** this is a bit like a finanical diary ~ on a weekly basis, updated and edited as a go ~ full of my crap and waffle as I think of it. The pictures will come - and may have absolutely no relevance other than I took it, or Hubby did and it looks awesomeYou need a little back ground ~ back being the ‘operative’ word. There is a post in 2007 ~~
Mine is cactus – stuffed, fractured and oh, so very painful. When our former PM uttered: “Life wasn
’t meant to be easy”, little did I realise he was referring to mine specifically! Scheesh! It’s been an interesting, jam-packed, never-a-dull-moment kinda life at times…
’t meant to be easy”, little did I realise he was referring to mine specifically! Scheesh! It’s been an interesting, jam-packed, never-a-dull-moment kinda life at times… In February 07, I did not get a promotion applied for; was made redundant in a business restructure (offered and accepted positions ~ it’s all in a previous post) and my 97yo grand mother died ~ all on the one day. That, strangely enough, can bring a person down ~ in a big way. Thus began what was soon to be a very painful, trying and , well you will see over time…
So, started 2007 both working full time – good almost 6 figures combines. Mid year ~ single income – ballpark $35-$40k, full price meds & docs. Then in December hubby’s role changes weekly pay to monthly. We coped, amazingly so! Ok, we did increase the credit card limit by a few zeros but more as butt coverage if something happened medically. And it was relazing, entertaining ~ albeit restrictive and rather disjointed as meds
muddled memories and merged a few things. I know there is one week out there I will never get back, and cannot remember. Kiddadles have coped remarkably well to the switch in the ‘importance’ levels – screens and new are not a factor. They have had holidays with Nannys' and friends.
Thankfully some family did visit, others were better prepared and sent their pressies. We have almost wrapped them all and hope to send some Monday ~ finally. We should be slapped – as we we’re woosy and have only emailed… But financially non-local calls were restricted, as were mobiles – centrelink, doctors and pain relief induced sleep took up most of the days.
Actually, getting the PCC at the start of this month was the biggest relief – some appointments want cash up front, then I go get the rebate ~ but I can actually to do that. Wonderful feeling.
OK ~ back on track…
So, started 2007 both working full time – good almost 6 figures combines. Mid year ~ single income – ballpark $35-$40k, full price meds & docs. Then in December hubby’s role changes weekly pay to monthly. We coped, amazingly so! Ok, we did increase the credit card limit by a few zeros but more as butt coverage if something happened medically. And it was relazing, entertaining ~ albeit restrictive and rather disjointed as meds
muddled memories and merged a few things. I know there is one week out there I will never get back, and cannot remember. Kiddadles have coped remarkably well to the switch in the ‘importance’ levels – screens and new are not a factor. They have had holidays with Nannys' and friends.Thankfully some family did visit, others were better prepared and sent their pressies. We have almost wrapped them all and hope to send some Monday ~ finally. We should be slapped – as we we’re woosy and have only emailed… But financially non-local calls were restricted, as were mobiles – centrelink, doctors and pain relief induced sleep took up most of the days.
Actually, getting the PCC at the start of this month was the biggest relief – some appointments want cash up front, then I go get the rebate ~ but I can actually to do that. Wonderful feeling.
OK ~ back on track…
Thursday 7th February ~ end of week one.
So the challenge was to not spend on any non essential items. Bills existing and falling due, regular payment requirements are essential – such as rates, costs for transport to work/school – essential as time, location, age and inability to walk means Fred cant walk to school from here, but Mudguts can ride a pushbike to town (until he broke his wrist – that’s another story). Hubby has cut the commute so not travelling everyday ~ Now I’ve been reporting that down the side column, also listing what we eat – so you know it is not just 2 min noodles, tinned beans…
While our outgoing for the week were $1201, including Morty payment, extra on CeeCee; petrol tank fill; medical costs ~ the items we declined, put back or rethought and
refrained was a total of $273 ~ no magazines, no chippies, no Big Ms… Work meals around what we have at hand, in the garden, the ability to make without needing 'extra'.
