Wedding Ceremony Spot

I hope this works I have been asked a few questions regarding my Daughter,s up and coming Wedding so this link should take you to The Gardens where she is having her Service.

http://www.macarthurpark.com.au/chapel.html

Rain Rain Rain / Positive living footnote

It has been raining for three solid weeks, and my backyard is now a sodden disaster. This is the backyard which in 5 weeks time is going to hold a large Marquee and 70 Wedding guests. Many in high heels and long dresses. I usually love to see the rain as we live in a very dry State, I love to see my plants, flowers and grass getting a good soak, but please if you are listening up there, it needs to stop soon or this Wedding is literally going to be a washout.

I spent yesterday making an ivy garland to decorate the top table, the garland was just a silk and plastic affair, so I covered the plastic stems with green silk ribbon and tied the ribbon which is very narrow, into a few long stringy bows along the length of the garland and then I added some little gold ball sprays to give it a little zing, and I,m really pleased with the results. The gold sprays were left over from the decoration I added to the plain cake boxes, they ( the cake boxes) were black but now they are black and gold. I still have the Candelabras to decorate, I bought these on Ebay as a job lot from a Bride so they were exactly what I wanted, but they need a spray paint and then I am going to add Ivy to them with my handy glue gun. I have one for each table and two for the top table. That should be the last of my craft projects, and we have saved a ton of money by doing these ourselves.

My positive living footnote is actually going to be about the rain which I complained about earlier. I love that the rain is giving life to so many things, in a Country where a lack of it kills off so much wildlife, and crops. These downpours are a blessing to so many people. So I lay in bed last night and listened and enjoyed the noise of the rain on my window.

Week 2 Spend Consciously Year / All Bills Paid

Week 2 of my 5 payday month, and I had a few household bills to clear. I am only doing my budget so I,ll only recording the payments which I am responsible for. Hubby and I wrote down all the household outgoings, then we divided it by our combined earnings and when we got the percentage we both put that percentage of our individual wages into paying off the bills. Then we worked out weekly amounts for each bill and split them between us, until we arrived at who pays which account. I know this seems a little strange but it works for us, because Hubby earns more than me he pays the lions share but now he knows that as far as wages go we pay an equal percentage.

This week I paid

$230.00 Phone/Internet/Cable TV ( money saved weekly towards this.
$30.00 Mobile Bill ( standard monthly charge also saved )
$ 50.00 Debt repayment ( fortnightly amount )
$20.00 Petrol ( usual weekly amount )
$ 100.00 food ( anything left will be carried on till next week )
$60.00 Flowers ( I sent my BFF these for her 60th birthday )

In one hand and out the other at the moment, I will be carrying any money left over from my food bill into my getting ready for visitors in November account as I will need all the money I have over in order to feed an extra 2 adults ( my parents ) for 2 weeks, and any other guests and friends who drop in either before or after the Wedding. I think the BBQ will be permanently lit. I know that they will offer to help out with the grocery bill but I will feel a lot happier if I don,t have to depend on that offer.

My Granddaughter went into giggles the other night at the thought that her Mum and Dad were getting married, I don,t know what she found so amusing. As for myself I am a bit old fashioned and can,t wait to see her tying the knot. I love my future Son-in-Law and can,t wait to see my Daughter sharing the same surname as her partner and children, only 5 weeks now.

A real quickie

I am over in my Daughter,s house babysitting, but I just wanted to let you know that spends since Sunday have been.

Birthday cards 3 = $7.00
Stamps for 2 cards = $1.20
Groceries = $11.50

Total = $19.70

Tomorrow is payday and I will have a few payments to be made all of which are in my budget, I will enter these later.

B****y Birthday,s 4 all in the same fortnight

Feeling a bit down today and it,s because I am going to miss my BFF,s 60th Birthday which is on Monday. This gal pal and I have known each other since we arrived in Australia she is English, and had emigrated about 6 months before we did and our Husbands worked together so as soon as we met it was friendship at first sight. And so together we have celebrated our kids going to school our 40ths our 50ths and know I am going to miss her 60th because we now live in different parts of this vast land. It,s not because of my new budget for this coming year, as I have left leeway for just such occasions it,s mainly because of my Daughter,s wedding which is taking up all my available time at the moment. She is coming for the Wedding and so I will see her soon, but somehow it,s just not the same.

