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...

Finding the 'Thrift'

What is happening to the humble Op Shop?

Over the past months there have been numerous discussions on Simple Savings and KidSpot that charity Op Shops are not providing items at a reasonably cheap price and being quite selective in the items being collected into the stores. As a keen op-shopper currently on a very limited budget, I must agree.

In the past, going into the Salvos was akin to a Target shop - only with designer 'labels' to choose from. If I was aiming for the Myer of OpShops, then I would go to the Red Cross or St Vincent de Paul ~ both are usually a little higher in cost. My David Jones type OpShop is LifeLine or Mission op shops. The 'upper market' shops could quickly take my $20 in one or two items. The Salvos OpShop had the price and discount range to allow $20 to cover a few items for me - and SmallBoy - plus something for MudGuts. Maybe even some kitchenware and a book or three.

Now, unless I shop on Concession Card Tuesday for 20% off and buy only from the nominated colour 'on special' ticket, $20 barely covers a pair of jeans. Knowing I can get brand new jeans from Rivers, it makes the choice harder. Sure, Rivers quality is nowhere near as good as it used to be and buying from an op shop provides an environmental 'reuse, recycle' purchase, but its almost worth spending more time trawling the church op shops for the occasional wanted/needed item or sticking to FreeCycle type websites.

There was an interesting article in The West Australian recently about the Salvos becoming a retail outlet, a boutique, as opposed to a charity organisation. Its profit has increased by $10 million to $18 million. That's excellent news for the disadvantaged they support, but it has made the retail stores out of reach of many 'disadvantaged' clientele. The article said staff have to 'up-sell' as retail staff are expected to do. Perhaps the methodology needs to change so those in need, holding a pension or health care card can present it at the counter for a 50% discount - although sadly while typing that it would be another avenue to 'rip off' the system for those who enjoy such adventures. 

The Op Shop was one way I knew we could obtain goods at reasonably cheap prices without the disposable factor of the '$2 shop' ~ now the Op Shop is another KMart or Target without offering new or perhaps just dodging business GST under the guise of charity. People are talking up Savers ~ which is great, so long as you don't think Savers are a charity store. Its not - its a business through and through. Then there was the shop run by two dear ladies on PayTVs "Mary Queen of Shops" who were coerced into a total re-fit and left with a bright funky store, requiring staff and the low cost, no fuss aspect of their community store because a business in need of profit to remain open. Bigger, better, faster doesn't always work does it?

I think one area which is very disappointing is the way so many donated items are now rejected as unsuitable, unwanted or unsaleable ~ and its not just ripped clothing. Electrical items can no longer be sold for fear a faulty item can become a law suit. Hand made toys cannot be sold for fear of 'contaminants' - even if made by the donater personally. Surely there must be a method of 'buyer beware' which can be implemented, where appropriate testing and tagging by the purchaser will enable a goods return, refund or store credit. As for some tales of volunteers simply taking items - no doubt it does happen, however a little discretion about how, why and when might need to be included in staff management training. 

This is by no mean an attack or put down against organisations like the Salvation Army or CentreCare or St Vincent de Paul ~ as charitable and caring groups, these organisations are very very helpful, kind and able to provide for those in need, regardless of the cost of items within a store. I know when MudGuts' mate was caught in a bind, he was given a certificate to allow him to select $50 of apparel and $150 in bedding or furnishings. Those he dealt with were the human face of care and compassion but the encounter at store level did leave a sour taste after such sweet care and assistance for a young boy caught in a very bad situation.

No doubt many people have their own horror experience when finding out volunteers get first 'dibs', or take what they want for free, or stash something away for later. My father was a shocker for it - but I didn't want to know taking a wardrobe for the garage was better than giving it to a client, judged as a 'junkie bum'. I am sure that OpShop Manager would be mortified being called a petty thief ~ however that's how I see it. MudGuts' mate did not select much - a bed, a chest of drawers, a pouf, sheets, a quilt and some clothes. He chose some crockery and cutlery but was told by the manager these weren't permissible items. He selected some pots and utensils but again these were not clothes, bedding or furnishings in her opinion. He had found a pair of boots he had to argue as being apparel - and would not have succeeded if the voucher had said clothes. He could not select the toothpaste, toothbrush, talcum or laundry powder valued at $5 in total. That side was shameful, humiliating for the poor boy who is not a 'junkie bum'. We raided our cupboards here at home for any short falls - including a wardrobe sitting in our garage, and helped fix up his 'space'.

Still too skinny, hey!?

And I am not going to begrudge those volunteers who do find a bargain to keep for themselves. As volunteers I understand they are not being paid, so finding a shirt or table which is suitable for them and taking it with or without payment is not going to deprive anyone - however taking items to provide for personal Christmas shopping for the year or to give to friends or family with no offer of payment is inappropriate in my view. If I was volunteering in an Op Shop, part of me would have no qualm with putting an item or three aside and haggling a lower price for them. I would not expect them for free, nor would I expect there would be 'something in it for me' every time I helped out. That is not offering of oneself, that is using a situation for profit or gain. Some volunteers are perhaps working there to gain valuable work experience, to escape loneliness, to improve their social skills, to contribute to society, to start a new life after escaping an abusive one and, in some instances, to have first pick of what comes in.