And the meals were lovely – just had the most beautiful fish and chips ~ more your restaurant quality than in the paper type. Got the fish fillets, lightly dusted them in seasoned herbed flour, bit of citric acid, cracked salt & pepper, fried in butter and served with a lime & coriander sauce (had no tartare) and deep fried chips with chicken salt , salsa & sour cream. That’s not how we used to do Fish on Fridays during lent!!
Frozen banana chunks on corn cob skewers; with golden syrup drizzled (it freezes and goes caramel-y) or chocolate dipping sauces (add frozen strawberries, blackberries, cantaloupe, mango and fresh apples in the fruit combinations) ~ quick easy delicious dessert! Mash frozen berries over plain icecream. A row of chocolate is enough for dessert too ~ you don’t always need to have something huge ~ heck had popcorn with icing sugar watching a DVD one night!
And you should see what we’ve got planned for next week’s menu ~ have had to arrange meals around the Melbourne overnight stay night choice to ensure Hubby is home for some in particular.
Saturday 9th February
Hubby did the groceries with a 'need now' list, a 'will need during the week' list and an 'if on special' component. This could have been much more damaging that it was...
OK - he did splurge, but everything was 'justified' ~ the chocolate because it was a mighty $1.96 off and he only got 2 blocks, not 4-5 as tempted ~ and one block, with one row for dessert per night, that’s 3 nights quick sweets for the boys. The pate – well, aside from it being something nice to sit and share, it can also be used on the steak planned for dinner next week – cover it in pate, cook in pastry ~ I think that is beef Wellington? So I know too that what I am saying is being heard and considered ~ I have everything needed, this will be an embellishment of sorts.
T
he paper towels, but the cheapest not the softest; 10kg rice @$9.49 - $1.21 off; bacon rashers (on special and rolled up & put in freezer for 'ron) but not the pizza ham, bit ex-y; Golden Circle Pineapple juice – ok, usually pricey even on special, which it was, but definitely Golden Circle has the best pineapple juice – so that passed scrutiny also. This pineapple was grown by my very best girlfriend. We saw it 06/07 and it was little. In Nov when I was back ~ we ate it!! It was delicious - I am jealous...
Hubby didn't get coke because he knew there was still 4 x 2L in the pantry from on special..! But he did get some Dolmio chilli tomato sauces that were on special, because great for nachos, tacos and quick dip for guests. Oh, and crumpet toast because he really doesn’t want to make pancakes, picklets for brunch and wants home made gourmet piz
zas for lunch ~ and was a little over cereal.
So ~ there are a few habits he has changed there. Thus giving me license to a bit more ruthlessness - I've been using UHT & powdered milk on the sly for cooking, watering down the juice and adding mung beans and other padding out foods; will now trim a few other with some SS tricks.
I’ve also put on a little weight with the recording of everything. Over the 50kg mark again ~ yeah!! And I do believe my DearHusband may have lost a little in taking lunches and not stopping for donuts, chocolate bars or coke. Oh that was one justification ~ he bought two giant MiloBars ~ on special at the stupermarket so only 84c each; not $1.80 and if he had them at work, no temptation for the $2 snack machine. Well . . . as the machine had not been used this week ~ I can see where he is coming from as a way to have his ‘treat’, yet maintain the ‘spend less’ aspect. Now to get sox and jocks IN to the dirty clothes basket ~ not beside…!!
Dinner was stir-fry ~ and can I say as good, if not better than from the restaurant. We used our bok choy, spinach, cabbage, carrot and garlic; from the pantry were sprouts, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, rice, onion & hoi sin sauce and from the fridge came the broccoli. Dessert was a row of chocolate ~ been a good month since we had big blocks of chocolate in the house ~ $4.21 a block is just too much nowadays.
Now where’s my ice-cream & chocolate….?
