A friend has this old hand knitted jersey he's very fond of. He complained to me the cuffs and neckband were wearing out and asked if I could do something to mend it. They were quite ragged, so I unravelled them and knitted up new ones using some old wool I had. Result, one smart looking jersey. He was very pleased.

I think poeple who know these skills are going to be frequently called on in the coming months.

NSDs that is, if you don't count a direct debit to pay the credit union loan. The weather this week is horrible, yucky sleet and hail. I am not at all tempted to go out, so it looks like tomorrow will make it a hat trick. Of course I haven't received the electricity bill yet...

I briefly considered giving it up and drinking water, then I went and bought more coffee. nz2.50. I'll save on something else. No point having piles of money if I can't have what I like with some of the excess.

I have these periodic savings binges where I stop spending on virtually everything to save money, but that's not sustainable long term. I actually enjoy spending money on something I want, even if Depression-raised family voices keep telling me I should stick it under the mattress, in case I need it more later. I have no intention of being a multimillionaire centenarian full of regrets for how I deprived myself. So I'm planning to go on a retreat at Easter after my Lenten frugality.

Fourth one this month - an average of one a week. Will see if I can make it 8 nsd next month. The less often I'm in the shops, the less I'm tempted to spend.

Guess where I had breakfast this morning? At the casino! I won a $10 meal voucher on the radio, so had myself a very nice plate of bacon and eggs. I have never been in a casino before. It was all very ornate gold decoration, but not many people playing at that time of the morning. There were quite a number of senior citizens. I wonder if they play the pokies, or were just there for a cheap meal. I didn't try any of the machines, I'm sure it's far too easy to get addicted.

You are supposed to get dressed up to enter, so I had my smartest top on, but I observed a lot of people who looked quite casual. The idea is to deter people who can't afford to lose, but I don't think it works. Last year there was a case of a professional woman who gambled away millions of dollars embezzled from her employer, and no doubt she was very smartly dressed.

As I was leaving a priest came in. My imagination ran riot - it must be very good to go to a casino if you are a writer.

abeautiful day, hard to believe we are in the middle of winter - it is almost like spring, with the primulas coming out. We have been very lucky with the weather, a gorgeous Indian summer and a mild winter, apart from one very nasty week of sleety stuff. If this is global warming, bring it on!

When I say I work for a power company, peopele immediately start moaning about how high their electricity bills are. Of course they are all convinced they don't use much power. If they were to go around their house and make a list of all the items they have that run on electricity, they would be surprised. Since beginning this job I have learned the importance of reading the meter daily. Once you know what your usage is, if you find you get a higher use (mine is at weekends) then you can think about what you are doing differenctly.

And if you're still convinced that it's not you - there's something wrong with the meter, here's a test you can do. Go round and switch off all your appliances, incl your hot water. Then switch off at the mains. Wait for 10-15 mins and the little disk should stop moving. If it's still going there may be a fault with the meter, but usually faulty meters slow down or stop. Switch back on, then plug in your applicances one at a time, checking the dial between each new one. If you find the dial really speeds up when you plug something in, you need to look at getting a more efficient model. Hope this advice helps.

Didn't blog yesterday because I was late back. It was raining in the morning and I had some wet washing, but I didnt use the dryer - I put it all on the clothes horse, then lit the fire, using wood chopped from my trees, and also cooked lunch on top of the stove.

Im the evening I went to a barbecue, having made quiche and beetroot salad. After eating we watched Jailhouse Rock. Elvis plays a character who wants money above all else, but learns the hard way that love is more important. I have to go out more now that I live alone, but I'm keeping the entertainment down to such simple things, rather than big screen movies and restaurants.

This morning I was listening to the radio and this Chinese herbalist said NOT to use shampoo to wash your hair. She claimed all that is necessary is to wash it in water in the shower every morning. Well, I'm always on the lookout for tips to save money, so I'll do as she suggested and give it a month's trial. I have very fine problem hair and have spent a lot on fancy shampoos over the years. I wonder if many other listeners will give it a go - there could be a dip in shampoo sales for the holidays!

Today was a no spend day. I looked through my coin collection of foreign money I recieved in change or found under parking meters. I have

$16.85 Australian
6.03 US (plus a Kennedy half dollar - are those legal tender?)
2.70 Singapore
10 rupees Indian
1.91 Canadian
Stg3.50 UK
4.50 Fijian

plus coins from Austria, Falkland Islands, Samoa, Eire, France, Indonesia, Netherlands, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Switzerland, Hungary, Israel, Denmark, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

Be nice if I could get to all those countries to spend the money.