4 Birthdays in the next few days means that I have to be organised as I intend to get the most bang for my buck, and so I have handmade the cards, so all I have to do is buy the stamps for that. My Daughter-in-Laws is first and I bought her a gorgeous dress at the end of last Summer in a sale she is a size 8 Australian (2 American ) and I got this little dress for only $10. My Girlfriend is next and I am going to send her flowers, as I really can,t think of anything she would like more. My Sister follows and she is just getting a card, as she has well warned me not to buy her anything. And finally my Mother-in-Law is on the 16th, she is the trickiest as she needs nothing, but would be really put out if a lot of time and money was not spent on her, even with a Wedding close by. Thankfully Hubby will be coming to the party on this one.

No money spent today, but my eating was,nt real good, I think I was having chocolate withdrawal symptoms.

I,ve ticked all the boxes this week / Financial epidemics

After my 1st payday of my new budget I have spent and done exactly what I intended to do with my wages.

Groceries $70.00 I had a budget of $100
Ebay $30 I used left over Grocery money because I forgot I had to make this payment.
Rent $200 not something I usually contribute to.
Petrol $20 this is my normal weekly amount
Debt $25 a fortnightly payment
Day out for lunch $26 I had budgeted $30

I had forgotten when doing up my budget that I have 4 Birthdays in the next couple of weeks, so instead of banking the remainder of my money I will use it to source out inexpensive gifts.

My lunch out with the girls was really enjoyable and educational as it turns out that one of the girls is using a Budgeting Company to organise her wages, from what I can gather she hands over all her wages to them and they pay her bills and give her pocket money, as well as which they contact her creditors and arrange payments with them as well. Another of the girls is a budgeting Guru and a third is in a complete financial mess as she is the sole bread winner, as her husband is now to obese to work. I thought I was the only one with money issues amongst our friends but it seems to me that we have an epidemic on our hands.

Nearly forgot to mention that I lost another pound of weight this week, I,ll fit into my dress yet yippeeeeeee

October,s Estimated Expenses

Every journey starts with just a single step, and today is my step one towards a Spend Consciously Year. I intend to still make out a monthly budget and stick rigourously to it, as well as making sure that everything I put into savings will be touched only if absolutely needed, as this is money I really don,t want to spend, if I do have to use any of it I will make sure it is an absolute necessity, and I will be looking at the cheapest way of getting round it.
My plans are to shop for groceries with a list and a weekly menu.
To try to cut down on my electricity bill.
To retail shop with a need and not want mentality.
To only ever take my own healthy lunches to work.
To leave my debit card at home and only carry what little cash I need, this should prevent rash purchasing.
To blog about my triumphs and struggles.
To SUCCEED.

Today was payday and there are 5 of them this month, and I have already drawn up a plan to get me through the month.
1st October
Groceries $100 (anything I don,t spend will be rolled over till next week)
Petrol $20.00
Debt $25.00
Rent $200 (Due to an incompetent Real Estate office we discovered we were a bit behind in our rent so Hubby and I halved the amount)
Day out with friends $30.00
$150.00 into savings

8th October
Telephone/Cable/Internet package $230.00
Food $100 (anything I don,t spend will be rolled over till next week)
Mobile phone bill $30.00
Petrol $20.00
Debt $95.00
$100.00 into savings

15th October
Electricity Bill $385.00
Groceries $100.00 (anything I don,t spend will be rolled over till next week)
Petrol $20.00

22nd October
Food $100.00 (anything I don,t spend will be rolled over till next week)
Petrol $20.00
Debt $25.00
$375.00 into savings

29th October
Food $100.00 (anything I don,t spend will be rolled over till next week)
Petrol $20.00
Debt $50.00

Hopefully nothing unforseen crops up during the month, but if they do I will note them down.
$350.00 into savings