Friday Fiscal Wellness Check July 11, 2025
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, July 4th to Thursday, July 10. These start getting long, so feedback if you think less is more. I just sort of list things as they come up, then edit before publishing.
Avoiding Spending/ Saving on Needs
- Ate all leftovers from various celebrations from weekend.
- Stretched groceries out to yesterday though my plan to shop on route back changed and I still went to Sam's Club and Aldi for major stocking up. I avoided Trader Joe's temptations.
- Did not use the car Saturday to Thursday this week. Walked to local store to use the post office box.
- Chose not to go pick more strawberries. I've enough for both a batch of jam and two strawberry rhubarb pies or a large crisp, or strawberry -rhubarb jam. There's still two portions of cherries ready for jam ( plus for pies or crisps)and (see next bullet) raspberries are coming. I'd like to fit in blueberry picking too. Even gifting, there's only so much jam I need or want to make!
- First (free) raspberries of the year. Picked these Monday and have been getting about the same 1 1/2 to 2 cups each day with more still coming. This is the same original plants bought back in 1991 that had sort of withered, but my son retrained them two years ago and they seem to be thriving again. I relearned to pick in the early morning or at dusk and not stupidly mid day. (heat, bees, horseflies)
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| We'll eat some as as they come but I've started a freezer container for jam. |
- I've been feeling the urge to eat out...maybe because my lunch date got cancelled and the coffee meeting turned to a Teams and I ate out so much in June it became too expected. Instead, I tried upping the quality and presentation of lunch a few days. Here's my spicy tuna salad with dill pickle spear wraps (on small tortillas), with fresh fruit. I've also taken to eating outside on the porch out of the sun which blazes in the backyard between 11 and 3.
- I ignored Amazon Prime days!
- My daughter found these two pieces at Goodwill, $5.50 each, down from $8.99 and $10.99. One is a desk and the other we learned is a Martha Washington Sewing table. Both are all wood, and a bit scruffy, but she did a great job on a piece before, so am confident in our combined effort. We'll tackle these together and see where they best fit, whose house, and where.
Martha Washington Sewing Table and could make a really good bathroom storage piece
as the sides would hold extra TP, towels and drawers' other things.
We're leaning towards this being a writing desk and used on my daughter's front porch. Her office gets very hot in the summer months and she could use this alternatively. - One more find by me for younger daughters apartment at the Goodwill near Sam's Club. This two piece storage unit is solid wood and she liked it when I sent a picture. $7.50 after 75% off.
- Paid all bills on time.
Opportunities to add Funds/Windfalls
- Updated the HSA reimbursement to just cover daughters. This will both extend reimbursement longer, but also help me budget better now for when the severance bonus is depleted.
- The meeting on a possible contract went well and there seems to be a perfect fit for what they need and my skills and availability. I'll learn more next week and negotiate terms.
Miscellaneous things that don't quite fit in other categories
- I was miffed to see that not only did I have a $75 fee for missing books ( recorded as lost) but I was blocked from reserving a book. I forgot my daughter used my card and books were found at her place and returned. I'm out of library jail and can resume services.
- All this new to us furniture and Little Miss decided she needed a new spot to rest. I hope my sister didn't want her container returned because, "if I fits, I sit" .
Then, there are often other things that impacted my check book that came up without much planning or notice, or an all-out splurge.
- Nothing thankfully this week! I didn't even have coffee or lunch out as plans changed. I "splurged" on a snack/ lunch at Sam's Club, $1.50 including tax, hotdog with all the fixings and a Diet Dr. Pepper.
Daily Dinner Diary (Friday 7/4 to Thursday, 7/10).
- Fri - 4th of July party foods
- Sat- leftovers, grilled chicken
- Sun- leftovers, including dal and basmati rice
- Mon- "pizza" lasagna, using up bits of sausage, and pepperoni
- Tues- Leftover lasagna and salad ( I ended up freezing a sizeable portion)
- Wednesday- Grilled mammoth sandwiches on sour dough with ham turkey, cheddar and mozzarella and tomato soup
- Thurs- Butternut squash ravioli, mixed vegetables (Son ate, as my late hot dog was filling, but I had a snack bar, raspberries and watermelon.)
I have minimal plans this weekend, just a graduation party for a great-niece on Saturday. I am making a double batch of brownies for my niece to serve as part of the dessert station. I got cash yesterday so no reason to leave the house other than for a walk. Sunday as well is wide open. We may get rain today but the weekend is supposed to be gorgeous. How was your week?
That Martha Washington is an incredulous find!!!! Color me jealous jealous jealous ;-) I need to start thinking wraps instead of bread for sandwich stuffs. No idea when I quit that. hmmmm
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday. I love that you're walking to nearby errands :-)
I've decided it's going to get a coat of white with maybe some blue 🔵 n the legs and go in the bathroom. I think it'll be perfect there.
DeleteNice finds on the furniture. Solid wood is always the best. We always drink a lot of fruit smoothies during the summer. It's the easiest way to get 3 to 4 servings of fruit and a cool. refreshing drink.
