Friday Fiscal Wellness Check Friday, October 31, 2025

                               

       For Friday Fiscal Wellness Check,  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, October 24th to Thursday, October 30. I just sort of list things as they come up, then edit before publishing. 

Avoiding Spending/ Saving on Needs

• I found almost exactly what I was looking for in a rain coat with hood (would have liked about 4-6 inches longer, but those were either too thin or not in a color or style I liked) at a nice price using birthday gift money from my siblings. There was enough to cover the boots I bought a couple weeks ago. My sister said I needed to show them off in the group chat.
  
  
  
• Used a $5 CVS coupon and a BOGO for $1 to buy Halloween candy for trick-or-treaters. We don't get many, maybe 50 kids top since the neighbors at end of cul de sac often have their lights out when they take their kids around so we lose many coming down our street. Minimally I'll get kids in the circle and neighbors grandchildren, which is about 20. If I don't help myself to too much there's enough for 60 kiddos. 

Opportunities to add Funds/Windfalls 

• Entered receipts in Fetch and MS rewards points
• Closed out my contract billing a final 22.5 hours. That'll be paid while I'm gone and will be a cushion in my checking account. 

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

• Another lunch out as my brother left to head back to Florida yesterday. 
• Planned, but took family for daughter's birthday dinner to a vegan cafe, Reverie, in Minneapolis. It was very good but it added up to a bit more than I was estimating spending. I refused to let the kids pay anything. 
• This more annoyance than spending more, but I had to move funds to cover both health and a life insurance payment as flow through funds didn't get deposited on the normal timeline from my HSA ( for health). I'll straighten that out when I get back, but realize it probably will impact December too. Sinking funds account is there to leverage a couple months, so fortunate. Edit: Yay, the HSA payment has started processing and just not cleared so I won't have to deal with that when I get back.
• Like everyone, I got notice that my 2026 health insurance is going up, my damage is 11%. In December I'll go through my spending plan ( budget) line by line and scrutinize every thing. I know eating out and entertainment spending has to slow down, and instead more economical options. I do not want to decrease giving to family, friends, and community nor travel. For now, I'm just going to try and enjoy this trip then the holiday season and focus efforts in the new year.

     Daily Dinner Diary (Friday 10/24 to Thursday,

 10/30). 

• Fri - Out with family, I had a Reuben sandwich and my son ate second half when he got home later. Food does not get wasted with him around. 
• Sat-  Taco "Goulash " ( needed to use up thawed taco meat)
  
• Sun- Chala masala, basmati rice 
• Mon- Spaghetti with vodka sauce and meatballs 
• Tues- Homemade chicken noodle soup and sour dough toast.
• Weds- Out for dinner daughter's Friday birthday ( worked for all)
•  Thurs- leftovers 

     All my kids have today free so we're doing a decidedly throwback thing on my daughter's birthday and going to the zoo. I really want to see the penguins in their newish exhibit. We'll see the pumpkin display too. My Halloween birthday daughter has friends coming later tonight for the weekend and I'll hand out treats before trying to get a decent night's rest for tomorrows big travel day. How was your week?