This weekend I went to the Oamaru Victorian Heritage celebrations. Had a lot of fun, including a history lecture in the basement of a whiskey distillery. There were horse drawn carriages, people riding penny farthing bicycles and lots of people dressed up in 19th century costume. The highlight was a tea in the park, with tea poured from silver teasets, and cucumber sandwiches and scones with jam and cream. Yummy, and as it was an outing with my support group it didn't cost me anything.

Of course I know that back in those days it really was a lot of hard work, which is why most people were dressed up as ladies and gentlemen rather than servants, but it is fun to pretend once in a while.

...saves nine, as granma always used to say. I was so peeved about that library fine, I took a couple minutes to sign up to

libraryelf.com. I'd been told some time previously this was available and kept meaning to get round to it. Procrastination has cost me money!!
Those of you bothered by returning books on the due date, check to see if your local library is linked to it.

I have been told of a free community college course I am eligible for, doing computing. i thik I'dlike to get my typig speed up to 60wpm with less errorrs!!! Owing to the lack of flexibility in all my joints and limbs this may be difficult, but there are good jobs out there for speedy typists. I also want to do web design, MYOB and payroll. that should get me a wider range of temping jobs. I found a free trial version of TypingMaster, the same one used by the college, so am practicing 30 minutes every day at home. The advantage of going down to college is someone else pays for the heating!!

Woah, didn't realise time whizzed by so quickly, been waiting for something interesting to post about, as my daily spending gets mundane (milk, bread, busfare...)

Our local supermarket has one of those noticeboards where people can post ads. Today I was browsing it and I saw the following:

For Sale: Would your little girl like a walking talking Fifi doll? (unwanted birthday present) $20. Phone XXX

Well, I admit I've regifted a few unwanted presents in my time, but I'm usually careful to post them to the other end of the country. Selling a child's birthday gift seems a bit on the nose to me. Or - maybe the parents gave it and the child didn't want it? But in that case why didn't they return it to the shop? There's a story in there somewhere, any writers among us care to have a go at it?

Today was knit group. I walked in and behold! - a sale. If I had been armed with a credit card I could have run amok snatching up bagsful of gorgeous mohair for only nz$4 a ball. However I controlled myself and sat down to work on the project I had brought with me, firmly telling myself I had plenty in my stash. Even at the table I was not immune from temptation - of a different sort. There were chocolate coated cookies most ruinous to slim figures.

So I made myself some Catch 22 rules:
1. If I resist buying yarn, I am allowed to have a cookie.
2. If I resist eating a cookie, I am allowed to buy some yarn.
3. see rule 1.

My salvation came in the stash box. Our group keeps a box for people to donate their odds and ends, so I dug through and found enough to knit a couple hats for charity (we knit from the stash box for the Women's Shelter). That will satisfy my new project urge for a while.

So I made it through the morning without succumbing to the mohair siren call. On the way home I passed the freebie box outside the Sally Army - and Hallelujah! A whole stack of McCalls magazines, dating from the 50s, 60s and 70s, just chocka with vintage patterns. They are too tattered to sell, but I am having great fun going thru them. I had a sort of cross between a giggle and a sigh when I got to 1972 - I was at high school then, and all the girls were crocheting fringed granny square vests, batik dying skirts and all the rest of it. We thought we were so trendy - if you ever wanted to be assured fashion is a waste of time and money, look back to the clothes you had to have when you were young.

So another no spend day. So long as the freebies keep flowing, the going is easy.

The Public Library booksale was this weekend. It was so big, it was held in the basement carpark instead of the usual room. There was a barbecue and coffee for sale. I'm not sure how many tables of books there were, but I was a bit overwhelmed. Instead of the usual ooh-bargains-goody response, I was thinking to myself; these are all the must-have books of yesteryear - do I really need them now? OK they were 50 cents each instead of $10-15, but it's still spending money I could save for something else, and cluttering up my home with more stuff.

In the end I only bought 3 books, as gifts for other people (hint, if your friends don't like 2nd hand books, get some new friends). I am now resolved to become a serendipity reader; I will read the books that find their way into my life, instead of forever trying to find that ONE book that will transform my life. There will always be another bestseller and a new how-to-fix-your-life book.

Actually, I'm now into free ebooks and classics. The Gutenberg Project is great, and stored on my computer they don't take up space. Plus, it is the one way I can read and knit at the same time.

