this is not a debt reduction post ~ its about saving and creating some good habits, ones which are achievable and can be shared or taught to your children, siblings or parents. However paying off debt can never hurt. Often the goal of frugal living is to become financially independent. What better way to achieve that than by extinguishing debt. 

Below are some posts of old which might also be helpful to those wanting to save, get ideas which really do work or discover other ways to reduce debt. So please, read back and refresh your memory if you've been following for a while or enjoy the opportunity to see how far we've come with so little.

Savings Ideas Which Make Cents
Two Challenge Takers...
Changing Habits is Saving Money

Chat tomorrow ~ ideally with some action shots on our garden capers!

You still get colds in Queensland

The flora of  Eucalyptus ~ stunning and natural  

Achoo ~ 'scuse me ~ gotta a lurgy...

Because I have been on such a run of medication, the last thing I really wanted was another tablet or some syrup which is going to dry out my nose but keep me awake all night. And I am not a fan of the chest rubs which contain petroleum and other nasties. But I do have alternatives, one which I have used since MudGuts was a baby. Because he cant use any additives or chemicals, finding a chest rub free of additives was quite a task 20years ago but there was one and I've stuck with it since I stumbled upon it.

Having touted the Bostitos Eucalyptus Oils for cleaning, freshening and disinfecting, I was asked if I'd like to try another great product. Blow me down (with a good snot into my hanky) if it wasn't our favourite chest rub. Affectionately known as the BearRub, EukyBearub is an Australian owned and made chest rub using the natural properties of eucalyptus, menthol and rosemary to help sooth the aches of a cold or flu and ease the blocked noses of little ones, helping them rest, sleep and get well faster. And I don't think you'd find that statement on the press release or packaging.

I truly find EukyBear to a much better option to put on your little ones chest or back. Even babies can tolerate EukyBear ~ just put a little on their singlet or jumpsuit and you'll notice it is not as over powering or tear-inducing as some others. Plus it doesn't have that burning feeling on the skin some chest rubs have, perfect for the big babies often known as husbands...

Not that I need any incentive to use EukyBearub - now in a non-breakable easy to squeeze tube - the makers have kindly offered a tube of EukyBearub and a cute cuddly Koala which I will be giving away as a prize to a reader and follower of Mands on a Mission. 

Because I have a head cold and am in no condition to think of anything tricky or clever, simply post the following statement (exactly) either in the blog comments below, on the facebook page or via twitter.

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.

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. 

These people are in the running to win a cuddly koala and tube of EukyBearub (total value $40)

1. Kimmie
2. Hells Bells :D
3. IMG (Helen)
4. Jan
5. Sharynne
6. Leimay
7. Leila Matthews
8. 

Don't be a goose ~ get your entry in now :D 

Time flies when you don't know what you're doing...

Do I sound flustered?

I think I am starting to panic - but almost for the sake of panicking! Not because things are moving along ~ they are and as we still have two working weeks before we head off, all should be done by the end of next weekend.

This is the goal ~ allowing Monday for mopping and dusting, Tuesday to do those last touch-ups and wipe outs (including the oven) and for the fridge, freezer, washing machine and mattresses to be collected by their new owners, Wednesday for carpet steam cleaning, Wednesday night for going out to dinner, Thursday for everything that is left to be done and Friday for leaving.

And that's next week...

This week is all about packing the garage and locking it for storage, getting the suspension, bushes and front end of the car repaired (don't ask - stress), insurances and tenants (when you think you've got that under control be prepared for the last minute *slap* of let-downs)

Our big rubbish skip will be picked up tomorrow some time ~ its had everything from doors to flooring thrown in. Every broken toy accumulated over the past 10-15years is gone, all the baby gear is gone, heck even kids books are off to new homes.

Today was one of those amazing days you can't really believe. Oh my ~ those selling vibes worked a treat. I had a little mantra going last night, and today - and I've just sold the fridge/freezer, the second fridge/freezer, the little upright freezer, the washing machine, the good queen mattress, the 'ok' queen mattress and reaped the $600 needed for petrol! 

Holy guacamole!! Only the TV, the Nintendo (and games) and lounge to go! Tho' I think I'll give the lounge to the Salvos. Gave away the double mattress as well - its in top condition but better used by someone who needs it than paying $25 to the tip for destruction!

Heck I feel relieved.

