whitestripe

So I am sure that maaaaaany of you are familiar with my wailing and whining about the inability to make a decision regarding my 'future' in terms of job/career-ness.

I am sure that there are a few of you that have read each post I've made where I've decided to do one thing, then changed my mind and decided to do the other, and then ultimately done nothing at all.

Well. I am writing to inform you that *deep breath* I have made a decision on what I'm doing, and have now put it in the hands of someone else. So once that 'someone else' does what they have to do, I will be advancing down one fork in the road (figuratively speaking), instead of dancing around at the intersection wasting time and looking like a goose.

So here it is.

I spoke to my boss today, and I asked him if I could possibly do that fast-tracked apprentice-ship we had talked about earlier this year. I said I had no intention of leaving after it was done, I had no qualms about apprentice wages if it came to that, and working 5 days a week (on top of the two days a week I work at my other job), and that when it was all a done deal, I would be happy going back to my original 22 hours a week if that is what he wanted. Oh, and I would pay for the training.

And he said he had forgotten to ask the apprentice trainer last time he was here, but will ask him next time, and that I could probably do it part time anyway, and he would try to get me qualified in less time if he possibly could, even if he had to lie, cheat and steal. (I think he was joking about the last part - but you never know with him...)

Oh my gosh! I think this means... that I am going to be a Pastry Chef.

I know this is not financial, but it is really frustrating me and I have to get it out somewhere. And I know a lot of you are parents, and a few of you are step-parents, so I hope I can get either some insight or understanding on this matter.

To be honest, this issue does not even concern me. The only way it relates to me is that it is about a friend - and it is annoying me. So I realise I should stick my nose elsewhere - but that is exactly what I'm doing - I'm sticking it here!

Anyway.

So, I have this friend (the same one I mentioned that has an addiction to gambling and racked up $2k on her credit card doing so). Let's call her E.

E has been with her partner N for nearly 3 years. They have two boys together, a 2 year old and 8 month old. N has an 11 year old son from a previous relationhip. The 11yo lives with his mother and visits E & N on some weekends and some holidays.

E does not like the 11yo boy. I guess it probably stems from the 11yo not initially warming to her. She is not nice to him, doesn't include him in things with the other two boys etc etc.

Obviously this has gotten back to the mother of the 11yo and she is not happy about the situation. It has caused strain on the relationship between the two exes and strain between N and E, as N does not like the way E treats his son either.

The 11yo forgets things sometimes, and leaves them at N & E's house. The mother of 11yo gets annoyed at this and has told him if he keeps forgetting things he won't be allowed to visit his father and will have to do day-trips, as they live far apart and it is a hassle to retrieve the things he forgets. N offered to post any items his son forgets, so that it doesn't cause the mother hassle and he still gets to see his son.
In light of this knowledge, E now HIDES things that 11yo forgets, in the hopes that he gets in trouble so he doesn't visit.

Apparently this has all been going on for quite a while, and a mutual friend just told me the other day that the mother of 11yo (so - N's ex) sent E an email. In it she suggested they meet face to face as they never have before, sort out their differences so that 11yo can have a good relationship with his father. She went on to say that she is unhappy with the way that E treats her son, and that he should not be excluded the way he is, that E should behave like an adult and accept that 11yo is a part of her family. She also said that she thinks E might have postnatal depression and that she would really like to help her out with any issues she might be facing. She then said if this cannot be worked out then for the well being of her son she will be forced to stop N seeing his son, as E's negative attitude towards him is affecting his self-esteem.

E's reaction to this email, she sent in a text message to our mutual friend, was that 'how dare she speak to me like that and tell me what I am thinking. Post natal depression, what a load of rubbish. I am NOT meeting with her, and her son is NOT a part of my family so why should I treat him like it? And really, it's no bother to me if 11yo never visits again anyway, so why do I care?'
To make matters worse, the father, N, has no idea any of this is going on. He probably only sees the tip of the iceberg, when E excludes his son in front of his eyes - and he does pick E up on it when he sees it. So he thinks he is putting a stop to it, but in fact it is so far from the truth.


----------------------------

Is it just me, or is this friend of mine being a horrible, selfish, insensitive, uncaring b****?
The sad thing is that she doesn't know I know any of the latest developments, and I know that she won't talk about it with me because we don't really talk about subjects like that - we are not really close. But I am disappointed because the one person she has chosen to tell, our mutual friend, is one of those types that will never say what is on her mind and will just agree with E to keep the peace.
So, even though we are not close, it still really affects me because I keep thinking about it and feeling sad for that poor little 11 year old boy who is stuck in the middle of all this.

