Something about the change in the weather always re-invigorates me.
We headed off to the library and came home with arms laden with gorgeous and inspiring cookbooks, house renovating manuals and world music. It's exciting to be excited.
There are grand plans for the vege garden, for furniture painting, for a chook shed. We wait for mild, misty mornings to go foraging for mushrooms. I love not having to haul water back and forth to the plants, and having washing cool on the line, instead of drying all crunchy and burnt.
I start to cook more. Richer and more sumptious meals, preparing to lay down that extra layer of squidgy winter fat to get us through the cold weather.
The baby boy dashes across the garden in his first pair of shoes, scraping the toes off and tripping over everything. He loves it outside. Today we pulled all the tomato plants and saved the last few tomatoes to dry for the seeds. Time for brassicas, after a good mulch.
Things are happening, and it's marvellous.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
toy library
In another example of spending money to save money, we joined the toy library this week.
It was unplanned, which is bad. I got caught out a bit. I thought it was just a part of the regular library, so we sauntered in with my library card, we picked out a few toys and hit the checkout desk. Where we were introduced to what the toy library is really about.
Joining the toy library costs about $1 a week. So it costs $60 to join. But then you have to be made aware of what it is you are buying into. Being a not-for-profit community organisation, they rely heavily on membership and fundraising to keep going. As a member, you commit to helping out three hours a year in the 'shop'. You commit to participate in the two major fundraising events, the Teddy Bears Picnic and the Fashion Parade. You also commit to participating in other fundraising events that my arise and you are encouraged to join in with the committees that run the organisation. Sell raffle tickets, make sure the toys are always cleaned before returning them and count the pieces before you bring them back. Phew.
If you don't want to do all that, you can pay $20 and be absolved from the fundraising activities. Time in the shop can be diverted onto willing relatives or others.
It is an amazing resource. They have puzzles and games across all ages, dress-ups and large toy equipment that you can book for parties and such. They have push toys and instruments and, just everything. I'm really happy we joined, and I'm going to put the annual membership cost down as a gift request for the baby boys birthday each year. If no one else wants to pay it, then we will, because it's such good value. Better than a crappy toy and it goes all year.
I was wondering if I would have spent $60 on toys this year. We are given lots and the garage sales around yield up blocks and such regularly. I'm a cheapo, and I don't go into toy shops anyway. I loathe them. So much crap. And he's only one. Like how much does he need? Once he can go outside and knows not to eat the leaves and dirt, well, toys will be a thing of the past, won't they? There'll be 'outside'. But $60 isn't hard to spend. Would I have spent it?
Frankly, if the whole saving money project hinges on $60, we're stuffed.
It was unplanned, which is bad. I got caught out a bit. I thought it was just a part of the regular library, so we sauntered in with my library card, we picked out a few toys and hit the checkout desk. Where we were introduced to what the toy library is really about.
Joining the toy library costs about $1 a week. So it costs $60 to join. But then you have to be made aware of what it is you are buying into. Being a not-for-profit community organisation, they rely heavily on membership and fundraising to keep going. As a member, you commit to helping out three hours a year in the 'shop'. You commit to participate in the two major fundraising events, the Teddy Bears Picnic and the Fashion Parade. You also commit to participating in other fundraising events that my arise and you are encouraged to join in with the committees that run the organisation. Sell raffle tickets, make sure the toys are always cleaned before returning them and count the pieces before you bring them back. Phew.
If you don't want to do all that, you can pay $20 and be absolved from the fundraising activities. Time in the shop can be diverted onto willing relatives or others.
It is an amazing resource. They have puzzles and games across all ages, dress-ups and large toy equipment that you can book for parties and such. They have push toys and instruments and, just everything. I'm really happy we joined, and I'm going to put the annual membership cost down as a gift request for the baby boys birthday each year. If no one else wants to pay it, then we will, because it's such good value. Better than a crappy toy and it goes all year.
I was wondering if I would have spent $60 on toys this year. We are given lots and the garage sales around yield up blocks and such regularly. I'm a cheapo, and I don't go into toy shops anyway. I loathe them. So much crap. And he's only one. Like how much does he need? Once he can go outside and knows not to eat the leaves and dirt, well, toys will be a thing of the past, won't they? There'll be 'outside'. But $60 isn't hard to spend. Would I have spent it?
Frankly, if the whole saving money project hinges on $60, we're stuffed.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
desperate housewife
The lack of inspirational tips and posts has been due to us seriously trying to buy a house.
