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Archive for April, 2020

things are looking up

April 29th, 2020 at 05:19 am

Hubby is starting to feel a bit better...still not great but doing better so that is good, he is continuing with his treatments and I have him just resting when he is home...he needs it the teatment is wearing him out as is the pneumonia...but we will get there. The dog is also getting better..he had gastro and was one sick puppy but he is feeling better as well.

We have had a lot on this week, still trying to get my mom a house to move into..it seems like no-one wants to rent their houses right now so hopefully something comes up in the next couple weeks when her lease is up. My niece just got out of hospital and on bed rest as she went into prem labor (she is 33 weeks) they are hoping she stays that way until she is 38 weeks as the meds they give her to stop it make her pass out so she can't take it...Im trying to help my other niece out with her finances etc...she has been struggling for awhile now....I am barely sleeping and struggling with my own illness lately but we will get there...my oldest has been a god send for us..she is doing all the driving to appointments, errands etc...helping take care of both of us...and she has her own health issue...but we are a strong family and we will get there...will just take some time..the weather here is so cold and wet so can't even go walking or anything...I so hate winter weather...
Our state is doing good 6 days no new cases and only 14 people still have the virus so our state is doing good and I think things will start to open slowly here...hope everyone else is doing good...stay safe and happy

upset at hosp!!

April 27th, 2020 at 03:57 am

So the other day my hubby was pretty chesty and we knew it was his bronchitis...he has copd so we try to stay on top of it as soon as it arises..as he gets pneumonia easily...so we took him t the doc he talks to him on the phone and says no go to the hospital...so they go to the hospital and they say go through the covid clinic first since he was coughing and chesty...he tells them it is his bronchitis but they say he needs to be tested and then go home and wait for results...we do everything we can but with no antibiotics it is hard...sunday night we get test results he doesn't have covid19...which we knew...i was hoping he would be okay till we could get him to a doc on maonday well at 3am he gets me up...he needs to go to emergency he is having trouble breathing...my daughter takes him (I can't drive with my dizziness and only limited people allowed at hosp) and she explains what has happened they were not happy that after he was tested that they didn't send him to emergency room...so now he is home (his choice) on antibiotics and with pnemonia...I just wish they would listen to people when they come in..we know him and his symptoms...I know they have to be careful but so do we...so now he is battling cancer and pneumonia and to top off the dog has gastro and isn't happy either...so today is rest day and trying to get everyone healthy...but he is still going to have his radiotherapy today....I'm over this week and its only monday...lets hope it gets better

very frustrated

April 25th, 2020 at 03:52 am

Things are starting to frustrate me lately...hubby has had 7 sessions of radiotherapy..he also has copd (has for years) so last year he almost died from pnemonia as they just couldn't clear it and now we are pretty sure that with his immune system being bombarded he has bronchitis which always turn into pnuemonia...so we have managed to find him a doctor to see today and can hopefully get on top of it it is the last thing we need right now...fingers crossed!!

My daughter has a jewellry business she does from home as she has a chronic illness as well and the post office informed her yesterday that they were no longer sending parcels/packages overseas until the pandemic is over...so that really bummed her out...people can still order but it will take much longer to get to them..so Im not sure if we are still getting much in from overseas or not!!

Also my hubby got a package in yesterday that came from Canada has been waiting for it (for his metal detecting) and not sure what happened but one end of it was crushed literally crushed like it had been run over so we had to do a claim on that as well...the last day or so has been trying....so lets hope that things improve over the next few days!!

finally getting the oven fixed

April 23rd, 2020 at 01:44 am

We have lived in this house 8 months and our stove has worked a total of 3 times...we have asked about it several times, the owner was out of country so they had to wait...it wasn't that big a deal as it was summer we bbqued a lot, ate salads, used our air fryer...but now it is becoming cold, hubby has cancer and we are not going to bbq right now...so i emailed them and said I want it fixed asap...so many people over here are having trouble paying rent, but we are not one of them so I think they are trying to keep us in our lease and to make us happy...it will be nice to be able to bake again and use an oven...although they will be here at 7am...so not looking forward to that but will be nice to actually have one that works...can change up the menu a bit now!!

Hubby had his flu shot yesterday and his 5th treatment..he is getting tired more easily but not other side effects yet!!

whos bored?