Today I visited the University library at which I have alumna borrowing priveleges. There was a display of rare books, including an 1822 biography of Napoleon and a first edition of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary. He was a character who came up with his own opinionated definitions. The book was open at the one which reads: "stockjobber (ie broker) a low wretch who makes his living buying and selling shares." Given the unregulated market of his day, he was likely correct.

I took out a book on Salt, Health and Diet by a couple of medical professors. I'm finding some fascinating information about the history of salt and the role it played in the economy, as well as the effect on the body. Some snippets:

- Salt is not necessary in the diet. Many primitive tribes don't use it.

- The top cause of death in the 19th Century was apoplexy, or stroke, caused by high blood pressure from eating so much salt preserved food.

- Salt played a role in the South losing the Civil War. They didn't have enough to preserve the meat the troops ate, so the Confederate soldiers were starving and couldn't fight well.

- Manufacturers add more salt, and MSG, to cheap meats like sausages and luncheon meats because it is largely mechanically recovered ground meat and fat, and doesn't have much flavor. Another reason is that salt can absorb more water so they can make it more cheaply.

- Salt makes you thirsty so that is why bars serves salty snacks and fast food giants serve soft drinks. Many manufacturers of salty snacks also own soft drink concerns.

- Cutting down on salt in your diet helps you lose weight. Part of it is loss of body fluid, and also because you are cutting out high calorie foods like chips.

The other book I borrowed was Planet India: How the Fastest Growing Democracy Is Transforming America and the World by Mira Kamdar. Only flicked thru this, but it deals with the effects of jobs offshore on Americans, the rise of the Indian middle classes and the impact of technology on their economy, and the consequences on the poor Indian villages and the landless who flock to the cities for work. Having seen this at first hand myself, I look forward to reading what an Indian economist has to say about it.

Heh, I'm getting the equivalent of another degree - for free. Oh, and found 40 cents coming back across campus. Think I'll start a running tally in the side bar.

Now as a thrift store habituee I must admit I don't pay much attention to fashion, I just buy what I like. But a couple of gentle hints have been dropped that I am a little bit - uh, showing that I'm now in late youth and still wearing the clothes that were popular in my - trendier years. Important to dress for success if I'm job hunting! And since losing weight I need new clothes anyway.

So I decided to spend some time browsing the Main Street stores, then I'd know what to look for - in the thrift stores, of course. Well! I found some of the clothes pretty enough, but the prices! Oh me, my wallet would have a heart attack if it had to pony up over nz$20 for a few flimsy bits of material poorly sewn together. Some of those things look like they will become shredded rags the first time they are laundered.

So I left the teenagers to it and checked out the higher end of town, where the succesful business women shop. Now there was some really nice stuff, well made - but nz$120 for a simple black top with some beads sewn on? Reminds me of when I was a teenager; we used to get a plain T shirt and applique or embroider a motif on it ourselves rather than pay for a fancy one. Now I still have some cheap jewellry from India, so I was thinking I will just get a basic top and sew the beads on myself - come to think of it, why not just wear a plain top with a pretty necklace? You wouldn't need to worry about beads coming unsewn and blocking the pump!

I don't think I'll spring too much for a new wardrobe until I know what sort of job I get, but best dressed working women I know told me to go for basic black with a few solid colors - much easier to coordinate and saves time having to make deicsions. In the meantime I've borrowed Trinny and Susannah and Stacy and Clinton from the library as they haven't yet arrived at my front door with $$$ and a team of stylists to make me a knockout.

Oh and a NS day - second in a row - plus I found 80 cents.

I went to a 50th party and ran into an old college friend. She complimented me on my new trim figure (tho the way I was eating the weight will go back on soon!) She told me about a new diet she'd heard of - the free food diet. You only eat if someone gives you food, not buy any. She reckoned it was doable in her case as she and her hubby go to so many business and social events where food is provided. Just think of the money you'd save on groceries and dining out!

Out of curiosity I kept an eye out for free food as I went back home across the campus. You wouldn't believe the amount of partly eaten burgers, fries, sandwiches, pizzas, fruit etc, which I'd be happy to grab if I were a street child in Mumbai. Also saw a couple of well known winos collecting bottles and cans. Also found $1 which I did pick up. These are the kids which are forever whining about their student loans.

When I got home a neighbor had left some windfall apples and walnuts for me. Now those I was happy to take.

