For love or for money...

Part of our 5year plan is to move to Queensland and have self-sufficiency. We were on track for 2010 in 2007, with $20k saved and away ~~ but that got eaten away when I could not work, did not qualify for subsidised meds & care. At $180pw, plus the specialist appointments, half disappeared while trying to prove a fractured spine is a disability despite my happy disposition! WTF!! Add a mortgage, taxi & assisted transport...

But that was then, this is now. We aim to have a $500pw budget - excluding the mortgage ($250pw) until June and then try to having it included. Again - need one of those widgets to keep a record...

At the moment, with income, family payment & disability support (under $100pf - but it is the Pension card for discounted medicines & appointments we value) we have around $800pw. Getting MyMan to work costs $200-$250 a week, be it by car or by bus/train/tram. This is one area, with a huge compromise that I dont have to make, we can more than halve. It will mean a real shift in so many areas for this year.

Keeping us honest...

Every Sunday, we take out $500 for the week. This also saves any bank fee as it is reimbursed if we take out more than $200 per transaction. It is despicable the banks operate like this as those with a little get penalised ~ Mudguts never has $200 in his account so can only withdraw at his bank. At least NAB dont charge to come to the counter... anyway

From that $500, we all receive our pocket/sanity money which is $100 all up. MyMan has $50; I have $40 and Fred gets $10-$15 depending on help provided and room cleanliness. My $40 also covers the VeggieBox delivery on Fridays ($25) and hoping to split this with VBGF. It also covers canteen once a week during school term, and the odd magazine splurge.

The grocery budget comes out of the remaining $400 - and we have quite successfully been sitting around the $100pw mark for that. This week was $105, including cats, laundry & loo paper. That is the first shop for January so I think we are more than on track!

Coming together is a beginning,
Staying together is progress,
Working together is success.

There's the fuel budget and that is a biggie when work is a 2hr trip. At the moment I am not driving so this also includes the odd taxi or community transport car. I'll usually give friends eggs or something to cover the help to hydro. We'll say its $200 a week - sometimes it can be more, others less ~ and MyMan has a few tours Feb so the fuel budget should be lower (and the surplus added to savings).

With the final $100, most of that is for bills/accounts ~ and this might sound odd, but it goes onto the credit card. All the bills automatically are paid as due on the card. Each month we know we have electricity, gas & water ($150pm); insurances ($150pm); phone & internet ($200pm - for now...)

Two weeks into the new year and we have not yet broken budget
Here's knowing it should continue...