tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68248095776535874542024-03-14T01:29:33.786-04:00A Life Beyond MoneySkeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.comBlogger276125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-19406114049397510232018-10-25T14:38:00.000-04:002018-10-25T14:38:43.320-04:00This Week...Beyond Money Summer Edition<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>This summer has been insane. Weddings, babies, working with Clarisse, and a 75-hour workweek (including commute) has kept me quite busy. Here is what we have been up to for the last few months.</i><br />
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<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* We got lots of hot peppers and basil, some carrots and oregano. Not much else. I plan to start up microgreens for the season soon.<br />
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<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7R8RcYugHxOn-c7MRnfqUG3Y7mrQ64PsVytFQ0svrwocOWXL0JTby9ns4l7cI4GcuQnVtEJJ_shnhFb2z42_nnl07cYGBfAgIAPhQD5XHjRKciyTD42WlD9f0HeS_z-jE2qzPqVWhOU/s1600/20180930_180741%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7R8RcYugHxOn-c7MRnfqUG3Y7mrQ64PsVytFQ0svrwocOWXL0JTby9ns4l7cI4GcuQnVtEJJ_shnhFb2z42_nnl07cYGBfAgIAPhQD5XHjRKciyTD42WlD9f0HeS_z-jE2qzPqVWhOU/s320/20180930_180741%25280%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Muddy paws = happy pup</td></tr>
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* The Kroger near my job has fantastic manager's specials when I get out of work at 2 AM. One frequent find is stir-fry kits with fresh veg mix and sauce packet for $.50-2. We use those a lot for quick and healthy meals. It isn't perfect, but I don't have time for perfection anymore. We serve these with meat from the freezer (cooked and frozen in meal-sized portions) over rice or pasta. Once you add the starch, there isn't enough sauce, so we use the sauce from 2 kits, then save those veggies to add to soup or to saute in butter as a side dish for another meal. One kit, rice and meat is enough for 5 meals.<br />
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<b>Fun:</b><br />
* Given my work load, I have started prioritizing fun over being strict about frugality or duties. This job is a good thing in the long term, but the first two years will be brutal (I'm 14 months in so I'm getting there). I'm giving myself permission to do "not perfect, but good enough". One consideration is fun. All of the frugal things I enjoy doing happen while I am at work. It got really depressing to only work and do things around the house. Now I let myself spend more than I used to allow because I have to have some kind of pleasure to keep going. It isn't frugal to neglect self-care for 6 more months or so and have to leave a job that will give us incredible security. Also, since we are only going out once a week instead of a few times, even if I spend twice as much, we are coming out ahead.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTO0HyYFg1kxceBRTJA3BDyEEjD5ANbi-gy_ULmGV4Y5qiSCJqbTl9jjOmssB3l-cs0ThQk_MT3mPcDfZ4ws2OUozlFr15uRvTro4RYDmMbXN1RySaNK0bSwX_3XOCiGxhFIoUXuOAmwM/s1600/20181014_152358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTO0HyYFg1kxceBRTJA3BDyEEjD5ANbi-gy_ULmGV4Y5qiSCJqbTl9jjOmssB3l-cs0ThQk_MT3mPcDfZ4ws2OUozlFr15uRvTro4RYDmMbXN1RySaNK0bSwX_3XOCiGxhFIoUXuOAmwM/s320/20181014_152358.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Running...</td></tr>
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* We went to the symphony for opening weekend. We got bad seats, so after fees it was only $30 total. They played music from Fantasia as well as music of Strauss, Bach and Wagner. The crowd had young people scattered throughout and I was overcome thinking of how the CSO makes music so accessible to all ages and expertise levels and how future musicians and aficionados were in the crowd that night. Totally worth the $30.<br />
* We also took Clarisse to hear the symphony orchestra at the botanic gardens. They had a free outdoor performance. It was a magical night. She was incredibly happy listening to the music, cuddling with us and smelling the BBQ food truck.<br />
* We went to an opening reception at a local gallery. I can't go to the gallery hops anymore since I am working Saturdays now, but this was on a Sunday afternoon. It was a lovely, if short, excursion.<br />
* We go out to eat every weekend. I don't have the energy to cook the types of meals I enjoy anymore, so getting a really nice meal once a week satiates the foodie in me to survive another week of stir-fry, pasta and sandwiches. We use a coupon from our Entertainment book and drink water, so even after tip we rarely spend over $25.<br />
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<b>Nature:</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YlCzX635VwVP63MUgd8yB6qIZdvr_Up5_I1orGRJSD1tOLVrev2ughz7EmPexMByoSvt5dZDRnsmkHIIONI1y0Y9n-uNCcgohiswJYJGpQ99w08nqm64iMLLNJ6Ldcwyb9QkTod73ek/s1600/20181020_101835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YlCzX635VwVP63MUgd8yB6qIZdvr_Up5_I1orGRJSD1tOLVrev2ughz7EmPexMByoSvt5dZDRnsmkHIIONI1y0Y9n-uNCcgohiswJYJGpQ99w08nqm64iMLLNJ6Ldcwyb9QkTod73ek/s320/20181020_101835.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Always running</td></tr>
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* We have loved hitting the parks with the dog. We try to go out for an hour or two before work at least once and once or twice on the weekends.<br />
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<b>House and Home:</b><br />
* Trucker and my dad have started working on the house. We are insisting on paying Dad for his time as he is semi-retired/started a lawn-care and handy-man service and we are no longer in a position to not be able to pay him. He came over and they redid some plumbing, replaced a door frame and filed down a floor that was scraping on the raised tile flooring. Dad is getting a wage, Trucker is learning new skills and I am getting the house redone without having to hire someone at $200/hr or without spending any of my limited time.<br />
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<b>Fur Babies:</b><br />
* Trucker bought a long-tailed lizard. He has wanted one for a long time, but the cost of setup was prohibitive. He did a lot of research and started checking out yard sales. When we were at the World's Longest Yard Sales, he found a whole setup including tank, rocks, stands, feeder, water bowls and fake plants for $10 (there was a lot of other stuff too). It was the end of the last day so he asked if they would take $5 and they said yes! He had to buy a lamp and bulb ($18 and $7), substrate ($4 for a decent sized bag), crickets and the lizard herself ($7).<i> Side note: I am just reporting what I've picked up and I'm sure I've missed some aspects of lizard keeping. I don't know a lot about reptiles, but he has thoroughly researched everything. </i>Given that I brought in all of our other babies, I wanted him to be able to have a pet of his own. I vetoed a rat or snake, but otherwise wanted him to get whatever he wanted.<br />
* Clarisse is amazing. She has increased in weight from 9 lb 5 oz when we got her to 10 lb 14 oz of solid muscle. She has an endurance in running that one would never guess from such a small dog, especially one without vision. She is healthy and happy.<br />
* We have been going to a monthly poodle party (honorary poodle siblings are allowed) and she has made some good friends. She ran around the entire time with a giant smile on her face. I have never seen her as happy. She likes being around dogs, but until yesterday had no clue about playing with them and just stood around wagging her tail. Yesterday a mini poodle puppy wanted Clarisse to chase her. At first, Clarisse didn't understand her barks and jumps, but then she got it and started chasing! She was terrible at it but was trying! It was so encouraging.<br />
* We bought a bed for Raycat at Menards. After rebate it was $2. It is a cave-like bed with a fuzzy interior and she loves it.<br />
* The cat is starting to like the dog a little. They nap near each other and sometimes Ray will even hop on my lap when I'm holding the dog. She won't lay down with the dog, but I think is testing the waters. Fortunately, Clarisse is chill as can be, so she is proving to Ray that she is safe.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJk9O2PezQuuCCvtymaoQO8HXd3lnQZxEKkIjacNuf0l48-ISGXL6BbEO71N8i71CshQsRp6KCnTxgTx_K_kqy_jbRBS4I1pLpoKzowVCpqaBz94Q2gs5yjkUpdAhk_8_bOzujwx_XKmQ/s1600/20181020_111443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJk9O2PezQuuCCvtymaoQO8HXd3lnQZxEKkIjacNuf0l48-ISGXL6BbEO71N8i71CshQsRp6KCnTxgTx_K_kqy_jbRBS4I1pLpoKzowVCpqaBz94Q2gs5yjkUpdAhk_8_bOzujwx_XKmQ/s320/20181020_111443.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>Work:</b><br />
* I work. A lot. 12-13 hr days, 6 days a week (most weeks), including commute. I went through a very difficult time, but am doing better. For the first two years, I don't get very many call-in days, and with my long commute, the chance of issues is high. It is quite stressful. However, the pay is decent now and will be good in a couple years. The benefits are amazing, so it is worth sticking out for the time being. I still hope to retire early, but we will see what life holds.<br />
* Next month I get a 4-day weekend. I can't wait.<br />
<br />
<b>Future:</b><br />
* We made paw balm and are in trials now. Once we get feedback, we are going to do a soft launch of our paw and nose balms and then over my holiday shutdown will work on other products to increase our offerings.<br />
<br />
<b>Health:</b><br />
* We finally got in to a dentist. It had been far too long since we had had dental care, so some work needs to be done. However, it wasn't as bad as I expected. I paid extra to get the nicer dental insurance through my job. I pay an extra $60/year total for the two of us (Basic plan is free through the job), but it saves us from each having a $25 deductible and gets us $2000 in benefits instead of $1500 each. I maxed out my benefit for the year and Trucker's benefit has already exceeded $1000. So that extra premier has already saved us about $750.<br />
<br />
<b>Community:</b><br />
* We participated in a 5k Walk/Run to support a local dog rescue that works with blind and deaf dogs, mainly puppy mill rescues. The event was free with donations. We donated dog food and some types of toys Clarisse didn't dig. When we decided to get her, we bought a ton of stuff, but it turns out she doesn't like squeak toys (she is terrified of them), doesn't like "scented" toys (She would much rather chew on a trachea) and only likes a few stuffed animals. I left the opened toys in the toy chest just in case she changes her mind with time, but the rest went to the rescues. Given that she was one of the lucky ones, we wanted to give back to help other dogs like her find homes like ours.<br />
<br />
How was your week?<br />
<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBsTd9d3J_w7yYKnNeipPvy9PXKhi8erHQofIJ2QeYQf9501tRx7foIMn4PEhRwwgrpE-2Ik2E53p8LrJ-8FwNN_yQc6jhE2nrct5rmUqguu1wErFjri6ejBZDgwkinl1FcMSYYwHcH8/s1600/20181014_160110%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBsTd9d3J_w7yYKnNeipPvy9PXKhi8erHQofIJ2QeYQf9501tRx7foIMn4PEhRwwgrpE-2Ik2E53p8LrJ-8FwNN_yQc6jhE2nrct5rmUqguu1wErFjri6ejBZDgwkinl1FcMSYYwHcH8/s320/20181014_160110%25280%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Always stop to smell the flowers</td></tr>
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Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-40640455437522878882018-10-25T14:26:00.000-04:002018-10-25T14:26:09.500-04:00This Week...Beyond Money 6/4 - 6/29<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYipXYdr-CCHc_0D3TWVRecNm6BtqMRnoqh0sq3j3BILqL-TLJIvDAjGlVKczSio7KF_peQUo6vkzqOMcjpBUVZn6W2whxWCCw8Bkdg5HOY4wZHDDL9FH6PBynD7eOUuVlcGoHBjJgsw/s1600/20180623_153749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYipXYdr-CCHc_0D3TWVRecNm6BtqMRnoqh0sq3j3BILqL-TLJIvDAjGlVKczSio7KF_peQUo6vkzqOMcjpBUVZn6W2whxWCCw8Bkdg5HOY4wZHDDL9FH6PBynD7eOUuVlcGoHBjJgsw/s320/20180623_153749.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Note: I wrote this blog post and then entered an insanely busy period. I meant to come back, add photos and publish, but forgot. Oops.</i><br />
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<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* Trucker is amazing and one morning before I woke up, he bundled up, went outside and pulled up a bunch of poison ivy. I am doing my best to get it under control, but with how badly I react, it is hard. So thankful for a partner who will do that for me.<br />
* I went out a couple weeks later and sprayed more than had sprouted up. However, some previously very established plots were looking pretty weak. Here's hoping that we are on the right side of this invasion. I am pretty sure that should we ever experience nuclear war, cockroaches and poison ivy will be the lone survivors.<br />
* I harvested some peppers from the garden.<br />
* Whatever ate my tomato plants is coming for my peppers now. The horror!<br />
* I harvested herbs to use fresh in cooking. I may soon have enough to dehydrate some.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIRtPSqBi-Ijuz2LolWiiNji2JcCbZvIimcVMiaJ8gVSc5hrTKTOiVojTdb5VLhaSJCEgduU1UxuUqjfj5FHpWY0H-RR2EtSPJ-dYb_iOhwOr5Mmm0D4qbOU5f4-vnX_X2CM9mjDRARc/s1600/20180801_135024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIRtPSqBi-Ijuz2LolWiiNji2JcCbZvIimcVMiaJ8gVSc5hrTKTOiVojTdb5VLhaSJCEgduU1UxuUqjfj5FHpWY0H-RR2EtSPJ-dYb_iOhwOr5Mmm0D4qbOU5f4-vnX_X2CM9mjDRARc/s320/20180801_135024.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Clarisse enjoys the smells at her favorite park</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* I made a big batch of taco soup using the homemade stock made from the turkey carcass. It was a little on the thin side so I added TVP and dehydrated peppers to soak up some of the liquid.<br />
* We had baked potatoes one evening, with all the trimmings.<br />
* We had lobster cakes one day. I got them for $3 for 4 on manager's special at Kroger.<br />
* We snacked on popcorn a lot.<br />
<br />
<b>Food Preservation:</b><br />
* I froze some more meat leftover from other meals for the future.<br />
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<b>Fun:</b><br />
* We went to an arts festival with a friend from work.<br />
* We enjoyed the farm bureau breakfast. It is one of my favorite events of the year. The bureau puts on a breakfast with a made-to-order omelet, sausage, biscuits, orange juice, milk and coffee. Afterwards, we explored the displays and exhibits. Everyone is there, from the beekeepers association, to the pork association, to the extension office. There is information about getting free rain barrels and composters and one community garden booth gave out free seeds (I got turnip, watermelon radish and pepper seeds). We ended the morning with a tractor trailer ride around the Beck's trial fields. It was very informative and fun.<br />
* Trucker bought concert tickets to my favorite musician for our anniversary. We try to see him perform at least once a year, but since going to second shift, I haven't been able to see him (he always comes to one club on Wednesday nights, so it would require burning a vacation day that I'm borrowing from next year). Well, he came to a little venue out in the country on a Sunday night, so we were able to go. It was a magical evening.<br />
* We went out to a movie we were really excited about. Since we got in before 1 PM, it was only $5 each.<br />
<br />
<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* We took Trucker's car to my cousin (who has started working on cars again). He did the bearings and rotors in the back, fixed the door lock in both back doors and replaced a door handle on one, fixed the headlights that were pointed off, and fixed a leaky sunroof (as well as a few other small fixes that I don't remember since it was Trucker's car) for $350. We gave him a nice tip and are super thankful for his help.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_eJxyXUS00zlblF70Crw_WLabhBq8Qq18AbZMJuVStiV0ieQnojbnkfMH5ESzmERPhLIl9MBh7wdml1TWOJj2Usi3MmiqQS3MolIGVVnDF5au-a1KWxICJR_LQewy1tHA6KxH3L6KEY/s1600/20180728_124640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_eJxyXUS00zlblF70Crw_WLabhBq8Qq18AbZMJuVStiV0ieQnojbnkfMH5ESzmERPhLIl9MBh7wdml1TWOJj2Usi3MmiqQS3MolIGVVnDF5au-a1KWxICJR_LQewy1tHA6KxH3L6KEY/s320/20180728_124640.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>Fur Babies:</b><br />
* We took Clarisse with us on an overnight trip when Trucker had filming. She and I enjoyed a day of hiking and stopping off at DQ for a slushie (for me, she just enjoyed the treats I'd brought). It is astonishing how well she adjusts to everything life throws at her. Within a half hour she had mapped the hotel room and was good to go. We returned to a park I'd taken her to a couple months before when we went with Trucker for filming. She returned to each place she had stopped and/or peed at the previous visit. It is amazing, but also disgusting. Does everything stink of urine forever and our noses just aren't keen enough to tell?<br />
* Raycat has lost some weight since we got the dog. She had previously been a little chunky, so she is still in a healthy range, albeit on the lower side of healthy. I have been giving her treats a bit more frequently, usually while petting her hoping she will stop thinking of me as a traitor. I am rearranging the kitchen to find a place to put the cat food higher so the dog stops eating it. Ray likes to nibble and return, but that doesn't work with the little curly thief in the house.<br />
* I make Clarisse a slushie every other day. I thaw several ice cubes of homemade bone broth for 30 seconds in the microwave until it is only half melted. I mash the rest up with a fork. She loves it. I offer some to Raycat, but she doesn't care for it. This is practically free and full of nutrients.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznZg1a0bpVZQ-wmVelP1779R9Vw3t3Npg9fwP83X9r4kcv8pa6BeMraMm3Ko4UiG7VoKlKJNk30V5srChzmcuiFebddZhBPJEDkVM8voAPIPs9Mvm09DJ6e6I6ErYQWPRJ6Y3pE1YeJM/s1600/20180623_153234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznZg1a0bpVZQ-wmVelP1779R9Vw3t3Npg9fwP83X9r4kcv8pa6BeMraMm3Ko4UiG7VoKlKJNk30V5srChzmcuiFebddZhBPJEDkVM8voAPIPs9Mvm09DJ6e6I6ErYQWPRJ6Y3pE1YeJM/s320/20180623_153234.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>Work:</b><br />
* I am working the normal schedule again (12 hour days including commute...yay). We have a break coming up for a couple weeks, then I'll likely be working even more. It's worth it, even if it isn't easy every day. Thankfully I have a great team that I get along with, including on particularly lovely person that I consider a friend.<br />
<br />
<b>Future:</b><br />
* We have started a Zazzle store to add an income stream. I doubt it will bring in much money, but we definitely want to diversify as much as possible.<br />
* Trucker finished filming on his TV show. It is super exciting to see him tackle new challenges and see how far he can take this.<br />
<br />
<b>Health:</b><br />
* My blood pressure in fantastic and my heart rate is starting to slow.<br />
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<b>Community:</b><br />
* I went to my cousin's and my sister's baby showers. I gave my sister a ton of stuff before the shower that I bought at thrift stores: clothes, socks, blankets, burp clothes, and new bottles/nipples in the packaging. At the shower, I gave her a bath set (lotion, shampoo, etc) and a towel set (towels and washcloths). For my cousin, I gave her pacifier set, bibs, socks and a vintage pin in an elephant theme since that is how she is decorating the room.<br />
* For my dad's birthday and father's day, we bought him some new clothes. Being extremely frugal, he tends to not buy new clothes until he has to. As it was, he had one outfit that was nice enough to wear out other than church wear. We got his sizes, then hit the thrift store. We found lots of nice items and narrowed it down first by what we thought he would like best, second by what I thought was the nicest (I have better fashion sense than him) and finally by sales tag color to maximize the number of items we could get. We got him 6 polos, 3 button ups and a pair of really nice like-new jeans for $25.<br />
* My dad had a near death experience (the 4th in as many months since retiring).<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIbXtcuoDfouOoLIVpOyYYR6mokUe7gnQ2ZiRd4Nri5eZHR557NxDrII1h7k32fIKaeBMwYUu3lZcFQ5ty2fDzCtFa56nI0TVaHnNjhsi9V3No-ZoFdhunZ1U1c2G3J1byqnJMFx-Iew/s1600/20180623_164709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIbXtcuoDfouOoLIVpOyYYR6mokUe7gnQ2ZiRd4Nri5eZHR557NxDrII1h7k32fIKaeBMwYUu3lZcFQ5ty2fDzCtFa56nI0TVaHnNjhsi9V3No-ZoFdhunZ1U1c2G3J1byqnJMFx-Iew/s320/20180623_164709.jpg" width="240" /></a>* My sister got married to a wonderful guy. I am so happy to see them start their life together. I took her out the day before to get her nails done, helped her move the rest of her stuff into the house and then took her, her BBF and her sis-in-law out for a bachelorette party (Our other two sisters had to work). We went out to Applebees early enough to get the lunch specials-$8 each. Afterwards, we went to Dave & Busters. I had a coupon to get $40 worth of game play for $20. We shared the card and had a lot of fun. Then we went to the church for the rehearsal and back to their house for the rehearsal dinner. Clarisse stayed at their house while we did the party and rehearsal and enjoyed socializing at the dinner. The wedding was beautiful. My mom and her friends did a fantastic job. My job for the day, in addition to being matron of honor, was to keep everyone from being stressed. I got a lot of running in (good thing I decided on the flats instead of the 3-inch heels) taking care of things. Before the wedding, I got the bride and all the bridesmaids taking goofy pictures and laughing. In addition to being effective stress relief, it made for some pictures she will treasure. One of my favorites is of her dancing in her dress minutes before we went upstairs for the wedding. We helped them plan their honeymoon (they are going to the same city we are for vacation, so I knew all of the frugal places to hit). During the speeches, her husband said that Trucker and I meant a lot to them, they love the fun times we all have when they come to the city and that we have shown them what a good couple is. I knew I liked that guy.<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-15427604805573162782018-06-04T12:25:00.000-04:002018-06-04T12:25:11.753-04:00These Months...Beyond Money 3/5 - 6/3<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<i>Hello, all. Sorry for the delay in writing. As you know, we adopted a beautiful little fur-baby and basically all of my time not at work has been spent helping her. It has paid off and she is a happy-go-lucky pup full of excitement and joy. We have had a lot of life changes in the last two months, so I'll just add the highlights.</i><br />
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<i>Notice: To the cat people and other non-dog-fanatics, I apologize if this post is a little too dog-friendly. Her presence is a huge change to our life, so this is what I'm thinking most about these days. I'm sure future posts will be less canine-obsessive.</i><br />
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<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* I bought seedlings at a little road-side stand in the country while on a hiking trip. I paid $.50 each for really nice seedlings that have taken off. I got several types of hybrid and heirloom tomatoes and lots of peppers (lunchbox, California wonder, hungarian hot wax, cayenee, Ghost, Carolina reaper, jalapeno). I've only sparsely planted other things. There is way too much going on to have an intense garden, but I definitely wanted to grow something.<br />
* The farm stand was giving away extra starts. I got 5 sunflowers, 3 cucumbers and about 15 Swiss chard plants.<br />
* I started basil and kale from seed. I picked out some of the bigger basil plants from my microgreens to plant in the garden. I planted radishes and carrots in the garden.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkXcTd-XqebpHS-T8caZ_iM8R2kBofAWmpKKYH0r-IcBVn8R8qXWf6W7ETHi03QN-UzazqKCNJygjAVQCKGHWV6QXDZW6h3IJbWGivQeazWgrhgK6AcPkYVrgj_bF9StY8WfRmPtCQ6k/s1600/20180407_181933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkXcTd-XqebpHS-T8caZ_iM8R2kBofAWmpKKYH0r-IcBVn8R8qXWf6W7ETHi03QN-UzazqKCNJygjAVQCKGHWV6QXDZW6h3IJbWGivQeazWgrhgK6AcPkYVrgj_bF9StY8WfRmPtCQ6k/s320/20180407_181933.jpg" width="240" /></a>* I harvest lots of green onions, thyme (perennial in the garden) and oregano (perennial) a few times a week. I need to get more herbs growing in the garden for future use. This is a game-changer.<br />
* Trucker planted grass in several patchy areas of the yard and it grew in great.<br />
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<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* I have been living off of hummus sandwiches. I have a selection of various jarred veggies (pickled peppers, olives, pepper relish, sun dried tomatoes, chow chow, kraut, tipsy onions, etc) that I put on bread with hummus from the grocer (premade; $2/container on manager's special) and sometimes tzatziki ($1.50/container on manager's special). I do this because I have barely any free time these days. Between when I leave home and return, I am gone 12 hours most days. I don't feel like cooking very often. This is a healthy and affordable fast food.<br />
* I bought a pre-cooked 10 lb turkey for $10 at Kroger on manager's special. We used this for many, many meals, froze some for the future and are set to make stock from the carcass.<br />
* We enjoyed baked potatoes with all the fixins frequently. Super easy and cheap.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELNnNeAV-VwOipY3AhmC8v9xqn3vAweQKlF-c8d1M2GsRWyDBoRDAtfcqYYU8XjwMyJIIVhqcCY-w5WzYoKcxMssO_Ub-vDLxdQDLh3cei2uzAmjtKRrHw05tQ5UpCwKxJiHElE-jHI0/s1600/20180407_185009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELNnNeAV-VwOipY3AhmC8v9xqn3vAweQKlF-c8d1M2GsRWyDBoRDAtfcqYYU8XjwMyJIIVhqcCY-w5WzYoKcxMssO_Ub-vDLxdQDLh3cei2uzAmjtKRrHw05tQ5UpCwKxJiHElE-jHI0/s320/20180407_185009.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>Food Preservation:</b><br />
* We are still occasionally cooking up a big batch of meat (ground beef, chicken, pork shoulder/butt) and freezing everything we don't use for that night's dinner in meal-sized portions for quick heat-and-eat meals. Convenience food doesn't have to be unhealthy or expensive.<br />
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<b>Fun:</b><br />
* Every second with the dog is fun.<br />
* We hit a couple community yard sales. We were very picky about anything we bought.<br />
* We went to a festival near my hometown. There were 1800s camps set up with the "Mountain Men" showing period-authentic skills. We didn't spend a penny but enjoyed a couple hours walking around.<br />
* We went to my parents house for dinner one day. They bought pizza and we brought everything for salad as well a decadent peanut butter pie that we got on manager's special the night before ($10, marked down to $4). Afterwards, I went for a walk with my sister and bro-in-law while everyone else played Frisbee golf.<br />
* We used the library for movies, books, music and audiobooks.<br />
* We went to a couple gallery hop events, including one that we've never been to before.<br />
* We took a free art class at the Urban Arts League. We made 3D knitted pieces. I made a pair of giant sunglasses.<br />
* Trucker went fishing with my dad, bro-in-law and future bro-in-law while the rest of us went to my sister's bridal shower. Clarisse loved hanging out and exploring the area.<br />
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<b>Nature:</b><br />
* Clarisse and I went out for a 9-mile hike in the Appalachian foothills. Trucker had to work that day but I had the day off. We enjoyed all of it: the smells, the sounds of the waterfalls and birds and the feel of the earth beneath our feet. Despite the fact that she couldn't see the views, we were both mesmerized by the beauty around us.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDz_2pbqr9T2ERE7rw6kvDEviA4LRULZ5XVRv0mne65AT11j8X8YpWsCU3EqOu5DCOCXZeSxqcUj7Z3CnneYr_J1Sh5YHtpqiH8ZYVb9_1Gxb-5XrcvcDK84IpZ2-KeP0GLOm1bHuiMc/s1600/20180422_154407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDz_2pbqr9T2ERE7rw6kvDEviA4LRULZ5XVRv0mne65AT11j8X8YpWsCU3EqOu5DCOCXZeSxqcUj7Z3CnneYr_J1Sh5YHtpqiH8ZYVb9_1Gxb-5XrcvcDK84IpZ2-KeP0GLOm1bHuiMc/s320/20180422_154407.jpg" width="240" /></a>* Clarisse has helped me grow to appreciate taking time to enjoy nature. Now that the weather is nice, potty breaks involve less potty and more enjoying being outside. Rather than get frustrated about this, I use this as a reminder to pull up a chair and enjoy the yard. We have so many birds in the area, so there is constant music. Clarisse loves to just lay around and contentedly sniff the air.<br />
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<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* I bought my first brand-new car. I never thought I would, but we had an interesting string of events. My car broke down on the way to work (making me burn vacation time that I had to borrow from next year). I was in the left lane of the interstate during rush hour. My insurance labelled me as low-priority, so I was left sitting there for an hour and a half. My cousin has stopped working on cars, so I no longer have an affordable option for excessive maintenance and repair needs that accompany commuting 500 miles a week. My employer has a program that gets us insane discounts on certain new cars. I got a brand new, fuel-efficient car with 3-year/36k mile warranty and roadside assistance (saving money on my car insurance). I was able to roll in the tiny amount I still owed on my other car for $10/month, and was then able to save the $120/month on that payment and drop full-coverage insurance. Including insurance, the extra vehicle costs me an extra $200/month, but saves me, at current gas prices, over $100/month. I can get oil changes half as often with this vehicle and won't have to have the repairs that were becoming common on the older car. New car purchases can be foolish or prudent. The main thing is to know your financial situation and run the math. In this case, I will likely have this awful commute for another 3 years or so, regardless of the vehicle purchase. This car will be running great as long as we are here and by the time it starts to run into repairs, we will be moved closer, thus slowing the rate, and I will be making much more money (my raise schedule speeds up the longer I go to hit max-out pay in 7 years) making the repairs less of an issue.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IdI-Kf2HauxOCW6E2qmb09YtzfbfT9MRAsteu5Kr00xfQJ9DrbsvN8f_x166L_WOgFxnQIxKv8ctKhfu4hgKBszQHnLp8q7MD9rll-4U3_EdNoe1an9IdLrvyMeCCVOAedhw0UXsm7E/s1600/20180407_184028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IdI-Kf2HauxOCW6E2qmb09YtzfbfT9MRAsteu5Kr00xfQJ9DrbsvN8f_x166L_WOgFxnQIxKv8ctKhfu4hgKBszQHnLp8q7MD9rll-4U3_EdNoe1an9IdLrvyMeCCVOAedhw0UXsm7E/s320/20180407_184028.jpg" width="240" /></a>* I made changes to our car insurance, dropping coverage that was no longer necessary. For example, we had a high medical coverage before we had health insurance. We have a very low out-of-pocket maximum on our medical insurance through work, so this insurance no longer made sense and hadn't really helped any when Trucker had his accident awhile back. We also didn't need uninsured motorist coverage on the van which is worth $500. Our insurance went up considerably when we added the brand new car, but once I made these changes, it is $5/month more than it was previously. Total savings from these reductions is $800/year. We are actively building savings, so there will be money there in case of emergencies. We have only once used uninsured motorist coverage and it was an odd situation where it would only have been a couple hundred out of pocket to do the repairs ourselves. So for the small chance of benefit, it would cost us a certain large amount each year. Better to save $8k in a decade to have on hand for car as well as other emergencies.<br />
* We cancelled Netflix since Trucker finished the show he got it for and we use the library excessively.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0LZTvZA-TlpqmmcJC3TLG8sUuTy5oJYuswGpREKm-Cwsqt-Hci77nQFH_vr1a_Zr_TZs83gRm2ReJL-dcVxNAhlD3KNPchoHY0d0-NqglqiYtJqpXHH7XVB1UDDIG-r6kaZZ_kutmoc/s1600/20180525_143740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0LZTvZA-TlpqmmcJC3TLG8sUuTy5oJYuswGpREKm-Cwsqt-Hci77nQFH_vr1a_Zr_TZs83gRm2ReJL-dcVxNAhlD3KNPchoHY0d0-NqglqiYtJqpXHH7XVB1UDDIG-r6kaZZ_kutmoc/s320/20180525_143740.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<b>Waste/Stuff Reduction:</b><br />
* I donated a box of clothing I no longer use.<br />
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<b>House and Home:</b><br />
* We are working together on decluttering and organizing.<br />
* Trucker has been doing little jobs around the house.<br />
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<b>Fur-Babies:</b><br />
* I love my vet. They are affordable and our babies both respond well to them (they don't love going to the vet, but they are fine while there and have no effects afterwards, which is especially impressive for our anxious, loner cat). I call them constantly to ask about health issues and they are quick to give advice and information. They have only once suggested I bring her in (she had a cough and was sneezing so we got her some antibiotics, but they said to watch her for other signs to decide if we should get additional medication. They made a note in our file that if we needed additional meds, they would sell them to us without a second visit). As far as I can tell, a good vet is never going to be annoyed with you for asking too many questions rather than delaying treatment until it is too late. We are so thankful for them.<br />
* We got the cat all up-to-date on shots. She is in great health.<br />
* I bought a grooming set for our poodle. So far I have only used the scissors to trim in between her toes and to clean up her face (the hair in her eye socket grows in funny). Those two areas were the reason that I needed to get her groomed at 5 weeks instead of at 8 weeks. Being able to trim them, reduces my cost by well over $200/year. I do hope that I can learn to groom her entirely myself eventually. Fingers crossed. Fortunately she is blind so she can't be horrified by looking into the mirror if I mess up.<br />
* We got Clarisse some toys at yard sales ($.10/cat toy and a free baby toy). These rattle instead of squeaking as she is terrified of squeak-toys. She seemed pretty interested in the cat toy. We will get her out playing with it more.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHctgoBCGxTNB2HYQAeCztCrqj54Z6ocp9ETL9cK3V013q5RiY0AfuGg837I02S2uaC5tTVxfB2VzEh4X8EpsZNr-v98lFxq05gsWhyphenhyphen7vAIdaX5cOtnIr2pVDgHRW_6uQXKPfjfamGf0U/s1600/20180422_152147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHctgoBCGxTNB2HYQAeCztCrqj54Z6ocp9ETL9cK3V013q5RiY0AfuGg837I02S2uaC5tTVxfB2VzEh4X8EpsZNr-v98lFxq05gsWhyphenhyphen7vAIdaX5cOtnIr2pVDgHRW_6uQXKPfjfamGf0U/s320/20180422_152147.jpg" width="240" /></a>* We take Clarisse most places with us. She loves to go on walks and hikes. We took her to a community yard sale day. My friend let me borrow her pet carrier, but Clarisse is too big for it. Instead, I got my shopping cart and put the clothes hamper in it. It fit perfectly and with a blanket in the bottom, she was happy as could be. She ran sometimes and rode other times. Towards the end she wanted me to carry her some. She did great. I look forward to taking her out for more adventures.<br />
