I walked to Pak n Save and bought
sultanas $1.79
pasta 75 cents
lentils $2.15

I was too tired to walk back and it was starting to rain, so I caught the bus back $1.92.

For lunch I bought some bread rolls at New World from my Play jar $2.30. Have to wait until tomorrow for a whole $2 to spend on enjoying myself.

I was given some rhubarb, but had to buy sugar to cook it. $2.60.

Now that it is lighter longer I have started going to early morning meditation again. Afterwards the center gives us breakfast, so I just had marmelade on toast.

In: found 20 cents

Out:
bananas $2.11
bread roll 69 cents
coffee $2

left in my cash envelopes:
food $12
misc $110
medical $320
change dish $4.30
mta vouchers $30
bus card $20.03

Bought:
peanut butter $2.19
sultanas $1.79
pasta 75 cents
lentils $2.15

$3.27 interest credited to my EF for September. I'll take it.

I used the last of the aduki beans and nutritional yeast. I'm trying to use all the dried beans before I buy anny more cans.

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

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.

Today in my $6 produce bag I got: 2 apples, 2 kiwis, 2 oranges, 1 head broccoli, 2 large carrots, half a pumpkin and 4 onions. Not sure what I'll do with the onions, maybe give them to Food Share and ask the people at All Saints if they could leave them out in future.

It is kind of fun not knowing what I'll get in my bag but it does make meal planning a little tricky sometimes. I'll do it a while before I decide whether I prefer choosing for myself.

I also bought bananas, bread and peanut butter at New World $5.20. I am limited to the same dozen or so cheap items but that's ok as it's the food I grew up on and I like it.

Ugh, after 3 months spending only cash from my budgeted $20 for food, today I impulse whipped out the debit card and spent $3 on raspberry slice. Not a good purchase as it was terribly sweet and made me feel sick. I usually feel that way after eating sugar and try to avoid it, but sometimes I binge. I think I'm addicted as I feel better without it. Never mind, it could have been the $112 shawl kit I've been drooling over. I'll take the $3 out of this week's food money and put it in the Trans Siberian fund.

I took $3.10 from my change dish and bought 2 Turkish rolls and 6 brown spotted bananas for lunch because I couldn't be bothered cooking.

Spend day. I went to lunch with a friend, $6.60 from my misc envelopes. It is going down quite rapidly so will have to put the brakes on spending. I will need a new pair of shoes soon so will have to save for those.

I went to All Saints for more fruit and vege. I got half a cabbage, half a cauliflower, carrots, yams, apples, kiwifruit and oranges. Pretty good for $6.

Missed a few days for website maintenance, but all I have done moneywise is put another $20 on my bus card.

Tonight I went to a soup and poetry night nite and spent $4 ON BREAD ROLLS. love 'em. I could eat them all nite with pumpkin soup.

I still have several cans of beans and 2 packets of pasta. Looks like beans and pasta every day this week. Not complaining as I like it and I have different sorts of beans and veggies.

I withdrew my weekly $60 today and then I spent from the misc at the thrift store $5 on 2 skirts, 20 cents on a knitting pattern and $3 on a Greek-English lexicon. I did a course on New Testament Greek some years ago and am getting rusty. Time to ward off dementia by keeping the brain cells active.

I spent another $18 on trash saks (ok, that's more than $20 from misc this week). We have to buy the ones the city council puts out and they keep getting more expensive. User pays. When I was living alone I didn't use many but now ds is back he can really churn out the rubbish. Here's me trying to leave a clean planet to future generations and him what inherits it is messing it up.

I decided to buy my fruit and veggies from the All Saints co-op. Saves having to go to 3 different shops to get the best price and as the produce is fresh from the market the quality is better. They do a bag for a single person for $3, but I find it doesn't contain enough veggies for me, so I went with the $6 bag. I think it's easier to budget when I know I'll be spending the same amount every week.

Payday. I have decided to make Thursday my shopping day (in case there is a delay in my benefit going into the bank) so will withdraw money and hit the stores tomorrow.