Of course we've had our solar panel contract cancelled/withdrawn ~ and they are now advising they have the right to sue us for the whole amount. So please put those vibes that the 'panel' will not only agree our cancellation is extenuating circumstances, not a purposeful breach and (and this is the BIG and) they will refund our deposit.

Had a brickie come and fix up about 30 bricks which had spalling due to being second hand and from a chimney - not an uncommon outcome with second=hand bricks. He and his apprentice ground out the bricks, replaced them and cleaned up the job. 3 hours outside in icy Ballarat and he wanted $60. Gave him $75 to get a few beers. It was a terrific job and so worth more than $60.

Car is the only 'blow out' - but safety first so there wont be any more blow outs there . . . will there!?!!!

Oi vie - it has been a weird 48 hours...

My body is screaming, there is so much to be finished, but wow things are finally happening with 11 days to go.  Actually it's one of the first times in a long time I feel the restrictions of the back operation and the physical limitations. I hurt and ache like the blazes. It's one time I feel 'disabled' ~ I can't go what I would like to do and what I would feel like I could do. My arms, neck and back have been pushed a bit too far.

Packing the van (finally!) - that is a real step in the right direction.

Rambling now - so tired after a mighty effort this long weekend.

From the country to the sea

In a flood of panic and erratic behaviour!

But I am looking around and thinking finally some progress is being made. Good progress. Ok ~ I am stressing out because I simply cannot pick up the 'things' I want to and this is getting frustrating. Of course I have been lifting the odd box, stacking books and now I have a screaming back. Joy - not...

We are eating down the pantry ~ creativity in the kitchen can be fun interesting a challenge. Only spending about $20-$30 a fortnight on food stuffs - mainly milk and cat food. In the past week we have turned 1kg mince into a hamburger dinner, a spaghetti bolognese and a mince & vegetable pie. ALL were delicious. I made a 'kinda' chicken cacciatore without the olives. Using 6 pieces of chicken, I added tomatoes, herbs, carrots, celery, peas and a big garlic pida bread to soak up the sauce. It was really yum and filling.

Splurged (sort of) and used a beef roast hiding in the freezer (and put leftovers into the meat pie) which we ate on Friday when Dad came up to help fix minor bits and bobs around the house in readiness for our 'tenants' ~ catching up with real estate this week to manage the house in our absence. Regardless of knowing the people in your home, we feel this is the best way to go.

Thankfully SmallBoy is not sick of having Weetbix for breakfast every morning ~ although we have enjoyed porridge on the weekend. Plus we did enjoy a pancake brunch today - mmmm love that lemon and sugar on pancakes. And maple syrup (but not together!!)

Oh I just want this all to be over and get on the road!!  Moving boxes and 'stuff' has been doing my poor ol' back no good at all ~ but I am pushing through without overdoing the lifting & lugging side of things. Well, as much as possible. Having a laugh at some of the things we are finding (and throwing out as you can see above!)

Lachie is starting to get a little weepy at the thought of leaving all his friends. We expected this and have friends over every weekend until we leave ~ he is keen and excited to be going - its all just a little bit scary and overwhelming for him knowing its 19 days away. 19 days - oi vie!

Still clearing out 'things' - selling some stuff for diddly-squat, giving away other items, piffing anything broken and the rest *!!* into storage for when we buy our own place in Queensland. It's all looking really good at the moment ~ we have enough to get new shocks and brakes on the car through selling our 'things' and you've got to be happy with that!!

This is what we have to look forward to enjoying on a daily basis. Sun, beaches and more. Time for this little chickie to get to bed and start afresh tomorrow morning.  Night all :D

Best Gift A Mother Can Get...

Happy Mothers' Day to all the Mothers ~

Those who are Mothers, Had Mothers, Have Been Mothers ... May there have been sunshine in your day if you do that kind of thing...

We've just got back from a weekend in Melbourne's inner and bayside areas ~ the majority of time was spent with family from both sides - catch up for Mothers Day with the mums. There were token gifts given to the 'Nannas'. It was more about 'family' ~ we stayed with Husband's Mum Friday night, and enjoyed a delicious dinner around the dinner table. Saturday was two nephews first birthdays which gets all my 'side' together - yea hah?! It was a great kid party, awesome to see near all my family together and it was very happy, chatty kinda get-together. Good fun.

Dinner with a girlfriend of ours (SlateyChickie) and her cool hubby and gorgeous (sweetie, darling) girls. Stayed at my Mums - had pikelets for brekkie and home again, home again ~ no jiggity, but let chooks out, collected eggs - half a dozen! good gerls. We've been nice to cats, given them some extra cuddles and food and now all the Sunday afternoon blah blah you need to catch up on. 