* I give Clarisse some homemade chicken stock several times a week. Most store-bought stuff is high in sodium and has onions and garlic in it, neither of which is safe for dogs. By making my own, I control what goes into it (a lovely thing when pet food recalls are the norm), it is made from all human-grade ingredients and it is practically free since I use bones leftover from cooking. She loves it and starts pacing when it is in the microwave. When I make a batch, I save what we will use for our consumption. The rest is ladled into ice cube trays and frozen. 4 cubes is about the perfect dosage for our little one. For bigger dogs, you can always save yogurt tubs or sour cream containers.<br />
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<b>Work:</b><br />
* I am about to get another raise at work.<br />
* Trucker got a big role in a TV show. It hasn't been picked up yet, but he is doing well and enjoying it. The director left him a voicemail thanking him for the great job he is doing. I am so proud of him.<br />
* I have had the option to take some days out without pay or penalty. I have enjoyed doing so. The 12 hour days (commute included) are getting old, so I needed the break. Now we are facing some overtime in the coming months, so I'll make up the money eventually.<br />
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<b>Preparedness:</b><br />
* I put wet wipes, a blanket and water in each vehicle.<br />
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<b>Future:</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeQONTebdwm0KubLvz3XFBMjj03AYTcb28aCbl-7z88MVBTDKpxyvIpOg3TpZGeR8gPurbmslqX9ls4vLJp5PrD1yQgjAjWWx-p5R9Ea1H4FtUN9DzOZpFVbqmGz3XFfUpk2wQHDJpA8/s1600/20180421_173833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeQONTebdwm0KubLvz3XFBMjj03AYTcb28aCbl-7z88MVBTDKpxyvIpOg3TpZGeR8gPurbmslqX9ls4vLJp5PrD1yQgjAjWWx-p5R9Ea1H4FtUN9DzOZpFVbqmGz3XFfUpk2wQHDJpA8/s320/20180421_173833.jpg" width="240" /></a>* We are starting another business now that the antiques thing has gotten old. We set up our online shop and listed a few products. We are having fun with this one. Starting your own business can be scary and frustrating, especially when something doesn't go perfectly. However, we keep trying and know that eventually something will be a good fit: it will be something the market wants and something that we enjoy doing.<br />
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<b>Health:</b><br />
* We are both fairly active. The dog helps with daily walks and Trucker continues to play in a softball league.<br />
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<b>Community:</b><br />
* We gave my sister and future bro-in-law the rest of their Brown Drip dish set. We put together a complete set of dishes, bread plates, bowls, saucers and tea cups, coffee mugs, creamer and sugar set, storage vessels and serving dishes for around $50. It was a great gift (they loved it) that took time and a moderate cost. When I found the first part of the set, I texted a pic to my sister to find out if she liked it (I knew that they didn't have a dish set yet) and got approval before I started shopping. I think that pre-approval is the key to getting an enthusiastic response to a used gift.<br />
* I gave them a couple of books I thought they would love: The New Square Foot Gardener-Mel Bartholomew and The Complete Tightwad Gazette - Amy Dacyzyn. They are both just starting out on their own, and gardening and frugality are two areas that they are excited to learn thoroughly. I got these books at a library book sale for $.50 each.<br />
* Our dear friend got married. It was a magical evening. It was so beautiful to see two such wonderful people find so much happiness together.We lucked out and got sat with Daisy and hubs as well as a few of our other friends, so we had fun laughing and talking. The food was amazing; they even had a mashed potato bar! We enjoyed a dance and got our caricature done. It didn't look like us, but it was still fun!<br />
* I went to my other sister's baby shower. It was a fun day and nice to see the outpouring of her coworkers and community in getting her all set up.<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-2272348346746660642018-04-15T23:17:00.002-04:002018-04-15T23:17:29.142-04:00Tax Tip From Clarisse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The solution to tax season stress is a poodle on your lap. You won't accomplish anything, but you won't be stressed!</div>
Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-2823827546830065172018-03-17T22:47:00.000-04:002018-03-17T22:47:04.025-04:00World, Meet ClarisseThree weeks ago, we welcomed a new addition to our family. Clarisse is a 4.5-year-old poodle who has already stolen our hearts, at least, Trucker's and mine. Raycat is still figuring out this weird looking creature.<br />
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I have been researching dog ownership and looking for the right dog for a long, long time now (long-time readers may remember the scary dogs of 2015). I knew that when I adopted a dog, it was forever, so I was going to make sure that we had everything perfectly ready and that we got the right dog this time (our previous attempt resulted in both Trucker and my dad being bitten and my bro-in-law lunged at, while the dog was sweet as pie with Mom and me. Obviously the dog had had some bad experiences with men). My dear friend at work has been helping me--finding listings for dogs, giving me insights on certain breeds (she is a major animal lover who has had a variety of breeds over the years) and talking about certain dogs that I was considering. I've read a lot of books, joined a lot of Facebook groups for fans of certain breeds (If I was considering a breed, I joined FB groups to try to talk myself out of it. These groups shared the good, bad and ugly. I figured if I could be deterred by seeing the worst, it wasn't the breed for me), read countless articles and forums, met a lot of dogs, looked at a lot of listings, applied for many dogs from rescues, and talked to numerous breeders. Nothing ever quite worked out. Some dogs were adopted before my application got in, or the rescue wouldn't adopt out of state, or the dog just didn't seem to be a good fit for us for some reason or another. I was okay with it taking a long time. I wasn't going to mess this up. I often questioned whether or not I was ready, and then would throw myself into more research. Then I found her and it was right.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqnu_-sHCy6VWJrVEqUsT3le5KEzSuVu8q02Z_W8pYkquCFBoUDn058Oc4rQ5OV8TbNv31RoTO03kQMItDgheLwn9Ie7QsoBDmJHnVBv0yDN9Ik9nRs8eI_AtK3zr-3f_zoqc3zZvRRI/s1600/20180226_135027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqnu_-sHCy6VWJrVEqUsT3le5KEzSuVu8q02Z_W8pYkquCFBoUDn058Oc4rQ5OV8TbNv31RoTO03kQMItDgheLwn9Ie7QsoBDmJHnVBv0yDN9Ik9nRs8eI_AtK3zr-3f_zoqc3zZvRRI/s320/20180226_135027.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When she first came home.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After her spa day.</td></tr>
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I was doing a Craigslist search for schnauzers because that was the breed we had pretty much settled on and I had only found one standard schnauzer breeder in my state. I had never considered a poodle, really. The show haircuts threw me. I saw a listing for a schnoodle and thought I would search for poodles also. I found a listing for a special dog needing a special home. Before I emailed her, I did some research to see what kind of situation I would be getting myself into. When I thought it all seemed within our ability, I emailed her. Once I realized that it seemed like a good fit, I started researching in earnest.<br />
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You see, Clarisse is a former puppy mill breeder. She was throwing litters of dead or deformed pups, so they didn't care about her. At some point, something happened to her eye, and the owner cut it out at home. Because they obviously didn't do a professional job, they damaged the optical nerves and she lost vision in her other eye as well. Her rescuer had a couple other poodles and found a listing for her. When she showed up, the puppy mill owner threw Clarisse to the ground, kicked her over and said, "Just take her. I don't want her anymore." Even though she didn't have the time to take care of a blind dog (she had a few kids, a couple poodles, a few cats and a new baby on the way), there was no way she could leave this little dog with them. She took wonderful care of Clarisse while she looked for a good home. She got her spayed, up-to-date on shots, vet checked and used to being loved on excessively. I will forever be grateful for how she saved my baby and taught her that the world wasn't all bad. She made sure that I was good for her before she asked if I wanted to meet her.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her very first time tackling the stairs.</td></tr>
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The day that we decided to drive the 200 miles to meet her, we randomly decided to hit a used book sale at the library. One of the first books that I found was Living with Blind Dogs, by Caroline D Levin. The volunteer at the sale had a blind dog at home. The next day when I sat down at lunch to read by book, the woman across the table started talking with me about her best friend's dog who is blind from diabetes and people don't believe she is blind because she is the happiest dog and plays so much. My mom was hesitant. She knew how much I wanted a dog and was concerned that I would end up with a dog that ate and didn't give me what I needed. The next morning, my techno-phobe Mom had blown up my phone with the results of the research she had done on the internet: "You put carpet runners down so they figure out where they are", "Put bells on your shoes so they can find you" "OMG check out the halo!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GjvY0Qn1H4ElY9-8tYLusS70i2UkzjJWRlXoRo9bJbWvs-yFBcG00s20fHX_pl5TjMeburI8hOHjC1Fb3LFakasGWeaxuS6hQy-DgPdkdRwF0HxtXqQbiiVmUwgEnapP15p0wZzTZjY/s1600/20180310_120049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GjvY0Qn1H4ElY9-8tYLusS70i2UkzjJWRlXoRo9bJbWvs-yFBcG00s20fHX_pl5TjMeburI8hOHjC1Fb3LFakasGWeaxuS6hQy-DgPdkdRwF0HxtXqQbiiVmUwgEnapP15p0wZzTZjY/s200/20180310_120049.jpg" width="200" /></a>The day that were were to meet and possible adopt her, we woke up early. We had spent the previous day getting the house all ready. We got all "stuff" off the floor, rearranged furniture to a more blind-friendly layout. We have a number of rugs already, but we rearranged them in a good fashion for navigation (long runner in the hallway between kitchen and living room, a certain type of rug in front of exterior doors, another type in front of her crate and her food dish, yet another kind at the top of the two stairs leading between levels). We made one last check that any sharp or pointy things weren't at eye level. Off we went.<br />
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We fell instantly in love with her. She was quiet, but settled right into my arms when her rescuer handed her to me. She was just sweet. We both loved her instantly. We talked with the rescuer a lot to hear more about her story, tips for helping her adjust, her likes and dislikes and why she was being given up (No behavioral issues. She even asked that if we ever had to rehome her, that we contact her and she would buy her back, which let me know a lot about how she had been treated/cared for and what kind of dog I was getting. She texted several times in the hours after that, heartbroken that she had had to let her go). It was obvious that she was very loved. I have kept in contact with her for these weeks, letting her know about adjustments and vet visits and sending pictures.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRaXnEWsoj-8eQnrzqP7egj40P5Nlq1a-tDdIJMMk0weGzTTDjl10onLjTDdJIGghhqUR_8e9auik99AmP6P60q01nwWCQC0S7xav8LxFamKK7URFkcT4QLCHsyTKjUfUDyIBLgXozkw/s1600/20180226_134801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRaXnEWsoj-8eQnrzqP7egj40P5Nlq1a-tDdIJMMk0weGzTTDjl10onLjTDdJIGghhqUR_8e9auik99AmP6P60q01nwWCQC0S7xav8LxFamKK7URFkcT4QLCHsyTKjUfUDyIBLgXozkw/s320/20180226_134801.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo perfectly captures her energy during our cuddles.</td></tr>
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The whole drive home, she was quiet. She was interested in us, but never made a peep. When we got home, I walked her around the house on a leash so she could get a feel for the lay of the land. We got her some food and more water. Then she napped. And napped. And napped. I knew that most rescue dogs go through a bit of depression for a week or so as they get used to their new normal, so I wasn't concerned. I just held her while I worked online or read a book. Then she woke up. All of a sudden, she was insane. She was snuggling and kissing and rolling around and doing this adorable thing where she covers her face with her paws. It was pure joy. Three weeks in, and she gets like this every morning when I wake up (and when Trucker wakes up), every time either of us gets home from work, and often after longer naps. She is the most joyful, fun-loving, vivacious thing.<br />
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We learned a lot through our research and that has made this transition a breeze (like, surprisingly easy). I taught her a swerve word. Whenever she is headed straight for something, I say "Oop!" and she swerves to avoid it.She wasn't leash trained, but being a poodle, she learned in 5 minutes. We walk her always the same way so she can learn the neighborhood. When she walks on one side of the sidewalk and there is a wall or overgrown bushes on that side, I say "This way!" and she moves back to the middle of the sidewalk. She has learned "up" and "down" for navigating steps (She can run up flights of stairs, but can only walk down one so far). She knows where to go for her food and water (and unfortunately where to go for the cat's food which makes her fart so we are working on a "leave it" command). She has only had one accident in the house. She doesn't destroy anything (in fact, it doesn't appear that she understands the concept of toys, so we are working on that as well), doesn't bark all night (crate training took about 10 days; the solution came when we started playing Beethoven for her each time we crate her. She loves it), allows us to administer any medicine or pluck ear hairs with barely a grunt.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This old wash tub was purchased at an antique<br />store for $8 and perfectly fits her bed. She<br />loves having a napping spot that is close to the<br />action but out of the line of action.</td></tr>
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We took her to the vet to get her all checked out. Heartworm negative, fecal test came back good, and overall great health. She had some redness from her eye, but an $18 bottle of eye drops has gotten that under control. Her intra-occular pressure test came back low, which means she doesn't have glaucoma yet, but we are going to get her in to the opthamologist just to make sure that we are doing things right and we know what to look out for. Before we adopted her, I made sure we had the cash on hand to do an enuculation if it was needed. Obviously, I would prefer to not subject her to another trauma and the risk involved with surgery of any kind, but if I can't keep her out of pain without it, I will get it done.<br />
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There is so much more to say, but this is getting long, so I will wrap it up with this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFsAuRir3GCkyqBh4DWliUcLVRIME20jYm5VALf-lnqp9fVz1MIF3hwZA4-boat7IdVYCAi5im8Tz14AiLpu_1eU34OUHnprPfQzM_LvNmkKJMCSotEC3WAJMx9Owp2xQr3Y5Pkk_zrU/s1600/20180225_170959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFsAuRir3GCkyqBh4DWliUcLVRIME20jYm5VALf-lnqp9fVz1MIF3hwZA4-boat7IdVYCAi5im8Tz14AiLpu_1eU34OUHnprPfQzM_LvNmkKJMCSotEC3WAJMx9Owp2xQr3Y5Pkk_zrU/s320/20180225_170959.jpg" width="240" /></a>When I wanted to get a dog it was for three main reasons: 1). Companionship 2). Running partner 3). Watch dog. Once I heard her story and how loving she was, I decided that I was alright with making some compromises. Then I met her and knew that the companionship alone was worth everything. A few days later, she and I were playing in the kitchen when Trucker got home from a doctor's appointment. He parked on the street, so she didn't hear his van pull in. As soon as she heard someone messing with the doorknob, she was off running and barking at the intruder and kept at it until he talked with her. Another night, she had already fallen asleep when I realized I had forgotten something in the car. I think I woke her up when I went outside, but she wasn't sure exactly what had happened. When I turned the doorknob to come in, she started barking up a storm until she realized it was me. She is a fantastic watch dog because her hearing is so finely tuned. I have heard others say that their blind dog is a better watchdog than their sighted dogs. Finally, one day we were out walking the neighborhood. She was still getting used to the leash and all the noises and smells in the neighborhood (one day she tried to pull me into a house where the smell of skunk was strong...oh dear!). At that time, she wasn't confident enough to walk next to me (she now is), so I had to walk backwards and talk with her so she would follow my voice. This particular day, for some reason, she took off running towards me. I thought she was just trying to catch up, but she didn't stop. I jogged backwards while she ran as fast as she could towards me. I made sure to watch for anything she might trip over or run into and made sure I kept the leash loose so she didn't get choked. She ran all the way home and was super excited. She takes me on little jogs each day, we play chase in the backyard (usually I use clapping to let her know where I am, but she is starting to be able to track me with her nose), and we ran for a half hour at the dog park one day.<br />
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She is the smartest dog I've ever met. She is so loving and sweet. She is perfectly well behaved. She adores both of us and likes my family. She loves to cuddle and is as active as we want her to be (she will visit the pet store and sniff all the things and meet all the dogs and run like crazy at the dog park without stopping and then pass out hard when we drive home). She is everything I could have ever wanted in a dog. People sometimes tell me that we are doing something kind and sacrificial by adopting a blind dog, but honestly, she is everything we could have ever wanted. Here's hoping she ends up being a world-record longest-living toy poodle.<br />
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<br />Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-75409104044921671542018-03-07T13:35:00.002-05:002018-03-07T13:35:21.810-05:00This Week...Beyond Money 2/5 - 3/4<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* I made BBQ pork mac n cheese one night when I got home from work. It was enough for lunch the next day also.<br />
* I made pork pad thai one day using 1 1/2 small pork chops, diced. It was enough for 4 meals. I cooked up the rest of the chops in the package and diced. I froze those and put on our prepped meats shelf. That is such a lifesaver when we are busy. Any meal is 15 minutes from ready when the meat is ready to go.<br />
* Trucker brought me breakfast in bed one day. He made French toast and eggs and brought up hot tea with honey.<br />
* I made cajun salmon with grits for dinner one night. I sauteed some onions and garlic with the salmon, then made a sauce from the pan drippings. The salmon had been purchased on manager's special, $2 fed us both. The grits were pre-seasoned from a box that I got for $.10 at the salvage grocer. I used cajun seasoning I got at the salvage grocer for $1 (just a bit of the container). It was marvelous.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKmuircjv_pS8GwyhvlFAlZkE-GBhndkB-Wvdkq3machsqO8OBBgy0nwM-8Z3Z5ViLTWEqn-fjP6yKJ_5I3PM_IvY-BAgrqmBCmUQetKJihTQeFC4XvBkx8N5ixcn9hmJn4wyjWv013I/s1600/20180303_205303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKmuircjv_pS8GwyhvlFAlZkE-GBhndkB-Wvdkq3machsqO8OBBgy0nwM-8Z3Z5ViLTWEqn-fjP6yKJ_5I3PM_IvY-BAgrqmBCmUQetKJihTQeFC4XvBkx8N5ixcn9hmJn4wyjWv013I/s320/20180303_205303.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another funky Jack Earl sculpture. I love his<br />sense of humor.</td></tr>
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* We made BBQ pulled pork sandwiches using all items from the freezer.<br />
* We hit the clearance section at Kroger. I got some rice crackers, $1(normally $2.79), mixed nuts $3 (usually $5), jerky sticks $.59 (usually $1.75) and cereal for $2/box.<br />
* I made tomato soup from frozen tomatoes from the farm. I serve with quesadillas.<br />
* We cooked a big hunk of beef in the slow cooker and shredded it. We froze enough for 6 meals. The rest I used to make beef and noodles over mashed potatoes. Why do I not do that more?<br />
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<b>Fun:</b><br />
* Trucker went to a local philosophy/community group meeting. They were giving away books from their library. He got several books from his wishlist for free and got free pizza.<br />
* We checked out a lot of books, movies, audiobooks and CDs from the library. According to <a href="http://www.maine.gov/msl/services/calculator.htm">this calculator</a>, we "save" $1400/month by using the library. Of course, we would never spend $16,800/year on media, but we still get the value in quality of life.<br />
* Since I was under the weather, we basically stayed in and watched movies and cuddled the entire week. I have a hard time allowing myself to rest, so I am thankful that Trucker promoted the idea and brought me tea all the time.<br />
* We went on a couple cheap coffee dates, using our travel mugs for a discount.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdQZARXipkjUltZkkukp6MWz1lzZAkQ4l02f6ATkIkXBFQiRWpChIGnWpy1PxdhThdr465lX5JjQnEkxBZLxevcRnQ5vKR-YDpowsn3hFCiDUAAE7r2EM88dwSbTTYdulE4CGK7ilxKE/s1600/20180303_205740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdQZARXipkjUltZkkukp6MWz1lzZAkQ4l02f6ATkIkXBFQiRWpChIGnWpy1PxdhThdr465lX5JjQnEkxBZLxevcRnQ5vKR-YDpowsn3hFCiDUAAE7r2EM88dwSbTTYdulE4CGK7ilxKE/s320/20180303_205740.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They rearranged the gallery, so I finally got to<br />see the back of Man Made Man by Jack Earl.</td></tr>
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* We had Daisy and Hubby over for a movie night. We checked movies out of the library. Since I had been under the weather earlier that week, I didn't want to make dinner. I ordered gyros from a new greek place near us. I had a coupon, so I was able to get gyros for all of us for $12. I bought some hummus ($3 at Aldi for a HUGE container) and tzatziki ($2 on manager's special), a bag of falafel chips ($2.50 on manager's special; they were amazing), a cucumber ($.69), summer squash ($.99 for a huge bag), bell pepper ($1 for two large peppers), organic baby carrots ($1 for a 2 lb bag). We had lots of sodas and juices in the house that I got for $.05-.30 each. We had tons leftover that we will use for future meals, so I think the total cost was quite reasonable. Daisy brought lemon hummus, pretzels and some homemade sauce for the gyros as well as some raspberry cupcakes. Trucker and I realized that we spent less than we would have at even a cheap dinner out, plus we didn't have to feel guilty about hanging out for a few hours like we would have if we were limiting a server's earning power by occupying a table. I always love hanging out with them.<br />
* One day when we had some stressful stuff going on, I took Trucker out to a lunch date at our favorite restaurant in the city (A German restaurant with an epic buffet). It made me happy to realize during lunch how much we have grown over the years that we were able to take ourselves away from our stress and laugh and talk together, turning a rough day into a great connection. Life isn't always easy, but I love having him at my side.<br />
* We went out with Daisy and her hubby to the local comedy club. Steve got 4 free tickets by signing up for the club's text mailings. We have gotten a dozen or so free tickets over the years.. We spent $15 after tip for our soda/ginger beer. One comic wasn't great, but it was still a wonderful evening with our besties.<br />
* My dad retired after 35 years at the factory. We wanted to take him out for a celebration. We took him, my mom and sister to a local Thai restaurant, where we introduced him to pad thai. The bill was around $100 after tip, but I had been saving for a bit in preparation. We went to the gallery hop. It was marvelous, as always. At one little shop that sells repurposed stuff, a woman ended up giving us a concert. There were the street performers and the mime. We got coffees and hot chocolates at a local coffee house. Afterwards, we went to Baskin Robbins for ice cream. It was a great evening.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5U-zSlt3A8QKl6cmKViYQG-Upg0JgWgbHZJYy4JcgGTfwFi1oPqKlXSt3bavbI6sCsunWjFo-hWuZLK4m-c5IciwNiP8Fttwx61Z522RJMhBz6a56IWOOAlC6qaQxD9TF-v9G1qSJDg/s1600/20180217_130045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5U-zSlt3A8QKl6cmKViYQG-Upg0JgWgbHZJYy4JcgGTfwFi1oPqKlXSt3bavbI6sCsunWjFo-hWuZLK4m-c5IciwNiP8Fttwx61Z522RJMhBz6a56IWOOAlC6qaQxD9TF-v9G1qSJDg/s320/20180217_130045.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<b>Nature:</b><br />
* We went for a couple walks at parks nearby.<br />
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<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* I hit a savings milestone. We now have our $1000 emergency fund (We have other savings also, but this is just for emergencies). We have struggled to save for the last few years, and the accident wiped us out and left us with a lot of debt. It is so exciting to hit these milestones and know that we are headed in the right direction.<br />
* I have a pretty decent amount in my retirement account. I set up my account to increase my contribution by 1% every January, so at the beginning of the year it increased to 7%. Including my employer match and the service contribution they deposit, I have 15% of my income put into retirement savings. Between this and a couple older accounts, I have around 30% of my current income in investments. Based on the calculations I have run, within 3-4 years I should be all caught up on my retirement savings, depending on whose recommendations you use. Given that we weren't able to save for 4 years surrounding the recession, that is encouraging.<br />
* I paid extra onto the credit card.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3M_4IhtahJWySIhqDrVz1JcJCh_FurM8FcBO8nALU1n4P8eaERO1HBr7qVuP7R1-9oRa8xCRK_VjVHXkVhx7uLxjddOGq5PYz0PoR-Q3ZOiVpwzyrdqLQplOBz1Dbu3jNhCFKlk-laGw/s1600/20180303_193944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3M_4IhtahJWySIhqDrVz1JcJCh_FurM8FcBO8nALU1n4P8eaERO1HBr7qVuP7R1-9oRa8xCRK_VjVHXkVhx7uLxjddOGq5PYz0PoR-Q3ZOiVpwzyrdqLQplOBz1Dbu3jNhCFKlk-laGw/s320/20180303_193944.jpg" width="240" /></a>* My car is nearing 200k miles, so I need to replace the timing belt and water pump. My cousin is going to do it at a good price and tune up some other issues. Trucker did some comparison shopping online and found a kit that included everything we would need for $130, regular price was $220. He used his loyalty card so will get $5 back towards a future purchase. <i>Update:</i> My cousin replaced the timing belt, water pump, gave it a tune up, replaced the wheel bearings, fixed a transmission leak and an oil leak. He charged $340, so including the parts we bought, all of that work was done for $470. The exciting thing was that I was able to pay for all of it from my regular checking account and didn't have to dip into savings. I just tightened the belt for a bit.<br />
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<b>House and Home:</b><br />
* Awhile back when we were yard saling, I bought an old cash box, missing the drawer/insert for $2. I put it on my desk. All of my paperwork is now sorted into the box (to-read mags on the bottom, seed catalogs, then paperwork I need to reference on top). Everything is at hand when I need it, but it looks nice instead of cluttered.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdErgwvAKSi1pi8kj3Q1MHN7NpyOSWuu73EC7yDg8nis5zQFfiSQRyVJlNbfU4bWmLUbnlZ9bcsCWjzkqKMu0FTX1asuBvE_sUw8cwyyTjU1IwsYeD-vihtX3VXOsoHYb-pwmrVW-EHZ8/s1600/20180217_130013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdErgwvAKSi1pi8kj3Q1MHN7NpyOSWuu73EC7yDg8nis5zQFfiSQRyVJlNbfU4bWmLUbnlZ9bcsCWjzkqKMu0FTX1asuBvE_sUw8cwyyTjU1IwsYeD-vihtX3VXOsoHYb-pwmrVW-EHZ8/s320/20180217_130013.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>Work:</b><br />
* I worked a little overtime.<br />
* I got my attendance bonus.<br />
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<b>Health:</b><br />
* I have had a hard time finding doctors through our new insurance website. It took me a week, but I finally found an in-network specialist with decent ratings for some needs. While looking for a primary care physician (still searching), I found that under the PCP listing, half are pediatricians with no way to filter them out, a quarter of the remaining are hospital doctors that never return calls, many have extremely low ratings, and the rest? Well, one was a residency program and the other was a van that drives around one of the low-income areas of the city. My coworker gave me the information for her PCP so I will look into that option this coming week.<br />
* I am still getting over my cold or whatever it is. <i>Update: I ended up being sick for over 3 weeks. Ugh. I am feeling great now though,</i><br />
* We got our eye appointments in this week. My script went up a tad. I ordered new glasses. I hate the way I look in my old ones (The first three people I asked if I looked attractive in the glasses responded with "You look smart". As in, "Am I pretty?" "You have a great personality."). The new glasses would have been almost $900 before insurance which blows my mind. I ended up paying $120, but they kind of took advantage of me. The guy told me that the glasses came with a one-year warranty, which I took to mean a manufacturer's warranty came with the glasses. He charged me $29 for that. I'll make sure that I read over the bill thoroughly before handing over my card next time. However, the glasses are really nice, Nine West glasses that go quite well with my style. Trucker got a very mild prescription and opted not to buy glasses. I plan on buying some cheap glasses online for backups/sunglasses/more variety and will try to get him to buy a $7 to see how he feels about them. <i>Update: When I picked up the glasses, I asked for the charge to be removed and they did. Took me 2 minutes and saved $29, so my hourly rate was $870.</i><br />
* I have been studying neuroscience for the last several months. As I have mentioned before, I struggle with anxiety and depression. For many years, it was at a debilitating and dangerous level. I am working hard to rewire my brain and the more I learn about brain plasticity and neurochemistry, the better results I am having. It is a lot of hard work, but it has been quite encouraging. For a good part of my life I have had near-daily panic attacks. I developed a couple techniques that had gotten that down to about one a month. I haven't had one in two months now. I also developed methods of controlling the cyclical ruminative thinking that has been a constant for as long as I can remember. I was diagnosed with OCD when I was a teen and spent a good amount of time trying to change the way my brain works instead of using the way my brain works as a skill focused towards more useful purposes. I've always loved numbers and some of my OCD compulsions involved math. Now I have learned how to use math as a way of handling cortisol (the stress hormone that tells you you have to DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW!). For the last month I have been seeing a psychologist who specializes in CBT to get some more insight as I keep working at this. She said I have done a great job so far, especially with handling the negative side of things and now we are working on building some positives.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOk0BI0q5yPvCmdrkaYq_WDIQc-c-Z7er9yS0AX-kRkFVQwRsXx2gNBpBBhs1G8E8eYw0EEZ7iMLWglmpz8VmMuyLS2wo92dKYt-qGgk76SA1ogUYF972pZPaGSfoEFbFQuSzjPcQGm8/s1600/20180217_130243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOk0BI0q5yPvCmdrkaYq_WDIQc-c-Z7er9yS0AX-kRkFVQwRsXx2gNBpBBhs1G8E8eYw0EEZ7iMLWglmpz8VmMuyLS2wo92dKYt-qGgk76SA1ogUYF972pZPaGSfoEFbFQuSzjPcQGm8/s320/20180217_130243.jpg" width="240" /></a>* My weight loss has plateaued, but I am still pretty happy. My main goal is not a certain number, but living vibrantly for as long as possible.<br />
* I am quite proud of Trucker. As I have been studying the brain, I have been able to recognize certain things that he started doing in the last year and what changes it has had. He hasn't been going at things the same way I do (The beauty of neural diversity!), but has handled it in a great way. He has been working to learn new things, try things he has always wanted to try, and replacing negative habits with healthier ones. He has quit alcohol and smoking and is much more physically active. He is about to start his third season of league softball which gets him active and socializing. The last point is especially important as working from home can be isolating. The changes have been significant. He is so amazing.<br />
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<b>Community:</b><br />
* My mom gave us lots of yummy gifts. When we borrowed their car, she put in some coffee (really, really good coffee) and candy for Valentine's Day. She is so kind. She is without a doubt one of the most empathetic, loving people I know. We joke that she single-handedly keeps their village post office open because she sends Christmas, birthday, anniversary, condolence, and thinking-of-you cards to a few hundred people. For as long as I can remember, she devotes at least one day a week visiting people in her community who need it: the elderly, shut-ins, those in hospital. I used to go with her as a teenager, and am sure that that has had an influence on the person I am becoming. Now, she has two great friends who go with her. They make cards, cookies, gift baskets or floral arrangements so they can bring gifts on their visits (each gift dependent on that person's situation). Every time I think about how many people she has touched, I am proud of who she is.<br />
* I went to an apple orchard's winter warehouse sale. I bought a half bushel of fuji apples for $20 and 30 lbs of horse apples for $7. I shared my surplus with my mom, Daisy, and a couple people at work.<br />
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Something wonderful happened to us, but I want that to be its own post, so expect it soon.<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-16041710853051070032018-02-06T14:13:00.000-05:002018-02-06T14:13:12.789-05:00This Week...Beyond Money 1/8 - 2/4<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1srVAKlRzScBrd6VX0XuYlitQOZdnY2lrLN7b9XSZDFBRsYpe7Uo4Sl4BgqoifJGJ_r113MVS0tZYiUWXpa5AWODppnPmWxhO3FqAwnDJ1jolHS1OlaF59I8iFok1zZNIzw518ap8Rp8/s1600/20180203_192139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1srVAKlRzScBrd6VX0XuYlitQOZdnY2lrLN7b9XSZDFBRsYpe7Uo4Sl4BgqoifJGJ_r113MVS0tZYiUWXpa5AWODppnPmWxhO3FqAwnDJ1jolHS1OlaF59I8iFok1zZNIzw518ap8Rp8/s320/20180203_192139.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* Well, I never got around to seeding the garden to grass, and it is a good thing. If there is one consistency, it is change. We are not going to be moving this year, so I'll be gardening again. I will keep it as low-key as I can, but want to see what I can get out of it.<br />
