Sam Squared

      Photo by Lisa from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com      April must be lean on my checkbook. May as well to be frank. I have spending money to save for Memphis in early June. It's approaching gift giving season with two confirmations, three graduations, and two weddings by September.  I've got gardening supplies and items needed for spring cleanup and getting my yards shaped up. After I truly am retired I'll recap my wind down but I received an incredible gift to help with that expense.  There's the rest of my  want and need list  to save towards.      I have to repay the overage of property rebate, and the first half of property taxes in April.I have to do my taxes today. I think I'm close to break even, but if not, there's that payment too. Oh, and no income coming in of any kind in May. Yes, needing a lean month in every discretionary area possible, is an understatement.       I need a complete r...

       This week has been a blur, so just no time for a post since Sunday. Only because I start these Friday posts right after the last one ends and add bits did I get this one done. I'll recap my retirement get together later. Still absorbing the afternoon- evening. Monday marks the true final week. I'm scheduling time with the data system newbie but using major chunks of vacation time, more so than the previous weeks to utilize as much as possible that otherwise will just stay in a perpetual bank. Here's my recap of Friday, March 21-Thursday, March 27. Avoiding Spending/ Saving on Needs Kept just to my needs list through March 26, my fiscal month close and successfully shaved 10%off my Household and Grocery budget Son had bought a rotisserie chicken over the weekend, so I turned the last into broth. It was a cold start to the week, so made soup for suppers and lunches ( plus frozen enough for a later meal) Yay! The book for book club came in so no last minute purch...

      Photo courtesy of Pexel.com      This is my last formal week of work.  Next week and through April 8th, I'm technically still employed, but I'll be disconnected from all systems likely the 7th. The week of the 31st is just final knowledge transfer, random booked time, but using yet more vacation. For myself,  I have to make sure I can get into all systems for retirement after Monday the 7th setting up messaging to go to my personal "work" email. The list of must do's and questions to be answered with clarity is growing.  Final written directions for processes I've been doing, recording actionable demonstrations as relevant  Changing my automatic reply again- it already was changed a month ago to direct more to my replacement or the appropriate shared mail boxes  Setting up the return of my computer gear, chair, and sit stand desk top Setting up for paying medical insurance premiums, starting before May 1 Verifying steps to get...

         Two week countdown and more tanking of my retirement account. Fun times. I start these Friday posts right after the last one ends so maybe feeble brain remembers.  Avoiding Spending/ Saving on Needs Groceries were just top offs of essentials and a few stock up on loss leaders. I'm on target to shave 10% off my overall monthly budget for household and groceries but man is it taking creativity and flexibility.  As part of that shop, I got lucky and nabbed discounted, two family size packages of 12 chicken drumsticks and another of 8 thighs right as the butcher was setting them out. I rarely find the discounted options, but being able to start shopping at times these tend to happen will help my budget. I could have taken more, lots there, but didn't have the freezer room. From one package I got chicken Alfredo tortellini soup, a meal with drumsticks as the main, and enough meet off the remaining for chicken salad wraps for a lunch. Not bad for $2...

    Photo from Pexel.com    With the volatility of the markets, I have to remember retirement accounts are the long game. But, I'm watching what I'm spending. The older two get my angst, but the youngest just is glad I'm retiring. She hasn't really weathered, or wasn't old enough, to comprehend the truly lean times our family had a few spells. She was only 8 when my husband's job got eliminated instantly, right as we had a second kid entering college. She hasn't felt the fear of a gap in health insurance coverage or received an out of pocket cost for a $2,400 X-ray the same week sports fees and car insurance payments were due.       She was a "broke" college kid and now low income young adult as she figures out her path.  But, behind the scene, knows she'll always have a home to fall back on . (It's sobering thought to know you're the safety net for others, and no one for your own.) As she gets older though, we're having more of the...

      I'm doing pretty well not logging in on Mondays and Friday, though I've answered some texts or chats messages via Teams. Honestly though, I've yet to be productive at home on those days. Particularly on Friday, I was so tired after three very long workdays, the pets and family concerns. I let myself sleep in and actually took a nap. Monday's have been better. I know my stress level is still too high, blood pressure teetering on the edge of high confirms this, but I can't blame that all on work. Here's how I've spent the last four days, work free. FRIDAY:       I got up but didn't make coffee, deciding to treat myself to a frothy cappuccino while waiting for my oil change. While I enjoyed that, I went through my three email personal boxes used for different purposes, responding or deleting. After the gulp to having another maintenance need that added $75 to my bill, I went and grabbed a few top off groceries. My one sister that retired and sold he...

      I'm going to have to be very conservative financially the rest of the year beyond needs and my super want, my three week+ trip in November. I've committed to that by purchasing the flight.       There's day to day living now, bills, expenses that can't be avoided. There's a few social obligations to join that while not needs, are part of my life so in a sense, yes, are essential but just couched in my monthly budget. The list not yet with a budgeted dollar attached are below. The first three are musts. Four is a high want as it will be a healthy hobby and supplement our food budget. Five also as a longer term investment in keeping overall grocery budget lower, so could say it's a need too. Repayment of property tax rebate overage  Replace side mirror on my small SUV  Black dirt ( to fill dog holes and low dips), grass seed, and fertilizer for back yard Black dirt/ garden soil for raised beds, Vegetable seeds and starters  5 c chest...