It seems like every couple of weeks I hear something E has done or is doing, and I lose a little bit more respect for her each time. Honestly now, I don't think I could stand to look at her. *sigh*

Why do people do these things? What exactly is going through their minds that makes them think what they're doing is alright?

but I find that I hardly ever stick to them. Sometimes I just don't feel like eating anything I've planned on, and other times I have a brainwave and try something different with the ingredients I already have.
Plus I've noticed since the weather has been heating up, all we ever really feel like is 'cold' food, like salad, tortilla wraps, pita breads or rice paper rolls.

Tonight, however, we are having pizza. We haven't had a takeaway dinner nearly two months (!) and it's cheap pizza night tonight, $5 each.

I have really been enjoying making Indian curries in the slowcooker, however. I don't know if I mentioned, my dad bought me a whole heap of spices when they were visiting. So I have been getting into making different mixes.

So, even though meal plans don't seem to be working for me, I am hoping to cook an indian curry to have with cous cous two nights this week, and a potato and leek soup.

It's definately getting to summer temperatures here. On Sunday it topped 37C, Monday was apparently 36C (though at work it is always a good few degrees hotter - blergh) and today I saw it was 34C. No doubt once summer is in full swing temps will be around 40C. Yuck.

DF bought a home brew kit on the weekend. He drinks one or two beers every day, so this will definately be a money saver in the long term. The kit cost $99.95 and you are able to make 23L of beer with everything included, and after that you just have to buy the sugar/yeast etc. DF's uncle also brews his own beer. He and his wife have gotten their costs down to 30c per 375ml bottle over the years.

I don't drink beer (or other alcohol for that matter) regularly, but I don't mind the occasional one in the hotter months. So, this can only be a money saver in the end!

A friend recently gave us the first season of Dexter to borrow.
I had seen the first episode when it first aired, but it was on too late for me to watch it regularly and I wanted to watch it all the way through, so we purposely haven't watched any more of it since the first show.

We watched the first season in two days.

One of the (many) things we like to spend money on is series on DVD. DF hates advertisements on television and I don't like watching whole movies on weeknights because it leaves me little time to do anything else.

I was looking on eBay to try and find the best price for the second season, and realised it was cheaper to buy season 1, 2 and 3 together. The cheapest I could find was $120 including postage.

Then I realised we set our DVD player to region free a few years ago, so I started looking in other countries.

I found series 1, 2 and 3 for $66.92 (US$61.95) with FREE postage from the US.

After some questions with the seller I decided to buy it, when I discovered that we already had $69.72 in our Paypal account (which I had forgotten about).

Even though it WASN'T free, it certainly feels like it.

I have two skincare products to sell on eBay this month too. I am hoping to buy Californication season 1 with that money. I also want to get True Blood. All of our friends have been going on about it, and someone even copied the discs for us but they didn't work. So eh. We can wait for that one, but I'd still like to see it eventually.

Lately I have been feeling the pressure to have a baby. It is not something on my mind every day, but I do more often than not get the comment 'oh, so when are you guys going to...?' when we are in large groups, whether it be friends or family.

Funnily enough, it does not occur as regularly (actually - hardly at all) in DF's group of friends - who are the group with the massive amount of babies born this year (7 at last count...). And they are all aged between 28-32.

It mostly seems to be coming from family (which is no surprise) and MY friends - who are all around the same age as me (22). Excuse me? I know that all the studies and news articles are showing that people are having children later in life, but seriously, it does not look like this from my point of view. The only woman I can think of off the top of my head who has left children til a later stage in her life is my stepmother, who had my little sister at 39 - my little sister is now 11.

With all the pressure of 'When are you guys going to give us a niece/nephew/grandchild/great-grandchild?etc etc' or as one of my friends likes to ask rather crudely: 'when are you going to pop one out?' (I don't know why, but that statement makes me want to vomit), I know I have mentioned that DF has asked me a couple of times "When ARE we going to have a baby?" He is worried about being an old dad, worried about the health side of things, worried about timing etc etc. All this has had my mind whirring quite a bit.

On one hand I'd love to have children now - as disappointed as my dad would be to hear this, I really would not have a problem in the world being a SAHM for the next 10 years or so. I know that women are pushed to strive for 'more' than this, and sometimes it feels like an expectation, like a massive weight on my shoulders. I remember mentioning this once to our old flatmate (that I wouldn't mind being a stay at home mum) and GOSH, you could SMELL his contempt in the air. I was quite shocked really. Isn't the point of equality that people can CHOOSE what they want to do?
On the other hand I have the expectation that I'm meant to do something with my life before having children. Which I'm trying not to care too much about, simply because I'm meant to. Also, our financial situation is the biggest factor in our decision on when to have kids. It's aaaallll about the money. So it's a catch 22 really: I have to get a decent paying job to make the money, but I feel tired just thinking about it. At the same time and am annoyed that I have to do one thing to achieve the other, but I don't WANT to. LOL!

