Had a good chat with my doctor...they are thinking that maybe a lotof my symptoms are stress and anxiety...not the dizziness but the rest of them...so they want to send me to a pyschologist who also does yoga...I will try anything at this point...it kind of make sense but since I don't feel stressed or anxious..then I just didn't think of it...and I'm not sure how to destress when I don't feel stressed so I'm hoping she will help...as I said I will try anything at this point...would be nice if that is all it is...

ordered a couple things for myself this week for relaxation mainly a bath pillow and a dvd for my daughter who has been doing so much...and the rest of the money I put into our ice acct...slowly getting it back up

Well the budget is looking good and set for the year...and I was looking for a document for taxes..it wasn't where it was suppose to be..so I started looking in the end i had cleaned out the file cabinet, several drawers and a box of papers that we had in the shed...ended up with 2 huge bags of papers to be shredded and recycled...then found the paper on my hubbys desk...should have looked their first...but he said he did....but it was meant to be...a bit of decluttering....going to see what else needs to be decluttered...thinking everything this year may need to be lookd and and cleaned out and tidied...did a lot when we moved but didn't get to everything and still have some stuff to sell....only have 1 debt to get rid of and that is the CC...not much to be paid off on that!!

I have seen a couple people on here doing a 52 week challenge..not the coin one but actual savings one so I have decided to do the same this year....I'm not sure if I should do all savings for all accounts or just the house account...what do others do or think??

Our kids still live with us..they are 26 & 28..the 28 year old has chronic illness so will probably live at home for her entire life and we are fine with that..she is such an easy person to live with. Our other daughter is still studying so she will live with us till she finishes next year and get a full time job and she works as well.
We were talking to friends of our and they thought we were wrong to be charging our kids to live at home..they help py the rent/gas/elec/water...they pay their own insurances/car rego/phone etc...but we think they are old enough (have been doing this a few years now) to learn how to budget and be resposible while living at home for when they move out...or if our eldest stay living with us...she can help pay for the household...we don't charge them for food unless they buy something they want themselves.
Do others do this or what do you think about this?
We started when they were like 5 and got pocket money that we had a system where they had to figure out their pocket money with us..they were taxed 10%, they had to save 10%, pay 5% sick pay and then the rest was theirs to do what they wanted...if they were sick and couldn't do chores then they still got the pocket money for that week as they had paid a sickness benefit...it was a good way to teach them about money and they loved it...and yes all the money we deducted got put into their bank account..so we think we have instilled pretty good budgeting skills with our girls...others think we are mean parents and that the kids should be having fun and worrying about their own money not paying bills...I disagree..so would like others opinions!!

Well we went shopping today got some great deals on groceries but we did extra as our house guest will be here in 1 day...we are a bit excited...

so our monthly food budget is way over and we are having a birthday bbq dinner this weekend for my hubby so that will add to it but we have budgeted for the extra person

other than that things are on track and going well

Have managed to pay off $730 off the dreaded CC so it is coming down slowly...will take a few months and not happy that it is this high but sometimes you just have to use it...but making progress..

my first goal is to get our ice account back to $2000 then get $2000 into an account for when wmy friend is here...guess we need to buy her a ticket home LOL...she could live here forever but I think she would miss her family a bit....

then it will be onto the CC and then onto saving for a house....

Well what a weekend we had....sat down and got my budget sorted after it just got so far out of whack...felt good about it...then we all came down sick...so hubby had to go to doc to be checked out (he has copd) and he has bronchitis...

Then my hubby goes to the bank to do some banking and the when he is done the car wouldn't start..so had to get a call out (free) but it cost us almost $200 for a new car battery and he picked up on something else that needs doing with the car which will be around another $400 so that is booked in for tomorrow.

Then my daughter was selling her older fone ($1000) as she just upgraded and the 2 guys that came to look at the phone run off with it...we tried to chase them in the car but they ran fast by the time we got into the car they were gone...pretty sure they live in the area (they are sudanese) we called the police gave a good description of them and their clothes, my daughter called and the got the phone where they won't be able to use it at all and I called our insurance to see if it was covered..and it was so my daughter only had to pay the $100 excess fee but will get the other $900 so although an ordeal it wasn't as bad as it could be...one thing I am good at is having good insurance "just in case" and those guys have a phone they can't use and the police have their description and the phone description and serial number etc...