Hitting the church op shop is the way to go, or looking out for a community opportunity shop attached to a school, church or hospice - while not as wide in range, it is lower in cost making it affordable. I felt really sad that it seems to be so commercialised and lacking in basic 'good will' from society. Just as there are those who manipulate the system - on both the giving and taking side - there are those who have a genuine needs for accessing such services without judgement or belittling assumptions. To collectively assume all single mothers are 'no hopers' really does make it hard for those escaping a life of battering and abuse ~ same as a young, unkempt lad being assumed to be a 'junkie bum' for spending weeks on the streets and friends couches in the one set of clothes when really it is to avoid another round of punching bag and verbal abhorrence by his parents.

Personally, I don't need any new clothes ever again. I have enough to wardrobe three other females of various sizes. Hence, the desire to get rid of "everything" and I am actually getting to the stage where I could pick out my favourite 100 items to cover all seasons and events and sell, give, rag the rest. At 6'9", MudGuts clothes purchases are hit and miss at the best of times - long, lanky, skinny lad that he is, grounded by elephant feet. But SmallBoy is in that ever changing height and girth of a pre-teen so his needs fluctuate. 

You've probably noticed Husband doesn't get much of a mention ~ he is happy in his tracksuit and t-shirt. He has sufficient in the way of work and good trousers, shirts and jackets - possibly more than is needed so I am trying to coax several Country Road, Pierre Cardin and similar ilk labels out of the wardrobe and into the 'for sale' box. I think I shall get there, its just a slow period of persuasion required. *grins*

*Blushing*

'Scuse the rant on the demise of the Op Shop ~ I miss my favourite shop. I know this isnt my usual tone of post but it;s been a funny few days of which I can say comes down to withdrawing from these darn opiate pain killers - I guess I wanted to be have a good moment in my 'favourite' store where one can normally get things that are needed as well as those wanted ~ I was just disappointed and a little fragile to feel so looked down upon - if not me directly but via MudGuts' and his mate's treatment by those I always felt were more tolerant and accepting..

SmallBoy once said to me that if we won Tattslotto I could get the chance to buy clothes without checking its the 'on sale' colour or maybe even go buy clothes in a 'real shop'. *laughs* At the moment, having $300pw for every expense after the mortgage payment, even the Op Shop has become out of reach for us - its just sad that economics and greed have won over charity and care.  And maybe I've only seen a small snapshot but that judgement and assumption I witnessed it the type which has made it so hard for those in genuine need to seek and receive help without full explanations and disclosure - even if doing so means being called a liar...

The normal, boring stuff
I'll need to put petrol in the car tomorrow ~ its getting a little on the low side. I'll also need to get milk but food wise all else is more than adequate. SmallBoy is taking slices of the cantelope to school for fruit as we are out of apples and bananas. It was a good score getting two melons for $2.50 (was that a week or so ago) which were probably not quite ripe when purchased but certainly are beautiful and ripe now. I've made up a container full of muesli slice and bites again using all the left over cereal and a tin of condensed milk. A girlfriend makes one with tahini - when we are next a little flush I might get a jar because it adds such a nice flavour.

Still aiming to spend no more than $10 this week - milk will be $3 and, if it ends up necessary, no-name wheat biscuits or corn flakes will be about $3 also. I found a tree with apples falling off by the dozen today so will get some of those and we have blackberries to use with the strawberries to replace the empty jar of jam. I'll also make some bread tonight - I'll finally give it a go and maybe even make cheese and Vegemite scrolls, or at least something with herbs and cheese for SmallBoy to take for lunch as we have no sliced bread. "Everyone" says they are so easy to make I may as well give it a go!

Pie tonight - its going to be a corker! Not only have I used the BBQ chicken (about $2.50 worth), its seasoning and vegetables (all up maybe $1) - the last of the crunchy sprouts are in and there is enough over for a pasta sauce! I've decided tomorrow will be burgers using the mince, instead of Friday and we will have pasta on Friday to break up the repetitiveness of the same ingredients on consecutive days.

Until tomorrow...

Monday's Money Matters

We escaped this weekend...

Husband has been down helping his mum get her home ready to be put on the market. As the computer was playing up, SmallBoy and I had the chooks locked in with a well stocked run, the cats fed  and left with a full dry food dispenser, hung out washing, packed an over-night bag and drove down to have dinner, stay the night with 'Nanny' and enjoy a Sunday afternoon BBQ birthday party with a friend's 4yo twins. It's been almost a 20year friendship, one which has got stronger over time and distance. 

I'd got the girls' gifts months ago, when the $18 pendants were marked down to $2.99 at clearance time. I needed two and $6 is much more budgetable than almost $40 ~ its not being cheap, its planning ahead and getting a bargain. I take huge pride and get a sense of achievement knowing I am giving someone (say) a $20 dollar gift value which I may have bought for 50% or less - its almost a game to see if I can get an item for 70% or less by waiting. I've already got some of the token gifts for Christmas, knowing I paid 90% less than the original rrp because I got it after Christmas - retail might call it 'old stock' or 'out of season' but Christmas is Christmas and that season comes around every year with the same ol, same old. I just got it 'earlier' for less...

Any way - this weekend, we bought a bottle of bubbles, a few beers and bottle of juice - and it felt so so naughty to spend money on drinks! However, we had reason enough to 'deserve' a few drinks and enjoy time with friends ~ six months into Our Mission to bring down our debt and we have  a 'dent' in the Line of Credit, a dent in the Credit Card, a paid in full NI-Visa Account, the next two payments for the mortgage are in redraw waiting to be 'swiped', own the hired refrigerator, cleared one of the power bills, in credit on the water bill, land line account, up to date with the mobiles, Internet and VOIP phone. 