Anyway, getting back to my point. So I was feeling not quite stressed out, but rather perplexed at everything surrounding this issue.

So imagine my reaction yesterday, when DF arrived home at 5pm (early for him - normally it is 6pm or later). He got home, dunped his things in the hallway, opened a beer, sat at the table and flicked through some junk mail for 15 minutes while talking about his and my day. He then tinkered on his car for 10 minutes downstairs and played with Jed. After having a shower (leaving his clothes in a pile on the floor which he will probably pick up later in the night when he brushes his teeth) he opened another beer and said "You know, I really don't think I'm ready to have kids yet. I'm too lazy in the afternoons and I can't imagine having to do anything when I get home other than what I've just done, which is sweet F-A."

And then we talked about all the other things which we weren't ready for (finances, taking time off work, house renovations, time, the fact that we still like to party occasionally). So it was not JUST laziness that was the major factor - but you get my drift. I think DF's time, the time he takes for himself, is important to him and he just realised that he wouldn't have that anymore. When he does work full time, he leaves at 6am, gets home at 6pm or later and often has to work 6 days a week. And it's not really laziness that he's worried about - he's worried about not being a proper Dad. He WANTS to be there for his kids, he WANTS to be home in the afternoon and there on the weekends.

I think the pressure of all his friends having children, as well as family pressure (which is always going to be there) and the age issue were really bearing down on him. It was one of those instances where he really just woke up and realised that now is not the best time, and that while some people aren't lucky enough to be able to plan when they start a family, if we are, we should take advantage of that fact.

So that's something neither of us have to think about for a few more years

DF is working tomorrow (Saturday) and I have no plans. I was invited to dinner with friends, but it is with 'those' friends that I have blogged about previously. Nice to catch up with at a party, but I realised pretty quickly I don't want to go to a restaurant with them EVER AGAIN.
Lovely people, most of the time, but yeah, I must be an old fashioned lass who thinks people should be quiet when indoors with strangers trying to eat their meals. I guess you could say, hmmmm, I have respect for the people around me?

Anyway. So I would like to have a productive but very laid back weekend. My plans are:

- Sleep in (until 7am atleast)
- Farmers market
- Put a meal on in the slow-cooker
- Wash Jed
- Do some laundry & fold washing
- Clean the fridge
- Clean the pantry
- Take Jed for a walk

Obviously, not setting the bar too high

Thought I would share some more photos with you all.

And on a slightly more *ahem* financial note, we spent $127.40 yesterday at the vet for the two puppies vaccines. The vet said that he wishes all puppies came in looking this healthy

Brother and Sister playing together:


Little Girl is at the front, to the left is Banjo and to the right is Mummy!


Our little one, Banjo! Soon he will be at our house!


Little Girl (still unnamed). Isn't she ever so cute! She will only be two streets away from her mummy (she is being given to DF's grandparents), I think it is nice that they will be able to grow up together, and be able to see their mum and dad often too.

We are taking the puppies to get vaccinated this afternoon, and then the little girl is going to DF's grandparents tomorrow. We are taking the little boy this weekend.

And we have (I think) decided on a name.

Banjo.

It is the mother dogs' dads name. He was killed by a paralysis tick about two years ago, and Jed very much reminds us of him. So we thought it would be nice. Jed and Banjo.

It is going to be tricky with work and the puppy. They are not inside dogs so we are thinking of making a smaller enclosure in our yard until the puppy gets a bit older.

And apparently he is already toilet trained! He is 8 weeks old and he already crawls out of his kennel, and out onto the grass before going. Could you ask for much more?

We got our first electricity bill since we moved in, March 2nd this year.

Normally power companies bill you every 3 months here, but there was a mix up with which company we were using, so we never got one 3 months ago - we have now been billed for 7 months and 2 weeks. Which is fine, it doesn't really make any difference to us.

It works out to be roughly $225 per 3 month period - pretty standard for us. This is with a different power company too.

We have just started turning everything off at the power point again - we lapsed at this for about a year . So, the only thing that's running at home when we are away is the fridge.

We have a box of the energy efficient light globes that we have been using to replace the old ones when they blow out. Hopefully that might have a bit of an impact down the track too.

What do you do to save power? Other than the usual of course, turning lights off when you're not using them, etc etc.

Well, I guess you would call it flatmates really. Except we are getting paid rent.

After some thinking, we've decided to let DF's cousin rent a room from us. Remember this from ages ago? I posted about it. I was really not ok with it then - because I had not met him.

He has been living with DF's dads family for a few months now, so we have been able to get to know him. He is working for the family business, so DF spends a good 9 hours a day with him, or more.

