Monday, September 2, 2013

Reflections on a tough week

Well this past week has been really hard making do with so little. Its been tough but doable because I have had the time, and the knowledge on how to cook from scratch, meal plan and substitute ingredients where appropriate. This coming week I don't have as much time to cook and meal plan so I am glad its pay day tomorrow.

I ran out of flour, corn flour, choc chips, eggs, bread and fruit and veges. Thankfully I do have tinned fruit (although its high in sugar) and frozen beans and peas. My kitchen gloves ripped, the soap dissolved in a gazillion pieces, my bedside lamp bulb blew and the DVD remote batteries died.

I am very grateful to my darling chookies who produced on average 2 eggs per day. These eggs allowed me to make a Father's Day treat of meringues and lemon honey along with some homegrown lemons. One pumpkin has also done very well. The chooks have had a good meal on some pieces and some seeds, I have planted some seeds, had roasted pumpkin with other veges for dinner and made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

Cooking and planning has also taken quite a lot of my time which has been OK as I was on holiday but now I am back at Uni its much harder. Only today and tomorrow 's lunches to get through. Meals have been creative and seriously lacking in protein and vegetables for my taste. Tonight for dinner I had satay chicken stir fry which was rather green bean heavy. The Girl had a platter of cheese, bacon, satay sauce and carrot sticks, sliced banana and orange quarters which she devoured. Breakfast tomorrow will be coffee, porridge and berry smoothie for me and smoothie and rice bubbles for the Girl. Lunch for me will be bacon and egg pie with a pumpkin muffin. The Girl will have some rice crackers, muffin, tinned apricots and some yogurt.I have no idea what dinner will be as I wont be home until 5.30 pm after I collect the Girl and get the $10 fruit and vege pack and go shopping.

On the plus side I have got some seeds planted for spring planting, I sowed pumpkin, zucchini, tomato and some corn. Next up is to dig the potato bed and plant some then focus on some yummy greens such as spinach, silver beet and various lettuces. And most importantly fence off the chickens so they cant destroy my efforts!



Friday, August 30, 2013

Shopping success

Yesterday I went shopping and I did go over the budget but by .90 but that's ok as I did have that spare in my purse. I went to the supermarket bought all homebrand products. I everything I need to and also some super cheap yogurt (1kg for $2.79) and some more tortillas and everything came to a nice $14.05.

Next I went to the vege shop and I bought a green capsicum (1.99) an avocado (.99), two carrots (.82), two oranges (.73), half a pumpkin (1.20) and grapes (1.19) for a grand total of $6.92. I also asked them if they had any scraps that my chooks could eat and they said yes and showed me this huge wooden bin of lettuce leaves, bruised fruit and veges, cabbage leaves and other vege scraps. So I got a big bag of outer lettuce leaves, ratty looking silver beet and cabbage leaves for the girls as a treat. And I was a bit naughty and saw an onion that had a tiny gash in it and a red capsicum with was a bit soft at the top so I snaffled them and had them in my vege pasta bake last night.

In total I spent $20.90 which I am happy with. I popped $20 of petrol in the car and that should see me through to Tuesday. I realised I don't have as much cheese as I had assumed so I will swap the homemade pizza for chicken casserole with green beans and potatoes instead. And with the leftovers I will top with pastry and have chicken pie for lunch tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Its a very tight week this week. I have had lots of bills (rates, insurances, cell phone top up, mortgage and gym membership) and I haven't been paid from one of my tiny part time jobs. I usually don't rely on that tiny income and save it but not this month with the costs of moving home after the house repairs.

The good news is the bills all have been paid, the bad news is there isn't much for petrol or food. I have $40 for both this week. I will have to spend $20 on gas which leaves $20 for all food. Thankfully I have well stocked cupboards. I have traded eggs for some amazing raw milk so that's the milk sorted. Plenty of cat food, tinned food, baking ingredients, cheese and butter. I do need bread, fruit and veges, coffee, loo paper and dog roll for the chickens. I think that is affordable as long as I buy cheap coffee and in season fruit and veges. If I have to I can bake bread (or pikelets, corn fritters, mini pizzas etc) for school lunches so I don't have to buy it and I can leave the dog roll too if necessary. The cheapest coffee at my local supermarket is $2, loo paper is $1.49 so I am hoping I can get everything I need this week.

My meal plan for this week consists of
  • Chicken satay stir fry
  • Creamy courgette and pasta bake
  • Homemade pizza
  • Quiche
  • Roasted vege salad
  • Lentil and vege curry 
  • Tomato soup
Snacks/lunches will be
  • Corn fritters
  • Chocolate chippie biscuits
  • Fruit muffins
  • Toasted cheese sandwiches
  • Smoothies
  • Fruit and jelly.
  • Leftovers from previous nights dinner
Not quite as healthy as I would like (far too many carbs for my liking) but it is very hard to eat low carb on such a strict budget. Beggars can't be choosers this week!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Long time no blog!