I did give a koha of $1 at the Knit Squad today. We meet at the community rooms and today the community gardens had put a box of leeks there for people to help themselves. I didn't want to be greedy so only took one and made leek and potato soup for dinner which will last me 3 days.

I have been occupying myself with finding out how many cups of tea I can get from one teabag. I take it without milk and sugar so don't like it too strong. I can get 3 cups by putting the teabag in the cold water then heating it for 3 minutes in the microwave.

Bought peanut butter $2.29 and pasta 79 cents. Neither was on sale but I needed them. Otherwise a quiet day at home knitting a scarf with some of the fun fur I got given. I'm not enjoying the yarn and think I'll on donate the rest to the thrift store. Someone will like it.

Although I have only the weekly $20 in my wallet for some reason I was feeling flush today. So I spent $3 on frosted fruit buns and $2 on fries. I will regret it when I step on the scale, but for the moment I have a comfortably full tummy. I also bought for Sunday
hummus $2.69
milk $2.39
bananas $1.21
I have tried bringing various plant milks to morning tea. The younger people accept them but the older ones insist on their cow juice.

Payday. There are 5 paydays this month. I went to Veggie Boys and bought over 2 kilos of carrots for $2.49 and just under a kilo of kiwifruit for $1.87. I also went to New World and bought 2 liters of canola oil for $5. That's all I need for the rest of the week.

I transferred $300 from my check account to my emergency fund. Now up to $2,383.38

I got given some rhubarb today, but I'm running short of sugar. I bought a kilo of brown sugar for $1.99, and also a loaf of bread for $1, which I've half eaten already. 30 cents left in my change dish to last me till Wednesday.

The dentist sent me an appointment for a checkup, but I don't have quite enough in my medical envelope, so I cancelled it. I should be able to go in September.

I have finished one of the cabbages. I lasted 2 weeks. For a change I dug in the back of the cupboard and found a can of asparagus, which I had with macaroni.

Today I took some money from my change dish and bought
sultanas 1.79
lentils 2.15
tomato paste .79
I knew saving change would come in handy.

I also bought a Film Festival ticket for $12.50. There are several movies I'd like to see, but I narrowed it down to one: an Australian documentary about an aboriginal choir.

And I weighed myself. I am down to 79 kilos. I'd like to lose weight a little faster, but they say if you lose slowly it's more likely to stay off.

I wanted somethng dfferent from apples so bought 4 bananas for $1.36. I also bought some oats for $1.69 and peanut butter for $1.99.

I have received some free yarn. 4 balls of crochet cotton and 12 balls of fun fur. Not the sort of yarn I usually knit with, but at least it's vegan.

Another big box of apples for the taking at Artsenta today. It's a good thng I like them.

Meals today the same as the last 3 days:
breakfast: porridge, apples
lunch: tortilla with chutney
dinner: rice, lentils, cabbage, potatoes

The sugar and oil are getting low but I think they'll last till Friday.

Icouldn't sleep last night so watched YouTube videos on how to make perfect tortillas. Mine always turn out too thick.

And I'm out of peanut butter. Never mind, I can do without it for the next 6 days.

Payday. One seventh through my year challenge. Also DS's birthday. I offered to take him out to lunch but he spent most of the day snoozng. Hard to believe 35 years ago I pushed out a 9 pound pumpkin. The memory of the pain fades; the joy remains.

My goal for this week is to have 7 NSDs. That's right, a complete no spend week. I passed a couple of op shops today: one was advertising a dollar of everything, the other offered 2 tops for $2. I didn't go in. I already have 65 tops - ok, some of them don't fit but I'll lose weight I promise.


I still have lots of oats, rice, canned beans, cabbage and potatoes. Looks like I'll be eating the same thing everyday but that's ok.

Today is Bastille Day so DS invited me to share his baguette. He had his grilled with chicken and cheese, and I had mine with marmite and a cup of cocoa.

I have been looking at this website

New World had whole cabbages at $1.99 which is the cheapest I've seen in years. I bought one and I think I'll get another one, as it lasts for ages.