I walked past my local Member of Parliament's office this morning, down by the campus. Outside was a gold coin lying on the ground, but it turned out to have been glued by some student. I laughed and went on my way, but coming back, I saw it was gone. Someone more determined than me had prised it up.

When you make a determination to save, the money gremlins will throw more expenses at you, to see if you're committed. I went to pick up a prescription this morning, and learned it will now cost an extra $5 a week. Hmm, not too many areas left where i can tighten my belt ... I'll figure out something. Just have to focus on needs, not wants.

Anyway, I put another $10 in the Christmas Club. Now have $36.25

My new house is much closer to the shopping center. I am only 2 minutes from the supermarket, and there are various restaurants. i find I keep dashing over for food, a bottle of milk in the morning and then back in the afternoon for veges for dinner. This is not a good idea, the more I am in the more I am tempted to pick up bits at the deli, etc. Remember the saving rule is also the waistline rule; stay away from temptation.

All the moving is completed and the boxes slowly being unpacked. Owing to a glitch by the phone company I was without phone or internet for several days, but now all is well. I have paid all bills relating to the house and move and was left with $1000 which I have transferred to my FFEF. The lawyer tells me there will be about $6000 left over from the sale of my old house, so it should be up to $10,000 soon.

whatever you celebrate. I found 20 cents on my way back from church this morning. Wishing you all lots of pennies in your stockings.

Wow, it's been over 2 years since i last posted. I've been pottering along, not getting any poorer, not getting any richer. Health a bit worse and i had to quit my job. I did get to make another trip to Britain this year, paying cash. Since then I've been saving for legal expenses and moving costs, since I planned to move.

Well, now the house is sold, unfortunately for less than i hoped, but I was able to buy without having to borrow any more. I will be moving on January 15. The house requires some renovation, so I will be saving for that and doing a little at a time, paying cash.

Now as to my saving plans, I have been overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I have as I prepare to shift, particularly my wardrobe and the amount of my crafting supples. I don't need to spend any more money on clothes and yarn next year, so I decided I would have a year long spending fast, only buying essentials, like groceries, underwear and busfares. No movies (I still have a ton of ds' dvds I haven't watched), no eating out, no gift buying (everyone is getting handcrafted).

Sound tough, but I know I can do it, because at the end of 2015 I'm planning another trip to India. I have seen how the poor people live there, and if I stay grateful for having enough to eat, a roof over my head, power and running water, and all the other things we take for granted, I'm not going to miss the stuff I don't have.

This is my resolution, but I'm not waiting until January 1 to start. All my holiday spending is done, so I am stopping spending NOW!!

I had to have a fasting blood test this morning and am cranky from missing my coffee

I have decided to stop drinking coffee, or at least cut back. I drink several strong cups a day and it isn't doing me any good. I have tried going cold turkey before and it was awful. This time I'm weaning myself of it gradually. Looking for an improvement in my health, besides saving money.

I was determined to make today an NSD, so deliberately didn't take any cash or debit card with me to work today. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten I was supposed to be meeting a friend for coffee after work, so I had to borrow $3 off a coworker (turned down the offer of money for a sandwich).

Technically I suppose you could say it was still a NSD - I didn't spend any of my own money. But now I'm back in debt!

there'd be no trade for tinkers, as granny used to say. My little saucepan has sprung a leak after 35 years of almost daily use. It saw me thru boiling eggs in student days and heating milk for ds' cocoa, plus making gravy every Sunday. When granny was a young housewife in Dublin she really did take the pan to the tinker to be mended, but there's not much chance of finding one nowadays, so I am mentally preparing for sticker shock when I go to buy a new one. I doubt if I will find one that lasts another 35 years either.

I thought my broadband seemed slow. I'm on a plan that allows me to use 1 gig (I don't download much) before reverting to dialup speed. Now the ISP has sent me a letter saying their little whizzometer has miscalculated the amount I've been using over the last six month. Their apologies and they're crediting my account with nz$66

I bought 10 pairs to travel to Britain and there are none left in my drawer. The underwear I also bought made it back home ok, so I can't have left a trail of dirty sox in hotel rooms. Where can they have gone?

In
UB $130
found .50


Out
grocery 25.70

Fortunately I haven't been sick, but there has been a lot going on and I haven't had time to blog.

My dad passed away soon after the earthquake. In many ways it was a relief as he was getting to the stage where he couldn't recognize us. Dealing with grief has been complicated as he was an alcoholic and at times could be abusive. I try to remember the good times.

He left us quite a bit of money which I am expecting to be paid around November. I have to work out what to do with this. It is enough to provide several thousand a year in extra income but not enough to retire on.