Plus the fridge is full of dairy, fruit and vegetables; the freezers are choked with steak, snags, mince, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, frozen veg, chippies, home made frozen yoghurt and icecream; the pantry is stocked with all basics, some marinades, tuna, cous cous and more ~ we won't be starving!

Knowing we are not merely surviving on $600 a week but actually managing both current obligations and those in arrears is surely a champagne and beer celebratory moment. Sharing it with friends and halving the costs makes it even more appropriate. My GF had another two bottles of bubbles we shared, there were pizzas made and enjoyed with the least fuss and eventually a good of little girls and SmallBoy were in bed for the night as we nattered on into the late evening. Being over a period of 10-12hours, we all woke fine, a little more tired than when in our 20s, 30s even, but without the 'thump' of the morning after in our 20s, 30s even *grins*

And the Winner Is:...

Congratulations Dali for your barking comment to our comp - your owner Joni L mentioned she's not only following, she reads the Coles Magazine as well!! But it was the ticket with your name Dali which was drawn out of the box by SmallBoy! 

Hey Dali ~ Can you get your owner Joni to drop me a line via the blog?  Please send me a note with your address details and Coles' Marketing Team will have the Coles "We Love Pets" pack on its way to your house. These contact details will not be made public and will not be retained by me ~ just aint gonna happen *cheers*

Fast, Frugal and Figures

Briefly, we have $279 surplus 'cash' for this week, which will cover a lot of the expenses budgeted through until Friday 18th ~ but will be needed for two therapy appointments for me and a dental appointment for Husband. Other than those two 'expenses' I anticipate $10 last this week for milk, fruit and/or veg, perhaps the same mid next week. Any amount available Thursday night will be transferred over onto the credit card debt. 

Tonight's dinner works out to about $8 for five serves of Beef Stroganoff ~ because there are only three eating tonight, the left over serve will give Husband and I lunch on toast tomorrow. I used two eye fillet steak ($13.90) I got for $5.01; 500g of slice fresh mushrooms ($3.98) marked to .99c; a scoop of sour cream, a handful of the sliced onion ($3.98) marked to .79c; some plain flour, stock, butter and a handful of frozen peas and beans, half a packet of pasta spirals to serve - I'm calling that under $2 per head. Seriously as good as, if not better, than it looks!

The week's menu plan is as follows:

Monday ~ Beef Stroganoff with spiral pasta

Tuesday ~ Marinade Steak ($2.31 was $6.99) with fried onion (.50c) and steamed broccoli ($1) 

Wednesday ~ Roast chicken pie (using 1/3 of roast chook, $2.50) and frozen veg (.50c)

Thursday ~ left over roast chicken and veg pie filling on pasta (.69c), extra sour cream and cheese added

Friday ~ Hot lamb turkish rolls with salad and tahztiki 

Saturday ~ Eating out ~ card night at friends

Sunday ~ Roast lamb shanks ($6) with vegetables

Feeling very proud of the fact our mortgage is at $166k, considering we should be at $171k with the 'stay' we had on our mortgage payments. The arrangement allowed us to not pay the mortgage without risking default while we got our budget back in control and provided some financial relief. We kept up with the minimum payments in a very haphazard way knowing we didn't need to have X amount in by Y date and miss a payment. We've actually ended up ahead and not accrued a higher repayment figure to 'catch up'. I hope that makes sense...

On top of that we have taken $1022 from the VISA debt bringing us into the $5000 range - just *chuckles*; we've brought the Line of Credit down by $2500 and back from being maxed out. There is no arrears on the electricity, the water bill is in credit, the fridge is ours outright, the electricity is coming down (and our power usage has reduced), the petrol tank is full and the NI-Visa is paid in full. Oh, the living breathing financial plan is working! 

Here's to a wonderful week ~ hoping you are enjoying the journey of Our Mission ~ its definitely working well for us and we appreciate all your comments. So - is there anything you'd like to know? Feel free to leave your questions and we will start explaining how we manage to cope on $600pw.

Clever Shopping and Cyber Bullies

I am so clever ~ if I can say so myself.

Of course I can - its my blog, my meanderings about my Mission! Plus I just filled the freezer and fridge with fresh meat, bakery, diary and vegetables for $39! Six stuffed full bags of groceries. And not crappy cruddy stuff either. We've got steak (marinade, porterhouse and scotch fillet), chorizo, chicken pieces, ham, sausages (pork/veal, sage; turkey; spicy), lamb, corn, yoghurt, hommus, avocado dip, cream, celery, spinach, stirfry veg mix, lettuce mix, milk, fresh oregano, mushrooms, icypoles and pastry. Plus there was a roast chicken marked down to $4.59 - SmallBoy took a drumstick for lunch today and the rest has been divided into four bags for pie, sauce, a chicken ceasar salad with the cos and small pieces for toasted sandwiches over the weekend or a lazy dinner in turkish rolls! 

The total of the docket was $59.21 - but $20 of that was mystery shop money and adding the original prices up the value is just over $130 of groceries!! The actually spending from my pocket was $39.20.

So we ate some of the kanga sangas the other night and tonight we had the stirfry mix ($1.49) with a peanut sauce I made using - Peanut butter, Soy sauce, Sweet chilli sauce, Coriander and a little hot water. SmallBoy was not impressed he had to eat a whole meal which contained no meat, had capsicum and the carrot was cooked. Still, aside from the capsicum, he ate the lot so another meal for under $1 per head! 

