Mumof2's Personal Finance Blog

Wow can people believe it is may already...it was my dads b-day the other day, we don't get to see much of him as he lives 7 hours away and since his 3rd stroke he finds it hard to travel distance...but he turned 87, we are so blessed to still have both or parents with us both in their 80's both fairly healthy...my dad just has some mobility issues since his 3rd stroke...so many of my friends have either lost one or both of their parents...so feeling blessed!

So this month we have updated our budget, we have 2/3 of our money for the "newer" car we are going to get when my hubby is better..have saved a little for the house that will take us a long while and everything else is paid...the budget is a bit boring right now not much to it and most going into savings so makes it easy and I'm happy we are saving...
we have plenty of food so don't really need anything other than fresh vegies and milk/bread

on other good news our state has had 11 days with no new covid cases, we have none in icu and only 3 people in hospital, 7 in total that have the virus and they tested almost 1000 people yesterday...so it is looking good for us...I think it will keep improving if they keep the borders closed other states are still having cases...so don't need that stuff coming back to our state!! Also our shelves are stocked back to normal so no-one is stockpiling I think they all learnt their lesson LOL

hope everyone else is reaching their goals one bigger expense we have is our daughter is thinking of moving out and we said we would buy her a washer...so she has found a couple she likes but they are on sale...we have taught her well.

Hubby is doing much better..exhausted but nowhere near as chesty just have to keep a close eye on him...traetment is taking its toll but we knew it would..he just gets so uncomfortable he can't sleep...I have been doing so much extra but my body isn't coping and I'm exhausted...but we will gt there...have to do what you have to do and he is my world and whatever it takes to get us through this!!
My oldest daughter has been a godsend, she still lives at home as she has a chronic illness as well but she is doing all my hubbys appts and all our running around since I can't drive with my dizziness...but she is doing great and we make sure we tell her and show her...as much as we can.

The weather here has been so cold and wet lately we haven't left the house except for appointments..but on the upside our state hasn't had any new cases of covid19 in 10 days and only 3 people left with the virus and none in ICU so hoping it stays that way..although people keep saying we will get a second wave...we have had 4 deaths but mainly older people with other issues.. but we still have everything in place like social distancing, they have put up all the "sneeze" partitions up in all the stores, counting people as they enter/leave stores...but staying positive.

On a financial note its pay weekend...so I think this month we will make some progress with our savings, I have paid some bills but haven't really done much with it will get to it over the weekend...I'm just to exhausted right now to do it and what needs to be paid is paid so all good...

hope everyone else is staying safe, healthy and reaching their goals!!

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

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

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!!

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!!

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??

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...

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..

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!!

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

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??

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

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

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

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

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??

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

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

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!!

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

Well with all the doom and gloom happening around the world I thought I would post a couple of wins..my daughter is a student but also a casual worker who hours have been dramatically cut so she has been applying for jobs...she got a new fulltime job and starts monday...she will start work from home then go to a call centre when they can go back to the offices...

we are apparently getting stimulus payments this month..if so we will use it to pay my hubbys medical expenses and put the rest into our ice acct.

And with the dollar being down we will actually make a few dollars with the exchange rate which will boost our ice acct

I think this virus has made aussies stupid and greedy!

Our govt is doing what it can to help people out many people have lost their jobs and will go on support incomes..they don't have time limits over here but for the next 6 months they will get double which is $1100pf plus rent assistance to help them until they get employment etc...they have said that they can't be evicted if they can't pay rent, they can have 6 months of no rent if they can't afford to pay rent...but the people who own the houses the banks are apparently stopping their payments for 6 months but they will still have to pay interest etc..

my issue is if you are getting paid $1100 pf why can't you pay your rent...you should be able to..I know we pay more over here but you should be able to pay something...and the rent after 6 months still has to be paid...you still have to catch it up...I can understand reduced rent maybe but no rent...I think people are becoming greedy and selfish and it annoys me....pay what rent you can help the owners out...etc...we need to all do our bit and work together...but it seems like that is not happening here anymore...everyone is out for themselves...frustrating....hope they all settle down

I can't believe it is april tomorrow here..this year is flying by fast...looking into april we should be able to make some headway into getting our ice acct up again..it is pretty dismal right now with all the added expenses...but everything has been paid on time, we have plenty of food so all good.

This week is pay week, can't wait to get the bills paid and start stashing money away in our accounts!!

Hubby has his scan tomorrow then starts his roadiotherapy in the next couple weeks....can't wait it has taken far to long...not sure if I will go with him yet...depends on what the rules are at the hospital...

Can't say we have been productive this month but we got all the important things done...

Our youngest daughter moved back home today...her hours have been cut way back and she didn't really liked where she was living the person wasn't really a clean person and they had animals and my daughter couldn't stand it and got sick of asking them to clean up so now she has had enough and moved back home which means she will actually save more as well and she wants to move out into her own place in october...

Everything else is going well staying home playing games as a family..doing puzzles etc...hope everyone else is doing well with the isolation..or those who are working stay safe

Hubby has day surgery today...we will drop him off at the door and pick him up from the same door when he is done...the hospital is keeping all non medical patients from the hospital which we understand...although I hate that my hubby has to be there alone we get it...they will call when he is done and we go pick him up call when we get there and they will bring him down...its to protect the doc/nurses & patients...they have screenings etc to go through so feel confident he should be fine....he has pretty much confined to the house the last few weeks...it is almost flu season here so will have that on top of the carona virus...I think it is going to be a hard winter for us...especially with cancer treatment as well...have to be real vigilant...

Not much else going on just chilling at home and hoping to get a few more groceries that we need/want

I have been watching the news and reading online and they are saying that this virus could be around till the end of the year!!

What do others think? I think if people do what they are suppose to then it shouldn't last that long...but everything I hear and read contradicts itself...and that is to be expected as it is a new into the community and no-one has an immunity to it...but I hope that it doesn't...in saying that an asian lady over here that has tested positive for the virus was in the store spitting on fruit...she was arrested...she should have been in seclusion...but she didn't...so angry with idiots like this...hope she is fined..they are talking fines of $20,000 if you don't go into seclusion...so hopefully she will get fined that

So many people have lost jobs over here due to this virus...the govt is doing what it can to make sure people have money coming in to feed themselves etc...but their website and phone lines keep crashing so its going to be a long week...everyone keeps going to the offices which they were told not to do due to social distancing but I guess when you need to feed your family you do what you can...hope things improve

I'm glad that our govt has stepped up and is trying to help out individuals, sole traders and small businesses..they are giving people on welfare extra money, no time limits for those that have lost jobs or that are casuals, they get payments straight away...giving businesses money to keep people employed...I know it probably won't do exactly what they want but if we all work together then we could save some of the small businesses...we do our bit anyway by buying from local butchers etc...so we are hoping that everyone does their bit and keep supporting the smaller businesses.