* I spread the ash from the fire pit and old, gross potting soil over the beds. I also emptied out all of the compost bins.<br />
<br />
<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* I made BBQ pulled pork mac n cheese one evening. I used meal preps from the freezer so it was a breeze. I put the pasta on and while it cooked I started my roux. I thawed some ice cubes of caramelized onions and sauteed peppers. I added those to my bechamel along with half of a small portion of pulled pork from the freezer. I added the last of a bag of cheddar and the last bit of a cheesy dip. I added some BBQ seasoning from the Amish grocer, black pepper, seasoning salt and BBQ sauce. It was pretty epic comfort food and the whole affair took 10 minutes. Freezer meal prep is a life saver.<br />
* I have been making hummus sandwiches regularly. I used to make my own hummus, but haven't had as much time lately as I used to. The all-night grocer near my job is in the process of marking things down when I go after work, so I get all sorts of fantastic manager's specials. I almost always find various types of hummus/hummus-like dips (edamame, white bean, cilantro, etc) for ~$2. I also find tzaziki for ~$1. I chop up whatever veggies I have on hand: sweet peppers, radishes, scallions, onions, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, etc. I add a sprinkling of cheese (feta is best, but I use whatever I have). I eat them open faced. It is a pretty frugal and filling meal. Best of all, it is incredibly quick so it is perfect when I get home at 3 AM.<br />
* I went to my salvage grocer before work one day. The weather forecast said it wouldn't get below 31 degrees before I got off work, so I figured I was fine since the car would stay warmer than outdoors and then I would be in it with the heat on for the drive home. I got some amazing deals. It was one of my best shops yet; even the cashiers were impressed. I have been trying to have more variety in the drinks we keep at home. Coffee or water gets boring after awhile. I use our SodaStream a lot, and I will buy sodas, teas and other drinks as I find good prices. Generally speaking, I try to avoid individually packaged drinks as possible, but when I buy them at salvage grocers I find it acceptable since the items would be thrown away if people like me didn't buy them. My salvage store is perfect. The locals buy the "normal" stuff and don't know what to do with the "weird" stuff that we like, so I get the best prices. Here are some of my highlights: organic sodas most sweetened with stevia ($.10/can, so about 20% cheaper than using our soda stream), seltzer ($.05-.10/can, also much cheaper than using the SodaStream and allows me to enjoy some flavors that are harder to duplicate at home), organic cereal ($.50/box), various chai tea concentrates ($.50/qt, including "The Godfather", a chai, espresso and cocoa drink that is out of this world), ramen-type noodle packs ($.10/each; will use as quick meals with veggies from the freezer and stock), organic whey protein for $1.99/1 lb), coffee syrup ($.99 for a bottle that is $10-15 depending on where you get it), vinegar ($1.50/gallon), key lime pie kits for 2-4 people ($.10/each) and boxes of breakfast bars (box of 4 boxes of 6 for $.99). The best score was a high-end ginger beer that is dry and very flavorful for $.59/6 pk. Usually I buy Kroger brand for $2.50/6 pack and it isn't as spicy or dry as I like it. This stuff is fantastic and I can't believe I got it this cheap. I bought all 4 6-packs<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKh2bt5-RHWLp-W_AoghusTUgfxealcfc8BGArXIkliiE1GEDmZou_qRgjyZKZUB3XLVXAP1Q8xXpduDZRzuBHopCm5ZSFbYhAXnPaQxa9rPnxOacpuM75eCgfJtEHyrvCun7OsfMbhQ/s1600/20180125_023304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKh2bt5-RHWLp-W_AoghusTUgfxealcfc8BGArXIkliiE1GEDmZou_qRgjyZKZUB3XLVXAP1Q8xXpduDZRzuBHopCm5ZSFbYhAXnPaQxa9rPnxOacpuM75eCgfJtEHyrvCun7OsfMbhQ/s320/20180125_023304.jpg" width="240" /></a>* I made cheesy veggie pasta as a quick and easy meal.<br />
* We made pad thai one afternoon using a salvage grocery kit and a can of mixed asian veggies, also from the salvage store. I used one pork chop from a package. I did add some onion, garlic and grated ginger (free from Trucker's job). It was amazing. There were enough leftovers for my lunch the next day.<br />
* I used the other pork chop from the package to make Korean tacos. I had a flavor kit we got for a few cents at the salvage grocer. It was really good and a great change of pace. Trucker teases me that I can eat tacos every day, so maybe this variety will convince him to submit to more frequent taco meals.<br />
* My parents stopped over one day. I made tacos (haha). I used pulled pork from the freezer, added refried beans, corn (from the freezer), sauteed onions and peppers (freezer), and the last of a container of sour cream. I made some rice beforehand so we could add a little bit to different meals. It was really good and quite filling.<br />
* Trucker has been eating bran flakes for breakfast more often. He had been having bad heartburn and my dad said that he hasn't had any since he started eating bran flakes daily. I found family-sized boxes of store brand bran flakes on a clearance rack for $1/box. When I was checking out, I found a coupon for $1 off 4 boxes of store brand cereal. I got 6 boxes for $5.<br />
* I stopped at Aldi one day and got some great after-holiday sales. They had Chocolate Chip or traditional Panettone for $2 and boxes of continental cookies for $1.50 each. I bought 1 panettone and 4 boxes of cookies.<br />
* Trucker scores some high-end salmon on manager's special. Regular price: $7/each; he got them for $2.50! He made a lovely dinner for us one day that I was feeling under the weather and we just chilled at home all day. He loves to take care of me. He made me tea and made sure it had honey in it for my throat. He is so kind.<br />
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<b>Food Preservation:</b><br />
* We have been freezing meal-sized portions of leftovers to use later. This is handy and prevents waste.<br />
<br />
<b>Fun:</b><br />
* We went to the local comedy company for a show. We don't usually go unless we win free tickets, but this was a comedian we both loved. Tickets were $20/each, which hurt a little, but given how infrequently we do things like this, it was acceptable. We had a marvelous time. Our cheeks and sides hurt from laughing.<br />
* We woke up one weekend morning and told each other we had a date planned. Fortunately, mine was for brunch and his was for 2 PM, so the timing worked out. I took him to a comic-themed restaurant that I've wanted to take him to for quite awhile. The food was amazing (He got a burger with caramelized onions and bbq and bacon and I got the Aquamarine, a salmon and crab spread quesadilla). We had a BOGO coupon from my entertainment book, so the total cost was $20, including tip (30% before the coupon). He took me to a local theater that was doing a special screening of Rebel Without A Cause (Dean is one of my favorite actors). I had never seen it on the big screen before. It was an awesome date and cost $30 total.<br />
* We did some cheap coffee dates.<br />
* We went to the gallery hop. Beforehand, we went to a local BBQ place and used a BOGO coupon for dinner. It was really cold and I had an ear infection, so we didn't stay out long. It was still quite nice to have our evening out. My favorite gallery had a video of a glass artist making these amazing pieces. It was mesmerizing. We also picked up the mixed-media piece we purchased a couple months ago from the local art collective gallery.<br />
* We used the library for music, movie and books.<br />
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<b>Nature:</b><br />
* We got out into the woods! Twice! It was so wonderful. One day it was chilly and we just did a couple miles. The next was a 5 mile walk. We loved watching the river after the snow thawed and watching squirrels run around.<br />
<br />
<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* We are throwing extra towards the credit cards.<br />
<br />
<b>House and Home:</b><br />
* I climbed onto the roof to patch a couple places where shingles had torn off during a storm. When the weather is nice, Dad will help me fix it permanently. While I was up there, I noticed that the shake siding is getting really rough. We will call in contractors for quotes in a couple months. Ideally we would replace with vinyl, but depending on price may just repair and replace bad shake. Never again will I buy a house with shake siding.<br />
<br />
<b>Work:</b><br />
* Work was cancelled once due to extreme winter weather. I had planned on spending the night in the locker room because I was scared to drive home. Earlier this week, someone that works for my company died when they lost control of their car on the way to work. So tragic to think that they were just going to work like normal. If you are in a snowy area, drive safely.<br />
* I worked a little overtime.<br />
* I got a $.75/hr raise.<br />
<br />
<b>Health:</b><br />
* We are getting back to exercising more often.<br />
* I have lost 14.5 lbs in the last 6 months. I am feeling great.<br />
* I joined a weight loss class through my job's fitness center. It is a free class and offers gifts and rewards throughout. I am wanting to lose a little more and, most importantly, I want to make sure I am being smart about adjusting my diet as I age. I have realized that I can't eat nearly as much as I used to. The worst tragedy is that I get terrible indigestion from pizza. My world is over.<br />
* Trucker got his annual physical.<br />
* I had to wear the wrong kind of earplugs at work for two days. By the end of the second day, I could feel the ear infection starting. By the time I got home from work, my throat was raw, felt like I had a golf ball in my throat and my ear canals were aching. This is the first time I've been sick in a really long time. I took care of myself (and Trucker was darling) with lots of fluids, tea with honey and resting as much as possible.<br />
<br />
<b>Setbacks:</b><br />
* My car overheated on the way to work one day. Fortunately, I always leave with plenty of spare time just in case. Trucker was able to drive out and swap vehicles with me so I could get to work on time. He was able to get it home safely. It had blown a hose. Trucker said that he wanted to hit a particular location of the auto parts store because they are always more helpful. When the guy looked up the hose we needed, he thought the price was too high, so he gave us his discount. We got a $35 hose for $18.<br />
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<b>Community:</b><br />
* My mom really liked the brand of sprouted brown rice I used for tacos, so I sent her home with a bag. We had got the rice from an auction for $1/6 bags. It is usually $37 on Amazon for the 6-pack.<br />
* My dad is retiring next month from his job of almost 35 years. I've been working with him to start thinking about how to manage his money now that he will be on a fixed income. My parents have always helped us so much when we were on a tiny income and I am glad that we are now in a place where we can help them with their transition. Per Mom's request, I'm emphasizing that he should look for ways to save money while enjoying life rather than working more (He is starting a business in retirement, as has been his dream for 20 years. Nothing wrong with that, as long as he doesn't keep up with his current work-a-holic status). I've told him that a penny saved is worth more than a penny earned because you have to pay taxes on the penny earned. Also, I've gotten him thinking about ways to save money doing things he enjoys as a way of enriching life while controlling spending. One of his ideas is to travel to take advantage of different fish runs in our state. He will enjoy a day out fishing and stock the freezer. Trucker has been learning to fish and plans to invite Dad out fishing with him. They will both get fish for the freezer and get some time together, which they both need.<br />
* My sister is getting married this summer. We all went out this weekend to shop for bridesmaids dresses. My mom had planned on us going to the bridal shop, but I convinced her that we should start at the mall. We checked out several stores, and ended up at JC Penney's. We did well. I found a dusty rose 3/4 length sleeve lacey dress for $45, her half-sister (two of my sisters are adopted, and my parents and their half-sister's parents always made sure they were able to have a relationship) got a sleeveless dusty rose dress with lace top for $60 and Mom got a blue mother-of-the-bride dress for $29. We still need to get dresses for my two other sisters and future bro-in-law's sister, but we were quite happy with the prices we paid for these ones. Mom had a $10 reward on her card and some other discount for using her card, bringing the cost down to $124, including tax, for three dresses which is about the price of one dress at the bridal shop. She also earned another $20 reward with that purchase, so she can use that towards the other three dresses next time.<br />
* I brought some of the cookies to work for my coworkers. They were whispering about how expensive they looked.<br />
* My friend's daughter had some health issues over the weekend. I brought them a box of cookies. They liked them.<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-71942792224332179642018-01-13T22:37:00.001-05:002018-01-13T22:37:33.824-05:00Fighting Insurance ConfusionSince January is when a lot of us are dealing with insurance policies, I thought I'd share a little tip I've picked up.<br />
<br />
We had a delightful piece of mail come in a couple of weeks ago. I went to the doctor last month and before scheduling the appointment, I asked if they accepted my new insurance. They said they did. After the first appointment, they called the insurance to ask if they covered the procedure I had done. I was told it would be covered 100%. I had it done and all was well until I got the Explanation of Benefits stating that they weren't paying a penny because it wasn't in network. They said that the nurse practitioner that performed the procedure was in network, but the office wasn't. Unfortunately, they had filed the claim under the office. The insurance company had completely drained my health fund and said I still owed $600. I called the insurance company and filed an appeal. I'm still waiting to find out if I win. If I win, the amount in my health fund gets rolled over to my plan this year, so this issue is worth $1100.<br />
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We got a new insurance plan through my employer (Our 3rd insurance company within 6 months. Woohoo...), so I was worried about having a similar experience. Most of my coworkers have found that their doctor's aren't in network (My boss has gone to the same doctor for 22 years and now has to find someone new) or that all of the doctors at the office except one are in network. It is very frustrating and overwhelming. I went to the website to search for my providers as I usually do when I noticed a disclaimer stating that just because a provider was listed was no guarantee that they were in network. Wait, what?<br />
<br />
I did my search but wanted to get good proof in case of dispute. I found a link where I could live chat with someone from the insurance company. I explicitly asked if the doctor's office (with address and phone number) and each of our primary care doctors were in network. They explicitly told me they were. I asked about the hospitals that were in network and verified the ones that we would be most likely to use. They explicitly said they were. There was a button at the bottom that let me download a transcript of the chat with the date, time and name of the rep. I save these in a folder and rename with a description: "Primary Care", "Dr. xxx", etc.<br />
<br />
Before I made another doctor's appointment, I asked again about the office and the doctor. I also asked explicitly for information about what my plan covers and how it is processed since some plans have limits on numbers of treatments per year, or will charge a different coinsurance rate.<br />
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If I get billed improperly from now on, I will have a lot more supporting evidence in my appeal. It only takes a few minutes once you know where to look. You can even bookmark the page to live chat. If taking five minutes here and there saves me from another $1100 mistake, it will be a great hourly rate.<br />
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Good luck out there!Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-49378329652599212112018-01-08T14:40:00.000-05:002018-01-08T14:40:18.853-05:00This Week...Beyond Money 12/18 - 1/7<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5nPMVXeQbNUd1G9RfwKhZbmXIztCP6qSgw30rKv9mqf9TgBSZQalUgKxzlqJA_ybUdH51SSWgip0vn9Vy03URq-eJ8LP1pHHxgixyK_YQSbDu1QoAd3taZbJiNs9A7eBv7Co1Zq0uwE/s1600/20180106_155708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5nPMVXeQbNUd1G9RfwKhZbmXIztCP6qSgw30rKv9mqf9TgBSZQalUgKxzlqJA_ybUdH51SSWgip0vn9Vy03URq-eJ8LP1pHHxgixyK_YQSbDu1QoAd3taZbJiNs9A7eBv7Co1Zq0uwE/s320/20180106_155708.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* My pothos cuttings are growing new leaves but haven't grown water roots yet. It is still super cheery sitting on my bookshelf. Update: We have roots! Almost time to put into pots.<br />
* The houseplants are taking over everything. Woohoo!<br />
* I am regrowing some green onions in a little glass of water.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All 12 bags for $10!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* Oh my goodness, did we go grocery shopping. In preparation for a massive cooking day, we hit our secret produce wholesaler. It was unreal, as always. I got huge heads of bok choi for $1.39 each, kiwi 6 for $1, ginger for $2/lb, trail mix for $3/lb and a HUGE bag of lettuce, cleaned and chopped for $1. Then, the deal of the century (not to be dramatic): 1 lb bags of sweet lunchbox peppers were $1! However, if you bought a whole flat of 12, it was $10! So, less than $.85/lb for peppers that we sold for $5/lb at the farm. They weren't seconds either; these were absolutely perfect.<br />
* We hit Kroger the evening before Christmas Eve and lucked out. There were plenty of manager's specials. We got a huge pork butt for $2.50/lb, ground beef for $2.50/lb, chicken thighs for $1.80/lb, a big bag of snowball rolls for $1.50/dozen, and chocolate chip cookie dough Klondike bars for $2.80/6 pk (Chocolate chip cookie dough is Trucker's favorite, so I had to).<br />
* I hit the salvage grocer on the way to work one day. I got some amazing deals. I got 5 lb whole wheat flour ($.50), 2 lb bags of self-rising cornmeal ($.50), cinnamon/apple and maple/brown sugar bread ($.50/loaf), tartar sauce ($.50/bottle), small red beans ($1.39/2 lbs), granola bars (~$.15/each), cooking wine for $2/bottle (I have been craving shrimp scampi and plan to make it for my family for New Year's), and little bottles of ginger ale($.25 each; this is by far the best ginger ale I've ever had-spicy enough to make you sneeze!).<br />
* We made rice cooked in stock and stir-fried vegetables for dinner one night.<br />
* I made homemade hamburger helper. We used some ground turkey, with sauteed onions and peppers, the last of a box of pasta, some powdered cheese, the last of a bag of cheddar, a little milk and some homemade stock.<br />
* I used our frozen food preps to make dinner. I made an epic meal in about 15 minutes: egg drop soup (homemade stock, 1 egg and green onions), crab rangoon and egg rolls (frozen; texture was not perfect, but it was my first time making them from frozen; they were still great), stir fry (variety of veggies from the frig with some shredded pork from the freezer) and rice (cooked in stock).<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0NGQMgHyx3B-FMabMgYCj0fnUIXzf2kSnBAL4NJqEjHsYBbZtQgv8pXDiL41FhbXVOjqN3lbyh5QBNXqODXxp-_Nm11Vuyr8A35j_nngyJ9oUfRr1envBOR7KT1otuSpBykltmk8pq4/s1600/20171224_174917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0NGQMgHyx3B-FMabMgYCj0fnUIXzf2kSnBAL4NJqEjHsYBbZtQgv8pXDiL41FhbXVOjqN3lbyh5QBNXqODXxp-_Nm11Vuyr8A35j_nngyJ9oUfRr1envBOR7KT1otuSpBykltmk8pq4/s320/20171224_174917.jpg" width="320" /></a>* We used the rest of the baggie of pork to make BBQ pulled pork sandwiches with caramelized onions (frozen in ice cube trays) and sauteed peppers (frozen in ice cube trays). This is such a great time saver. It took about 5 minutes to make dinner.<br />
* I love my SodaStream. It is generally considered a luxury item, but we save money and materials with it. We buy the syrups at the salvage grocer: $99/bottle of 36 servings. It is the equivalent in price per ounce of $1.50/12 pack (including carbonation), which is half the cost on sale here. I use it to make flavored waters and homemade seltzer. It doesn't save over buying seltzer at the salvage grocer when they have it. The salvage grocer sells it for $.05/can. Flavored seltzer at home runs around $.12/12 oz, but would save money if I had to pay regular grocery prices for seltzer. Either way, we don't produce as much waste.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrpT9aOKE9p7kDVt58pqcZ62YniU2mhwMtkAy-ZNs9HtRRRb4tYNrjoiNby42Y2pKppKgKtBL4SzNI08DnF6_VErAoQbM0KjmMNy1Q1YZEsqUrQRurYL0DdPrJvKViI-0oK6nNZVCLlw/s1600/20171224_192800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrpT9aOKE9p7kDVt58pqcZ62YniU2mhwMtkAy-ZNs9HtRRRb4tYNrjoiNby42Y2pKppKgKtBL4SzNI08DnF6_VErAoQbM0KjmMNy1Q1YZEsqUrQRurYL0DdPrJvKViI-0oK6nNZVCLlw/s320/20171224_192800.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<b>Food Preservation:</b><br />
* We did great on the food preservation front this week. We spent one entire evening freezing food for quick, easy, cheap and healthful meals in the coming months. I did little bits here and there for the next few days.<br />
* I sauteed about 3 lbs of onions. I caramelized another 6 lbs in the slow cooker. These were frozen in ice-cube trays and then bagged.<br />
* We froze 12 lbs of sweet Lunchbox peppers. Some we sauteed in rings and strips. The strips were mixed with the sauteed onions and frozen in ice cube trays. These will be pulled out a cube or two at a time for omelets, pizza toppings, sandwich fixins, etc. The rings were frozen on a cookie sheet and then packed into a freezer bag loose so we can pull out exactly what we need. Over half were cored/seeded and frozen whole. These will be used for mini stuffed peppers and pepper poppers. We can also chop them if we run out of chopped peppers first.<br />
* We cooked up 2 lbs of ground beef. We had tacos for dinner and used half a pound. The rest was divided into 4 bags. 2 bags unseasoned, 2 bags taco seasoning with added peppers and onions.<br />
* I pulled out all of the whole frozen tomatoes from the growing season. When I got overwhelmed or when we took a trip, I'd just chucked the fully ripe tomatoes into the freezer to deal with "later". I skinned them (the skins went into the stock pot) and cooked them down into a flavorful sauce with seasonings from the garden (frozen and dehydrated). I froze it for later.<br />
* I used all of our veggie scraps from the day as well as all of the veggie scraps in the freezer and tomato juice strained from sauce making earlier this season to make veggie broth. I added some flavored vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. It smells heavenly. I cooked it down for a more concentrated flavor.<br />
* I also cooked up 2 lbs of ground turkey. We used a little for lunch and froze the rest.<br />
* I froze 3 medium-sized loaves of zucchini bread.<br />
* I cooked a pork butt in the slow cooker. The meat was bagged up and frozen for future meals. The lard was rendered. The cooking liquid was saved to use in soup/rice making.<br />
* We made a massive batch of crab rangoon and egg rolls (around 75 and 25 respectively). We used a few for our dinner that night and froze the rest. I will let you know how they turn out.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCuWcBz53LXPepT6aNNYW9jcw6ypnK_omv2st4ayVimhq1LI9j9_feYP1KTVxNXH8DKtRi2tt3zDVWyrK-ZF_5XYrV0tB58odwXDU2RUui0ZONO_oeVGfQG-XO8-YiBKmBdrBvzJXv_o/s1600/20180106_151820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCuWcBz53LXPepT6aNNYW9jcw6ypnK_omv2st4ayVimhq1LI9j9_feYP1KTVxNXH8DKtRi2tt3zDVWyrK-ZF_5XYrV0tB58odwXDU2RUui0ZONO_oeVGfQG-XO8-YiBKmBdrBvzJXv_o/s320/20180106_151820.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The artist took pictures of 8 different people<br />and then painted them. It is so beautiful.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Fun:</b><br />
* It is winter break! I am so happy to get 10 days off work. We get paid for the work days we have off.<br />
* Trucker and I went thrifting together. We found some nice things for friends and family. We don't do Christmas gifts, but these will be given throughout the year as the need comes up. We found some cute baby clothes for my sister who is pregnant, a cute mini photo album for a wedding (I plan to fill it with pics of my sister and her fiance for their wedding),an owl basket for mom, and a book on dog grooming at home for my dad (who just bought clippers, so really this gift is for their dog! haha). I grabbed some items for everyone else at after-holiday sales just so they weren't left out. We got a camo-themed hygiene set for my outdoorsy bro-in-law (shower gel, shampoo, cologne and loofah), a body spray set for my other sister, and a couple bags of candy for the soon-to-be-bro-in-law. We don't generally exchange gifts for the holidays, but will give them to them sometime soon. My family doesn't expect gifts and are all frugal enough to appreciate used gifts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVikr-NaO92Zx1iOHMwFWM0AT43_w7kA0t62h3kAs29KXlFVBgV37bX35-LKQIvvmuXga_4AKI3NzkNiPEf2xi3hsJa2qVarLQizh96wrUCxVTtg6dtLGRf2Tkzxd1ysYoTKWO2aQjX4/s1600/20180106_151407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVikr-NaO92Zx1iOHMwFWM0AT43_w7kA0t62h3kAs29KXlFVBgV37bX35-LKQIvvmuXga_4AKI3NzkNiPEf2xi3hsJa2qVarLQizh96wrUCxVTtg6dtLGRf2Tkzxd1ysYoTKWO2aQjX4/s320/20180106_151407.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
* We went out to brunch with our besties. We were all off work for once. We went to a local restaurant. It is always so nice to see Daisy and hubs. They are lovely humans. Daisy's hubby had to get to sleep (3rd shifter), but she went thrifting with us for half off day. Afterwards, we hit the Asian grocery. I got wonton and egg roll wrappers, snacks and chili sauce. I also saw that they had frozen blue shell crabs for $1.99. I may have to go back.<br />
* One particularly frigid day, we went to an antique mall. It was so much fun to run around and look at everything. Plus, we got our walk in! We also stopped at a comic book store for their end-of-the-year sale. Comics priced $4 and under were $1. Trucker got several that he needed to fill in gaps. He collects Punisher stuff. I'm not into comics, but he is, so I like going with him to sales to help hunt for comics he doesn't have. He builds his collection slowly and frugally.<br />
* We went to a free 5-piece bluegrass concert at the library in the neighboring town. They were really good and I enjoyed hearing some of my favorite songs.<br />
* We went out with my parents, siblings and bro-in-laws for one of those game places. We had a good time with everyone, but it won't be a regular part of our entertainment. However, we did get to do several fun things: laser tag, go-carts, bumper cars, mini bowling, two rounds of putt-putt, and an hour of unlimited video game play. It was $39 each, which is enough to almost bring me to tears, but my grandpa and great-aunt had given us money to have fun with for the holiday, so out-of-pocket cost was $9/each. Afterwards we all went out to eat. Trucker and I bought dinner for my parents. We used a coupon for BOGO entrees, so the cost was around $12 plus tip. It was the most expensive outing of the break, but since we didn't go out of town like we'd planned, the overall cost of the break was fair.<br />
* I went to the bookstore with Daisy for their 20% off sale. I found several books that Trucker and I wanted, on clearance or very low-priced. The highest priced book was $4. Afterwards we went out for coffee and talked.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2d3JucHgT1atDJpQIcvUQtJUvX_v-Vh3XRe5OTXB5K_M4HQ20QruSmy7jOSSJ1XAESO1QrPwx2qk7NQaenBWx4CDy97TFyVSjhcKBUKgtYW4vXwqz_TwbvBgHrkvZ598D3h97MUR23k/s1600/20180101_004114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2d3JucHgT1atDJpQIcvUQtJUvX_v-Vh3XRe5OTXB5K_M4HQ20QruSmy7jOSSJ1XAESO1QrPwx2qk7NQaenBWx4CDy97TFyVSjhcKBUKgtYW4vXwqz_TwbvBgHrkvZ598D3h97MUR23k/s200/20180101_004114.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilly is a constant blur of motion.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
* We toured a candy factory. Life is beautiful. It is a 65-year-old local company. The tour cost a whopping $2 each and you got a $2 voucher for the gift shop. It was so cool to watch them make different kinds of candy and watch the machinery in motion. Afterwards, they gave us each a buckeye. We found the mistakes boxes of candy that sells for half price. We each got a little box (milk chocolate crunch for Trucker and dark chocolate creams for me) for $4.45/each, or $2.45 after our voucher. Not a bad date!<br />
* Gallery hop night! It was barely over 0 degrees, so Trucker found out that the convention center has an epic art collection and gives free tours. We enjoyed hearing about local artists and pieces and got to be inside where it was warm. Afterwards, we were able to walk through the skywalk to a posh hotel that housed part of the collection. We did walk around the neighborhood to hit a couple of our favorite galleries. It is always such a wonderful night. Each time I think it is the best one yet. I love the talks we have about technique, message, emotions and artists. We went to my favorite gallery and found that "Bill" wasn't there (this is the washing machine sculpture that I adore). Trucker asked the gallery owner if he had sold, and she said they had just rotated him out for a bit. She told us more about the artist (Jack Earl, for those are interested). He is 82 years old and has a wicked sense of humor. He has started painting now, so it was fun to see his relatively new medium. She said that "Bill" had been at the local art museum before it came to this gallery. I read somewhere that Earl is in the Smithsonian, so I think a road trip is in order.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMmFSKLgOieS10iriu4p7vMvYOXkj1sk6e1rGGUARuAnGmOGOemYlVWGxwj5bNbZb4IS4X6tOixO4kSyBuxAwHoctbWbXfKQ02qSSLKJrL05-RQYfGSDq8_P-woSBH6e7RyIIH4G-1-w/s1600/20180101_004123%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMmFSKLgOieS10iriu4p7vMvYOXkj1sk6e1rGGUARuAnGmOGOemYlVWGxwj5bNbZb4IS4X6tOixO4kSyBuxAwHoctbWbXfKQ02qSSLKJrL05-RQYfGSDq8_P-woSBH6e7RyIIH4G-1-w/s200/20180101_004123%25280%2529.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Sis Rosebud is an<br />absolute sweetheart.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
* Trucker uses an app from the library to check out ebooks for free. He is getting a lot of reading in by having a book or two on his phone to read while waiting in line.<br />
* We went to my Grandpa's house on New Year's Eve. I made dinner for everyone. I made shrimp scampi with angel hair, roasted potatoes, carrots and garlic, and a salad. It was really yummy. Afterwards, we played pool and ping-pong in the basement and laughed a lot together. Then we went to my parents house to play Wii and hang out with their adorable goldendoodles. When it was time to watch the ball drop, we couldn't get the station in, but Dad found a star trek episode ending. He laughed that it was almost midnight since the show was over. I shouted "30 29 28..." Dad and I laughed hysterically as we counted to zero which was perfect timing. We decided that next year we would tell my new bro-in-laws (who weren't there this year) that that is our family tradition. Mom still wanted to see the ball drop, but I couldn't find the video. I tried to sneak a 2016 ball drop video past her, but she caught on. Overall, it was a nice evening.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOC9SNEIPrSDUdLD8qTJTid3nPrp_SwB5GjMKtZa6rB_XCGTZVtTpVr9ZAZte68NmnOsKdH9zS1Mf3QzvwLpJyiJAOBTMmT6ndFgQaecNmtd3bS-2jI0D6jtHErVbUA0sCv9amtEipw4/s1600/20180107_183730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOC9SNEIPrSDUdLD8qTJTid3nPrp_SwB5GjMKtZa6rB_XCGTZVtTpVr9ZAZte68NmnOsKdH9zS1Mf3QzvwLpJyiJAOBTMmT6ndFgQaecNmtd3bS-2jI0D6jtHErVbUA0sCv9amtEipw4/s200/20180107_183730.jpg" width="150" /></a>* We went to a small town outside of the city for the first concert of their cello festival series. We got to enjoy 2 hours of various artists from several states and a couple countries. It was a free event at the senior center. Afterwards, we walked to a local coffee house and enjoyed warm drinks and our books. Then we stopped at an agrotourism dairy. During the warm season, there is mini golf, batting cages, petting zoo and more. Since it was hovering just about zero, none of that was open, but they did have ice cream! I got a scoop of cow patty (decadent double dark chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips, toffee and cookie bits) and Trucker got chocolate chip cookie dough (his favorite and since it was the flavor of the week, he got two scoops for the price of one). Not including gas, our date cost $12.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_q6yihtJ6_w4FKhmQtJbLCzEtV-QZPPel4IN5d5ZCzKKRKcksoqAjIWQ4R7NMjkyFRveguIBeGQZbbop4QigjBNTiwjkkzTf4Yg-VzPvykvsCR7LSZpq7oV337z9aX7Ux9HzG6ClTSc/s1600/20180106_164257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_q6yihtJ6_w4FKhmQtJbLCzEtV-QZPPel4IN5d5ZCzKKRKcksoqAjIWQ4R7NMjkyFRveguIBeGQZbbop4QigjBNTiwjkkzTf4Yg-VzPvykvsCR7LSZpq7oV337z9aX7Ux9HzG6ClTSc/s320/20180106_164257.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>Nature:</b><br />
* Nature is a million miles away. I enjoy it exclusively through art and houseplants when it is below freezing. LOL<br />
<br />
<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* Trucker's office chair broke out of the blue one morning. We decided to hit some thrift stores to look for a replacement instead of rushing to the office store. We went to three thrift stores and at the last one, found a perfect chair. It was the right size, more comfortable than his last one, and a beautiful earthy brown to go better with our living room. Price? $10.<br />
* I bought two new travel coffee mugs at the thrift. We had a set that my sister gave us 8 years ago. We definitely got a lot of use out of them, but the bottoms were falling apart and rusting and water had gotten inside the insulated part. It was time for some new ones. Trucker got a nice metal one with a blue lid and I got an amazing salmon colored (my favorite!) one. We paid $1.50 each. Mine looks brand new: no wear, no stains.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2VM8qv62ibC91vOpTWRD4bWlgeb5RRfJokVM8C72BdutJBdpuNUrL-qn9qoUAcCbbBNrUZVgqj8aaYNcDx2QhAdwJ2Bf0pSyQVm8uRbyN3b4gB7kqugxt-g-zMKcAKZz9RZeEiDLB1M/s1600/20171227_152850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2VM8qv62ibC91vOpTWRD4bWlgeb5RRfJokVM8C72BdutJBdpuNUrL-qn9qoUAcCbbBNrUZVgqj8aaYNcDx2QhAdwJ2Bf0pSyQVm8uRbyN3b4gB7kqugxt-g-zMKcAKZz9RZeEiDLB1M/s320/20171227_152850.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funny finds (not purchased haha!) at the<br />antique mall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
* My credit score raised another 9 points this month.<br />
* We got an oil change with a coupon to save about $10.<br />
* We line dry our clothes inside. This saves electricity, but also increases humidity in the house. The laundry room is home to some houseplants that like a good bit of humidity, so this helps them a little. Trucker has taken over laundry duty for the most part and has created an amazing system for getting a full load up in the small amount of indoor space we have.<br />
