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Don't Be Delusional About Costs
Sometimes I just want to get off the place and use a shopping trip as the excuse and that is the truth of it. The time has come to bite the bullet and put on paper what has previously been just an idea of costs. To shop at the closest town is a 40 kilometre round trip, one major and one minor supermarket - not much to be gained on savings there. The major centre is a 120 kilometre round trip with all of the wonderful options of wholesale butcher, supermarkets and most major stores.
This is what I've come to in costs so far (I drive an old Magna):
Annual expenses:
Rego.$500
Insurance $99
Oil filter $40
Tyres $100
Servicing $100 (Hubby takes care of car).
The approximate cost per kilometre @ 10,000 kilometres per year is 9 cents per kilometre.
Add the cost of fuel at $1.30 per litre and the 40 kilometre local round trip costs $17.60, the 120 kilometre regional round trip plus 20 kilometres around town costs $48.00. WOW! Did that change my thinking. That means that I have to save $30.40 (the difference between getting to the local and the regional centres) before I make any headway at all on savings with my shopping!!!!
Yes I usually grow as much as is practical, but I still need to purchase the rest. Now when I open the freezer and look at what is there I'll be adding the cost of running the freezer to the equation. What I've learnt from this little exercise is that if I need/want to get serious about what it costs to live in the country and nail it, I have to be honest with myself.
Contributed by Carol
This is what I've come to in costs so far (I drive an old Magna):
Annual expenses:
Rego.$500
Insurance $99
Oil filter $40
Tyres $100
Servicing $100 (Hubby takes care of car).
The approximate cost per kilometre @ 10,000 kilometres per year is 9 cents per kilometre.
Add the cost of fuel at $1.30 per litre and the 40 kilometre local round trip costs $17.60, the 120 kilometre regional round trip plus 20 kilometres around town costs $48.00. WOW! Did that change my thinking. That means that I have to save $30.40 (the difference between getting to the local and the regional centres) before I make any headway at all on savings with my shopping!!!!
Yes I usually grow as much as is practical, but I still need to purchase the rest. Now when I open the freezer and look at what is there I'll be adding the cost of running the freezer to the equation. What I've learnt from this little exercise is that if I need/want to get serious about what it costs to live in the country and nail it, I have to be honest with myself.
Contributed by Carol