Events & Outings

There are many FREE events in our town. We go to some of them for inexpensive entertainment. This allows us to take part in fun activities individually or as a family while saving our money for mortgage, travel, retirement and the important things in life.

Recently we went to a Easter Egg Hunt and Fun Day offered by the City Council. This was so much fun for Dolly who was loaded up with chocolates, lollies, bandanna, wallet, stickers and other small gifts. There were craft stations, face painting, jumping castles, waterslides and outdoor play activities. We participated in many of the choices available. It was all FREE.

We spent over 3 hours at the event and kept our spending down by bringing our own packed lunch and water bottles. I wanted our lunch to be a treat too so I splurged on fresh baguette, smoked ham and cornichons. We had 1 large generously filled sandwich, a fruit each and a large bag of chips to share. The cost was $8AUS for the 3 of us. A bargain compared to the usual food available at community events and no waiting in long hot queues for greasy selections.

I'm interested to know are you taking advantage of FREE events in the area you live in? What about packed lunches? Do you find yourself going to events with your own food or buying something there because bringing your lunch is too hard or maybe you want to support small local businesses?

Remember to keep having fun, even in frugality :-)

Stephanie at Frugal Down Under.

Chaos and Wasting Money

I am at home off work all week sick. I thought I may get a couple of home jobs done but this virus has really knocked me about. The Rambling Expat is also feeling under the weather and getting himself to work and back without much energy for much more. That means our home is total chaos. It's always chaos but this time more then usual.

Last night I dragged myself to my daughters end of year preschool concert, get-together feast and disco. I had to muster all my energy to be able to go and watch her sing and have a good time.

I was unable to prepare any food for the event so purchased 4 pizzas with a discount voucher. I thought I would only have to pay $24 for the 4 pizzas but the bill came to $40+. When I said it was too expensive they brought the price down to $36. I left the store too tired to question why and frustrated at the big hole in my wallet.

Next week is our daughters last week of preschool so I wanted these last weeks to be extra special. She is growing so fast. It feels like it was only yesterday I gave birth to her. My little mermaid who swam the parameter of the birthing pool when she came out. The Rambling Expat said it was like she was aglow in the water with the darkened surroundings. Our own magical being :-) I need to get better to be able to make all her days happy and special. Luckily my mum has been keeping her until 7:00pm each night this week to help us out. The Rambling Expat picks her up, fed, washed and ready for bedtime stories and sleep.

Don't forget to enter my great GIVEAWAY it's open to everyone in any country.

Do You Crave To Pay?

Hello there global bloggers,

I've been thinking again about how activities that are FREE often don't get a full turnout and yet when people have to pay there is often a waiting list or queue. Is it putting on monetary value on something makes it more desirable?

A couple a weeks ago I took Dolly and myself to a couple of fantastic eco craft classes at the public library. They ran for about 2 hours each, both on the same day. The program was well organised. The teachers skilled and professional. And they were really in line with my aims in life.

This Is Me - My Daughter is My Photographer :-)

The 1st class was a Rip Wrap class where we Ripped old pieces of salvaged fabric and clothes and Wrapped them around old coat hangers and foam to turn them into amazing colourful creatures.

Coat Hangers

Add Foam Bits

Wrap Ripped Fabric and Decorate

The second class we used recycled bits and pieces such a cardboard tube, plastic, broken jewels, recouped beads and butterflies cut from magazines to turn them into exquisite dream catchers. It's amazing what you can do with discarded items and a little know how. And a great way to spend Saturday. (I don't know about the feathers and I should have asked as many craft feathers are obtained in extremely cruel circumstances from our feathered friends).

Dolly Working Hard to Catch Her Dreams

A Couple Of Others Created By Other Older Children

Now my query above about a monetary value is because all these wonderful FREE events I go to, don't have a huge turn out. However any similar payable event with all the bells and whistles always have queues miles long.

Do you find that events that need to be paid for seem more desirable to attend? Is it because the quality is better or are we all so sucked into the buy buy buy ideology, that we think FREE means B-Grade or Charity. Tell me what you think...

A Little Japan On Our Weekend

Saturday was hectic as usual as most of our Saturdays. I keep saying to myself, Stephanie slow down - live with thought, live slow. But I just don't want to miss any of the fun stuff and my home becomes a screaming mess.

One activity we did in our full day was we headed for the library to participate in the FREE Japanese Cultural Day. There was food to taste, drumming to listen to, lollies to sample, paper to fold, toys to try, Japanese writing to master and traditional dress to parade in. Dolly had a great time and I bumped into 6 friends in the short time and small space. So I was able to squeeze in some socialising too.

Dressing Up

I'm Looking Japanese - I Really Think So....

Japanese Drumming

Fun Origami

On our return home at 4pm, The Rambling Expat was also home after a fishing trip and was cutting up a tuna he caught. He cooked a delicious meal of tuna, onion, tomato, garlic and herbs in the wok and dished up with rice. He is not usually proactive in the kitchen so this was a pleasant and welcome change. (Click on the link above to see the playing dolphins he saw - lucky duck - Dolly is still too small to take on a full fishing day out to sea.)

Today was somewhat frugal but I did spend money... $13 at the op shop, $12 on a glass measuring jug and $7 on junk food. It's the junk food that is a huge problem with me in the last few weeks. I need to get over the terrible hurdle and be better organised and willpowered to not fall in the junk food trap.

How was your day? Leisurely or hectic? Did you keep your spending down, saving for those important things in life? Wasted some hard earned cash like me?

Oh Obama, Please Don't Come Again.

Hi there everyone. I have been back for a week but have been so tired everyday after work that I have gone to bed with Dolly and slept 11 hours most nights. I have a blocked ear and feel like I'm on a boat trying to hold onto my balance. I catch myself swaying when I'm standing a little like person on too much champagne.

Our big 2 years plus, project at work, came to a head this week as we rolled out new data systems. We have been busy teaching people how to use it and learning at the same time. I feel that our stress and frayed tempers has eased and happiness is swirling the air again. It's been a huge learning curve for me and my brain feels overloaded as I try to retain so much IT and database processes.

Yesterday our small city was visited by the Leader of the "Free World" (USA - Obama). The day before he arrived for his 2 hour visit on his way to Bali, our city began to remove our own freedom with blocked roads and preparations with 190 police on the job. They barricaded the area where Obama would lay a wreath and covered the the fencing with black plastic so no one would be able to see, except for the live TV coverage. Some people were unable to go home for a couple of hours due to all the extra security.

Here is my office window pic of Airforce 1, Arriving.

Landed. Within minutes he was in the City Centre. No baggage waiting for him.

I'm not out to offend any of my readers but personally I think it was all way over the top. I've never ever seen anything like it in our city and our Prime Minister certainly does not receive the same fuss when she visits. Obama also had the population excited over his visit in real celebrity style. It was like a virus had swept through and infected everyone with Obamamania. Here is my 2 favourite local Bakery ladies getting in on the Obama action.

The press has told us Obama said he will be back for a longer visit with his family. And I only hope not. Our city and lives were disrupted for 2 days for a 2 hour visit. I can only imagine a massive disruption if he heads to our city again with family in tow. I feel nothing against Obama, but the mayhem and control over people that follows him is just not pleasant in my busy private frugal world.

On a Happy Note the winner of my magazine giveaway is Blogger "Saving For Travel". I used Radom.org. SFT, please email me your address so I can post your Australian Geographic Mag with our lovely Kakadu region. Maybe Africa will be off the cards and Darwin will be your new focus ;-)

Speak to you all tomorrow. I have lotttttttsssss of blog reading to catch up on.