* I used rewards points towards my credit card balance.<br />
<br />
<b>Waste Reduction:</b><br />
* We took a couple boxes of household items to my parents' house for my sisters to look through. We let them take whatever they wanted and donated the rest.<br />
<br />
<b>House and Home:</b><br />
* We did a little decluttering, but not nearly as much as I'd told myself I would do.<br />
* I did crazed kitchen cleaning with my melamine foam. It is amazing how easily grime wipes off with these things.<br />
* I cleaned out the vent covers for the furnace and bathroom exhaust fans. I try to do it at least once a year.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhzVhSYlM_uopGPoKZwVQMD77_rCSm2YyDWYtNsXKuDB5d2hbBVIueKDS9oRhJtk1gPgugzjWP6KmhkyXii1C8FS3gEc4E2Xk9nVCEgjtNRLLP75jUb8MR7WtCA8QbUJ5z7oxuDPbkL8/s1600/20180106_155917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhzVhSYlM_uopGPoKZwVQMD77_rCSm2YyDWYtNsXKuDB5d2hbBVIueKDS9oRhJtk1gPgugzjWP6KmhkyXii1C8FS3gEc4E2Xk9nVCEgjtNRLLP75jUb8MR7WtCA8QbUJ5z7oxuDPbkL8/s320/20180106_155917.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<b>Work:</b><br />
* I enjoyed the break away from work. It was much needed. Trucker also took a break from his work to hang out with me. Whenever he had to knock out a project, we did it together so we got more time together.<br />
<br />
<b>Health:</b><br />
* It is much to cold to walk outside (at least for us), so we have tried to find active outings that allow us to walk a lot indoors, even if that means walking the aisles at the grocery.<br />
* I got a bit of a workout shoveling the driveway and sidewalks.<br />
* I weighed in and realized that I have lost 11 lbs in the last 9 months. That was really exciting, since I'm now on two meds that can cause weight gain.<br />
* My arms are still recovering from my medical procedure almost a month ago. The arm that had the procedure had to rest for a couple weeks, by which time my other arm was worn out from picking up the slack. Here is hoping for arm comfort this week!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxAwwa1HQItjv8UIfu7NU84YSekxrI8W0BItLWKeOAPNCFoHvozg6dIRV2EkbzKg8pTxis-c3ozywxb_gKGusnrPtnXGZ1_LR38co0uAnEH-bgZXsCrv5Ksyp0pmHvDW38ub8W4aQe6M/s1600/20171223_152430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxAwwa1HQItjv8UIfu7NU84YSekxrI8W0BItLWKeOAPNCFoHvozg6dIRV2EkbzKg8pTxis-c3ozywxb_gKGusnrPtnXGZ1_LR38co0uAnEH-bgZXsCrv5Ksyp0pmHvDW38ub8W4aQe6M/s200/20171223_152430.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">$4 silk flower bouquet was<br />much nicer than $4 worth<br />of real flowers and it<br />lasts longer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Setbacks:</b><br />
* We hit a deer right after leaving my parents house on New Year's Day. Fortunately, I got slowed down enough that it just smashed up the bumper but didn't bust the radiator. We weren't sure if anything was damaged to make it unsafe for us to drive 50+ miles home, so my parents let us drive Dad's truck and they took my car to my cousin to look it over the next morning. The next morning I drove the car 3 miles round trip to get supplies for a house repair. I got a flat tire as I turned onto our street. There wasn't a spare in the truck, so they drove it out to us. Dad and Trucker changed it in 2 degree weather. When they first got there, dad unloaded his tools as soon as he got there. When he and Trucker headed back out, Trucker asked where the tire was. Dad had a brain slip for a second and thought he had left it at home. He was almost in tears and Trucker said, well let's check the car. They had a good laugh when they saw it in the trunk. Poor Dad. He is so kind to help us out. We all enjoyed some hot chocolate afterwards to warm up.<br />
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<b>Community:</b><br />
* My mom told me one day that an old family friend was in the hospital in my city. This is around 1.5 hours away from where they live. Her sister (her only remaining family) doesn't drive. Since she went into the hospital a couple days before Christmas, I didn't expect that a lot of people would have the time to devote 4+ hours to drive out to visit since they would be doing holiday stuff. Trucker and I stopped at a thrift store and found a beautiful silk flower arrangement for $4. Since she was in ICU she couldn't receive real flowers, and these will be just as beautiful next week as today, plus she will be able to take them home with her. She was so excited to get visitors and loved the flowers. She wanted lots of hugs and we talked with her for a bit until she started falling asleep again.<br />
* We were really thankful that my parents helped us after the deer incident. I don't know what we would have done without them.<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-71489333598266864822017-12-30T16:17:00.001-05:002017-12-30T16:17:10.781-05:00Miss out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGO0ZXuzTEhYj5V51eO8fVTFHqoLeZh-P6IWkUx2U4Zb5gMF26ObAW7QAnhjnO3Q_LFkij7ZhX-oBRlldytAVtfzOSF4sB7N1zYq3_EvhPbshJZc3Z3cry3rkrgMJxB1UzOenDEqvY250/s1600/65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="918" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGO0ZXuzTEhYj5V51eO8fVTFHqoLeZh-P6IWkUx2U4Zb5gMF26ObAW7QAnhjnO3Q_LFkij7ZhX-oBRlldytAVtfzOSF4sB7N1zYq3_EvhPbshJZc3Z3cry3rkrgMJxB1UzOenDEqvY250/s320/65.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
We suffer from a <a href="https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2015/10/12/fear-of-missing-out/">fear of missing out</a>. We are terrified that if we don't check our phones constantly, we will miss out on the next thing. We will miss a trending hashtag, a viral meme or the latest gossip. We do the same thing in life. We buy the latest phone because we don't want to miss out on the new features. We read magazines that keep us from missing the latest fashion. We plan our days around television showtimes so we don't miss out on what the gang is up to. It costs a lot, both in terms of money and of life energy and time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRklZjVhwAS2cCtsmrECuLJaE8zTVh2L3wfDJAdKFD7LzPfvUY2DkCG2QxlF2lyiRHU0_wCX2KIEN1rtewkYcqBd11pmVZj0lV8pebiwhwbOwDIAM8HaHDfRc10qFQb50Uvo8YiFq-Yyg/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRklZjVhwAS2cCtsmrECuLJaE8zTVh2L3wfDJAdKFD7LzPfvUY2DkCG2QxlF2lyiRHU0_wCX2KIEN1rtewkYcqBd11pmVZj0lV8pebiwhwbOwDIAM8HaHDfRc10qFQb50Uvo8YiFq-Yyg/s320/1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGOW-T4A_xOpXxv22ToBRdKAwG91-5ZBf1pCbdepJD1CFFZ2NIc0j5d230TFkg671-NFxSORMQ9BFL147p-gRs3jjqvvxmH1KwaMJyICaJq5ihoM9Wj2asZ6enL3eGRNKO1BFySiysCc/s1600/53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="918" data-pinit="registered" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGOW-T4A_xOpXxv22ToBRdKAwG91-5ZBf1pCbdepJD1CFFZ2NIc0j5d230TFkg671-NFxSORMQ9BFL147p-gRs3jjqvvxmH1KwaMJyICaJq5ihoM9Wj2asZ6enL3eGRNKO1BFySiysCc/s200/53.jpg" width="148" /></a>I'll let you in on a little secret. We all miss out on things all the time. Every choice for one item or direction means choosing against one or more others. Every time you go to work, you miss out on spending time with your kids, or sleeping in, or taking a day trip, or working on your book, or catching up on chores. Every time you choose not to work overtime, say in favor of date night with your partner, you are missing out on the money that would have brought. That money could have knocked down debt, bought a needed household item or paid for an outing for the kids. Every time you eat according to your diet, you miss out on chocolate cake or ice cream or French fries. You're darned if you do, darned if you don't.<br />
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Or are you? Going to work instead of staying home may mean you miss out on sleeping in, but maybe it also means you miss out on homelessness. Sticking to the diet means you lose out on the chance to eat your favorite treat but may add many happy years to your life.<br />
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Missing out isn't the worst thing that can happen. Living a life that doesn't align with your values and desires is. Choose your loved ones. Choose your freedom or your security. Choose to live in the moment. Chose to sacrifice for the future you want.<br />
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Choose what you miss out on and what you wouldn't miss for the world. Your life depends on it.Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-84942225178150622562017-12-20T14:44:00.000-05:002017-12-20T14:44:08.885-05:00This Week...Beyond Money 11/25 - 12/17<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4ybU81snlWd2QDePJ8dCJR8c7gzKXQQVcJK4vwbcDXQs-Ov9ZaEgk7SIbRuyx_NW3LZQEZ5BLdQX_DwP_AlriZKi8jGySL42ZdlchFWq-iUAH0t0uphgMrHz8Uh3Rk4zkAqJi10F0Hg/s1600/20171125_150433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4ybU81snlWd2QDePJ8dCJR8c7gzKXQQVcJK4vwbcDXQs-Ov9ZaEgk7SIbRuyx_NW3LZQEZ5BLdQX_DwP_AlriZKi8jGySL42ZdlchFWq-iUAH0t0uphgMrHz8Uh3Rk4zkAqJi10F0Hg/s320/20171125_150433.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* I bought three houseplants when we stopped at Meijer for something else. I recently joined a houseplant hobbiest group on FB and they are bad influences. I got an Ingrid Ivy, Dragon's Tongue and angel wing begonia (It was not labelled, but someone from the group IDed for me) for $2.99/each. I am really enjoying this hobby. Given my time constraints these days, it is hard to find time for any pleasurable pastimes. This takes relatively little time each day, but I have a lot of fun with it. Plus, it is a great air purifier!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtGbIyZNMzBVVmFsZMTYXNQaNU5SqjLORJSlq-YPtVsm7SH8oSO0Fr7GBkfauj-0YGDfgjfUlI1DcqvrgNFisifl8O06OHXZ7B7JW-wXTpaXCZKLlt9xpsK1dOiy1RglCczuIXlnZr7s/s1600/20171126_150912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtGbIyZNMzBVVmFsZMTYXNQaNU5SqjLORJSlq-YPtVsm7SH8oSO0Fr7GBkfauj-0YGDfgjfUlI1DcqvrgNFisifl8O06OHXZ7B7JW-wXTpaXCZKLlt9xpsK1dOiy1RglCczuIXlnZr7s/s200/20171126_150912.jpg" width="200" /></a>* The lavender plant appeared to be dying, but when I inspected it today, there were some tiny new shoots. Glad I didn't jump the gun and dump it.<br />
* I put some more pothos clippings in water to root. I want to have more beautiful plants all around the house.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegYkGWlH8P0ukgt2aTmJFwsIwJwqkUMVX-fhTl54RdAYOkEoUR0i7zoc3Tlhtwl63R5vZ8iPqfPqFcoyGLqag7bcggs6bH3khwuXZCsihTXRbruQ9osKvw2KKBrAg-Uifw-fhBnIWLDo/s1600/20171202_191118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegYkGWlH8P0ukgt2aTmJFwsIwJwqkUMVX-fhTl54RdAYOkEoUR0i7zoc3Tlhtwl63R5vZ8iPqfPqFcoyGLqag7bcggs6bH3khwuXZCsihTXRbruQ9osKvw2KKBrAg-Uifw-fhBnIWLDo/s320/20171202_191118.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this little plant I found in a coffee shop.<br />I can't wait to find a fun bottle to try it myself.</td></tr>
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* I hit the Lowe's clearance rack. Oh. My. Goodness. It is amazing. I got 3 begonias ($1 each), a croton ($1), a dracnea ($3) and a fern ($3). It is so exciting! Trucker got a Venus Fly Trap. It wasn't on clearance, but it was only $5. I think it is a small price to pay to get him on board with my jungle. He isn't into botany like I am, but is very supportive of me. I do so want him to get bitten by the gardening bug so he goes buck-wild with me when we garden at the next place.<br />
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<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* We have relied on quick and easy meals: spaghetti with sausage and tomato sauce, soup from the freezer, deli meat sandwiches, baked potatoes.<br />
* Trucker brought me breakfast in bed one morning. He woke me up with a glass of juice and freshly brewed coffee (He always tries to plan his consumption so a fresh pot is ready when I wake up). Then he brought up his wonderful french toast with eggs and banana. We sat in bed and talked while we enjoyed our feast. He is so kind and thoughtful.<br />
* We made homemade taco hamburger helper. I sauteed onions and peppers (peppers were already chopped in the freezer), then added hamburger (leftover from the freezer). I made a cheese sauce using cheddar cheese powder, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and the last of a container of chipotle cheddar dip we had leftover. I also added the last of a bag of shredded cheese. I mixed in half a can of refried beans. I mixed all this together with 3/4 lb macaroni. This was incredibly filling with the addition of the beans and lasted for several meals. For those wondering, you couldn't tell there were beans in the mix, except that a small portion was insanely filling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniwS_4etsdVWEX-7K-kUQK9VGjQiKBS-cxzl6UaZFTpVoi1nYP551wU_ZYTPFxIDuzfoydn1awcU4wB78kuj69v1oVVXyCsphYQyUsQldiUZKk_67Bwxlu-A2LXQnTuSOXCAzZokKG40/s1600/20171202_173727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniwS_4etsdVWEX-7K-kUQK9VGjQiKBS-cxzl6UaZFTpVoi1nYP551wU_ZYTPFxIDuzfoydn1awcU4wB78kuj69v1oVVXyCsphYQyUsQldiUZKk_67Bwxlu-A2LXQnTuSOXCAzZokKG40/s320/20171202_173727.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This piece was done entirely with a palette knife. No brush!</td></tr>
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* I pulled a large container of taco soup out of the freezer. It was enough for 4 meals that were quick heat-and-eat affairs. For the last bowl, it wasn't quite enough for a meal, so I added some crumbled tortilla chips from the bottom of the bag.<br />
* We made Trucker's taco dip (In hindsight, it does appear we eat nothing but taco-inspired dishes). We had a layer of refried beans, then sour cream and cream cheese, lettuce, peppers, onions, cheddar cheese and black olives. We had it with tortilla chips while we watched a movie. There were enough leftovers for a few more meals.<br />
* We bought a container of crab dip/spread on manager's special for $1.30. We used that to make several sandwiches. It was very flavorful and satisfying.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2myiHSlrG9uF0xWwusVb_eoVy8GIxVOmDZ2A3o7uKNTqd5OJs5cIn-uECLGnq_cpOCq9hsk6ipqyVA5QLyM-6BIl953Fj-dMKk9RMu9vW7dg2SWBUxZfPDg4xNCtkuOKYjU-b6SRqCv0/s1600/20171202_175447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2myiHSlrG9uF0xWwusVb_eoVy8GIxVOmDZ2A3o7uKNTqd5OJs5cIn-uECLGnq_cpOCq9hsk6ipqyVA5QLyM-6BIl953Fj-dMKk9RMu9vW7dg2SWBUxZfPDg4xNCtkuOKYjU-b6SRqCv0/s320/20171202_175447.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This piece we saw at the gallery hop is far<br />beyond my skill level, but was so inspirational.</td></tr>
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* We found a manager's special on ice cream. It was PB&J ice cream in back-to-school packaging, so they were clearing it out. It was $1/half gallon. When I was young, I used to get a scoop of vanilla ice cream, add a huge dollop of peanut butter and a spoonful of jelly for what I considered to be the most decadent dessert ever. I had completely forgotten about that until I tried this ice cream.<br />
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<b>Fun:</b><br />
* We walked at the mall one day when it was too cold to walk outside. We had a good time laughing at weird fashion.<br />
* We went to the gallery hop. It was magical as always. We got Thai food beforehand using a Groupon. There was a show of scratchboard pieces. I used to scratchboard years ago. Trucker encouraged me to try again. Later that week I made a couple of simple pieces. Two of them were of horses. My work friend recently got a horse so I gave them to her as a celebratory gift.<br />
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* Trucker planned an amazing date for us. We have had a crazy few weeks and hadn't really had much time together to connect. He found a free craft class at the Urban Art Space. We made mobiles. Trucker made a phone. A mobile phone. I adore him. After that, we went out for coffee and reading. We brought travel mugs so our coffee was only $3.50. Trucker said that there was a Greek restaurant near his agent's office and every time he drives by he thinks he needs to take me there. We were right down the road and when I checked my coupon app, we had a BOGO coupon. We got giant gyros and an order of fries to split. By then it was dark, so we went to a local park downtown along the river for their lights show. We got a couple miles walking in and enjoyed the jazz music playing from the speakers. It was an amazing date and all in cost $15.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ35DKEPB0xz3caha6u9s7hxn2UJJQGVx7onJShSim4RMB17C4RKC5KFbNUzN4hGgS8I3dMMuTBPYU39TvgAtchmkOtoDI8YXZBfcTQ4XU-o5jyMTOitt8w8-ktd0dZ5B-J3uuy7NBp7Q/s1600/20171202_200520%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ35DKEPB0xz3caha6u9s7hxn2UJJQGVx7onJShSim4RMB17C4RKC5KFbNUzN4hGgS8I3dMMuTBPYU39TvgAtchmkOtoDI8YXZBfcTQ4XU-o5jyMTOitt8w8-ktd0dZ5B-J3uuy7NBp7Q/s320/20171202_200520%25280%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
* I did a little drawing and found that it is not like riding a bicycle. I won't give up though!<br />
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<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* I got my insurance packet for the new year. Now that they updated my completion of our wellness program, the cost is actually lower than I was initially told. We will pay $9.50/week ($494/yr) for all insurance needs (health, life, short and long-term disability, AD&D, vision, dental, etc).<br />
* I noticed that the life insurance policy was pending approval for Trucker. I called and they are supposed to send me the forms to fill out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pKVtBls7Z3qYNzaA8V8LLt8chvVFHNZChyphenhyphen7j91tDStKinZlR8lsKYsAYEDXhoCdXuPlCzzSv3AMcWNPtQUUHIDt7iFzrNDRvrxeqkKT_yOohw4NnpDV76GHrbAoN7Mok61qkD0-534U/s1600/20171202_183307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pKVtBls7Z3qYNzaA8V8LLt8chvVFHNZChyphenhyphen7j91tDStKinZlR8lsKYsAYEDXhoCdXuPlCzzSv3AMcWNPtQUUHIDt7iFzrNDRvrxeqkKT_yOohw4NnpDV76GHrbAoN7Mok61qkD0-534U/s320/20171202_183307.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>House and Home:</b><br />
* I bought a bed, finally. We have never found a good bed at a good price, so we have just had a mattress and box springs on the floor. I found a local woodworker selling beautiful pallet beds for $170 for a full. It is a little rough, but has potential. I'll need to send it down, apply fungicide (just in case), stain and seal it. It will take some work, but even with the supplies it will cost around $190. They said that the pallets aren't chemically treated, but just in case, I let it off-gas in a well-ventilated part of the house for a couple of weeks with windows and doors open and exhaust fan on whenever possible. I will add a couple layers of polyurethane. I think that should take care of any issues.<br />
* We rearranged our bedroom to accommodate the bed and get a fresh feel.<br />
<br />
<b>Work:</b><br />
* My job gave us a pizza party one day to celebrate a quality achievement. We got a slice of pizza, a soda or water and a cookie.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSA8HCUB2qBK0__tRygARzKPP9ykoOXTzhmTsYGHzNWbCV5Hgl220NsiB9bCj2FebwfpaKBr_GMdiSw8foqPcEm5FOQtfXUwzjllxE3cHHIJA2xc0x4XewMsAOcZZPhikv1pIIsaagCs/s1600/20171202_180632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSA8HCUB2qBK0__tRygARzKPP9ykoOXTzhmTsYGHzNWbCV5Hgl220NsiB9bCj2FebwfpaKBr_GMdiSw8foqPcEm5FOQtfXUwzjllxE3cHHIJA2xc0x4XewMsAOcZZPhikv1pIIsaagCs/s320/20171202_180632.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The city looks magical at night when the moon<br />is full. Even on chilly nights, the gallery hop<br />never fails to revive my spirits. Thankfully, it<br />happens every month!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
* Another day they had the annual holiday meal. We got turkey and cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed carrots, roll and pecan or pumpkin pie with a soda or water.<br />
* I've been working some overtime.<br />
* Trucker's boss bought them pizza for lunch a couple times.<br />
* Awhile back, I signed up to donate to a local homeless shelter directly through my paycheck during our United Way drive. I was able to select a shelter near where we live. They gave us a punch card for a free drink each month at the cafeteria. I have used that for days that I get to work super early and read in the cafeteria. Each time I do this instead of stopping at a coffee house, I save $1.70.<br />
<br />
<b>Future:</b><br />
* Trucker is in another film. This is a local one. He got cast as a cop, but when he got to filming, they also had him put a ski mask on and do a robbery scene. The next day the director called him and said he did amazing and asked if he could come in for a second day of filming. He got to do a few roles and several scenes.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhI8CAQcABgcMh-1oLSSlO1vqHivcoRRtvwtlse9JBjMHpMt0Bbmi7gKJB_uM-Tu55WKzd5XQQiVN7bBYiB4k3Z-UTPwx2xnCt4pi11X-H2HnR1EpiYpkTHF1UCH0pa7UJQ7kAm_G2ro/s1600/20171125_145815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhI8CAQcABgcMh-1oLSSlO1vqHivcoRRtvwtlse9JBjMHpMt0Bbmi7gKJB_uM-Tu55WKzd5XQQiVN7bBYiB4k3Z-UTPwx2xnCt4pi11X-H2HnR1EpiYpkTHF1UCH0pa7UJQ7kAm_G2ro/s320/20171125_145815.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<b>Health:</b><br />
* I got free preventative exams.<br />
* We switched to 90 day refills on our prescriptions to save $80-100/year.<br />
* I had a minor procedure done. I'm in a little pain, but it will be fine in a couple days. I feel very fortunate because after insurance and my employer-sponsored health fund, I didn't have to pay anything out of pocket for a procedure that would have cost over $600 without insurance. After having lived so long without insurance, I am thankful every time I can get quality health care instead of having to struggle through home remedies. While I still certainly aim to stay healthy and use some home remedies, there are certain things that aren't practical or best to diy. For example, I once super glued a finger tip back on. It worked out okay and I have no bad numbness or tingling in it, but would prefer to never have to do that again.<br />
<br />
<b>Community:</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTd8jFfGG0-DH-kLG3GeucLJNLa0EUJAQkFhpcA1IxHxJL1L4hmnq2ejKqvsTiZEh9Fkl7GZuXGMibMpOfJ_kpPIQMFJnsVAbRJvHHtVFD1d6dSJJglTmuy68R0OFL8O8WeR2xzhboE-U/s1600/20171209_120419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTd8jFfGG0-DH-kLG3GeucLJNLa0EUJAQkFhpcA1IxHxJL1L4hmnq2ejKqvsTiZEh9Fkl7GZuXGMibMpOfJ_kpPIQMFJnsVAbRJvHHtVFD1d6dSJJglTmuy68R0OFL8O8WeR2xzhboE-U/s200/20171209_120419.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This lovely picture stand<br />cost a whopping $3!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
* I took my sister out thrifting for her wedding. We found about $300 worth of decorative items for $35. We also stopped at our booth and we gave her a few items that hadn't sold (a cake stand, compote and cloche). I was so excited to be able to help her with it. We stopped back at the house and I made soup and grilled sandwiches for a really cheap lunch. I tried to expose her to some sauteed cabbage but she wasn't digging it. It worked out wonderfully for both of us. She was able to save a ton of money while still getting a pretty wedding and it was so reviving to feel needed and like I was valued.<br />
* Daisy offered to let my sister borrow some of the decorations from her wedding. She is so kind and I am very thankful for her.<br />
* We got a new guy in my area. He mentioned that he wanted to catch a ball game, but it was pricey. I ran over to the cabinet where I had left the Entertainment book for coworkers to browse. I showed him a whole page of coupons for sporting events and told him to take whatever he wanted.<br />
* I had a scary doctor's appointment and was really nervous leading up to it. Trucker came with me to the appointment and afterwards, when I tried to turn left to walk back to the car, he turned me right. He said that a donut would make everything better. We went to a local treasure that makes an epic Buckeye donut (yeast donut with chocolate icing and peanut butter). For just $2.50, we had a nice mini-date that made me feel cherished and distracted me a bit. (For the record, all is well, so I can go back to not worrying).<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-72081135789021347902017-11-26T17:19:00.003-05:002017-11-26T17:19:55.937-05:00This Week...Beyond Money ???-11/24<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<i><br /></i>
<i>Sorry, yet again for late/missing posts. The work schedule has been rough and the DST blues hit me particularly strong this year. I think I've made it through the worst of it.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHw7B-mCEHU6uK8E5heIxisVaLN4xJN4-sPHskpcsUXQBhia-hRPNNT_UCp-qwUXrqLyiDKnt6E6kCNQMmxrDwMxqT_vxPG-81aB3M2d5cBoUgVnl1bRjaWafZeY-1gSzIdD07CDYKRK0/s1600/20171104_190626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHw7B-mCEHU6uK8E5heIxisVaLN4xJN4-sPHskpcsUXQBhia-hRPNNT_UCp-qwUXrqLyiDKnt6E6kCNQMmxrDwMxqT_vxPG-81aB3M2d5cBoUgVnl1bRjaWafZeY-1gSzIdD07CDYKRK0/s320/20171104_190626.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* We got our first snow. The garden is done for the year.<br />
* I took clippings from my golden pothos plant and rooted them in a vase of water. The house is turning into a jungle, and I like it. We are getting some <a href="http://www.mastersinhealthcare.com/blog/2011/15-fabulous-health-benefits-of-house-plants/">great health benefits</a> from all the greenery and it definitely helps make me feel more alive while I'm cooped up indoors.<br />
* I dug up a lavender plant from the garden and brought it inside. It was accidentally left in the garden over last winter and not only survived, but thrived. It is huge compared to the potted lavender I remembered to bring in last fall. I put it in a fairly large pot. Hopefully I didn't kill it. It's root system was a lot larger than I expected and I think I ripped up some of it.<br />
* Lavender update: It seems to be doing fine. No new growth, but it hasn't shriveled up and died. I had some shells left from when we bought stuffed clams (I cleaned them really well) and used those to cover the soil to retain moisture. It looks nice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRgLioUMpju9b1rnu6A16mFcUzt0SpdO2pcXQYGDZP2KpWxe4tQCv4wL9JiGSGUzoLdRN4efK91gE-yzbUc6ixid2v4OcalyG06kSiQaERdtV41nStpxzDoGZwIyQ0wWdM8H2avxNE_M/s1600/20171104_193233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRgLioUMpju9b1rnu6A16mFcUzt0SpdO2pcXQYGDZP2KpWxe4tQCv4wL9JiGSGUzoLdRN4efK91gE-yzbUc6ixid2v4OcalyG06kSiQaERdtV41nStpxzDoGZwIyQ0wWdM8H2avxNE_M/s320/20171104_193233.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* I had a couple decent sized heads of red cabbage so for my after-work meal/snack, I have often sauteed them in a little butter and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Easy and delicious.<br />
* We made tacos one night with the last of the $.75/lb ground pork from the freezer.<br />
* We had baked potatoes often.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsZH5dxeYtDGXRs793uIIAoDr7dJovbt5v5aGvf-p-b962QxO0WVXlYS0ED0Y-1Ix7rVd1xUeLJbLQNItBq5l4JazXJiFBoEtXYZ8eOhCv2thw8lThvh4c1r9BBKy7Ep5Ib3P1eSIW68/s1600/20171104_191440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsZH5dxeYtDGXRs793uIIAoDr7dJovbt5v5aGvf-p-b962QxO0WVXlYS0ED0Y-1Ix7rVd1xUeLJbLQNItBq5l4JazXJiFBoEtXYZ8eOhCv2thw8lThvh4c1r9BBKy7Ep5Ib3P1eSIW68/s320/20171104_191440.jpg" width="240" /></a>* We got a ton of eggs. Like, 10 dozen. We gave some away, but then I had a coupon from Meijer for $.35/off a dozen eggs and they were on sale for $.49/dozen. How could I pass up $.14/dozen eggs? That's right. I couldn't. So, we have hard boiled them by the dozen. Trucker eats them while I'm at work. I struggle to get him to make meals for himself, so this is an easy way to make sure he is getting some nutrition while I'm away. We also used several to make goldenrod eggs.<br />
* I made fried cheesy eggs with some gorgonzola.<br />
* I made stock with frozen scraps. It was delicious.<br />
* I used the stock and some leftovers to make a taco soup: ground pork, poblano and jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic. I also added a jar of salsa and a can of creamed corn. Out-of-pocket cost was around $.75 for a dozen meals.<br />
<br />
<b>Fun:</b><br />
* We went out with my parents a few times. Once, we took them out for pizza at a local pizzeria. Another time we took them out for coffee at Panera (and used our rewards card) and then Dad took us all out for Steak n Shake. We had a coupon in our entertainment book for BOGO entree salads, so that is what Mom and I did.<br />
* Mom and I met up one day before work for lunch. Afterwards, we went shopping for a trip she had coming up. I had a coupon for 10% off at a thrift store where she found a couple pairs of jeans. I didn't buy anything.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-ts16fLjOfqwTwm6fFjmfMHnqEY1zaCrTiCzTDOf9hPBIS06CbMSoYI3jmc550-X6PVOlyPnqL4C-r5oviXCPpLzI_R_6TfA66j17ms18uO62hbR3IdO9_oL0zdpirPt7dNeFRNyTJg/s1600/20171104_184339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-ts16fLjOfqwTwm6fFjmfMHnqEY1zaCrTiCzTDOf9hPBIS06CbMSoYI3jmc550-X6PVOlyPnqL4C-r5oviXCPpLzI_R_6TfA66j17ms18uO62hbR3IdO9_oL0zdpirPt7dNeFRNyTJg/s320/20171104_184339.jpg" width="240" /></a>* We went to the gallery hop. I do so love the whole affair: the street performers, the art, the bustle. It is the only time of the month that I am glad that I live in the city.<br />
* We went to my family's one evening. My parents are out of town, so we and my siblings (and significant others) had a movie night. Batman Begins and Guardians of the Galaxy 2. I brought snacks. I made popcorn (buttered, BBQ and Nacho). I also brought crackers with manager's special cheese (garlic ginseng jack and ranch cheddar and chipotle cheddar spreads). We made mocktails with orange juice and 7up (surprisingly good). It was one of the nicest evenings I can remember. We got to play with their dogs (3-year-old and 6-month-old Goldendoodles).<br />
* I went out with coworkers a couple times after work. It is the closest to socialization I get most of the time, since my free waking hours after from 1-5 AM. I don't drink and just get a cheap appetizer or a lemonade.<br />
* I got to go out with Daisy one afternoon before work. We went out for Panera. It was so wonderful to spend time with her and her adorable little. She gave me a hysterical gag gift.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvcngMucmtuulIOOjLS1Z0ldnAi0V9U9-2EGWkZhr7EscFaCzR1C4hKB3K9URjkOy1HXCLo7WIww3VrjHCpXlUzlWBmCJXmjRD_PesKCK-aTN1ubJckvyNESpdzbupZqQ6KCclb9tFGU/s1600/20171104_013935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvcngMucmtuulIOOjLS1Z0ldnAi0V9U9-2EGWkZhr7EscFaCzR1C4hKB3K9URjkOy1HXCLo7WIww3VrjHCpXlUzlWBmCJXmjRD_PesKCK-aTN1ubJckvyNESpdzbupZqQ6KCclb9tFGU/s320/20171104_013935.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My coworker spotted this lil friend when we<br />were going into Roosters. How cool!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Nature:</b><br />
* We went out for a walk at the audobon one day before work on a rare warm and dry day. We did another day for a couple hours. It is on the way to work, and is great to get a little outdoors time since I am indoors pretty much all the time I'm not driving these days.<br />
<br />
<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* We completed our wellness checklist to get the maximum discount on insurance.<br />
* I redeemed points to pay down a credit card. I am carefully using the credit card. I make payments every few days to pay off whatever I spent and a little extra. Those points are helping to knock down the balance.<br />
* I get to check my credit score for free through one of my banks. Over the last couple of months I have been working hard to knock down the credit card debt we incurred after the accident. Just in the last two months, I have raised my credit score by 33 points, raising from the fair to the good range. I intend to keep going strong.<br />
* I checked my retirement account and it looks pretty good. Not factoring in my other retirement accounts (at some point I do plan on consolidating them), at my current contributions (I also have it set up for contributions to increase by 1% every January for my entire career and have some good sized raises coming over the next several years), I will have about the same income level as I have now, assuming the market performs average. I do plan to save more, because you never know, but it is nice to see that I'm catching up from my rough years. I had saved a considerable amount for the first several years that I was on my own, but saved nothing during the recession and the few years after.<br />
* I had a certain percentage of my paycheck put into savings and 401k each week.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RG6eN9XD0laUS6xPPqzAY3VcFL3AWSGI4WZZ0SYFTqpEjdBsz0EMlXyq2UplENwIDzBuxCa3eCrl8ybP9dwMlIkjt0ciuAnXVvhuf7L3d_DPt4Ac3O1rbAxJSKN8L9trwmmaJ_SjF1k/s1600/20171104_191323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RG6eN9XD0laUS6xPPqzAY3VcFL3AWSGI4WZZ0SYFTqpEjdBsz0EMlXyq2UplENwIDzBuxCa3eCrl8ybP9dwMlIkjt0ciuAnXVvhuf7L3d_DPt4Ac3O1rbAxJSKN8L9trwmmaJ_SjF1k/s320/20171104_191323.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>House and Home:</b><br />
* Steve got more vent deflectors to keep the warm air from going right against the windows. This definitely makes the house feel warmer at the same thermostat setting.<br />
<br />
<b>Health:</b><br />
* We got our biometric screenings done.<br />
* Trucker got a phone call from the dental school. He had an appointment for next week to get some dental work done, but the students are starting to panic because they need their hours in to graduate. Three different students offered to do a quarter of deep gum cleaning for free (He has the other quarter getting done next week). He also gets a few more free visits and cleanings.<br />
* We switched to 90 mail-order prescriptions for our maintenance meds. That reduces our cost from $5/month (plus an up-charge of 10% penalty after 3 refills) to $10/3 months.<br />
<b>Community:</b><br />
* Our coupon book is expiring soon, so I brought it in to share with my coworkers. I noticed a stack of coupons on my boss's desk. Another coworker said that he is taking his little girl out bowling over the weekend with one of the coupons.<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-37035425841022220992017-10-24T14:39:00.001-04:002017-10-26T14:06:15.594-04:00This Week Beyond Money 10/2 - 10/22<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bG23YqzxffWkkUeCcQcdHqQk96rTumCdb5k1N28YLGxy3bCuBI1046KGbI2nc298SRnH8tvY9KRqBPPMLGSIxOUSF5NNuZeKkxoXK3PO7wQ2v17r8JoQ9BBO2VjM91CLUSRzY88Qsfs/s1600/20171014_153629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bG23YqzxffWkkUeCcQcdHqQk96rTumCdb5k1N28YLGxy3bCuBI1046KGbI2nc298SRnH8tvY9KRqBPPMLGSIxOUSF5NNuZeKkxoXK3PO7wQ2v17r8JoQ9BBO2VjM91CLUSRzY88Qsfs/s320/20171014_153629.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* The garden is petering out. I am harvesting a couple cherry tomatoes and the occasional pepper or medium-sized tomato. It is almost time to pull everything out, level out the ground and sow grass seed. I also need to tackle the front garden. There is still some poison ivy in there (This is obviously super-hero strength poison that cannot be killed by any earthly means) so I dread the inevitable rash that will accompany weeding (even with gloves/long clothes/showering immediately after). Then I need to plant some fall bulbs and mulch heavily so springtime landscaping efforts will be minimal.<br />
* Trucker did the autumn pruning.<br />
* I harvested some baby carrots, turnips and a few more peppers.<br />
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<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* We made loaded baked potatoes with a slice of bacon, crumbled, cheese, sour cream, butter, scallions and seasoning. Frugal and amazingly satisfying.<br />