April 21st, 2020 at 08:12 am

I have to say I don't think i can watch to much more tv/dvds, do many more puzzles...I am bored...being home is driving me crazy and it has been getting cold here which doesn't help...we are all going stir crazy...just wish we had something else to do...the only time we leave is for medical appointments and shopping...we don't really need to shop much at all other than fresh stuff which we usually do once a week...not spending any money anywhere....so how does everyone else stopping themselves from going stir crazy??

some good news

April 20th, 2020 at 07:01 am

On easter saturday we had the first baby born for the year my niece had a little girl manaia...they only stayed in hospital for 1 night and now staying home due to the covid virus...so some good news...have another due in june and another in october..so excited...doesn't matter how many babies they are all a blessing!!

Hubby is having his 3rd treatment today, so far so good but they say nothing really hits you till the 10th day so we will see what happens right now he goes by himself but if he starts getting tired he can take someone else!!

Nothing else happening here, only money being spent is on food...

do your account round up??

April 16th, 2020 at 04:10 am

Our bank has where you can round up your savings either to the nearest $1 or $5 so we chose the $1 option for now...so everytime the account is used it takes the savings up to the next $1 and puts it into my ice account...due to have a chronic illness we get subsidies on a couple things it adds up to around $200a year so I have now made it go it strait into our ice account it has gone up $36.15 already this month so it is climbing slowly...I am trying to see what other small changes I can make to save more money this year we need to update the car and want to buy a house next year!

I had to lend our daughter money for gas etc as she hadn't been paid for almost a month and had used her savings etc for her bills but she got paid this week and paid us back so that went back into the account..other than that not much has changed for us...except most places aren't accepting cash anymore so we have a whiteboard where we track our gas and groceries so we don't over spend...gas hasn't been to bad but now we have to go to the hospital everyday so it will increase a bit...groceries have gone up a bit..but we figured they would anyways due to the bushfires we had here..

treatment starts tomorrow

April 15th, 2020 at 02:24 am

Hubbys cancer treatment starts tomorrow kinda nervous kinda just want it started and finished already...its scary as its also the beginning of the flu season here and he won't get his shot till next week..but so far we have been doing good health wise...so far we know our out of pocket expenses will be around $750 which we have put away already and I have $2000 in our ice acct which will hopefully offset any other bills that may arise..and if worse comes to worse we always have the CC to fall back on....fingers crossed we don't need to!!

Nothing much on our spending front it was hubbys b-day yesterday so we had takeaway and cake and I gave him b-day money which he can spend when he is over his treatment and can go do something...so the next 40 days (minus the weekends) had better go fast!!

fatty liver

April 13th, 2020 at 04:34 am

I was diagnosed with a fatty liver a few weeks ago so I need to change my whole diet...I actually figured out that I was making myself worse when you have chronic fatigue you have no energy...so in order to lose weight I needed energy so would eat the wrong things trying to get myself some energy which was obviously the wrong thing to do...my doc told me I needed to lose weight but when you are really dizzy, in pain and have no energy then it is extremely hard...so now my dizziness isn't as bad I can do a bit more, so I am researching and going to menu plan and starting tomorrow eating better...and I think I will have a bit more energy to fix meals that are better for us....don't get me wrong we eat pretty healthy but I still need to make changes as I can't eat red meat, white past/rice/potatoes etc...so heres to a new hopefully healthier life..hopefully the food budget won't be hit to hard with any extra we need to get

busy day

April 10th, 2020 at 07:52 am

I have gone through our freezer today and sorted it out..it is so full and I am so thankful...but can be hard to find things...then when and redid my budget I am going to write it out again but going back to doing the barefoot investor way...that we use to do..it is just easier and we are in a better position to do it now...and its more focused for aussies and I love his book..so easy to follow!!

Even cleaned out my dresser drawers I'm running out of things to do at home...how are others doing??

are you spending or saving?