And we were stuffed full at the end ~ it was delicious! 

It's been a long time since the fridge has had such a variety of fresh foods and the freezer is jammed packed with meat of different types so its not going to be boring at all. All the spinach has been briefly blanched and frozen, one of the yoghurt is now a frozen berry dessert (using some frozen raspberries I've not known what to do with!) I've put everything into Tupperware FridgeSmarts because I know it makes food last longer. Back when I was a demonstrator I proved carrots could be stored for 11 weeks without going mouldy or 'off' and I know lettuce leaves last almost a fortnight when kept in a properly set FridgeSmart. 

There are so many meal options for March and I plan to share all the meals we can make this '$40' shop create over the following weeks. I do plan to have $5 each week for milk and fruit. Plus I hope to do some dumpster diving for fruit and veg ~ especially know most produce comes wrapped in plastic and cant really be contaminated by rotted or dirty things in the bins. 

I'm creating a recipe with spinach, eggs, pastry, zucchini, spicy sausage and hoping it works out. The yoghurt berry dessert did, so that made me confident. Plus I have sorted out the freezer and know there are four pieces of pie from different pies had over the past few months and we are going to have leftover surprise pies with the ability to swap with another if so wanted (or needed should SmallBoy find his piece too spicy). I'm also going to make something with tortillas because there was a packet in the freezer, same as a packet of spring roll wrappers - but I have no idea what to do with them - yet. *grins*

What's the world coming to?

There has been some terrible responses to a baby competition - one run almost every year by Bonds Australia. This year, parents are the ones doing the cyber attacking and bullying. More about it here via MamaMia's website. And we wonder (and condemn) younger people for being rude, uncouth, violent and being a 'me me me' or 'I want it' generation. I think people in general have just forgotten how to share, care and respect others. I don't think people care enough to look after their extended families, their neighbours, their community or their world.

Yes - a bit statement - and in my late teens I knew more than my parent, but this is not a case of learning independence or understanding limits. Look at what the drought taught us about how people waste/abuse water and took to 'sneaking' after dark to water gardens - instilling into their children it was ok for them to do it if it was discrete or only a few times, even as the kids reminded their parents there was supposed to be no watering. I know some children were cussed and cursed, told to mind their own business in their own homes when saying to mum, nana or the neighbour it was not the right watering day. It was against the law and subsequently water costs are up almost 150% in Victoria this year. Our water bill has gone from $40 a quarter to $50 a month. Seriously - I've been trying to work out how to budget for our water these past few weeks.

One thing which is surprising is that washing seems to be a chore undertaken daily, often several times a day, and I can only surmise clothes worn once or for a short period of time are no longer rehung in the wardrobe or aired outside prior to going back in the drawer but put in the washing basket with the dirty clothes to be washed unnecessarily. I might be 'doing' it wrong but I was always one to wash linen one day a week, school and work uniform another and then a white wash when there were sufficient dirty whites, a light coloured wash when there were sufficient dirty light coloured clothes and darks in the same manner. It could be a month before there were enough white items and, if something was wanted desperately it could be washed with the white bed sheets or towels. 

And running the washing machine ~ why all day and not one load at night when electricity is at its cheapest allowing for washing to be put on the line first thing in the morning to dry? If the sun is out, is the dryer needed? A full load of washing takes under 10mins to hang out - its not rocket science...

Boy that sounded like a whinge - but I am sick of hearing machines going throughout the day in an area which is semi-rural. If it was a tractor, I could understand and honestly enjoy that sound - but the dryer? After the third washing machine load? And a call out from the fire brigade because a short caused a fire in the laundry?? No - not my home - next door. And they didn't realise it was happening because the dryer was just left running on a timer... grrr!!

OK ~ another day ~ thanks to Sue for another $1. It was cool to see another coin in our Spare Change Jar up at the top of the page. I'm looking for one of those widgets so we can be transparent with the donations received. All go onto debt and just the debt - nothing donated goes on food, petrol or the mortgage. Any food vouchers received allow us to put the same dollar value onto our debt - and I can make a $10 voucher cover a week! As you can see :D

Chat tomorrow...

Journey to financial freedom...

I do so despise crushed muesli and cereal dregs...

And weet-bix. Seeing as these were the only initial options for breakfast, I almost decided to skip it ~ but having had enough problems trying to gain weight over the past decade, this really is not a good habit for me to get back into. While SmallBoy happily hoed into weet-bix and milk, I made myself a breakfast shake. Bit 'made up' but damn fine and filling.

1 egg

1 heaped tsp milk powder

1 heaped tsp Sustegen HS dutch chocolate

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

2 frozen bananas

4 small strawberries

250-300ml iced water

Blended

SmallBoy decided he'd like to take strawberries for his fruit snack at school today so we went out in the morning drizzle and picked about a dozen red berries. A few were a little bruised or 'bugged' - perfect for whizzing up in the shake. If you've ever picked strawberries or tomatoes off the vine, you'll know the smell the ripe fruit leaves on your hands ~ well SmallBoy used that sweet smell as a reason for going to school with dirty hands, bringing his palms up to his nose gave him the greatest pleasure and no-way was he getting rid of the smell.