Its Mothers Day ~ hope you're having a good one. 

As with most of the commercial holidays we seem to 'enjoy' ~ "Mothers' Day" type days are used to set a date to be met to celebrate being able to purchase something needed . . . like coordinating the delivery of (say) chickens - best "mothers day" present 4-5 years ago. Or the water tank arriving just/before after dads day and put a picture of it beside his morning cuppa with delivery due 'on Wednesday'.

This mothers day I am getting a commitment from my boys to undertake ruthless culling of non necessities - and a 15m dumper-bin to put it all in. The bin has been paid for already with one additional week of 'service'. This is being delivered on Monday morning (tomorrow) for all the junk, rubbish to be 'gathered'. Its a real ruthless cull of 'sort, sell, store or scrap' 

Yeah Sita ~ "Stuff Is Taken Away"!! Perfect 'timing' ~ and what mum wouldn't love a mothers day gift which goes for two weeks and ends in every last piece of cr£p be gone, taken away, not just moved to another place to be dealt with another day?!? And at about only *exactly* $426.62 is what it costs to give, including *free* labour and (in)assurance of a job well done. I know I can count on SITA hauling the skip away, and count on SmallBoy with his broken leg to clear out his room 'clutter' and Husband to work through the garage so I can pack down the house into boxes for storage in there.

Best ever 'Mothers Day' present - after the chickens...

3/4 size initial compromise

We're up to $1100 on the car repair to have the engine changed over, a few minor works to ensure running - still under budget, but we dont yet know what is required for road worthy & rego, hoping only $1000-$1500 more and allow us a little more for the pop top van budget (please!!) as the middle way point of portable accommodation on wheel compromise.  

More in budget ~ but older type range

None of the options are what you would really call caravans in that type we all remember from our child-hoods. It will be lower on the petrol, ideally we will be staying with friends along the way up with inside spare rooms each night and only need trailer space and at the moment it is all about the budget. We are looking forward to this helping reduce ours and aid health, 

But at the moment it looks like we have a camper trailer type budget to work with at best. It's a case of the 3/4 size caravan vs a pop-top (attaching a rack to enable taking our queen mattress) now down to one we put our mattress in/on, the top rises to a small upright tent with annex room structure needing a few pegs to secure and store items to come to QLD under the mattress base, giving us the rear of the station wagon and level 'queen-size' trailer of space as what we can take. 

A truly 'ideal' ~ if really lucky...

I had the chance to look back to the start of this blog ~ that Front Page type of first post you write when you start writing about your aims, the plans or 'Mission' you are setting out on, what you hope to achieve... Truly we have come far from that October last year when it all felt a bit cold, stark and overwhelming on a negative. Nothing has been mind-blowingly amazing like saving $10k and halving the debt ~ more lots of little chips and changes, extra payments on debts and little adds to the savings, negotiation and compromises, smart decision and purchases.

But it is a long way from the first blog post when you remember where we started our Mission and compare it to where we are now about to make that move to Queensland - and into the region we had originally chosen for ourselves to introduce ourselves into state. It might be 3-4 years behind schedule but I can read that entry and see the history leading to the moment - to the here and now and where we are going with so much more confidence, opportunity and experiences to gain. Brilliant!!

~ WELCOME TO THE FRONT PAGE ~

Got a lot to do before we get to Qld and only 8 weeks to do it in! 

Looking for Whiskers cat food under $1 this week - have a $10 mystery shop coming up so we have an 'extra $10' in the budget this week. With a $21 or less 'limit' while we eat down the pantry, etc ~ I get the 'looking for sorbent' on special this week/next week type of shopping - we were having a chat on Simple Savings about keeping things 'less' or 'low'. Fingers crossed someone has it at 79c again soon and at the supermarket of my 'shop'.

Time for me to go ~ back in the next day or two.

Oi vie it does begin :D

Winners are grinners

And thanks to Bosisto's, we are pleased to have three lucky winners of the Bosisto's Eucalyptus Packs. Drawn today using our family friendly methods ~ a giant pack of cards with a name assigned to each card.  Conducted in the confines of our loungeroom under strict family conditions & principles ~ three winners were pulled from the pack of over 20 entries.  :D

 

The first card drawn ~ Serendipity Kimmie

  

The second card drawn ~ Perfectly Feline Carina

 

The third card drawn ~ Scather

  

All winners have been sent a message advising them of their win.  All three have won a Bosisto's Pack containing a can of eucalyptus oil, eucalyptus spray and the new eucalyptus washing powder ~ which is a total winner and leaves clothes clean, fresh and free of nasty chemicals.