A lot of brain energy goes into buying a house. You question ourself over and over about the property, the layout, the fittings, it's true value. You're trying to double guess the agent, get the jump on the other buyers, the vendors, you role play scenarios with the bank, thinking through the timing, the rate rises. You worry about the neighbours, the noise of the freeway, the rental potential, re-sale value. It's circular and ultimately pointless, because one simple phone call ends it all, and you have to start again on a whole new place.
However the process does reinforce your understanding of what you can afford. When you are pushed to come up with another $2000, $3000, $5000 to finalise the purchase and the graph on the loan calculator soars skyward.....well, it's only another $5000 to them, but it's years and thousands more to us.
The last attempt was the most affordable house we've looked at yet. Within our budget, but also easier repayments. Or so I thought until I discussed it with a friend of mine, who pointed out that our cheap loan would still require us to pay $400 a week. Yikes! Really? Oh dear.
Seems my grasp on the mathematics of this is still a little shaky. I'm well into the household budgeting process, but the manipulation of the loan figures I've been leaving to the Baker. I can't worry about everything....But of course, now I am.
How on earth do other people do it? Did they have massive deposits already saved? Do they not eat, drive or have children? $400 a week? Why are so many people coercing us into a mortgage, like it's a good and better life? I get why people choose to rent- even high rent is still cheaper than a below average mortgage!
That's the best part of the joke. We are looking to borrow well below the 'average' mortgage of $300,000. Like we are looking at buying an ex-commission house in an area of questionable reputation. No queues of people fighting to get in there. And yet this 'blessing' of cement pre-fab-70's-kitchen-stinky-carpet home ownership is going to cost us the better portion of our weekly income, for thirty years.
I feel sick.
A lot of brain energy goes into buying a house. You question ourself over and over about the property, the layout, the fittings, it's true value. You're trying to double guess the agent, get the jump on the other buyers, the vendors, you role play scenarios with the bank, thinking through the timing, the rate rises. You worry about the neighbours, the noise of the freeway, the rental potential, re-sale value. It's circular and ultimately pointless, because one simple phone call ends it all, and you have to start again on a whole new place.
However the process does reinforce your understanding of what you can afford. When you are pushed to come up with another $2000, $3000, $5000 to finalise the purchase and the graph on the loan calculator soars skyward.....well, it's only another $5000 to them, but it's years and thousands more to us.
The last attempt was the most affordable house we've looked at yet. Within our budget, but also easier repayments. Or so I thought until I discussed it with a friend of mine, who pointed out that our cheap loan would still require us to pay $400 a week. Yikes! Really? Oh dear.
Seems my grasp on the mathematics of this is still a little shaky. I'm well into the household budgeting process, but the manipulation of the loan figures I've been leaving to the Baker. I can't worry about everything....But of course, now I am.
How on earth do other people do it? Did they have massive deposits already saved? Do they not eat, drive or have children? $400 a week? Why are so many people coercing us into a mortgage, like it's a good and better life? I get why people choose to rent- even high rent is still cheaper than a below average mortgage!
That's the best part of the joke. We are looking to borrow well below the 'average' mortgage of $300,000. Like we are looking at buying an ex-commission house in an area of questionable reputation. No queues of people fighting to get in there. And yet this 'blessing' of cement pre-fab-70's-kitchen-stinky-carpet home ownership is going to cost us the better portion of our weekly income, for thirty years.
I feel sick.
Monday, March 17, 2008
cheap easter
We have a lovely little Easter weekend coming up. But I'm only mentioning it to demonstrate another savings tip. The lesson here is that you must know your resources and use them.
My brother in law works for a hotel chain, which offers cheap city rooms for family and friends. And when they host for special events, like tennis or the Comedy Festival, there can also be free tickets to the events. Boom, boom.
So Easter weekend is a night in a hotel, complementary tickets to some stand-up and free baby sitting by willing uncle and aunty. Marvellous. Much better than a ton of chocolate.
I say that it's a savings tip, but maybe I'm mentioning it because I'm thrilled about our first real, adult outing since the baby boy arrived. Not counting a failed dinner out at a supposedly great restaurant while on cheapo holidays in Sydney. I just hope we can squeeze in Yum-Cha, too!
My brother in law works for a hotel chain, which offers cheap city rooms for family and friends. And when they host for special events, like tennis or the Comedy Festival, there can also be free tickets to the events. Boom, boom.
So Easter weekend is a night in a hotel, complementary tickets to some stand-up and free baby sitting by willing uncle and aunty. Marvellous. Much better than a ton of chocolate.
