Friday 14 February 2014

U3A

I have been thinking about this for some time and been lurking on the internet. The library had a brochure about it and course/classes that they were running for the first term. I put it aside to look at later as you do. Picking up some paper rubbish to throw out I had another look at it and decided to just do it!

I selected the writing for fun class as i do enjoy writing but figure I could use some help or just practise. I rang and booked in, cost $10 for the year and $4 for the class/meeting, this is to pay for the rent of the venue.

There were five women and one man and they each read out pieces that they had written during the week, subjects were selected the week before. There was no "why did you write that? could have done that better" etcc etc so really good.

This week I have to write a piece on "A senior moment" could be a para or one or two pages, just to the person and also write uo a mystery object, write clues for people to work out what the object.

No idea yet what I will do for the mystery one but have an idea about the senior moment, just have to write it.

as a group, we will also be writing a short story, with each person writing a chapter each, its an ongoing thing, storyline is Murxder on the golf links, sounds like an Agatha Christie one to me.

Tuesday 11 February 2014

Challedges for febuary

I have taken on some challeadges in the simple savings forum that I am on.

first one is to only spend $200 for the month in groceries, as I now have organic fruit and vege delivered every two weeks, cost is $54 for each box, that leaves me with $96 for the rest of the month to spend! I shopped on Sunday 2nd and spent $48 and $20 of that was a voucher from Coles. Not shopping again til Fri 14 and only $48 left in the kitty. I do have plenty of food in the freezer but keep things of things to cook that I dont have the items for so it is a little difficult but doable. yesterday i reralised that the milk was getting low and there was only one small one left in the freezer. After some consideration, I made up some powered milk and added to the fresh, cant tell the difference. have a small list for Friday, if I pull it off, the money saved will be going into the high int savings account.

second one is to have a no spend month, this does not included food or bills. Well to date I have seven NSD and four spends. Monday i bought a sari which will be used later in the year, it was from my sanity money, Wednesday the curtain material that i had ordered came and I had to pay it before they sent it. friday we went out for ice cream, Saturday bought a caravan cover a one? off special from aldi.

Third is to save 10% of your pay, this is an easy one but I have set up a new account that pays higher interest if there is an addition in the month, could be as little as a dollar, and no withdrawals. new account and have done direct debit, two pays in and already have an interest payment. woo hoo!

Fourth is joining Court Jesters. Every week you nominate a task that you have been wanting/needing to do but have put off for some reason (usually slackness in my case). the task is approx an hour and a half during the week. so far so good, i have completed these which included making curtains for the caravan, cleaning out the drawers in kitchen and hallway, cleaning and doing inventry of pantry, last week was UFO's in sewing room and this week is cleaning up of computer files and rubbish on computer. Havent started on this one yet but thinking about it, my week goes from Sunday to Sunday.

fifth is saving coins in a container, this is not going too well as I dont get too much coins these days and with the no spend days, very little is going into my money box. Although I was repaid something the other day in coins and that all went in there. as I did have some money in there from last year, i hope it will be full in about three months. this is going to be used for present buying.

An ongoing one not just Feb is Rudolph's day and on each 25th of the month, doing something for Christmas and or birthdays, I'm hoping that by the time christmas comes around i will be prepared and in control, have the next two birthdays purchased and wrapped.  

It does pay to look down.

Hints regarding supermarket shopping always list one of the ways to save money is to look up and down on the shelves as they put the more expensive brands at eye level. I have discovered that it is also true wuth other stores.

A couple of weeks ago I was at Spotlight, the sole purpose was to buy some cord to go into draw strings bags. I was making the bags to put into Operation Shoeboxes and I was using up the left over material from the caravan curtains.

I found the coils of cord that i wanted but i didnt like the price, it ranged from $2.17 to $2.99 depending on thickest, i did not want to pay that much so one bag would take almost a metre.

I left it there thinking that I would have to come up with some other way, at the end of the aisle, I happened to look down and there were packets of cord, 12 metres for $4.99, thats more my price. Its probably not the best quality but it will more than do the job. I have made 6 big bags and 8 small ones and have some cord left over, so a win/win.

Yesterday we were at Bunnings, I dropped warren while I took the car to the library and we met at the bunnings coffee shop, quite a bit cheaper than at the mall! looking in the basket that he had selected, I remarked 'oh you needed more liquid nails" liquid nails being the reason for the last trip a few days before. "No, its glue to glue the extra panels but its the genertic brand so only $1.99, but goots look on the bottom shelf as Shelley's and the like are placed in easy sight and reach."

Monday 10 February 2014

Eating sausages!

No, its not a rice and beans moment. Both kids and their families come to visit yesterday, one to drop off something the other to pick up something. As I didn't know if they would stay for a meal, I took sausages and mince out of the freezer as all the kids will eat these. We are not a lover of sausages and rarely have them, although have trouble going past a fund raiser sausage sizzle.

Lunch was left over corn chowder with a snag or two added and dinner was spag bol, again with cut up snags, still have three cooked sausages and will make a pizza or two and that will be the meat, that tomorrows lunch planned. I have joined a few challenges for this month and the above meals have certainly helped with those.