"A bank is a place which gives you money if you can prove you don't need it"

Thank goodness the RBA decided no rate rises were to happen ~ I know it will be amazing if the same happens in April, but we could not manage even a weeny increase on the mortgage at the moment. Not unless CPI increases came along and matched on a similar amount. Who would have thought those sort of things would sit on my mind all the time. Still - all up we are coping better today than we did six months ago!

But how about those who 'scored free money' from the CBA teller machines last night! As much as I wish I could be 'so lucky', I really do think customer records need to be reviewed and all persons withdrawing from effected machines be ordered to return the excess dollars received in error or risk being questioned about obtaining funds that are not their own. How would customers be treating the issue if, when trying to withdraw $500 the receipt said those funds were issued but you only received $50 from the slot? There would be means to verify if this occurred, so the same can/should happen for the overpayments. It's almost the same as finding a wallet with $500 and keeping the cash when the honest thing to do is hand it into police or authorities so it can be returned to its rightful owner or given to you once ownership cannot be determined or however that works with the police.

Tonight SmallBoy and I enjoyed a delicious dinner which cost .25c a plate. We got some fresh corn on the cob for free because it had manky ends and I got a packet of kangaroo sausages for $1. We had two each, leaving four snags for another time, and I used the last of the zucchini given to us. Seriously yummy and how low cost was that!?! I am more than set food wise for the week and with several mystery shops at the supermarkets for next week, there is going to be almost $30 available for groceries.

Oh ~ here's a tip ~ I've noticed the supermarkets are marking down meat in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I am not sure if it just here in regional Victoria, but it has been great to see a semi regular day to allow for some bargain hunting without needing to walk into shops day after day. This also means double the bargains when mystery shopping as a minimum buy is usually requested or quantity of items required to be purchased. I know I can get 5-6 items for $10 and that's dairy, bakery, meat and veg in most cases. I am almost excited about shopping... 

Having some major computer problems ~ it has been a wonderful laptop for the past five-six years, but it really does seem to be getting confused with itself (if that makes sense when referring to a machine). Currently it can't seem to work out which screen is the one being typed in and subsequently I can't get eBay items loaded and could not even type a post last night. For some reason the cursor works in Twitter but now we are here and able to update *grins*

Not the most interesting post - I know - but please please PLEASE enter the Coles "We Love Pets" pack offer here as the more entries, the more chance further competitions and offers can be made available. I've received no payment for promoting these products and the reported review are my own opinions based on how my animals have reacted - and that truly is with gusto - but receiving items like food, toiletries and such help us redirect cash into our debt.

Remember - we really appreciate any assistance readers can offer. If you want to donate to our Treasure Chest via PayPal, the link is there at the top right or left of the blog page. There are items appearing on eBay ~ although while the laptop is playing up, this is a bit hard. On the Q+A page are other ways you can contribute and if sending supermarket vouchers is a preferred method, please leave a comment and I can contact you directly and won't publish your personal details for all and sundry. *smiles*

Thanks again ~ loving the feedback, the comments and support from everyone. Got my first 'rude spam' but the filter kept it away from the screen (thank goodness) so please keep it nice. We're not here to scam anyone, we've reduced the debt as much as we can without help but any assistance goes toward the debt and any vouchers provided means the same amount in cash goes onto the debt and not a splurge. Oh for chocolate, oh for biscuits, oh for a bottle of wine ~ but its not happening until the debt comes down!

Chat again soon *waves*

Money Moanagement

  

Sometimes it is a little hard. 

I'm a little sick of being 'broke'. I know we are managing and keeping up with payments, but I am tired of having to struggle with the meals, bills, petrol and subsequent lack of ability to go to the movies with friends, not being able to enjoy the theatre unless it is free and, being regional, the lack of quality events accessible via public transport. The markets and entertainment occur out of public transport hours for a return trip or off the route and it makes me a little bitter at times. 

On the upside, I really do like that challenge to see how low our spending can be ~ whether it is the supermarket, the necessary items and the (few and far between) unnecessary and frivolous spends. I love to see just how low I can haggle an interest rate with the bank, negotiate on a bulk purchase from a 'major' outlet, barter a price from an independent seller. Bartering is one of my favourites because I will recommend others use the same person, business or supplier which helps Australian businesses grow and local produce stay local. 

Today I haggled with the bank to bring my credit card rate lower than 9.8% ~ a good rate but none the less, others are offering lower rates. Using the same techniques as previous, I spoke to Tony at the NAB and could not get the VISA lower as it is a 'platinum' card, already discounted and set with no annual fee for the life of the card. Bummer ~ so I asked, how can NAB retain my business without me heading over to ANotherZ bank offering 2.9%? Asking that question provided the information the NAB has a low fee credit card with a nominal annual fee and a current rate of 3.99% ~ that wasn't hard to find out. By changing the type of card we currently hold to the new low fee card has saved $65 in interest payments per month! Too easy ~ and the new card will arrive in 10-14 days. 

 

Having a little lamb roast for dinner tonight and the leftover meat will be used to make pasties for dinner tomorrow. The roast was $6.09, down from $9.20 ~ add a few potatoes, carrots, some peas and beans means its about $7 all up, perhaps $9 when the pastry and extra veggies for the pasties are counted ~ so that's two dinners for about $1 per head! I used a little BBQ sauce to marinade the lamb so no gravy is needed tonight. 

