Re: Budgeting........
 

My youngest gets the two lots. I give her 20 dollars a week pocket money, and she buys her own toiletries, and she knows she has to keep it to use for a trip to the mall/pics with pals.

The 40 dollars a month i stash in a savings account for her , that she cant touch.

My oldest daughter did not even come into the budget:lol:, well she eats and sleeps here (well most of the time, a couple of days at bfs). But i think shes amazing, she is at uni, works, saved up for a car, and maintains it herself, buys anything she nees for uni, she never, ever asks for money:) Which is another reason i want to save, is i want to buy her a return tkt to scotland for her 21st in nov (but she plans to go there july 2014)

Re: Budgeting........
 

Its not easy this bloody work carry on:huh:, but i find they dont mind pitching into help as they know we're working for them. My husband had cooked dinner when i came in tonight (spag bol), and tonight my two girls have made shepherds pie for tomorrow:), but thats unusual for us to be so organized.........

Re: Budgeting........
 

Our "budget" has gone totally pear shaped, instead of paying me 70 hours per fortnight workers comp my employer is (wrongly) paying me 20 hours a fortnight compensation

They have also failed to co operate with my lawyer by not furnishing him relevant documentation and are dragging this whole ****ing mess out unecessarily...

Hence we have had to exist by using our savings... And simply pay everybill we can as it comes in and Not do ANYTHING that costs... Kids get free Muay Thai coz The1 is doing the instructor course... We use the car with petrol in it, and fill up midweek to avoid the weekend rise...

They havent seen ANY pocket money for 7 weeks... Or treats that cost like cinema

Once I am back at work (which could be another 9 months in the very worst case scenario but I'm hoping/predicting May) I am going to TOTALLY take control of ALL expenditure and run this bloody house like a military operation....

Just wish I had an income to "budget" with...

Re: Budgeting........
 

And I swear to god if Mr PP and I won the lotto, I would find out what bank you have your mortgage with and pay them a little visit so you would not have to worry.

Re: Budgeting........
 

How about you and me go and pay a random bank a little visit tonight...

Actually... Now I think about it... Carrying heavy sacks of cold hard cash wouldnt be possible for me right now...

Anyone got any tips on how to carry out internet fraud instead?

Re: Budgeting........
 

We should put some stockings on our head and noone will ever recognise us, I can carry the cash - you can be lookout and we can stuff the cash in some chicken and Leccy can eat it and shit it out later.

Noone will ever know, including ourselves.

I am about to have a hot Milo with a cheeky splash of whiskey - but you cant drink can you, so I shall have yours and actually, I shouldnt drink but my chest hurts and so demands it.

Re: Budgeting........
 

you would be just adding money laundering to the list of charges :p

Re: Budgeting........
 

But when laundered, it would at least be clean and laundered.:lol:

Re: Budgeting........
 

You guys are toooo funny!

But with reference to cooking meals..... I tend to cook twice the amount and stash a meal in the freezer (doesn't work too well with steak and salad mind!!)
that way there's always something to have when you arrive home, frazzled, and the thought of slaving over the cooker fills you with dread!

I did try the slow cooker, but chopping vegetables at 6.30am whilst trying to get breakfast on the table and make sure everyone leaves the house on time and forgets nothing! Made me a little more crazy than I already am!!

Re: Budgeting........
 

[QUOTE=jad n rich;10007488]I am not talking about a double breast, just one half!!! I've just bought 2kg of chicken breasts for $14, and have divided it into 6 lots. Each portion will make a meal for 4 easily.

I use this method permanently, not just for a few months, although at the moment it is tricky as I've had to go gluten free and am still trying to swallow the fact that a kg bag of flour costs 4 times the price of a normal one.
I also make veggie soups and stews which cost little and do 2 days. And I try to grow my own herbs as shop ones are too expensive. It worked well until the rabbit population exploded and ate them all. I'm harvesting my leeks at the moment. Tip- buy seeds not plants and save more money.

Re: Budgeting........
 

I get those small ziplock freezer bags and divide the chicken into individual 200-250g potions that will just fit in the bags, then freeze them. That way you can pull out just what's needed (no issues with solid lumps of frozen meat that you can't divide), and they defrost quickly. Not sure I could push 330g between 4 though.

Eat rabbit....

Re: Budgeting........
 

I'd eat them if we were allowed to shoot them/trap them. Mind you there is not much nutritional value to a rabbit.

People eat portions of meat that are much too big- it should only cover the palm of your hand. Fill out the rest with veggies and pasta/rice/cous cous etc.

Re: Budgeting........
 

I agree with you that one chicken breast could do one meal for 4. But people were claiming it'd do 3 meals for 4, i.e. 12 meals. Now that's pushing it!

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Roo, being the aussie equivilant of rabbit.... Wild pest to farmers.... Is bloody expensive round here.... More expensive than "economy" rump steak....

Re: Budgeting........
 

If you can, Id recomend some finance software. I use Microsoft Money which sadly they no longer support but it is an excellent tool for doing what you are, tracking expenses - and predicting the future.

There are others but you might pick and old copy