Oh and I totalled up the amount of food I'd eaten at the party on fitday.com - 3508 calories! Maybe this free food diet could wind up being fattening ...

Had a job interview yesterday which I felt went quite well. It is a reception position for a gym - with a free gym membership thrown in! The only snag is it starts at 6 am. Still, we shall see, I have a couple other applications in the pipeline.

I mislaid my library card the other day and was cursing because it costs $4 to replace - but it turned up at the bottom of another bag.

Work and Income recently insisted I owed them money and had to pay it back at $10 a week, but now admit that it was an error on their part. Phew - I was thinking I'd have only nz$20 for groceries.

The Salvation Army thrift store at the bottom of the street has a free box outside. This morning I checked it and got 2 free books - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, and Deadlock by Sara Paretsky. I shall be in the height of luxury this evening, soaking in a hot bath with a cup of coffee and reading of gruesome murder.

...or does it? I got this email offer

"Have you ever dreamed about owning a piece of a big company? Too expensive? How about ownership without paying a penny...ever? Too good to be true? No! Amazing and unique? Yes! Totally legal and fully disclosed? Yes! Join us and own a piece of the next big Internet company - completely free forever! You will even get a $10.00 sign up bonus, free downloads, and a contract assuring you of ownership . Totally free - now and forever!"

And BTW, my family also owns a castle in Ireland I'd like to sell you, complete with title of Count.

Being committed to debtfree living, I have done quite well without a credit card for the last few years. I guess not running up debts is a good way to avoid credit card solicitations, for I seldom get them. So I was surprised to recieve in the mail this morning a preapproved credit card offer with -gasp!- a limit of $nz4500. It took me all of 2 seconds to realise that this is the Westpac bank I have $18000 invested with, so they were likely banking (sorry for the pun) on grabbing my assets if I default. They obviously don't know the smallness of my income. Up until recently in NZ you had to have a decent sized income to apply for a card from a bank, but they have become much pushier.

The presentation was ridiculous, with blather about my star sign and how they'd matched me in heaven. It wasn't all that great a deal either, with an initial 6 month offer of 6.99%, going up to 12.65%. Fees of 32.50, and 13.95% on cash advances. I did have a credit card when I travelled overseas, but I already had the money saved up and paid it all off at once. I will say, if I had a spare $4,500, I would travel to visit ds in England, but I'd be looking for a card with plenty of airpoints.

Actually, I'm thinking that maybe the best thing to do is take my CD money, and invest it in Westpac bank shares. They must be making a huge profit.

We are having brilliant hot weather this month. Unfortunately it also means there are lots of wasps around. Australian ones with a very nasty sting. I found 2 nests in my garden and rang the pest exterminator, but he is so busy he couldn't come for a few days. A woman in my church told me to get rid of them by pouring gasoline on them. So this evening when it was dark and they were all in the nest, I sneaked out with a funnel and a pint of gas and poured it in. Hope it works, as it's certainly a lot cheaper than paying someone to do it.

Ran out of cash on Saturday except for the change jar. I was determined not to get some more from the bank, so have been entertaining myself by knitting, gardening, and looking for recipes to use what was in the pantry. You know what, I haven't missed going round the shops at all, and am feeling quite proud of myself. Makes me wonder how often I have bought something just becuase the money was in my pocket. I reckon I could go for quite a long time paying for just food, keeping a roof over my head, essential transport and medical expenses. I have no desire to rush out and see the latest movie, or even hire a DVD - I am quite content to wait until it shows on TV. I will admit I am fortunate to live in a college town, as I can get to attend free open lectures on various subjects, and concerts performed by music students. Mostly tho, I just enjoy sitting round chatting with friends at potlucks. Seems like so few people have time to do that anymore - all working flat out to pay for their toys and restaurant meals.

My designated day for withdrawing weekly cash is WEdnesday, so will see if I can last till then. Tonight I made cauliflower in peanut sauce.

This year I am going to be saving money by making gifts instead of buying them. I'm trying to use what I have rather than getting more supplies. I saw one idea in a magazine which was amulet pouches. an amulet is a lucky charm that you carry on you. So I thought I would make little bags to put round people's necks, and inside put a foreign coin from my collection. Then I tell people it will make them lucky! Maybe I could even make them to sell at craft fairs.

The other thing I noticed was some of the Pacific Island women use strips of plastic supermarket bags to weave and crochet summer hats. So I'm thinking of using that idea and knitting shoulder bags.