Facts and Figures

Mortgage comes out next week, as does the loan repayment, Husband's mobile phone account, the dentist, the gas and electricity. It's the expensive fortnight but we also have the pension and carer payment come in. School camp is coming up but those payments have been broken into manageable amounts and they will be paid by mid semester. With no rates due for another 12months, the refrigerator now owned outright  and the credit card under a sort of control, we might get a little ahead by the end of May. Not out of the pooh ~ but not sitting behind the eight-ball as badly as this time last year. 

Money in: 

Friday 25 February ~ $309.50

Money out:

Debt Repayment - Council home care ~ $2

Debt Repayment - VISA ~ $50

MicroSoft ~ $10.95

Internode ~ $60.94

Life Insurance ~ $52.18

Myopathy ~ $50.00

Petrol ~ $60.00

Train Fare ~ $10.20

Groceries ~ $13.16

TOTAL: $309.43

Oh well, at least it is not a deficit. Cashed in FlyBuys points for a $150 payment on the VISA plus  two mystery-shops next week will enable a $20 shop to be done ~ I'll be scouting out for some bakery, meat and dairy items again. Hopefully I can get yoghurt, cream and the rest will be fresh fruit and veg. Plus, and this is the bonus, I am doing a product trial that gives me a $50 Coles Myer voucher, a $50 Rebel Sports voucher and the promise of beautiful skin.

So its time for bed ~ Husband is off to help his mum get her place ready for sale. The Coles "We Love Pets" pack is up for grabs. I've got to say the cats are loving the Optimum dry food and drooling through the Purr Tuna whitemeat wet food. Boy they are feeling spoilt!! Hope you and your friends can enter before Sunday :D

Summarising Stuff on Sunday

Oh yay ~ I ventured inside a supermarket!

And I got to spend some money ~ milk, meat, bakery and more! Shopping between the two major supermarkets I was able to walk away with four full bags of groceries to add some variety to the week's dinners and lunches.

Using a $20 voucher received from Coles as part of a gift pack from the Salvation Army at Christmas, I picked up 4litres of fruit juice $5, 3litres of milk $3, 700g of chicken thighs $5.39, 1kg of bananas (5) $5.70, 2 cantelope $2.50, 250g Lettuce mix $1.23, 6 cinnamon donuts .90c, 4 marinade sachets .40c and 200g crunchy sprouts .99c - total paid was $5.11

Popping past the other supermarket I scavenged around the meat section and found 8 peppered beef steaks (1.5kg) $8.05 and 8 turkish rolls $6 so picking up marked down produce and putting it straight into the freezer means we have several meat dinners to enjoy in the weeks ahead. We had some of the chicken for dinner in a mango/curry type sauce with salad and leftovers will be for lunch tomorrow in a roll. Yummy!!

The week ahead

The menu did change a little this week - the roast we were going to have tonight is now for tomorrow so the food plan is as follows:

Monday ~ roast beef and vegetables; leftover chicken in rolls for lunch

Tuesday ~ roast beef and vegetable pasties; salad and crackers for lunch

Wednesday ~ pasta with a tomato/herb sauce; should be enough pasties leftover, otherwise sandwiches

Thursday ~ egg and chips; sandwiches for lunch

Friday ~ savoury mince in turkish rolls with salad and chips; not sure about lunch

Saturday ~ dinner with Mum in Melbourne

Sunday ~ spaghetti bolognes 

There's a cinnamon donut each day for SmallBoy's lunchbox and his choice of cantelope, banana, apples or strawberries for fruit snacks. Plus I am making muesli bites with the crushed bits from the bottom of a few packets and making something out of one of the left over Christmas cakes. It's the first one coming up to its best before date, so waste not - want not!!

Only one medical appointment requiring payment this week ~ the myotherapy sessions are relieving and helping me move more freely so its $50 out of the budget but its valuable in my rehabilitation. Hydrotherapy sessions are still available on my 'exercise therapy' card so I don't need to pay for another month for those and walking each day will help build up strength in my legs again - especially the right side which is 'struggling' to regain some movement. At least I don't need to use the cane so much any more - just when its raining or if I am feeling tired or a little wobbly on my feet.

More eBay items coming, another giveaway coming this week and a special freebie for a few followers in the Ballarat area ~ if you know anyone in Ballarat, please ask them to follow along and maybe they will be one of six people to receive one of these freebies. Loving the feedback and looking forward to seeing more submissions for the Coles 'We Love Pets' pack being given away. The cats are certainly enjoying tasting the treats so I am sure other dogs and cats will love this too! Head over to FaceBook to leave your message or pop your pet's hints in the comment section below.

Things are looking less cluttered, more in order and a heck of a lot tidier so something is going right around the house for once! Keep your fingers crossed Husband gets one of the jobs he has applied for and any donations to the Treasure Chest or Spare Change Jar are appreciated greatly. It should be an interesting update tomorrow on the budget and debt payments ~ it actually feels like we are staying on track and not falling behind further for the first time in a long time. That alone is a huge relief and great stress reducer!! 

Until tomorrow...

Saving Ideas Which Make Cents

And are sensible too.

It's now been a month since we last shopped for groceries. We've not had the cash available, however this has not been too bad because any money made through eBay or egg sales have been able to go on debt and not on food. It's not been easy ~ but we have been creative. Here's a few things we have done to get through a very tight money month.

• Shop from Home: This doesn't mean order online. Doing a stock-take of all items in the pantry, fridge and freezer gave me a list of supplies on hand and all meals had to comprise of these ingredients. Also remember to meal plan based on what you have. 
  
