Friday Fiscal Wellness Check, June 12, 2026
For my Friday posts, I copy a previous week, delete the old and update as I go along the week. This helps me add as the week goes on. Here's my recap of Friday, June 5 to Thursday, June 11. I just sort of list things as they come up, then edit before publishing.
- Made bean and rice burgers from frozen leftover rice and bulk cooked/ frozen black beans
- Did a meal list, trying to maximize the older pantry and freezer items.
- I'm aiming to shave 5-10% of my HH&G spending in June so gave myself a tight budget to top off basic groceries. This left room though for a few good buys for stocking up such as clearance cheese and coconut milk.
Opportunities to add Funds/Windfalls
- Entered receipts in Fetch, played MS Rewards, and a few surveys.
- Transferred SS deposit into high yield account immediately. I try and estimate upcoming expenses that I pay via brick and mortar bank, and send everything else to the online bank. Even $1,000 held just for a month there as I can easily transfer back if needed, is enough interest to offset a coffee outing with a friend.
Non-Thrifty or Frugal
- We're not imaginating it or being overly dramatic. Basic living overall is exceeding the "comfortable" inflation rate of 2% and now at 4.2%. I'm seeing a whole lot of shrinkflation as well, the most recent one being the andouille sausage that I swear was a 16 ounce package last month was now 13.6 ounces. This makes my resolve to pay attention to all the little things in the three previous bullets even more so.
Then, there are often other things that impacted my check book that came up without much planning or notice, an extra optional or necessary expense, or an all-out splurge.
- Plumber for the drippy spigot. Im not doing amything about the garage door and opener yet.
Fri - Son and daughter had a later buffet lunch at an Indian restaurant before returning ing the van, then my daughter went home and he wasn't hungry for supper. I made a sort of nibble plate of cheese and fruit and one of the bean and rice burgers.
Sat- Hamburgers (stuffed with cream cheese and olives) or rice and bean burger, sweet potato wedges
Sun- Just me, made a spinach salad and cheese and crackers
Mon- Spaghetti with meat and mushroom pasta sauce
Tues- Fried chicken drumsticks, pasta salad, green beans
Weds- Adouille sausage, red beans and rice
Thur- Lasagna
My son worked later yesterday, but I helped him secure a few more items. Short of kitties being there, and odds and end items still to come, it's live in ready. Being garden level, and surrounded by trees, it stayed pretty cool despite the heat, though Thursday was cooler. He's debating if he'll even put the AC unit in. How was your week?
"We're not imagining it or being overly dramatic." Exactly, Sam! Higher prices, shrinkflation--all around us. I do a lot of stock-ups at Aldi and keep receipts for a month or so just to look at price changes on what we consider everyday, basic items. Even a "small" increase adds up!
ReplyDeleteWe're managing fine, better than most probably, but it is frustrating to be told that we should just buck up and smile. Why should we all have to monitor every penny and make alternative choices with a gracious attitude? Those that ignore this are quite insufferable to me.
DeleteHigher prices are making us think twice about what we purchase for groceries. I have a feeling it will just get worse as the year progresses. My week has been okay, as I have started spring cleaning and I am very late this year. Hopefully with Harvey's help I will get things done a bit quicker to make up for the rather late start.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Prices will not come down and I too think we're just seeing the beginning. Sure, they'll be sound bite messages we're supposed to listen and swallow right before elections to gas light the people.
DeleteThe week dragged by here...lots of naps were taken. I was telling a friend that I am taking a break from cooking and shopping as much as I can. I have food in the pantry and freezer and just need to use up what I have, when I do feel like cooking. When I don't, I will maximize my eat-out budget by splitting an entree into two meals. I can't help it - I don't want to cook.
ReplyDeleteMy son is already here lessand less for meals and I cant see myself cooking much cone fall. Ill be eating the same thing for days if I bother to cook. I hear you on splitting an entree in two meals. Portions are too much anyway. One pub we like only has 1/3 pound burgers. What woman can eat a 1/3 of a pound of ground beef in a single sitting!
DeleteI read that too about the inflation rising to 4.2%. I’m not surprised at all as we’re all feeling the pinch in our wallets and budgets these days long before they even mentioned the rising inflation rate.
ReplyDeleteAnd thats just the peak inflation rate. Even if it goes down, theres still inflation so costs will keep rising, just perhaps not as quickly.
DeleteWell, inflation can't be real because the doofus in charge says affordablity is a Democratic hoax. So there is that......... 😡😡
ReplyDeleteYesterday, decided to go to the 3 "reuse" stores for building materials. 4 drawer pulls for 25 cents each instead of $20 at big box. 1 drawer slide for $5 instead of $25. Nearly $80 saved!!!
Repeatedly making a veggie quiche for breakfasts. CSA has been packed with greens so I do a menu plan determining what won't be eaten fresh. I saute onion/garlic, wilt the greens and freeze in 3c blocks for future quiches. AND, this has me eating more veg which is a healthy choice!
Last night I made a 7x9 pan of unstuffed peppers with all ingredients pulled from the freezer: 2 packs of smoked new Mex, 1 pack of bell peppers, 2c corn, 2c black beans, 1c taco spiced ground beef and 2 cups of cheese along w 1 can of enchilada sauce from the pantry. I can make burritos, use as dip w/tortilla chips for some crunch or just a nice bowl of warm tasty yum!
I hit the thrift store looking for stainless steel drinking bottles. I scored 2 for $3 each instead of $15+.
Gifted all the bowel management OTC meds to a neighbor having surgery Monday. So happy to save her $75. This stuff is expensive but the last thing I wanted to do was run to the store when a problem occurred after narcotics-which it often does......so I had it all on hand and only 4 doses needed! Yippee!!!
One thing we all know? Prices will never come down regardless of what the Orange says. So here we are.............grrrrrr
Stuffed peppers are high on my favorites list so I think I'd love that dish. I was silly, ignorant, and didn't start pepper seeds inside so my just poking up plants likely won't mature before frost in the fall. I'll be looking for peppers at the farmers market and roadsude stands. A year ago, my target and "goal challenge" grocery spending not only fed us well, but I was regularly stocking up psntry and freezer. Now, we're still eating well, healthy, but very little surplus or stocking up compared to last year.
ReplyDeleteI started early enough but not good luck. 32 tomatoes, 11 survived planting. 32 peppers, 16 survived planting. IDK what my issue is this year as I'm usually the greenest thumb in the hood!
DeletePlants are $6 here this season but still a great buy over organic produce at Farmer's Market since the plant will give more value.
Best of luck to you!
I think I might just go see about buying a couple already growing peppers if a mn y are left. Thanks for suggesting that. I just love the thought of making dinner with produce I grew.
DeleteYou are right about inflation and shrinkflation. It is terrible. I feel it.
ReplyDeleteCindy in the South
I'm sure someone's done the math ortho cobs7mer study to back it up for profits. But, I don't understand why they don't just leave the same quantity and increase price to what supposedly the costs now need to be. It has to be a big expense recalibrating and making bew packaging, but I guess. I suppose more people would just stop buying at a certain price point even though by getting less for still more money they're feeling the price.
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