He's a nice kid. He is only 19 and does not know anyone in this state, he moved two states to work for DF's dad as an apprentice. DF's dads house is a little crazy at the best of times, and there is not a lot of room there either.

I am thinking it will be fine - he is quiet, considerate and NICE and at first would not even accept our offer as he didn't want to intrude.
We'll be setting ground rules first off - isn't it amazing what a difference it can make when you actually MEET someone? I did not think I would change my mind about this, but I have.

This is the recipe I use for minestroni soup, cooked in a slow cooker. There are a few things you can serve with it, a dollop of pesto is good, fresh buttered bread, toasted pitas sprinkled with olive oil and cumin, shaved parmesan or garlic bread are all favourites. It's good on it's own too

1 cup barley
1 x 800g tin chopped tomatoes, or several chopped fresh tomatoes.
1 onion, diced.
4 cloves garlic, crushed.
4-6 cups vegetables, chopped into even sizes.
(I use pumpkin, brocolli, potato, sweet potato, carrot, green beans, capsicum, zucchini etc).
1/2 tsp cumin
salt & pepper
fresh or dried oregano, marjoram & rosemary.
& enough vegetable stock to fill the slow cooker 3/4 full (or you can use stock powder & boiling water)

I combine all these in the slow cooker (which is 3.5L) and cook on low for 8 hours.

But to tell you the truth, we are getting along quite fine without it. Of course we WILL get it fixed eventually, but there are so many other things going on at the moment that it is not really high priority.

To be honest, FOOD is not really high priority at the moment. Last week I ate minestroni soup four nights in a row. Yep. And I will probably make a big batch of it again this week. It's easy, healthy, cheap, and I like it (delicious with a piece of a fresh baguette and some shaved parmesan). I made DF bolognaise sauce in the slowcooker which turned out well, and he has been having bbq's lots of nights.

This is all a bit of an about-turn for me, I love cooking and I like to cook different things each night too. But I think it's a combination of the weather (hot) and my energy levels (low) as well as all the things I seem to have to get done at the moment, which make cooking involved meals every night a little draining.

That's not to say that I will ever resort to pre-packaged meals or takeaway each night, or frozen dinners etc etc like a lot of people do who 'can't find the time to cook'. Even with limited cooking appliances in the kitchen, we still eat fresh organic vegetables and I cook from scratch - believe it or not the lack of a stove or oven actually makes things (mostly) easier because it greatly limits what you can do.

And you know actually, we have not had takeaway for over a month...! Everytime I think 'Gee, it would be nice to not have to cook dinner tonight' I think about the cost of the meal, the fact that I have to drive to go and get it, what they might put in it, the way I feel after eating it, the fact that I possibly might eat the whole container of basil tofu noodles instead of saving half for later...
And then I just steam some veges and rice. Boring, but cheap. Tastes pretty nice with a bit of soy sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds though.

Slow cookers, I have to say here, are amazing. And ever since my parents bought us the smaller one for our engagement, I am enjoying it a lot more. (The first one I bought was waaaay too big, ended up overcooking the food all the time.)

Menu Plan for the week:
Saturday: BBQ (for DF's bday party)
Sunday: Leftovers
Monday: Fresh rice paper wraps
Tuesday: Minestroni Soup
Wednesday: BBQ/Minestroni soup
Thursday: Grilled Veges & Tofu/Lambchop
Friday: Lentil Soup

On Melbourne Cup Day, while everyone was busy betting up a storm, the Reserve Bank quietly met and decided to raise interest rates again.

This is the second time they have increased (by 0.25%) since DF and I decided to fix a portion. Phew! And apparently they will be raised again before Christmas.

In other news, our bank (which is one of the Big 4 banks) has recently decided to cut dishonour fees from $35 to $9. Not that I have ever paid a dishonour fee, but still, it's a step in the right direction, right?

I have noticed sometimes I am looked down on when I mention I am with a Big 4 bank (Westpac, Commonwealth, ANZ or National). People scoff and go, "Oh, well I don't go with the big banks, I am with XXX (a small town bank)". And then they sigh as if to say I am strangling the small businesses because of my banking choice.

Is this the new thing? Instead of judging people on how much they don't recycle and whether or not they have a prius and use their green bags, we're all thinking we can get up on our high horse because the bank we use isn't a Big Bank.

Personally, the little banks didn't have what I wanted in my loan features. So I went with the bank that could offer me what I wanted. I even changed banks for our mortgage. It was not about ethics or morals really; it was about getting the most out of the hundreds of thousands of dollars I will pay in interest. If I'm paying that much to a bnk so I can paint my own walls and plant my own garden, I want Redraw options, DAMMIT!

