Friday Fiscal Wellness Check, July 17, 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, July 10 to Thursday, July 16. I just sort of list things as they come up.

Use it Up/Avoid Waste 

• While we had planned just happy hour food before concert, a series of issues with hotel disrupted that plan so we grabbed quick food before taking shuttles to the venue. Both sister and I had chicken tenders and while food was expensive portions were large. Between the two of us, a full order was left. We saved in the room refrigerator for my niece to take home.(Big eating teenage son!) Edit: She left forgetting in refrigerator so I popped in my cooler, then freezer at home as not sure when I"ll see her.
• More wonderful gifting for my son's place. The only thing he really was going to try and source was a desk and chair. Voila! Same friends mom needed a new home for this. 

  

  
  

  
  

Avoiding Spending/Saving on needs 

• I chose not to hit the casino before or after the concert and while no chance to win, no chance you lose!
• I made myself a cup of coffee in the room with the provided provisions. Learned from my BIL that the coffee shop in hotel was complete chaos, expensive, and got orders wrong and mixed up.
• My Wednesday and Thursday plans flip flopped and met friend Wednesday after she had a college alumni happy hour gathering at the brewery. It was technically over when I got there (not my college,) but she had an extra prepaid drink coupon, so for just a tip, my beverage was covered.
• A third baby gift purchased for my daughter's friend ( 2nd baby) with my 40% Kohls coupons and applied a bit of rewards cash. I don't think theres more babies for a while in my extended circle of family and friends.

Opportunities to add Funds/Windfalls 

• Entered receipts in Fetch, played MS Rewards. I should start doing the surveys again, but got bored with them as the screening is so repetitive.

 Non-Thrifty or Frugal

• Still in the Non-Thrifty category,  picked another two big salads worth of greens so ROI is -78. I'm going to use Elle"s suggestion and pull the bolted greens and get a few pots planted and maybe get more greens in August and then September. I had seeds leftover so no new money.

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.

• Nothing about the concert from tickets (purchased and paid for months ago), hotel, dinner, and drinks (ex. $31 with tip for one Sun Cruiser large strawberry lemonade seltzer)was frugal but it's kind of my one splurge for the summer. 

  Daily Dinner Diary (Friday 7/10  to Thursday, 7/16). 

Fri -   Goulash with a lot of onion and red pepper that needed using up 

Sat- Leftover goulash

Sun- Beans and hotdogs on toast 

Mon- Penne Pasta with Italian sausage tomato (sent 2 leftover portions with my son), froze remaining sauce

Tues- Chicken strips

Weds- Quesadille with black bean and corn salsa

Thur- out with friends to a Mexican restaurant.I had the enchilada and burrito combo, my go to.

New tracking-Leftovers Added to Freezer:

• Italian sausage tomato sauce
• Ground beef, pepper, onion portion
• Chickpea and vegetable curry (made in crockpot for my daughter when she stayed with pup. She took leftovers with rice for a couple meals but still portions of the curry left)
• Chicken strips

        The smoke from the BWCA fires is thick, even this far south in the state. I sure hope everyone stays safe. Tonight son is having us for dinner, but I'm guessing he's picking up prepared food from the Italian market near him. Pup and I are going to the lake tomorrow as the smoke and humidity is supposed to diminisha bit. I'm bringing his meds in case I decide to stay over. I hope to catch the World Cup final and 3rd place games. I think it's karma that two teams from Spanish speaking countries will play in the United States for the championship of a tournament that touches most of the world. Thousands upon thousands of fans cheering in Spanish on American soil is probably a MAGA nightmare. Oh the irony. Just because, I might watch on telemundo. How was your week?