I need to say a HUGE thank you to the manufacturers of Bosisto's ~ I am thrilled to have been able to have such a wonderful prize sponsored by an Australian made and owned business. Again - no money has been exchanged but I cannot encourage readers strongly enough to at least try the new laundry powder and know it is a truly Australian product AND it allows you to use the grey water from your machines on your garden. 

Way before its time, natural and effective. Bosisto's has products which have won me - let them win you too!!

Turn Left at the next Corner...

Ever get stuck in a rut?

We are a little stuck in a hole. And finding it a little hard to call out for help ~ only because Husband and I are the only ones who can help us. You know how it goes - don't you?

I hate hate HATE clutter - the mess - the disorganisation which continues to hang through this house and, rather than wait for Husband to help, I am just going to deal with it by myself. It's not Mands Mission for nothing. Yes, feeling a bit bull headed tonight...

Don't get me wrong ~ my dear Husband is a wonderful man. He is caring, helpful and able to bring a smile to my face. He worries about our wellbeing, how I am feeling, what he can do to ~ but he procrastinates, doddles and fluffs about before getting to the job at hand. Mind you ~ in the work place he is nothing like this. Focussed, meticulous and almost anal in his need to make the finished product/event as perfect as possible regardless of what it takes ~ why cant that happen at home?

So that's it. I can't rely on him stepping up to the plate without incentive, chocolate, yelling and tears. And I just can't do that any more. Actually while I have MWP**, I can get those tears up over burnt pancakes ~ funny story that ~ another time... I will go over board but right now - I don't care...

Can you tell its all getting a bit too hard?? 

This garage sale just isn't happening, the weather is crappy and motivation is just not around in any amount. I've decided to help clear a lot of this clothes clutter, I am going to have a $1 sale. Although there might be a few things for more than $1, the bulk of anything already sorted for the garage sale which still hasn't occurred will be $1. Heck if someone wants 100 pieces and says $100 - and there are some 'excellent' peices in the mix, pffft - I don't think I care.

*sighs* Sometimes I wish no spend/low spend was a choice not a necessity. Feeling a little low & deprived today ~ I am tired and ultimately finding it a struggle to even get up out of bed. Yes - I know - its that stupid time of the month when I become the Mad Woman Possessed** ~ should be normal by tomorrow...

Don't get me wrong ~ there have been some great goals kicked. We can add to the list of debts gone ~ the Council Home Help account has been wiped clean, giving an extra $5 to the fortnightly budget. Unfortunately, the Gas and Electricity company has hiked up our minimum payments by $10 a fortnight ~ so little extravagance will come from that gain! *sob*

*humfphs*

Pears are stewed and bottled, chicken pie is made and I've made some zucchini, ham and cheese muffins for lunch tomorrow ~ although I might make some fruity ones in the morning because there is half a bottle of pears which might not 'keep' because it was not filled to the top.   I am so going to bed ~ 

Night y'all ~ will chat tomorrow ~ when I am in a more amiable and uplifting mood...

This Week Marks Changes

SmallBoy in the newly discovered creek - pic by Husband

I think life is settling into a semblance of order.

There is a flow I've not experienced before ~ and I think I am liking it a lot. When MudGuts was little and it was just me and him, three weekends of the month were spent cooking and playing board games as I worked while I was a single mum. MudGuts only had home made meals - as far as he knew McDonalds only served chips on special occasions and you had to be invited. Worked for years. SmallBoy thought the only drinks offered were fizzy so McDonalds held no interest - until he discovered you could get juice and thick shakes.

This weekend clothes were washed, dried and put away. A big hunt for eggs was conducted, no - not early easter eggs! Chook eggs - and I found a dozen in the blackberries - however these were very VERY old eggs and all ended up in the bin or over the fence. Somewhere on this property are another dozen recently laid. The lounge room got a tidy up and SmallBoy cleaned his room (as much as any 10year old can) so when his friend invited himself over there was no issue. Pie was made, lights went out for Earth Hour and on Sunday we explored nearby and found the creek pictured above. It looks beautiful and ideal for summer splashing or picnics.