Things we are looking for:
Electric beaters – one of the two whisk hand held type
Whiskers on special ~ fussy cats – although we have got dry to the cheaper no name and the wet food can be no name 69c casserole varieties, so long as it is mooshed a bit more before serving… Like I said, fussy cats.
Jaffle iron ^^ good clean soil ^^ the courage to walk into Brumby's at 5pm and ask for end of day bread ^^ ditto to the supermarket/grocer for chook scraps ^^ mower repair
So the challenge was to not spend on any non essential items. Bills existing and falling due, regular payment requirements are essential – such as rates, costs for transport to work/school – essential as time, location, age and inability to walk means Fred cant walk to school from here, but Mudguts can ride a pushbike to town (until he broke his wrist – that’s another story). Hubby has cut the commute so not travelling everyday ~ Now I’ve been reporting that down the side column, also listing what we eat – so you know it is not just 2 min noodles, tinned beans…
While our outgoing for the week were $1201, including Morty payment, extra on CeeCee; petrol tank fill; medical costs ~ the items we declined, put back or rethought and
refrained was a total of $273 ~ no magazines, no chippies, no Big Ms… Work meals around what we have at hand, in the garden, the ability to make without needing 'extra'.And the meals were lovely – just had the most beautiful fish and chips ~ more your restaurant quality than in the paper type. Got the fish fillets, lightly dusted them in seasoned herbed flour, bit of citric acid, cracked salt & pepper, fried in butter and served with a lime & coriander sauce (had no tartare) and deep fried chips with chicken salt , salsa & sour cream. That’s not how we used to do Fish on Fridays during lent!!
Frozen banana chunks on corn cob skewers; with golden syrup drizzled (it freezes and goes caramel-y) or chocolate dipping sauces (add frozen strawberries, blackberries, cantaloupe, mango and fresh apples in the fruit combinations) ~ quick easy delicious dessert! Mash frozen berries over plain icecream. A row of chocolate is enough for dessert too ~ you don’t always need to have something huge ~ heck had popcorn with icing sugar watching a DVD one night!And you should see what we’ve got planned for next week’s menu ~ have had to arrange meals around the Melbourne overnight stay night choice to ensure Hubby is home for some in particular.
Saturday 9th February
Hubby did the groceries with a 'need now' list, a 'will need during the week' list and an 'if on special' component. This could have been much more damaging that it was...
OK - he did splurge, but everything was 'justified' ~ the chocolate because it was a mighty $1.96 off and he only got 2 blocks, not 4-5 as tempted ~ and one block, with one row for dessert per night, that’s 3 nights quick sweets for the boys. The pate – well, aside from it being something nice to sit and share, it can also be used on the steak planned for dinner next week – cover it in pate, cook in pastry ~ I think that is beef Wellington? So I know too that what I am saying is being heard and considered ~ I have everything needed, this will be an embellishment of sorts.
T
he paper towels, but the cheapest not the softest; 10kg rice @$9.49 - $1.21 off; bacon rashers (on special and rolled up & put in freezer for 'ron) but not the pizza ham, bit ex-y; Golden Circle Pineapple juice – ok, usually pricey even on special, which it was, but definitely Golden Circle has the best pineapple juice – so that passed scrutiny also. This pineapple was grown by my very best girlfriend. We saw it 06/07 and it was little. In Nov when I was back ~ we ate it!! It was delicious - I am jealous...Hubby didn't get coke because he knew there was still 4 x 2L in the pantry from on special..! But he did get some Dolmio chilli tomato sauces that were on special, because great for nachos, tacos and quick dip for guests. Oh, and crumpet toast because he really doesn’t want to make pancakes, picklets for brunch and wants home made gourmet piz
zas for lunch ~ and was a little over cereal.So ~ there are a few habits he has changed there. Thus giving me license to a bit more ruthlessness - I've been using UHT & powdered milk on the sly for cooking, watering down the juice and adding mung beans and other padding out foods; will now trim a few other with some SS tricks.
