Friday Fiscal Wellness Check June 20, 3025

            

    I copy the previous week, delete the old and updated as I go along the week as a way even when busy and not in a blogging mindset I'm accountable to myself. Here's my recap of Friday, June 13 to Thursday, June 19.

Avoiding Spending/ Saving on Needs

• Made a copy cat Nothing Bundt lemon cake. Total cost including eggs, $7.20. The same size at the bakery is up to $40. Now not sure mine would quite feed 18, but 13 of us had decent slices and there was leftovers. 
• For my one Tuesday family lunch for June, I joined for the Tuesday burger, fries, shake $10 special at a newish restaurant I wanted to try. It was ok and fortunately I had mowed earlier to burn extra calories. 
• Bought just the minimal groceries ( after the weekend food shop for hosting), by making sure to use every fresh ingredient in the house, no waste. 
• Used my daughter's app at her local grocery store for four extreme loss leaders. I signed up too so I could buy when I'm her town.
• Saved money on a cat bed...my legs work perfect for Little Miss 

  

  She likes to sleep right in the groove my legs make when I lie on my back in the morning. Cat paralysis is real. 

  
  

Spent Intentionally

• This goes under entertainment but I did a mini stock up of wines at Trader Joes. These are not fine wine but acceptable flavors for my palate. I got two Pinot Noir and Two Pinot grigio. I already had a couple bottles of Ro`se. When one bottle is less than a glass of house wine even in a basic restaurant or bar, I consider this thrifty. 
• When humidity and temp got high, I chose to use the AC, but limited to keeping it at 75, enough to keep inside comfortable. I turned off when not needed. I refuse to be miserable, but don't want to be wasteful. 
• There's a few odds and ends I've been hoping to find. My daughter and I hit a Thursday school/ church sale and I came up a winner. The only want I didn't find was a small table to repaint for the porch to go between chairs. Here's a few finds that were actually on my list. 

  

  I've needed a bedside
  reading lamp for ages
   This was perfectly sized
  and basic for $1. 

  
  

  

  The jackpot, a $2 wood tiny 
  Chest of drawers to paint black 
  for a second night stand. Bonus 
  Storage. I'll wait for the humidity to 
  leave before painting. 

  
  

  

  For 25¢, this holds soap quite well.

  
  
• ...and a couple miscellaneous finds that were such good finds I couldn't resist. Not pictured, a kink free hose for $1, and a Rubbermaid divided salad lunch container with ice pack for 50¢. The above jack-o'-lantern ceramic was just 25¢ and totally not a need but we love Halloween.

  

  A like new hand towel for 25¢.

  
  

  

  Not sure yet what to do with this but 
  minimally I thought it would make an
  adorable plant holder on the porch. It could also serve as a makeshift table
  between the chairs so I can throw the gross and broken yellow plastic. This all childrens wood chair was $1.

  
  

Opportunities to add Funds/Windfalls 

• Entered Fetch receipts and played MS Rewards. Referral points came through from my sisters.

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

• Meeting up with my daughter, she needed a few items and was also going to grab sushi from the deli area. ( I brought her leftovers but she saved for Monday.) Being mom, I treated her, and as she was really hungry, she grabbed two rolls. I am ignorant about Sushi prices not realizing each was $10.99- she didn't either. At least it was delicious she said. It made me appreciate my thrifty grocery shop even more. 

     Daily Dinner Diary (Friday 6/13 to Thursday, 6/19). 

• Fri - Black beans and rice with sweet potatoes bowls or burritos ( older daughter here) 
• Sat-. Sloppy Joe's and lots of sides ( family park clean up, book club, and cards)
• Sun- leftovers ( daughter had above sushi)
• Mon-  Vegetarian lasagna with spinach salad, garlic toast
• Tues-  Goulash made with leftover sloppy joes, steamed asparagus from Farmers market
• Weds- Dal with rice, naan, palak paneer
• Thurs-Juicy Lucy ( cheddar) or Grandma's Favorite ( cream cheese and olives) stuffed burgers with watermelon

      It was a rainy, hot, humid week. I imagine more of those will be the norm. I'm not yet acclimated to summer heat. How was your week?