Today our town had its annual market day, known as Thieves' Alley. It is a fun occasion with street entertainers, ethnic food, handcraft, second hand and bake stalls. The crowds were too busy for me to get thru, so I looked round the edges. I was a bit disappointed as they seemed to be mostly cheap imported clothing and jewellry. I did see some native plant seedlings for $2 each, but decided I would plant my veggie garden first. There were also some used book stalls, but I kept telling myself they were only after my money, and it was better in my pocket than theirs. I watched a display of belly dancing. Then I found a total of 70 cents on the ground, so decided I would take it home.

This morning I went to the knit group which I was not able to do while working. For me it is a bit like walking into the lion's den, as it meets in our LYS (local yarn store). I am surrounded by lovely wool but so far have resisted the temptation to buy until I have used up my stash. They were all very pleased to see me. In my next job I think I will tell the employer I need to go to knitting therapy that morning because of my disability!

Last month the store had a window display of some of the work we had produced, and I had a grey lace shawl. The store owner told me a lot of people had admired it and asked for the pattern. It came out of a book I bought for $2 in a thrift store, so she suggested I photocopy it and sell it for 50 cents a sheet. I had to tell her that breaks the copyright law, but gave her the name of the book. I have seen it available second hand on the Net.

I finished off a pair of black fingerless gloves, and think I will use a few colored scraps to Swiss darn a motif on them.

As the motivational speakers keep telling us, it's all about spotting an opportunity in the market.

http://www.bebabean.com/products/pptp.aspx

I got wet a few times when ds made like a fountain, before I got the knack of strategically placing a cloth. If I'd been an entrepreneur I could have thought of this. Maybe there is a chance for me to knit custom orders? You skinflints who make your own from scraps are ruining creative business ideas.

Have to admit they are hilarious tho. I'd be tempted to order if I had a new grandson.

Oh- I just spotted a new opportunity. Once these catch on, I'll create a line of cards for new dads to send to grandma: "Mom, I'm sorry I peed on you."

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.

A warm breezy day so I hung the laundry on the line to dry. I called on a friend and we went for a drive to the harbour. We sat and watched the windsurfers and ate the peanut butter and banana sammies we'd brought. It was so peaceful and I was thinking of all the millions in the world who would love to change places with me. Of course there are all the people in starving wartorn countries, to whom it would seem a millionaires life: but also there are high earners driven by a desire to make millions so then they can afford to retire and live a laidback life in a lovely place like this . When I first came back from India I got very annoyed with people who are always complaining about how hard up they are. Don't they realise that in the game of life, they already won the lottery? But I guess when they don't know how to be grateful for what they already have, they'll always be wanting more and never have enough.

Not, in this case, the financial kind. The cushions on my sofa are getting really worn and shabby, so I decided it was time to make some new ones. I've been keeping an eye out round the thrift stores and snapping up odds and ends of material. They won't match, but it seems every time I look at a Homes and Gardens time mag at the library, the posh homes have a variety of cushions. The old inners are still in good condition, so all I needed was thread and velcro fasteners. I went to Spotlight today. OOOH so many lovely things - wouldn't a duvet cover be nice! Just look at those floor rugs! And - gasp! - the most beautiful dark red Cleckheaton 8 ply, just begging to be made into a sweater, all for me. I could get it for only $50...

I put my head down, got exactly what I intended to come in for, paid for it (ignoring the blandishments of the sales assistant to get their store card) and exited. So I will make my cushion covers this weekend with my financial cushion intact. HA. Will power!

It's summer here in New Zealand.Time for picnics on the beach. I have a ton of food in the pantry and frig so will see if I can do without buying any groceries until New Year.

The Christmas shopping madness is over - hey! I had a no-spend day on Dec 25!- and the bargain hunting season now begins. I could go along to the sales and get all the gifts and decorations for next year at reduced prices. But I have decided to join The Compact and buy nothing new for 12 months. My electric jug promptly celebrated this decision by springing a leak, but I can boil water in a pan.

Of course, I will still purchase essentials like socks and underwear when the old ones wear out, but in general, I'm going to try to make everything I have last for a year, or buy 2nd hand. I'm also cutting back on dining out and entertainment, tho this is not usually a big spend area for me. There is an interesting book called Not Buying It by Judith Levine, who restrained from consumer madness for a year. I think she overdid it and got too frustrated, but in general, I will be reducing my shopping to just the essentials of life. I am thinking it would be a good idea to sponsor a child in a Third World country with some of the savings. This will help me keep a perspective.