* Trucker bought me a loaf of seeded sourdough rye. It was amazing. I have been enjoying it with fried eggs as my after-work meal/snack. I froze half the loaf because I don't eat a ton of bread anymore.<br />
* I made cheesy pasta with veggies: peppers, onion and garlic.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuBeSU8j5AzAZnQqLBEwCL9GtYmFMoOCttCkoxia3SvuZQOOHCEoJrTwmOcKj0VwhauSq-lhSkhnBSYMvsjI7_zvaeHZUKXtYUyFp_OnKD_qx6egfbzN37cNGYupFDdXAuT896eYt5Sk/s1600/20171015_143707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuBeSU8j5AzAZnQqLBEwCL9GtYmFMoOCttCkoxia3SvuZQOOHCEoJrTwmOcKj0VwhauSq-lhSkhnBSYMvsjI7_zvaeHZUKXtYUyFp_OnKD_qx6egfbzN37cNGYupFDdXAuT896eYt5Sk/s320/20171015_143707.jpg" width="192" /></a>* I had some ground pastured lamb in the freezer. We used 1/3 lb to make meatballs to serve with pasta. We browned the rest for later use.<br />
* We made gyro bowls with the rest of the lamb. I stopped at the all-night kroger on the way home from work. I found tzatziki for $1.89, garlic hummus for $1.50 (I got two), a cucumber for $1 and a small head of lettuce for $.67. Kroger usually sells all the varieties of lettuce for $1.99/lb. I buy the smaller heads so they don't go bad before we can finish them. I also had parsley and cherry tomatoes from the garden. The gyro bowls were fantastic and filling. We had enough for 6 meals with plenty of ingredients leftover for other meals.<br />
* I found a half rack of ribs at kroger on managers special for $3. They were precooked, just needed reheated. I got them for trucker's dinner while I was at work. He really enjoyed them.<br />
* We got a couple steaks. They were around $7/lb, but we found some packages with BOGO coupons on them, making them cheaper than the cheapest ground beef. We also found a huge package of stuffed clams for $4 (around 1.25/lb), salmon stuffed with crab stuffing ($5/lb, around 1/2 lb), a seasoned pork shoulder (2 lbs at $2.89/lb) and gorgonzola (6 oz for $3.50). We froze the steaks and salmon. We had the clams for lunch one day.<br />
* I cooked the pork in the slow cooker. I strained off the cooking liquid to use as a soup base. We used the pork for tacos and pulled pork sandwiches (with gorgonzola, saurkraut and pickled peppers). I froze some of the pork for later.<br />
* We hard boiled 2 dozen eggs for trucker to eat during the week. We got them for free at Meijer with a coupon.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjSpseROU3rxRAbFGSdwBrVopM-nFcawM3VMuVxiRr_feojZaekHdlp-VyAf0eZ0khnUUtIo6dakEB7Rx-Vl1g9QV9rcKf7KjrTMOTSHM25-MdAsQOLD_Bo7_IxnjINLUBgz5QcTNDtE/s1600/20171021_150150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjSpseROU3rxRAbFGSdwBrVopM-nFcawM3VMuVxiRr_feojZaekHdlp-VyAf0eZ0khnUUtIo6dakEB7Rx-Vl1g9QV9rcKf7KjrTMOTSHM25-MdAsQOLD_Bo7_IxnjINLUBgz5QcTNDtE/s320/20171021_150150.jpg" width="192" /></a>* I went to a produce giveaway at the end. I got items that would otherwise have been thrown away. I got 3 large red cabbages, 10 lbs potatoes, 5 lbs apples, 3 cantaloupes, 10 ears of corn, 18 sub rolls and 6 dozen small eggs.<br />
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<b>Food Preservation:</b><br />
* I made caramelized onions in the slow cooker and froze in ice cube trays for winter use.The cooking liquid was frozen for soup making.<br />
* I blanched and froze 6 ears of corn, cut from the cob. I froze 6 sub rolls.<br />
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<b>Fun:</b><br />
* After our crazy busy weekend, we spent a couple mornings before work just watching movies from the library and eating. The rest was much needed.<br />
* We went to the gallery hop one Saturday. It was amazing. It has been a long time since we were able to make it to one, so I appreciated it all the more.<br />
* We went on a few coffee dates.<br />
* We went to a play that a new friend was acting in. It was a nice evening and so nice to see her again.<br />
* We went with my sister and her boyfriend to the art museum on the free day. We had a good time and great talks. Afterwards we went out to get and used a BOGO coupon. Each couple spent around $20 total for the date.<br />
* Trucker checked out a special film for me from the library. It was a shocking film made by Salvador Dali, my favorite painter.<br />
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<b>Nature:</b><br />
* We went to a state park that was once a farm operated with rotational pasturing, French drains and other soil-building methods.<br />
* We went to the arboretum for an afternoon.<br />
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<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* I needed some new jeans as my one remaining nice pair is starting to look a little on the tired side. I went to a thrift store and bought three pairs of jeans. Each pair was the half off color tag. I paid $5, $3 and $1.50 for decent brand jeans in good condition. Trucker also got a pair of very nice jeans for $7.50 and a pair of dress slacks for $2.<br />
* I updated our health tracker to earn gift cards and a discount on health insurance through my employer.<br />
* I paid off the credit card with the highest interest rate. It had the smallest balance, but I am still excited to have a minor victory. I also made extra payments on the credit card with the next highest balance.<br />
* Every pay day, I look at my bill calendar and see what bills will come out before I get paid again. I subtract that from the current checking balance. I estimate what we will need to spend on living expenses for the week. I give a little wiggle room, and the rest is transferred to extra credit card payments.<br />
* I continue to have money from my paycheck automatically put into both my savings account and 401k.<br />
* I got signed up for insurance for next year. I signed up for the cheaper plan for a few reasons. First, it is hundreds cheaper in premiums each year and the deductible and max out of pocket is the same. Finally, if I don't spend a lot on health care in a given year, some money rolls over for future years. Any money in the account when I retire goes with me then. I signed up for a health savings account and have a small amount from each paycheck put in. I could get free dental insurance or pay $2.29/wk for better insurance. By getting the better insurance, i I don't have a deductible. That essentially drops the cost to $44/yr and we each get an additional $500 in care for the year. We get free vision, life and disability. I made sure to get a waiver since Trucker doesn't have an offer of health insurance elsewhere. That saves us $1800/yr in premiums. I made appointments for our biometric screenings. That is the last thing we have to do for our wellness discount of $1000/yr. All told, I will pay $780/yr for our health, dental, vision, disability and life insurance. This is by far the best part of this job. There are some aspects of the job that I don't like (primarily the commute and the shift), but the realities of the benefit package outweigh those costs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwk-0EwRXhcmcvavhSg5uNY8LYGXBN2X3zHxgYowT4nKGyo3LNR3uWABlYj2Io84I5R4gKYmSCXN98nS8kw1RMJYp3JXTlvNNEP2EgcTQKqniiFsXvd6ak4KMAw7YeF-Jk9AOoY7obvlM/s1600/20171007_174145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwk-0EwRXhcmcvavhSg5uNY8LYGXBN2X3zHxgYowT4nKGyo3LNR3uWABlYj2Io84I5R4gKYmSCXN98nS8kw1RMJYp3JXTlvNNEP2EgcTQKqniiFsXvd6ak4KMAw7YeF-Jk9AOoY7obvlM/s320/20171007_174145.jpg" width="192" /></a><b>Waste Reduction:</b><br />
* I have a very fun vintage necklace that I adore. One of the beads had a crack in the finish. I knew it would eventually chip off and since it is the most prominent piece, the necklace would then be worthless. I got my mod-podge (left over from other projects) and painted over the bead. It dried clear and will keep the crack from getting worse. It was only a $3 necklace, but I like it.<br />
* While we watched a movie from the library, I mended some of Trucker's clothes. Two shirts needed buttons. One shirt had a spare, but the other didn't. We were able to find a close enough match in my button stash. Two other shirts had small tears that I mended.<br />
* I used saved food containers to give food to people.<br />
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<b>House and Home:</b><br />
* We are eating down the pantry. We are wanting to get it more organized and have it take up less real estate. We will also save a good amount of money by eating from the pantry instead of buying everything.<br />
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<b>Work:</b><br />
* I've been working some overtime. Lots more coming.<br />
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<b>Future:</b><br />
* We stumbled upon a perfect farm at an absurd price. We set up everything to go see it and confirmed we could afford it, only to find out the next day that the house had gone into contract days previous and the listing hadn't been updated. It was disappointing, but we had planned on looking in spring so we would be in a stronger financial stance going into our second home. I did have a good talk with our REA about what we want and told him if he finds a place that meets our needs at around the same price, we want to go look immediately. It will likely be a year until we find such a place again, but it is exciting to be starting to look.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfn8Hg-b8zQVhyECxbbAogMFYusW34Di8yZfOe6CS1XVjnrAiKiYlqBIglZ1DnUYkKbNwdWi5uB6GUXFSxGmBUfrnKuucvXEik4dxFUxmXNQHRbIIyI1S8bq3-LhZjjimSyOFhfXm5Xk/s1600/20171014_151650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfn8Hg-b8zQVhyECxbbAogMFYusW34Di8yZfOe6CS1XVjnrAiKiYlqBIglZ1DnUYkKbNwdWi5uB6GUXFSxGmBUfrnKuucvXEik4dxFUxmXNQHRbIIyI1S8bq3-LhZjjimSyOFhfXm5Xk/s320/20171014_151650.jpg" width="192" /></a><b>Health:</b><br />
* We are active on our days off. Lots of active activities, such as walking around an art neighborhood for a couple hours or hitting the parks.<br />
* We are eating lots of produce now. I do food prep when I can so adding produce is easy.<br />
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<b>Community:</b><br />
* My mom sends out cards. A lot of cards. She sends thousands of cards a year for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries and just because. We joke that she alone keeps their tiny village's post office open. She wants to make sure people feel appreciated and remembered, but it does cost her a lot of money over the year. I know what kinds of cards she likes, so when I'm out thrifting, I look for boxes of cards at a good price. I found 4 boxes this week at about half the price at the dollar store and they were really nice cards.<br />
* My coworker and I exchanged snacks.<br />
* I gave another co-worker some kraut. He has been having some digestive problems, so hopefully that helps.<br />
* I gave a friend half of the items I got at the produce giveaway. We had a great time talking with her and her boyfriend.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTlA1DmBxHG-gH2b4IT12aGdOAVbDtXScUrKuSvvcxCdlXr6euuFajS3VFrBYS-N6Ck6yksUgLQLsf6-Qxj1r9tR0mSqcxMM6ZtUz8wW8QNJH8yKLOvgbqMJAMqjF7pmGWi6dLz1r4ps/s1600/20171021_154403%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTlA1DmBxHG-gH2b4IT12aGdOAVbDtXScUrKuSvvcxCdlXr6euuFajS3VFrBYS-N6Ck6yksUgLQLsf6-Qxj1r9tR0mSqcxMM6ZtUz8wW8QNJH8yKLOvgbqMJAMqjF7pmGWi6dLz1r4ps/s320/20171021_154403%25280%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-24538127466305002642017-10-04T14:17:00.001-04:002017-10-04T14:17:18.075-04:00This Week...Beyond Money 9/25 - 10/1<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LOuY5cPoI5R9LDDV1ayzsy-NRIzZHXOgztvV_Ln4spMEux7lt4lm1ofJInbJ29hk8di88mclK6DKGUhYicfzLQAueU94BIWAoeLUwAcpX-yexsr-ofeLWkmwSuDhXd8mA_DE_C722IQ/s1600/20170930_190323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LOuY5cPoI5R9LDDV1ayzsy-NRIzZHXOgztvV_Ln4spMEux7lt4lm1ofJInbJ29hk8di88mclK6DKGUhYicfzLQAueU94BIWAoeLUwAcpX-yexsr-ofeLWkmwSuDhXd8mA_DE_C722IQ/s320/20170930_190323.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* I harvested a few cherry and medium-sized tomatoes and a few Christmas Tree peppers.<br />
* I planted more mustard micros.<br />
* I harvested some micros.<br />
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<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* I made a strawberry apple crisp pie. I used a boxed pie crust (again, bleck) to use it up. The apples were from my parent's trees and the strawberries were just a few left from snacking that needed to be used soon. I made a crumble topping. I didn't add any sugar other than to the topping, so it wasn't overly sweet, but made for nice breakfasts.<br />
* I made a cheesy pasta using up a box of elbow macaroni (store brand on manager's special, $.50/lb), the rest of the cheese and milk (to use up before our trip), two onion halves (I had previously cut into one not realizing I already had a half in the refrigerator), sweet peppers, hot peppers, cherry tomatoes (sauteed) and carrots. We used it for lunches for a couple days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmSSG3vS28FMjUExI0dui9SioMoE8ytVrvPw9bhDLTh5k5H916_KObWNLwBP4RlPmXk-ws549CgCtqkhFshAJibCKWuvAK7nb3HEV12P_j_7WSd74g33m134cX_uD_vyAbdfTWV1KRPQ/s1600/20170930_190427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmSSG3vS28FMjUExI0dui9SioMoE8ytVrvPw9bhDLTh5k5H916_KObWNLwBP4RlPmXk-ws549CgCtqkhFshAJibCKWuvAK7nb3HEV12P_j_7WSd74g33m134cX_uD_vyAbdfTWV1KRPQ/s320/20170930_190427.jpg" width="192" /></a><b>Food Preservation:</b><br />
* I froze several medium-sized tomatoes. We were leaving on a weekend trip and they were going to turn before we had a chance to use them. I tossed them, skin and all into the freezer.<br />
* I froze portions of the pasta dish to use later.<br />
* I froze some shishito peppers (sauteed) for later.<br />
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<b>Fun:</b><br />
* We had a long coffee date one day before work. Trucker had to run errands afterwards and I had to go to work, so when we got hungry we decided to order food there. I had a coupon that if I placed my order online I got $5 off. We ordered online and just walked up to the counter to pick it up. After the coupon and taxes, the meal was $2.75. Not too shabby for a pretty filling meal for two. We used our travel mugs to get a discount on the coffee.<br />
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<b>Nature:</b><br />
* I loved spending time on the beach. Letting the water crash in around my legs. Climbing rocks. Watching that awesome sunset. I got a cold from getting wet but it was totally worth it.<br />
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<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* Trucker has opened a couple of micro-investment accounts. One he has a small portion invested each week. The other <a href="https://www.thebalance.com/millennials-and-money-3959653?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shareurlbuttons">rounds up</a> his purchases to the next dollar and invests that money. He also has a Roth IRA that he has money transferred automatically each month. I ran the numbers and just at those three accounts, he is putting away 10% of his after-tax income. He also saves a variable amount into a savings account. I make more than he does, and he does more around the house than I do (especially important as we are working at getting the house sale-ready). However, between the two of us, we are saving a good percentage of our income and making progress.<br />
* Between debt repayments and savings, including retirement, I saved 30.3% of my after-tax income in September.<br />
<br />
<b>Work:</b><br />
* I worked a bit of overtime most days.<br />
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<b>Future:</b><br />
* Trucker filmed for a new movie this week. He played a villain and got shot!<br />
* He also had another audition.<br />
<br />
<b>Health:</b><br />
* We ate way too much during our weekend trip. Back to the diet now!<br />
* My blood pressure is decent.<br />
* Trucker is running a lot at softball. I am really proud of him.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSf2O82ZHu6pjgvZ6PYlOlc94rTRtsPsd830Q91MgULhJ4TX2mv5zbzwOU8Xih747c7yVKP6Bu69LSeBfsxtAhMzCi2H3siWFjUZjiT7-Ekb-XE5bQyCFvq4L3wOZkoZmdHZVi27zAOK4/s1600/20170930_191358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSf2O82ZHu6pjgvZ6PYlOlc94rTRtsPsd830Q91MgULhJ4TX2mv5zbzwOU8Xih747c7yVKP6Bu69LSeBfsxtAhMzCi2H3siWFjUZjiT7-Ekb-XE5bQyCFvq4L3wOZkoZmdHZVi27zAOK4/s320/20170930_191358.jpg" width="192" /></a><b>Setbacks:</b><br />
* One day while organizing we found a paper that was supposed to be sent to the insurance company for our new house insurance policy. I called to let them know what had happened and that I'd be sending it out that day. It was a good thing I called. Apparently, they did an inspection, saw the unused dog kennel out back that I hadn't gotten around to dismantling ("evidence of a dog"). Since my application didn't state we had a dog (since we don't), they didn't know whether the breed was on the restricted breed list or not, so they assumed it was and cancelled my policy (but had never contacted me for clarification and I hadn't gotten the cancellation notice). I explained the situation and am waiting to find out if my policy is going to be reinstated. The woman I talked to said that time was of the essence, but seemed to think that it would be reinstated.<br />
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<b>Community:</b><br />
* Two of our dear friends got married this weekend. We took a weekend trip so we could be there. Originally, I was supposed to work the day of the wedding and wouldn't have been able to get there until the reception was wrapping up. Thankfully, work was cancelled the day before. As his gift to them, Trucker was the officiant for the wedding (He got ordained online and paid a $10 fee to be licensed in our state) so he went up the night before for the reception. I got off work at midnight and drove 2.5 hours to the hotel (Used hotel.com and earned two nights towards a free one). The next day we went to the wedding. It was a brilliant affair. Their friends let them borrow their beach-front house and the neighbors let them set up the dinner tent on their yard. We ate tacos (taco bar) and pizza (they got a pizza truck with mobile wood-fired oven!). The ceremony was beautiful. Trucker did a great job. Afterwards, we stayed for several hours playing Cards Against Humanity, nibbling leftovers, and I ran out into the water and climbed rocks along the water front (despite the fact that it was frigid!). They are two of the most lovely people I know and I was so glad they each found such a perfect person to spend their lives with. I couldn't be happier.<br />
* I wanted to share a sweet thing I witnessed. It was the birthday of one of my coworkers this week. His family is all in Puerto Rico and he is really worried. So one of my other coworkers (the amazing woman who is always taking care of everyone) decided to make it the best birthday she could. She brought in homemade salsa and chips and birthday cake (she had the boss sneakily chat with the guy to find out what kind of cake was his favorite). It meant so much to him. It was beautiful to see her do something to bring some joy to a stressful birthday. There is good in the world.<br />
* That coworker and I brought snacks for each other. I gave her some Israeli snacks that I got at a salvage grocer (Which she liked until her daughter's friend told her the texture reminded her of fried mealworms!) and another day brought her more Korean crackers since she said her grandson adored them. She brought me Rice Krispie Treats the next day. The snacks I bring don't cost a lot, but she feels appreciated and we are building a friendly sharing relationship.<br />
* Her grandson went into the hospital while we were at work one day and she mentioned that her husband had taken him to the hospital in her car. I offered to drive her there after work, but her daughter's boyfriend picked her up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwZx79SkSxAVHGUxKoGD2NaqaKNqHO3rRBuiiagR-wEce-uLlNPRz78RHZVbtPjlKoi5yWudRXR0FMt0IKrSsv7HQfXYdzdB8g8qvYLYJifZrGgztuA7A0Y-vS7L8eavZOtwzUS5LZic/s1600/20170930_190506+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1122" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwZx79SkSxAVHGUxKoGD2NaqaKNqHO3rRBuiiagR-wEce-uLlNPRz78RHZVbtPjlKoi5yWudRXR0FMt0IKrSsv7HQfXYdzdB8g8qvYLYJifZrGgztuA7A0Y-vS7L8eavZOtwzUS5LZic/s320/20170930_190506+%25282%2529.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-60384421593765335762017-09-25T14:25:00.001-04:002017-09-25T14:25:32.507-04:00This Week...Beyond Money 9/18 - 9/24<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdaPa6FJkIylrL2D5QNL0ugkDKKrTgODks7IwAs670oWrOZF0UuMefytjXEyOpIiCnwq1P5WNYdUwQ9oVQOY0ljwajkDw1HFZR27WNfieWklcBsC0SvXV9ABwHMLZCcHksQ5byIUTv5E/s1600/20170923_164252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdaPa6FJkIylrL2D5QNL0ugkDKKrTgODks7IwAs670oWrOZF0UuMefytjXEyOpIiCnwq1P5WNYdUwQ9oVQOY0ljwajkDw1HFZR27WNfieWklcBsC0SvXV9ABwHMLZCcHksQ5byIUTv5E/s400/20170923_164252.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* The wheat grass is growing great! Even though the berries are several years old, they had a strong germination, even growth and grew quickly to a good size to give to Raycat. I'm going to let her nibble them down a bit, then put the container up again and see if I can get a second growth.<br />
* Update: Ray nibbles on the wheat grass, but doesn't go as crazy as she does for other grasses. Then again, this is more a supplement than a major part of her diet, so I think that is ok. I have 25 lbs or so I want to use them up however I can.<br />
* I harvested micros throughout the week. I don't get a huge harvest, but it is lovely to snip fresh microgreens to add flavor, texture and nutrition to whatever we are eating.<br />
* I planted more mustard and cilantro micros using store-bought spices. After another spotty germination, I read that cilantro has really spotty germination and is aided by weighting the trays. I will try that next time I grow cilantro. The mustard germinates fine, albeit with varying growth rates.<br />
* I harvested cherry tomatoes, one large tomato and a couple handfuls of small peppers.<br />
<br />
<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* I stopped off at the farm stand one morning for an eggplant, 4 poblano peppers and a good handful of shishito peppers. It is looking to be nearing the end of shishito season which is heartbreaking.<br />
* I made shakshouka, only I served it with pasta instead of bread because I have a lot of pasta in the pantry needing to be used up and no good bread. I served with pan-seared shishitos.<br />
* I made a strawberry cheesecake pie...thing. It was not my best dish ever, but it was good. I had some pie-mix in the pantry (the add-water type) that I'd gotten at a salvage grocer for a quarter. I need to use them up, but don't enjoy the taste or texture, especially compared to my homemade pie crust. I had just a little time to make something, so I decided to use them up. I filled a single crust with a basic cream cheese filling (8 oz cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/4 c sugar) and sliced strawberries on top. It was good, but that was just because of the cream cheese and strawberries. I had some leftover dough, so I made several pop tarts using some strawberry jam my mom gave me. I didn't try any of them, but Trucker ate them all for breakfast, so I guess he liked them.<br />
* We made brats one day (manager's special).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwpOi-6elaHYFYo-xBjZ-TPCiEWbhBJU3hnc2AdYKjF2T1ChroFi6SOWdsgXI-60g503C3OYILDokbx32Z7-zBYE6bopvWPXb13sSzGq1oFzQQCc18Ui4QXyxjdufbR2nJAspWD8ENNg/s1600/20170923_173921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwpOi-6elaHYFYo-xBjZ-TPCiEWbhBJU3hnc2AdYKjF2T1ChroFi6SOWdsgXI-60g503C3OYILDokbx32Z7-zBYE6bopvWPXb13sSzGq1oFzQQCc18Ui4QXyxjdufbR2nJAspWD8ENNg/s320/20170923_173921.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Fun:</b><br />
* We took a crazy day trip for a concert. I know a musician from up north who used to play concerts at my coffee shop hangout when I was a teen. I caught a show about 6 years ago but haven't been able to make it to a show since. My work schedule is aabout to get crazy so i wanted to get to a show this weekend. He was playing a farming festival 3 hours away. We took off as soon as we woke up. We enjoyed the festival. There were demos and samples (where applicable) for apple cider, apple butter, homemade butter, wool spinning and flour grinding. There were calves, goats, sheep, pigs, alpacas, chickens, ducks and rabbits. We enjoyed educational exhibits and a wagon ride. The wagon dropped us off at the campfire where we roasted marshmallows and enjoyed his show. I got to talk with him for a bit on his break. It was amazing to be able to listen to him live. He has a lot of new material since I last saw him. I love his voice and guitar playing and his songwriting is storytelling at its finest. It was totally worth the 6 hour round trip.<br />
* Trucker has been doing more social things in the evenings. Especially since I'm gone so much, I want him to get out more. He went out with his softball league after their double header one day and went out with our discount movie club another night ($1.50 tickets that night).<br />
<br />
<b>Nature:</b><br />
* I loved getting to explore the farm. Getting to enjoy the sunset during the concert was pretty epic too.<br />
<br />
<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* I went thrifting to try to find a dress to wear to a wedding. I didn't look at anything else because I knew if I did, I would find something. As it was, I didn't end up finding a dress, so I didn't spend a penny.<br />
* I worked on my health and financial challenges through my job to get a discount on insurance and a free gift card.<br />
* I had a portion of my paycheck put into my savings account and 401k with employer match.<br />
<br />
<b>Waste Reduction:</b><br />
* I composted a lot of items.<br />
* A portion of a houseplant got pulled off the main plant. I put the stem in water for a couple weeks and it finally sprouted some roots. I have it in soil now and it looks pretty good.<br />
<br />
<b>House and Home:</b><br />
* I went through my shoes in the closet. I got rid of 15 pairs to donate or toss, depending on condition. I also have two pairs that I think I can fix with a bit of super glue. I'll attempt and if it doesn't hold up the first time I wear them, I'll toss them.<br />
* I set aside a trash bag full of clothes to donate.<br />
* I have started a bag of items to donate to the dog shelter: old sheets, a set of curtains I made from sheets and towels.<br />
<br />
<b>Work:</b><br />
* I worked a little overtime each day this week.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jsJaQGWdhl5IvK09w1QE5MyTaqmIy1YLx3B3aU2AoklYhGgAi3DPD3O_2F8r97gP-7PV2QzLxF0J0sISFlFCRI8Y70aWnHW6-4ORNIAKnJAgwNuFdnJPTfJZk8AW5QxseIMP4KWM3c0/s1600/20170923_171933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jsJaQGWdhl5IvK09w1QE5MyTaqmIy1YLx3B3aU2AoklYhGgAi3DPD3O_2F8r97gP-7PV2QzLxF0J0sISFlFCRI8Y70aWnHW6-4ORNIAKnJAgwNuFdnJPTfJZk8AW5QxseIMP4KWM3c0/s320/20170923_171933.jpg" width="180" /></a>* I packed healthy snacks for work. My appetite/digestion is weird since switching shifts, and I can't really handle meals well anymore. It got to be too easy to eat junk or nothing at all. Now I plan ahead to bring things like mixed nuts to nibble on at work.<br />
* I bought prescription safety glasses and new work boots. I was delaying the purchase, but figured that since I spend most of my life at work, it makes sense to be as comfortable as possible. I get reimbursed for most of the cost of each. The glasses will cost around $15 and the boots will cost $30 after reimbursement.<br />
* It looks like my work schedule is about to be crazy for the next several months. I'm a little nervous about how I'll hold up working 6 days a week when I'm gone 12 1/2 hours a day, but I'm going to do my best. Hopefully we continue to put a good amount into savings and towards debt to keep me encouraged.<br />
<br />
<b>Preparedness:</b><br />
* I put a blanket and some granola bars into my car just in case.<br />
<br />
<b>Future:</b><br />
* Trucker had another audition for a commercial.<br />
* Trucker got another role in a movie. He gets to play a villain!<br />
<br />
<b>Health:</b><br />
* I convinced Trucker to try a new barber. He had been going to a chain because they were cheap, but every time it was bad and he was self conscious. I found a barber that was $5 more and got him to try it. It will cost $1 a week, which I think is a fair price to feel confident every day.<br />
* Trucker played softball on his league.<br />
<br />
<b>Community:</b><br />
* My sister had a vow renewal ceremony for her 1-year anniversary. She had eloped but decided she wanted a wedding with friends and family after all. Mom and her friends really put on a lovely event. It was a hunting theme (they both hunt and fish a lot) and they used his duck decoys, branches and logs from my dad's wood pile for decoration. A lot of her friends let them borrow decorative items from their outdoorsy-themed homes. Mom bought the food and my sister's MIL cooked it.<br />
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Finally, I thought I'd share a quote I found.<br />
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<i>"Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.”</i> – Anne Herbert<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-23309966637754078822017-09-19T14:31:00.000-04:002017-09-25T14:26:08.709-04:00This Week...Beyond Money 9/4 - 9/17<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWT6_LH-JQHdHSFx1OPt4XuRt7Sv6WAiQc16Dbv6OAUSy_YfizeM4MHkUKJHv-iVwl8Ac9Hm7_MMFypM9HZZLEP4LCxF3pD_VuqPlBIFWkPx_9D_fnHltw3KX9YKxX5PMz-b_kT8kBYVQ/s1600/20170903_110334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWT6_LH-JQHdHSFx1OPt4XuRt7Sv6WAiQc16Dbv6OAUSy_YfizeM4MHkUKJHv-iVwl8Ac9Hm7_MMFypM9HZZLEP4LCxF3pD_VuqPlBIFWkPx_9D_fnHltw3KX9YKxX5PMz-b_kT8kBYVQ/s320/20170903_110334.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* Turns out that all that coriander I bought will not germinate. I'm gonna try again, but it looks like I'll have to find out how to use 10 bags of coriander! Word to the wise: Try a small amount of a grocery-store seed you want to grow into microgreens before investing in a bulk purchase! Fortunately, those ten bags cost $5, so the loss was quite small compared to buying catalog micro seed.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganv3zjUETZ3CNsSg2790CXj1SZdKp0gY7QdTc9z9RWKyErY8dFaClLDDjb2etw4b2x36B5KQR9pYFpwXt2LLx_P5yd1kCy08NEaI3P0yv_841dA-AdAQCVIQmrMDcIQztQXhj2BEr9aM/s1600/20170903_110341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganv3zjUETZ3CNsSg2790CXj1SZdKp0gY7QdTc9z9RWKyErY8dFaClLDDjb2etw4b2x36B5KQR9pYFpwXt2LLx_P5yd1kCy08NEaI3P0yv_841dA-AdAQCVIQmrMDcIQztQXhj2BEr9aM/s320/20170903_110341.jpg" width="320" /></a>* The mustard germinated nicely. However, I have noticed that half is growing slower than the other half, so I'll have big and small micros in the same cuttings. It wouldn't do if I was growing to sell, but for personal use it is fine. Besides, the cost is about 10% of catalog seed.<br />
* Update: Exactly two cilantro micros sprouted. I will try again, but I think mostly I'll use the coriander as a spice rather than seed.<br />
* I harvested lots of peppers, some cherry tomatoes and a few baby carrots.<br />
* The basil has all succumbed to some sort of wilt or blight. Therefore, there was not basil to freeze for the year, but I did get a goodly amount to use fresh.<br />
* I dropped the container of carrot micros while trying to rotate them. There goes 2 weeks of slow growing. About 1/4 seem like they might survive.<br />
* I planted some old wheat berries. I'm not sure if they will germinate, b.ut it can't hurt to try since I have them. My cat loves to nibble houseplants, but if I have grass available for her, she leaves mine alone. It would be much cheaper to grow my own <a href="http://pets.thenest.com/benefits-wheatgrass-cats-9839.html">wheat grass</a> than to buy it at the pet store!<br />
<br />
<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* I made sausage gravy and biscuits.<br />
* We made tacos one night.<br />
* I made a big batch of beef vegetable soup using tomato juice, a manager's special steak and a random assortment of veggies that needed to be used up.<br />
* We had air popped popcorn as a snack frequently.<br />
* I made Colcannon again with collards from the freezer. I added some leftover ground lamb.<br />
* There is an organization that arranges produce giveaways throughout the city. Farmers donate food that is unsalable for whatever reason. I know a lot of the organizers who said that at the end of the day, food leftover is usually thrown away. I stopped by in the last ten minutes of one event. They said that there wasn't as many different items left at that point, but I was okay with that. I got two huge cabbages (cracked), 10 lbs of potatoes (each potato has a bit of damage that keeps it from storing well), 5 lbs of apples (I honestly can't figure out why they were there; they were perfect and delicious), 12 lbs of onions (all of them had either sprouted or the skins had burst, meaning they needed to be used soon) and 4 dozen (!!) small eggs. While ugly produce needs a little more prep work and has to be handled quickly to prevent spoilage, I was excited that the food was diverted from the waste stream.<br />
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<b>Food Preservation:</b><br />
* I made salsa and froze it in small baggies for later use. I used tomatoes (parents' garden), peppers (parents's garden and mine), onions (free from Kroger because of a wrong price), garlic (from my garden) and cilantro (Aldi for $.69). In all, I made around 2 gallons of salsa!<br />
* I froze about 8 lbs of tomatoes whole because I didn't have time to make more salsa and the tomatoes were dead ripe.<br />
* I chopped around 10 lbs of sweet peppers and froze on cookie sheets. Then I bagged them up. Last year this was one of my top 3 favorite preserved items (Other two are caramelized onions frozen in ice cube trays and basil pesto). It makes it a snap to add veggies to darn near anything. I can add just what I want directly to the pan. This ease of use meant that I added veggies to a lot of quick meals that might otherwise have been lacking in nutrition.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfIpej2u8iyhgA8oDVcsLpLIr422vm5vBU5rX9vHJPLeYyjneGymcuQQ96dPolfeIhO24vm298AV1t2Y-aFW5XmVPJKOwSNjbrS9ZKiGkrlP5y-D0riUKn1Uar2IJ62eLWFMcYl-i8MA/s1600/20170903_110434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfIpej2u8iyhgA8oDVcsLpLIr422vm5vBU5rX9vHJPLeYyjneGymcuQQ96dPolfeIhO24vm298AV1t2Y-aFW5XmVPJKOwSNjbrS9ZKiGkrlP5y-D0riUKn1Uar2IJ62eLWFMcYl-i8MA/s320/20170903_110434.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<b>Fun:</b><br />
* We went out for coffee, using our travel mugs.<br />
* We went to my company's family festival. They rent out an amusement park and we only had to pay $10 each to get in (and $10 parking). Tickets are usually $54 each with $20 parking, so for $30 we got a $128 value. While we would never spend $128 for one day at an amusement park, It was a fun day. It was my birthday weekend, so we had allotted some money for eating out and such. I'd wanted to take Trucker to a certain Amish restaurant. They had a buffet so we ate there before going to the park. That filled us up so we didn't need to eat for quite awhile. The server even sent me with a free cupcake as a birthday gift. My parents packed a huge picnic, so we ate a light dinner later. My sister made a cake for my birthday. We carried a bottle of water and didn't purchase anything at the park. We had a really fun time. We spent a good amount of time with my parents, two sisters and future-bro-in-law and a good amount of time just the two of us. My sister's boyfriend was a hoot. It was his first time riding roller coasters and he was making jokes and screaming maniacally the whole time. I like him. We also took part in a "treasure hunt" the company put on to tell us about new benefit information. We didn't win any prizes, but got 8 cooling cloths for working out. I'll definitely use those next summer at work. Including the buffet, we spent $60.<br />
