Friday Fiscal Wellness Check May 22, 2026
I appreciated the feedback and will keep posting these checkins on Friday, though might try and edit word count. For my Friday posts, I copy the previous week, delete the old and update as I go along the week. This helps me add as the week goes on. I just sort of list things as they come up, then edit before publishing. As I wasn't feeling great last week, I didn't keep track well so this covers a few weeks.
Use it Up/Avoid Waste
- Made the strawberry jam from the pre-measured supply. As I've now plenty for my own family and giving, the remaining frozen fruit will be used for muffins, quick breads, and desserts for get together before the summer fruit starts coming again. I want to get involved in new jam varieties to me such as blueberries and peach. My SIL made last summer and the combination is absolutely delicious. I have canned 22 jars in total, four gifted already, and one in the refrigerator being used. Peanuts compared to master jam makers.
Avoiding Spending/Saving on needs
- I can't pass at a reduced rotisserie chicken so used for several meals.
- This will be the last month my son shares my car, but it's been nice for him saving on insurance. Rarely have we had to juggle time. The nearly $1,000 saved will come in handy in his new home.
- After my mishap last Sunday, I was pretty much home bound so not spending money on much of anything and had to pass on two different outings.
Opportunities to add Funds/Windfalls
- Entered receipts in Fetch, played MS Rewards.
- Earned $6.35 on SAGO surveys completed while watching YouTube
Non-Thrifty or Frugal
- Pup needed a refill on insulin and sharps-$142. With dose increased, likely I'll need in 3-4 weeks rather than a bit over 6, roughly increasing the cost per year by 50%.
- Though minimal gardening is happening, I spent a small fortune getting top soil and compost in a garden bed. Future years should just need top offs but yikes it takes a lot of bags to be able to decently plant.
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.
- Urgent care visit was an added co- pay.
- Chicken and mushroom risotto and mixed vegetables.
- leftover bits, fruit x3
- "Girls dinner" on Mothers Dayincluding bruschetta, spinach artichoke dip, taquitos, mozzarellasticks, and sqeet potato fries. They really went all out! The girls and I avoided restaurants, but I was pretty beat up and sore from the fall earlier in the day so would have changed plans anyway.
- Italian seasoned pork loin, mashed potatoes, spring peas
- Rigatoni with meatballs, marinara
- BBQ chicken drumsticks, Mac and cheese, green beans
- Turkey meatloaf
- Bacon wrapped pork chops
- Homemade pizza
- Chicken Wild rice soup
- Chipotle with a BOGO Reward
- Creamy pesto and chicken fettuccine
I realized most of my spending and my thrift actions were PF ( pre-fall). I'm puttering, just still not moving fast. The condo closing was yesterday, but son is busy all weekend with cabin and paid work, so no action on sourcing items and move in. I'll do a post about the condo buying experience as a bit different how it all came about. I have pet care duty and plan on just a quiet weekend. How was your week?
For sure, garden start-up costs are significant. Hopefully with kitchen scrap/leaves you can get a compost pile going in a far corner of the yard and use it next spring. I have zero grass so I ask my neighbor to dump his grass clippings on my side of the short picket fence and I top dress with that once planted. Great for retaining water and it composts in, feeding the soil.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting/scary for your son!!!!! It's certainly a big deal in 2026 for a young person to buy their first home.
Sending positive vibes for quick healing of your injury so you can "get on with it". :-)
I have a big bin with clippings, etc. And to be honest, not sure how quite to use fresh made compost but am trying to read and learn. Its a good hobby nonetheless less. Hell enjoy having hus own place. He's had roommates most of his life.
DeleteIt was an okay week on my side. Some frugal wins, but shadowed by work & some health complications I'm trying to puzzle out. Having an autoimmune disease means I'm always wondering what this lab means, or what that twinge is about. Most typically, it's nothing. Sometimes it's disease progression. The mental load of that is taxing, I'd say. - Hawaii Planner
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to read about health complications. Mine is very minor, but little changes have me panic it'll flare up. I wish you the best.
DeleteIf I were you I would not worry at all about my word count. This is your blog and your rules.
ReplyDeleteMy wish for you this week is that you feel much better. Falls are scary!
I like rotisserie chickens also. We eat it one meal sliced, then get anywhere from 2-3 additional meals. To me it is one of the best bargains around.
We had a somewhat costly week but some weeks just cost more than others, and we had some one time expenses that were necessary, and will not be repeated. It is just the way our life goes.
Its nice to have support that people knowI ramble for myself. Im still sore, but less than last week and certainly less than week before. I've become a recent rotisserie chicken fan with my son here. He's a big eater, protein and veg,so getting the low cost ones are a great help. Its indane if I add up the number of 1x expenses Ive had/invested in the last 3 years but I dobtvthink amy frivolous-just necessary life.