April 10th, 2020 at 03:40 am

Our spending really hasn't changed but our daughter has moved back home and she has just started a fulltime job this week but she gets up at 6am to get ready for work and it is so cold here in the mornings and nights...so instead of turning on the ducted heating we have bought her a smaller heater just for the mornings...other than that and material for face masks we haven't really bought anything...although our gas will go up as next week as hubby starts treatment and has to go to the hospital 5 days a week but its only 10-15 min drive so not bad and we had already budgeted for it

some good news

April 9th, 2020 at 04:25 am

Well for us anyways...one of my nieces baby is due in next 9 days...she is excited (its her 5th) but also scared due to the virus...I have another niece that is due in june and another that just found out she is pregnant and due in early october...we have such a big family and it grows every year and I love that...my mom has
5 kids
14 grandkids
44 great grand kids (plus 3 more due)
5 great great grandkids

this does not include step etc

we feel blessed..so happy that there is still things to smile about

stimulus payments

April 8th, 2020 at 05:25 am

So we got our stimulus payment in today (aust) so we put half in to the medical which will pay for hubbys treatments and the other half paid off the cc...so it has taken those 2 payments out of our budget so we can add more to the ice account this month..so feeling good!!

I have been busy trying to find my mom another house to rent..hard during this time with virus but they set up appts and do 1;1 viewings.

hope everyone else is staying safe

thankful

April 7th, 2020 at 04:44 am

I am thankful that careful budgeting...and yes we have a ways to go..but with good budgeting we are able to pay all our bills, our rent, we have enough food etc...during this time of people losing their jobs...or having the uncertainty of what the future holds...I am hoping that people learn from this and start having somewhat of a stockpile of food for at least a month or so and that they start an emergency fund so if this ever happens again it won't be so bad for so many people...I won't hold my breathe...but here is hoping

thankful

April 7th, 2020 at 04:41 am

what do you think you will change?

April 6th, 2020 at 03:21 pm

I know that most people need to stay at home except for essential services...but what are some of the positives and do you think that you will continue them when life gets "back to normal"

Things like takeaway, are you saving money by not eating out,I know gas is a hard one you are saving by not driving but that will change when you go back to work etc...more family time...just things like that

Since we have chronic illnesses our life really hasn't changed that much, we barely have takeaway, we are together a lot anyways...so it is really normal for us...so just wondering if the things that have changed will you continue doing them??

more into ice acct

April 6th, 2020 at 12:57 am

Found another $200 to put into our ice account so happy with how things are looking financially right now..fingers crossed it stays that way

Youngest daughter started her full time job today...its only training but she is happy

making masks

April 4th, 2020 at 06:42 am

Was able to find some thin masks but they were so expensive...it cost me $54 for 20 of them and they are the thin ones like you see in the hosital...so we have enough to get him through his treatment when he goes to the hospital...but hubby is making us some better ones for when we have to go out...yes he is a great cook..a great sewer..he can do most things he was in the military...and it has given him something to focus on as he is house bound and bored...it cost us us around $120 for materials but we will have 3 each one to wear, one in the wash and a spare. so worth it.

I hav managed to get the CC paid off, get $1050 in my ice account, $1000 in the car account and $1000 in the house account...things are finally doing good...

bought a few things from the store today and yes we actually got tp today first time in a month...didn't really need it but since it took us 4 weeks to get this pack of 10 we thought why not...

Weather here is cold and wet which is nice to get some rain but I hate the cold...really hate it...

hope everyone else is staying safe

pay week

April 3rd, 2020 at 01:42 am

This month is looking good...We did have an added expense of a new mattress (spare) for $249...but other than that have only spent on gas and food...gas is down to .88c a litre here (which is .26 gallon) which is super cheap for us. we have plenty of food so other than fresh things we really don't need to go out. We rarely eat takeout so that hasn't really affected us.

Money wise our budget looks good, the CC will be paid off (again) then we won't be using it and I am hoping this month to get $1000 back into our ice acct, car acct and house acct...we have been wiped out several times in the last 12 months due to a lot of unforseen circumstances but it looks like we may have turned the corner and can start getting back on track with our savings...fingers crossed!!

feeling fine

April 2nd, 2020 at 11:03 am

I know so many people are so worried about the covid-19 virus and what it is doing for people...I think we are lucky we have a bit of a stockpile, our income hasn't changed which means we can still pay our billsand we are doing everything we can to stay healthy...so we are feeling relaxed rather than stressed...is this normal??

On the upside its pay week so I can update accounts later in the week and my sidebar...people here are starting to get stimulus payments...so good luck to them all...if we get any we won't spend it we will get to pay medical and put into our savings we think...ony time will tell...

Hope everyone is doing okay...I know it is a stressful time for some...stay safe