So here is hoping this week is uneventful and we can just recoup and try to feel better

Well when it rains it pours...doing good on our budget and then murphy hit big time!!

First bought my bestie plane ticket over here but she was having trouble getting travel ins over there so was able to get it while she is over here which added an extra $800 to the plane ticket...I had budgeted $3000 for her whole trip and 1 ticket and ins cost me nearly $2600 so that has been blown out so need to save for her ticket home and while she is here.

Then mine and my hubbys cell phones have been real bad lately yes they ae both 6 years old so needed replacing...but due to my ill health and my hubby being retired they wouldn't let us add to a plan so had to buy out right which maxed out our CC and also had to use some of our car money...found out when the store went to put in my sim to my new phone that my battery was bowed and he said I was lucky that it hadnt exploded...but now we have phones that will last a long while

now today I am going to sit down AGAIN and see how to get everything back on track and get our accounts back on track....fingers crossed it won't take to long and nothing else comes up...I can find free things to do with my bestie for a few weeks...she is here for 3 months....I am so excited...but frustrated about the budget

Well my friend should be heading over to Australia in the next 3 or so weeks (no exact dates yet) I can't wait...she will be here 3 months I have money set aside for her plane tickets and to do some things while she is here...she won't have any expenses other than her shopping she wants to do...I know how our food bill will go up but that we expected...same with gas as we will be doing more day trips but we can cover those...so excited right now...even though we are not where we wanted to be with the budget we are doing well.

I'm just wondering how people have learnt about money, when I was growing up we didn't have much money but I never felt like we missed out but we were never taught about money. Everything I have learnt over the years of being married and having kids is self taught and by trial and error...it works pretty well now for us (we still learn though) and we rejig our budget as we need to...we have taught our kids what we have learnt about money one is really great on saving and the other does ok but is a lot more social and like clothes so spends more but she does spend her own money so its on her and they both like to travel as well.

I actually do my moms budget now as it makes it easier on her and family asks me to help them with their budgets (how to do one) etc...so just curious on how others have learnt about budgets/money tc and do you help others?

was able to make a car payment today to our account, also add to our savings (although this will go down when we buy the plane ticket) and put some into our ice account as well as our regular bills.

Will update our side bar as most of these bills get done once a month have a couple of pays this month but will add to the ice account until its back to where I want it to be.

Next week is pay week and I am so glad that I will finally get some money back into savings...I have re looked at the budget and we are hitting our financial goals so far this year...can't believe it is already february...this year is going fast...

Have been eating lots of salad mostly from our garden so have been saving money there.

I have also started tins for both our girls for when they move out..just so they have money to do a big first grocery shop and all the bits and pieces they might need...not sure how much I am going to put in or how often yet as neither will probably move out for another couple years...so should have a good amount in there for them...

hoping to buy my friends ticket to fly over here soon...it is taking forever to do her passport over there

I love to see what others spend on things like groceries, home decorations etc...and yes sometimes it makes me so envious...you have so many choices to buy in the US and prices for groceries are quite a bit cheaper than over here (aust) same with movie tickets we pay the cheapest $11 a ticket (on special deals) for one person...buying a econd hand car over here starts at $10,000 for a half way decent one...but then I think of our healthcare where we don't pay for surgeries (or we don't pay a lot) or scans etc...which is great when you have chronic illnesses and see doctors at least every couple of weeks...and our wages are much higher..my daughter worked in a grocery store while studying she was on $22ph...plus had sick days and annual leave paid for. so although I am envious of some of the things that you have I am also envious of some of the things we have and think of how much better some of you would be financially if you had our health system over there....I know if we were healthy and lived over there we woud have a much better life, we would have our own house, newer car and a lot more savings...but since I'm not healthy I would rather stay here...what do you think about the differences?