  
• Cook meals in advance: so when you can't be bothered or don't have enough time to cook, you are not going to pick up McChucks or Dial-a-Pizza. If you MUST get take-away, use a discount coupon and pick it up to save on delivery charges. 
  
  
• Save Petrol: And use your petrol discount receipts. Every little bit helps.  Fill up your car on Tuesday or Wednesday, you'll find most service stations are cheaper on these days. Car pool when going out with friends, going to work, going to school, going to swimming lessons. 
  
  
• Don't buy, Borrow: Books, magazines, CDs and DVDs are all available from your local library. If you MUST go to the movies, go on Tuesdays when ticket prices are discounted. 
  
  
• Buy Bulk and Generic: And share the expense with a friend. If you buy wine, try cleanskins. Usually these are nicer than 'cheap' bottles and bought in a case, less again. Generic brand flour, sugar, milk and other such staples save us about $200 a year ~ put it in a container (or empty 'labelled' brand box) if you feel embarrassed. Good friends don't care... 
  
  
• Shop at several supermarkets:  Read those supermarket catalogues and get the cheapest. Most are within walking distance of each other anyway. Change your weekly shop to fortnightly. Suss out the local markets for meat and fresh vegetables. Buy your eggs from a roadside stall - or our place - $4 for a dozen fresh free range eggs beats $7 at the supermarket! If you are in Ballarat - that's a hint - message me...
  
  
• Buy Bakery after 3pm: Especially in the supermarket as these items tend to get marked down in the afternoon. Bakery goods last well when frozen. A frozen cinnamon donut put in the school lunch box is fresh and soft by mid-morning recess. I regularly get 12 for under $2. That's 15c for snacks for a fortnight. 
  
  
• Make it - don't buy it: Baby food, pasta, beauty products, cleaners, presents and cards. This list is endless and deserves a post all of its own. A thoughtful, home made gift is more appreciated than $10 in a card - although in a home made card it's a lovely way to contribute to a group gift or wedding wishing well. 
  
  
• Save it - don't buy it: Wrapping paper, plastic bags, large envelopes and post-paks ~ I know there are more things we do this with and its becoming automatic so I'll think some more and list them.
  
  
• Grow it - don't buy it: The first thing which springs to mind is easy vegetable garden items such as herbs, lettuce, strawberries and potatoes. Also consider plants like lavender, carnations, aloe vera and succulents you can pot yourself and present as a gift for house-warming. Last longer than a $10 bottle of wine, is more valuable in the long run and costs less as well!! 
  
  
• Don't buy lunch: Take it from home. Left overs, sandwiches, salads. And don't buy a soft drink - have water, add cordial if you must. You can save $40-$50 a week not buying lunch ~ that's over $2000 per person. That one cafe latte bought each day on the way to work, appointments, friends is costing $1000 a year. 
  
  
• Turn it off: Appliances at the power point; lights at night - by 11pm if possible; the microwave is not a clock (clocks run on batteries); the clothes dryer in summer or dry days; the aircon unless over 40; the heater unless under 3 - jumpers and sox rule! 
  
  
• Quit (or at least cut down) smoking: It's better for your purse and, more importantly, better for your health. Changing from tailor made to rollies is a good start ~ Husband has brought his weekly 'smoke' account down from $115 a week to $36 a week and now plans to stop for good! Yeah!! In 12 months his insurance premium will reduce too! Bonus save!! 
  
  
• Budget it:  Set a budget and stick to it; set up direct debits via your savings/banking account not your credit card; set up a regular payment plan to suit your budget for bills and only have a small balance outstanding when the account comes due; put an extra few dollars on any account with interest such as the mortgage, credit card or loans. 
  
  
• Cancel credit cards: Or pay it out in full each and every month; if you must have a credit card, use it only when cash is not accepted (eg. online) and repay it before it is due. 
  
  
• Open your House: Instead of going out, invite people over where everybody brings something. It cuts out the cost of an expensive night out but still creates a fun environment with your friends. A spare bed and/or blow up mattress saves taxi fares and traffic risks for all.
  
  
• Find FREE entertainment: There are many free exhibitions and activities available. Check the paper, look at council websites and google using the key words 'free event month area' ~ you can find some rippa events - some with free BBQs or food and wine samplings. 

Your March Challenge:  Write down every cent you spend for a month. See where you're breaking your budget. We did this for a month and realised we bought some items at the supermarket out of habit, not necessity. We realised just how much we spent on cafe lattes - not just one a day each either. We discovered we used the car for multiple trips to the same area several times a week, a day even. Buying a bottle of water or can of drink when we now take a bottle of chilled water when we go out as automatic saves $10-$15 dollars a week - just as a change of habit and matter of organisation or planning.

Divine Dinner for 4 for $5

We've enjoyed a very tasty dinner tonight and everything came from the pantry or freezer for less than $5. It was organic chicken thighs - 600gm for $3.41 (marked down by 50%), some frozen broccoli and peas (1/4 packet - approx 70c), a Kum Lee teriyaki marinade (a free sample, under $1rrp) on a toasted Bazaar turkish pida bread (marked down to 79c)

Tomorrow we are having a roast beef meal which will stretch to sandwiches for lunch and form the meat part of meat and vegetable pasties for dinner on Tuesday. The roast was marked down to $5.36 - gee I love those fiddly price points - and with vegetables like carrots, potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower being used in the roast dinner and the pasties, I hope to avoid shopping again this week. 