And I took a trip to Britain last month. I had a fabulous time seeing ds and various relatives I haven't seen since childhood, looking at cathedrals and castles in England, Wales and Ireland. I blew my budget but it is worth every cent.

And a further change coming up - I will be losing my pt cleaning job at the end of the year as the Early childhood centre is closing.

So, need to make some plans and get back to watching the pennies.

It's official. According to Mr Bill English, he what hold the nation's moneybags, the economy is slow to recover because people are saving money instead of spending. Guilty as charged, your honour. He went on to say that under current circumstances it behooves the govt to be fiscally responsible and not go on a big spendup. Okay, so it's important for the govt to balance its budget - and they want me to go into debt to buy stuff? I'm only doing with my cash what the Treasury does.

Iwent out to dinner with some friends last nite - all you can eat for nz$17. After we'd stuffed ourselves with mains, one guy wanted to go out for a smoke. So I said if he quit tobacco I'd quit sugar - so no dessert for me!!! He didn't think that was a big enough sacrifice and asked if I'd give up coffee. Hmm, the difficult I am willing to try, but the impossible... we will see. After I've been a month without sugar and he keeps up the nonsmoking, I will find another smoking friend and trade giving up coffee.

I made my annual trip to the movies last night. I saw Wall Street; money never sleeps. A good movie, but my gosh I am getting old. All I could think was that Michael Douglas looks incredibly like Kirk, and most of the younger actors I'd never heard of.

There are notices in the supermarkets saying because of the earthquake affecting the distribution center in christchurch, there may be shortages of some items. The only thing I noticed a bit low was some brands of canned fish. No sign of people stockpiling or panic buying so far. I have my little store of crackers and beans.

The street light just down from my house has gone out. I could have run the city council but didn't bother. Last night someone took advantage of the darkness to steal my letterbox. Too many drunken students round here who think that sort of thing is a prank. I'm thinking of nailing up an old beer crate in its place. And I'll start being the sort of citizen who rings up the council and complains.

Did a good turn today. I was walking down the street when the guy ahead of me dropped a $20 note, so I returned it to him. The Universe must be offering me a chance to create good karma. I will take my return in cold hard cash thanks. The next money I find dropped is for me.

There was a car parked down at the bottom of the street this morning. As I went past a young chap had a primus stove on the front passenger seat and was cooking himself some instant noodles. He seemed quite cheerful and asked me if I had any change. Who'da thunk living in ya car could be so comfortable?

today is my birthday and I found a gift outside the pet shop. A wallet containing over nz$200 plus some foreign cash. Nice if it had been mine, but of course I handed it in. I guess it was some tourist and I wouldn't want to spoil their holiday. Then I went and had pizza and a beer with a friend with a clean conscience.

My umbrella, that is, which I paid $15 for last month. It was leaking already too.

What to do? Buy another cheapie on the theory that if it goes at least it wasn't an expensive one. How do you know before trying it that it's a good quality one? Goes off to search for consumer reports on umbrella makes...

The cornmeal curse continued last night with me boiling dry the beans, but didn't burn the pot too badly.

I went to the art center where I remembered I still owed them some money for jewellry materials. Noone could figure out the exact amount so I gave them nz$9. Now I can say truly I don't owe nuttin' to nobody.

They played a movie at lunchtime and provided food to eat, club sandwiches and sausage rolls. Very filling so I didn't eat much for dinner, just a couple salad bananas for 30 cents. Now I have 60 cents left in my purse and don't intend to take out any more till Wednesday.

So the pet shop down the road has baby alpacas for sale. They are so cool. I could have yarn for spinning while they are taking care of my overgrown grass.

Anyone got a spare nz$350?

If you're trying to cut out sugar so you can lose weight and someone gives you rhubarb which you love so you go and have to buy sugar, did you save any money? And since rhubarb is very good for you, will eating it stewed ruin your diet?

I'm haveing rhubarb crumble anyway.

Today I took nz$2,285.11 and paid off the last of my loan at the credit union. From today I am officially debt free! Hallelujah!

I have st aside $6,000 for house painting next year, and I'm still left with $2,199.96 in my emergency fund. I shall be earning extra money in the January sales, so aim to get it up to $5,000. Then I shall reward myself with a trip to Britain.

The greengrocers on the corner has a good deal, 4 avocadoes for nz$2. Alas I cannot eat 4 whole avocado all by my little self so I must pay .59 cnets for a single one. If I buy one a week that adds up to an extra $4.68 a year. I protest!

Seriously ,There are all manner of politicians promising all manner of sweet deals for families - how about some rebates for us single people. You know, us ones who don't keep having kids we can't afford to bring up without govt help.

No I wasn't sick tese last couple of weeks, but I've decided my life is too boring. So I signed up for

Reasons to be Financially Independent no 53

So you don't have to take a day off work when the repairman is coming.