We've got enough MrCentrelink income to pay the mortgage, bills and diddly squat for food. As you probably know by now, I put an ad up to trade eggs for fruit & veg. Brilliant idea really - been getting some great home grown goodies - stewed up apples, pears and about to do more. Plus with a huge bag of tomatoes picked up this weekend, I need to make up some chunky tomato salsa for nachos or pasta or something :D

What to do with an eggplant? I'm going to do an Simple Savings recipe search and let you know what I find. Remember if you join Simple Savings - mention I referred you so I get $10 through the affiliate link. I put it on the LOC.  And I've just got a heap of mint - some with roots to put in the ground so I plan to be making the zucchini & mint soup during the week. Must note that having so much more veggies in the diet has made us the greatest stinky bums *pee-eew* - Husband blames the spinach and pumpkin... and beans and spicy marked down sausages! I can't say its not me ~ because those have made me choke! Oh the joy of farts!!  SmallBoy blames the cats but I don't know how that will fly at school *laughs* 

The last shop was 2 March - there are few things we will need but I just got called to do a mystery shop so picked up some fish, flour, juice, yoghurt, sour cream and - oh too excitement - two blocks of Cadbury chocolate (on special for $5). That was a total splurge, but it was a bonus urgent shop with $20 to spend and we are due for a reward. There is no better reward than chocolate!!

I reckon I will get by with a month of $21 shops for the bare basics of milk and water. Yes - we must buy water. You try drinking the tap water here *blergh* and the council has shut off the spring tap due to e-coli or something. Its probably a bit of cow poop has run into the waters with recent rain - its happened before so I hope it gets reopened soon. Otherwise I need to find a new water supply.

Actually, that no spend is a bit of a furphy - I did get a great deal from an online butcher on chicken breasts fillets ($5.99pk - 4kg) and mince beef ($5.99pk - 2kg) and some chicken keiv (2 for $8) and spending over $50 meant free delivery. As breast fillets have been over $12pk here the past few months we've only been getting thigh fillets when marked down by 33% or more. Even drumsticks have been on the pricey side lately and I just cant do wings unless really cheap. As it gets colder, marylands and pieces are great in the casserole - got some already in the freezer.

Yes, it was a little 'frivolous' when there are other meats in the freezer at the moment. Still I believe this a really good deal which will last for a few months. One breast fillet will feed us all when made into a stir fry or other such meal as I am one for putting in double the vegetables and using rice or a noodle to keep the meal filling. Honestly, changing the balance of meat to vegetable is not only better for the purse, I think its better for our health. I'm pleased SmallBoy is beginning to try different veggies and enjoy them.

SCORPIO (28 March NZ/Australia) ~ Move into your day aware that there is pressure and of the need to respect and work with it. Where it’s likely to be affecting you is where there is a conflict between a need to be busy and get things done and your body or circumstances disagreeing with you. Jupiter and Saturn are now in opposition, with one wanting you to speed up and play the super hero while the other wants you to slow down, pace yourself and take time to hear yourself think.

Now to strive for simplicity. I must get rid of the 'stuff' we have accumulated. There is just SO much and I've been struggling to get things gone. It's hard for a hoarder to just stop and get rid of years of 'things'. Might deal with that - tomorrow or Wednesday depending on how I go. And deal with procrastination at the same time :D

Last night's pork pie :D

This Week's Menu

I found some pepper pate in the freezer, so I thought Beef Wellington would be a nice change. I've got three lovely pieces of steak that were under $1 each, spread on some pate, fill with silver beet and wrap in pastry. How swish does it sound - and for once there is a nice selection of meat and vegetables we can use.

Monday - Fish, cous cous and salad

Tuesday - Pasta carbonara

Wednesday - Chicken kebabs and salad

Thursday - Beef Wellington

Friday - Home made pizza

Saturday - not sure yet

Sunday - Chicken Keiv, chips and salad

I'm off to Melbourne tomorrow ~ physio, scans in the morning, catching up with other bloggers and staying with my dear Mother in Law in the evening - which will mean I can collect the meat too. I  hope to catch up with a girlfriend on Wednesday for a $10 counter lunch before heading back home. Because the main appointment is medical - the train ticket is provided although I could have taken the NEPT ambulance or got a driver through medical services. I just feel there are others who could better use the services and I can sit on the train, enjoy the sights, arrive without having had to be up by 630 when the pick-ups occur and sit in a waiting room for hours.

