Friday Fiscal Wellness Check, July 3, 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 26 to Thursday, July 2. I just sort of list things as they come up.
- Update to an old. Months ago I poorly stitched up a tear in my nice sheet set but bought a single fitted before doing so as I kept putting it off. I also tucked the repaired sheet away, and have still been using the cheap replacement. Finally this week, remembering it was "repaired", I swapped it back on when sheets were changed. Honestly, what a difference in my sleep! The quality is so much better I felt more relaxed. Getting a second set of high quality linen sheets is on my wish list and want to never use cheap sheets again!
- Paid all bills to ensure no fees and know exactly how much is available. I try and true up my planned budget with actuals at least once a quarter so with June done, that'll be a task this month. Things will be tighter for the next six months since the account I used to reimburse part of my health insurance premium is running out and I'm still covering my daughter until January.
- Layered CVS coupon with in-store loss leaders to buy a few grocery items. I got away from doing this as the coupons haven't been great and CVS is normally so expensive.
Opportunities to add Funds/Windfalls
- Entered receipts in Fetch, played MS Rewards, and a few surveys.
- Maybe I'm getting a little over focused on little stuff, but realized I have a checking and savings in another bank getting nothing for interest. Why keep? I use these to manage parts of my extended/ sinking funds budget, it's where my large CD is held, and keeps a relationship with a local bank (free nortary any time as one example of a benefit.) I checked minimums needed to have no fees and transferred over other funds to the high yield account. This will give me an additional $19.25 in passive earnings each month.
Non-Thrifty or Frugal
- Maybe I'll be able to move this to the "saving on needs" but not yet. Overall, I tracked my investment this year in vegetable gardening at $84. This doesn't include the raised beds bought two years ago. My seeds were $1.76, so the lettuce seeds have been paid for as we have had the second salad of my greens. I try to remember that my gardening attempts are as much about hobby as producing food, but will track for myself my ROI. This is a very early glimpse. Rounding to nearest dollar, bib lettuce greens, $2 a bag. ROI status, -$82.
- I'm frustrated with myself after finding a$100 prepaid card from my husband's last work perk and tried to activate it. Apparently it started incurring fees 6 months after so it became worthless after 10 months.
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.
- A good, all surface rechargeable stick vacuum with attachments was on sale for 40% less, and was $30 less than a generic brand. I went ahead and bought it for my son. He's starting to feel tapped out on things for his new place even though he's been sourcing as many things as possible second hand or on sale.
Fri - Chicken, garlic rice, steamed carrots
Sat- Tuna pasta salad, cheese and crackers
Sun- Late lunch so it was dinner too, sandwich and fries grabbed after running a few errands
Mon- Vegan chili and rice ( despite the heat but older daughter was over after being gone all weekend)
Tues- Pork loin, big salad ( my greens)
Weds- Leftovers
Thur- Rotisserie chicken, pita, veggies and hummus
I guess many get today off in the US since the 4th falls on a Saturday. My kids are doing work on the little cabin, hauling stuff out of the basement as it's going to be reinforced, repaved...something to ensure the foundation doesn't collapse, then prep it to actually make useable space for sleeping and hanging out. I'll be home with pets, trying to jeep them calm as firework sounds rumble, though will go to a party tomorrow for a few hours. My daughters also helping her cousin Sunday so I'll have grandpup and if not brutally hot, I'd like to get out to the nearby county park. How was your week?
We're under that horrific heat dome here in central Ohio. It is already about 90 with a heat index of 105 here at 10:15. Seriously? I water the garden at 6:30 a.m., apologize to the lettuce that wasn't expecting this heat, get a walk in before 7:15 when I can, and avoid going outside unless absolutely necessary (and then only in the car). We have the AC set at 80 and that works for us. With regard to meals, I try to think of things that do NOT hear the kitchen up!!
ReplyDeleteOn the upside of $$, bought chicken drumsticks at 99 cents/pound at Meijer; 9+ pounds for about $9 and I put 12 2-drumstick packs in the freezer just this morning!