Friday Fiscal Wellness Check. October 16, 2026

                                                   


         

     I think I'm Blogger and phone glitch free for the time being. I've been reading other blogs and trying to comment but it was hit or miss. So many good posts the last few weeks! Blog world is a favorite frugal activity.

     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. I thought I'd have a home focused week once home Sunday night, but forgot I had both a doctors appointment and consult with the oral surgeon referred by my dentist. I'm facing a wisdom tooth extraction. The extended summer like weather changed what I wanted to spend time on Monday, but was reasonably productive, then we dropped back i to fall. Here's my recap of Friday, October 9 to Thursday, October 15. I list things as they come up. 

Use it Up/Avoid Waste
  • We all brought too much food for the weekend, but uneaten food was taken home and used. I sent G with a container of wild rice soup as she was heading to her mom's on Sunday.
  • Two meals ( plus leftover for 2nd night) made this week with freezer finds.
Avoiding Spending/Saving on needs 
  • Thrifted a couple pieces of clothing...not necessities, but both ( not Mickey specific) a chambry shirt as a light weight cover up and draw string cotton pants were on my look list.
  • As we brought mostly food, our only eating out the three days was a happy hour while exploring boutiques and thrift stores.
  • Leveraged and layered promos for two birthday presents for SIL's and my daughter, plus a Christmas or birthday present for my son.
  • Received both flu and Covid booster with no copay and was able to time with my quarterly blood draw and avoided an additional trip out of town.
  • Used $5.44 of an old McDonald's gift card for a meal deal for lunch after clinic and before stopping to see MIL. I enjoyed every sip of the Diet Coke!

Opportunities to add Funds/Windfalls 

  • Entered receipts in Fetch.
  • Earned Kohls rewards for pick up order and Kohls cash that will go towards the holidays. I selected a Kohls near the clinic I got shots and blood draw, so didn't go out of my way.
  • Just announced, Social Security payments will go up by 3.6%. I'm hoping to bank any increase as part of continuing my emergency fund balance and tighten my spending to 2026 levels despite everything being more expensive. 

 Non-Thrifty or Frugal

  • Property taxes, necessary, but a big expenses twice a year.
  • $216 out of pocket  cost on oral surgey  consult. Ouch-it was the additional x-ray that pushed the OOP so high as I'd already had my one per year covered x-ray at my regular dentist. The extraction is next Tuesday, but after insurance will be $85 more OOP.

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.

  •  My sister and I  went to see Verity, as we wanted to compare to the book. We went on Tuesday bargain night with free popcorn, so not really much of a splurge but was not a need and definitely optional. As for a review, let's repeat at least it was Tuesday bargain night.

  Daily Dinner Diary (Friday 10/9 to Thursday, 10/15). 

Fri -  Wild rice soup, fruit, cheese, artisan bread

Sat- Sandwiches and butternut squash soup

Sun- Leftover sausage gnocchi my friend left for me from Fridays lunch. Here's her recipe and it definitely made more than 6 servings, and was more hot dish than soup it was so rich and thick. Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup recipe

Mon- Shell pasta with homemade sauce from freezer made with random tomatoes, steamed zucchini from daughter's garden

Tues-  Marinated chicken thigh in a wrap. My son came over after a work job, ate dinner with me before I went to a movie and he took his cats home. I sent him home with the leftovers, plus some of the too many bananas I bought for the weekend. He may have raided my freezer for some chicken wings ( which  I grab for him from butcher counter when on sale) and a TJ pilak paneer as he hasn't had a chance to grocery shop after being gone through Saturday, then working and catching up on sleep after wonky travel. 

Weds- Pepper and sausage sauce from freezer with elbow macaroni and topped with mozzarella 

Thur-  Repeat of Wednesday

Leftovers/ Added to Freezer:

  • Last two portions of wild rice soup which I plan to pass on to my youngest (her favorite).
      I won't need to eat nothing but beans and rice,  but can't help feeling some austerity measures are in order the next few weeks and months. I'll need to  make some soups and stock up on yogurt, cottage cheese, and other soft foods as I was told being over age 25, the healing for wisdom teeth is a few weeks longer and may experience nerve numbness that could last weeks. I've woke up with a headache and sniffles, plus outside it's cold and rainy so I'm not visiting MIL just in case more than allergies. I need a full day home. How was your week?

