Back to reality...

Back in the tropics

Melbourne was great and very warm. I'll post some info and photos soon.

And now I only have about 2 weeks left in my current business and I will be looking at getting other income - sell my car and today start listing on ebay (is the plan).

I also spent a weekend working on my little renovation project caravan.

So more details soon...

Melbourne so far...

Today is going to be over 30 degrees Celcius and the northerly wind is gusting.

Saturday we hired bicycles ($2.60 per day plus by the hour - $20 each for the day) and cycled around Docklands, Southbank and to the War Memorial Shrine where we had a picnic lunch to save money.

Yesterday being Sunday we drove to Hanging Rock outside Macedon and had a picnic there too. I am ashamed to admit while my friends climbed the rock I slept under a tree.

Today while my friends are out running errands I am checking out my onward travel to Wangaratta by train and then I should have a lift to Swan Hill and then I will train back to Melbourne a week today.

About Me and Melbourne planning

Photo - ponypics Moorea 2009

I've finally got around to adding some content with links to my pages. About Me and 2012 - Melbourne so far.

Melbourne approaching...

Photo - ponypics Flying to Tiwi islands 2011

Today is Tuesday, and I have just realised that tonight is my last night at home for almost two weeks. Tomorrow I fly to the Tiwi Islands for 2 days work and I fly out 6 hours after my return for Melbourne. Which reminds me - I need to contact my friends where I am staying as they have offered to pick me up from the airport.

Melbourne is very difficult to pack for - there is a saying in Australia - Melbourne has all four seasons in a day so you have to prepare for every possibility. so although its summer and I'd love just to pack summery clothes (and fit more in) I have to also pack for an unseasonal cold snap should it occur. Since I am flying with just carry on and attempting to travel light I will have to put some thought into my wardrobe and travelling accessories. These days it seems like a bit chunk of space has to be allocated to cords for charging laptop, camera, phone and e reader.

So in saying all that, and as I have to actually go out to work today (rats!!), I'd better get going....

Yay...

Photo - ponypics Samoa 2009

Monday and I'm not at work!!

I've been doing some writing though which I have to say is a lot more fun than working.


KISSLIST

Kindness - offer of assistance to friend in need

Interest - contact family - show some interest in their lives

Self education - read read read

Strength - share my knowledge to help others



So the update on me selling my possessions is that I earnt absolutely zero!!

My ad didn't run in the paper, my magazines didn't sell on ebay and I can't advertise my car for sale until back from Melbourne. Luckily this week I have a pretty good earning capacity winding up my business so I should have some money for Melbourne (still yet to book my return tickets) and to cover bills for a week or so. And some clients don't pay immediately so I should have some money dribble through when I am away.



Saturday I spent working on my renovation project - "Casa Bella" a 16ft caravan (photos above of when I first got her) that I bought 7 months ago. BF refused it on our premises, so I parked it behind a clients shed, and then BF refused to look at it for months only to break into hysterics when he finally did see her!!

Since then I have moved her to a friends rural block about 45 minutes drive away and I go out the first Friday of every month for the night. And it was while tidying up to head back to town this visit, when I discovered a full tin of paint and a paintbrush stashed away in the cupboards. Someone was dropping me a hint! So I spent about 5 hours painting cupboards inside and out and measuring up for the next lot of renovations. Painting just perks me up no end, you can see immediate results and I left in the afternoon feeling pretty pleased with myself.

Friday...

Photos: ponypics Khao Lak Thailand 2009


I love Fridays!!! In the same way I dislike Mondays - well working on Mondays anyway...


Sort of weird when I think about it - but those days of the week wouldn't matter if you are doing something you enjoy.


My diary is telling me I have about 2 hours work at a clients this morning and while I don't want to go and would rather spend the time gardening or writing, I need the money - Rats!!


My "Flea Market" ad didn't run yesterday - there must have been too many to fit them all in. But I had a bonus with the dentist as my health insurance covered the whole lot so I spent $100 getting some new seat covers, dash mat and floor mats for my car to spruce it up for sale. Which I realised I can't advertise until my return from Melbourne.


While I think of it, my first experience with a Virtual Assistant didn't turn out as I expected - pretty much they provided me with a list of websites - something I could have done just in Google - I thought they would research the websites (after all the job title was internet research). And some of the information wasn't relevant - providing me with details of companies on the other side of Australia. Next time I will ask for a Personal Assistant or someone in admin perhaps.

