Friday Fiscal Wellness Check June 19, 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 12 to Thursday, June 18. I just sort of list things as they come up, then edit before publishing. Good thing this week as I'm feeling all the side-effects from my second shingles vaccine.

Use it Up/Avoid Waste 

• Used lots of bits from past meals as toppings for a couple flatbread pizzas on pre-made crusts bought at $1 for two. 
• After we ate leftovers from previous nights meals, I made up and froze three small burritos with the tidbits of pork, rice, and beans with a bit of cheese. These are perfect lunch size for me for the coming weeks.

Avoiding Spending/Saving on needs

•  Found four varieties of one pound bags of cheese curds for $3. These actually still were dated to the 22nd. So while I'll  freeze the bulk as thats a lot of cheese, much will be enjoyed fresh. 
• Win (and a not-see below), but used Kohl's coupons and clearance to buy two different baby girls gifts of clothes for future wear. One is for my nephew, and will give after she's born the end of summer, seperate from baby shower gift, and the other is for one of my mom's friends daughter, born on Sunday. I got both two,  3 piece Carter's outfits plus a sweet children's plate and cup for $54 and think I did pretty well.
• This is an avoided spending for a little gift to myself. The T-Mobile Tuesday had a free print reward. I had a picture of the 5 of us, very casual as we like, taken when my son was home for youngests HS graduation party and night before my older daughter went to Iceland in June 2019. It popped up as a memory, very bittersweet, as taken on Fathers Day that year. I'll look for a frame but first want to decide where I'll put it.

Opportunities to add Funds/Windfalls 

• Entered receipts in Fetch, played MS Rewards, and a few surveys.  
• Did and opinion poll for a $2 cash reward. Ahh, the political season is in full bloom so I'll likely get one a month until November.
• I also earned $10 in Kohls cash and $5 reward for pick up at store.

 Non-Thrifty or Frugal

• I have a conflict for a baby shower for my nephews baby so just used the order/ship registry option. Baby stuff is expensive! 

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.

• At the cheese store, they sell a lot of more local ( to the western Wisconsin/southeastern Minnesota) beers and wines. I was happy to see a 6 pack of Loon Juice Grow a Pear, Pear and Honeycrisp Cider. Loon Juice featured prominently on a sisters wine and beer trail trip and the pear variety is hard to come by. I brought to family book club.
• It would have been rude not to stop when my son and I took a detour through St Paul's West Side at the Taco House. We love the main restsurant too, Boca Chica. If we didn’t have to get home to pup, I'd have wanted to do some shopping at El Burrito Mercado Marketplace. A little splurge by my son of just over $10 for two chicken taco burritos for a late lunch. I rode along as he brought more odds and ends to his place and got the mail. 

  Daily Dinner Diary (Friday 6/12  to Thursday, 6/18). 

Fri -  Flat bread pizzaa (one- beef & mushroom bolognese,  sausage and cheddar cheese, two- ricotta and garlic, with onions, green olives, abd bits of pepper jack cheese) 

Sat- Dinner at sisters, make your own pizza hotdish andcthese became so big so most of us took ours home. 

Sun- Leftover hotdish from my sisters, picky bits found to eat a sort of picnic while reading outside

Mon- Picky bit and snacks at book club year end wrap up. (Made a pot of chicken wild rice soup too and will eat for lunches and freeze portions)

Tues- Pork Carnita, rice, black beans in burritos or bowls 

Weds- Leftovers burrito bowls

Thur-  Leftover wild rice soup

          My meals are really same old, same old and will be more so as cooking for just me will either yield a lot of leftovers ( though I'll save much as freezer meals to pass on to kids) or very simple food with little effort. I won't hit my low spend H&G target of 10% less, but 5% might still be doable. Coffee has exploded on price around here and I did have a few social things I purchased groceries for, including 2 bottles of wine and the noted cider above. For now, I'm putting those kind of purchases in with my H&G line, though I know most consider that recreation/ entertainment. How was your week?