My Homemade Laundry Powder

Ingredients, Cost $10.20

 

Laundry soap grated in $8 op shop blender

I thought this was a good place to start and put into practice something I have learned thus far.

To make this laundry powder you will need:

1 Bar laundry soap - finally grated, I cut it on board first then blended to a fine powder.
1 Cup Lectric washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax

Mix together and store in air tight container.
Use 2 teaspoons per wash.

I made a double batch and still have plenty of soap, soda and borax left for future use. I will date the top of jar so I can work out just how economical it really is. The ingredients were all purchased at Coles.

Hope to report whites that are whiter than white :)

#homemade #washingpowder #laundrypowder #savemoney

Retirement = New Life = Budget

Since our retirement late last year we immediately needed to watch every cent and every dollar.
This has led to an extensive budgeting system and also working out ways to save save save on every day living and facing "the living on the age pension challenge".

My system is not at all sophisticated or hard, I have just written down all expenses and then record all bank balances as well as spending.

                                 

I have found the trick to making this work for me is to update and check my folder everyday, and asking my husband to always give me receipts after any purchases he makes helps too.
If he forgets, I don't "balance" so its then easy to trace back and work out where the money has gone.

The hardest part of keeping to the budget so far has been the food and housekeeping allowance.
As we have 2 of our adult children living at home this has been hard to get right...
I started with $200 per fortnight but have found I'm spending around $250. Considering this includes all bathroom, cleaning products and random odd extras I didn't think this was too bad!

I then started reading blogs about how others do it and am totally in awe.

a couple are - My Abundant Life
                    - Debt Free, Cashed up & Laughing

Thank you ladies I will follow your blogs and try to learn some good budgeting tricks.

#livingonapension #budgettingforseniors #retirementbudget

Shopping at Costco

I was just not prepared to be amazed but I was...

Never expected the giant US Cash and Carry Warehouse to be soooo very big, with so much to offer and so much super-sizing all in one place.
Had heaps of fun though with my lovely cousin Catherine as a guest on her membership and now I have enough toilet paper, body wash and mayonnaise to last me at least a year.

Pizza...didn't have an oven tray large enough.

We did manage with a little hang over and it was not too bad either and did resemble the homemade one I made last week. Difference of course is this one only cost $12 and did feed four of us

Tempted by giant teddies and thought Molly would love to cuddle up to one as well

 A bucket of Chuppa Chups, oh joy for Uncle Baz

A bucket of Vegemite might last me a couple of weeks :)

Food, White goods, TV's, Clothing and Diamond Rings....

YOU CAN GET IT ALL AT

Now I can't stop thinking about ABUNDANCE and what that means to the fortunate few who can get anything they want at places like this.
Just having enough to feed hungry tummy's is abundance to many and to others a $98,000.00 diamond ring would never be enough.
Being inside the unreal atmosphere of the warehouse makes the outside world disappear as frantic shoppers with huge trollies vie for premium positions to partake of the many delights available. They are the elite...yes the $60 per year membership guarantees that and many would pride themselves knowing that.
Savings...I'm not so sure, how many SUPER-SIZED pizzas or frozen specialties can one small family eat.

Storage would also be a problem for many and as I know I just don't have the space to store large amounts of dry or canned goods that option is out for me.

I also wonder what Costco do with food that can no longer be sold but still edible...is it thrown in the garbage or donated? I will try to find out and update this post later...so watch this space

UPDATE

I HAVE JUST SPOKEN TO A VERY POLITE YOUNG LADY FROM COSTCO IN RINGWOOD VICTORIA AUSTRALIA, WHO TOLD ME ANY FOOD CLOSE TO OR PAST THE USE-BY DATE, INCLUDING FROZEN AND CANNED FOOD WAS 

'WASTED'

 NOTHING WAS EVER GIVEN TO CHARITY ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE OF THE LIABILITY ISSUES.

SHE ALSO SAID THAT MOST MEMBERS WHO CAME TO COSTCO DID NOT CARE ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND THAT THE POLICY WOULD NOT CHANGE!

Beautiful Pelicans

Yes I'm still in love with beautiful Pelicans....

Took these gorgeous photos at San Remo near Phillip Island back in June...

“A wonderful bird is the Pelican.
His beak can hold more than his belly can.
He can hold in his beak
Enough food for a week!
But I'll be darned if I know how the hellican?”

― Dixon Lanier Merritt

NEW KITCHEN UNVEILED

My AMAZING new kitchen.
I can honestly say that after a year of using and living in this space I wouldn't change a thing.
What do you think of these photos......I love it.

Storage....spot on!

Really pleased with position of cooker

Coffee never far away

New floor looks good in this one

KITCHEN RENOVATION

Finally get back to this blog and photos of more renovation work being done. We were so fortunate to have great tradesmen who we managed to co-ordinate to work really well together.
We are delighted with the result