Income:
DF: $3309.25
Me: $2282.00
Total: $5591.25

Expenses:
Mortgage: $2489.23
Groceries: $705.87
Petrol: $284.56
Internet: $77.80
Mobile: $49.45
House Ins: $69.39
Life Ins: $53.67
Personal Loan: $185.00
Pet Supplies: $63.55
House Supplies: $292.00
Work Expenses: $41.65
Clothes: $54.56
Dining Out: $128.10
Entertainment: $122.50
One Off Purchases: $720.00
Gifts: $24.00
Health/Grooming: $29.45
DF Fun: $289.13
Me Fun: $154.85

Total Spent: $5834.76

Deficit: $243.51-



Well! Basically the deficit is due to the fact we bought a lawn mower and a ladder, and some other household gadgets. We would have waited to buy these, but we had gift vouchers which paid for part of it. Any deficit we come to each month eats at our buffer (this is not on a credit card if anyone is wondering...). November is the month that we are going to really work at bringing our 'buffer' up again - it is at roughly $5000 now, but I would like it to be atleast $8000 by the end of the year.

Mortgage cost was more this month as our split loan was finalised.

Groceries were more, about $20 more per week. Not really sure why - we have also had a bit of waste too, which is odd. We hardly EVER throw out food, it always gets eaten before it comes to that. I will have to keep an eye on it.

I am ecstatic about our 'Fun' money. We both spent a lot less than our max amounts. I spent about half of mine, and DF spent about $20 less each week.

Anyway, not a great month but not too bad.

I do often wonder about people who ask that question. And I admit I am sometimes guilty of just saying No, because really if you are silly enough to believe it... *shrug*

So I can finally upload a picture for those that might be interested. It is too difficult to take one of my own leg so instead I just took it off the tattooists myspace page.



I am fantastically happy with the outcome and the cost ($320 - he only charged for actual inking time and not drawing time). And I have been told I have great skin and that he will do work on me anytime. It's nice to make an impression.

I have not been on here to post as much as usual. This month has been weird with lots of things to do but not much to write about.

We got our tattoos last week, I am waiting for the last of it to heal before I post a picture, for anyone interested (probably not many on here!)

It was much less than we thought it would cost. For starters he was very quick (I think he surprised himself) and he didn't charge for drawing time. For both it ended up being $520, plus a $30 tip (Yes! something I actually tip for here...). Initially we thought it would be around $900.

I think the tattooist was really excited about mine because he is now using it as his profile picture on his myspace.

Anyway.

We get our puppy soon. Haven't decided on a name yet. They are jumping and trying to use their voices, very very cute indeed.

Work has slowed down for DF again. He is still earning money every week but not full-time. But mine remains the same which is good.

Still haven't gotten the stove or oven fixed, but it isn't a huge hassle at the moment. When it becomes more of a problem we will do something about it. At the moment it's fine.

The next door neighbours dog keeps sleeping under DF's cars during the day, underneath our house. It is getting a little annoying as she leaves dark patches all over the concrete - we are not sure if it is blood or dirt. She is an old dog and the neighbours are always out, I am not sure if they realise she gets out. Anyone know of anything that keeps dogs away, like pepper or something? (I think pepper keeps ants or cats away... can't remember which...)

In the past two weeks I have lost around 2 kilograms.

I have not been doing a whole lot differently, but I believe the warm weather has something to do with it. It is much too hot to eat at work during the day, which stops me nibbling on things I probably shouldn't be!

Lack of a stove or oven is also resulting in most foods being grilled or slow-cooked, which mainly means mexican beans or grilled veges most of the time. Tonight we are having soup.

Spurned on by the difference on the scales, I have also been refraining from snacking, and again the heat makes it difficult to stomach even a share of a slice of cake or a biscuit when having coffees with friends.

Weightloss was one of my new years goals at the start of 2009. I am feeling motivated to keep this up (at the moment ), so I may achieve this goal, even if it is only partially. I am by no means overweight, but I think I could stand to lose a few more kilograms, to be completely comfortable in my own skin.

On Sunday we went to the CBD and spent some of our gift vouchers that we recieved for our engagement party. We also got $70 in cash from DF's sister - I am going to use some of that to buy a Scanpan stainless steel frypan.

We decided to buy things that we would ordinarily spend money on anyway - but have been putting off for some time.

First off was a Brita water filter jug. We got a good deal on it, went to three different stores to compare. Myer had the best deal: a 2.4L jug for $29.70, which came with three free filters ($23 each normally) and a free re-usable waterbottle. To compare, I found a 3.5L jug for $33 in Kmart, that was the next option. So you can see why I went for a smaller jug with more extras.

I decided I wanted some summer shorts and found a pair for $35, and DF wanted to buy the new Wolverine movie on dvd, and another dvd, can't remember which one.

With our hardware store vouchers ($200) we bought a lawn mower. DF found one on sale from $350 reduced to $299, so in the end we got a lawnmower for $99.

