left in my cash envelopes:
food $5
misc $105
medical $295
change dish $2.80
mta vouchers $40
bus pass $20.03

I received notification I have been given a $630 rebate on my property taxes. I will have to pay the full quarterly amount in December, but I will only owe around $300 for the last 6 months of the year.

I had $405 left in checking so transferred $300 to the EF. Over a third of the way to my goal.

One third of the challenge done. I bought a ring at the thrift store for $6. I didn't need it but it is pretty and I'll get years of wear from it.

I borrowed Jesse Mecham's You Need a Budget book from the library and had a look at the tutorial for the program. It seems a bit daunting, I think it would work well for accounting nerds and spreadsheet geeks. My finances are quite simple so the free EveryDollar and the cash envelopes work well for me. The app doesn't work in this country so no point paying for it.

I did like the idea of aging your money, building up cash reserves so you're not spending this month's paycheck this month. This is actually what I have been doing in my bill paying account. I did a quick calculation and realised I have enough in there to pay the bills for 3 months if the money stopped coming in. So I transferred the excess $181 to the EF, which is is there for disasters like the house burning down.

Payday. I stocked up on oats, $5.10, and potatoes, $7 for 10kg, as they were on sale. I also paid the Regional Council rates, $141.60.

I like to make frequent contributions to my goals, even if they are small. If a week goes by without some progress I get twitchy. Today I found a dime to put to my Trans Siberian fund; I now have $87.

Also I was walking back home when I passed a house with a box of food at the gate marked FREE. I took a can each of green peas, pineapple and pasta sauce.

Winter is having a last little kick so I stayed home and binge watched Dave Ramsey on Youtube. I recommend the debt free screams for anyone who's trying to pay off loans. They made me all tingly and I've been debt free for 15 years. I'm not so impressed by the ones who pay off a huge amount on a big income, but every so often you get a single mom on a low income who's paid off her house.

One thing bugs me, when Dave tells people they should fix their mortgage interest rate, where are you going to find a lender stupid enough to fix for 15 years at these low rates? In this country you can only get 3 years fixed, at a higher rate, and there are heavy penalties for paying it off early.

Now it is getting lighter early in the morning I have started going to meditation again. After they provide us with breakfast. I just had a couple slices of toast with peanut butter.

Left in my cash envelopes:
food $6
misc $106
medical $275
change dish $1.20
mta vouchers $40
bus pass $20.03

stayed at home and did the laundry so a no spend day

I went to Pak n Save to buy a few things, but it took me ages because they have reorganised the layout and gotten rid of some lines. In the end I bought:
bread 4.00
soy milk 3.90
peanut butter 2.19
sultanas 1.79
pasta .70
hummus 2.69

On the way back I paased Toffs which was having a $2 an item sale. I didn't go in to see what they had. As a very successful businessman in our church is fond of saying, it's not a bargain at any price if you don't need it.

I bought another $6 bag of produce at the All Saints co-op: chard, carrots, a leek, apples oranges and kiwifruit.

In:
benefit $289.50

Out:
bananas $1.54

In:
found $1

Out:
bread roll 70 cents

I am not very sucessful at the one spend day a week. I find it too tiring to do all my errands and shopping on the same day. Today I bought a top in the Orphans Aid charity shop for $3.50. Since I didn't really need it I put an equal amount in my Trans Siberian money tin. I now have $72.30 in there. All those small amounts add up.

Spent:
oats $5.10
flour $1.60
pasta 70 cents

My travel account had built up more than $5,000 so I transferred $300 to the EF. I now have over $3,000.

left in my cash envelopes:
food 0
misc $93
medical $258
change dish 70 cents
mta vouchers $50
bus pass $21.95

A fine sunny day, so I line dried the laundry. Then I went for a walk and on the way bought myself a packet of chips. What I gain on the swings I lose on the roundabouts. I shall have to tighten the purse strings to save for Christmas. I am actually thinking I will be buying gifts in India and giving them when I get back.

I looked at my watch this morning and thought it said 8.45. I hurriedly caught the bus, looked at my watch again, and found I was in town an hour early. I couldn't think of anything better to do than have a coffee in a breakfast cafe. Not only did it cost $3.50, because I haven't drank coffee in ages, it tasted disgusting.

Today I yielded to my New Zealand middle aged female rite of passage and had my hair cut short. A friend did it for me so it didn't cost me anything.

So far my $20 challenge has been going well. If things keep going well I can see myself continuing this until my EF reaches the goal. I'm still planning to go to India in December, so will be taking a 4 week break, but the money for it will come from my travel fund.

I was walking down the street when the wind blew a $20 note past me. I can't run much but I sure scuttled halfway down the road to catch it. Another 20 bucks for my EF.

The weather is getting warmer. I've been able to leave the heat pump off for the last 3 days, so this month's power bill should be lower.

Left in my cash envelopes
food $4
misc $100
medical $238
change dish $2.30
mta vouchers $60
bus card $3.87

It's true: you can get used to anything, including eating the same thing every day. I have been eating pumpkin for the last week and I'm still enjoying it.

Bought 2 bread rolls $1.38, and 6 brown bananas $1.74.

For some reason I had difficulty logging in to the blog, it kept sending me to the forums.

A local yarn store is closing down at the end of the month, but so far I have resisted going to bag bargains. There are 2 better stores remaining.

Bought 2 cans of baked beans at 70 cents each.

Yesterday at the thrift store I spotted a nice top but decided I didn't really need it. I thought about it last night and went back this afternoon to have another look, but it was gone. Phew. $2 saved and into the Trans Siberian fund.

So I'm walking past the bakery and my debit card jumped out of my wallet, ran inside and came back out with a slice of lolly cake. So of course I had to eat it.

I have to start leaving my debit card at home and changing my walk home so I don't go past the bakery.

And every time I blow my budget put an equal amount into savings.

I have calculated that I am currently spending a total of $210 a week. Multiply by 13 and that is $2,730. So I already have 3 months of stringent living expenses in my EF. I want it up to $10,000 to cover any major house repair expenses or having to fly overseas to sick family members.

I had $362.85 left in my checking account so transferred $300 to the EF and left the rest as a buffer. If I can keep saving $300 a month I will hit my goal in 2 years.

Left in my envelopes at the end of this week:
food $2
misc $83
medical $208
change dish $2
mta vouchers $70
bus card $7.35

I paid my quarterly rates (council property tax) $492.32. Almost 6 months of food budget. Costs me more to keep a roof over my head than it does to eat.

It's been a frustrating day. I was binding off on a shawl when I realised I'd made a horrible mistake near the beginning. Nothing to do but frog and start again. Takes me 20 minutes to do one row.

And I'm coming down with a cold.