Laceshawl's Personal Finance Blog

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.

I decided to cap my House maintenance fund at $2,800 so was able to transfer $100 to my EF.

Bought a loaf of bread $1.

Today I bought a circular needle, $7, and a ball of yarn, $3.90, in order to complete a project. I'm not kicking myself over it as I've only bought 5 balls so far this year. I unsubscribed from some websites as they send me emails about what's on sale and I want to buy. One of my favorite lines is being discontinued and I want to stock up all the lovely stuff on clearance. I keep telling myself there will be more lovely yarns when I'm ready to buy again.

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.

Left in my envelopes
food 0
misc $88
medical $198
change dish $4.50
mta vouchers $70
bus card $14.08

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.

I will be glad when spring arrives so I can go back to walking more. Spending quite a bit on bus fares.

I must be getting old. I have my regular cervical smear tests, been having mammograms for the last few years and now I'm being put on the bowel cancer screening program. I'm glad my dr is looking out for me but it's a bit alarming to think of all the unpleasant things that can befall me.

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 reduced my yarn stash by 400 grams today. Someone had given me some laceweight but when I tried to wind it into balls it was all deteriorated. It must have been sitting in someone's basement for years. So I threw it out. I hate wasting yarn but some things are not salvageable.

I went to see the Australian documentary The Song Keepers. I left my money at home so no popcorn, but it didn't seem appropriate while the choir was singing ancient hymns.

When I got home ds had taken pity on me heating water in the microwave and bought me an electric jug.

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.

I think I'm mildly addicted to spending. If I go 2 or 3 days without going to the shops I feel antsy and want to go see what there is and buy - something. Usually food but anything just to satisfy the urge. I think it's the power of handing over the money and getting whatever I want in exchange. Most of my purchases are small in dollar terms, but if there's a lot of them they add up. I'm considering having only one spending day a week, where I do all my shopping for groceries and anything else that's needed and pay the bills. The rest of the time stay out of stores. This will force me to make a list, which is the best way I know to save money.

I found a dime. Net gain as I didn't spend anything. I did find a book of lovely lace patterns at the library and spent some time drooling over the gorgeous yarns but didn't purchase anything. Not until my birthday.

I sold a child's vest I knitted for $15. I put the money in my Trans Siberian tin. Now I have $32.70.

Left in my envelopes
food zero
misc $107
medical $158
change dish $4.60
vouchers $70

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.

Today I volunteered at the Sallies. I came across 2 woolen sweaters which I could have unravelled to make charity items, but decided with the amount I already have it would take me months to get to doing it. Or if I do it right away something else will have to wait. I bought all that yarn with specific projects in mind and I should get around to doing them.

Payday. After 10 weeks drinking nothing but water I couldn't stand it any longer and bought 100 teabags for $4.

I stayed out of thrift stores today to avoid temptation. I nickle and dime myself to death in those places {but it's such fun finding bargains). I did go to the supermarket ans bought 5 reduced price bananas for $1.06 and a loaf of bread for $1. Also I found a dime.

I spent $14.30 on supplies for church morning tea and communion this Sunday. I used one of my mta vouchers and got cookies at the service station.

And I spent a dollar - yes, a whole dollar - on yarn at the thrift store. That was silly, I have loads already. I'm supposed to be cold sheeping this year i.e. not buying any yarn. Darn sheep bucked me off. Ah well, get back on and try again for the rest of the year.

I got given a free ticket to a concert by the Returned Servicemens's choir. Good hearty singing, fine soloists, all ending in a stirring rendition of The Battlehymn of the Republic. Normally when I go to a concert I'll treat myself to a glass of wine in the interval (I only drink on special occasions) but it cost $10, so I passed.

$9.40 spent on food this week. Left in my envelopes:
food $10
misc $90
medical $148
change dish 90 cents
bus card $16.20
mta vouchers $80

I found a nice pink top in the Orphans Aid shop. The devil posed as an angel - It's only $3! It's for a good cause! - but I resisted and put the $3 in my Trans Siberian tin.

It drizzled all day so I didn't go out. I stayed home and organised my yarn stash. Now all the yarn I have plans for is in project bags with the pattern The rest is sorted by color and weight. It's quite sobering to reflect on the hundreds of dollars I have in yarn, but it gives me hours of pleasure and makes useful things.

Today was my day to volunteer at the thrift store. They had some nice bags so I bought a black and white striped one for $2 as my old black one is pretty worn. I also put $1 from my misc envelope into my Trans Siberian money tin. Now I have $12.70. It's such a tiny amount to be saving compared to what I need, but I want to get started now rather than wait until all my other goals are met.

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 bought some B12 today, from my medical envelope as it is essential to vegan health. I can't get B12 in the supermarket so went to the pharmacy. 100 tablets for $22. I don't know why vitamins are so expensive here, but I have heard the cheap ones don't always contain the amount they should.

Also I put another $20 on my bus card. With the frost and drizzle we've been having I've been catching the bus more than usual. Roll on spring so I can walk in the sunshine.

And I got given some linen blend yarn. Think I'll make a lacy scarf for summer.

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.

$9.70 spent on food this week. Remaining in my cash envelopes:
food $0
misc $97
medical $140
change dish $3.30
go card $3.49
mta vouchers $80