* The next day was my birthday gift from Trucker. One of my favorite old-school bands had a show in another city about 2 hours from us. He used a Groupon to get BOGO tickets, so it cost $40 total (Possibly less; he bought the tickets over six months ago and can't remember the exact cost, but know he wouldn't have spent over $40 total). We stopped for BBQ (I am always up for BBQ). I ordered just a sandwich.He ordered a meal and we split the side and drink. They had free ice cream for dessert. We were able to bring in bottled water to the concert (which we already had on hand) so we didn't have any other costs. Total cost for that day (not including gas): $53.<br />
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* All in, my birthday weekend cost $113, plus around $15 in gas. We budget $150 for birthdays (Some from our joint account and some from my birthday checks). I always want a trip of some sort rather than an item. We came in under budget and it was still a lot of fun.<br />
* We went out to see It with Daisy and her hubby. We had BOGO coupons from the summer reading program at the library, so we hooked them up as well. Each pair paid $10.75 for two tickets. Not too bad for a weekend evening showing. It was so fun to hang out with them.<br />
* We went to the art museum for their free Sundays. I have missed the last several gallery hops due to travel or weather and was starting to need some culture. We only went through about half of the museum this time, but plan to go back again soon.<br />
<br />
<b>Nature:</b><br />
* We went for a couple mile hike at a local metro park.<br />
* We went on a hike at a nature preserve down south.<br />
* There is a city park nearby that has a topiary landscape of George Seurat’s painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte. It was a short excursion, but was fun.<br />
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<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* I put 3% of my paycheck directly into my savings account. Another 6% was taken out for my 401k, with a 100% match and an additional 2% that my company contributes.<br />
* I paid my credit card bill the first day of the cycle, with a little extra beyond the minimum payment. I plan to make more payments throughout the month, but by paying as soon as possible, I minimize the interest paid for the month. While it won't be a game changer, that little bit of interest saved will mean that next month a little more of my payments will go towards the balance, expediting the payoff. I've heard of some people paying their mortgage semi-monthly or weekly, dividing the payment by 2 or 4 to match their pay cycle. That makes it easier to budget and reduces the interest charged. I plan to talk with my credit union about having my car payment taken out of my paycheck instead of once a month from my checking account.<br />
* I spent an hour on my company's health website updating different challenges I am a part of. I earn points to get discounted insurance and can earn gift cards just for being healthy and trying to save money.<br />
* I played around with some calculators on my retirement account website to see about how I am doing. Their assumptions are a little faulty I think, but it looks like I'll be ok.<br />
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<b>Waste Reduction:</b><br />
* We composted a lot of random stuff.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIL5RuEqqmiT16ClFAvh8Cm8xTul3bf48vcVa3buYjap41-sIPr1GG9RxXihD6RClU3vKxlIiM_qafsBrXAcPdPZI6wk_bAjuVUKcbo76oP210-xZfdTcTIUZ0og8JywBdu-kn1Jg6l8/s1600/20170909_150642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIL5RuEqqmiT16ClFAvh8Cm8xTul3bf48vcVa3buYjap41-sIPr1GG9RxXihD6RClU3vKxlIiM_qafsBrXAcPdPZI6wk_bAjuVUKcbo76oP210-xZfdTcTIUZ0og8JywBdu-kn1Jg6l8/s320/20170909_150642.jpg" width="192" /></a><b>House and Home:</b><br />
* We needed to touch up the paint in our bedroom but didn't have any paint from the previous owners. I went to Menards and found a color that matched. I only needed a quart and found a decent brand on sale, marked down from $16 to $9. Menards also had their 11% rebate going on through that day (I made a stop on the way to work on Friday so I didn't miss it). I also bought some fall bulbs to plant to make the landscape look decent in case we do sell next year.<br />
<br />
<b>Work:</b><br />
* I work a half hour of overtime most days.<br />
* We got sent home early one evening. Given the amount of overtime I worked, it was a wash pay wise, but I got to get home in time to hang out with Trucker for a bit before he went to bed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rl56-7q7k_0TGpjH9BNgZAZjhnW-ZrNRJ7Unu17EMAeIxelY2uJOqS82bJUJ6WXr-a8U46YGJnxRiCumADliSsCMep6ASmN5uBGtblxIhWG7SnR2hdEEO5BbJJukf5lDWLg49ZrPIGA/s1600/20170916_142229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rl56-7q7k_0TGpjH9BNgZAZjhnW-ZrNRJ7Unu17EMAeIxelY2uJOqS82bJUJ6WXr-a8U46YGJnxRiCumADliSsCMep6ASmN5uBGtblxIhWG7SnR2hdEEO5BbJJukf5lDWLg49ZrPIGA/s320/20170916_142229.jpg" width="192" /></a><b>Preparedness:</b><br />
* Trucker bought a new-to-us jack to put in my car. The jack that came with it was so small and weird that it was really hard to use. This one was $11 at auction.<br />
* I put a bottle of water and a jacket in my car now that it is getting chillier. Soon I'll need to get my snow gear in there!<br />
<br />
<b>Health:</b><br />
* I got back into the habit of hitting the gym before work. I particularly enjoy swimming. I feel so invigorated after swimming some laps, then relaxing in the hot tub for a bit before work.<br />
* Trucker is playing softball on a league at the park.<br />
<br />
<b>Community:</b><br />
* One of my coworkers is just the sweetest. She brings in snacks for people. She gave me a lot of delicious tomatoes from her garden. One day we were sharing recipes and she told me about this epic salad she makes and I said it sounded amazing. The next day she brought in a salad kit for me. She had all the veggies, seasonings, croutons, a good mozzarella and a homemade dressing. It was without a doubt the best salad I've ever had. I told her so the next day. Later she told me how much it meant that I told her how good the salad was. I felt like that was so little compared to how kind she has been to me, but it made her feel appreciated. It was a great reminder that it doesn't take a lot to make someone happy.<br />
* I brought her some Filipino snacks I got at the salvage grocer.<br />
* Daisy gave us some cotton candy grapes. Have you tried these? They are the most incredible things. They are as sweet as candy but not as cloying. Daisy, you have ruined me for any other grapes!<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-89229712083823985852017-09-04T23:16:00.001-04:002017-09-04T23:16:36.063-04:00This Week...Beyond Money 8/14 - 8/27<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdBIs9rUZD9JfbeuYe7388D2cTEFq_hX7sW4FoLJn2Qs64RB9_Q79H_mWWKjBckMgjpbHq0m3rkjt-lajU6SwSKfoJZXd5o-G_eVScZ5yg24MuMs0VIt7XCEzNvFRg1DIYFvs9d3Z2ic/s1600/20170820_141923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdBIs9rUZD9JfbeuYe7388D2cTEFq_hX7sW4FoLJn2Qs64RB9_Q79H_mWWKjBckMgjpbHq0m3rkjt-lajU6SwSKfoJZXd5o-G_eVScZ5yg24MuMs0VIt7XCEzNvFRg1DIYFvs9d3Z2ic/s320/20170820_141923.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* I harvested a lot of basil, cherry tomatoes and peppers from the garden.<br />
* I have been thinking a lot. Basically, I don't have a lot of time for the big garden and honestly, the shade keeps it from producing much. Considering we are wanting to relocate within a year or so, I think this is my last year growing a conventional garden. I am debating whether or not to plant garlic (I think I'll try to find someplace that I can plant it that can be easily fixed up when it is time to sell. I think this autumn I'll seed the garden to grass. Next year I'll do some container gardening or perhaps put some greens into the flower beds.<br />
* That being said, I have been reading about microgreens a lot (a lot, a lot. Several books so far) and have gotten excited about it. I ordered from Johnny's a variety of microgreen seeds: sunflower (1 lb, organic), daikon radish (1/4 lb), cutting celery (1 oz), large leaf Italian basil (1 oz), parsley (1 oz), Vates collards (1/4 lb) and Early Wonder beets (1/4 lb). I didn't buy huge quantities of anything because I wanted to make sure this is something I enjoy growing and eating and don't tire of quickly. If I find that I go through these seeds quickly and want more, I will order larger packages.<br />
* I started my first microgreens and it is really exciting! I planted daikon radish and sunflower shoots. I had bought bulk popcorn that I packed into jars and I had just a little bit of popcorn that wouldn't fit into the jars, so I sprouted that. It took just a couple days to germinate. Two days after germination and the radish seedlings will be ready for lunch tomorrow. The sunflowers and corn are growing well. Honestly, seeing those micros pop up so quickly makes me feel like a magician. I haven't felt that as a farmer and gardener in awhile.<br />
* I have heard that some people buy whole mustard seed from the bulk spice section of the grocery store and I plan to explore this option as well. That would eliminate shipping costs and likely be cheaper than buying microgreen seed so it is definitely worth a try.<br />
* The Daikon radish micros are amazing. Starts out nice and peppery with a strong kick at the end. Perfection. The sunflower micros smell like sunflower seeds, taste nutty and have a nice texture.<br />
* At the salvage grocer, I found coriander for $.50/oz and mustard seed $.99/oz. I bought one mustard seed and all of the coriander. I have mustard and cilantro micros in my future!<br />
<br />
<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGWdaN4xzWaWoqFJ8fpTVLbsjC0GQyHO6o_QBZexMsvmcCwDF8Ld9BpC6Z9YzVNcPC7Z6dD4LJs-9wcfIZ5S8Grfgzd2F44B3rtASactwyXV6mpUH9rB463Od1fGSR0ZvYeb2UOJ1hhM/s1600/20170729_220702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGWdaN4xzWaWoqFJ8fpTVLbsjC0GQyHO6o_QBZexMsvmcCwDF8Ld9BpC6Z9YzVNcPC7Z6dD4LJs-9wcfIZ5S8Grfgzd2F44B3rtASactwyXV6mpUH9rB463Od1fGSR0ZvYeb2UOJ1hhM/s320/20170729_220702.jpg" width="320" /></a>* At the salvage grocer, I got some Soda Stream syrups for $.99. The same ones were at Meijer for $5!<br />
* I went to our other salvage grocer one day because a detour on the way to work took me right by it. I got some goodies: cereal for $1/box, tortillas for $.50/12 pk, whole-grain flatbread 10/packs for $.50, ginger beer for $2/4 pack, and some whole-grain snacks I like for $.25/little bag (these I use for work lunches/road snacks).<br />
* I went to the farm stand and got lots of yummies: tomatoes (cherry, beefsteak and paste), peppers (banana), kale, carrots (a mix of purple, yellow, white and orange), cauliflower and a watermelon. The next time I went I got peppers, tomatoes and a bunch of kale.<br />
* I bought a tub of spinach artichoke hummus from Kroger on manager's special: $1.69. I have been enjoying open-faced hummus sandwiches with peppers (from my garden), tomatoes (from my garden or gifted), onion (Aldi), green olives (salvage grocer; $1 for a big jar) and lettuce. It is the perfect little meal.<br />
* We made dinner together one day. We made cubed pork steak, cheesy cauliflower, candied carrots and a squash casserole. It was pretty yummy.<br />
* I made nut rolls. I made a smear, added peanuts (I would prefer pecans, but cost is a factor), and then added refrigerated cinnamon roll dough. It isn't healthy or from-scratch, but it is quick and pretty cheap.<br />
* I bought a 2 lb bag of onions at Kroger. They rang up at the wrong price, so they were free.<br />
* We made tacos together one evening: ground beef from Aldi, microgreens (windowsill garden), tomatoes (parents' garden), peppers (parents' garden), onions (free), and sour cream (store brand on sale).<br />
* I got a gift certificate in the mail after I contacted the grocery store about a problem I had.<br />
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<b>Food Preservation:</b><br />
* We went to my parents house one day to help in apple processing day. We made 18 quarts of apple sauce, enough sliced and frozen apples for 35-50 pies (I didn't get the final tally) and a few gallons of cider. We canned the cider and sauce. The cider was pressed from the cores and peels left over from pie slices. For years, I have tried to change my family's method of sauce making. My dad is a picky eater and would refuse to let us leave peels on. Finally, I brought my food mill and sieve and convinced him to let us make the first batch with the peels and he could decide whether we peeled subsequent batches. He relented. We just chunked the apples into the pot, peels, cores and all. We blended them (we had 3 blenders going), then my sister's boyfriend and I got to work with the sieve and food mill. When dad came over and saw the smoothness of the sauce, he was amazed. He kept going on about how he had never seen such perfect sauce. I delighted in showing him the tiny bits of peel waste pressed out and he realized on his own that there was more peel in the than that, but it was so smooth that it wouldn't affect the quality. I think that was an important moment for him. All of my talk about lessened food waste, nutrient levels in the skin and flesh directly under the skin, reduced labor and flavor improvements by leaving peels on was not enough to convince him to eat applesauce that had gross tough bits in it. Once I was able to show him that he could have it both ways, he was sold. I have been trying to accomplish this for seven years, so this goes to show it is never to late.<br />
* We made a small batch of tomato sauce and froze it for winter.<br />
* I froze some soup for future meals.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0Jo3gUTI-GFBdUC0XuiYXMApTVrZL0n4Hxqbgt9SUx1rfllVFN1W8SYL8C9gj-FQeNhCBqz4QORBfxE9O0_4sMZ09u_yAIbB7c1tExLaSA8xcs-avv4mCPWSr7s69o-E0S1iVCVlNX4/s1600/20170820_142550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0Jo3gUTI-GFBdUC0XuiYXMApTVrZL0n4Hxqbgt9SUx1rfllVFN1W8SYL8C9gj-FQeNhCBqz4QORBfxE9O0_4sMZ09u_yAIbB7c1tExLaSA8xcs-avv4mCPWSr7s69o-E0S1iVCVlNX4/s320/20170820_142550.jpg" width="192" /></a><br />
<b>Fun:</b><br />
* I got to have lunch with my BBF, Daisy, and her incredible child. I always enjoy hanging out with her. We met up at Panera and talked for a couple hours. We were both a little down on ourselves (as I think a lot of women tend to be) for not being "good enough" at the major life changes we have going on. Daisy and I have such a good friendship. We both encouraged each other and talked through some of the mental hurdles we have been facing. We both came away more hopeful. That is exactly what I need and want in a friend and I am so thankful for her. And it isn't just all the deep stuff! We brought presents! I brought her a little terrarium with a plant that looks like brains (bought at the salvage grocer, of all places) and she brought me teenage mutant ninja turtles spoon and fork set! For what more could you ask in a friend? (Trucker also sent a Star Wars travel cup for her hubby and Daisy gave Trucker a gift for a weird little collection he has).<br />
* Trucker and I splurged on a really fun date night. A local theater had a horror movie marathon. We ate a big meal before we left home and brought some of our own snacks (but did buy a large popcorn and sodas to split for $13). We sneaked in a couple of energy shots we got from Aldi (for around $1 each) that we took around 3 AM. We intended to stay the entire event and score free movie tickets and coupons for popcorn, but we punked out at 4:30 AM. The event lasted until 10 or so! Even without the freebies, it was still worthwhile. We got to see three movies in a posh, historic theatre and eat yummy snacks. Plus, the money supported the local art scene, as this theatre is associated with the local art association and hosts a lot of documentaries and independent film.<br />
* We went out for coffee, using our travel mugs. We earned free coffee with our rewards card.<br />
* I went out shopping with my mom and sister to get ready for our other sister's wedding/anniversary party. I didn't spend anything, but helped my mom find deals on items she needed.<br />
* One day when Trucker had to work during the day, I went to work early to see my old coworkers. I brought cookies that I got on sale at the grocery store ($6). It was so fun to get to see them and catch up. After that, I went across the street to my gym and went swimming for an hour. I had forgotten just how much I love swimming. I also relaxed in the hot tub for a bit which felt a little like heaven.<br />
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<b>Nature:</b><br />
* We went to a park in the suburbs for a fiddle concert. We also got to walk around and look at some beautiful gardens.<br />
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<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* After a recommendation from a friend on an online forum, I am reading Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi's book All Your Worth. It is a great read and has gotten me back into a proper mindset for working towards our goals. They propose a very basic budget: 50% for Must-Haves (expenses you need to survive and would continue to pay if you lost your job), 30% for Wants (items that are not necessary for survival, but make life more enjoyable) and 20% for saving/debt repayment. I ran the numbers and now that I have the new job, it looks pretty good. I've got 14% total going towards 401k (She says to include employer contributions to retirement). I have 3% automatically put into my savings account (a small amount, but I wanted to just get started putting something in and plan to increase the amount now that I know we are making it). So far this month, I've put 4.5% of my pay towards extra debt payments (I consider the minimum payments to be a Must-have and extra payments can come from the savings category). That brings us to 21.5% so far. I pay my mortgage with my next paycheck and have one more before the end of the month and plan to put another large payment onto a debt with that. Note that this is pre-tax income and her plan says to use post-tax income, so I'm feeling pretty good.<br />
* I redeemed some rewards points I had for cash. I got an $8 check that I put onto a credit card.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOew1xAV2r4pNjtWXCjZXyR_suvVMtsyJKu4EDhObxX6HIEjw2yNziXLPZwiWhEgfQvsPh8IfcjWRnr1I6qMppaghnSv1gOUhHBHy5NWuk7W1m3VuGOW-Yu3cr7Qk8lTCchyphenhyphen_Yi8u0E4g/s1600/20170820_142451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOew1xAV2r4pNjtWXCjZXyR_suvVMtsyJKu4EDhObxX6HIEjw2yNziXLPZwiWhEgfQvsPh8IfcjWRnr1I6qMppaghnSv1gOUhHBHy5NWuk7W1m3VuGOW-Yu3cr7Qk8lTCchyphenhyphen_Yi8u0E4g/s320/20170820_142451.jpg" width="192" /></a>* I checked my credit score for free on my bank's website. It dropped a little all of a sudden. I did some digging and the only thing I can think is that last June, I paid off one of my credit cards, the oldest one (score date was July 31). I wonder if it isn't being reported as active since I hadn't used it for a year. If it is considered inactive, that dramatically decreases the average age of my accounts as I've had this for well over a decade. I used it to charge a couple of small things and paid it off a week later. We will see if that has any impact. As it is, I'm still in a decent range for qualifying for a mortgage, but want to get it as high as possible for the best rate.<br />
* Trucker got both our cars' oil changed. He said that they tried to charge him almost $100 to change my air filter. He said, "no thank you" but was glad for the reminder. He picked up an air filter for $10, minus a $3 rebate. It was a five minute fix, making his tax-free hourly rate $1116.<br />
* I have gotten in the habit of checked the manager's special racks at Meijer for undergarments. I have found underwear marked down from $6 to $1.50-2.30 and bras for $5 for regular (marked down from $25-30) and $2 for sports bras (marked down from $18). Granted, they don't always have my size, and the sports bras tend to be in colors I wouldn't chose, but for that discount, it is always worth checking.<br />
* I am making lots of extra little payments onto my credit cards. I made a few more payments since the above calculations.<br />
<br />
<b>Waste Reduction:</b><br />
* We composted lots of things.<br />
* I had two tank tops that were stretched out badly, so the straps were constantly falling down. I used them under my work uniform for awhile, but it got annoying. I cut them down into rags and ended up with only the straps being thrown away.<br />
<br />
<b>House and Home:</b><br />
* Trucker replaced two doors in the house that had some dents in them.<br />
* We got a new pot holder on manager's special for $4. When we got home, we threw out the 3 we had that were falling apart. Part of me wanted to save them to recover with new fabric to make new, but honestly, since I have so little time, I knew that it would just be clutter.<br />
* We also bought a set of sheets that were on manager's special for $15 (down from $45) in a color that coordinates well with our other sets. We got rid of a couple old sheets.<br />
* Mom gave me a pretty planter for my birthday coming up.<br />
<br />
<b>Work:</b><br />
* Work was cancelled one day due to a supplier issue. We were tickled pink to have an unexpected day/night off together. We miss each other terribly during the work week and the weekends fly by, plus there are family and friend obligations. We made lunch together, cuddled and watched a movie, went out for coffee, got Dairy Queen blizzards during their special buy-one-get-one-for-$.99 deal and walked around town. Then we went home and worked on some house projects together. It was one of the nicest days off I've had in awhile.<br />
* I have a couple of funny random work benefits that I never would have planned, but that will shave a little off the budget. First, we have a laundry service available for our work uniforms that I wasn't eligible to use as a temp. Now, I use it and it reduces our laundry by one load a week (saving on detergent, electricity and water). Also, after work I am disgusting. It's true. Now that I am not in a hurry to get home and see Trucker (he is asleep before I get home), I take a shower at work each evening. It wakes me up so I have a safer time driving home. When I get home, I don't have to worry about waking Trucker up while getting ready for bed and I can just crawl into bed as soon as I get there. Also, it saves me from the water cost of doing 5 showers a week. Sure, water costs aren't the biggest budget expense, but it certainly can't hurt!<a href="https://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-cost-comparison-of-home-laundry-and-laundromats/"> The Simple Dollar</a> estimates the cost of a load washed/dried clothes at $.97 just in water and energy. Assuming $.25/load for detergent, this will save us $55-60/yr. For showering,<a href="http://www.paystolivegreen.com/shower-water-and-energy-use-calculator/"> this calculator</a> estimated the cost at $.46/shower in water and gas to heat the water. This brings us to around $110/yr. (note: I specifically avoided using websites that were trying to sell washing machines or shower heads. Those figures were several times higher than this which makes sense since they wanted to convince me to drop money on their products.) So, these two little benefits save me $165 or so a year. Certainly not a game-changer, but is enough to make a difference when that money can be thrown towards debt repayment. Quite a ramble this is! This is how my brain works...all the time. haha<br />
* I worked a half hour overtime most days. We will likely begin working some Saturdays within a month or so.<br />
<br />
<b>Future:</b><br />
* I talked with two loan officers (the credit union at my job and the bank where we have our current mortgage) and a realtor. If everything goes according to plan, we should be able to start looking for properties in the country in spring. I also talked with my current bank and they said they have no problem with us renting out our current home if we chose. That is an option we would like to do, as we can rent the place out for significantly more than our mortgage (Our house needed some repairs costing around $5k when we bought it that had kept it on the market for a long time, leading to a $20k discount on the house). Does anyone have any thoughts on renting out the previous house? We love the idea of multiple streams of income (If you haven't read it, I highly recommend Robert Allen's book of that title).<br />
<br />
<b>Health:</b><br />
* I got my annual physical for free this week. This gives me a significant discount on insurance.<br />
<br />
<b>Setbacks:</b><br />
* Second shift is rough. I'm starting to adjust, but it is really frustrating. My low point came when my local theatre called to offer me discounted tickets to the symphony and I had to say "no" because I'll be working every evening that there is a show. I've consoled myself by promising that once I go back to first shift, I'm buying Trucker and I season tickets for one year. I'll likely be on second for 4-8 years, so it would only be a buck or two a week. As strange as it sounds, just that decision has made it easier on me. I realized that the worst part of this new transition was having nothing to look forward to. When I worked first shift, all day I looked forward to coming home and hanging out with Trucker. Now, when I wake up, my darn mental clock starts ticking until I have to leave, and then at work, I have nothing to look forward to other than lying in bed reading alone, as Trucker is already asleep most nights. I went through a pretty rough patch for a bit, but I think that the idea of an outrageous luxury later on is helping. We have always had a bit of spending money earmarked for each of us to spend on things that will make us happy. During the worst of the recession, it was $5 a month. Now it is higher, not outrageous, but enough that Trucker can buy some books he wants and help with crowd funding different art projects. I, on the other hand, almost never spend it and it gets absorbed into the family budget. Trucker gets on me for not feeling I deserve to treat myself. Warren encouraged having a section of the budget dedicated to "wants" that you spend absolutely without guilt. Once I ran the math, it was obvious I can give myself a little something and not harm our financial well-being. If saving $1.75 a week for me to spend at a later date on 12 amazing shows at the symphony keeps me going on the rough, lonely nights, I think it is money well spent.<br />
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<b>Community:</b><br />
* My coworker gave me some wonderful tomatoes from her garden.<br />
* Trucker volunteered at the shelter.<br />
* My parents sent me home with apples (Dad teased me that I was welcome to take any apple products that hadn't been processed at all. So basically apples.), tomatoes (they were so over making tomato sauce after last weekend's fiasco of a wheelbarrow heaped full of tomatoes turned into sauce and the sink getting plugged up and having to removed the plumbing all the way back to the main line) and peppers (Dad was overly generous since he doesn't like peppers; I gave some of them back to Mom so she could have them with her eggs).<br />
* I gave my parents some cases of canning jars. I'd gotten them years ago and still haven't learned to can. We are trying to clear out clutter as we intend to move in a year. They have given me canned/jarred items in the past, and while I try to always remember to return them, I know I forget sometimes. This should cover me.<br />
* At the farm stand I got to talk with an old ally from my work in food security. We were both feeling a little down, and ended up spending two hours talking and laughing together in the rain. It was a needed meeting.<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-22629423191433937432017-08-27T13:06:00.000-04:002017-08-27T21:55:46.973-04:00Flavoring Mixes for PopcornI have a new favorite snack: flavored popcorn. Somewhere in the last few months, we had started eating chips. While I suppose the occasional Pringles pop isn't going to kill anyone, I didn't want to eat high fat/salt/sugar snacks and pay a lot for the privilege. We eat popcorn a lot as a cheap and healthy snack, but it got boring for me. Trucker eats his with salt and butter and is quite happy. As a self-declared frugal foodie, I need some variety, some novelty, some spice.<br />
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When we went to the Amish grocer, I checked out the spice blends they offered and I'm so glad I did! Their bulk prices are amazing and they had a decent range of blends. I got a fairly large container for around $2.<br />
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I got my cheddar cheese powder (which is seriously one of the greatest things ever), bbq seasoning and a honey mustard powder. My favorite store bought snacks are bbq chips and honey mustard pretzels.<br />
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When we popped popcorn with our air popper, I spritzed with some oil and the added a generous sprinkling of bbq seasoning. It tasted very similar to bbq chips. Granted, it didn't have the same texture and not quite the same flavor (I think the main thing is that this is less in fat), but it was pretty darn close. The honey mustard popcorn has since become my very favorite snack.<br />
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I use cheddar cheese powder on popcorn, sometimes adding taco seasoning for a nacho popcorn. I also have a zesty dip powder I got at the salvage grocer that is pretty tasty on popcorn.<br />
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I can't wait to get back for more yummy flavors. Buffalo. Chipotle Cheddar. Thai Chili. Cajun. Jerk.<br />
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Granted, I could make my own mixes. However, with my busy work load, I have noticed that the convenience foods are becoming more tempting. For me, I find that sometimes picking one convenience item is acceptable when it prevents a more unhealthy alternative (pre-made mixes for flavored popcorn compared to store-bought chips). I love being able to have just as many options in my flavored popcorn as there are store-bought chips. I get my novelty, but a little bit healthier and a lot cheaper.<br />
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Beckie on Facebook shared: I bought a bunch of ranch dressing packets on sale at our local store and I've used that on popcorn too, delish!<br />
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Kathy shared: My kids like it with cheap lemon pepper seasoning.Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-12515583294667388682017-08-19T16:47:00.000-04:002017-08-19T16:47:01.749-04:00This Week...Beyond Money 7/24 - 8/13<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<b>Gardening:</b><span id="goog_617769966"></span><br />
* I harvested more large tomatoes. I harvest a handful or two of cherry tomatoes each day. My garden is fairly well shaded, so I do not get a huge harvest. However, I get enough to provide a good supplement and I know once I get that "perfect land" with a "perfect plot" I'll have better results.<br />
* I harvested a ton of basil. Okay, not a literal ton, but a fairly substantial harvest. I've also been harvesting bits of parsley, oregano, rosemary and sage.<br />
* We are getting a decent amount of peppers, all of them small. Again, shade.<br />
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<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* I went to the farm stand and got: purple carrots (both Dragon and completely purple varieties), lettuce (red and green loose-leaf lettuces, one head each) and zucchini. The second time I went, I got shishitos, lettuce and patty pan squash. They also had you-pick flowers so I picked a bouquet for Mom and another small one for Trucker.<br />
* We made pork tacos with some ground pork we got at Kroger in the manager's special section. It was a whopping $.75/lb! We bought all three packages they had. We served them on hard shell tacos (from the pantry. I'd bought them for our anniversary party and no one wanted them. I don't care for hard shell tacos, but they were fine after we warmed them in the toaster oven for awhile). We also had sour cream (sale), lettuce (farm stand), tomatoes (my garden), pickled peppers (put up awhile back) and a pinch of cheese.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnZgIdhu0JCKAkc-Qt5j70un2lNAoqGOc7wokddbO2GtISuBdM07YOU6ofJrP4QFwiOUXSn1z1aOGOVT2ua4N9mzr4pS72WWBQomfbhbchGxvb3shIGbUEPKGQLsCQO7KvMiw8-kLwWc/s1600/20170812_153540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnZgIdhu0JCKAkc-Qt5j70un2lNAoqGOc7wokddbO2GtISuBdM07YOU6ofJrP4QFwiOUXSn1z1aOGOVT2ua4N9mzr4pS72WWBQomfbhbchGxvb3shIGbUEPKGQLsCQO7KvMiw8-kLwWc/s320/20170812_153540.jpg" width="320" /></a>* We made yummy sandwiches for lunch one day: fried egg, bacon, pepper jack cheese, tomato (first large tomato from our garden!) and loads of basil (from the garden). It was marvelous.<br />
* Trucker got some avocados on sale, so I made avocado toast for breakfast (Does this mean I don't get to keep my <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/05/16/millionaire-tells-millennials-your-avocado-addiction-costing-you-house/101727712/">house</a>?). I served with bacon, fried eggs and sliced tomato. It was amazing.<br />
* Trucker made me breakfast in bed twice this week. Once it was french toast, fried sausage, banana, roll and coffee. The other time it was pancakes, eggs and banana. He is so wonderful.<br />
* I made breakfast one morning. I made pancakes (Trucker had put half of the pancake batter into the frig. All it needed was a good stir and it was good as fresh), fried eggs, pan-seared cherry tomatoes and shishito peppers, and a little squash bake I made with sour cream, cheese and crushed crackers on top (simple and weird, but very good).<br />
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<b>Fun:</b><br />
* We went out for dinner my last night on first shift (since I needed to stay up super late to be ready for the next night). We went to Olive Garden with a gift certificate that a friend had given us for our anniversary. We paid just a little after the card, plus tip. It was a lovely evening. I always enjoy dating Trucker.<br />
* We did a several coffee dates, using our travel mugs for a discount.<br />
* We went out to my parents place for a fish fry. They had gone to Florida on vacation and brought back fish. They fried up the fish, along with some shrimp. I brought caprese salad, coleslaw and sauerkraut. My sister had bought some really good honey so she served that with some corn bread. We had a lot of fun talking with the family. We are all a pretty goofy group. It is kinda fun watching our family grow, now that we have a bro-in-law and another on the way.<br />
* We went on the World's Longest Yard Sale. We only hit one state, but it was great fun. We found some fun items. I got some jewelry for $.25-1 apiece. We each got some books for $1 or less, including some fun books on our wishlist. I got a couple funky vintage containers to use for storage: an old cash box and a rusty old trash can with lid. I think that I will store *something* (unsure exactly what yet. Maybe yarn since I have way too much in my stash now) in the trash can in the bedroom and put one of my spilling plants on top of it. We found some decorative items for a room we are working on. I found some awesome houseplants. I got a giant canna plant for $4, 4 hen and chick plants for $.25 each, and elephant ear plants for $1.50 each. Trucker got some new loppers for $3.<br />
