WIS Last Week 8/8/26

     Between August and mid-October, I have so, so many big ticket bills coming due and then it's rolling into the holidays. While cash is there, I'll still release a silent gasp when paying. I'm tracking my variable, discretionary spending to get a better grip. This will be boring navel gazing blog content, but you're welcome to gaze along. This will not include the regular bills required to maintain my life and home like utilities, insurance, and taxes. 

    After my Sam's Club run, I've minimally shopped since July 21st, and plan to keep this up; short of loss leaders or exceptionally low deals, I'll buy just what's needed each week. I'm putting this plan to other discretionary spending too. If not already planned, I'm going to clutch my purse closed ( as best I can in the moment.)

     I got off to a frugal bang for this accountability starting on the first. Sunday, I did a meal planning possibility list and a calendar/ activity review for August. I'll be plenty busy, but not too busy, and can choose options for entertainment that don't blow my plan. I had a nice week though, enjoying good company, pleasant activities, and nice meals. Here's my accounting of What I Spent (WIS).

Saturday: Paying the regular bills (and credit card from July), was enough of a jolt to spend nothing on Saturday. Entertainment was reading, a walk and chat with my neighbor, and started watching the Season 3 US Traitors on Peacock. $0

Sunday:$1.85 round to $2.00

 I really needed a brisk walk as with pup, it's not much exercise unless he's in the stroller. Finding cooked ground pork, onions, and peppers in the freezer, a sort of goulash sounded good for Monday but I had no canned tomatoes. I'm enjoying my sparse crop of my home grown ones fresh so by foot, off to the store I went. I treated myself to a huge can of Arnold Palmer lite which was on sale along with the store brand diced tomatoes as a reward for walking and drank over two days. Entertainment was a needed nap as I had a rare headache the previous night and didn't sleep well. Later, another walk and chat with neighbor.

Local grocery store: 

Sunday's big haul plus my tomatoes
and daughters zucchini.  


Monday: $0 This was laundry day and a good tidy to get the week going. My daughter stayed over as I had a very early PT session on Tuesday so she took her dog to daycare. 

Tuesday:TOTAL: $158
  • Gas tank-$51 ( but will get a 37 cent per gallon reward return on my cc at billing cycle end)
  • KwikTrip grocery items:$9
  • Dollar Tree: $8 a few HH items
  • Farmstand: $20 (our options are very expensive but have had really good quality. Packaged carrots bought at the store last week had to be thrown due to a weird slime.)
  • $35 PT copayment 

Wednesday: $0 and didn't leave the neighborhood, but the perfect weather day called for reading outside.

Thursday: $0 another stay home day, taking a live free online "tour" of the Star Princess, the ship we'll be on in March. Son joined me for supper.

Friday:$0 and, repeat.

Grand Total: for the week $160

     I'm really in a motivation mode to lose the weight I put back on well before my cruise in March. This helps as I stick to buying just ingredients to make healthy meals, plus am reducing portion sizes in general. The coming week will be more expensive with a couple social things, and a few household,  pet, and pantry items. But, I wont need gas. This seems to be a summary of the week as well as monetary accounting. Anyone else tracking and being more conscientious, even if not intended as no/low spending, but accountability?

  




Comments

  1. BethC.August 8, 2026 at 8:36 PM

    Great low spend week for you! I earned $15 and $10 Target gift cards via the Noom and NoomVibe apps. These are free to join. I track my steps on both and periodically earn gift cards. We spent $10 at the farmers market and $3.75 at the grocery store. Trying to create meals using what we have on hand. Had back to back gatherings with 2 different neighborhood friends today. My contributions were made with stuff we had on hand..There were 6 of us at each gathering. Really nice to get to chat in a smaller group setting.

    ReplyDelete

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