So my daughter went to the US for  a month holiday and wanted to send a box home instead of carrying on the plane..but they said that all mail going to or being received from Australia is not being accepted anymore due to not having enough staff or transportation due to covid...so she had to take it on the plane with her instead...I am just hoping this is a new thing and my IRS papers have already left...it is so frustrating as I'm not sure anyone in australia even knows that they aren't accepting mail over there...either way it worked out she is on her way home and just put it in baggage...she only took 2 small backpacks over with her so she didn't have much baggage at all anyways...just frustrating not knowing if the irs mail is on its way or not and yet another delay in the 2020 tax saga!!!

I am looking forward to having my daughter back in the country especially with how things are looking around the world...we have taken her car and groceries etc over to her sisters house as that is where she will be staying when she gets back till she knows she is clear of covid...she tested negative but never know on flights and she has 3 seperate flights...so just being cautious and her sister is moving in with her BF so it all works out...and if she does get sick her sister is literally 2 doors away so can help her if she needs it....but we think she will be fine.

It is pay week this week so will do some updates when we get all that done and sorted...and still need to write up a grocery list we still try to do a majority of it once a month but they say food prices are going up again so we want to get more canned goods etc so if it does and we can't get fresh then we are covered more. 

Gas prices have soared over here it has been so dramatic and went up overnight once russia started on the  Ukraine... it went up to 1.99 per litre...which is approx $7 per gallon...so expensive, but our state pays so much we have the highest electricity in the world...a 3 month bill is $600 plus for most people...but paycheck are much smaller than other states..rents have sky rocketed...life is getting expensive....

I have been helping my step son out with his old landlord thats a big story in itself...since his stroke like episode his brain doesn't work properly...but that is another story for another day....we have some bad weather coming in this afternoon and for the next couple of days...australias weather has been bad especially with flooding this year and weird because it is summer..well autumn starting tomorrow

So I sold 5 puzzles a few days ago and made $100, we will also change our phone plans which should save us around $35pm ($420pa) and got new car insurance which should save us around $140 pa... so saving extra $560 pa which is good for us....over time going to see where else we can cut back and save

Have updated my march budget and I should be able to get my $2,000 back into my ice account and pay off 1/2 of the CC ( rest should be paid off in april)....I will then be able to save around $1,000 a month...hopefully more but I am keeping it there for now....see how we go....but that is the plan.

I am researching our car/contents insurance as well as our phone plans to see if we can save money in those areas....we are looking at moving in october when the lease is up as if my daughter is pregnant this house won't fit us and we would really like one that has a big shed so we don't have to pay rent and storage fees...it is expensive....but we will see what is available when the time comes....may be nothing that would suit us and won't just move if it doesn't benefit us.

Can't wait till march, our daughter will be home..although in isolation to make sure she doesn't have covid...the budget is looking good and I think things are looking up...fingers crossed...can't believe march is only a week away...this year is going fast

Happy valentines day...although we never celebrate it, my hubby has a tradition since our girls were born that each year he buys them a rose for valentines day...so we went to our youngest daughters house today and gave her hers...but our oldest daughter is in the US so we will wait to she gets back...but we talked to her and wish her a happy valentines day...I love this tradition for them...hope those who celebrate had a nice day as well...for those who don't I hope you had a nice day as well!!

