Middle of the week madness...

Three little boys getting one more week due to illness and weather

Well it's just another woeful windy wet Wednesday...

On reflections, the past week or so has been a little odd.  Knowing the time to have The Husband home, local, for good was fast approaching - but keeping him in transit for the last few jobs - it was still easy enough to maintain the focus of my own routine, working in with the SmallBoy and keeping some semblance of tidy around the house. I think the 'holding it together' started to unwind the day before the school concern - not knowing exactly what tickets we did(not) have for those invited, including his BestMate and Nanny who'd come up from Melbourne. In the end, all was fine - but the house has not recovered and looming ahead is the heading away next weekend for the GlowCave Convention.  

Of course, one of the first things Poor Husband has gone and done is get sick - as you do after a good 25 years of work.  Save repeating, he's pooped and the flu caught up with him.  He may have pulled a muscle in his back too - so he is a poor sore old chappie... always planned he'd be 'just here' until about Wednesday!  Might be about right.  However it was yesterday with all the sun and ideal lawn mowing conditions, wasn't it...

I have spent today setting out some plans and goals - short term and long. Although the savings look a little scant, we have got everything bar the car hire sorted and spending money is ready.  Rather excited to be honest!! Of course, the first 'glitch' has appeared...


The plan had been to go to Coffs Harbour, Kirra and the Gold Goast but last night we discovered some muster somewhere has taken many of those Husband wanted to catch up with away.  So a few phone calls and we are now going straight to the Gold Coast and Hubby gets the time with old friends after Convention weekend.  The car hire will just be booked for reverse, that was sweet, no charge.  The Melbourne to Gold Coast went through easily.  Nothing like a few little spanners to keep one on their toes.  Only cost us the price of a full airfare to get a credit, to rebook the reverse route.  Thank you VirginBlue... (not)

We are in a similar position to others no doubt.  It's been a long time since we were a duel income family, but we did get a mortgage in that time.  Of course we did ring up $25k of credit card debt - twice - and got married!!  So now, less income but less credit card debt, a small loan and we own almost half a house!!  

We owe:

$165000 on mortgage - $500pf ($35 more than min)

$ 8000 personal loan  - fixed $380pcm (it was $15k Aug 09)

$ 3200 CC Visa  (limit $5,000) - $2500 in at EOM

We have:

$686 Holiday spending (should hit $700 before we leave)

$175 Savings Acct (fares etc paid tho!)

$3600 Emergency Fund

$2800 Cash Account (CC $2500 from here, add $500 into here each Friday)

All your Susie Ormon's and Dave Ramsey's say 'make sure you've got 3-6 months income saved for just in case emergency' but I say make sure you've got enough to carry you through 3 months of expenses if there was no more money coming in from tomorrow.  We need $500pw to be covered, a little petrol, less phones, no magazines, no donuts (no school asks the SmallBoy)  but we could have all the rest covered and use transport to get to the market for fresh fruit, milk.  We almost have two months there - not bad going I say!!

No - I am not going to put the emergency fund on to the credit card to bring the balance down.  That's because I am getting 7.7% interest on the emergency fund, with $20 going in each week automatically.  And the credit card interest of 7.9% is only applied to the amount at the start of the month, I am at peace to know if the credit card was suspended or max'd out or something when fully charged, I've still got access to the emergency fund.  What's the difference in the interest I am now wondering - thankfully I am lacking the energy to get a calculator...

Thus ends today's budget lesson.

And now for something completely different...

Foodie stuff.  See - I've had to address the state which is my pantry. Seriously, it is about as full as the backpackers hostels at Mardi Gras.  We've done reasonably well following the menu plan.  The bolognes sauce fed us, has enough for two more good servings of four and a smaller one for MudGuts' dinner one night next week.  Planning ahead so I know what he will be leaving alone - like the icecream up the back of the little freezer - - don't you go near it boyo... *serious*   

The slow cooker ended up a bit of a Tiki Marsala using up beef, cauli, beans with rice.  There is enough over to make some pastie type triangles and we can have them on the weekend.  Chicken was on the menu for Wednesday.  Stayed away from tacos, but having had rice with the beef, thinking an curried apricot chicken and veg on cous cous might be nice...  Great idea really!

So far we've spent $3.20 on milk - I've got to back track and see what I promised myself.  So $50 on groceries until the end of the month.  Ideally this will include cat food, but if it doesn't that will still be a mighty fine effort.

Food Budget : $50.00

Spent 3.20

Available :  $36.80

A little unmotivated today ~ Husband still down with this flu and his back bruising up along where he has had pain, makes it hard to get stuck into things knowing he is ill, wants to do and get things done but really needs to rest.  The weather has not been the best for encouraging me outside - not offering much of the Vitamin D either!  It's sitting on an ambient 1C outside during the day - at night it seems warming as the cloud cover gets thicker. I was sure there was snow in the air at school pick up time!!

I might spend tomorrow going through the kitchen cupboards, get in there a little organised and so I know what containers I have available to use in the pantry.  Then I can start on the pantry stock-take. Hmmm - good plan.  Husband is supposed to be going to Melbourne tomorrow, one last work thing.  Might get him to take this flu back to the office and leave it there - he really doesn't need it or seem to want it now.  Good to leave some things behind... :D

I didn't write this one:

Rain Rain 

Go away

Come again

Another day

yup