Thanks for the comments

Seriously, thanks for all the support - it's very unusual for me to get so down for this long ... it's just a case of riding the storm until the weather calms, which will hopefully be by Christmas ... hopefully. I'm very lucky in that Mum's taught me to be a packrat where food's concerned, and I have a tall chest freezer for bulk meat etc, so at least I haven't gone hungry so far, even if my menu has had to be substantially altered for a while.

For Alison - I don't have a monthly budget, in that I automatically pay bills as soon as they come in, and know what's normally due to come out ... so whatever is left at the end of the month is technically 'free', and things are not usually this bad. Unfortunately, though, I had $1000 sitting in the bank and blew it on our Hong Kong trip, so I don't have a 'back up' for emergencies any more. Even that would have been fine as there should be sufficient to pay the bills, but having my car keep breaking down and costing about $300 overall, plus a very unexpected $500+ tax bill all of a sudden due (not to mention the $120+ parking fine - and extra money spent on a dinner party), and "I'm screwed" to put it very bluntly. Normally paying bills are fine - some pays I have a small bit left over, other pays I have some extra spending money ... but all this lot came totally out of left field, and I was unprepared for it.

It also means I'm gonna be frugal for a while longer even when things do even out a bit again, so I can get some emergency money behind me again, then next time I won't be so desperate :( So when I can get back to decent grocery shopping, I'll still be eating cheaply for a while longer.

For Maria S., KarenV & Nicki - I have to admit I probably will continue to make my ornies for those special people, but I may now wait until after Christmas and continue stitching them again ... and I might take on the suggestion of a "cheer me up" new project. I've been seriously itching to pick up LHN's Coffee House Menu, so perhaps that's what I should do - and take my mind off ornaments and my rotation for the time being. My ornies will eventually be posted, just not in time for Christmas this year. Maria, your comment about not eating while stitching gave me a smile this morning :)

Nela - Thanks so much for your beautiful words, they are so much appreciated :)

I've even been looking at other areas to cut back this year - I've thought for a few years now that I don't know why I bother sending Christmas cards etc to most of my UK rellies, as I never hear anything from them in return - I'd rather spend the postage on people who actually give a damn about staying in contact ... that'll be a decent saving in itself over time. So this year is the last year I send to 'everyone' (in fact I might make two lists of rellies, and may not send to everyone this year either), and no longer will they get the colour family newsletter on photo paper that I take care to publish and send every year - those with email will be getting it as a .pdf file this year, and any of my UK rellies that don't send me a card this year will be removed from the future mailing lists ... Mum's doing the same thing too. With the cost of the cards, photo paper, colour ink cartridges, and postage it costs $100-$200 each year to send them out, which is just ludicrous, and I'd rather spend the money on those that I want to.

I even said to Mum perhaps I should go back to dial-up, as well, to cut the costs - but that will be an absolute last resort, as my computer access is my life-blood at the moment ;) It's a shame I can't do it without a home phone, as I barely use that at all, and that'd be a $40 saving every month - I could survive on just my mobile hmmm.

What hasn't helped is the news saying the lack of rental properties in Melbourne is likely to see up to a 40% increase in rental fees next year, which really cheers me up no end ... and I would be well and truly beggared then! It's been depressing me thinking I may also have to consider moving into shared accommodation if this happens ... for those of you who know some of my past experiences here with flatting with Fraze's mates, you know how much that scares and depresses the pants off of me. Add to that the news reports mentioning a possible takeover bid for our company, and that doesn't fill me with positivity about job security either ... admittedly that's very very new, and it may not have any initial impacts even if it did go ahead, but in our industry nothing is ever safe and speculations have already commenced ... perhaps you could have waited until after Christmas to drop that little bombshell on us all, management team :(

Anyway, even with this loooong post tonight, it's still likely that I won't be posting quite so often for a short while - I'm very aware that my blog isn't full of the joys of spring at the moment, and I don't want to come on here and moan about everything every day ... I hate being so down in the dumps in my posts, and I'd rather put those thoughts to one side for now. Aside from that, I've had stress headaches every single day for the last couple of weeks, and sitting at the computer screen all day, then again at night, doesn't really help matters much.

Thanks again for your words of support ... I promise to be perkier before Christmas, honest! :)