Today was a bad day (and just so people know these guys live 5.5 hrs away from us)...my mom ended up in the er 2 days ago due to a massive migraine and pain in her head she went by ambulance which took an hour to get there and sat at the hospital for 8 hours without any meds or seeing a doctor....there was no doctor at the hospital..so she left and my sister stayed with her that night...she has been trying to see a doctor in that town but can't get in...so she called me today and said she wants to come down and see her doc...that was at 9am...she wants to get things checked out so we were trying to figure out how to get her here...I ended up getting her on a flight that only takes 50 mins...hoping that her head would be okay, she had called her doc down here in the city and got an appt to see him tomorrow so hopefully we can get things sorted...she made it fine..took lots of meds before leaving and is now at my sister house until her appointment....so after getting her sorted this morning we get a call from my step son...he has some sort of brain injury but they are not sure what has caused it but for the most part he is okay as long as he is on his meds...if he doesn't have his meds he gets really bad in the head, can't think, process, his body starts to shut down etc... well he to lives in this town as well he had a doc appointment at 12..never seen this doc as they just moved there a month ago...he has had no meds for 4 days so is in bad shape he hasn't been able to see a do yet...so he does to his appointment and the doc has closed up shop and not told anyone...so he can't get his meds, hes getting bad and calls us as he can't process what he needs to do...so I call the hospital, they say there isn't any doc at the hospital so he won't be able to get the meds for hours...so I call the doc down here where we go and he use to go explain the situation and see if the doc will write a script and send it to a chemist (drug store) down where he lives so he can get his meds...the lady said she would email the doc and see what he wants to do..the doc calls him and does a phone consult, mad that he hasn't had his meds for 4 days...and gets a script sent down to the chemist for 21 days worth and also send one in the mail that will last him a couple of months...so he was able to get his meds within a couple hours of me calling him, I also called other doc surgeries and managd to get him in to see another doc down there, she read through his history and wants some more tests done as well...once he took his meds he started feeling better...will take a couple days to get better but he is doing much better...all I could think is I love modern technology...2 family members who needed medical attention and couldn't get it and us living that far away we were still able to get them what they needed...so thankful for technology

Hubby and i are adjusting having just the 2 of us here but I have to say I am missing the extra mess and washing etc that our daughter brings to the house as I just have very little to do now...I wash like once a week and it's weird...this is the longest we have lived alone in 30.5 years...yes it has only been 12 days...but we have always had one of our kids around...and it is so quiet....but we are enjoying it as well...miss our eldest can't wait till she comes home...she is having an awesome time...living on a ranch for the month with her friend and other family....I talk to her everyday and she is loving it...hating the cold weather but loving the experiences and meeting new people...

Weather is cooling down here this week which is nice...nothing to report on the financial side, all bills are paid...really don't need to purchase anything...so we haven't....although my youngest is moving in with her bf end of march...so she wants to pay me to clean her townhouse when she moves...as I am great at cleaning houses and she knows it and would rather pay me than someone else...and thats okay...I would do it for free and she said no...she is waiting to move out after her sister comes back from the US as she will stay in her house when she gets back until she knows that she doesn't have covid...then she will come home and our youngest will get everything moved and then give up the place end of march....love that they work together like that

Hope everyone has a great week and if it starts like mine hope it gets better...

So I called the IRS today as they said call if they hadn;t heard from them in a month and I hadn't so I did...it frustrates me as I can never talk to the same person...so the guy today who I am guessing is between 70-80 years old ( he said he has been married 56 years) said that my case has been closed...I'm like but nothing has been finalised...and he said was reading through the notes that the last 8 people have written and said that they can't pay us twice...I said yes we know but once would be nice he could understand what was going on and arguing about the paperwork being different than what we have...he said they don't change anyone paperwork...so he has sent me transcripts of all that has been done on our account for 2020 taxes and then if we need to change anything we have to call them first...but since we haven't been paid our taxes yet it will be an ongoing saga...just wish it was over...can see it being a long saga yet....wish we could do it online like everyone else....if it was a few hundred dollars I would just say forget it but we are talking a few thousand so I'm going to fight it...wish me luck it is hard to do this from the other side of the world!!

Yesterday we made an extra $65...so that will be going into the bank, next time we go.