Other things on the list are, obviously, a Scanpan frypan, and one of the things you tap your used coffee grinds into (I never thought this was necessary until we started having people over regularly - I have realised how useful it will be). So far have found them at Myer for $36, which is the best deal I can find. I believe we have just over $100 left on the GC's, and $70 in cash.

Doing our tax returns yesterday, I asked DF to log on to his old Bankwest account (similar to an ING account) to find out how much interest he earnt in the last financial year from the house deposit.

Seconds later I hear 'uhhm... huh?'

He has $836 still in there!

He had $18 792.00 and transferred $18 000. The $792 has remained there since January, slowly working itself up to the $836 it is now.

Um, wow?!

The found money is going to the EF.

Also, wanted to share how much interest DF earnt in the last year, only six months of it where he actually had a high amount in there: $236.37!


Currently Listening To: Air - Alone in Kyoto

Normally I am all onto our tax returns and have them done within the first week of July. However this time things were tricky due to closed accounts, deductions etc etc.

Finally got it all together and did it online tonight.

Combined we get back nearly $2000.

It is just in time too, as DF's mum is trying to buy a property and needs a buffer in between the exchange of her old property and the new one. She gave DF $4000 when we were getting ready to buy our house, so we are going to give her $2000 back. Even though it was a gift, I still don't like it hanging over our heads. She has not asked us for it but I know that she would be thankful, and even though we do not have a LOT to spare, I feel compelled to. She is a very generous person and if it means we cut back and tighten the purse strings for the next few months, that is fine with me.

So really, the tax return has not made a difference in our accounts at all. But it has helped someone!

Everyone loves puppies, don't they?

So here is Jeds son and daughter. They are still with their mum (DF's dads dog) and we will be getting the boy (the one that is all white) and DF's grandparents will be getting the girl (the one with the black patches).



DF's dads dog, Trinity. She is such a goood mum!

Because we have no stove or oven for the next few weeks I have had to be inventive with our meal plan. We have a lot of other things going on so at the moment we are not bothering to do anything about fixing it until atleast the start of November.

To top it off, going away for the weekend meant I wasn't able to go to the farmers market on Saturday. I have not missed it since we moved here back in March, so I am at a bit of a loss as to where to get good fresh veges. I am going to try a place near my drive home - wish me luck on that front! I think we are spoilt with the freshness from the markets, even my dad and stepmum were amazed at how beautiful the produce was.

I am using up our freezer stock of meals too.

Last night we had pasta because I discovered you can cook it in a rice cooker! It was an experiment that lead to a happy outcome. I had to heat up the sauce in the microwave though

Tonight we are having an Indian Vegetable curry that my dad made while he was here (thawed from the freezer). I will cook the rice, and once it is halfway through cooking will put the curry on top of the rice to heat it. I have heard of people doing this before, so I know it works. We are having chapatti and yoghurt with the curry.

Meal Plan:
Tuesday: Indian Vegetable Curry
Wednesday: Slow Cooked Lentil Soup
Thursday: Grilled Vegetables with Tofu/Lamb Chops
Friday: Fresh Spring Rolls (rice paper wraps - NOT fried)

(saturday is market day, so this is my meal plan for the following week

Saturday: BBQ & Salad
Sunday: Vegetarian Mexican Beans, Rice & Salad (beans made in slow cooker)
Monday: Slow Cooked Minestroni Soup
Tuesday: Bean & Salad Tortillas
Wednesday: Toasted Panini Sandwhiches
Thursday: Slow Cooked Indian Curry
Friday: BBQ & Salad or Grilled Veges

Isn't it funny, when you knock out use of an oven and stove, the only options you have are (mostly) healthy ones. Out of the next two weeks of our eating plan, the only meals I can see that are questionably healthy are the toasted panini (wheat and cheese) the curries (coconut milk) and the mexican beans/tortillas IF we have cheese on them.

So it worked out to be a fairly cheap weekend away. Usually when it is a big group of us, we have to pay accomodation costs (around $50 a night divided by all who are staying) to use our friends' parents beach house. But this time we did not have to, which was nice.

So this is what we spent:

$13.20 Takeaway Lunch
$6.95 Groceries
$47 Dinner out
$21.50 Drinks
$94 Alcohol
$3.80 Icecream
$2.80 Water
$4.40 Groceries
$7.60 Drinks

Probably could have made it cheaper by not going out for dinner the first night, and DF not buying alcohol. But he brought some back with him so it wasn't all consumed there. We also had two bottles of champagne that was in the cupboard at home, so we took those.