   

          

Comments

  1. AprilOctober 16, 2026 at 6:47 AM

    TAKE that full day home!!! Especially with sniffles and a headache! This household is running on high overload right now--most of it unavoidable (and a chunk of it not our doing), and I keep looking for ways to add slivers of margin into my day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SAMOctober 17, 2026 at 8:03 PM

      I did and it made all the difference as today I was feeling pretty good. Im so sorry your days have been so much.

      Delete
  2. JuhliOctober 16, 2026 at 8:23 AM

    Ouch to the wisdom tooth extraction! Hope it goes well and you heal quickly.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ScarletOctober 16, 2026 at 10:46 AM

    Wishing you well with the oral surgery. I hope things go smoothly xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SAMOctober 17, 2026 at 8:03 PM

      Thank yiu...nothing compared to what you've dealt with.

      Delete
  4. CelieOctober 16, 2026 at 1:56 PM

    Yes, spend a full day at home! Rest and recuperation is a necessity every now and then.

    ReplyDelete
  5. JackieOctober 16, 2026 at 6:16 PM

    Spent as much time as possible trying to get the garden in. I still have more pumpkins and tomatoes to process. But they will definitely be finished over the next week. We will attend the walk-in-clinic for our covid and flu shots next week.
    You are doing well with your finances girl.
    Have a full day at home, you don't want to give your MIL a cold or flu.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SAMOctober 17, 2026 at 8:05 PM

      I think 1/ 2 my aches and sluggushness was residual vaccine side effects the ither 1/2 seasonal allergies. Good luck with yours.

      Delete
  6. Anne in the kitchenOctober 16, 2026 at 11:44 PM

    Take the time required to feel better. Also take care of yourself when you have your wisdom teeth out. I think I am glad mine were growing into my jaw bone when I was a teenager. It was over and done with fairly quickly, except for about 5 days of intense swelling and bruising where they had to rout them out of the bone
    I suggest ice cream and pudding as comforting foods.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SAMOctober 17, 2026 at 8:06 PM

      My children were all college ir highschool. Its never been an issue 7ntil after I missed a cleaning post knee surgery. I like a good pudding.

      Delete
  7. GinaOctober 17, 2026 at 12:05 PM

    A fun time out for a movie with sister sounds like a great expenditure of time and $!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SAMOctober 17, 2026 at 8:07 PM

      We talked, well dissected it on the drive home. Book was better.

      Delete
  8. AnonymousOctober 17, 2026 at 7:11 PM

    Since my stove and oven is kaput, I have been making a lot of crockpot meals on weekends. Dolly
    Parton’s Stampede soup was last weekend. Cindy in the South

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SAMOctober 17, 2026 at 8:07 PM

      I'm intrigued. I bet its pure Dolly comfort food.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousOctober 18, 2026 at 10:21 AM

      Yes, it was so easy as is her five ingredient chicken casserole! I modified the soup for the crockpot and it was a stick of butter, chicken broth, two cans of mixed vegetables but I left the juice in, bunch of spices like garlic, onion powder ,a little flour, and supposed to use heavy cream but I used a can of evaporated milk mixed with chicken bullion broth. Cooked in crockpot, I did high because I didn’t want to wait all day,,, lol.Cindy in the South

      Delete
    3. SAMOctober 18, 2026 at 10:49 AM

      I might give this a try this week as I need soft/ liquid foods for a few days to weeks.

      Delete
  9. Ur-spoOctober 18, 2026 at 7:02 PM

    one could do worse with beans and rice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SAMOctober 19, 2026 at 10:25 AM

      I love a good bean and rice dish, but not daily. I realize this is a healthy staple in many parts of the world...my privilege of variety shows.

      Delete
  10. jjOctober 19, 2026 at 9:37 AM

    Wisdom tooth removal can be tough, I hope the healing is not too bad. I did mine in my early 20s and tried to eat popcorn chicken the same week, LOL - don't recommend. I am trying to stop wasting food, newly into a relationship and it's been tricky!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SAMOctober 19, 2026 at 10:27 AM

      Ive got two kinds of soup ready to go and will stick up on cottage cheese, fruit to whip into a smoothie, and yogurt. All my kids had there's done in highschool or college abd did really well. This is just one tooth abd I won't even be put under, just novacane.

      Delete

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