Category Archives: budgeting

Five on Friday

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cancer, frugalism, Gratitude, Uncategorized, velcade by

I slept ok last night, but at least it wasn’t the Dex sleep, which is where I sweat. Also, I don’t have the super red Dex face. Plus, I feel fairly normal. So the big question will be how my numbers will respond. 🙁

I have to drop off a return to the post office. It was a pair of sandals I thought my feet would like. No, they didn’t. I have terrible feet in that I have a high arch and need extra support. I guess I’ll just keep to Birkenstocks.

Sunday time changes, and the evenings will be nice, but mornings will be darker at 6:30am. That’s ok for now. I do just wish they would pass legislation to end daylight savings.

I plan on meeting up with my library friends for a quick coffee. I don’t want to be there too long, as there are some things I want to get done around the house. My one friend is going in for breast cancer surgery next week, so I want to say hi. Fortunately, it’s a lumpectomy and not radical. I think it’s been a bit of a shock as she is over 80, and honestly, you’d think by then nothing like this would happen.

Our warmer weather is back starting today. All next week it looks to be in the 70’s, so very nice. I may get out webi the BBQ and do something.

I’ve been having fun getting my orchids to rebloom. I usually toss them after they dry up or look awful, but this time I watched some YouTube channels on getting them to rebloom. I ordered some orchid mix to try and repot them, too. I have a few buds on some, so I’ll be excited if it actually works.

I guess that’s six!

Thankful Thursday

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cancer, cash envelopes, home stuff, velcade by

I’m thankful my shot went quickly and easily. I was out of there by 8:50. I was joking with the nurses about not having to take Dex. It is going to be interesting to see how I feel without it and then how my numbers react. I’ll be prepared that they might go up without the Dex.

I went to Costco and got a few things, and then cashed out the rest of my rewards money. Not a lot, but it’s nice to have cash in my wallet. I really like using the Costco credit card and getting this cash reward.

I’m pretty thankful I was able to figure out the whole insurance thing on the Triumph. Since I’m not ready to sell, I still need it covered for theft or fire, and Geico was cancelling my insurance due to the fact that I’m not a rider. So I asked AI Gemini, and I got good advice to check with Progressive, and sure enough, they were able to write me a policy as a non-rider. Even better, it was only 75 dollars for the whole year. Of course, that’s because I’m not a rider, so if my son decides to take the motorcycle class and I put him on, it’ll be way higher. But first things first.

I’m thankful it’s sunny out, even if it is cold. There is a brisk wind, so it’s making it feel colder.

A few odds and ends

Posted in books, budgeting, budgets, California, camping, cash envelopes, home stuff, Uncategorized by

Yesterday, I went to the gym and the library. I got a couple of books to read. I haven’t started them yet, so I can’t say yet, but I’ll give them a try. Then I went over to Winco and did a small shop. I wanted some navy beans and molasses to make some Maine Beans from a cookbook I have. I also got some salad mix and a few other salad things.

Then I came straight home. Today, I’m staying home since tomorrow I need to go to Roseville for infusion. I want to wash the cat blankets and do a few odds and ends of tidying. Plus, I need to mop the floors. I’ve been using the iRobot vacuum almost daily, and it does a great job. But I still need to mop. So that’s on the agenda.

Tomorrow, after infusion, I plan to go to Costco, mostly to get a few things but to cash my rewards. It’s not a lot, but it’s something, and then I don’t need to go get extra cash. I still need to fill some envelopes, but I generally don’t have too much extra to do that. Some envelopes are more important than others, such as fun vs auto maintenance. So I’ll keep adding what I can to the important ones.

I had a nice visit with my son yesterday as he came up after work. He has a regional meeting in Chico today and tomorrow, so he’ll be gone. He expressed some interest in taking the motorcycle class at Sierra College, and then he could use the Triumph. In reality, he could just have it, and I’d sign it over. Although the insurance would probably be higher. So it’s something to consider. Although I’d worry about accidents because with motorcycles, 99% of the time, it is other drivers.