Awhile ago at work we stopped being able to buy a product that we used regularly. Luckily our suppliers had a similar product which we then started using. A few weeks later our rep told us (I don't think he was meant to - I believe he told us because we were complaining about how different the second product was) that the reason we couldn't get the first product was because an ingredient in it had been banned and they were currently testing other ingredients to find something they could use - the product was made in the US and the ingredient banned was something they used to stablise it.

So all this got me thinking.

If I didn't work there, and if the rep hadn't told us, I wouldn't have ever known.
Customers who buy our goods have no idea. The only thing they will notice is that some goods are a little different now, because the new product we use is a little different to the old one.

And then this got me thinking even more:

So exactly how many things have I consumed in my life that have contained ingredients which have then forced the product off the shelves? How many manufacturers have gone 'Oh! Shit!' and changed their recipes?

Obviously this was not something hugely drastic, otherwise there would have been a product recall. But still - if it's bad enough to ban and cease production for some time, isn't it bad enough to warn people not to eat it? (We threw out our stock with the old product in it - in case you're wondering)

This leads me to my next line of thinking.

Exactly how much do you know about what is in your food?

I have been brought up cooking from scratch and avoiding foods with numbers and ingredients I cannot decipher. But not everyone has. And even still, I find it incredibly difficult to avoid all those nasties on a daily basis.

Furthermore, are you aware that over 60% of what you put on your skin is absorbed into your body?

So, are you completely happy with the contents of your shampoo bottle being inside your body? What about your foundation, anti-wrinkle cream, skin care scrubs and cleansers, hair removing agents, laundry powders etc etc?

Would you eat them? Why not?

I have only just started thinking about this all. While I do think I am a little more aware of these things than, say, the average 22 year old, this whole 'banned-ingredient-thing' has really filled my head with questions and reservations.

It's all quite a bit to think about, so I wanted to share it. Hope you all don't mind.

I think I am going to take (baby) steps to reduce our consumption of items that have ingredients in them that I don't know what they are or do.

Thoughts? Opinions?

This could possibly be a frugal exercise too. Has anyone ever used castile soap? I have been reading about it.

We have been talking about what to buy with our gift vouchers from our engagement party.

Our initial thought was to get a dvd player/hard drive recorder. It would probably be the most useful piece of technology in our house for two reasons: we hate advertising, and we both go to bed reasonably early and miss out on good shows that play later in the evening.

But, we went to check them out and apparently they are phasing out making them. WHAT?! Why???

So the only ones that are there, are around $800. Excuse me? I am not paying that much. Sorry if appear to be somewhat of a tightass.

So instead we were thinking of buying the following:

- a water filter (either one that connects to the tap, or just a jug filter you put in the fridge)
- a normal dvd player

That uses up about half of the Myer vouchers. The hardware store vouchers we are not really sure of, but were thinking of getting a lawn mower. We don't have one so we have to borrow DF's dads one. It has been good lately as it has been winter, and the grass hasn't grown for about four months, but soon it will start again.

The lawnmowers range from $340-$800. We don't have a lot of land to cover, so a cheaper one will do as long as the parts are sturdy, DF can do any maintenance that is needed.

I did have a thought that if we bought the lawn mower, I could use the leftover Myer vouchers for groceries, and that would sort of offset the extra spend on the lawnmower? Technically we would be out of pocket around $50 or so. Good idea? Bad idea?

For a week or two we have been smelling a burning plastic smell whenever I light the oven (note: our oven has a stove on the top). Because it's summer I've only used the oven a few times, so I haven't really paid that much attention. But last night I finally asked DF to have a look, and lo and behold, gas is leaking from one of the pipes, which has created a bigger pilot flame.

It could be a case of a loose nut or fixture, but the burning smell indicates it has probably melted something that might be important. How scary to think that could have made a huge fire one day if we hadn't checked it!

So, I guess this means we will have to buy a new stove. (Truth be told, it is around 10 years old and in need of replacing anyway...)

Our problem now is, in 4 to 5 years we had hoped to have enough to remodel the kitchen. It would be a medium sized renovation as we would be putting in a bay window to add extra room. We would look at getting a wall mounted oven and a stove with a rangehood - which is something that is impossible to do at the moment.

So - do we fix it or buy a cheap(er) stove/oven now with the intent of using it for only 5 years? Do people buy second hand stoves? Could we sell it later? Or should we buy a second hand one? Doesn't that mean that whatever we save on buying second hand, we will have to shell out for new fittings anyway?

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In the meantime, I am confined (yet again!) to cooking on the barbecue or using bench top appliances. Hooray! As if I didn't already have enough of that experience when we first moved in.

Now I have to think up ways to use our veges up that don't involve the stove or the oven. GREAT

I have:
a slowcooker
a rice cooker
a barbecue
a grill/sandwhich press

I also have an outstanding assortment of takeaway menus

I've always had a somewhat predictable pattern whenever I return from a holiday - whether it be a 'going away' holiday or a 'stay at home' holiday.

