I had today while working, driving and doing chores.
* Bread is going up here to $0.83 a loaf (I don't know what you pay in the USA) so I started thinking about a bread machine and if that would save anything.
Found one priced at $85.57 and thought well, that is a bit high.
Then I looked for a recipe and worked out the cost for ingredients buying at a regular grocery store = $0.74 per loaf.
A saving of 0.09c per loaf.
Now lets go further:
- then is no power factored in
- what happens if I am tired, sick, late etc and don't get the bread made (I know you just put the ingredients in the maker 
)
- If it takes me 5 mins to get everything into the maker, my time is worth $13 per hour = $1.08 (using nursing rates)
So the cost of homemade bread is: $1.82 without power costs AND that doesn't even include the actual cost of the Bread Maker.
Hmmm makes you think doesn't it????
In my spendthrift past I would have zooted out to the store and just bought one - how my thinking has changed!!!!
* A Food Saver - now this one I already have - yup bought during my spendthrift days BUT
- it saves me a fortune
- when chicken, fish, frozen goods go on special I freeze them first and then seal them and they last forever
- the bags are washable and durable so one box can last up to 2 years
- I freeze everything I can - even the bulk cooked meals - after the initial freezing they get sealed.
* Cost of Power/Electricity
- we are facing an 18% rate increase this year because our power supply company needs to build 2 major power stations and the government won't pay for all of it
- this means my bill will jump to $40 without doing anything different AND this is in summer (we don't use AC's)
- in winter I am looking at at least $80 per month because we don't have central heating and rely on electrical heaters
Sooo...
- I am only going to cook 3 times a week and in bulk plus I will do the baking at the same time
- I am going to get really fit running after DD turning off lights
- No more dryer unless DD needs school uniforms and it has been raining
- Want to see what happens if I turn off the geyser everyday in the morning and on again in the evening at 5pm. I can do this now that I work from home
- Try to read the usage meter but I have to improve my access - at the moment I have to climb on a chair and balance (If I am not careful I will have a medical bill LOL)
* Being cash strapped has proved many things to me:
- I have been planning my trips and as a result have reduced my gas usage
- Even though the grocery cuphoard many appear to be empty, cooking from scratch always means there is something that can be made
- My stash of fabrics has provided Christmas presents (not one cent spent for Christmas presents last year) even DD got clothes and a doll that I made
- I have to lose my ego & tell people that I do sewing from home even if it is just mending
- that Blessings come when I really believe that all our needs are met
AND finally, we still have so much more than most people in South Africa
* School Fees - DD is in a private Christian school but last year I decided to investigate the State schools (not great here) and had made up my mind that it was time to make the change.
When I told the private school I was planning to move DD they were horrified and reduced her fees by 33%
Then one of the other parents heard that we had been considering moving her and they offered to make a contribution to her fees as well.
This all happened over a period of 3 weeks and you can imagine I was overwhelmed - I just cried because the private school is my old school and I really wanted to keep her there.
So here we are starting a new year with so much to be thankful for.
* Work opportunities
- I tried at the end of last year to find formal employment but wasn't successful.
- When I was almost at my wits end my friend offered me this sales position and although it is commission only it is an opportunity to put my finances right but with the flexibility of working from home, being available for DD and no travel costs or time
So yet again, things are working out for the best...
Have a good day...
General thoughts...
January 14th, 2008 at 08:16 pm
January 14th, 2008 at 08:54 pm 1200344051
January 14th, 2008 at 09:38 pm 1200346712
The other thing is to see if you have access to ingredients in bulk, which can lower the unit cost dramatically. If you have to buy yeast in a little jar, that's different than if you can buy it by the pound. A 5-lb bag of flour is more costly per pound than a 50-pound bag. You get the idea.
Nothing beats homemade bread. We don't do it often, but we go through phases where we do it regularly and the bread is so much tastier, fresher and better for us, I don't care if it does cost a little more.
January 14th, 2008 at 10:31 pm 1200349896
I figure my bread costs under fifty cents a loaf. A similar loaf, at a bakery, would cost four or five dollars. I know what is in it, and there are no preservatives. Actually, oatmeal acts as a natural preservative.
January 15th, 2008 at 02:34 am 1200364477
Glad the job situation is working out. You are doing all the right things. Make sure if you were going to a support group for the gambling that you keep going. That is a good place for venting and support.