I grew up in the stone fruit growing district, and much of my high school vacations were spent picking apricots, cherries, peaches, plums, and nectarines. As a result I am spoilt for life. When you have tasted ripe, sweet, juicy fruit straight from the tree, warmed by the sun, you lose all interest in the underipe, chilly, bland things you get in supermarkets. And they are expensive. Cherries cost $13nz for a kilo. So usually I only eat them when I visit my hometown.

But today I had to provide something for a potluck. I noticed that some entrepreneurial types had brought down a lot of freshly picked cherries, and were selling them on a street stall. I tried one and they were delicious. So I bought a bag for $5nz. My friends were delighted.

I usually shop at the New World nearest my place because I can get reduced to clear fruit and veges cheaper, but when I'm in town I pick up the specials at Countdown, especially canned goods. i spent some time this mornign checking their prices. They have some good deals, but I did notice 2 small packets of milk powder were cheaper than one big one, and their so called special deal on popping corn was more per unit than from the bulk bins. OTOH, their bulk bin of red lentils was more per unit than I pay for a bag at my home supermarket. So it pays to take a calculator. I am working up a price book, but they keep changing the deals round.

When I was going home past the new Domino's Pizza, I found $1.10nz! Maybe I could try living on the money I find in the street! THAt would make my blog famous! I am convinced there is a Power in the Universe that wishes us well, if only we would become aware of it. But the secret is to be willing to share with each other, instead of clutching tight and saying mine, mine, and being envious that others have what we haven't.

For lunch I am having a pb and banana sandwich, and a dish I just cobbled together from half a dozen cookbooks. Toss chopped green pepper, red cabbage, and grated carrot in a little heated oil. Add a dash of vinegar, a spoonful of brown sugar and a generous shake of chili flakes. Clap lid on and leave to simmer until barely tender.

It's not quite the end of the month but I don't think there'l be any more financial transactions.. I downloaded pearbudget at the beginning of the year and these are the results of January spending:

Variable $228.28 (budgeted $240)
Regular $373.78 (budgeted $381)
Irregular $235.00 (budgeted $125.)

Total expenses $842.06. I had $819.06 saved from last month, so only had to dip into savings a little -that pesky wasps' nest! I have recieved the money for my last job, $837.21, to live on for this month. Work and Income will not renew my disability allowance, so I will be getting unemployment of $168.62 per week after that. Hope to get another job before then.

So I decided to only take out $30 a week cash and use that for groceries and toiletries. Everything else can wait. I don't think I will get as bad as that guy who decided to live of $30 a month, but it will be a challenge to see how frugal I can be while still eating healthy. This morning I checked my pantry and saw I had some coconut cream and some cardomom, so made a stovetop rice pudding for breakfast.

It has been a strange summer weatherwise. You never know in the morning how the day will turn out. One day it is stinking hot, the next chilly and damp enough to think about turning the heaters on. We have even had icebergs off the coast for the first time in over 60 years. Today was a drizzly day, so I didn't go out: sat at home and started knitting a shawl with a cone of wool I bought a while ago at the thrift store for a $1. So another no spend day. I can't think of anything I need offhand, so will try not to spend any more money this month. Better stay out of the thrift stores!

To warm myself up I made orange soup: Gently cook 1/2 cup rice and some cumin seeds in oil until the rice turns white. Add 1 pint water, 1/2 cup orange lentils, a handful of chopped dried apricots, and celery salt to taste..Cook for 20 mins. Cool slightly and puree in blender.

As it's a wet summer here and the garden is growing like crazy, I spent some time in it this morning with the help of my wonderful neighbour. I discovered a potato plant growing by my back door, and when I pulled it up there were several little white murphies. So we boiled them for lunch. P (my neighbour) calls them "volunteers". I am planning once all the weeds are cleared away to plant swiss chard, which grows very easily here. We call it silverbeet.

I went south 200 miles with some friends and met up with some more friends to have a feast and a gift exchange. I took some cream cheese and ginger sandwiches. Ironically we were meeting in a Catholic church hall but it didn't stop us committing the sin of gluttony. Several of us have resolved that we will fast every Friday next year. In my case, I think it will be a good plan to make every Friday a no spend day too, just to overcome lust for all those material goods.

I used to live in this town so went for a stroll round with my friends to see how things have changed. It seems a lot larger and there are a lot of new shops, all the big chains, which they are very proud of as sign of development. I came across one bookstore where they were giving away old posters. I got a couple with pictures of cookbooks on them, to put in my kitchen. Hmm, did I say I was fasting next year? For the moment, however, I will eat drink and be merry.

I have been learning about this group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact/

They have decided not to buy anything new except essentials like underwear for the next 12 months. A very good idea for saving the environment, and also for saving $$$. I support it in principle, but I think I've borrowed my neighbor's pruning saw often enough, so I bought one for $nz19.99 at a closing down sale. Also I did buy a very nice navy 2 piece at the Presbyterian Social Support shop for only $1.

First party of the month, a pot luck. I took along the crackers and dip, but there was so much food I wound up bringing it home again. As I am going to be on my own this Christmas, I have decided to invite all my single friends to my place and bring a dish.

As New Zealand is ahead of the rest of the world, I have finished the working week before everyone else!

Today I found 30 cents at the bus stop, and spent $nz1.20 coming home from work.

I went out for a potluck tea with some friends tonite. I made my lazy cook's fudge;

Melt 4 oz butter, stir in 2tbs sugar and 1 tbs cocoa powder. Cool slightly and beat in 1 egg. Crush one packet Girl Scout cookies and mix the butter with the crumbs. Press into a foil lined baking tin. Refrij for several hours (overnight if poss). Next day cover with chocolate icing and cut into squares.