I say that it's a savings tip, but maybe I'm mentioning it because I'm thrilled about our first real, adult outing since the baby boy arrived. Not counting a failed dinner out at a supposedly great restaurant while on cheapo holidays in Sydney. I just hope we can squeeze in Yum-Cha, too!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
free haircuts
Funny the things you forget about.
Many years ago, a friend and I spent the better part of a free day in Melbourne at the School of Hairdressing, getting a free haircut. I think we were 15 or 16.
I remember having my scalp combed until it was raw. I remember the fear and trepidation on the face of the trainee, almost closing her eyes with each snip of the scissors. Every slice had to be checked before and after. It took hours. My friend only wanted a fringe cut. By the time she was done her forehead was also red and raw, and we had been there two hours, to have two centimetres of hair cut off.
I was only reminded of this when my own hairdresser recently asked the baker if he would mind having his hair cut by a trainee. All supervised and monitored and she'd correct it at the end, of course. And free, of course. They just need the practice. How could he say no?
Two hours later, he came home, a little grazed on one ear and a bit patchy but happy enough. He'd had a bit of a laugh, having his head compulsively combed and re-combed. But he thought he'd probably go back.
There has been a gradual stepping down in hairdressing expenses in our house. I used to justify extraordinary costs, since I don't spend on other girly stuff like make-up or beauty treatments. The baker went from $15 cheap cuts to decent salon cuts. So my hair was about $70 or $90 or $150 a go and his was $60. About every six weeks.
This stopped when we went overseas and when we came back pregnant, the baker went back to cheap cuts and I didn't bother at all.
Then I heard about hairdressers who come to your house, and being house-bound and feeling shabby and post-partum, I went for the idea. But the bonus is that by coming to you, they charge heaps less. Our haircuts cost $55 for the two of us, and the baker didn't look like he'd been shorn by a blind shearer. Love it.
Now it's even better, with the baker's hair being cut for free. I'm back to not cutting mine, so another expense has been circumvented. Doesn't even feel like a sacrifice.
Many years ago, a friend and I spent the better part of a free day in Melbourne at the School of Hairdressing, getting a free haircut. I think we were 15 or 16.
I remember having my scalp combed until it was raw. I remember the fear and trepidation on the face of the trainee, almost closing her eyes with each snip of the scissors. Every slice had to be checked before and after. It took hours. My friend only wanted a fringe cut. By the time she was done her forehead was also red and raw, and we had been there two hours, to have two centimetres of hair cut off.
I was only reminded of this when my own hairdresser recently asked the baker if he would mind having his hair cut by a trainee. All supervised and monitored and she'd correct it at the end, of course. And free, of course. They just need the practice. How could he say no?
Two hours later, he came home, a little grazed on one ear and a bit patchy but happy enough. He'd had a bit of a laugh, having his head compulsively combed and re-combed. But he thought he'd probably go back.
There has been a gradual stepping down in hairdressing expenses in our house. I used to justify extraordinary costs, since I don't spend on other girly stuff like make-up or beauty treatments. The baker went from $15 cheap cuts to decent salon cuts. So my hair was about $70 or $90 or $150 a go and his was $60. About every six weeks.
This stopped when we went overseas and when we came back pregnant, the baker went back to cheap cuts and I didn't bother at all.
Then I heard about hairdressers who come to your house, and being house-bound and feeling shabby and post-partum, I went for the idea. But the bonus is that by coming to you, they charge heaps less. Our haircuts cost $55 for the two of us, and the baker didn't look like he'd been shorn by a blind shearer. Love it.
Now it's even better, with the baker's hair being cut for free. I'm back to not cutting mine, so another expense has been circumvented. Doesn't even feel like a sacrifice.
Monday, March 10, 2008
a leak and an ache
It always happens that when my bank account reaches a minimum threshold, my teeth start to ache. It's like they know that I can afford a root canal. I have ignored this ache for more than two years now, between going to London (saving and so not willing to spend on teeth), coming home pregnant (dentists not liking pregnant patients, me unwilling to spend the money again) and now. There are two sensitive spots, on opposing sides of my mouth, so I can't ignore it anymore. Chewing on either side is an issue, and I am a professional chewer.
Suffice to say, I'm not dropping the medical insurance extras until this episode is over. But eventually we will drop the extras.