Well my mom lives 5.5 hrs away from us but is moving to the same city as us to be nearer to the services she needs (she is 80) she is also raising a 13 year old (great grandson) so better schooling for him...well she has been trying to do everything herself and she tripped over a piece of wood from her bed that had been taken apart and hurt her arm...when I called her she told me that she had fallen and hurt her arm I finally convinced her to go to the hospital...which she did and now it is plastered but so hard for her to keep packing and cleaning readu=y for her move...since I can't travel we are lucky that a couple of myy neices were able to go help her out...but not what she needs and she is hating it...she is so independant still and hates asking for help...hopefully we can get her moved this weekend and get her arm checked again by a city doctor..heres hoping nothing else happens as the kids starts school again next week (just finishing up summer break)...and just want her to be able to move and relax...will be easier to help her when she is down here in the same city

Really had to get a new cabinet for our dvds so went to my favorite shop only to find that they are retiring and closing down...they make really good heavy furniture so bought a cabinet instead...spent most of our savings but worth it I think and it will last for my lifetime...other than that no spending!

So yesterday was my birthday so decided that we would have pizza...thankgod as it was 113 here yesterday the hottest day in recorded history and just hot to do anything but sit in front of the air con...but it was nice...and cheap.

it was also payday yesterday so was able to add to my ice account (will update at end of month) so getting that heading back in the right direction I usually have $2000 but want to try and get it closer to $5000 but that will take time but that what I want it to get to...when we buy a house I would love it to be around 6 months worth of bills but that is a few years away.

Ordered a couple things online today but they are for my health/body so hopefully it works.

Just wondering what people do when they become debt free? I think there are different areas that people see as debt free from what I have seen some see that being consumer debt free (CC loans etc) but they still ahve a morg and then there is totally debt free where you have no debt at all. People may argue with this but it is just an observation.

We are debt free but are saving to buy a house and whe that happens we will pay it off asap to be debt free again....i'm just wondering what others have done when they have become debt free...

I hate shopping...I mean really hate it...if I need to get something then I am get in get it and get out...but I have to admit I do occassionally online shop when I am bored...I don't just buy anything but I do buy what I am looking for...so yesterday I bought a dog stroller...I know what you are thinking...a freaking dog stroller...WHY!!!

Well my daughters dog has spent the last 13 months at home with me all day everyday...he gets seperation anxiety when I leave the house for to long...but he also loves walks...now that I am able to walk a little more I want to be able to take him when I go but he has little legs and gets tired easily so I can't take him...so I decided that he could walk and when he gets tired he can rest in the stroller (and yes it is made for dogs) then walk again and I can walk further and he can come with me...might sound silly to others but when you have chronic illness you do what you can to make life easier for yourself...but it was only $62 (includes sipping) and I come out of my madmoney so not out of our budget...so spent money but not to much....but I don't like to spend money either

Got a surprise when I opened up our account today an extra $565...not a lot but every bit helps especially when it is unexpected. About 18 months ago there was a class action suit against neurofen (something I use often) about the way they mislead their consumers...I put my name on it...didn't hear back thought nothing more of it as it had been so long and then today it was sitting in my bank...so a nice chunk of change that I put into my ice account to get it back to where we want it to be...

last year was hard as we had a lot of medical tests that we had to pay for and I hardly ever left the house due to dizziness and I needed a babysitter 24/7...I hated it...I use to walk 50-60 miles a week which was impressive for me as I cfs and fibro...when I got this illness I couldn't walk to the end of the street.

although still dizzy I am improving and today I walked to the store and back to post a letter (around 2.5 miles) and I did it by myself..no help or anything...so feeling really positive about this year

I have also made our first car payment into our car account, first payment into our annual account but I do need to work on our ice account as it is low right now...but will get it where to we usually have it and hopefully can add to it this year as well.
I am going to update at the end of each month so hopefully they will all grow each month and by the end of the year will have some savings in them all

today only spent $6 (yes postage is expensive over here) but no other spending...although yesterday I did buy a tin to put my christmas money in for the year as I take it out monthly and hold seperately to buy gifts during the year..

Hi...just wondering what the ufmc is that people are doing?

