Friday Fiscal Wellness Check February 7, 2025

     

     The last few weeks I was very off kilter and not posting. I'm trying hard to wrap up work and not be all things to all people. I feel bad when I look at the new manager as she looks positively terrified. It was, is, a huge job. After today, just 8 more full weeks...I can do it. 

      

     It feels important to take any control in my life I can. I should be able to have a certain degree of control on my finances, but we all have seen the crazy up and down swings of investments, insurance costs, groceries, and every other good we need just because big business can charge what they want, so I'm trusting nothing. My spending recap is for self accountability on how intentional I've been the last week and if I can find flaws that might help me make fiscally better decisions in the future. This is my summary for Friday, January 31st to Thursday, February 6th.

Avoiding Spending/ Saving on Needs

• No take out, but a coffee at the hospital the night my brother ended up with another procedure. I was lagging. 
• I was the victim of a very elaborate and scary cell phone fraud. I don't want to go into details as it was investigated by my carrier plus has been officially filed with the FTC through their channels. I'm so grateful that my persistence paid off as I'm covered for the loss of $1,350. If criminals spent their time and brains for good, wouldn't that be something. I got lucky as it could have been much worse. Oh, but the FTC will probably be gutted so good luck to the next victim.
• Played trivia and got one hard seltzer but passed on ordering pizza. One, I don't like to eat so late on weeknights, and two, not a fan of where the others ordered from. I guess less intentional and more circumstantial. Oh, and there was part of a past win gift card to put towards drinks, so just spent $6 rather than the normal $8 for my drink, including tip.
• Other entertainment was movies and TV shows already on streaming services before the subscription is turned off, blog reading and writing ( ideas anyway). This post from Frugal Girl on money dysmorphia was very interesting and gave me food for thought. 

Spent Intentionally

• Besides maximizing the groceries on hand and leftovers, I was meticulous about grocery and household shops. January was insanely expensive after buying cleaning supplies to help my daughter's kitchen fiasco, plus helping her out with a few groceries as things went bad and they had no real kitchen a few days, so got expensive take out. Starting this month with low spending (my budget month starts the 27th) helps get me back on track. I'm trying to buy less packaged crap, even if a loss leader, and more whole food that's less expensive more often anyway. Better health is a bargain.
• I did it! I booked my ticket to the UK for the month, well most of it, of November. Tickets won't get lower and I just decided to act. Siobhan and I are already getting an itinerary started.

Opportunities to add Funds/Windfalls 

• Added receipts to Fetch and played MS Rewards towards gift cards. I'm up to $10 Target reward but will wait until it hits $25 to redeem points. 
• I'm getting ready for some changes in the house and am trying to purge my office. I found a Chipotle gift card in an envelope. No idea why it was there or who it was bought for and not used, but it'll be good to have for an out and about day and save a bit of money later. 

     Then, there are often other things that impacted my check book that came up without much planning or notice, or an all out splurge.

• This was over a two week period -four round trips to the airport, two a week office trips, and two trips to check on my daughter's house in the cold burned up a lot of gas. After the youngest's plumbing fiasco, not taking any chances on not checking my other daughter's place. 
• I forgot how expensive hospital parking is down town St Paul but I had it four times to see my brother this week. 
• I bought tickets to a different community theater production for my MIL after she booked a trip with her sisters over the date I had already planned and bought tickets for. (She forgot she had told me date was free when I asked.) So after fees and tax, another $78 of Christmas expense. I will either use the original show tickets with a friend or give to someone else to enjoy. 
• My sister hosted a retirement party for her husband in the back room of a bar and grill. My son was hobbling after a stupid, but painful toe injury, stayed home to keep elevating and icing, so I splurged and brought him a take out fish dinner from the same place. It's locally owned and the food is delicious and fairly priced. 

     Daily Dinner Diary  ( just Friday, Jan 31 to yesterday, Thursday, February 6th)

• Fri - Party food or fish dinner
• Sat- leftover tortellini soup and toast
• Sun-  Roasted chicken with seasoned brown rice and broccoli
• Mon- Chicken and bean quesadilla 
• Tues -Baked four cheese tortellini with spinach 
• Wed- Tuna and cheese hot dish with peas  
• Thurs- Pork loin, baked potato,  with California blend veggies 

     I still haven't firmed up plans for the weekend other than I'm going to watch the football game Sunday. Where and what I'm eating is still to be determined. I'm really watching my grocery and  household shopping this month, aiming to be in under 80% of my target budget so whatever foods I make to serve here or bring elsewhere will be made with thought, but there's cocktail weiners, cheese fondue, and many ingredients for baking sweets, so I'll need to buy minimally  to host or bring. We've got a big storm supposedly tomorrow so I want to do a top off shop later today including either food to bring somewhere or to eat at home and of course the bread and milk. I hope your week was good on your wallet.