Sam Squared

      This describes my perspective on spending right now beyond needs. Maybe I just have particular spending patterns that align where inflation has hit hardest, but I shake my head each month on the difference from a year ago. Thank goodness I was able to save a significant amount from my house and car insurance, but with new expenses for pup and everything else skyrocketing, I'm being cautious.      Not that I'm going cold turkey on spending. I still want nice experiences, good and healthy food, travel again at some point, and there's things that need replacing or repairing around the house. I won't go into the details of my exact budget, but I'm focused on keeping with the adjusted retirement budget of 70% needs, 20%wants, and 10% emergency/unforseen expenses/cash savings (from the former 50-30-20). I'm also determined to not give myself a cost of living adjustment (COLA) from my retirement. I'm squeezing that 20% wants allocation and that includes cont...

      I don't think I made good use of June. To be fair, three of my plans were weather dependent and as fate had it, canceled due to pouring rain and some thunderstorms. This doesn't  include the everyday life things like pet care, garden and yard, cleaning, grocery and meals, and life admin. I'll seperate into three chunks to wrap up. June 1-10 Happy Hour with a friend I don't see often Helped son get u-haul van loaded  at my friends moms ( and a nice catchup with friend and mom after) Zoom workshop by my daughter  June 11-20 Family book club Mom's book club Started PT (3 more sessions scheduled including this morning, just got a call and it'sbeen cancelled, so now probably just 2 more wirh an email consultation)  Happy hour with old work colleagues  Helped son with a few organization things then treated to tacos  Day trip to cabin with pup June 21-30 ( I was really hard pressed to come up with anything to share to end the month as between ...

 We have a nice blog community and when folks leave, I  know people often check in with each other. On her behalf, this is from Rhitter, Coffee with Rhitter, who's not ready to resume blogging, but wanted to share an update. " Hi Everyone - This is Rhitter. I've asked Sam to provide a life update. First of all, I am okay. Not great, but okay. I withdrew a significant amount of money from my 401K to pay my debt off. Now, I am fighting with the IRS to get a refund. (I should not have withheld so much). That's okay. But the biggest life change is that I moved into my own place. My apartment is a five-minute walk to my daughter's, so I am still able to help, which I do. The apartment is not perfect, but it's my own space. And I am reclaiming my independence and my health. My daughter still needs help financially, but it's nowhere near what it was. And being debt-free has allowed me to do so. Yes, I have to rebuild my retirement savings, but that is ongoing. I m...

                                                            For my Friday posts, I copy a previous week, delete the old and update as I go along the week. This helps me add as the week goes on. Here's my recap of Friday, June 26 to Thursday, July 2. I just sort of list things as they come up. Use it Up/Avoid Waste  Update to an old. Months ago I poorly stitched up a tear in my nice sheet set but bought a single fitted before doing so as I kept putting it off. I also tucked the repaired sheet away, and have still been using the cheap replacement. Finally this week, remembering it was "repaired", I swapped it back on when sheets were changed. Honestly, what a difference in my sleep! The quality is so much better I felt more relaxed. Getting a second set of high quality linen sheets is on my wish list and want to never use chea...

      I'd have liked to have titled this, Adventures in Retirement , but that would be a stretch. Even in retirement life throws curve balls, but I'm rolling with them.        I was not expecting to be a caregiver for an aging dog with health needs that dictates my schedule. Other pets I've ever had clearly were in agony before assisting them to pass or died in their sleep. Pup, when awake, seems quite content, though often confused. He still likes though is very slow, his walks to the pond and park. The potty issues are tough. I'm trying doggie diaper bands. Fortunately it's just his bladder, and it's mostly that he's just not quick enough to alert us before too late. He clearly doesn't like having accidents as he howls for me when one happens. If I stay diligent during the day, use the bands overnight or if left alone, that hopefully solves the mess part. I'm also now one of those dog owners with a little stroller for him. This will solve the prob...

                                                          For my Friday posts, I copy a previous week, delete the old and update as I go along the week. This helps me add as the week goes on. Here's my recap of Friday, June 19 to Thursday, June 25. I just sort of list things as they come up. Use it Up/Avoid Waste  Brought food to the cabin (day trip) with what was on hand. Daughter had a Hungry Root delivery and had items she didn't/wasn't planning to use so brought to me as they needed using. ( I sneakily transferred her $) Avoiding Spending/Saving on needs   The T-Mobile Tuesday reward was a Big Gulp Soda from Speedway. I used it after an hour plus in the back yard pulling and lopping yet more jungle. Pop is one purchase I've really cut back from in this economy. It was a nice treat, though so much soda at one time. Opport...