Need a budget.

We'll hear whether it's yay or nay on the car loan this afternoon, I now know why I've never personally gone for loan before, they make you jump through hoops. This will be our first brand spanking new car, in the past we have had second-hand ones but that's a gamble buying someone else's problems. We found out one car had to have under water at one stage. Our last car was almost new - it was a demo, was a few months old but only test driven, we had the cash to buy that at the time. But now 10 years later it's becoming a money drain, as soon as we have money saved, something goes wrong with it and we are forking out to fix it and then find that the worst problem hasn't been fixed.

We both need better paying jobs, I especially need one with reliable hours and less travelling time.

As well as working out a budget, we need to change how we grocery shop. At the moment my husband does much of it, he started when I was pregnant with our second child and found he enjoyed it. But I have a problem with how much junk he buys and then I usually have to head out to buy what I consider as esstentials. Got home yesterday to find there were chocolates, individual packs of biscuits and packaged popcorn in the pantry. This is after I told him not to buy them anymore because I will be baking more in future, he thinks they are essential for the kid's snacks. I had baked Snowballs the night before just for that reason. We waste food here left, right and centre and often buy takeaway. I've been pulling the reins in on the takeaways for myself lately - no more buying lunch from the expensive and only cafe near work and finding quick meals to cook up when I'm in a hurry. The main problem I have is when the kids and I head to the shops, as soon as we are through the door one of them mentions they are hungry. Then it's the husband, he goes out to soccer on Wednesday and Fridays, brings himself home burgers afterwards.

We both spend too much on non food related items, husband mostly spends on DVD, computer related, Cds and other recreational items. I spend on things I just have to have, craft items. I've started reining in on my purchases, I'll put those have to have items back, to think about for a while, either I'll not purchase or find it much cheaper elsewhere. Recently I picked up a beautiful tablecloth marked down to $24, didn't want it as a tablecloth but for the fabric. I carried it around the shop wondering what to use the fabric for, but eventually got tired of carrying it so put it back thinking I could just get it before leaving. I ended up purposely leaving without it and even though I have thought about it since but have decided against it.

The next Spring cleaning catagory has been announced at Beautiful 2 God, it's the master bath - WOO HOO, I already did mine as part of the master bedroom. I can relax this week or get started elsewhere. But I will be diligent about keeping the rooms already done up to scratch.

Snowballs recipe.
This is very much like Macroons but without the work and only has 2 ingredients. They would be great treat for those with egg allergies and intolorance.

3 cups desicated coconut
1 tin of condensed milk (395 ml)

Mix coconut and milk together, place on to baking trays in tablespoon sized heaps (smaller if you wish) and bake in a moderate oven for 10-12 minutes until golden.

They are delicious still warm from the oven, the outside is crisp and the inside moist. They do loose their crispness in storage but it is replaced by a lovely chewy texture.

New car shopping

I think we are going out this morning to look at cars, told David we were anyway. It's going to mean going into debt if we decide. Used the loan calculator at the CU website, works out to be around $105 per week for 4 years, paid fortnightly. I'm sure we each could pay $105 per fornight without too much hassle or sacrifice. Not taken into account the trade-in. Part of the amount will be covered by savings in petrol, going from a V6, which has gotten thirsty of late, to an economical V4.

So we took a look at our local Hyundai yard, they had the car in the colour I wanted. David's been spouting the virtues of the Getz for ages, solely based on what he's read or seen on TV, I don't think he was prepared when he actually saw the size of it, especially the boot. For simple picnics there would be a lot we'd have to forgo, we'd either fit in the picnic basket in or the esky, so we would have to make a choice do we need things to eat/cook with or food. Tomorrow we are going to check out the Suzuki Swift, again a small car. We'd consider getting a trailer, an idea we've toyed with recently. Even with the larger car we have now we often take the van as well as the car on outings, just to carry the bikes, the van only seats 2.

I will need to find extra ways of bringing in money - maybe if I get my finger out and actually sell my handcrafted stuff. I could win the lottery but that means I'd need to actually buy a ticket. Could take up busking and have people pay me NOT to sing. Or I could add more ads on here to see if they generate any moula. I don't think work would like me putting a tip jar on the counter. Could go diving in fountains to collect change. Or take up bank robbing, wouldn't need a car after my first job, can't drive a car around a 4 by 4 cell. A garage sale, might cover a payment or two. No spending? Use what I have, get going on the $21 challenge, plant vegies, turn my backyard into an oasis of tranquility so I don't feel the need to go out for the sake of my sanity.
It's not a huge amount of money, we are only going for a cheap car, nor do we have to worry about paying other debts or rent. If all else fails I'm sure we could do without cable tv and internet (no no not my internet!!!) without too many problems - I'm sure there are other things to do isn't there?

Needs and Wants.

Was out shopping today and I got thinking about Needs and Wants, a need is something that you have to have, such as food etc, a want is something you just have to have but can do without, ice cream springs to mind (it's a foodstuff but we don't need ice cream to survive) (or chocolate for that matter but both are essential if others around us want to survive without injury).

The reason I went shopping was for wants - I wanted new accessories for the bathroom to go along with the clean. Mainly it was for a toilet brush, we have one but it's housed in an icecream container, I wanted something nicer but wasn't going to spend a lot of money on it. First I went to Victoria's Basement, hoping they had bathroom accessories there, nope only kitchenwares, everything is discounted. I found a tablecloth down from $80 to $24, tossed up whether to get it just for the fabric it was 3 metres long. Thought about making a quilted throw with it, but decided I didn't need it, I did however need a new oven mit and new breadboards. I determined how much I wanted to spend on the breadboards, no more than $12, but most there were over the $20 mark. I was starting to walk away when I looked down to find the perfect one at $7.50, I bought 2 because we need 2. The oven mit was marked right down to $3. What I didn't need was to look in the discounted Christmas stuff, I found a gorgeous figurine of 2 Angels holding a candle, no I didn't need it but did want it. I thought it would be perfect for the bathroom.

Still on the hunt for the loo brush, I ventured to Spotlight, they did have some on special but not the style I wanted. In there I saw cotton yarn on special for $2, again not a need but I bought a baker's dozen. Useful for dishcloth or a string bag. The next shop was a pet shop, this time a need, water conditioner for Rohon.

Then I called into the supacentre along Parramatta Road, in there I found a metal bucket with SOAK printed on it, have been wanting one of these but wasn't going to spend over $30, this one was a bargain at $10, I actually gasped out loud. I also found a utensil holder, again metal, for $12.95 that I was going to use to house the loo brush. I had the idea from loo brushes that this store sold for $30.

After that I headed home but decided to call into a bargain store to purchase a cheap loo brush, they had one for $2 but it was bright orange, wanted a white one. But they had a set that wasn't that disimular to what I had seen in the other store for $30, this one was only $6.99. It's stainless steel, I may ended up spray painting it to get the colour I want. I also got a bathmat set for only $15, it's washable too, idea and a large picture frame for $6.99. I want to use it to make a faux stained glass window to hang on the bathroom wall.

Apart from just one thing everything I bought was a want but I made sure I didn't pay full price on those.

And as for buying a new car, that is both a want and a need, our car is getting more and more unreliable, the last time we had it repaired it cost $2000 and they didn't get rid of it's major problem. I may work out a compromise, get the Getz as David wants BUT I getz to choose the colour, saw it in the green, thought the colour was pretty. I'll break the news when he getz home. Just have to work out finances now.