Its been ages since I blogged! I had to move into temporary accommodation while my house's earthquake damage was fixed. Its lovely to be home again.

Now I need to eat healthy again and stop spending money unnecessarily. The garden has run riot and been trashed by builders so I need to plan what I want to grow and where its going. I though I might try straw bale gardening this year. The chooks have a new house which I aim to fence off so they can't reign seven types of hell on my veges again! So much to do, thank goodness I am on uni holidays so I have time to properly unpack, plan the garden and get the house and freezer ready for study again.

I think another budget would also be good as I have been ignoring the old one quite a bit lately and I have rates to pay and the power bill coming up in the next week. The Girl has also been sick so that has added strain to the budget, a trip to the GP is $27, then $10 on prescriptions, $3 on a measuring syringe and medicine cup, then another $8 for lemonade to dilute the taste and some ice blocks and voila there's $48 gone just like that.



Saturday, March 30, 2013

Easter!

Phew, its nice to relax! I have been super busy and now I finally have some time to relax. I have three weeks holiday after my mid terms. I had four essays to hand in and one exam, now to catch up on all my weekly readings after Easter.

Fianaces are going so-so. I haven't bought any new clothes, but I did buy a $12 pair of plain black flats from Kmart and a new bed as the old one was killing my back. And in the last two weeks before end of term I have bought a couple of coffees and slices on campus. I do usually bring lunch (toasted pita with cheese, tomato and spinach) but I haven't been baking and I do have a terrible sweet tooth. My food bill has been fairly steady, mainly due to the $10 vege packs, great value and the chooks eat anything I don't like, such as vasrious brassicas. The girls having been laying nicely, I have heaps of eggs these days which is lovely. My garden is still producing beans and tomatoes but sadly the chickens have eaten all the silverbeet and lettuce. I also have scallopinis and squash still going as well. Quinces are nearly ready, that's this weekend's job to harvest and rehome them. Now I need to get back on track and stop spending money on junk food, that should be easy while I'm on holiday as I will actually have time to cook and bake again! Such a novelty after the past fortnight from hell academically.

Now I must go prepare for the Easter Bunny's visit.



Sunday, March 3, 2013

So much to do, so little time

Wow I have been BUSY lately! Lots of study and then travelling to study and doing the readings for various papers. Then keeping all of us alive, fed, clean, warm and happy. Plus social time with friends and family and I get very tired at the end of the week.

I have been ok living a frugal life. I haven't bought any more clothes or shoes, although I will need another pair of plain black ballet flats sometime soon as my current ones are worn through and the heel flaps terribly. The Girl was given some lovely new-to-us clothes, exactly her size from our neighbours over the back (I will reciprocate by giving them a bag of quinces when they are ready). I haven't bought any food or coffee on campus yet due to the cost and the terrible variety. I am lucky that I have an Aunt who I visit on Fridays for lunch and my friend who's a post grad is showing me where the free instant coffee is! Woot!

I am also making the most of the food I have. So I had several large ish scallopinis in the garden and masses of tomatoes so I today during my weekly cookfest I made a vegetarian lasagna with grilled scallopini instead of pasta, home grown tomatoes with lentils for the sauce with layered spinach and white sauce. Then I had a pumpkin from my vege co-op (only $10 a week and you get two bags of random seasonal fruit and veges) so I chopped that up and roasted it with the remaining veges (small amount of spinach, home grown potatoes, yellow capsicum, onion, beans form the garden) and added some leftover lasagna sauce and white sauce and voila, dinner. I also made some pumpkin and choc chip muffins for our lunches this week.

I think its been a busy yet reasonably productive weekend, the house is tidy, washing is on the line (fingers crossed it doesn't rain), chickens have been free ranged all weekend and have a clean house, baking and cooking done, the Girl has been entertained and educated with a trip to the Museum, the Festival of Flowers and then we watched the model yachts, socialised with family and friends and had a meeting regarding the future of the Young Parents Breastfeeding Group. Now to sit down with my cuppa and enjoy watching Fast Five on TV.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Wee splurge today

I had a wee splurge today, I had to replace a pair of jeans as mine ripped terribly and are now unwearable. As I need them fairly quickly and I will need more than one pair, I bought a pair of $11 jeans from K-Mart. I did however resist the plain black tee shirts at $5 each, although I do need a couple and I also resisted the black cardigans at $12 each. However, I also spotted a plain teapot on clearance for $6 (last one left!) which was perfect as I had to throw my one out last week as it had a huge crack all through one side (I blame the EQ's). And then I wandered into the children's area and they had special on tee shirts so I got one for the Girl for next summer and a cute nightie for the grand total of $7. On the way out of the mall I popped into Pumpkin Patch who also had a sale on but once again I prevailed and did not buy the gorgeous size 6 party dress for the Girl as she does have heaps of party dresses. But I did get her a three pack of pretty socks for $5 and she did need them in time for winter. So I spent $29 but I do have some things stashed away for next summer which is helpful.