Don't forget to have a look at the Mands on a Mission Bosisto's give away ~ the give away page is here and we've had some great tips in the blog comments and on FaceBook. I am truly impressed with all of your ideas!

Weekly Finance Review

Earth Hour ~ lights out, candles on, board games played.

Friday - was pay day. OK this is poor week so the 'pay' is $309 for the family payments and carer supplement. The mortgage was paid ($596) and next fortnight's payment is sitting waiting ~ add to that repayments on the line of credit - down by $1200. Plus the NIVA has no debt, is fully paid and does not have any stress attached to it. *cheers*

The water bill is paid, the insurances are paid - there's even an extra $200 which has been paid onto the VISA credit card. $150 is the budget for groceries, which we didn't spend thanks to bartering and using only the stuff we have in the house already - $50 is because one of my therapy sessions was cancelled due to the therapist being ill, so I figured that's where the payment was going to make the greatest difference. I would have had to pay it on therapy fees, so I decided it was going to do better on the VISA than in my wallet waiting for the next appointment and running the risk being spent first. 

Finally we have hit the next $1000 drop on the credit card ~ so its back under $5k and should be down to $4000 before mid year.  The gas account is paid up and $50 ahead, the electricity is even with $100 on it so the account never gets out of hand again. Ideally we could put a little more on the personal loan, however as the interest is fixed it makes sense to get the VISA and other interest accruing debts dealt with first of all. 

Being 'poor week', this week's food budget is $50 and we need to get juice because SmallBoy is pining for juice and we don't have a juicer for anything other than oranges, by hand. As there are only a few oranges, its not going to result in much juice. But we are pushing out for one more week of no spending and going to make do with what we have. Its going to be porridge for breakfast and, in a moment of inspiration, Husband decided to make chocolate fudge brownies with walnuts using ingredients in the pantry. Totally delicious!

However, three dozen eggs has got us some more silver beet, pears, apples, zucchini plus we also received two punnet of pea seedlings, mint and sage, button squash, tomatoes, broccoli, two limes, cucumber, spring onions, eggplant and a big bag of popcorn for the chooks to enjoy. The manufacturer of popcorn for cinemas send the small scraps out to stock yards. SmallBoy was a bit excited to see what 40kg of popcorn looks like! He had a few handfuls declaring it delicious but nicer when hot!

It's been a tough few months but we are finally seeing the results ~ it's not massive, but having credit on the Line Of Credit is a big plus - not to use of course although it does ensure the mortgage is paid. We've received notification we have been pre-approved for an increase on our VISA card - do you not find that ridiculous. No wonder debt is so easy to obtain! The bank has said we can have $11500 by simply clicking on a button. That's scary - do banks no longer check to confirm a persons financial situation? How would we be expected to repay another $5000 or more credit card debt??

I've got a bit of a day of cooking set for tomorrow - there are organic tomatoes to make into sauce, pears to stew, a heap of veggies to get into the freezer and I'll need to cook up the eggplant.


Giveaway Reminder
We've had some great entries for The Green Giveaway. Have a look at the comments received and see if you'd like to win one of three Bosisto's packs, tailored just for the readers of Mands On A Mission.

I hope you'll all link up to the FaceBook page and get friends and family following, press those 'like' buttons. The more the merrier - and it helps get great prizes to giveaway on a regular basis. It would be sensational to see 200 faces on FaceBook by the end of the month - can we do it? And please go nuts pressing the 'like' button.

Anything that's going to help fight debt and create a caring, sharing community is worth giving away to everyone! And when its good for the environment - it deserves promotion. Get your entry in - and please pass on the chance to others.

Stuff n saving

Today we spent...

Diddly squat ~ $3 for milk and put the petrol off for another day. As only the school run was required, with a detour to the stoopermarket for milk, it seemed pointless travelling into town to the servo today (with the 4c off coupon) when I need to be in town for an appointment tomorrow morning. Of course, if we run out of fuel with tomorrow's school drop off before getting into town, it will just be a case of poor estimation! *chuckles* Nah ~ it's not THAT low - yet! 

Dinner changed (again) but still came in under $2 per head. We had the most delicious sausages - pork and sage. These were marked down to $2.81 for 8 snags, then Husband made mashed potatoes - something he does so so well. Until I met him, the one food type I despised was mashed potato. Blah blergh, hated it with a passion. However he makes it with a little milk, a little butter, a spoonful of sour cream and an egg and it is the creamiest, tastiest potato mash you can ever have - nom nom - ate a plateful! He and I also had some fried onion because onions are always great with sausages!! All up I doubt that made $1.50 per head - even counting the frozen honey yoghurt we had for dessert.