As I had all the ingredients at hand it didn't cost me anything.

One of our supermarkets packages up its near-their-use-by-date frozen goods and sells them in $NZ5 mystery packs on Tuesdays. After a friend told me about it I thought I would check it out. I got a huge bag of peas, loads of beef patties, and a box of raspberries. I was quite plaesed. but I'm going to have to get a hustle on to eat in all in time and i think I may get a little sick of peas and patties. it would be a good buy if you had a family, but for a single person it is rather a lot.

I very rarely eat at fast food joints, but Burger King has been running a win-a-prize promo. A friend got a ticket for free fries which she gave to me as she was on a diet (I didn't ask her how she came to win the prize lol!). So I went to the mall for my fries. I haven't been to the food court in some time, and I was pleased to see a new Indian restaurant had opened up. I like Indian when i eat out. A curry fills me up nicely and is very cheap. I never want dessert after. So there is where I will go when I have my once a month splurge.

This weekend I attended a health camp arranged by my support group. It cost $NZ40 and I was involved in the organizing. $14 per person per night for accommodation, which left us $120 to buy groceries and cleaning supplies for 10 people for the weekend.

Breakfast: oatmeal, cornflakes, toast and jam, tinned fruit.
Lunch: eggs,cheese, tinned salmon, bread, baked scones.
Dinner: chicken, potatoes, pumpkin, coleslaw. Fruit pudding with icecream.
Snacks: bananas, kiwis, apples and everyone brought some cookies
Drinks: Coffee, tea, milk and powdered juice.

Everyone enjoyed it very much and there were no complaints. We even had leftovers for people to take home ( I got some margarine, kiwis and a pack of frozen mixed veg.) But it is becoming more and more difficult to find nice camps at a reasonable price. There are so many health and safety regulations passed by the govt, that it costs the owners a fortune to do the alterations. So increasingly, people are selling the traditional campground that families have stayed at for generations. There are a few left, mostly run by church groups for needy groups in the community, but I don;t know how much longer they'll be around.

I shopped for groceries today, mostly fruit and veg,potatoes, pasta, dates,flour and milk powder. It came to $18.25. as I will be at a community health camp this weekend, I didn't need so much. The checkout girl commented on how much I had for my money. The woman ahead of me had some diet coke and precooked chicken, then she wanted a carton of cigarettes, which took her bill to over $NZ50.

As I'm single and have a small house I can't stock too much bulk food. Besides I have no car so would struggle to get it all home. So what I do is buy one item for the store cupboard each week. I make sure it's something on special that I will really use, like canned tomatoes or teabags. Then, if I'm having a tight week, I make use of my supplies.

Today I made this recipe out of the pantry and frig.
Cook pasta and frozen peas. Make white sauce with half milk and half drained juice from canned pinapple. Add cottage cheese and pineapple to sauce and heat through. Combine.

Ten dollars! I found me a TEN DOLLAR bill just walking across the supermarket lot. There wasn't anyone in sight, so I put $1 from my wallet into the Blind Foundation collection box and then I bought:

eggs
lentils
carrots
cabbage
bread
peanut butter
cottage cheese
rolled oats

All very good value for money. Then I quickly scuttled to the bank and emptied my wallet into my savings account. $105.15 so far this month.

I have been laid low for the last 10 days, so have been watching more TV than I usually do. There is one ad that bugs the H@#$ out of me. This chef tries to make pumpkin soup for the family, but makes such a mess that he has to buy a can of Campbell's soup. Yeah right, it's so hard to make pumpkin soup that we have to buy expensive convenience foods instead. I was cooking entire dinners and baking bread when I was 12 years old. No wonder people are broke when they lack basic skills and have to buy everything. What do they do with the time they save? Watch more TV? Go shopping? Work harder so they can have enough money to pay for all the conveniences?

Hmmf, reminds me I have a whole pumpkin sitting in the frig. I'm off to make me some soup (and cheese scones - can't buy those in a can)

It has been raining steadily and there is flooding in some parts of the area. I decided not to go get groceries, but see if I could feed myself from what I had for a few days.

So tonight I cooked up this recipe:
Cook last of macaroni in package for a few minutes. Drain, reserving cup of cooking water.
Fry half an onion until golden, stir in 1 teaspoon curry powder. Toss in
Half a small rutabaga, chopped and
1 cup cooked red kidney beans, thawed from freezer.
Add the reserved pasta water, cover and simmer until tender. stir in the macaroni and heat through.

Grandma, who learned to cook in the Depression, would have been proud of me.

BTW, a lot of people never think of cooking rutabagas (we call them swedes here) but they are very cheap and nutritious. Use them often in soups and stews.

Over the last 3 weeks I have lost 8 lb. I have another 40 to go (currently 173) My secret is a vegetarian diet and no sweet or salty snacks - at least i don't buy them. I slip up occasionally when I'm having coffee at a friend's. I also do a lot of walking. Not only is the weight falling off, i'm saving money because I'm buying less treat foods. I just don't understand people who say dieting is expensive. Eat lots of oatmeal and beans - they are low in fats and very good for you. And you don't have to buy expensive fruit and veges, potatoes are just fine if you eat them without added fat.

You have to be very skeptical of manufacturer's claims about low fat foods. Most of them have a lot more added sugar which increases the calories. A good site to check out is www.fitday.com You can put in the foods you eat and it will calculate the calories and nutritional value for you.