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<b>Nature:</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtWCFJlXt__IRlj97Or2aTVM_mYZmNJ_FF3-21r3eZgrp3AdUpdU3M_Tt212HbJsyS-96fiig9NhyGLWV_H91OxMCnn_yTOhlIRNnDd5BxDApd2rH__znMYqMykLKO3Mn4wgBPtXDFS0/s1600/20170812_153226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtWCFJlXt__IRlj97Or2aTVM_mYZmNJ_FF3-21r3eZgrp3AdUpdU3M_Tt212HbJsyS-96fiig9NhyGLWV_H91OxMCnn_yTOhlIRNnDd5BxDApd2rH__znMYqMykLKO3Mn4wgBPtXDFS0/s320/20170812_153226.jpg" width="320" /></a>* We went hiking at a nature preserve about an hour away. It was an awesome day. We loved looking for mushrooms and checking out butterflies. We also got to walk around the old canal and through a tunnel.<br />
* We went to a local arboretum. We walked through the half we haven't seen yet. There were so many beautiful gardens and interesting trees. They had a nature discovery center that they use for kids' programs and homeschooling events. There were lots of taxidermy animals, owl pellets, bones, feathers and a beehive that was set up so you could see inside. We also went to the arboretum history center to read dedications and speeches from famous people who planted trees there.<br />
* We went to the living historical farm just outside of the city. We go a couple times a year and I always love it. There is something so reviving about being able to be on a farm, pet the animals, and see what projects they are doing, from butchering turkeys to making tomato juice.<br />
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<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* I signed up for a raffle at work for attending a farmer's market. I can sign up each time I visit one until the end of August. I also signed up for a raffle for doing some healthy practices each day. The company offers a lot of raffles and drawings for different healthy or community-driven activities. I plan to sign up for all of them. I won't win most, but eventually I might win something.<br />
* I signed up for our insurance a couple days after I officially started. While I had 31 days to sign up, I was afraid something would come up and I would miss the deadline. The insurance looks great. For the rest of this year, it is completely free. Next year it will cost $6-46 dollars a month, depending on which plan I chose. Either way, it is much cheaper than the $105/month we were paying (after our subsidy)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCbsr1maPf9xNoRH-al2dDDDLvLJWcEWLvyUFqcbYjT94PsDXrbs07QxnrhL9g6oLZzrIlUPduJFqw2ZZpzM-v8LsN-dbmug81bDDTXcagMpU198a7IFArGrAjmQm7C2FdQq5HymhXDo/s1600/20170730_144716%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCbsr1maPf9xNoRH-al2dDDDLvLJWcEWLvyUFqcbYjT94PsDXrbs07QxnrhL9g6oLZzrIlUPduJFqw2ZZpzM-v8LsN-dbmug81bDDTXcagMpU198a7IFArGrAjmQm7C2FdQq5HymhXDo/s320/20170730_144716%25280%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>* I signed up for my 401k. I get a 100% match up to 6%, plus my employer kicks in an additional 2-4% depending on how long I have worked for them. I got a letter saying that they are counting my time as a temp in determining how much extra they kick in. I also set it up so that every year on January 1 it bumps up my contribution by 1%. I invested in a target date account. All told, I'll be getting a good amount put away for retirement.<br />
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<b>House and Home:</b><br />
* Trucker did some small projects around the house, such as adding a spring to the front screen door and putting in screens in windows.<br />
* Trucker hung up some new art.<br />
* Trucker fixed the patio door that was having trouble opening properly.<br />
* In general, Trucker has been fixing a lot of things around the house. We are wanting to move within a year or two, so he is handling fixing up little things to make it easier to sell. We are saving a bundle by not paying a professional to do. We use Menards rebates when possible and buy items on sale.<br />
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<b>Work:</b><br />
* I started the new job this week (the first week of this post....sorry for yet another delay). I am so excited and relieved to be in a good, stable job. The first few days of the week were spent in classes and hearing different higher-ups speak. It was exciting to hear about some possible career paths and talk with people about steps to take. I feel hopeful.<br />
* I got sent back to my old department, although now on second shift. I'm so happy. I loved the work I was doing and am so happy to continue. They say they try to keep you doing what you were, but it depends on their needs, so I got myself prepared to go elsewhere. When they told me I got to stay, it felt like I won the lottery. My new crew seems pretty nice too.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WsSwN_2dWmNLONUpB-OjDcAyIyibHwSM5cEP5rjlZ474B06ttfgsY77L13ZMT6IxHBrhpDePOK0QmseLD84c-5Q2P12RayvE9te3rTwdDkz5ZD9A8y-0uDkcJruGHZMuq4lbv-ryc-Y/s1600/20170812_152613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WsSwN_2dWmNLONUpB-OjDcAyIyibHwSM5cEP5rjlZ474B06ttfgsY77L13ZMT6IxHBrhpDePOK0QmseLD84c-5Q2P12RayvE9te3rTwdDkz5ZD9A8y-0uDkcJruGHZMuq4lbv-ryc-Y/s320/20170812_152613.jpg" width="320" /></a>* Still a few weeks in, I like the crew and the work. I've also learned some new jobs, so now I get a lot more variety in my work day.<br />
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<b>Future:</b><br />
* Trucker's commercial came out. It is so cool to see him in a commercial!<br />
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<b>Health:</b><br />
* I got signed up for our new insurance. This is the first time I've had real benefits at a job (I had a job once that offered health insurance and it was twice as expensive as our previous ACA exchange insurance and had a huge deductible we had to hit before copays kicked in, whereas our ACA plan had a copay before deductible...in short, it had cost us way more for less coverage). I am amazed at how much coverage we get with the current plan. For this year at least, the company pays all of our (really generous) health, dental, vision, prescription, life, short and long term disability insurance. We will not have to pay a penny for any health care until after the first $2000, then we pay a small deductible, then have copays. I added accidental death and dismemberment and extra life insurance for each of us for a grand total of $35/year. Not too shabby for all of our health care needs. As I understand it, the costs will go up nominally next year, but this is still fantastic.<br />
* Our insurance is free/super cheap only if we earn a certain number of points for healthy activities each year. In general, I support this idea. Yeah, the reason they do it is to save money on their expenses, but I do like adding that financial incentive to patients/clients to maintain healthy practices. Already, we each have 400 of the 1000 points I need for next year.<br />
* We signed up for a membership at the health center my employer offers (3 locations, one is across the street from where I park for work). It costs $24/year, so $1/month each. I will obviously use it more than Trucker, as it is an hour from home, but he will use it occasionally. I get to work early each day since I drive to work during rush hour traffic now and a lot can go wrong. My dad suggested working out before work (I'd planned on doing it after work, but this saves me time) since I'd be there already. So now I park, walk across the street to the fitness center, get a run in and lift a little, then head back to work. This is going to be a great way to get back in the shape I want to be in. Trucker and I drove past the factory on the way to my parents place, so we stopped and went swimming for an hour. We didn't swim laps, but were active and got a good workout in.<br />
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<b>Setbacks:</b><br />
* We had some car trouble and had to take the car to my cousin to get repaired. It ended up being just a loose hose and it cost $20 to get fixed. Without him, there is no way we could afford to have a second car and I definitely couldn't afford to drive so far to work since the maintenance would be cost-prohibitive when commuting 500 miles a week. I don't know what we would do without him.<br />
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<b>Community:</b><br />
* Trucker volunteered at the homeless shelter.<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-55360240659217320512017-07-24T19:33:00.000-04:002017-07-24T19:33:17.286-04:00This Week...Beyond Money THREE WEEKS 7/1 - 7/23<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCy96EXB3zKtIOms5Lrm78m4BQcP5S7_NtpNr7k2ddlTiIWV2iz1AjGdYTVPIgyN20_1tpJSk02zrrnwgjYstgH-_va9n_q05KI1xf4c_h3fG_Ed7RPBQ26SScy3qLm2isA38xInxoig/s1600/20170702_093325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCy96EXB3zKtIOms5Lrm78m4BQcP5S7_NtpNr7k2ddlTiIWV2iz1AjGdYTVPIgyN20_1tpJSk02zrrnwgjYstgH-_va9n_q05KI1xf4c_h3fG_Ed7RPBQ26SScy3qLm2isA38xInxoig/s320/20170702_093325.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Thanks for your continued understanding as my hectic schedule keeps me from updating as often as I'd like.</i><br />
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<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* I harvested tons of herbs from the garden.<br />
* I harvested 75 heads of garlic. Some weren't huge, but overall I'm happy with my harvest. I have it curing on the patio and will bring it in when it is to rain.<br />
* I'm harvesting a lot of peppers, mainly banana and Hungarian hot wax, but also some padrons and serranos. No bell peppers yet, but I wasn't expecting those to do well (I do regret buying bell pepper starts since my garden doesn't seem to grow large peppers well).<br />
* I've been harvesting cherry tomatoes almost daily, just a few, but enough to enjoy.<br />
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<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* We got more free sauerkraut. This time it was kimchi. I love this perk.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlVHKCHrDt6UQpVdTOSiQGiJX3snYLqzdlnqyXmO08q5PP5OOeNnW2WmSkWjc6Xq5YPKvYPZzw_M-w2l8tU6IltK8oYI7xBhyphenhyphenKCHz0ZTaEq-WRNyK_V_lzLtzq-mWLY-iRqVrFkUmUSk/s1600/20170714_104015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlVHKCHrDt6UQpVdTOSiQGiJX3snYLqzdlnqyXmO08q5PP5OOeNnW2WmSkWjc6Xq5YPKvYPZzw_M-w2l8tU6IltK8oYI7xBhyphenhyphenKCHz0ZTaEq-WRNyK_V_lzLtzq-mWLY-iRqVrFkUmUSk/s320/20170714_104015.jpg" width="320" /></a>* I made shakshouka for dinner one day. I can't believe I waited to make this. It is basically just eggs poached in tomato sauce, but oh my goodness. I had some tomato sauce in the freezer from last year (free tomatoes from the farm, cooked down without seasoning and frozen) that I cooked down further with half a large onion, sliced thin and sauteed with a small head of garlic. I added Worcestershire, a healthy pinch of paprika, some chile powder, salt and pepper. Once it was cooked down enough, I added some oregano, thyme and marjoram from the garden and added the eggs. Once they were poached (I did overcook them a little, so the yolks were firm, but in my defense it was my first time poaching an egg), I added a healthy handful of basil from the garden. While it is traditionally served over toast, we had it over spaghetti since I didn't have any decent bread. It was phenomenal. It will definitely get into the regular rotation. I've been trying to use more seasoning in cooking and this well-seasoned tomato sauce explodes with flavor. The eggs provide plenty of protein for a great vegetarian meal that is cheap and hearty.<br />
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* I hit the motherload. Awhile back a coworker of mine told me about this wholesaler at the airport that sold to the public. The schedule didn't really line up with mine, so I just got around to hitting it and I'm so glad I did! In addition to a decent selection of produce, meat, cheese and imported goods, they also had a clearance section. These were items that were intended to sell to restaurants, but that were slightly past their prime. They were already cleaned and in some cases prepped. There were also less-pretty items at a steep discount. I got a half gallon of half and half ($1), a half gallon of heavy whipping cream ($1), several pounds of broccoli (cleaned and cut into florets) for $2, a giant bag (10-15 pounds) of green beans for $.99, local tomatoes at $1.49/lb, 4+ lbs of jalapenos for $1, and several pounds of celery (cleaned and cut into sticks). I also got jumbo brown eggs from a local Amish farm for $2.50/dozen. Some other goodies I saw but didn't purchase: a giant bag (probably close to 5 lbs) of cilantro for $.99, lemons for $.10, oranges for $.20, grapefruit for $.33, mangoes for $.50, giant butternut squash for $1, canner tomatoes $5/15 lbs, and onions $15/25 lbs. I do plan on going back for some onions to caramelize for the freezer.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioO6VJ34nwU8FXbLZF4f_Y9jBcWKEqUDQMhl396TOVl8EGtI-eTKYxxlnzK-wlBM5w7Xm37zpFsW7CDU2JuynOia0mi9rJXYSx-pFr5INPJaabbblJ4XogcFJwGGTWI6BbuN6N9yPfRjU/s1600/20170702_095451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioO6VJ34nwU8FXbLZF4f_Y9jBcWKEqUDQMhl396TOVl8EGtI-eTKYxxlnzK-wlBM5w7Xm37zpFsW7CDU2JuynOia0mi9rJXYSx-pFr5INPJaabbblJ4XogcFJwGGTWI6BbuN6N9yPfRjU/s320/20170702_095451.jpg" width="180" /></a>* I made stock with produce scraps and some bones from the freezer. I used strained and frozen tomato juice from last year when I made tomato sauce. That added a lot of flavor and was perfect for beef stew. I used the bones in a second batch of stock with fresh veggie scraps. The second (and third and forth) batches of stock with bones aren't very flavorful, but there's still some nutritional value as the bones continue to break down. Often for later batches, I'll add some bouillon cubes for flavor.<br />
* I used my first batch of stock to make a beef vegetable soup. I seared some beef with onions, then added garlic, garlic scapes, carrots, celery and patty pan squash. It cost around $3.50 and was enough for 6 meals.<br />
* I made shrimp scampi. How have I not been doing this before? (This seems to be the question of the week). I didn't really use a recipe, but it turned out great. I found frozen shrimp for $4 at Aldi, added half a box of angel hair pasta (manager's special for $.50, so $.25 for the recipe), used half a stick of butter ($.65), half an onion ($.15), a small head of garlic (free from the garden; next time I'll use more), parsley (free from the garden). basil (free from the garden) and 1/3 bottle white wine. The wine was one we got on vacation. (Once you factor in the coupon, it cost $5. However, once we got home, it just didn't taste right. Slightly vinegary. Not unbearably bad, but not pleasant to drink. Rather than dump it down the drain, I used most of the bottle in stock making in place of vinegar.) It worked really well in the scampi, although using a Niagara wine in a Italian dish was far from authentic. So, since the wine would have been dumped if I didn't decide to use it in cooking, I'm not factoring the price in (I made scampi as a way to use the wine instead of throwing it away). The cost was a hair over $5 and was enough for 5 meals.<br />
* We had popcorn as a snack.<br />
* I made roasted chicken (manager's special) with roasted veggies (beets, carrots, potatoes, garlic and onion) for dinner one night. We pan seared shishito peppers as our appetizer. It was amazing.<br />
* On "National Ice Cream Day" we bought half gallons of ice cream for $.99.<br />
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<b>Food Preservation:</b><br />
* I froze some half and half in ice cube trays to use small amounts to add creaminess to soups, colcannon, mashed potatoes or other dishes.<br />
* I froze all the remaining celery and garlic scapes. I sliced the celery and froze on cookie sheets before bagging. The scapes were simply chopped and bagged.<br />
* I chopped too much basil for the scampi so I put it in a small container, covered with water and froze. That will get chucked into some soup at some point.<br />
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<b>Fun:</b><br />
* Vacation week!!!<br />
* We took a weekend trip to Niagara falls. We stayed on the American side because I didn't want to spend the extra money on passports. It was a wonderful time. We used hotels.com to reserve our room and earned a free night to use later. I used the Entertainment book to save money on dinner and outings. We went to the Aquarium of Niagara using a BOGO coupon and got to see a sea lion show. We went on a lot of hikes and got up close and personal with the falls. We'd thought about going on the Cave of the Winds tour, but neither of us felt like getting wet. We explored the ruins of the Schoellkopf power station and rode the elevator down. We also went on the Niagara winery tour and sampled some yummy wines (Niagara is my favorite grape, so I was happy). Our entertainment book got us some BOGO coupons on tastings and bottles, which dropped the price considerably. We went cherry picking and paid about the same price as cherries cost at the store, but they were super fresh. On the way home we stopped at a farmers' market on the Seneca reservation. I got banana bread, a mini rhubarb pie and sour cherries. It was a nice little trip and short enough that I still got ample time to have fun at home as well.<br />
* We went to a billiard hall and used a BOGO coupon to get two hours of play for $8. I'm terrible at pool, but determined to learn and Trucker is patient as he teaches me.<br />
* We earned a bunch of coupons for participating in our library's summer reading program: BOGO movie theatre, BOGO burritos at Chipotle, free cookies, coupon for a local pizzeria and a bbq joint, and a free book from the Friends of the Library sale.<br />
* I'll definitely continue to purchase entertainment books. Whether for a vacation destination or our home city, we get our money's worth every time.<br />
* We had a beer tasting with a few friends one evening. Everyone brought a few beers that we all sampled and some snacks. We had a lovely evening of laughing and talking.<br />
* We used one of the Chipotle coupons for dinner while out one day. We get the bowls and a tortilla on the side so we can make the size burrito we want (restaurant portions are way too much). We had enough leftover to make enchiladas the next day and that provided another 3 meals.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uL2Ep2SCgyXMLtghSq-M2cLaE_vzW5JA1nA6XT1BumP6A7SF2jLwrrwA1NhdlgAz-mLF57tHMhwfo3B0ctJyJjlVeTsrEyn7ADn1P8ToSQGywb2vVgvzQRi_6d7UpYLq5lSsHfJO0r8/s1600/20170702_104003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uL2Ep2SCgyXMLtghSq-M2cLaE_vzW5JA1nA6XT1BumP6A7SF2jLwrrwA1NhdlgAz-mLF57tHMhwfo3B0ctJyJjlVeTsrEyn7ADn1P8ToSQGywb2vVgvzQRi_6d7UpYLq5lSsHfJO0r8/s320/20170702_104003.jpg" width="180" /></a>* My family was on vacation for longer than we were. My grandpa stayed home and we knew he would be lonely since he usually goes to my mom's house for dinner every night. We drove out and took him out for Bob Evans for dinner. Trucker had a BOGO coupon and Grandpa was excited to get a chicken pot pie. I just wanted a salad. Trucker ordered a meal and it cost $1 extra to get a second side and $.50 to upgrade it to a salad, so for $1.50 I got the $3 salad I wanted. We were all full and content. Afterwards, he took us on a tour around town to show us where he grew up and all the buildings he had built in the area (He was a brick mason for 50 years because he is amazing). It was a perfect evening. We brought him gifts: sauerkraut (free as a job perk; he LOVES sauerkraut), banana bread (from our trip) and a DVD set of 50 war movies that Trucker got for $.50 at a garage sale. Grandpa is a big history buff and was so excited about the set and kept exclaiming the titles of the movies and said he was going to put a disk in as soon as we left and have the banana bread with some milk. It just goes to show that you can make someone's whole day without spending much; thought and care is the important thing.<br />
* We went fossil hunting, using a BOGO coupon, $9 total. We found a ton of crinoids, corals, brachiopods and trilobites. It was such a fun day and I checked something off my bucket list!<br />
* We spent a day with my parents, sisters and bro-in-laws at the lake near my parents house. We had a wonderful picnic, fished and swam. It was marvelous.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXR7ca5TjI1oNgJtjzFiS8p9affjrINrkDPsDh2X-ee6Iuq4ZOL-LlC05tOoNkIXUtKYcd_xgNY6XFv6mKsz7MZWqJPSABXiR6S5_iDXj1empZ-gzZ5yGsVeb6-CTAgFdO7PcC1JcYxE/s1600/20170714_111707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" data-pinit="registered" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXR7ca5TjI1oNgJtjzFiS8p9affjrINrkDPsDh2X-ee6Iuq4ZOL-LlC05tOoNkIXUtKYcd_xgNY6XFv6mKsz7MZWqJPSABXiR6S5_iDXj1empZ-gzZ5yGsVeb6-CTAgFdO7PcC1JcYxE/s200/20170714_111707.jpg" width="120" /></a><b>Nature:</b><br />
* One day we went to a local arboretum. We had a lovely time walking around the gardens. They had a canopy tour that was amazing. Afterwards we climbed an 8-story tower for some spectacular views.<br />
* We were in awe at the falls and loved walking up and down river to see the multitude of smaller falls. It was great getting to see new flowers that don't grow in our state.<br />
* Trucker has been loving the bird feeders by the office window.<br />
* We enjoyed a walk at the audobon. We loved watching turtles by the river.<br />
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<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* We bought some allergen protection covers for our pillows, but once we opened the package they were really loud and uncomfortable. We returned them and had the money put back into our account. That saved us $9. We returned them when we were already going to be next door to the store.<br />
* Trucker signed up for the loyalty program at Meijer. We already got $7 off purchases and have coupons for $1 off a future purchase and a free head of lettuce.<br />
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<b>House and Home:</b><br />
* I reorganized my clothes. I don't really have a good system (and never have found one that works since we moved in), so I'm trying again. Without a good system that works for me, my clothes live on a chair until I wear them again and the drawers/closet are just filled with the things I don't like as much. I took everything out of the dresser, got rid of a good 1/4 of those items and separated out the items that fit but are too worn to wear in general or to donate. I'll have a drawer dedicated to chore clothes and will wear them til they fall apart.<br />
* Trucker tackled the scary tupperware cabinet. It was terrifying, really. He separated out each type of container and then I went through everything and threw out food containers we didn't need (I had a ton of large yogurt tubs that I used to save back when I didn't have a tupperware set that included large containers) and items without matches (I still had 3 containers from my old tupperware set, but 12 lids!).<br />
* I put all of our fossils from our adventure and put them in a pretty bowl in the entrance. I had previously had a bunch of pine corns and acorns in the bowl, but I moved those into a little metal bucket that now sits on a shelf.<br />
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<b>Work:</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6wtFI1EFOMx8GChSMlMCvg6VaViILrSsrVeY6JsWGQwyv4skBO-Wld6clCxbQrg_0Wr-gksZnZGfvFThj8DafUZ1F8Lcoirx23QRBslRYtY1cqUi4kj_pwYpAHxVIEM8B1Q59BMPcHA/s1600/20170702_133140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6wtFI1EFOMx8GChSMlMCvg6VaViILrSsrVeY6JsWGQwyv4skBO-Wld6clCxbQrg_0Wr-gksZnZGfvFThj8DafUZ1F8Lcoirx23QRBslRYtY1cqUi4kj_pwYpAHxVIEM8B1Q59BMPcHA/s320/20170702_133140.jpg" width="320" /></a>* It's summer break from work, so I have been enjoying some much needed time off. I go back for a couple days and then get another long weekend. We get a break in July and another for the winter holidays. So basically about the time you are burning out, you get a nice, long break to revive.<br />
* The countdown is on for starting second shift. Two more weeks.<br />
* Friday was my last day with my coworkers. It was a really sad day. They are really amazing, just some of the best people you could ever hope to know, let alone work with. I'll miss them a lot.However, I do know that I am making a smart choice and am looking forward to the new job next week.<br />
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<b>Future:</b><br />
* Next week I start my new job! I can't wait. This will give us security and a future, so I'm happy.<br />
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<b>Health: </b><br />
* We have gotten back in the habit of hitting the gym regularly. I'm mainly concentrating on my arms and cardio. Trucker didn't go while we were on vacation, and then got a cold, so he had to ease back into it.<br />
* I got a cold the weekend before I start the new job! Oh no! While I usually try not to use medicine unnecessarily, I will definitely use something to make training tolerable (and me less gross to my new coworkers!).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhH5XbwCWIz5_4jWhbF1OXTv7yWm3vSMISOdQUIc_4wxL3K7yFBkvRYLeGGwWKKIfsIb8ghWwS-775MlZfyjI-JGWwFbCp0Nj4YR2s7bUevEWt5wjWNuZYE3XOnT4_ylb66jffa5hyphenhyphenGQ/s1600/20170714_104502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhH5XbwCWIz5_4jWhbF1OXTv7yWm3vSMISOdQUIc_4wxL3K7yFBkvRYLeGGwWKKIfsIb8ghWwS-775MlZfyjI-JGWwFbCp0Nj4YR2s7bUevEWt5wjWNuZYE3XOnT4_ylb66jffa5hyphenhyphenGQ/s320/20170714_104502.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><br /></b><br />
<b>Community:</b><br />
* Daisy is an absolutely amazing friend. When we were out of town, she took care of all of the fur babies. It was comforting to know they were alright (and the house wasn't burned down!). I am continually thankful for her (and her hubby's!) friendship. Making friends as a grown-up is awkward and more than a little hard which makes it all the more special that we found them.<br />
* I left her a few little goodies: sauerkraut, garlic scapes from the garden, some extra cukes from the farm stand, sriracha ketchup and a basil transplant. I potted up the basil into a little pot I already had. I also brought her a goody from our trip.<br />
* Daisy left me a few little gifts for when I got back: a candle with a lovely quote about friendship, some teenage mutant ninja turtles stickers (Because she knows me well!) and a trash can for the bathroom. Daisy has one of the best eyes for decor and is my inspiration when it comes to crafts and decor. I've been decorating my main bathroom in a sunset on the beach theme. Everything was looking pretty nice and I considered it almost finished, other than wanting to replace bathtub knobs and the sink. The only problem was that I still had the terrible kokopelli trash can we got when we first moved in together. Daisy bought a basic white trash can at the dollar store and wrapped it in twine. It ends up being a beautiful, simple trash can that oozes beach charm. I love how she can take basic materials and make a fantastic piece that is exactly what you needed.<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-22038467090311940112017-07-23T15:50:00.000-04:002017-07-23T15:50:08.330-04:00Pepper Poppers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pepper poppers are one of the cheapest and easiest appetizers you can make. They are also incredibly popular and go well whether you are serving a taco bar or having a party for a sporting event. They don't take long to make and can even be assembled in advance and tossed into the oven a little before guests show up. My garden is producing loads of peppers this year, and this is a great way to use up a bunch. The farm stands also have them pretty affordably as well. When peak pepper season is on, I like to core whole peppers and freeze them.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hG9jd1ZVbGdDJ9lm1FPUQ9EtVr9U0zd3Hd4njm6DA5bSjhP9Kltpvg9fZjTDdXqlL28EM0IWcj3w-yzALuv_s2O8JIkeXzn5jGm9VONKjbA270UrDHtyWXgMNAlyK5mpFOwUfe95wmg/s1600/20170422_211208%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hG9jd1ZVbGdDJ9lm1FPUQ9EtVr9U0zd3Hd4njm6DA5bSjhP9Kltpvg9fZjTDdXqlL28EM0IWcj3w-yzALuv_s2O8JIkeXzn5jGm9VONKjbA270UrDHtyWXgMNAlyK5mpFOwUfe95wmg/s320/20170422_211208%25280%2529.jpg" width="192" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4serpdxipqErTUjQHPi-MKQ6QpG4UQQw7ZWEHcLWg2M98RCtlW27KoNIqgg4nsEC92bfFYy_1X8Ss5iq4NJyq07gMRFv9sF930zCLHGzevaWgDU788seQ_GhBUi-vZtWbeBn7ornXNk/s1600/20170422_211056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" data-pinit="registered" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4serpdxipqErTUjQHPi-MKQ6QpG4UQQw7ZWEHcLWg2M98RCtlW27KoNIqgg4nsEC92bfFYy_1X8Ss5iq4NJyq07gMRFv9sF930zCLHGzevaWgDU788seQ_GhBUi-vZtWbeBn7ornXNk/s320/20170422_211056.jpg" width="192" /></a><br />
Jalapenos are my go-to, but I also use small hungarian hot wax, large padrons or shishitos, sweet banana, mini bells and lunchbox or other small sweet peppers. Depending on the size of the pepper, ease of removing the seeds and desired presentation, I'll either core them out and shake out as many of the seeds as possible or cut in half longways and scoop out the guts. Reminder: Don't forget to wear gloves if handling hot peppers.<br />
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I don't use a recipe, I just guesstimate based on what I have that needs used up. I will use sour cream, cream cheese or cottage cheese, as I have it. Sometimes if I have a little bit of a creamy dip I'll use that as all or part of the creamy addition. I'll also use up little bits of salsa or hot sauce. Sometimes I'll mince onion in. If the filling needs some oomf, I'll use either a packaged seasoning blend or just add some black pepper, salt, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Blend all well, then put into a piping bag or sandwich bag and cut the tip. Squeeze the blend into the pepper. If you are using frozen peppers, you don't need to even thaw them. Just fill when frozen and bake a little longer than you otherwise would.<br />
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I place them all in a baking dish, overlapping some. Sometimes I cover them all with enchilada sauce or cheese. Sometimes I leave them plain. I bake at around 350 until the peppers are soft, around 30-40 minutes. I often use the toaster oven to keep from heating up the kitchen.<br />
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These are always popular and disappear fast. If I do have any leftovers, they are great for my work lunches and I think are even better chilled.<br />
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What are your favorite frugal and easy appetizers or sides?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-17011878296074301532017-07-15T15:38:00.000-04:002017-07-15T15:38:25.794-04:00Basic Galette, Pie, or Tart Instructions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I teach someone to cook, I like to teach a skill rather than a recipe. If you learn a recipe, you know how to make one dish, but if you learn a skill, the whole world opens up. When teaching a newbie to cook, I often make Goldenrod Eggs. That teaches two important skills: how to hard boil an egg and how to make a bechamel. From those two skills, you can make a wide variety of dishes for a wide variety of circumstances.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKddA97XMFeq9fjS75zruOZZG0PB_6gRJ-yR0nPsWgogKjqXVmK4zq_KNE718XakN-0TurEbb5xVMayPSkE6kSUQFFMiIY4sbx_uBUEVDVQKQpTB-W-vJrNpaDU8vcn0CjKdL3dY_l5E/s1600/HOMEGROWNpoptarts101Ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="478" data-pinit="registered" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKddA97XMFeq9fjS75zruOZZG0PB_6gRJ-yR0nPsWgogKjqXVmK4zq_KNE718XakN-0TurEbb5xVMayPSkE6kSUQFFMiIY4sbx_uBUEVDVQKQpTB-W-vJrNpaDU8vcn0CjKdL3dY_l5E/s200/HOMEGROWNpoptarts101Ingredients.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
When I teach someone to bake, I aim to do the same thing and galettes are the perfect intro to baking. Even for someone who has been baking for years, the endless variations make this one of my favorite dishes to bake. The hardest part of this recipe is making a good pie dough, but even if you take the cheater's way out and buy a pre-made crust, it will still turn out good. (Moment of confession: I did use a store-bought crust once because I was doing my last-minute grocery shopping for company coming over in a little over an hour). The recipe is super flexible and can be modified in a nearly infinite number of ways.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbYUeBMDgfbByO9FUNqO-mpVIZ4pz6duORcjMQIINMotvOyazYkeKCHRfRnbIIgtKTNlFZaHoDmNQ1ipfq1Wjm-PtkCF_1k91wQa-08RGsC9pGnEYlQijSzIujz6yi9VNOXiFuszDpq0/s1600/HOMEGROWNpoptarts101SheetedPieDough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="478" data-pinit="registered" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbYUeBMDgfbByO9FUNqO-mpVIZ4pz6duORcjMQIINMotvOyazYkeKCHRfRnbIIgtKTNlFZaHoDmNQ1ipfq1Wjm-PtkCF_1k91wQa-08RGsC9pGnEYlQijSzIujz6yi9VNOXiFuszDpq0/s200/HOMEGROWNpoptarts101SheetedPieDough.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aJ2ffyOpubtvYRFa5mMUNwflVbioVMjk-YE2M9BRz400SNl9Z2hEY9SKIu-JgxubRytuqL_mqnKGxDDws6CT1NFeSjITE81e-IUse6CtmYEG-FWlflQjaq2MVIrtS-bXK3EjoaLyi4Q/s1600/DSC02802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" data-pinit="registered" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aJ2ffyOpubtvYRFa5mMUNwflVbioVMjk-YE2M9BRz400SNl9Z2hEY9SKIu-JgxubRytuqL_mqnKGxDDws6CT1NFeSjITE81e-IUse6CtmYEG-FWlflQjaq2MVIrtS-bXK3EjoaLyi4Q/s200/DSC02802.JPG" width="200" /></a>First, make a nice pie crust. I always use the King Arthur <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/tasty-toaster-tarts-recipe">recipe</a>: 2 c AP flour, 1 T sugar<i> (leave out if making a savory dish)</i>, 1 t salt, 2 sticks of butter cut into pats, 1 egg, 2 T milk. If it is really hot, you can toss the ingredients into the freezer to prevent the butter melting (which would result in a tougher, less flaky crust, which no one wants). Sift together AP, sugar and salt, then cut in butter just til it holds together if you squeeze it, but you still want to see little lumps of butter as this will result in a flaky crust. Gently mix in the egg and milk just until moistened and no more. Divide in two, shape, wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least a half hour or up to 2 days. You can freeze if desired. I've found that this batch of dough will make several galettes, so freezing the extra can make it much easier to whip up a dessert later.<br />