1. I stop watching a lot of television. I think it's the ads that annoy me the most. And the meaninglessness of it all. I still watch shows that I love, like Topgear etc, but I don't bother to channel surf for something to do. This usually lasts a few months or so, until I start to get worn down by the daily grind and don't feel like thinking about anything for a few hours, hence Neighbours works itself into my schedule.

2. I clock-watch at work. Not noticeably - no one sees me doing it. But I find I need to know exactly how many hours, minutes, seconds I have left before I am let free for the day.

3. I start fantasising and dreaming up ways so that I don't have to work. Or don't have to work as much. This is possibly done in conjuction with the above mentioned clock watching. 'If I didn't buy any clothes for a year, reduced my spending money by half, found a cheaper phone plan and started growing a bigger vege patch... I could have one day off a month...' is regular thought while I ice bar-cakes and decorate elaborate 18th birthday cakes. Oooh look, it's now five minutes closer to home time...

4. We start eating differently. While most of our meals are healthy, I find after a holiday I get more enthusiastic about cooking again. I make more meals that require time and effort and more stages of cooking. I get interested in aquiring and trying different spices and odd ingredients. For instance, have you ever used the spice mace? It is a similar smell to nutmeg (actually, it is from the outer shell of the nut of the nutmeg), but it gives a beautiful warm flavour to dishes...

5. I start to spend time doing things that I never found the time to do before, such as just sitting on our deck with our dog and a book.

6. I spend less time on the computer. Is this a good or a bad thing? Not sure, but it sure does free up a lot more time. I have gone two days without checking facebook, saving advice or my emails. Previously unheard of for me. And you know what? I don't mind. I log on and then log off again in a matter of seconds. I guess a holiday reminds me there is LIFE out there, away from cyberspace.

7. I read before I go to bed. It's something I do when I am on holidays because I don't have a definate time to get up the next day, and it's something I try to keep up, atleast for a little while, after my holidays.

8. I start thinking about what I'm spending my money on. I start asking myself if it's worth it. Do I really need a piece of overpriced frittata, or am I just buying it because everyone else is buying food? Do I really need to buy papertowel, or couldn't I use some rags instead? Is there a use for all these cleaning products, or is the bicarb, vinegar and bleach in my cupboard good enough? What could I use my money for, if not for this? Oh, another holiday!

9. I start thinking up ways to make our everyday life better and more enjoyable. Just little things, that probably seem like they don't matter, but they make a difference. Like playing cards or boardgames together once in a while. Inviting friends over for barbecues. Going for walks together. Making three course meals just because we can. Sleeping in on weekends. Going to comedy shows. Having tapas on our deck for lunch. Having picnics with friends at parks and botanical gardens. Trying out a nice bottle of wine every now and then.

I am sure there are more things that I change after a holiday, but these are the most obvious, that I can think of right now. Why? I guess going on holiday, and then the shock of going back to work, makes me realise that we WORK to live, and that I personally want to live more than work. Does your holiday affect your life after you get back?

After a month of waiting for the paperwork to be put through (and even longer since I actually signed the papers!), our split loan has been finalised. I checked our balances this morning, and instead of owing $298xxx.xx we now owe:

Fixed (7.94% for 5 years) $175 000.00
Variable (currently 5.11%) $123 630.24

For a month I have wondered if we did the right thing, or if we should have waited a tad longer. (Atleast, I now know we should have fixed straight away at 6.94% - but eh, what can you do?).

I got an email last week, the Reserve bank had raised their interest rates by 0.25%. The next day the Big 4 raised theirs. So, that was my answer. We did absolutely the right thing. (Hasn't hit our variable portion YET - will soon...)

I have also read that there will probably be another raise in December. Whew!

I set a goal to read a book a month this year. Last year I virtually read no books at all. Magazines, yes, but they are trash! Not literature!

Anyway. So even though I said a book a month, I think I can safely say I am motivated to go to the library two more times this year - so I can cross that off my list as done!

I read three books last month. Chemical Pink, The Messenger & The Girl Most Likely. I just borrowed five more from the library today. I find that I often borrow one or two that I simply can't get into, and therefore don't read. So I figure that the more I borrow, the more chances I have of finding a few I actually like!

T, a friend of mine, and I, have this thing where we try to find really disturbing books, read them, then lend them to the other. Why? I have no idea.

Because we can, possibly? I guess it's like a dare. "I read it the whole way through, now you have to".

So the financial aspect of this post is that I did not BUY any of these books, which is great! I am now going to make it a habit of writing down interesting titles of books I come across (usually in magazines I borrow from friends) and then attempt to find them at the library.

What's a good book you've read lately? What was it about? And what was the authors name?