ReplyDeleteSmoothies are delicious. I bought some sugar free gelatin to hold raspberries as a treat.
DeleteNice finds!
ReplyDeleteIt'll be fun to get them up cycled.
DeleteWhat great finds on the furniture! I havent been in goodwill in a minute. Looking back, I had a pretty good week. Did a small shop to get through the week since the leftovers didn’t last as long as I thought they would. Didn’t get food or drink anywhere out. Forgot to buy creamer but used a splash of cream and some caramel syrup I already had to make do. I did buy one thing from Prime, a wallet phone case that I’ve had my eye on. Plan to stay home today, and work all weekend. We are celebrating a beloved coworker’s birthday on Sunday so I’ll pony up some cash for that, well worth it. JoAnn
ReplyDeleteI really stocked up so not an inexpensive week, but nothing extravagant. Celebrations for people we like are worth stretching the budget.
DeleteNice finds! I love the details-don’t worry about your post being too long. In light of your recent posts about annoying in-law behavior, I wondered whether you could ever go there during the week for a change of pace?
ReplyDeleteI have thought of that, but the problem to me relatives , especially him, have a habit of just showing up. There's a lignin code and can see if people are there. I've never bothered to have it, my husband did. I don't know if the kids ever installed, but that could be an option.
DeleteThose are really great furniture finds!
ReplyDeleteI had a good week. Just working, and I got my first paycheck today + sign on bonus, which was a nice surprise. I'm attempting to max out my 401k with just half the year to go, as well as the HSA (can only do 1/2, I think, given how long i've had coverage), so it's not a very exciting paycheck, but I'll take it.
We ate all meals at home, save for the free picnic at a work social event yesterday. It was delicious, but I felt bad to toss out the other half. It was a sandwich with mayo, cheese, meat, etc & was huge. But, nowhere to store it & we were heading to a food pantry to volunteer. Food waste makes me sad, and the irony of going to save food from waste was not lost on me. If I had been a super planner, I would have brought a cooler, but alas, not that on top of it yesterday. I also picked up my badge at the office, so i'll be ready to go for next week's in person office visit. The company is offering free meals, only during construction, to entice people to come to the office anyway. I'll go & check that out (not for the free food, but to meet more people). The free food will be a nice bonus ;-)
Getting your 401k maxed is such a good way to catch back up. The in office meals do seem ideal to meet folks.
DeleteI had to laugh at the cat in the tub, they really will sit on anything! Some splendid furniture finds and so cheap, too.ime you, I'm harvesting raspberries on a daily basis, we've also bag a bumper crop of black & red currants, rhubarb and gooseberries. I'm loving this record breaking summer!
ReplyDeleteRed currants and gooseberries.. from my childhood as my dad had both, plus raspberries and rhubarb. I noticed a huge raspberry patch behind neighbors fence, almost touches three neighbors but technically is in the park. It's just growing and no one has picked. I'm going to see if any of the three know about it. I hate it to go to waste when I know I could use and share the results.
DeleteAwww…..sweet kitty! Anything the can fit inside. lol
ReplyDeleteYou got some great finds on furniture! I love the white one as it’s beautiful! This is Belinda by the way. I’m not at home so my phone is posting this as anonymous. lol
She's so funny with containers. She isn't supposed to be on tables obviously but she just does what she wants!
DeleteGorgeous furniture! Cindy in the South
ReplyDeleteWe are quite pleased
DeleteGreat furniture finds. I hope you will share pics once you decide where they will go.
ReplyDeleteMy problem is not me wanting to go out to eat, but TheHub wanting to. I have found changing dishes, and eating either on the deck or in the dining room instead of the kitchen is sometimes enough to keep his dining out lust in check.
I will for sure. My daughter's been playing around with placement in her house, but then had another find of an antique spinet desk. Second daughter may get the first desk.
DeleteThose thrift finds are amazing . Sometimes to try and get over eating another meal alone I set the table with a candle and use the pretty dishes and fabric napkin - makes it feel a little less lonely
ReplyDeleteHope you have a gentle weekend . Heatwave in the UK , coinciding with Wimbledon finals
Siobhan x
It is better than a plate on my lap. You know the thoughts. You take care in that heat. Your message worries me.
DeleteCats will squeeze into the tightest places and things! Great furniture finds at amazing cheap prices. I'm now forcing myself to make lunch at home. I'd gotten into a bad habit of picking something up on my way home from running errands or even going out just for lunch. Spendy and less healthy. Your tuna wrap looks good!
ReplyDeleteShe's pretty bottom heavy , first me I guess, so she really tries to squeeze. I love the spicy Thai flavored tuna and pickles.
DeleteGreat finds on the furniture. WOW!
ReplyDeleteWell done for not using the car either! I absolutely feel lost without my car.
I really didn't need to go anywhere but get something mailed, so no reason to drive. The painting will be a lot of work, but I need a project other than cleaning.
Delete