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Generously flour your work surface and roll out your dough to roughly 1/8 inch thick (it doesn't have to be perfect). When making galette, I usually pull off a chunk of dough and roll it into a really rough circle, about 8-9 inches across. Once I have the dough rolled, I put it back in the refrigerator to rest while I make the filling.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJ_8z76zz0Ei_pmYk6b4h-4q4WBjY7snsyDul5er67ixH_0qxncfoP7ZkintEg4GQuufgnqHpIW4v-olkicrLktXD4hPCMUNSa18U-wtgCDLoWs1WiSFrZKiLMLtVLY7WaXltSEYn_iY/s1600/20170609_093242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJ_8z76zz0Ei_pmYk6b4h-4q4WBjY7snsyDul5er67ixH_0qxncfoP7ZkintEg4GQuufgnqHpIW4v-olkicrLktXD4hPCMUNSa18U-wtgCDLoWs1WiSFrZKiLMLtVLY7WaXltSEYn_iY/s200/20170609_093242.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXQwde_Y9Fv_VkrUWRPMzw-z3tF45jBXDt2Vmj2S6Ex6dhc_dnoGljPQJTTOPsYy4IBapMDcgox74Y5BvRc2zDrTIh6oFN4e3QfNv3_SPgR62n0DinZJfvq9H5ysSlQpoTcyMzNBS60o/s1600/20170609_093125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXQwde_Y9Fv_VkrUWRPMzw-z3tF45jBXDt2Vmj2S6Ex6dhc_dnoGljPQJTTOPsYy4IBapMDcgox74Y5BvRc2zDrTIh6oFN4e3QfNv3_SPgR62n0DinZJfvq9H5ysSlQpoTcyMzNBS60o/s200/20170609_093125.jpg" width="200" /></a>I use a basic cream cheese filling for a lot of my fruit galettes. I can't remember where I found the recipe originally, but most recipes are just variations of this recipe: 1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened, 1/2 cup sugar <i>(leave out if making a savory dish)</i>, 1 egg and a tsp of vanilla. This recipe is pretty flexible. You can use a little less cream cheese or a little more egg or reduce the sugar and it will still turn out. Beat together well. If you do it by hand, it will feel like it is taking forever, then all of a sudden it is ready. It doesn't have to be perfectly smooth and it will still bake fine. This recipe is enough for 2-3 galettes and it stores well for a few days in the refrigerator. If you want to make a smaller batch, just halve everything and you can either use the full egg (I've tried it and it works fine) or use about half the egg and use the other half as an egg wash (which makes for a great color and allows you to sprinkle the crust with some grainy sugar). This filling is really forgiving which is why I love it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYl8Gk6sRm-RrA-pRvusvvY8K-jnXOyRAaVsI0gk4XzsOgSwnbbHbl0teMylYhG2QNLoFD42l6GXpOwqzxwXL1ayipcudOc7YHTIrdu1EAWYlW3x6mInnNUpd61qCw_YyK5x7cJzotFXw/s1600/20170607_185425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYl8Gk6sRm-RrA-pRvusvvY8K-jnXOyRAaVsI0gk4XzsOgSwnbbHbl0teMylYhG2QNLoFD42l6GXpOwqzxwXL1ayipcudOc7YHTIrdu1EAWYlW3x6mInnNUpd61qCw_YyK5x7cJzotFXw/s320/20170607_185425.jpg" width="320" /></a>I spread a layer of filling over the middle of the dough, leaving about an inch around the edge. You can do a thin layer (makes for a less filling dessert) or thicker (cooks up fine and you can serve smaller slices). Layer on some fruit. Basically use whatever you like that you have on hand. I love to use apples or peaches. Sometimes I mix a variety of fruits, placing in a pretty design. Whatever you do, either slice thin (pears, apples, peaches, plums) or cut in half (larger blueberries, cherries) if needed so they cook through. Smaller berries can be left whole.<br />
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Fold over the extra dough around the edges. Don't make it too pretty. I like having some variation. Some slices of galette have less crust, others more so everyone can get a piece they like best (I like the extra flaky crust). Plus if you try to make it perfect, you really need to make it perfect. If you aren't trying to make it perfect, there's less pressure. Every little "mistake" just gives it more rustic charm.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Zefs17V2Cb4janZc5yAM8e91nBbfc4xku_MJX9A0xYVWnf5kC-S3MU6_C1A08_KKki_sWdOBoqSodjvr_ApecM3N9sU_LppTbARLwEtTFa-6OeHz8WsZun259JsB3eqS8F-ydxFSkz0/s1600/20170607_185727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Zefs17V2Cb4janZc5yAM8e91nBbfc4xku_MJX9A0xYVWnf5kC-S3MU6_C1A08_KKki_sWdOBoqSodjvr_ApecM3N9sU_LppTbARLwEtTFa-6OeHz8WsZun259JsB3eqS8F-ydxFSkz0/s320/20170607_185727.jpg" width="320" /></a>If you'd like, you can brush some egg wash onto the edges and sprinkle with some grainy sugar. The egg wash will give a nice shine and color to the crust, but left bare it has more ruggedness.<br />
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Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. You want the bottom to be nicely golden as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyEtvyc8bRdWICimks8N0HcTfdreDUb4ITftA8J1DKkxe1ehUBB2qcREGhihBq6p7k1u5dtpYF36bFiQijL_UsQe1s_LEFWXKRLLOwEMtxRCBglKnJJSrhxvu6k1lCbwjLGs9gKkFee8/s1600/Beef+Pot+Pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" data-pinit="registered" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyEtvyc8bRdWICimks8N0HcTfdreDUb4ITftA8J1DKkxe1ehUBB2qcREGhihBq6p7k1u5dtpYF36bFiQijL_UsQe1s_LEFWXKRLLOwEMtxRCBglKnJJSrhxvu6k1lCbwjLGs9gKkFee8/s200/Beef+Pot+Pie.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef Pot Pie is an easy way to give<br />life to leftover beef stew.</td></tr>
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I love how flexible this recipe is. If made free-form and flat, you have a galette. You can make a rustic pie by quickly placing the dough in a pie plate and coarsely folding the excess pie dough back in. You can make a large tart or little tartlets. Put the filling on just one half, then fold over, crimp the edges and you have a hand pie. Roll dough into a rectangle, cut into smaller rectangles, put filling on one and top with another rectangle and you have pop tarts. Put into a pie plate and add a savory custard for a great quiche. Put in a pie plate, add some leftover beef stew and cover with another layer of crust for a quick beef pot pie.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyi9IKqSbqCxJYrMJl4nfsK4NvJ2JU_aN0wp4XwomJEqALO90zf481XEzLzrAlEANJLdEHxNjgTsnCqwb1Y5H5yTQUy41gr2eFl7z9lEOWN5aNwtsQx45eFuLQ8dT-aJTLHFazVFxKrE/s1600/20170604_130647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" data-pinit="registered" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyi9IKqSbqCxJYrMJl4nfsK4NvJ2JU_aN0wp4XwomJEqALO90zf481XEzLzrAlEANJLdEHxNjgTsnCqwb1Y5H5yTQUy41gr2eFl7z9lEOWN5aNwtsQx45eFuLQ8dT-aJTLHFazVFxKrE/s200/20170604_130647.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I placed some curly garlic scapes<br />on top of this quiche for great<br />presentation as well as flavor.</td></tr>
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The basic cream cheese filling goes brilliantly with a variety of fruits, or you could leave out the sugar and make a savory galette. It would be perfect to mix in some fresh herbs or scallions before layering on some roasting tomatoes (especially heirlooms in a variety of colors), caramelized onions, bacon, ham or asparagus. Garlic scapes or fern fronds would make unbelievable presentation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfyL_x2LHz8glz7jhj5oTgmTNqtTnQNao5NAQyrQLgtSkTfr4xZ3tjbbjIrYhimKm7CZhq6B__vROVWkF016WNuU79B6ZMJqoEmOgv5KZLQGUDyEcKF6jHhEXyru3He7p_sRQ74NQXAE/s1600/HOMEGROWNpoptarts101DSC02609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="478" data-pinit="registered" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfyL_x2LHz8glz7jhj5oTgmTNqtTnQNao5NAQyrQLgtSkTfr4xZ3tjbbjIrYhimKm7CZhq6B__vROVWkF016WNuU79B6ZMJqoEmOgv5KZLQGUDyEcKF6jHhEXyru3He7p_sRQ74NQXAE/s200/HOMEGROWNpoptarts101DSC02609.jpg" width="200" /></a>You don't have to stick with cream cheese filling. I like to use a goat's milk caramel when I make apple galettes. Try real maple syrup, honey, jelly or jam. Spread nutella on the dough under strawberries.<br />
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Use fresh fruit. Use frozen fruit. Cook down some overripe fruits into a lovely compote. Add nuts. Make a streusel topping. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked pepper if making a savory dish or sprinkle some cheese around the edges.<br />
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Make it your own. Make it for breakfast, brunch, a light lunch, appetizer, dinner entree or dessert. Make it tonight!<br />
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Have fun baking!Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-12654548954281284312017-07-09T13:03:00.000-04:002017-07-09T13:03:43.745-04:00This Week...Beyond Money June 2017<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<i>Life has been a little crazy for a bit, so I'll be scaling back this post a little. I'll stick mainly to highlights in each category, rather than the journal-type entries I'd gotten in the habit of writing.</i><br />
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<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* I planted more goodies and have started harvesting bits of greens and peppers. It looks like it will be a good pepper year. The basil is going gang busters. I transplanted lots of plants into containers that I have growing all over the house. I foresee lots of pesto and caprese in our future, so life is good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JA71tjTB8Liv7luOzuEtN_kHyzFDcOuwGNrqfUUwITRTlcU4OB6tkqItavYjjVPaMkMso8yqTbVrVCFJEJ_caq0wYeDf7GqF6T9zsqjy2_X-CEQuR_NNbRQOjZ-kOt_O3X7CJSAtoxw/s1600/20170607_185427%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JA71tjTB8Liv7luOzuEtN_kHyzFDcOuwGNrqfUUwITRTlcU4OB6tkqItavYjjVPaMkMso8yqTbVrVCFJEJ_caq0wYeDf7GqF6T9zsqjy2_X-CEQuR_NNbRQOjZ-kOt_O3X7CJSAtoxw/s200/20170607_185427%25280%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
* A few times I made galettes using fresh fruit (either from the farm or Aldi), a basic cream cheese filling and my pie crust. I used half an egg as a wash over the crust. They turned out fantastic each time. They are sweet enough to count as a dessert for me, but not too sweet to make a lovely breakfast. I love how easy it is to pull together while still having some "wow" factor for entertaining.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VscrJLKZA91QYucyFzoxU7R89l-Ob4v-6b6I9T0h-KK_NeYbI7KdBb7F42uaAbzva_zEJpo5IWh-aDW5YEB-ori9aVLHKESZIqqpOfcryxsvf9QT4fsIbbw31YOs5m-hZcvxjvd0WVM/s1600/20170617_174849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VscrJLKZA91QYucyFzoxU7R89l-Ob4v-6b6I9T0h-KK_NeYbI7KdBb7F42uaAbzva_zEJpo5IWh-aDW5YEB-ori9aVLHKESZIqqpOfcryxsvf9QT4fsIbbw31YOs5m-hZcvxjvd0WVM/s320/20170617_174849.jpg" width="320" /></a>* I hit the farm stand a few times. Mainly, I've been scoring little cukes and carrots. We love having fresh veggies on hand, chopped and ready for snacking.<br />
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<b>Fun:</b><br />
* We took my parents out for my dad's birthday. He generally likes boring meat-and-potatoes type meals, but absolutely loves hibachi. The Japanese steakhouse near us is pretty pricey, but we bought a $60 Groupon for $30 which lowered the price enough. We all ate half of our meal and took half home for lunch the next day. Afterwards, we took them to a local garden park and laughed a lot as we walked around. We finished off the evening getting frozen yogurt at a local place. It was a really fun evening.<br />
* We caught a blues concert at a coffee house near us. We used a BOGO coupon for our coffee, so it ended up being a pretty frugal date.<br />
* Daisy came over once for crafting and she and hubby came over for dinner and movies another night.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7OdWffYPw5WVcyjhJ8b8nP7uLiosD8Btjdj3yRFZ-psgymGQKXrKlPZeW1sZ_88umT8GCNiMESf5uImkxkiV9TLsv7OCuyYSTsnvNcb-GZcFHzt53dMiEkJY_7y541vS51RYfPETM5U/s1600/20170624_155527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7OdWffYPw5WVcyjhJ8b8nP7uLiosD8Btjdj3yRFZ-psgymGQKXrKlPZeW1sZ_88umT8GCNiMESf5uImkxkiV9TLsv7OCuyYSTsnvNcb-GZcFHzt53dMiEkJY_7y541vS51RYfPETM5U/s320/20170624_155527.jpg" width="192" /></a>* We went out with one of my coworkers and his family to the drive-in theatre. We brought snacks and drinks from home. He brought sports stuff so for a couple hours before the movie started, we played football or catch. When dusk came, I broke out some sparklers I bought at the grocer for $2 and the kids had a blast.<br />
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<b>Nature:</b><br />
* We went hiking several times. The best one was a park about an hour away. It seems like just a normal little park, but hidden in the park is an osage orange tunnel. Farmers used to plant osage oranges as a living fence. It was a positively magical hike.<br />
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<b>Work:</b><br />
* I finally got the phone call. I got hired on for full time at my job. For the last six months I've been a temp. I interviewed 5 months ago. Sometimes people would wait several years for an interview and a couple years between interview and getting hired on, so I'm really happy with the timing. This job will pay significantly more, provide extensive benefits and will eventually give me 7 weeks of paid time off a year. They generally try to keep you in the same area you are currently working (which would be ideal), but could move me anywhere in the company, as needed. The main change will be switching from first shift to second shift. I am a little nervous about it, but I think I will adjust okay eventually. I will miss my current coworkers desperately, but am glad that we will become a lot more secure now. My dad has worked for the company for going on 35 years, and I believe it will provide a good life for my family as well.<br />
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<b>Community:</b><br />
* I can't remember if I included this in an earlier post or not. My dear friend's partner was gifted some items from his client's parent's estate. They couldn't use all of it, so they gave us two beautiful bar stools and a ridiculously gorgeous lamp. These are very high-end pieces that we would never, ever be able to afford. I am super excited because I've been passively looking for some bar stools for the island since we bought the house five years ago.<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-59227463728698688262017-06-23T19:13:00.003-04:002017-06-23T19:13:45.090-04:00Frugal Fun in the CityCity living comes with a lot of high costs, but the city offers a lot in the way of entertainment. At times when we had little money, we were able to fall back on lots of free sources of entertainment to keep us from being bored while we were trying to stabilize our finances. Small towns offer some of these things too, so even if you live in a small town, look into some of these options.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRy-eLYES1V8coPD1kidJCLI4hzWaEZ4VB5HEnBqNLujFIF54MHFaA6PLV61wcPwpHdv5HHAHT8oZom8alWLHhc5lrprFmB41x9j7K01ifj48UoeDiubeTy1kysZRy-kT3yE4cRYDVV0/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="918" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRy-eLYES1V8coPD1kidJCLI4hzWaEZ4VB5HEnBqNLujFIF54MHFaA6PLV61wcPwpHdv5HHAHT8oZom8alWLHhc5lrprFmB41x9j7K01ifj48UoeDiubeTy1kysZRy-kT3yE4cRYDVV0/s320/2.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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* Go to any free festival you find interesting. Over the years, Trucker and I have gone to countless festivals and have never paid a penny to get in. Big cities often have fantastic festivals, and rarely charge admission. In my experience, mid-sized cities are more likely to charge admission, although there are free festivals to be found. I love going to art festivals or blues festivals. Sometimes, I go to other festivals just to broaden my horizons and experience something new. It's a great way to have fun without spending a ton of money. It can even be free if you eat before you leave and bring beverages from home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHepMyxgIFPRr4ahhegC4Bu3vxdiHQaZ_KUrnjd2FaCYQSR9WNFauMSOt8PVQdSiibWF1e9LMYvT7SBq_mi7TX2xJTgN0D6s8OQcHDUQP7wlQ64PZcRFYG875Q7BxeDaketdeF3fWTmkQ/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="918" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHepMyxgIFPRr4ahhegC4Bu3vxdiHQaZ_KUrnjd2FaCYQSR9WNFauMSOt8PVQdSiibWF1e9LMYvT7SBq_mi7TX2xJTgN0D6s8OQcHDUQP7wlQ64PZcRFYG875Q7BxeDaketdeF3fWTmkQ/s320/7.jpg" width="238" /></a>* We love to get out deep into the woods for an all day hike, but sometimes car trouble or gas prices keep us from making the journey. On those days, we make a day of walking and exploring in the city. We'll pick a direction or a street and venture out. I pack a snack and a couple water bottles for the journey and we'll usually have a bit of spending money, although we leave the cards and big bucks at home, just in case. A couple of weeks ago, we walked to an ice cream shop to get $.50 cones before walking home. Other times we'll walk to get coffee and then walk home, foraging for wild berries as we go.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqoMVfzcjCzLwjmJF0uuZtcOKsc9oZg4dQMtGZlDIpxEDqjrKMwixmi3RkV-l7MEWla5jieeclHzJj-HqMtyHGK7BQFpNatNRSIs-b1mScOIDguk5RysIZQrIFW5YV2R0YfMIE-hgy3A/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="918" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqoMVfzcjCzLwjmJF0uuZtcOKsc9oZg4dQMtGZlDIpxEDqjrKMwixmi3RkV-l7MEWla5jieeclHzJj-HqMtyHGK7BQFpNatNRSIs-b1mScOIDguk5RysIZQrIFW5YV2R0YfMIE-hgy3A/s320/7.jpg" width="238" /></a>* Find out about free access to museums. In Chicago, you can check out passes at any library branch to get into different museums for free (up to 4 people). In my current city, there is no such option, but most of the museums have some option. One museum is free one (very crowded) day a year, another is free every Sunday (with free concerts in the summer!), and a few small museums are free every day. The summer reading program at the library offers a couple one-time free passes for two small museums after you read 4 books during the summer. These are great options for the curious city-dweller, with or without kids.<br />
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* Sign up for newsletters with local events. One trendy local site sends out a newsletter with every kind of event going on each weekend. Many of these are way beyond my price range, but there are almost always a few free events going on. Sometimes the events aren't up my alley; sometimes they are the perfect thing for a fun weekend.<br />
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* Enjoy the arts. Go to a gallery opening or hop. Watch an art demonstration. Take a long stroll through a neighborhood with a lot of galleries.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqg_66wdxhwVGap5r9nmQV3SEbIMFp1m8SkOZ7V7Qk88WE6HsHlMbaOL1ji27yN64W-J9j06Otw1a1dXjhBdGNdV3wmg6ulN-HYr4tBXsTrMVv7G6DLZ18DgYGur-NCW0tq79HbYPhi1g/s1600/13051705_601496046665590_5953871759880207385_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqg_66wdxhwVGap5r9nmQV3SEbIMFp1m8SkOZ7V7Qk88WE6HsHlMbaOL1ji27yN64W-J9j06Otw1a1dXjhBdGNdV3wmg6ulN-HYr4tBXsTrMVv7G6DLZ18DgYGur-NCW0tq79HbYPhi1g/s320/13051705_601496046665590_5953871759880207385_n.jpg" width="240" /></a>* Check with your local theatres. One theatre near us has free symphony performances a few times a year. Another had a free documentary viewing and a meet and greet (with free gourmet ice cream) with the local actor who made it. Yet another has $10 symphony tickets for several shows each year.<br />
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* There are likely more movie options in the city than in a small town. You have several theater chains to chose from, so call around for the best matinee prices. Maybe you even have a discount theater. Our's charges $2.25 admission; on Tuesday's it is $1.50! The fancy theatre downtown has a summer movie program. When you buy a strip of 10 tickets, it is only $2.50 each for a really nice experience. Lots of local parks have drive-in movies, so there are lots of movies to chose from. Bring your own popcorn and beverage.<br />
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* Art in the park. Many cities offer concerts and plays in the park. These can be fantastic. At one park in my city, it's an all-out thing. People bring short tables and pile them with fine food and pop open a bottle of wine. It's fantastic and costs nothing to get in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi261zegI7iC98aeUycJN41mEMWQRKfGwrjO-W_05VgHs1LCfVXdiY9-CN-JW-o8VawQLFbvewWKWvanGReDsqu9Ryz4skUbfSa10rHHSbf0f4FT-143X1ZsZ1jMfae28RLVcImTi_S7oA/s1600/20170401_181832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi261zegI7iC98aeUycJN41mEMWQRKfGwrjO-W_05VgHs1LCfVXdiY9-CN-JW-o8VawQLFbvewWKWvanGReDsqu9Ryz4skUbfSa10rHHSbf0f4FT-143X1ZsZ1jMfae28RLVcImTi_S7oA/s320/20170401_181832.jpg" width="320" /></a>* Find some coffee house culture. Poetry readings or concerts at coffee houses are incredibly frugal events. Often there is no cover, and you can sip your coffee while you enjoy the entertainment. Cost out can be as low as $1.50 a person.<br />
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* Go to the library. Not just for books, movies, CDs, magazines, internet, and ebooks (although, certainly check these out while you're there!), the library can be a fantastic source of entertainment. Ask about concerts, movies, lectures and classes at your branch or nearby branches. In one city I lived in, there was a month of financial classes for free at various branches around the city. We bused it out to several events to learn as much as we could. Made for an educational night out and gave us things to talk/dream about on the bus ride home.<br />
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* Go to book releases at coffee houses or book stores. These are great fun, depending on the type of book. The best book release I ever went to was for a true-crime mafia book (Trucker and I are obsessed with Mafia movies, so the real-life stories of people we'd heard about was fascinating).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScJRhouPdlNpZWaIcXoPjLH0RKFayYOJISb7AMZvxm1s5_lyYKHYdpTg8j_KKCU5z9-wh1whwKIyWgaYBHOYwaLLp35Y4bTUr9pgJOtHMdnKdPa1lZPWUB_VWSIpiikeugaMStOI4QSk/s1600/20170304_174210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScJRhouPdlNpZWaIcXoPjLH0RKFayYOJISb7AMZvxm1s5_lyYKHYdpTg8j_KKCU5z9-wh1whwKIyWgaYBHOYwaLLp35Y4bTUr9pgJOtHMdnKdPa1lZPWUB_VWSIpiikeugaMStOI4QSk/s200/20170304_174210.jpg" width="120" /></a>* Take a walking tour of your downtown or a historic neighborhood. Do your research before hand, then venture out. Make sure you know some good trivia to impress your date/interest your kids. Try to hit places with fascinating stories, intricate architecture, or vibrant street art. Stroll around interesting little stores (unless you've got kids that would get bored or destructive) or maybe hit a tiny, very localized museum. If you'd like, take a bit of pocket money to pop into a candy shop or grab ice cream cones if you'd like.<br />
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* Visit an ethnic neighborhood for fantastic grocery shopping. I love to visit Chinatown to stock up on my favorite herbal teas. The prices are great, and it's fun. This can also help to kick you out of a cooking rut. Since you're just grocery shopping, it doesn't really cost anything out of the entertainment budget and if you do it right, can save you on your grocery bill.<br />
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Even if your expenses are high in other ways, city living does offer some great ways to economize in other areas.<br />
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Share your favorite frugal city fun tips in the comments.Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824809577653587454.post-19710271814253867552017-06-07T19:31:00.001-04:002017-06-15T16:40:14.106-04:00This Week...Beyond Money TWO WEEKS 5/22 - 5/28<i>For me, a life beyond money is making choices so that you can live the best possible life, regardless of your income level. Obviously, you have to make a living, but there are many ways to improve your quality of life without increasing your income levels and correspondingly your expenses. This regular post will be some of the ways that we improve our quality of life beyond just trying to make more money.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXTGGgeMM1yplms1McYkV_FWUtHd5Tlro1c-BYAth8EM06q9v8NQrk40Ji0GYB2BCv2Z-DJt93nF1DNvoDRK9EDoq06_BD6FjVNW2ovVUgoo2o1mZfjqLfujUwtEOyoy6xbSvA3gYYsk/s1600/20170603_182720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXTGGgeMM1yplms1McYkV_FWUtHd5Tlro1c-BYAth8EM06q9v8NQrk40Ji0GYB2BCv2Z-DJt93nF1DNvoDRK9EDoq06_BD6FjVNW2ovVUgoo2o1mZfjqLfujUwtEOyoy6xbSvA3gYYsk/s320/20170603_182720.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Gardening:</b><br />
* I got some collard, onion and scallion transplants from the farm stand and popped them into my garden.<br />
* We have lots of lovely growth in the garden. Overall, everything is looking good.<br />
* I harvested some mulberries from the garden and also foraged some when we went out hiking.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOz_vhPUBCYbryC56gpFwAN98jU7Oahw88KqmZSggOGr46gR0CECUj6RvWQC2fimoT-A71iVi1-P14CYKEVt8lBDDa31ySbuPbmlUMWMQcgo20vhHl2YJ_ms-XElKGA0satkKuBy4zcY/s1600/20170604_113716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOz_vhPUBCYbryC56gpFwAN98jU7Oahw88KqmZSggOGr46gR0CECUj6RvWQC2fimoT-A71iVi1-P14CYKEVt8lBDDa31ySbuPbmlUMWMQcgo20vhHl2YJ_ms-XElKGA0satkKuBy4zcY/s200/20170604_113716.jpg" width="200" /></a>* We stopped at the farm stand twice. The first time I just got a head of lettuce, bunch of beets and some sugar snap peas. The second time I got collards, kale, lettuce and peas. All but the lettuce from the U-pick. I harvested some sugar snap peas and some that were a bit more mature. I figured that leaving them on the vine would reduce future yields, and I would love to have some fresh peas to serve this week.<br />
* I harvested the largest garlic scape harvest yet.<br />
* Trucker whacked down some of the Japanese honeysuckle. It will surely be back with vengeance, but at least he keeps it from overtaking the house. Japanese honeysuckle is by far my least favorite plant right now.<br />
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<b>Cooking/Groceries:</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hoaE3oep7ENXKVi1YJbAJtk98T8LRt3E1GLCPxw8v-kxW25-mj6dKYmoFTCk_OD4NNEsppGmlArFaEUrh8UYkDYyOuRTufkyemPxi_MFKW6ZDvaB5x6Wwi5ourRW8FXZb_Lo1B4m9lo/s1600/20170604_130647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hoaE3oep7ENXKVi1YJbAJtk98T8LRt3E1GLCPxw8v-kxW25-mj6dKYmoFTCk_OD4NNEsppGmlArFaEUrh8UYkDYyOuRTufkyemPxi_MFKW6ZDvaB5x6Wwi5ourRW8FXZb_Lo1B4m9lo/s320/20170604_130647.jpg" width="320" /></a>* I made an epic brunch one day. I made fried eggs (free from mom; she got them in exchange for watching a friend's chickens while they went on vacation), Brussels sprouts ($.99/lb on managers special), collards (from the farm), toast ($.50/loaf from aldi) and grits ($.10/box at salvage grocer; used 1/3 box and added herbs from the garden). I served hot grape gelatin to drink (never had it? It's an Amish drink for when you aren't feeling well. We use it to get extra gelatin in our diets).<br />
* I made a wonderful quiche for lunch one day with enough leftovers for each of our lunch the following day. I made my own pastry and filled with leftover Brussels sprouts (manager's special), collards (from the farm stand), sliced sugar snap peas (from the farm stand), sauerkraut (free from Trucker's job) and garlic scapes (from the garden). I used 3 eggs (on sale for $.69/dozen), the rest of a container of spinach artichoke dip and milk for the custard and used both mozzarella and romano (manager's special) cheeses. It was amazing the first day and better cold for lunch the next.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5-Ma_zOWeAd67kFELI34y3SsJqTUgJ4XneO0aF5ZpnshVZ18IVwo0_pw-JAgrsU8bbzPiX09DzwFYgaPQIoGTO1KmXyqHr2BL3JMgrzpqCRWvkMU0jo9UFuaXrsIST35r5tNPSdz5S5g/s1600/20170603_191613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5-Ma_zOWeAd67kFELI34y3SsJqTUgJ4XneO0aF5ZpnshVZ18IVwo0_pw-JAgrsU8bbzPiX09DzwFYgaPQIoGTO1KmXyqHr2BL3JMgrzpqCRWvkMU0jo9UFuaXrsIST35r5tNPSdz5S5g/s320/20170603_191613.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<b>Food Preservation:</b><br />
* I froze some garlic scapes, diced up. I'll add these to soups, casseroles, tacos, and whenever sauteing a mix of veggies as a base.<br />
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<b>Fun:</b><br />
* I had one particularly rough day. We decided to stay in and relax. Trucker went out to pick up pizza (we had a BOGO coupon in our entertainment book, so we got two mediums for $10 with plenty of leftovers). We cuddled and watched movies all evening.<br />
* We had a couple coffee dates.<br />
* We went fishing one day at a new place. We went a little too early in the afternoon, so they weren't biting well. I caught two, but nothing big enough to keep. Trucker caught no fish, but did catch a turtle. We were able to get the hook out without hurting him.<br />
* We went to another gallery hop. It was one of the nicest evenings I can remember. There were just a lot of good shows. Lots of hope in spring. My favorite shows was one in which the artist had painted each and every one of her possessions. It definitely makes you to take pause to consider the Tyler Durden quote about what you own owning you. The weather was perfect. The company was perfect. I guess that makes for a perfect night.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOKXrJLtcnZ_5gMHvKSoi6Z7GbzIZ6422kCYkwWknjp9sFt0GdYgqwakw0CTwy529oQuftrE9k7r6QAlyNyRacB5JW4OQYRutI3E-MwXP6N9GPXWHlphQvEoewti9dl2wSxsWRoiq1Tw/s1600/20170603_190715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOKXrJLtcnZ_5gMHvKSoi6Z7GbzIZ6422kCYkwWknjp9sFt0GdYgqwakw0CTwy529oQuftrE9k7r6QAlyNyRacB5JW4OQYRutI3E-MwXP6N9GPXWHlphQvEoewti9dl2wSxsWRoiq1Tw/s320/20170603_190715.jpg" width="180" /></a>* A theatre troupe in our area does Shakespeare in the Park. We went one evening to see Julius Caesar. It was my first time seeing it live. We packed a lovely picnic from home: manager's special seafood salad, manager's special crab and jalapeno dip, manager's special beer cheese, store brand crackers and drinks from home. Total cost for the food was around $6 and was comparable to the cost to prepare dinner at home (In general, I tend to make nicer dinners on the weekends since I don't have time to cook at all during the week). I always love spending a nice evening outdoors, watching talented actors, eating good food and hanging out with Trucker.<br />
* In planning our vacation, we decided to buy an Entertainment book for the city we were staying in. For Memorial Day they had a $10 sale with free shipping. At that cost, using it for one meal or museum would pay for it. They had a 25% off promo code if you bought two or more books. I called my parents and asked them if they wanted in. They got one as well, bringing our cost to $7.50 each. They are going as a big group (My parents, all three sisters, plus 1 husband and 1 boyfriend), so the BOGO coupons at most restaurants won't be a great deal for them. However, they plan to use a lot of pizza coupons, as they can order whatever size pizzas needed to feed them all. For us, BOGO coupons will make up whatever meals we will need to buy (We plan to use gift cards for 1-2 meals, eat breakfast at the hotel and get no more than 1 meal out a day). Also, a lot of the area museums have BOGO coupons, so we will be able to have affordable options if it rains.<br />
* After a long day of working on the house, we went out for pizza. We went to a place just down the road that had a special since it was Sunday ($10 pizza and one of the best in the city). Whenever we knock out a big project or spend a day doing work we hate doing, we take a little cheap date afterwards to relax and reward ourselves.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0Sicn7H4B7ftTQgNy2HRlcaj1C52WUbdClBfEwC3z2ELBpk5C2Ym6BCZnury0W_7TnIspFIufO6DVSLcBI-1T2haGo3bkwPvqHEnjB2S7s84AoWJ_Y19GP5njy9v-tU6k1xAhBaKcO4/s1600/20170603_185543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0Sicn7H4B7ftTQgNy2HRlcaj1C52WUbdClBfEwC3z2ELBpk5C2Ym6BCZnury0W_7TnIspFIufO6DVSLcBI-1T2haGo3bkwPvqHEnjB2S7s84AoWJ_Y19GP5njy9v-tU6k1xAhBaKcO4/s320/20170603_185543.jpg" width="180" /></a><b>Nature:</b><br />
* We went for a couple mile walk at the Audubon. There is an obstacle course which I of course ran. I love seeing all sorts of less-common birds. Next time I need to bring my field guide.<br />
* We went for a 4 mile walk at the park. It was a nice, warm day. We didn't see a lot of wildlife, but we did see loads of pretty plants. I loved seeing that the blackberries are coming along nicely.<br />
* We went hiking a few more times.<br />
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<b>Frugality:</b><br />
* My mom's cousin looked at both our cars. Trucker's exhaust was broken in two places and he needed spark plugs changed. He charged $40 for all. I had him look at my car to make sure everything was looking good for our vacation. He replaced the radiator cap and charged me $10. We would be in so much trouble without him.<br />
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<b>House and Home:</b><br />
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* We are still line drying clothes. I enjoy it for the most part. I've only once had to go to work in (slightly) damp work pants, which is pretty good when you consider how often it has rained, how high the humidity is and how much we work.<br />
* Trucker made an online query to get some quotes on our electric work. We will get several quotes before we decide on a particular person.<br />
* When we were at the gallery hop, we found a store going out of business. They were selling everything for really cheap. I got some little boxes to use for storage for $.50 each.<br />
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<b>Work:</b><br />
* I worked overtime several days. I took one day off (without pay but without using a call-off day) and we had the day off for the holiday so I got a 4-day weekend. It was so needed.<br />
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<b>Health:</b><br />
* We went to the gym several times between the two of us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7M0int2dOyt3yv1XFBO5eFHqzfpgXltmqKi_tHhSjDyq7Mx5xmoJSopEoUETxECn1Me6kkyce79gL4NT8kevC6SYUhTJcq0uHqkWgNrWv0ZEF1qAl7B25KNR3omtjnYPxA2gk1gIZS4/s1600/20170603_174105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7M0int2dOyt3yv1XFBO5eFHqzfpgXltmqKi_tHhSjDyq7Mx5xmoJSopEoUETxECn1Me6kkyce79gL4NT8kevC6SYUhTJcq0uHqkWgNrWv0ZEF1qAl7B25KNR3omtjnYPxA2gk1gIZS4/s320/20170603_174105.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Possession</td></tr>
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* I went for a run out in the real world!<br />
* Trucker got a sty on the inside of his eyelid. It was causing him a lot of discomfort so we went to the Little Clinic at the grocery store to be prescribed an antibiotic eye drop (free with our insurance since we asked for a generic). We definitely wanted to get it looked at since his uncle died from not treating the cancer he thought was just a sty.<br />
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<b>Setbacks:</b><br />
* One day as we were getting ready for bed, Trucker noticed that my tire had gone flat. This was particularly frustrating because his car was in the shop over the weekend. The plan had been for him to ride with me to work the next morning, drive my car home and my mom would meet me with one of their cars to borrow (We could have borrowed it earlier but I didn't want them to be short a vehicle, especially since we didn't really need it if I was off work). We tried to get the tire off, but we couldn't (torqued too tightly). We called our insurance and they sent someone out who was able to replace it for us. The next day Trucker took it to the tire shop, where they replaced it for free since we had a warranty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mygM14Ld4m-9LAtQ_nTlUihs5wRCXjSDNtehqCGW2YuF6g7LicWNzVU1vffl4tJUL_qBNLeq8OaLoAi6G5_k-eypITmpRbUNj_Q0_ZG0kCN7AjomONOcfsj0UQVO5pZ3p4TQ2RyMk3U/s1600/20170603_190858%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mygM14Ld4m-9LAtQ_nTlUihs5wRCXjSDNtehqCGW2YuF6g7LicWNzVU1vffl4tJUL_qBNLeq8OaLoAi6G5_k-eypITmpRbUNj_Q0_ZG0kCN7AjomONOcfsj0UQVO5pZ3p4TQ2RyMk3U/s320/20170603_190858%25280%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my favorite piece from the gallery hop.</td></tr>
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<b>Community:</b><br />
* My sister sent me a text and said that at her job they were throwing away the items that had been in the lost and found box for a long time. She said there was a really nice black coat and asked if I wanted. It was a black Dockers brand heavy-duty coat in great condition. Trucker has been needing a nice, black coat and had just asked me two weeks ago to look out for one for him. This one fits him well.<br />
* When I stopped by the farm stand, my former coworker said that the volunteer she was supposed to meet hadn't showed. She had no one to run the farm stand, but had needed to do some deliveries for her business. I ended up running the farm stand for a couple hours. It was really nice to see some of my clients.<br />
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How was your week?Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909517065365135133noreply@blogger.com0