Sam Squared

      Little by little ( and do I mean little) I'm working on various parts of my 2026 aspirations/ goals to be content list. I seem to be doing fairly well on the social front despite hibernating as much as possible. Purging is happening by removing items either through donation, gifting, or trashing. My next door neighbor was ecstatic to accept this child size camping chair for her soon to be one year old and I was happy it found a new owner.      I've vowed to bring into the house nothing but consumables, and then actually use said items, unless it's a real need or problem solution-the rare exceptions. Now in full disclosure and honesty to myself, I loosely applied several purchases to the exception. These include the blood pressure monitor, a rechargeable handheld vacuum (pet cleanup and the big vacuum gets heavy lugging it floor to floor for controlling pet hair and mess), and an assortment of Command hooks for bathroom organization and hanging picture...

                                    As a reminder in case you feel repetitiveness to my Friday posts, I copy the previous week, delete the old and update as I go along the week. This will help me add as the week goes on. Here's my recap of Friday, January 16 to Thursday, January 22. I just sort of list things as they come up, then edit before publishing.  Avoiding Spending/Saving on needs I was almost lured into a false sense of "saving" after receiving a 30% off Kohl's offer, + $10 Kohl's cash for every $50 spent. I even filled a cart, but ended up deleting it all. I got my shopping fix, but realized $50 on items not needed was not saving a penny. I didn't buy anymore alcohol for book club/card night, and used up more leftovers from other holidays. Everyone usually brings a few bottles/ cans of their preference as it's not expected that the host provides a fully stocked bar. I always have ple...

      Photo credit link      I bet I'm not alone as a retired person alternating between feeling scared and adventurous. Some days, I worry I didn't plan well enough. On others I feel like I worked hard my whole life, was dealt an unfair hand,  too soon have to navigate life alone, so I deserve to lead the good life now. This week is one of those back and forth mind weeks. On one hand, few of us know how long we'll need our money to last. The thought of being a financial burden, or even a care burden to my kids puts thoughts in the thrifty lane and potentially miser lane. I don't want to have to choose between eating healthy and medications. Spending now on anything but food, shelter, and health care sometimes feels irresponsible.       Reading about retirees that end their months and years thousands and thousands in the black, the goal always building up their bank accounts, while seeming very unhappy with the quality of their lif...

        Photo by Martin Animals      I'm getting in the Hibernaculum band wagon to describe my home and thus my approach to January. Both the sweet Mary on her post and Sue both wrote about it recently. I have been hibernating of sorts. If I don't need to leave my house, other than necessary dog/ exercise walks, I don't. I guess it's full circle from five years ago when staying home was about trying to keep ourselves and other healthy. Today it's both trying to keep me mentally healthy. (Less exposure to cold, flu, and other viruses doesn't hurt either.)     Space for hibernating leaves room for things I didn't feel justified being able to do in spring, summer, and fall. Binge watching a television show, at a scheduled time, feels appropriate and not lazy. Easy meals that literally just get dumped in the crockpot feel both cozy but also resourceful as it maximizes the veg that's more affordable than others in the winter and less expensive ...

                                  It was my daughter's birthday week but we're going out Sunday as she was busy supporting her friend after work most nights. As a reminder in case you feel repetitiveness to my Friday posts, I copy the previous week, delete the old and update as I go along the week. This will help me add as the week goes on. Here's my recap of Friday, January 9 to Thursday, January 15. I just sort of list things as they come up, then edit before publishing.  Avoiding Spending/ Saving on Needs Scrounged out the last of a sugar scrub for my weather rough elbows, wrists, ankles, and knees before starting a new jar (gift from my daughter). I'll watch for sales to have a back up as this stuff is a truly a necessity for my dry flex points. It's also what I use for my frugal home pedicures on my feet. Used only food already in the house and put out a nice little football night spread for m...

           I'm slow going today, sort of. I met my daughter at 6:45 to get her dog, but came home just to lay sort of upright while coffee was brewing. I'm having a bad nose day, meaning the dry winter air and sinus pressure combine to give me nose bleeds that are difficult to stop. This is one gift from my RA flare-ups. I'm heading though to a visitation and funeral for my BIL's mother soon, so hoping I can manage after a shower. The wet and steam often helps.       It's my youngest 25th birthday Wednesday. However, she had some sad news. A close friends sister passed away last week. The rest of the family is not in Minnesota so daughter and other friends are going to help pack up her apartment and get her things ready to get to her parents, so her schedule is not clear. We'll celebrate her birthday when she feels like she has space to actually celebrate. So, I'm attending a funeral for a 90 year old great grandma while she's helping a ...