Friday Fiscal Wellness Check July 4, 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, June 27 to Thursday, July 3. I'm going to admit that I  was a walking oxymoron of a frugal person. I'll stretch a bag of $1.25 navy beans into a huge vat of soup but spend $3.50 a pound for pick your own strawberries when Aldi is carrying them for $1.79 a pound. (There was no comparison to the quality of the fresh picked berries and if I'm going to go to work of making jam and pie, I want great produce.)

Avoiding Spending/ Saving on Needs

• After Friday's anniversary dinner out, no other eating out or take out. July has to be different than June on that line. I have a coffee meeting and lunch with an old friend next Thursday but that must be it for the rest of July.
• Started July spending on June 30 as I was at my daughter's and used the digital deals plus the sale on Diet Coke ( my treat for drinking at least three bottles of water, no more than  1 per day) spending $26.49. This is an insanely expensive store, even much higher than my local grocery store, but their digital coupon items are very good. ( For curiosity I inputted in a Walmart cart and it came to $36.99, so $9.50 savings overall. I can't use the grocery store regular prices to really estimate savings because normal prices are so high.)
• I used 1500 of the expiring 1899 points on the McDonald's app for a free chicken sandwich. The McDonalds is next to her town grocery store. I spent nothing else.

Spent Intentionally

• I sent a few weeks ago, but SIL finally cashed check for the shared cost of having the cabin windows professionally cleaned. (Though cost was $26 more per person than originally quoted back in December). This was part of past Christmas gift for MIL.
  

Opportunities to add Funds/Windfalls 

• Entered Fetch receipts and played MS Rewards. 
• I had a short consultation call and will be paid a prorated hourly contract rate. 
• I finally was able to figure out the access to the continued Medical Dental Account and submitted reimbursement for my hearing aids. I think I'll only get what was paid in so far, but getting that back will help my cash flow.

Miscellaneous things that don't quite fit in other categories 

• Buying ahead: My buying for the weekend was very high,  but I hit a lot of stock up items that will help the rest of the month. I know it's just the 4th, but I do think I can hit being under my household and budget plan. 
  
• I went mattress shopping with my youngest daughter. She decided on one and ordered for delivery on July 16. I'm still in a realm of sticker shock. After testing many, I realized I need to tweak my budget as ones I preferred are no way close to what I estimated ( think double to triple!). But, knowing is step one in the battle. Kudos to my daughter by shopping around and getting hers at 5% less than next priced store for all costs combined. She has mild scoliosis and as she's gotten older, investing in herself after years of dorm room or cheap apartment beds hasn't helped. We out on my card as I get higher rewards, but she'll pay me back (-the rewards) before bill is due.

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

• I spent $14.85 on fresh pick your own strawberries on Saturday.  I wanted enough for two batches of jam ( but only had enough for one batch Saturday) and two strawberry rhubarb pies. If there's still picking next week, I'll go again.
• Since June's grocery budget was already blown, I bought fresh picked snap peas and new potatoes, artisan pepperoni bread, sour dough bread, and a salted caramel cookie, and gourmet local Chicago mix popcorn at the farmer's market. It all together was still a lot cheaper (and when you read Saturdays meal, resulted in a far better meal) than my expensive meal out on Friday. I need to set aside a bit of my budget to hit the farmers market each week as more and more will be coming and I both love the quality but also supporting local farmers and businesses. 

     Daily Dinner Diary (Friday 6/20 to Thursday, 6/26). 

• Fri - Son ate leftovers and I had the anniversary Dinner out, just O.K. chicken Kiev with all the supper club extras like a salad, rolls ( that were a bit stale), and relish tray.
• Sat-  You know that feeling when a home cooked dinner exceeds all expectations? This was that meal. First salad using my own lettuce, with cucumber and farmers market snap peas. Poached chicken thighs, pepperoni bread toasted with homemade bruschetta, and new potatoes. This was such a good meal. Any splurge was worth it. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Sun- Leftover stuff on more lettuce, picky stuff through the day (my regular Sunday meals it seems)
• Mon- BBQ pork sandwiches, lemon, spinach, ricotta orso
• Tues- Cobbled together stuff for tacos or burritos/ bowls with odds and ends found in fridge, freezer, or pantry with chips and salsa 
• Wednesday- Chicken, salads, leftover cheese potatoes 
• Thurs- onion and pepper red sauce over penne with ground turkey meatballs 

        Today being the 4th of July and not midweek, my sister and husband are having their annual party today right on the holiday. They provide too much including hotdogs, brats, ingredients for walking tacos with all the fixings, and ask for sides and desserts. I'm bringing a cherry crisp, made last night, carrot and apple slaw, broccoli salad and watermelon. I have a cute watermelon platter I think was 50¢ two years ago. I have a patriotic stars and stripes platter, plate, and bowl that were each 50¢ too, I might pull out the bowl for the slaw. I know more clutter but at least being used once a year year. How was your week?