Melbourne

Photo - ponypics Thailand 2009

Next Friday (the 13th as it turns out) I have a flight to Melbourne and at this stage that is all I pretty much have worked out.


Money is tight right now so I will need to practice some self control and plan a bit ahead - shop at the supermarket, not buy magazines and crap. I plan to document all my expenditure for future reference.


I also need to look at how I will get back home as I haven't booked anything yet.


Och well...

Sell sell sell... money money money....

Thats the mantra for the day.

Clothing

Today my "flea market" ad will run however I have some concerns that I may not get many calls - maybe everyone is broke after Christmas OR (and this is the way I hope it works out) everyone will call as they have Christmas gift money to dispose of. I have advertised 5 lots of clothing but thinking if I get my act together I should rustle up some more lots ready for when people arrive and offer more choice (and thus more sales).

Car

After I clean the car up (today!!), I will photograph and complete my "For Sale" advertisement in the local paper. This is a slightly more expensive option than another company offering a 12 week run of ads for a better rate but in the recent years has gone to on-line only. And I will do up a big sign for the car to advertise as I drive around. Once I have advertised it will force my hand to finalise the detailing (to be honest - START the detailing)!!

Ebay

And since I don't have to be at the dentist for a few hours I will list something on ebay. That dentist is using up all my earnings at the moment!!

Other Income

Savings

Unfortunately today I have to send off a letter to my investment fund managers authorising a withdrawal of some funds to pay back BF for IOU's (bless him). That will leave about $1000 in my emergency fund - crikey....


Self employment

One of my clients paid me last night (thank goodness otherwise have no idea how I would have paid for the dentist!) and I have a few hours of work today that I will definitely get paid for tonight. Fridays however is the day that all my automated payments come out for the week so I may have to juggle a bit of money around a bit but I should scrape through. On a brighter note - I have 3 full days of work booked next week with possibly Monday to fill if I can (or want to - I have this weird aversion to working Mondays).. Friday I fly to Melbourne.

Subscriptions

Today I am also posting out 3 notifications to companies cancelling subscriptions, however that will not take effect until end of Feb when I officially close my business. And I think if I was serious I still have one or two more I could whittle off as well. It would save about $400 a month!!

Medicare

Australia has Medicare where we receive about $30 back on a doctors fee. I have been saving one in my purse for an emergency cash injection and today is the day!!

Actually that was a good exercise - I can see that I will be okay (more next week than this week) but I will scrape through!!

Freedom...Getting rid of crap...

Photo: ponypics Spider Lily Dec 2011


Clutter adds stress I've noticed. Interestingly the definition of the word clutter is


"a confused or disordered state"...


and that's how my brain feels I guess when I look around and see "stuff" everywhere.

My collection of 'stuff" started 10 years ago and then went into overdrive when I was on a higher income and more settled.

As I had backpacked pretty much since my late teens, through my 20's and early 30's I was always too broke (spent all my money travelling) to acquire much crap and also having to carry all that crap on my back.

So when I met BF and moved into his house after selling my bus (converted into mobile home), I became more settled which freed up some money and I had more room to store all this crap.

But now all I want to do is get rid of as much as I can!!! I feel smothered and restricted!

In preparation to advertise my car for sale I emptied out all the rubbish - stuff in the boot I was meant to have donated, camping gear and while I was on a roll I unloaded some clutter from the house - and amazingly I feel a bit liberated already!!!

Getting Serious!!

Photo: ponypics Holmes Jungle Dec 2011

So I'm getting broker by the day - BF has a big running tab of IOU's - bless his little cotton socks, but I need to think hard!! I just updated my Resume - I've been self-employed for 7 years so not even sure what "the go" is these days with presentation etc.

Anyway its done and I've just then sent it out to a temping agency. Yesterday I started listing on Ebay and today I will rifle through my spare room and back garden shed and pull out anything that I haven't used for yonks and sell it in the local papers Flea Market this week. I'm sure I will be surprised with what I pull out.

And I will advertise the car for sale by the end of today (that's my goal anyway)- after I have given it a bit of a detail (luckily - or unluckily - I have some experience in this having given it a go for about a month).

Okay - I have a plan!!! For today anyway.....

oh yeh - I have decided to go to Canada at the end of the year maybe for a few months hence the panic for money to start coming in.