I’ve also put on a little weight with the recording of everything. Over the 50kg mark again ~ yeah!! And I do believe my DearHusband may have lost a little in taking lunches and not stopping for donuts, chocolate bars or coke. Oh that was one justification ~ he bought two giant MiloBars ~ on special at the stupermarket so only 84c each; not $1.80 and if he had them at work, no temptation for the $2 snack machine. Well . . . as the machine had not been used this week ~ I can see where he is coming from as a way to have his ‘treat’, yet maintain the ‘spend less’ aspect. Now to get sox and jocks IN to the dirty clothes basket ~ not beside…!!
Dinner was stir-fry ~ and can I say as good, if not better than from the restaurant. We used our bok choy, spinach, cabbage, carrot and garlic; from the pantry were sprouts, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, rice, onion & hoi sin sauce and from the fridge came the broccoli. Dessert was a row of chocolate ~ been a good month since we had big blocks of chocolate in the house ~ $4.21 a block is just too much nowadays.
Now where’s my ice-cream & chocolate….?
Things we are looking for:
Electric beaters – one of the two whisk hand held type
Whiskers on special ~ fussy cats – although we have got dry to the cheaper no name and the wet food can be no name 69c casserole varieties, so long as it is mooshed a bit more before serving… Like I said, fussy cats.
Jaffle iron ^^ good clean soil ^^ the courage to walk into Brumby's at 5pm and ask for end of day bread ^^ ditto to the supermarket/grocer for chook scraps ^^ mower repair
Just adding to the end the side bar record of the first two weeks of the no spend challenge - will possibly look like a dog's breakfast, but it is a record!!
Feb 1:
Purchases: Meds, Fares into town and Fares to work (in da big smoke) ~ necessities: $65
Change in Habit: Didn't buy takeaway pizza ($25); made ourselves ($10); No Canteen for Fred8 ($5) ~ didn't spend $20
Meals: Cereal breakfasts, sandwiches (hubby meal provided on work site); home made pizza; icypoles from freezer
Feb 2:
Purchases: Saturday paper ~ MudGuts is job searching ~ necessities: $1.60
Change in habit: No "Saturday Walk Home" Ice Coffee Big M ~ didn't spend: $3.50
Meals: Cereal breakfasts, lunch pancakes/hotcakes; Roast chicken and veg for dinner; last of the Milky Bar minis for dessert.
Feb 3:
Purchases: Off peak train fare to da big smoke for work (evening function; 4th - site survey & office), sleep @ MIL ~ necessities: $10
Change in habit: Would usually travel Mon morn peak - ($20.70); Sunday paper ~ flicked through internet ($1.80); no shopping. Plus ~ Hubby took lunch to 'breville' tomorrow ~ didn't spend: $22.50
Meals: Cereal breakfasts; brevilles & toasties for lunch; Pasta Carbonara for dinner, frozen bananas dipped in chocolate sauce dessert
Feb 4:
Purchases: Trains and buses home for hubby ($20.70)
Change in habit: Hubby took lunch, no lunch purchase ($10); Fred8 didn't use canteen ($5), Hubby had stayed in da big smoke so only one way trip, no morning coffee ($5); PTrans not taxi home: ($20) ~ didn't spend: $40
Meals: Cereal breakfasts; sandwiches for lunch (cous cous for me); home made Chicken pie dinner; choc drops for dessert
Feb 5:
Purchases: Train and buses to/from work for hubby ($41.40)
Change in habit: Hubby took lunch ($10); no 'after swimming' reward from swimshop ($1, got a tantrum but!), no taxi home ($20) ~ didn't spend: $31
Meals: Cereal breakfasts; sandwiches/l'over Pasta lunches; tuna mornay on rice dinner; vanilla icecream with crushed frozen berries and white choc drops dessert.
Feb 6:
Purchases: Train and buses to/from work for hubby ($20.70); milk, bread & rice ($12.50); Petrol, full tank @ 1.24cpl ($51), BusFare for Mudguts ($1.80)
No non-essential purchases again!!