Plus I saved $150 redeeming points on the credit card for a 'cash payment' onto the credit card and went a little insane trying to explain this could not be considered the monthly repayment, even thought it means we have repaid more than we had to pay. I see it as a bonus!

This leads into a few 'rules' we seem to have developed while on Our Mission to reduce debt. If you don't have debt, these are ideal ways to build up savings for a holiday, a new car or a house deposit. Using these 'rules' has allowed us to have spare money to redirect onto the debt and not simply keep on top of the expenses we have each month.

Always got eggs!!

The 'Know What We've Got' Rule.

It's common sense to say if you only spend what you have you will always be on top of your finances, right? We have a sheet on the wall showing exactly what money comes in every fortnight and what amount, at maximum, must be paid out per fortnight - even if the bill is monthly or quarterly. 

Our water bill tends to be around $120-$160 per quarter. Using the higher amount as the 'guesstimate', we put aside $25 per fortnight to pay the account when it comes in. When the account arrives every 12-13 weeks, and is $140, we already have $150-$175 at hand to pay it. The balance then goes onto (say) the VISA or could be savings.

Some people use an envelope system and take the required amount out each pay-day, place it in the envelope until the account becomes due. We transfer the amount to an online banking account to accumulate a higher interest over the month (some online banking accounts, like ING or Rabo, have bonus payments for regular deposits) and either BPay or transfer the funds to a linked account, fee-free, for payment. Online banks usually allow for BPay transactions without fees.

The same goes for what is available in the cupboards ~ food, cleaners, wrapping paper, clothes ~ knowing there is a box with wrapping paper means there is no need to go out and get more for presents, especially at Christmas. If worse comes to worse, plain paper jazzed up with pictures, stickers or ribbon works a treat ~ especially for children who tend to just rip paper off to get inside. Newspaper can work if need be ~ and does for pot plants or flowers. Save the posters from the Sunday Paper of the footy teams, the movie releases, the teen sensation of the day ~ these all save spending $5 on a sheet of glossy wrap which is going to end up in the bin.

The 'One more day' Rule.

Do you really need to wash that blouse you wore for half the day or can it be aired on the line and rehung to wear again? Same with the jeans, trousers or towels used after the morning shower? Every day you get one more use from clothes, linen or even washing your hair is one extra saving of the detergents needed to do that job. Unless you're excessively sweaty or grotty (and smelly) is anyone going to know you didn't wash the trousers you wore to work on Monday when you wear them again on Friday?

If you were starting a new exercise regime, you wouldn't try to run a marathon on the very first day. You probably wouldn't try to run 5kms either. But you could run from one street light to the next, then aim for two street poles the next day, three the following day, then the bus stops - and actually succeed! Not rushing off to the shop to buy items because you are running low or on empty and substituting or pushing the purchase out for 'One More Day' also means your money sits earning interest for one more day - or saves you the interest on a credit card purchase by one less day!

At the change of seasons, put off turning the heating on by one more day and add another jumper over your top, or pop a beanie on your head like you do with a baby. Can you leave the mowing for one more day (well, be assured Husband can, but not always to extend the use of petrol!) or make the bar of chocolate last for one more day?

Can you put off buying vegetable oil for one more day because there is still some in the bottle, its not on special yet and if needed you could use a little butter in the pan? Then when you intend to purchase it (the next day) can you go another day without buying to see if it is on special elsewhere - or next week?? So you've run out of carrots - can you make do with the broccoli? There are no chips in the freezer, how about using the potatoes in the pantry? 

Except on movie returns or bill payments ~ never ever wait one more day! 

A household budget can be tight enough without having to come up with extra for late fees, extra interest or fines. Always return them on time - set a reminder for the day before the return/due date on your phone if this is something you're experiencing!! 

Just a little wine...

The 'Take Off 10%' Rule.

Most people know the saving rule of putting 10% of your income into a separate account to build up a nest egg for unexpected expenses or as part of a savings plan. "They" say you don't miss 10% as a rule. But when you've only got $300 a week available after the mortgage, $30 can be the food shop or petrol for the week. Saving 10% does not just mean cash.

