Menu Plan Tuesday

We were out of town for the weekend, and didn't get any meals prepped, so we're definitely playing catch up this week. Here's what we've eaten so far, and what's our menu for the days ahead.

• Friday - M, Sam & I ate at the airport lounge before our flight. Sam followed that up with some pizza at my parents house
• Saturday - M grilled burgers at the graduation party, and there were also all kinds of salads, treats & sides. My mom made an incredible chocolate cake, per Nick's request
• Sunday - we were all tired after our flights and not hungry, so no dinner was consumed. I guess my free airplane pretzels? ;-) 
• Monday - I found taco meat in the freezer, so M, Sam & I had tacos, while Mr. Social Nick was at a birthday party for a friend
• Tuesday - beef & broccoli (freezer) over noodles
• Wednesday - Korean beef & rice
• Thursday - wings & pot stickers 
• Friday - Philly cheese steaks (M will make them)

What about you? What's on your menu plan this week?

Fitness Monday

 I have been so far off track with my fitness! I haven't been tracking my calories consistently, focusing on my 12k/day steps, and I haven't been following the No S diet. Things went sideways around Nick's graduation a few weeks ago, continued during our Las Vegas trip, and definitely kept going during our wonderful weekend with my family. 

Time to get back on track! I also need to figure out a new routine with my work schedule, although that will be a bit of a work in progress. It sounds like I might be working from home for the first few weeks due to construction, which frees up time in the mornings to potentially attend a workout class or go for a run. If I am going to the office, I need to see if they have showers, as I could attend an early workout class close to the office, and then shower & get ready there, which is something I used to do at my old company. And, I don't think this company provides free lunches, so I'll go back to my old lunch packing ways! But, everything is a bit TBD until I figure out if I'm going into the office 3x/week, or working from home. More to come on this, as I build a new routine for myself.

It was a busy week, but I did get in some workouts:

• Four no workout days, which is pretty rare for me - two while I was at my parents house, and one on Monday when we came back from Las Vegas. I skipped class on Thursday, as I tweaked a muscle the day before.
• I did get in three workout classes.

All in all, it's time to get back on track for sure. Goals for the week:

• Four No S days
• Work out every day
• 12k steps
• A salad every day
• Track calories again
• Get on the scale (yikes)

What about you? How are you doing with your health & fitness?

Frugal Friday

 I have almost nothing this week, as we were in Las Vegas last weekend, and it's been a pricey week this week as well (dinner out for a friend's birthday, brunch with another friend, etc). But, here goes! I'm combining the list this week, as we don't have too many wins.

• Invoiced for my last three classes
• DH received his severance! We will be able to save almost all of it, and will be giving my sweet nephew some money for college, using a bit of it for travel, and a few house projects. 
• I start my new job on June 30th, saving us from having to pay for health insurance via COBRA in July! Hurrah.
• We opted to swap our flights for this weekend, in order to leave earlier on both sides, and I used Southwest credits or gift cards for almost everything, minus $120 or so. Given there are 3 of us flying, the $120 out of pocket was a great savings, and is largely offset by the transportation cost difference getting to the closer airport vs San Francisco. 
• We received credits back from the cancelled flights, and can use those for future travel for Nick, as it's United, and Denver is a United hub, making that the best option for him when traveling to & from college.
• We got home late from the airport on Monday, but I found some freezer options & whipped up dinner.
• We priced out transportation options for our flights this weekend, and pre-booking parking was by far the best deal. 
• I'm researching benefits for my new job, and am excited to look into best ways to maximize my income.
• I've picked & eaten so many strawberries. They are incredible right now!

What about you? Any wins to share?

I got a job!

 I officially start on 6/30. I'm very, very excited, relieved, happy & thrilled not to have to continue the job search. I did a call with the recruiter at 7:30 am yesterday (from our Las Vegas hotel room, do not recommend, as I was *very* tired from the night before), & got it done. 

The compensation was much better than I expected. My previous employer is the highest paid in the industry, so I had set my expectations much more realistically. But, they came pretty close to my previous compensation, which is very exciting & unexpected. The salary was great, bonus was good, I'll be getting some stock (this is the biggest difference between new & former company), & they also added a generous first year sign on bonus, as well as a second year sign on bonus. 

I'm excited to not pay for COBRA again! I was planning to deep clean the house before I went back to work, but they asked for an accelerated start date (they are actually trying to make 6/23 work on their end), which means I don't need to pay for COBRA for July. I'm going to use a very small amount of that COBRA savings to pay for a deep cleaning for the house, allowing me to tackle a bunch of other stuff I need/want to get done before I head back. 

I will be maxing my 401k & HSA accounts, so I'm guessing my first few paychecks will be pretty small. The company offers a small 529 match ($1k/year per kid), so I need to look into that as well, and see if there are any other benefits worth exploring.

And, on to what I need/want to tackle before I head back:

• Friend get togethers! I have a couple of friends that I've been trying to get together with for months, and need to lock in these dates.
• Help Sam open up an investment account, so he can save some of his summer earnings. (My dad has generously agreed to do a match for him.)
• Send off Nick's tshirts for the Tshirt quilt I'm having made
• Sort out whether I'm going to Boulder with M & Nick, or, more likely, it will just be the boys. Adjust travel plans, particularly as I booked the hotel using my Hyatt free night awards, which M won't be able to use without me.
• Remove myself from a bunch of survey & focus group sites, which I won't have time to do while I'm working, and they clutter up my inbox.
• Get a good start on helping Nick with his college set up (gear he needs, move in sign ups, health care, class placement exams, etc). 
• Some additional decluttering, particularly paperwork
• Decide what to do with my workout studio membership. I'll definitely still be attending, but may drop down the package size
• Come up with a new budget
  
  

What has everyone else been up to lately? Any good news to share?