Heading up to 'the mountain' to fill two water containers from the spring water tap because buying water is so out of budget for this week. I'm driving to Durham Lead to get some more apples from the roadside trees after school drop off Monday, picking early blackberries from the back paddocks and I've heard there are blueberries running amok out Buninyong way. Use the word 'scrumpers' or 'free food map' for more free roadside food locations near you.  

Don't forget Mands On A Mission has a sponsored competition for your pet ~ a free Coles 'We Love Pets' pack is up for grabs and some great entries have been received so far. All the details and your chance to enter can be found here. Or follow Our Mission on FaceBook.

If you can please contribute any small change or donations, we'd would appreciate anything via The Treasure Chest at the top right of the page ~ its easy to use and we really are truly grateful to those who have put any cents, dollars in to help us out.

Freebies for Friday

It's been a lovely day!

Even got into the garden and put some late summer vegetables in ~ late corn, bush beans, more lettuce and was greeted by the first red tomato of the season! Seriously!! Finally the big plump green fruit is turning red! I was wondering if any were going to be good for anything other than chutney and so glad we stuck at it. I also got all the strawberry runners up from the garden path so the carpet ruined in the recent flooding can go down and stop the weeds. Cheaper than getting netting and less impacting that chemicals. Plus it means we have over 20 new strawberry plants, some already have started to fruit ~ to keep or to sell - this is the question - because these are mighty fine hardy plants!

Bargains and Bonuses

No unnecessary spending (other than my train fare for a free theatre show and the chance to be 'shouted' a free cafe latte - a real one!!) We've done no grocery shopping for a while now ~ no spare cash to use but the pantry bulk stocks have been a life-saver, as has the meat bargains I got at the end of January. Each week I have gone to the Salvation Army and grabbed a loaf or two of bread and the eggs have kept us fed with frozen veg in various slices. The zucchini and squash from MudGuts' friend were a bonus and SmallBoy has enjoyed having lunches which are not the same ol' sandwiches but cold slices, pikelets and celery with peanut butter. Husband and I have had leftovers for lunch most days. I am grateful the chickens are giving us lots of free eggs - another 2 dozen sold so $8 in the spare change tin for the bank. Oh ~ and eBay sales were $30, not $18 ~ I misread and only saw one sale, not two!

I received a complimentary Coles 'We Love Pets' pack courtesy of Coles Supermarkets via Aussie Mummy Bloggers. All opinions expressed are purely my own. Actually, its the cats which made this so easy to talk about! Teddy could barely contain himself and tried to open the packets himself ~ Rossi showed more restraint and stood and yowled for her bowl to be filled. 

The dry Cat Food is from Optimum and both cats loved the chicken flavour, it smells really nice too  - hmmm, things must be getting rough if the cat food is smelling this good ~ the bonus is its really good for their teeth and gums, plus its designed to strengthen immunity and give them healthy guts. Because we've been feeding them no-name varieties along with rice, veggies and gravy I was a little worried the cats might be missing out on vitamins - at $5.19rrp its a reasonable price for a bag of dry food you'd be paying double at a speciality pet store. 

Tyro (my mother in law's little old dog) is trying out the tin of Banquet Chicken and Salmon ($1.75rrp) dog food so I'll tell you how he enjoyed this next week. All week there will be mentions and  reminders about the Coles Pet Food range. Why??

Here's a real bonus ~ ONE LUCKY READER can win a pack for themselves, or their pets to be precise. It's easy to enter and the prize is being sent directly from the Coles Supermarket group's marketing people. So ~ to enter:

• Follow Mands on a Mission blog via Facebook or Network Blogs
• Write a comment under this post or on FaceBook with a message from your pet. 
• Any pet saving tips put in your comment will give you an EXTRA entry.

The winner will be chosen on Sunday 6 March at 830pm

Simple FREE Pleasures

In the years BC (before children), Husband and I used to enjoy many a trip to the movie theatre ~ seeing new releases, art-house movies, even classics like the Rocky Horror Picture show at the Valhulla dressed up in fishnets. With kids and the cost of four movie tickets (or two and a baby sitter) becoming a little on the expensive side, these outings reduced. As television viewing disintegrated into mindless slush inappropriate for children to watch, videos became the method of choice because it allowed the kids to have friends over to watch movies, eat air-cooked popcorn and not break the bank. 

As income dropped, movies and videos factored less and less - mostly because this was the way we used to spending on entertainment - but we've saved several hundred dollars this year with movies borrowed free from the local library. The state library also has tens of thousands of movie and TV series  and is regularly updated with the newest releases. If you are a member of a library, you can search for a movie online from the state library as well as your local - and order it online, on the phone or in person. It's fast, fantastic and FREE!

Still, if you are a movie goer ~ Village Cinemas has a special offer where you can buy tickets for $7 for use through March. Tickets need to be purchased by 6 March ~ you can find more information using the link here : https://secure.villagecinemas.com.au/gift-shop.asp?product=3095

Well, speaking of movies ~ we've just enjoyed Avatar and now SmallBoy and his mate have bunkered down so Husband and I are going to watch a few episodes of Dead Like Me ~ all thanks to the Library. No need to dress up, we're in our dressing gown and slippers for extra comfort.

Here's to a great weekend and if you happen to find any money in your pocket or coins on the ground ~ please consider putting it in our Spare Change Jar (marked with the 'donations' button) or see if you can help us out via eBay or a Simple Savings membership or any of the options shown on the Q+A page. Here's to Our Mission and reducing the debt :D