We made it by selling 2 small cabinets 1 for $10, 1 for $20..and $35 on taking cans back...in our state we get 10c for every soda can/bottle etc that we take back...so a little extra money...I'll take it

I have been trying new things with our budget and trying ways to save money...so I have had many accounts that cover things like car/medical/pom/ice/daily etc...so I have closed 5 of them and will just have our daily acct/ice/grocery/gas/house deposit...hoping this makes things easier...also going to look at ways to cut our grocery budget..even though food prices have gone up...so we will see...gas prices have been sky rocketing as well ($1.89 right now)...but bonus with our daughter away for a month we won't be using much of that money this month...I will also be look at insurances, utilities and cell phones to see if we can get better deals...and hopefully in october we can can find a house that has a shed so we can save on storage fees...so will be a busy couple months adjusting and researching to the changes and hope that they work.

Hopefully we can start getting back to the markets as the fruit and vege is cheaper and better quality and would prefer to buy locally not from grocery store...we buy from a local butcher and their meat can be a little expensive but its worth it...I am putting up for sale some of the things we no longer use or need...so can bank that money...

My plan is to try and save $50,000 in 2 years...I know it may not be a lot to some of you but it is for us considering I can't work...but it gives me a goal to work towards...I will break it down into achievable smaller goals to help me stay motivated...wish me luck!!

First off travelling has not been a thing in australia for a long time....now that people can travel overseas thought it would be good...my daughter had such a hard time getting out of australia...she booked her tickets online and everything was good but then on her way home (in a month) they delayed her flight in hawaii by 24 hours today...which means the 2 connecting flights in australia would have to be changed...because they just let her know like 3 hours before she left they made her buy a new expensive ticket as she had to have a return ticket before she left the country...and their offices weren't open...she was so stressed...the ticket was twice as much...they wouldn't let her just change the last 2 flights which were in australia and then they said that it would take 3 months to refund her money...we are not happy...so she bought the new ticket...and is on her way to hawaii..then to la..etc...she said she would contact them once she got to where she staying in nebraska as she just wanted to relax and enjoy the trip there...but glad she is on her way...and hope she has a great holiday...even if it is winter there.

Now just wondering if people could suggest what they do in the next few questions

1. do you focus just on getting rid of debt and then save or do you do both at the same time?

2. what do you do or use to track you budget (if you have one) and do you attach it to your bank account etc (seen a couple of these)?

3. What are the best sites/books etc to learn how to invest?

4. do you think buying or renting is better?

Thankyou I am looking at doing things a bit differently and just wondered what others have done that has worked for them

Can't believe it is february already...looks like this year is going to fly by as well.

Our daughter flew out today she is on her way to spend a month in nebraska...she is excited to be spending time with her friends...so hopefully it goes well...so many of her flights keep changing so a bit frustrating but she is a good traveller...hopefully will have smooth flights...People can't believe she took 2 small backpacks as she doesn't like to book in luggage so just takes it on the flight with her and she doesn't have to go to baggage etc...she finds it easier and so much quicker....

budgeting has been going well and this month we shouldn't need to spend much on groceries as we have done a big shop before our daughter left so will only need things like bread/milk and fresh fruit/vege...if it looks good lately it hasn't been looking to good any of the fruit and vege...not sure what is happening with it....will still put the money away for groceries but probably won't use it all.

This is going to be the first time in 30.5 years that hubby and I will spend more than 2 weeks alone together since our kids were born...they have always lived with us (our oldest has chronic fatigue) and will live with us for the rest of our lives...so it will be fun and we have so much that we want to get done.

My hubby, my mom and I all got our booster shots on sat all did well with them...sore arm but not much else

We have decided to move in october...this house just isn't working for us and the yard is just to big for us to maintain...it is a nice yard but we don't have the energy to keep it up....so hopefully will find something that suits us better.

On a more positive note hubby got a great psa test where his cancer is non-detectible again (2nd time) so no more hormone shots as they really mess him up...they said if it comes back again then they will try something else as hormone shots aren't good for him..so we will see what the future holds...fingers crossed he stays cancer free for a bit...so for now we are taking the great news...

Still working on the budget and tweaking it to see what works better for us...trying some new things so we will see how it goes