       Three week countdown! I start these Friday posts right after the last one ends and add to it over the week. The motivation to watch what I spend and try my best to live a good and generous life is growing with each day that passes as I approach April 8th.   Avoiding Spending/ Saving on Needs Groceries were just top offs of essentials (coffee, canned dog food) milk and cottage cheese, and fresh produce. (Exception, bought a few ready meals for my daughter who had a rough week schedule wise ahead.) I brought my brother and sister in law salmon, roasted sweet potatoes/russet potatoes ( brother doesn't like sweet potatoes but they're my SILs favorite and she deserved to be treated too) and a carrot, apple, and craisin salad Friday night using ingredients I had on hand. This is one of their favorite meals, though I'm not sure how much my brother was able to eat. The splurge was premade graham cracker crusts to make little banana cream pies. Puddings have ...

      What exactly frugal means and how it applies to life is as individual to a person as the hairs on their head. This includes, not being frugal at all. My definition is using money to a, ensure needs are taken care of, b, having adequate savings to weather a storm, and c, direct a portion to things that bring me and others added comfort and maybe even some joy. I've had a few Keeping up with the Jones's periods in my life, but frankly now I just don't care. Maybe it's age or maybe it's truly getting kicked in life to understand how little material things mean. Realizing  time is short, I want to spend on experiences I choose.         Still I feel like I need a few tactics to both not come off cheap or anti-social, but also not feel forced to spend where I don't want to. I've done a duck and weave tactic by avoiding the spend, like the gazillion fundraisers young family members have. I'll support one each a year per kid, but have been dire...

      Photo by cottonbro studio :      The warmer temps are melting the big March 5th snow and things are soggy out there. No, it's pure mudd again. Trying to keep the house clean with the dogs is a challenge. I laugh at the big dog, who reluctantly lets me get his paws cleaned, but looks at me like he's wounded. Pup displays his angry old man persona as I try and wipe him down, giving him a few treats while he sits on the Muddy Paws rug that I hope is doing it's magic drawing in the dirt and wetness. I can have a clean house in my next life I guess because this one is literally for the pets. She's not a mudd maker, but a cuddler.       My brother, I fear, is on a continued decline, though being back home has done wonders for his spirits. How long it might take to see if his latest treatment will do any good is unknown. We of course want to have hope, but it's also hard to see him in pain. My other brother decided he'd spend a few weeks ...

      Photo by cottonbro studio :      Keeping in this sort of theme of Surviving the Cost of Living, after the fun for me travel post, I'm turning to the boring but necessary topic of food. No need to harp on grocery prices as you all know the deal.In my life, after housing expenses (even with my mortgage paid off, taxes and insurance are high) and utilities, household and grocery costs are the next biggest budget bite. Currently, my son shares this cost, but even if just myself, it still would be next in terms of needs.       For this post, I'm thinking just on the food category, not household supplies. I like the social aspect of joining others for meals so including meals eaten out of the house or with guests need to be considered. Prices there are on the rise as restaurants are facing the same hardships with their supplies.       I'm trying to embrace the mindset that simple and low cost meals are enjoyable, not ...

     Four week countdown! I start these Friday posts right after the last one ends and add to it over the week. The motivation to watch what I spend and try my best to live a good and generous life is growing with each day that passes as I approach April 8th.   Avoiding Spending/ Saving on Needs I really needed a full pantry stock up of basics like my spices and standard baking supplies and condiments. My grocery bill was high, but still without much "fat". I avoided convenience food with exception of a couple rice sides, hummus,  and jarred pasta sauce. I bought a few snacks, but nothing wild. I had to laugh at myself unpacking as there were multiple jars of dill pickles. Twice I went back for them thinking I had forgotten when I grabbed olives. Pickles keep so not a problem. I've loved having a pickle with my tuna sandwich or wrap. I made a sort of meal plan before leaving with the random things that needed using up but adapted to what was better values i...

        I've been trying to blog a bit more with a theme, in context with my life, but not necessarily just about my life. I don't know if it's working for me or at all readable; I'll probably change directions a dozen times this year. Periodically I do a dump of what's on my mind, a rambling update of sorts. That's what this is.  Work      My official last day is April 8th, but leading up to that date I'm both planning to take all Mondays and Fridays off, and depending on when the data system person starts, almost the whole week of March 31st. I must have hit hard with a reality check, as my replacement looked like a deer in a headlight when I did a calendar plan with the updated timeline that there is only 5 weeks left until I'm done. As of Friday, they hadn't even finished interviews for the system replacement. Unless the person is not currently working, realistically, March 17th is the earliest I foresee the start date, and more likely a few d...

      Photo by Porapak Apichodilok      I'm playing around with blogging themes. Planning for retirement, fiscal wellness, and this topic, Surviving the Cost of Living, popped up due to inspiration from many sources. Lots of bloggers, Instagrammers, and YouTubers, amateurs and I guess professionals are writing about how to survive the Cost of Living Crisis. I think this is more than a point in time crisis but the way things are going to be. I mean, do any of us really think the cost of things overall are going to come down? Maybe eggs will stabilize if the bird flu situation resolves and egg laying flocks can rebound. Tangentially, things related to expensive eggs might stabilize too. But, I doubt corporations that will pass on their tariff expenses to consumers will ever retreat backwards should those be lifted. Trickle down economics has never actually happened in the past so what's going to be the motivator now for the ones with money and profits to cut ...