Thinking outside the square:

It shall, no doubt, commence as waffle and build. We've got most of the bills up to date but a week after payday (monthly) already on the cash poor side; not entirely ~ but . . .

So where can we reduce - main outgoings are phone and power (electricity, gas, wood) ~ have haggled the phones recently and cannot compare as yet. I shall focus on power.


It is getting cooler - yes we have money at hand for wood. If we get 5m of red gum, that is about $450 - and needs to last for 2-3 months. Change the bills to quarterly - next bill will be July. Guesstimate $200 on gas & 320 on electricity. Put $150 in elect and $80 in gas each month to build up credit ahead of bills. So aim for less than questimate.

We've got these great blankets that you stick your feet into a pocket and tuck around yourself ~ we're trying to reduced the electricity & gas bills, so we'll need to start saying to ourselves: garments, not gas; blankets not bills.

All have slippers, sox & dressing gowns for winter!!

*~* That's the plan, savings on the bills and reductions of our 'black balloons' to the environment! *~*



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information transfer . . . information transfer . . . information transfer

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This is the April - No Spend summary from the side bar

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PAYDAY: Yeah! Monthly pay schedule

In Account: $3855 (includes pension/family payments through to mid month next)

April 15:
Purchases: 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); ~ didn't spend $20

Meals: Cereal breakfasts, sandwiches (hubby meal provided on work site); pasta carbonara; icypoles from freezer


April 16:
Purchases: Fares ($41.40); electricity bill ($150), phone bill ($120), Fine ($50); school photos ($24)
Change in habit: only bought basic photos (saved $9), used return env ($1)

Meals: Cereal breakfasts, lunch sandwichs; Roast chicken and veg for dinner; Milky Bar minis for dessert.


April 17:
Purchases: Fares ($41.40), Acupuncture ($58), meds ($5)
Change in habit: Well, acupuncture is a new thing!! Needles, not injections - big difference...
Hubby took lunch to 'breville' tomorrow ~ didn't spend: $22.50

Meals: Cereal breakfasts; brevilles & toasties for lunch; Baked potatoes with salsa, cheese, sour cream, ham, avocado, etc for dinner, frozen bananas dipped in chocolate sauce dessert


April 18:
Purchases: Fares ($41.40)
Change in habit: Took time to go to see Freds project presentation at school. Hubby took lunch, no lunch purchase ($10); Fred8 didn't use canteen ($5), ~ didn't spend: $15

Meals: Cereal breakfasts; sandwiches for lunch (cous cous for me); home made Chicken pie dinner; choc drops for dessert


April 19 - the Weekend:
Purchases: Paper ($2), Meds ($10)
Change in habit: Jiggled a few things, to tomorrow ~ didn't spend: $35 (but will tomorrow on chook feed)

Meals: Cereal breakfasts; toasted cheese tandwishes, steak,eggs & chips - icypoles for dessert.


April 20:
Purchases: Will have chook food & fuel...

Change in habit: Wont have fares for Hubby until Wed even / Thurs pm, depending....

Meals:


April 21:
Purchases: poss lunch / snack with SSers from Melb

Change in habit: Hubby staying melb longer time than usual.
Meals: will be for two only...

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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.

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