Use it Up and Save Cents for the Future.

I feel I lost substantial control over my money, spendings and savings this year.

• I lost track of my budget plan and not written a new one for 2011... yet.
• Due to a lack of clear outline, I've spent without sticking to a budget.
• Bills and food prices have increased leaving me feeling even more disorganised.
• I have lost track of what I do have in my various savings accounts.
• And I have wasted food.

I booked myself a Free session with a Money Coach to see if money coaching is something I would want to invest in. I would like to see if I can gain better knowledge in how to manage my hard earned and hard saved money. I'm thinking of the near future and the far future and it's time I take serious action.

The dollars and the cents all count to my and my family's future wellbeing and the future fast approaching. This morning I started small by looking in the fridge. Taking stock of what I have, trying to use it all up in the aim to start afresh by the end of the week, with a new budget and some clear set goals small and big.

I purged food items that were over it's usefulness, goodness or date. The Rambling Expat cleaned the fruit and vegetable compartments and I looked at each fruit and vegetable item. Some was destined for the compost bin, some was good and some was salvageable, but too soft to enjoy on its own.

Strongly determined to start on my new highly motivated money savings mission, I washed chopped, blended and made a drink that started my day Healthy, Wealthy and Wise.

Chopping.

I used up:

• 1 soft bruised peach.
• 1 soft kiwi fruit.
• 1 sad looking lemon with browning skin.
• 1 wilted iceberg lettuce leaf.
• A small piece of wrinkly ginger.
• 1 bruised soft pear with ugly skin which I removed.
• 1 small browning apple that Dolly had started eating but not completed.
• A handful of grapes that were in perfect condition.
• I also added 1 cup of cold water.

Blending

I ended up with 2 tall glasses of delicious green juice.

Drinking Witches Brew

We also found old fishing bait in the freezer so Dolly went fishing with The Rambling Expat for 2 hours. While they fished, I attacked a load of laundry and cooked a healthy lunch of stir fry vegetables and rice, to use up the sad vegetables. But I also added egg plant, ginger, brazilian spinach and lemon grass from my garden plot.

My proud Dolly returned with a small fish she caught, which I quickly shallow fried with rock salt and added to her lunch.

The Hunter

Lunch - Photo Taken by Dolly.

It was a happy, frugal day as I also squeezed in an hours gardening alone and took Dolly and her best friend for outdoor play at a lovely big playground for 2 hours. Lots of frugal entertainment and simple living practices were actioned today. I feel better now and will now tackle my budget.

How was your weekend? Frugal or Expensive?
Do you have a budget plan written up?