My friend is coming over from the US in feb for a 3 month visit...to say I am excited is beyond belief...and we are paying for the tickets...but they are getting so expensive due to the exchange rates...but worth the price...I am trying to stay on budget while she is here so we will see what happens so far everything with the budget is going well and all bills are paid and savings have started...can't wait till our next payday....

So this week is pay week to say that I am excited is beyond belief....I love payday to see everything being paid and savings grow a little each month but this year I have some set goals that I want to achieve and I am looking forward to starting them this week..I know it may sound silly to some...but it's the little things in life that make me happy.

So here is wishing everyone a great..safe and prosperous new years...may all your goals be achievable

2018 was a hard year healthwise...which added to our financial burden. Our goals were pretty basic for this year...we wanted to stay debt free, not add any more debt at all and to start saving for a house deposit.

WINS
we have no debt
we used the cc once but paid it off in full within 2 weeks
we updated a few things but paid in cash

FAILS
we ended up with no savings due to all the specialists we had to pay for this year...so our $5000 savings plan was a complete failure

our ice account is on 3/4 where we want it to be so $600 short there

Overall we are happy with this year...started off with no debt ended up with no debt...would love some savings but have moved that to 2019....now to stay on track in 2019 and achieve those goals

Can't wait to see how everyone else faired with their budgets this year

Christmas has come and gone and our cc is in tact (not used) and we have some savings and all bills are paid in full so none to pay till next year...we have plenty of food in the fridge/freezer and pantry...so ending this year on a good not and next year will be all about my health and savings...had a rough year healthwise but so grateful that we have what we have and that I have a supportive family to help me through it...hope everyone has a very merry christmas and a safe and prosperous new year

I took over my moms finances 20 months ago...she lives on a pension and is raising a teenager ( was 11 at the time) had a bunch sof appliances that broke and had to "rent to buy", never had savings as things always came up etc...we talked and set up a budget for her and I paid her bills online and she took cash for her groceries/chiro/fone.

This november she was completely debt free, she has her christmas shopping done (bought her great grandson a laptop ready for high school) and she has savings...we have written out next years budget and changed a few things and she said this is the first year she hasn't really stressed about things in a long time...so I am happy that not only have we been able to help our situation but also my moms and what is better is that she is use to living on limited money and wants to stay that way so she can build up some savings....she says she hasn't really missed out on anything either....so happy that next year will be a positive year for her as well....does anyone else help their family this way?

Well I have really been thinking of our finances lately and what we can do better in 2019...both hubby and I have had a crap year healthwise which wiped out our savings and we have to add in extra health things for next year but we do that now we should be able to write up goals and stick to them and reach the goals we set.

I'm not one that makes resolutions but I do set goals and make them achievable...also looking at things we can do while my friend is over here from the states for 3 months...we are so excited has been far to long since we have seen each other.

only spent around $12 today for onions and lemons today...so have saved money on the grocery budget.

Our oldest is house sitting for friends of hers to look after their dogs...she will make some great money from it and add to her savings...I am proud to say that everything I have learnt about finances over the years to get to the point we are in we have taught our girls one is great and the other not so much but she makes her own money and pays her own bills but I think for her it is her ADD it can make her impulsive...but the oldest is great at budgeting and I'm so glad that she has learnt from our mistakes

Thought I might try to blog more often...not that I have an exciting life but why not...hubby and I celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary yesterday...very low key we have both been down sick and we always do thing for and with each other so to us each day is special.

Had my last doc visit for the year she gave me a form that gives me 5 neuro physiotherapist visits for half price (some do it for free mine doesn't) but I will take it...

finished most of our christmas food shopping today so all we need to get now is the fresh stuff christmas eve..

starting to feel a bit more positive this week last week was pretty bad but its a new week...a new perspective

Well its december, we are debt free, our ice account is back to $2000 but we have no savings at the moment but thats ok..we still have a couple of pays before the end of the year...I do have to give my daughter some money for christmas (what she wants) she has other gifts...and I have my specialist tomorrow so have that to pay for..but everything else is done for the year so we are where I wanted to be...next year we will start to save and stay on track going to be better than what this year has been.

Think over the holidays I might do some research on investing in shares it interests me and looking at starting for extra income as well over the next few years....does anyone invest or know some good books to read etc?