Having some savings seems to also coincide with something going wrong with our cars. Yesterday I noticed that green liquid was leaking from the front of my hard-working but crappy little Astra. I'd love to ditch a car, but currently we seem to need two. You definitely know about expenses when you have lived with one car and then upsized to two. Lordy! It's about $3000 a year just to own, insure and maintain the thing.
So, tomorrow I have to make two phone calls that may set our savings plan back by months. It's disappointing and necessary. Just the kind of spending I hate.
Suffice to say, I'm not dropping the medical insurance extras until this episode is over. But eventually we will drop the extras.
Having some savings seems to also coincide with something going wrong with our cars. Yesterday I noticed that green liquid was leaking from the front of my hard-working but crappy little Astra. I'd love to ditch a car, but currently we seem to need two. You definitely know about expenses when you have lived with one car and then upsized to two. Lordy! It's about $3000 a year just to own, insure and maintain the thing.
So, tomorrow I have to make two phone calls that may set our savings plan back by months. It's disappointing and necessary. Just the kind of spending I hate.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
time to moan
I was not going to use this forum to whinge about interest rates and housing affordability. This blog is about finding a way to get on with it and get over it. But, sheesh. It's causing me some consternation.
The situation for everyone who wants to buy a home is that each interest rate rise reduces the amount that we can borrow. For us it is a significant amount. It will take us twelve months to save what the last two rate rises have cost us.
Meanwhile house prices go up alarmingly fast- houses we saw in the sub-$250,000 range are now $269,000. This increase has only happened since November '07. Six months and $20,000 difference.
The alarming part is that even on our stringent saving schedule, we can't keep up.
The irritating part is the advice from people who know us and who should know better don't 'get' our position.
"What's wrong with the house across the road?",
"Hmm, that $350,000 house across the road is lovely, thanks for pointing it out, but as we've told you before, there is no way we can buy that.".
"Hmph, well, have you even looked at it? You could offer a bit less,"
"No, because we don't think they'll accept an offer $100,000 below the advertised price. Most likely it will sell for $420,000.."
"Nah, really?"
"Yes, really,". Grrr.
There's nothing we can do but keep saving and keep searching. But it is a dispiriting process. I daydream that we save for so long that we can pay half and can get a great house. Who knows where we'll be in five years? What about when I am working full time again, on a decent wage? Imagine saving a whole adult wage! Great, but will I have a house before I'm forty? Will I be drinking powdered milk for that long?
PS
I promise to lift the tone of my posts after this. I've lost my sense of fun and joy in what started out as an amusing project.
Happy Birthday baby boy. One year already! See how time flies?
The situation for everyone who wants to buy a home is that each interest rate rise reduces the amount that we can borrow. For us it is a significant amount. It will take us twelve months to save what the last two rate rises have cost us.
Meanwhile house prices go up alarmingly fast- houses we saw in the sub-$250,000 range are now $269,000. This increase has only happened since November '07. Six months and $20,000 difference.
The alarming part is that even on our stringent saving schedule, we can't keep up.
The irritating part is the advice from people who know us and who should know better don't 'get' our position.
"What's wrong with the house across the road?",
"Hmm, that $350,000 house across the road is lovely, thanks for pointing it out, but as we've told you before, there is no way we can buy that.".
"Hmph, well, have you even looked at it? You could offer a bit less,"
"No, because we don't think they'll accept an offer $100,000 below the advertised price. Most likely it will sell for $420,000.."
"Nah, really?"
"Yes, really,". Grrr.
There's nothing we can do but keep saving and keep searching. But it is a dispiriting process. I daydream that we save for so long that we can pay half and can get a great house. Who knows where we'll be in five years? What about when I am working full time again, on a decent wage? Imagine saving a whole adult wage! Great, but will I have a house before I'm forty? Will I be drinking powdered milk for that long?
PS
I promise to lift the tone of my posts after this. I've lost my sense of fun and joy in what started out as an amusing project.
Happy Birthday baby boy. One year already! See how time flies?
Saturday, March 1, 2008
soon, I promise
You're wondering what happened to the home-made yoghurt, aren't you?
It's on hold until after next week. There's an issue with the milk burning in my saucepans. I have to work it out. Mainly I need to do it when I can concentrate 100%, instead of trying to make dinner, feed a baby and wash dishes while making yoghurt. This cannot be multi-tasked.
Keep watching.
It's on hold until after next week. There's an issue with the milk burning in my saucepans. I have to work it out. Mainly I need to do it when I can concentrate 100%, instead of trying to make dinner, feed a baby and wash dishes while making yoghurt. This cannot be multi-tasked.
Keep watching.
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