• Washing Powder: I've never used the required amount of washing powder in the clothes wash ~ usually I put 25%-50% less than recommended and never use conditioners on towels or linen. Towels with conditioner never seem to dry the body as well as those washed without.
• Dish washer tablets: Cutting a dishwasher tablet in half often does just as good a job as the full tablet ~ epseically if you rinse your dishes before the machine wash. Putting less powder in can give you more than 10% extra washes than advised on the packet.
• Shampoo: Do you follow the instructions of 'rinse and repeat'? Why?? Unless your hair is filthy and excessively greasy, one wash is all you need. I was told this line was a marketing ploy to have repeat purchases made in a quicker time and honestly, I reckon that is the truth. After a week camping it may be necessary but if you wash your hair daily or weekly, you may just find it an unnecessary step.
• Sauces, juice, milk: Ask my kids, after the first use (eg, the first glass of juice) I add a glass or two of water to the bottle. Often I do this again as it empties. I also add water to that first glass.  I'll use the cooled water from the kettle and add water into the sauce bottle while close to full and thoroughly shake it in. I'll also add water into the bottle at the end to thin out the dregs for use - although usually not for pouring onto snags. *grins*
• Glad wrap/Al foil: Generally, I use each piece twice and do the same with zip lock bags, unless used for raw meats to avoid food poisoning! Commercially, this may be a no-no but in my home I have no problem with this. While more often I use a plastic/Tupperware container which can be washed, I have been known to use the bread bags for lunches - washing them out and reusing several times. 

Though we wont be buying much this year anything that we do buy we will haggle to get at least 10% off the marked price. More if possible. Always ask for a discount ~ the worst that can happen is you get a no. The best can be as high as 30% off the marked price without really negotiating. Pick the end of the month for better deals as sales quotas may not have been met by staff.

And before you say this can't be done at the supermarket ~ just look at how I buy the meat, dairy and bakery when I shop. It's rare for me to select the item marked down by 10% ~ I usually aim for 33% or more! Plus looking on the higher or lower shelves for products often gets a bargain. 

'The Vinnie Rat' needed a jumper...

The 'I Don't Care What Other People Think' rule.

With suggestions like using the bread bag to wrap sandwiches, or using the footy poster from the paper to wrap a present, you can probably tell I don't really care what other people think. It's not entirely true, but if you can put an environmental, economical or practical slant on your actions, you will find it easier to adopt this rule and often more accepted by others you choose to tell.

So you've been using samples of shampoo you got from the chemist instead of bottle from the store - who cares? Who knows unless you tell them?? And the kids are wearing their pyjamas all day when it rains all Sunday to avoid a load of washing you cant dry without running the heaters or clothes dryer ~ who cares?

Or you bought the birthday present of Bionicles Lego when it was in the 50% off sale - last year - or the year before. Who cares?? If you care or feel this is embarrassing, cheapskate or just plain scummy ~ friends and family will only know if you tell them. They don't know that the $20 iTunes voucher only cost you $10 because you bought them as part of a special three-pack for $30 - all they see is $20 to spend on iTunes items. 

Or if the wedding present of a new bread maker came from redeeming the points on your credit card.  How about using FlyBuy points to get magazine subscriptions or presents for the family at Christmas time - or better still, buy gifts when they are on sale throughout the year. Husband and I give our siblings a token gift of a Christmas decoration every year. These usually have a value of $7-$15 each, however getting them the week or two after Christmas when these ornaments are $1 or $2 saves us over $100 in Christmas gift spending - I have 6 siblings, separated parents; Husband has 1 sibling and his mum, plus we both have the aunty who isn't related just is part of the family. $12-$20 is much easier to cope with than $120+

Using a two for one voucher might make you feel 'funny' initially, but when you can tell your friends you've been to that flash place for dinner on a recent dinner date with your spouse without the kids, do they know or care? So - why should you, especially if you really enjoyed yourselves! It is pointless trying to keep up with 'the Jones' if it is only going to put you further into debt. What you might not know is that 'the Jones' are so broke they just got a new credit card with a higher limit to cover themselves!!  

Might leave it there or it will become way too long for reading in one sitting. It probably already is. 

As always, any donations into our Savings Jar or the Treasure Chest at the top of the page are gratefully accepted. We hope to get this debt down ourselves, but with a little help - even just $1 - from readers who enjoy our Mission's achievements or benefit from our stories - well, it will be an enormous help and appreciated greatly! 

Until next time...