Has the recent Australian Federal Budget got you down? Don’t know how you are going to stretch your income to pay all your bills and debts?
Well, we may have some help for you. To strike while the iron is hot, this very special out-of-schedule podcast episode is about how we budget and tips to save money. It is in response to the recent Australian Government budget which will affect many low and middle income earners over the next few years.
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Belts are definitely going to need to tighten, and to make ends meet we are all going to have to be a little more frugal.
So to that end, Kim and I decided to put together a special podcast episode all about how we put together our fortnightly budget, and share tips on how we save money on all things in life.
We start the episode by talking about where we started with basically living from pay to pay, then a flush of cash when I landed an IT job and how our behaviours changed with all this disposable income. Then we hit our greening stage and sorted ourselves out by living a more sustainable lifestyle and living within our means.
Note: Neither Kim nor I are financial planners. Our advice is just plain common sense, which anyone can follow to save a buck and to stretch your dollar further. Our budget tips save money. Frugal is not a dirty word!
So please join us by listening to our budgeting special edition.
Every Friday i bpay rates, water, gas, electricity, interest free loans etc. I was surprised you could pay rates weekly but i called and you can. I have furnished our entire home on interest free and GE must hate us. I know that im in credit for gas, but winter is coming and thats when its highest. This year ive draped all the couches with lap rugs for snuggling. Small payments each week are manageable and even though we are on one income im not afraid of those bills arriving. I actually look forward to them so i can say FIGJAM to myself.
I reckon you are as well (FIGJAM that is). Great budgeting tips Lynda! x
Hi Gav,
I enjoyed hearing about your journey with Kim – wow those early phone bills were unbelievable! Appropriately, I listened to the podcast whilst darning my woollen socks so that I can get another Winter out of them. I was fortunate enough to be gifted a darning mushroom from my partner’s 86 year old mother, and it’s amazing how much easier and neater it makes the process.
Have a great day, Madeleine
Hi Madeleine. The phone bills of Kim’s were a killer, but she just couldn’t stop calling her man here in Oz.
My nana had a darning mushroom. I remember that it was just a rounded piece of wood, so might see if I can make one myself, as I darn my woolen socks as well.
Gav
Loved listening to your budget tips, you both make a great team, always nice to hear what others are doing.
I need to take advantage of interest free for white goods when something breaks down. Will need a fridge soon so will look into interest free (the cloths dryer went years ago would NEVER get another one ) I have been doing a weekly menu for many years and it does work, not only because it is cost effective but when I have to cook a meal at night and I am tired I don’t want to be looking through my recipes for ideas or inspiration because I don’t know what to cook, and I certainly don’t want to be running to the shops because I don’t have half the ingredients. That is when people buy take out, and as we know that is not always a cheap option.
I like Lynda’s idea of lap rugs being handy, will give that a go this winter, they are not expensive, it will be in my NEEDS not want’s column 🙂
Thank you again xx
You’re most welcome Theresa. The menu planning really does save so much money when it comes to food. We make sure that we also plan a take away meal (usually a friday night), so that we have a night off.
Gav x
Do you use worm castings if you have some, or just leave the soil as is, thank you.
Hope you had a nice break last week, and ate lots of yummy Pizzas !!!!
Hi Theresa. Yes, I so mix in some worm castings with the compost before I spread that over the surface. There are a fair few worms in the compost bins, so I don’t need to add much.
Had a great break. Pictures soon.
Thank you, I hope I can get some pictures of my beetroot to share, looking forward to seeing yours.
Great podcast. You mentioned your glut of pumpkins, so I have emailed you two of my favourite pumpkin recipes. Have a good weekend
Thanks so much for the recipes Melindi. I especially like the sound of the Maple glazed pumpkin. I have a question though. What is EVOO?
Gav x
sorry, Extra virgin Olive oil. Enjoy!
Thanks for that!
Loved listening to you and Kim,thank you so much for sharing your Budget tips! Very interesting, I am allready living a very Frugal life, and in a couple of weeks time I am going on a Pension, so I have been preping myself to live within my means, and I have been managing really well, by living as you do! Growing lots, cooking from scratch, and having my Budget worked out for the year ahead! Thanks again !
Thank you for listening Carol! Well done on attaining your frugal lifestyle. The food from your garden must save you so much money as well. I know that ours does.
Gav x
Hi Gavin, I have tried to grow parsnips from seed twice, to no avail, my beetroot grows lots of leaves, and never a bulb, I know that is too much nitrogen in the soil but can you please tell me what you do to grow root vegetables.
I have tried to find something on your web site but all I found was a picture of your humungas BEETROOT,
which made me more jealous……..
Hi Theresa. I ensure that root vegetables are planted in a bed that is at the end of its 4 crop rotation, and I do not add compost or fertilizer to it. Otherwise it will just develop leaves, which is fine for a salad, but not so good for roots.
Hope that helps,
Gav
Love listening to the both of you!
As a listener it is easy to tell that you both embrace your lifestyle and each others company which is a joy to hear.
I created a basic excel spreadsheet that maps the paydays across the top and a running list of expenses down the left and then I can see where the money needs to be across the year. Also helps to see when savings goals are met, or debt reductions achieved because it brings the year a lot closer when you can see it all lined up. We managed to reduce my partners personal debt by 21K in 2 years before we got married using this simple idea.
Great tips once again! I would add eating simply- and the same things a few nights in a row instead of always aiming for gourmet or complicated dishes. Some high profile Tv cooking shows have a lot to answer for!
Simple food and straight from the garden – nothing can beat it for finances nor flavour. In fact, lunch today is omelettes with shop cheese and everything else home grown. 🙂
Love your mash with pumpkin. I made up a veggie mash the other day – some carrots, parsnips, beetroot, sweet potato, broccol and parsley and some shop bought spuds (ran out here too sadly). Pink mash! Served with fried chicken (yum) and the leftovers were all diced up and mixed together with some buckwheat flour (normal flour or oats would work too I’d say) then fried lightly and served as patties.
Thanks for the shout out too. 🙂 Just to clarify though, I was involved in the killing of our sheep but it was a friend who had worked in the abattoirs who did the actual deed. I was in there for the skinning, gutting and butchering though. 🙂
Heaps of great advice here Gav and much that I will be thinking about and putting into action too. MUST get my meal plan back in order.
Cheers Jessie. Your version of mash sounds very interesting! Happy to shout out, coz you can do things on your block that I just don’t have the room for.
I love having Kim on the show, we bounce off each other really well.
Gav x