Friday Fiscal Wellness Check, July 24,2026

                                       

         

     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 17 to Thursday, July 23. I just sort of list things as they come up.

Use it Up/Avoid Waste 

• I ran out of coffee before my Sam's Club stop Tuesday but found a couple sachets of instant and used Monday amd Tuesday morning instead of rushing out.

Avoiding Spending/Saving on needs 

• Did my quarterly stock up of basics at Sams Club. Purchases were TP, dog chews and wet food, water for cabin, onion powder, canned tuna and chicken. I'm never sure if I save money because the final receipt is staggering. (MegB...it was under $300, barely). Comparing unit price I confirmed I am and won't have to buy for months and months. The key for me is not loading up the cart with convenience treats and "ooohhhs".
• Bought chicken for chicken salad, croisants, ham, salami, cheese variety tray, dinner rolls ( froze croissants and rolls so they'd stay fresh for tonight- took out to thaw) and snacks for book club at Sam's. I'll prepare what little food that needs work this morning (also serving an Italian pasta salad and watermelon. My sister is bringing a bday cake for a sister). After picking up beer and wine, all together I'll spend around $130 to host 8 for dinner, drinks, and snacks all night with likely a lot of leftovers. It could have been more frugal, but I wanted easy. 

Opportunities to add Funds/Windfalls 

• Entered receipts in Fetch, played MS Rewards. I did a couple of Saga surveys.

 Non-Thrifty or Frugal

• No produce from my garden pots/planters so stands at -$78 except two cherry tomatoes. My tomatoes are starting to come. The variety I thought were jubilee gold are ripening to full red. Big boy were what I had thought I bought based on shelf markings but spikes were different. These aren't big boy either...remind me if Roma. If they taste good I wont quibble.

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.

• The clinic did charge copay of $35 though should have been covered with credit for the late cancelled PT. I'll have to figure out before next and hopefully last appointment.

  Daily Dinner Diary (Friday 7/17  to Thursday, 7/23). 

Fri -   Dinner at my sons, ravioli, Italian sausage and peppers, olive bread

Sat-  Cheddar brat and potato salad

Sun- Rice, Cheese, and veg dish 

Mon- Cheddar brat and broccoli salad

Tues-  Grabbed a pizza slice mid afternoon at Sams Club so later had some fruit and cottage cheese

Weds- Stir-fry vegetables and scrambled eggs

Thur- Stir-fry vegetables and mac and cheese

Leftovers Added to Freezer:

• I didn't really do any cooking and the little  I did was eaten as leftovers for lunch or part of supper.

       Here's an update on the desk for my son's place. The beautiful piece was massive and upon arriving, quickly realized nothing short of professional movers was going  to get it out the door. It wouldn't have fit through the doorways to his unit either. Someone else will be the lucky recipient. That's ok though, as we think he'll take my desk after a fresh paint job, and I will use the computer hutch that sits at the far end of the family room. I don't need a dedicated office space with a closed door any longer, and that will make more room in that upstairs room when people stay over. How was your week?