Must say - jeepers it's a wet, miserable ol' day today! Perfect weather for ducks!! And we have two which have taken up a daily passing via our silver gum ~ stopping for a breather in the top boughs before continuing into the rapidly increasing 'pond' in the back paddock. We've decided they are a couple and possibly have eggs hence they're here each day!
The rain has created a steady stream from the front gates down to the back fence-line, with a wee detour past the front door - thankfully not under it - yet! Would be perfect for mud-wrestling if it weren't so bloody cold, freezing even!! It's a little sad *hmmm* that when the warmer weather rolls around, we wont have the water to, well, roll around in! At the moment there is water gushing out of the very full water tank - almost wish we had two with the amount of water there. Sadly, it is not in the budget.
Speaking of budgets - we are about to embark on a $400pm-spend challenge. This means, aside from the usual bills that come in (mortgage, power, phone line rental, contract payments) we need to stay under $100pw to cover everything else. At the moment, the plan is a little like this:
Regular monthly 'must pay' amounts:
Mortgage: $960; Gas and Electricity: $200; Water: $40; Medical: $150; Phone(s): $200*; Internet: $50; School: $12; Loan: $320; Insurances: $115
That's $2050 from the monthly income of $2850 ~ not much at the moment, but much more than many. And we will have a buffer of $400 each month for those 'lovely' annual rates, regos and unexpected costs. The phones will reduce, the landline is going to being incoming only for $2pcm and my mobile can be switched off for 6months with no problem. Then we will only use the Node phone and Skype which is $49 and Hubbys mobile is $60. Plus my medical is way over estimated, just in case something is required that is not budgeted. As can happen. *sighs* No manicure this month - like there has (not) been for the past 12 or so. I bite my nails so . . .
We've had food and other groceries/toiletries/sundries at $100 a week for the past few months, with the veggie bed becoming productive this will reduce even more and I am hoping to return to the $300pm of a few years back when we were saving for the mortgage/house deposit. The 'nay-sayers' might think this impossible, however I have enough in the pantry and masses of meat in the freezer (pick-a-meat) that I can do this next few weeks for under $100, easy. I spent $32 on meat and that will do at least 18-19 dinners and I explained to another it looks like this:
A lamb roast for under $14 - it will do a roast meal, then shepards pie and Saturday night brevilles. 3 meals - $13.70
3 veal steaks marked down to $2.25. Eating them shortly with veggies & chips
Gourmet snags for $2.45 pkt - with 6 snags in each. 2pkts - that's two meals
A lambs fry for $1. Dinner tomorrow.
2kg mince marked down to $3.50pkg. At least 4 meals of spag bog, chow mien 2-3 times, some meat balls &/or hamburgers - I aim to get at least 7 meals from this.
1kg of scotch fillet steak for $6.50 - one steak & veg night, one pie, one casserole. 3 meals
Plus half a kilo of gravy beef for $3.80- casserole and a pie. 2 meals
All up - 19 dinners; $32.65
Yes, I'll be buying fruit, veg, milk and other dairy - but not much. Might even give this Easi-Yo a try. Better than buying heaps of yoghurt which is now being eaten daily and not the cheapest to buy.
Seeing as the veggie beds have been getting attention and are in limbo while we get past this new moon phase (yes, a moon gardener here) - I stumbled across a lady over the other side of town who had 200 odd jonquils, daffodils and other bulbs to give away, provided we dug them up. Well - with the rain making the soil lovely and pliable, and the help of recently unemployed MudGuts19 - this was a treat! We/he dug up three boxes full which I will plant in over the next few days - when the duck pond recedes a little *chuckles* - hopefully we can still get some mud-wrestling in before it all goes away...
No - that's a joke - as if I am going to mud-wrestle in this cold weather. Summer however...
Well - short and sweet - bit like me *cheesy*
Must scoot as it is, yet again past pumpkin o'clock and into the witching hour - don't plan being a witch any time soon. Just got rid of that type of brew-ha-ha from my life, I don't wish to make this of myself!!
We've had food and other groceries/toiletries/sundries at $100 a week for the past few months, with the veggie bed becoming productive this will reduce even more and I am hoping to return to the $300pm of a few years back when we were saving for the mortgage/house deposit. The 'nay-sayers' might think this impossible, however I have enough in the pantry and masses of meat in the freezer (pick-a-meat) that I can do this next few weeks for under $100, easy. I spent $32 on meat and that will do at least 18-19 dinners and I explained to another it looks like this:
A lamb roast for under $14 - it will do a roast meal, then shepards pie and Saturday night brevilles. 3 meals - $13.70
3 veal steaks marked down to $2.25. Eating them shortly with veggies & chips
Gourmet snags for $2.45 pkt - with 6 snags in each. 2pkts - that's two meals
A lambs fry for $1. Dinner tomorrow.
2kg mince marked down to $3.50pkg. At least 4 meals of spag bog, chow mien 2-3 times, some meat balls &/or hamburgers - I aim to get at least 7 meals from this.
1kg of scotch fillet steak for $6.50 - one steak & veg night, one pie, one casserole. 3 meals
Plus half a kilo of gravy beef for $3.80- casserole and a pie. 2 meals
All up - 19 dinners; $32.65
Yes, I'll be buying fruit, veg, milk and other dairy - but not much. Might even give this Easi-Yo a try. Better than buying heaps of yoghurt which is now being eaten daily and not the cheapest to buy.
Seeing as the veggie beds have been getting attention and are in limbo while we get past this new moon phase (yes, a moon gardener here) - I stumbled across a lady over the other side of town who had 200 odd jonquils, daffodils and other bulbs to give away, provided we dug them up. Well - with the rain making the soil lovely and pliable, and the help of recently unemployed MudGuts19 - this was a treat! We/he dug up three boxes full which I will plant in over the next few days - when the duck pond recedes a little *chuckles* - hopefully we can still get some mud-wrestling in before it all goes away...
No - that's a joke - as if I am going to mud-wrestle in this cold weather. Summer however...
Well - short and sweet - bit like me *cheesy*
Must scoot as it is, yet again past pumpkin o'clock and into the witching hour - don't plan being a witch any time soon. Just got rid of that type of brew-ha-ha from my life, I don't wish to make this of myself!!
And the rain falls
Running straight down
On to the ground
And into the soil
As it wets us
With barely a sound
It sprays all around
And change is abound
Soon the flowers will bloom
Butterflies break cocoons
Colour fills every room
For the sunshine
It gathers us 'round
With barely a sound
We move
And deep within
The life blood that grows
Comes forth and it shows
We are one thing
If you listen
It's really quite clear
The voices you hear
Are calling you dear
And the one that you love
Will hold you above
On the wings of a dove
Shadows move in the night
Give cause to a fright
We move
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