A bitter end for bitten nails

To stop biting nails for once and for all, try bitter nail polish. There are a few brands that can easily be purchased in Australia. I’m not a nail biter myself but I worked with someone who used it. The polish tasted so awful so she simply stopped putting them in her mouth and eventually the habit was broken! Check out these links for more information on available products:

https://mavala.com.au/all-products/mavala-stop https://www.priceline.com.au/manicare-bite-no-more-12-ml https://www.google.com.au/search?q=nail+polosh+for+bikint+nails&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-au&client=safari#imgrc=kVOEVCjLBbc5eM:

Cheap phones, games and movies from CeX

If you need to replace a mobile phone, make sure you check out CeX for great deals! They are Sydney based, but you can order online also. My old Samsung phone was dying, so I decided to get a replacement. I ordered a Huawei, and it was locked to Vodafone for just $80. I am using the Telco "Lebara" which is bought by Vodafone. The software is up to date too, better than the old Samsung! So if you know which provider you are connected to, e.g. Telstra, you can order a phone which is "locked" to them. Locked means, you can only use that provider's SIM card, no others. They have a lot of cheap games and movies available too! For more information, visit their website https://au.webuy.com/

True wealth comes in many forms

I am richer than I've ever been thanks to my Simple Savings outlook. When I first joined SS I made a number of small but significant changes to my life and the savings and benefits immediately began to add up. Here are a few of them:

I almost halved my grocery bill in a month - it went from $815 in February to just $430 in March when I started shopping at Aldi and carefully tracked every cent. I discovered my 'inner baker' and instead of buying cakes and biscuits, I baked them from scratch at home. When my washing machine broke down, instead of having to pay out $700 for a new one my wonderful boss gave me an old spare machine they had and no longer used. I made two calls to my insurers, one for my car and one for my house, and found I could save $150 and $400 respectively on my yearly payments. I checked my mobile plan. Because I hardly use it, it was not working in my favour. I changed to a prepaid plan and now what I spend is what I use.

And, finally, I stopped looking for another job to earn extra money. Every dollar I save means time I don't have to work. I am now building my 'wealth' every day in more ways than one.

Many of my friends I used to envy have new cars, impressive houses, expensive clothes - and huge credit card bills. They holiday in Bali or Queensland but work 40 hour weeks in order to do so. They pick up tired and stressed children from after school programs and feed them take away foods because they're too short on time and energy to cook from scratch.

I have a 13-year-old car, a 1980's house, cheap clothes - and NO credit card debt. We holiday three times a year for a week at a time in our trusty 80's caravan and I work 20 hours a week, during school hours, for four days a week. I have one day just for me (or housework). My children walk to and from school and come home to baked goods, home-cooked meals and a happy relaxed household. I'm there to oversee and help with homework and I watch all their sports games.

Ask me again if I want another job to have the 'stuff' I once thought I wanted/needed and my answer will be a clear, precise, 'No way'. Thank you Simple Savings for helping me to step back and see what's really important in life.

New year, new challenge

Christmas 2009 was the worst I ever had, having just separated from my husband. At almost 50 I found myself homeless with no money. On the 16th of December I found a share accommodation but had to borrow money from friends to pay for my bond and two weeks rent so that I could have a roof over my head. The only job I was able to do to keep me going was as a housekeeper, yet I could hardly pay for the petrol to get to work.

For four weeks, I avoided going to the shops. I am 90% vegetarian so decided to grow all the vegetables I like to eat at my rented home. I collected some seeds, seedlings and cuttings from friends and customers and decided to spend my last $10 for chicken wire to protect my homegrown herbs and vegetables from possums and bush turkeys. I am spending time tending my garden every day and I now have lettuces, beans, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, herbs and so on for salads and stir fries every day. I even have enough to give some to my friends and customers to thank them for helping me to stand on my own feet and living a healthy life. This week I only spent $16 for organic eggs, milk, a tin of pink salmon and a loaf of bread. These with my homegrown herbs and vegetables will give me a healthy diet for the whole week. I am saving heaps to pay my debts as fast as I can.

At soon-to-be-50 and with no savings, I bought The $21 Challenge book to challenge myself. I am so excited because I spent years of feeding a family of four and now I am alone I have absolute control of what I spend and what I put in my mouth. I feel liberated, I feel young and full of energy. Having less money in 2010 is more enjoyable than my stressful life in 2009!