DeleteWe had a good week here. We’re spending a quiet weekend at home too. It’s raining so yard sales are probably a bust. It does take a lot of soil to garden. We’ve went to buy the bags when they are on sale, but they’re always sold out, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteBelinda
I'll sit on a little stool to plant, but supposed to be sunny next few days here. I'll look forward to any piece of veg I get.
DeleteMy week was good. J needed new football boots for playing on astroturf but he found them at a good price. I used points to buy some joggers for half the price, more points to get a storage container for the cover plate for free, and yet more points to get a new bin for the caravan bathroom also free. J did have 2 coffees and a bacon sandwich at the pub while I was in theatre but I think they were well deserved after him looking after me for the last 6 weeks. He has a £20 voucher for the pub near the caravan so is taking KL and the little one for breakfast there tomorrow. I'm staying at the caravan as I need to rest and can't eat anything anyway! Struggling with the pain this evening.
ReplyDeleteJ sure deserved the treat. I keep you in my thoughts and hope you can rest and this is truly the last surgery.
DeleteMight ask the garden shops if they have any torn or damaged bags - they are often much cheaper.
ReplyDeleteGet rest and feel better. Congrats to your son.
Going to be a quiet weekend here.
Good suggestion that Ill keep for next year. Minecwerecon sale so that was a help.
DeleteI hope that you feel better soon. It has been so cold and rainy here this May that we are behind planting by probably a couple of weeks. I am hoping to get out and do some work this weekend.
ReplyDeleteYou did well frugally this week.
Congratulations to your son.
God bless.
Today will be the planting day. I might get nothing but if anything grows I'll be happy.
DeleteHave you checked Chewy for insulin and syringes? They had the prices a few years ago. CVS was the worst. Only purchased the first vial there.
ReplyDeleteI haven't but did a look and I might be able to save $20 on the same stuff prescribed and same sharps. I'll look into ordering before his next refill is needed.
DeleteI hope you're feeling a bit better soon. Congratulations again to your son. Your first house is very exciting.
ReplyDeleteIts a sweet little condo with so much charm. We stopped for a coffee after final walk through and just wandered and he looked at home.
DeleteGosh I haven't made jam in ages. I would love to get some fig jam put up. Its a close favorite to orange marmalade - both kinds my mother used to make. I am off next Saturday so i will hit up a farmer's market in search of fresh figs.
ReplyDeleteI brought a jar of fig jar homework me from a farm shop in the UK. It yelled at me as quintessential British. Im hoping the blueberry crew is up for our late July/ early August outing. I can go alone but it's been more fun with a crew, followed by appys and beers lol. Peaches are harder to source locally
DeleteJam making is my only domestic contribution.
22 jams of jar is extremely impressive IMHO! And a creative outlet, and an opportunity for gifting, and a labor of love - so many positive things beyond simply the ROI.
ReplyDeleteI think I forgot about your summer cabin - what a wonderful way for your family to spend time together. And I'm so pleased to read that your son was able to close on his new home. So many wonky things can happen in the last 24 hours of escrow!
I know so w people can jars in the hundreds. People do seem to enjoy receiving the jam and I certainly don't use that much. Its not my cabin. Its my in laws, but the big cabin my MIL has in trust, my kids with a share. The smaller cabin was my husband's grandparents, but bought out and now ownership is another sort of shared ownership, with my kids collectively 1/3, a niece and nephew share 1/3, and bil has last third. My husband had barely started the process as did his sister, transferring ea h of their third to kids. So, im more a guest, but when it works to be there with mykids, it's a good day. Im overwhelmed when full family is there though so don't go much. No escrow on condo, different way he purchased so literally closing took 10 minutes, most of which was waiting for paper copies to print.
DeleteI have a friend who used to use Sam’s Club for her dogs prescriptions. I don’t know if they still do pet medicine but it might not hurt to check as I thought you mentioned you go there occasionally. Sorry to hear about your ribs, I cracked mine a couple of years ago trying to mountain bike and they hurt for five to six weeks. Sleeping, sneezing and laughing were the worse! Kathy
ReplyDeleteI'll check Sam's. Every bit will help. My younger daughter is thinking I should be healing faster so now is worried somethings very wrong. But I am feeling much better, though the coughing and sneezing still hurt. It's just been two weeks.
DeleteHope you feel better better soon and so glad your son closed on his condo! Cindy in the South
ReplyDeleteI am feeling a bit better each day. Now he needs the time and dedication to get fully moved. It all happened quite fast.
DeleteI too think you should pay no attention to word count.
ReplyDelete