Change in habit: Hubby took lunch ($10); no drink or mag at Shell ($7), no extras on the shop ($10) ~ didn't spend: $27
Meals: Cereal breakfasts; sandwiches/toasties lunches; chow mein; vanilla icecream with crushed frozen berries and white choc drops dessert.
Feb 7:
Purchases: Mortgage ~ fortnightly payment ($600); Meds ~ pcc ($10); Back appt ~ ok, must do my neck exercises ($66); CreditCard ~ min $34 ($300)
No non-essential purchases again – that’s why CeeCee’s getting extra!!
Change in habit: Hubby stayed overnight ($41.40) and took lunch ($10); no knick-nak at chemist ($10), new PCC created huge drop in meds costs ($78 less); no extras on the shop ($10) ~ didn't spend: $27
Meals: Cereal breakfasts; sandwiches/brevilles/noodle lunches; spaghetti bolgnase dinner; frozen bananas and golden syrup sauce dessert. Lots of fruit & yoghurt snacks.
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+
I will do a weekly wrap up post
Summarising the week, review where we didn't spend money considered 'essential' but not really. Remember the items we put back on the shelf. The good bits and bad bits... How we reduced usage, wastage and our global foot print. I think we will be surprising ourselves enormously when we do reflect back over just this first week.
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+
Feb 8:
Purchases: Counselling appt ($110), Hubby train fare home ($10)
No non-essential purchases again – added $25 to Morty!!
Change in habit: Hubby stayed over night ($20.70) and took lunch ($10); and ran to catch last off-peak service home ($8.10); I put down Take 5, Thats Life & Better Homes & Gardens ($12), No canteen again for Fred ($5); and no 'Friday on the way home' treat ($2); picked up DH so no cab ($18) ~ didn't spend: $75
Meals: Cereal breakfasts; sandwiches/brevilles/noodle lunches; Fish fillets, lightly tossed in seasoned flour, pan-fried in butter & herbs, served with a lime & corriander sauce (no tartare) and salt & vinegar chips, optional tomato salsa & sour cream.
Feb 9
Purchases: Saturday paper, Groceries: $77.27
Non-essential purchases: Groceries (well chocolate, icecream and some other bitties discussed in the post) $19.32!!
Change in habit: All non-essential purchases were cheapest option available; no Coke purchased; all 'on special' ~ didn't spend: $100 (it is currently $200 big shop week)
Meals: Cereal breakfasts; noodles / toasties lunch; Hoi Sin Beef & asian greens stir fry on steamed rice dinner; Row of chocolate dessert
Feb 10
Purchases: Nothing - thats it: $0.00
Non-essential purchases: Again - nothing!! $0.00
Change in habit: You can read the paper online you know...
Meals: Cereal breakfasts; noodles / eggs & toast lunch; Spag Bolgonse dinner; frozen fruit & berry sorbet thingy for dessert
Feb 11
Purchases: Fare ($41.40)
Non-essential purchases: No - nothing in there again.
Change in habit: No canteen - had handful of jubes & popcorn from home.
Meals: Cereal breakfasts; noodles / toasties lunch; Roast Chicken and veg dinner (also pie & lunches? leftover); Row of chocolate dessert
Feb 12
Purchases: Fare ~ one way: $20.70
Non-essential purchases: Nothing required, purchased nada!!
Change in habit: Planned stay in town, had double lunch to store 'back up' in case.
Meals: Cereal breakfasts; sandwiches / brevilles lunch; Pasta Carbonara; Row of chocolate dessert
Feb 13
Purchases: Well, Hubby in town, so nil: $0.00
Non-essential purchases: Nothing ~ oh ah, did it again!!
Change in habit: We weighed up the time/expense value of hubby coming home having still been in the office at 630pm ~ not when that means getting up @ 500am to go back... Had 'back up' for dinner
Meals: Cereal breakfasts; sandwichs/ l'over stirfry/ toasties lunch; Chicken & veg pie (+3 x lunch portions), tuna mornay dinner; Row of chocolate dessert
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