We did chat about the whole camping thing. He doesn’t see the van idea working, and probably he’s right. I think after my daughter and I go down to Santa Cruz at the end of the month and I get to go to New Brighton Beach, I’ll be able to judge whether hotels may be what I do 3-4 times a year. I would like to plan some longer trips that Barclay and I never got to, and one was going over to the Oregon coast. So if we do hotels, in a way that would be easier than trailering. I guess I still miss the whole experience of sleeping in my own bed, cooking my own food, etc. Plus, waking up at a campground is very different than waking up in a hotel. Adjustments, changes, and being open are probably what I need to focus on.

Frugal Friday

Posted in bread, budgeting, budgets, California, cooking, frugalism by

This month has been good for the budget. My grocery bill came in at a little over $300, so using stuff from the freezer/pantry did pay off.

My daughter and I got sandwiches at Sourdough and Co. They were ok but pricey. I think 12.99 for a sandwich is a lot. But I had been wanting to try them for a while, so I’m glad we did, and I doubt I’d do it again. I’m trying to do/go to some places that I said I wanted to when B was alive and never did. Next, we’re planning on going to a fancier Asian place called Fats. It’s quite a beautiful restaurant, and the food is outstanding and not inexpensive. We’ll have lunch sometime soon. It’s down in Roseville, so I’ll need to plan that.

The only shopping I did was at Winco for a few things, and that came in at $80. I also bought a photo album from Amazon, but I am returning it as it smells terrible. I’m not sure if it was the leather or what, but it gave both of us headaches. I plan to do that today and then check the Goodwill for a photo album.

I might pop into Bath and Body Works, which is a recent store in Auburn, for a candle. Most of their stuff is too perfumy for me, but I did get one I like that was a ginger/orange.

Other than that, another beautiful day here. I have a few house chores to do and then just hang out on the patio. I plan to start a sourdough loaf, and this time I’ll try kalamata olives. The last one, which was rosemary Meyer lemon, was delicious.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, Gratitude, Political things by

The sun is back and our temperatures are going to be almost perfect at 70 degrees.

I love this spring weather!! and am so thankful to live in California.

The pool was very busy, but I’m thankful I waited to share a lane. The Coast Guard was there, and they were using 4 lanes. Regulars were not happy about that. I only had to wait about 10 minutes, so not too bad.

I’m thankful for coffee in the morning and that the daybreak is much earlier, like at 6:20 or so. I have chicken DNA, so probably I’ll be getting up earlier as the sunrise gets earlier. 🙂

I’m thankful for all the nice comments I get from people who read my blog. It feels like we’re good friends even though we haven’t met in person.

I’m going to tidy up some and then go sit outside.

Oh, I’m very thankful I didn’t torment myself by listening/watching tRump go on for one hour and 47 minutes and tell lie after lie. I swear he needs to be put away somewhere.

Midweek Musings

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cooking, home stuff, meal planning by

We’ve had rain, but it’s more of a spring rain with temperatures in the mid-fifties. So kind of nice, really. I even saw a temperature of 70 for later this week. I’ll take it!!!

It’s supposed to rain off and on today, so I’ll see what I get up to. Yesterday was nice. I went to the Mahany gym, library, Costco gas, and Winco. When I got home, I started a split pea soup even though that wasn’t on my menu plan, but I felt like having soup. I added a few shreds of ham I had frozen, so it had a smoky flavor. It was good. I used up the split peas I had and that bit of ham, so I felt good about that.

Tonight I’m planning on the burgers as my daughter is home for dinner. I defrosted some rolls, and I have lettuce and tomato too. I don’t have a side planned but I’ll think of something.

My food budget came in great for February at $300, which is fantastic. Of course, we have been working on eating down the freezer and pantry, so that’s why. I plan on continuing this through March.

I got my ‘rewards’ coupon from my Costco card, so next time I go to Costco, there will be no out-of-pocket money. That’s kind of cool. I might think about whether there’s something special I want to get. I did see lavender plants last time, but those things come and go quickly, and I don’t plan on going to Costco till next week or the week after. They do have lovely orchids, which I’m a sucker for. 🙂

March will have some extra expenses as the VW and the Santa Fe both need smog certificates, so that will cost. Plus, both will need the registrations paid too. I have some $ in an envelope for the smog, but not all of it. Again, I’d like to get back to having fully funded envelopes for this kind of thing, but money is always budgeted and not lots left over. But I will keep trying. Oh, and our property tax needs to get paid. I guess it’s always something, right?

I’ve talked about in the past how I dislike change, right? When I find something that works, I keep it, like pretty much forever. My marriage lasted 55 years because we were a good team, always had fun together, laughed and loved, and were great parents. We’ve lived here almost 31 years, and I love it. After we left our house in Foresthill, which we built, my dream farmhouse, I was devastated that we had to sell because we couldn’t afford the mortgage anymore. So I guess once we moved here, it was like, that’s it for me. Plus, even though the house was pretty crappy, we transformed it into something we love. Barclay did most of that with me on the side, although back then, I did all the painting and yard work.

So, I thought I’d share this picture:

These pot holders were made by my son and me when he was in 4th grade as part of our Waldorf curriculum. Handwork was very encouraged in Waldorf school, and even though we homeschooled, I followed a strict Waldorf curriculum. So, as you can see, I don’t like to change things if they continue to work. For reference, my son is going to be 32 this year!! 🙂

Monday and it’s raining.

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cooking, freezer cooking, home stuff, meal planning by

Menus for the week will mostly be stuff from the freezer/pantry.

Last night I used up the frozen shrimp and sauteed some tilapia. We had a salad pack that was almost past use by date.

For lunch, I had a Souper Cube mac and cheese. That’s used up one more frozen item. My son was still here, so he shared it with me. He brought some chili he had made, so that’s in the freezer now, too.

Monday- I defrosted some chicken, so I plan on using that. I’m not sure what side I’ll have since there’s no salad, maybe potatoes?

Tuesday- I think I’ll have the turkey chili my son brought up with corn muffins.

Wednesday- With all this rain, I think I’ll do a soup of some sort.

Thursday- Breakfast for dinner with bacon, eggs, and hash browns. The hash browns in the freezer need to be used up.

Friday- I may order a pizza, the veggie from Round Table is our favorite.

Things in the freezer that I’d like to use up now through March:

pot stickers

veggie burgers

ravioli

a frozen pizza

????

Today is a home day with all this rain. It’s raining pretty hard out there this morning. I didn’t get to the Goodwill to drop things off, so that’s on hold till there is a non-rainy morning. My son did take a big load to the dump, so he’s really getting things around the barn cleaned up. All this crap around the barn should have been dealt with long ago, but it is what it is, and I’m thankful he’s taken it on. Of course, my daughter does the bulk of the stuff around here as she’s here and he’s not. I’m so lucky to have both of them here to help.

Friday Things

Posted in Blood test, budgeting, budgets, California, cancer, Flylady, Walking by

Since I didn’t walk yesterday, I decided to go out this morning, and I’m so glad I did. It was a nice walk, with no one around except the people who use the community center stairs for a workout. There was a crescent moon, which is my favorite.

Yesterday was a nightmare driving to Sacramento. Apparently, there was a terrible accident, and it was stop-and-go from Roseville all the way down to the I-80 split, which is quite a ways. I barely had time to check in for my appointment. And of course, my blood pressure was high. Even after waiting a bit, it was still higher than my normal. UGH, I guess I’ll talk to my PCP when I see him for my annual wellness appointment. I’ll start tracking again, which I do as a record for him to see.

Dr. Laptalo suggested I go off DEX because it could be contributing to weight gain. It could be, but I think I’m just not as active as I was with both knees having torn meniscus and my left a torn ACL. I forgot to mention any of that, but going off DEX will certainly be nice. I guess I’ll just have to take my chances with my numbers going up. Most people on maintenance don’t do dex, so that’s a positive.

After the doctor’s appointment, I went to Costco. For a moment, I thought of skipping it as I was pretty stressed out, but then I thought, no, it’ll be good to get that done, and walking around Costco would help. It did help to calm me down. So I picked up the non-food stuff, including TP, allergy pills, dishwasher pods, Lysol wipes, and a few other things. Most of that was on a coupon, so that was nice. Food-wise, I bought coffee, eggs, and their new Hawaiian ready meal. We had some for dinner, and it was tasty, but I don’t think I’d get it again. It’s a large serving, and there’s quite a bit left over, so I’m not sure how well that will freeze.

Today, I plan on cleaning the kitchen and doing my Flylady stuff there. That includes wiping all the shelves and the stove hood. Plus, using the stainless steel wipes on the appliances.

We’re heading into rain on Sunday, and the temperatures are going to get cold. We still need rain, and the ski areas really do need snow, so it’s ok. If it’s too awful out, I won’t go anywhere.

What frugal things have you done lately?

Thankful Thursday

Posted in Blood test, budgeting, budgets, California, cancer, Gratitude by

I am so thankful that there is more sunlight everyday and it makes me happy. This morning it was light at 6:20 and then sunrise was 6:58 so that is quite wonderful. Sunset is 5:38 pm so again it’s so nice to have evenings light again.

I didn’t walk this morning as I have to get ready to leave for Sacramento soon. After my doctor visit, I plan to go to Costco. I’m appreciative that the new Costco is closer to home. I mostly need coffee and a bunch of non-food things, but I’m sure other things will jump in the cart.

I am very thankful my kappa light chains only went up 1 point. So now I’m sitting at 26.3. So that’s 7 points above high normal. So I feel comfortable with those numbers, and there was no big spike.

I’m grateful that the Imodium I’ve been taking (half a pill) is totally working on bowel issues. Dr. L suggested I try that instead of a prescription for the bile malabsorption medication. So that’s very positive for me. Bile malabsorption usually occurs with some chemotherapies, and I do believe that my spat with it was a recurrence of that. So I feel very thankful that it seems to be under control.

I’m thankful we did not owe any taxes. Of course, we didn’t have anything taken out because it’s SS.

It’s a little hard to see, but that’s the flowering cherry tree with some pops of pink. In the background, you can see the ‘new’ neighbor’s garage and see that brown dirt to the right? He has had many loads of dirt brought in to fill in the gully and make a more level space. I am not too thrilled at him changing the whole hillside’s natural inclination, but it’s his property. He did put in a huge drainage pipe for runoff, but still 🙁 City people trying to live in the country??

Monday menus, And Simple sunday late.

Posted in Blood test, bread, budgeting, budgets, California, cancer, cooking, home improvement, home stuff, library, meal planning, Walking by

The day got away from me yesterday. I was doing some house chores, baking a sourdough loaf( jalapeno cheddar), and sitting in the sun. It was a very nice day.

I had a nice walk in the morning. Sunrise is now 7am, so I’ve been getting to the park at 6:30. Since sunrise is going to keep getting earlier, I’ll have to decide what my cutoff is for getting out. In the past I’d jump out at 5:30 am but I’m feeling too old for that.

Last night we had a frozen pizza and watched some more of Stranger Things. This season(4) is really intense, and the episodes are quite long. Still it’s keeping my interest.

Tonight, I might make a chicken tortilla soup as I made broth the other day. I also have chips I can use on top along with avocado.

Tuesday- this is my daughter’s later night at work, so usually I do something easy. I might do a grilled cheese. I also have leftover curry from the other night, I froze.

Wednesday- I need to look in the freezer and check what should be used. I know some pot stickers could be used with rice. I also have some tilapia I can grill up.

Thursday- Spaghetti and meatballs,salad

Friday- I might get takeout, tacos?

Saturday- Something from the freezer. I think I have some other soups frozen, so I’ll go check that out, plus I have lots of Souper cubes frozen of beans, chili, etc.

My son was here on Saturday and built the railing for the stairs off the sunporch. He’s been working on making sure I have handrails and grab bars for safety. It looks good. I just need to have him buy a piece of lattice to make it more attractive, and I can plant a vine of some sort to make it even nicer.

I went to Ace and had them match the house trim paint as the one I had saved must have deteriorated, as the color was definitely off. I haven’t opened it yet to see, but from the color on the top, it looks like a match. It looks like we have rain coming in so painting will have to wait anyway.

I have my labs this morning, and then it’ll be too late to get to the pool, so I plan on going to the gym and then the library. I have a few books to drop off and a hold to pick up.

I also see Dr. L this week, so that will change my routine as to the pool. I think I’ll plan Costco after I see him on Thursday. As usual, it’s coffee that I’ll need, plus some non-food things like toilet paper, paper towels, etc. I might pick up a ready-made meal there.

Here’s the jalapeno loaf. It looks good. I haven’t cut it yet, but I will slice it up this morning.

I finished the taxes, and it all looked good, and we didn’t owe, so that’s a win.