Frugal Friday

It's definitely not been the most frugal week, but a few wins to share.  

Saving on things we buy

• Turned in some grocery store reward pieces when I picked up a few items.
• Used $14 in CVS rewards to print out graduation pictures for Nick, and get a few other items Nick needed for his senior trip. Also submitted the receipts to Fetch & iBotta. 
• Remember how I always go through my credit card offers & save any that I *may* use, and then just forget about them, to avoid spending money I don't need? I forgot that I'd saved a pizza coupon (that one is a regular in my credit card offers, & I always save it on the off chance we buy impromptu pizza) & saved $6 off of the pizza we bought for graduation. 

Earning money

• Provided references to a company I've spent months interviewing with, so fingers crossed there. 
• Called Nick's college to sort out what to do with the two scholarship checks he received. 

Avoiding spending

• The school photographer is also Nick's tennis coach, and he took some fantastic photos of Nick at graduation. This means we can skip buying the official photos that come out, which saves $30 or so. 

Eating what we have

• We have plenty of leftovers from my parents visit. One of the boys polished off the last few slices of pizza.
• I've been eating lots of strawberries from the garden (SO delicious) & M & I have been eating a ton of lettuce as well. Garden lettuce is so much fresher than what you can buy at the grocery store. 
• We've also been making caprese, to use up the large amount of basil we have. 
• Even though we didn't have power on Tuesday night, I made dinner using a rotisserie chicken, and a stove top, one skillet recipe.We have a gas stove, so we were able to power it using a lighter. We had a generator for the fridge. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out why the fridge wasn't cooling (M came home & sorted that), so I didn't want to open the fridge for lunch & bought a takeout salad. I had a gift card, so it was free, and it generated enough for two lunches, so not all was lost, I suppose. 
• We had fajitas from the freezer one night, and paired that with guacamole, which also went with our stovetop chicken recipe as well. 

For others

• My sister is very naughty, and wouldn't allow me to give her money for hosting Nick & his friends on part of the trip. I gave the money to my nephew instead, who is working super hard in college & will definitely be able to use the money for college expenses. 
• Gave away graduation gowns to local parents, who won't have to buy one next year. The waste of each student needing to buy a new gown is nuts.
• We had lots of leftover macaroni & potato salad after my parents visit, so we dropped off containers of each to my neighbor. 

What about you? Any wins to share?

A quick update

It's been super busy around here! 

Nick is on his senior trip, and by all accounts, having a fabulous time. I'm teaching my last class tonight, and then M & I head to Las Vegas tomorrow. It's his birthday & Father's Day, and he's also playing in a tournament of some sort - blackjack, I think? 

Things are progressing nicely on the job hunt front, but I don't want to jinx anything until offers have been signed, given how long & bumpy the process has been to date. 

Things to do today:

• Work out
• Drop off stadium chairs I borrowed for graduation
• Pick up Tshirt for Nick's Tshirt quilt. Send all of the shirts off to the quilt company.
• Clean the house
• Finish packing
• Review content for class
• Teach my last class tonight!

What about you? How has your week been going? 

Menu Plan Sunday

 We have leftovers in the fridge & need to ensure we use everything up before M & I head out on a weekend getaway!

• Friday - we had fantastic grilled steak, caprese salad & roasted brussel sprouts
• Saturday - leftover barbecued chicken + macaroni & potato salad
• Sunday - chicken fajitas (freezer)
• Monday - we didn't end up making the Southwest chicken skillet last week, so it's on the menu again
• Tuesday - leftover fajitas
• Wednesday - leftover Southwest Chicken skillet
• Thursday - finish up any remaining leftovers
• Friday - on vacation/not home

What about you? What's on your menu for the week?

Frugal Friday

Another busy week, and Nick graduated yesterday! So fun to see my baby graduate, and we celebrated with my parents.  

Saving on things we buy

• M always buys champagne for my mom when she visits, and I noticed that iBotta had a $6 offer, which was a nice surprise. 
• Continued to upload receipts to Fetch, and iBotta when they have offers. 
• Nick asked if friends could come over after graduation to quickly eat food ahead of needing to get on the bus for the grad night party. We ordered a bunch of pizzas, threw together a snack tray & enjoyed the company of very excited teens. I used a $10 off coupon for the pizzas. 

Earning money

• Sold an unused makeup item on eBay, making $10 & getting it out of the house before it expired
• Received $7.25 of free grocery rewards through their current promotion, plus a free package of shredded cheese. 
• I got paid $2000 for the first half of classes I've taught. I can invoice the second half (although, I missed two due to graduation events, and can't invoice those of course) when the course is complete. My hourly rate was abysmal, as there was a huge learning curve involved. But, I'm very proud of myself for trying something new. 

Avoiding spending

• It's been a very spendy week, as we prep for house guests & graduation, so nothing much here. 

Eating what we have

• I've continued to eat sandwich fixings (purchased for another event, and not used), which is not my top lunch choice. I'm 2/3 of the way done! I make a little fun lunch platter with crackers, deli meat, cheese, fruit & veggies. I prefer salad, but it's using it up for now. 
• Using tons of garden lettuce, herbs, strawberries & lemons + green onions from the garden. My first zucchini is almost ready to be picked as well. 
• Made an easy ground beef tomato rice bowl dish & had enough for: one full additional dinner for four for the freezer, the initial dinner for four, and two lunches. 
• Had hot dogs on hand that M picked up at Costco when they were on sale, and hosted an impromptu dinner for Nick's friends on Sunday night. I served those with watermelon & chips. The chips showed up at our house after a friend gathering, so it was nice to use those up.

For others

• Had Nick do a round of reviewing his clothes, to determine what he's outgrown, won't bring to college, and/or school related items. Gave away a bunch on Buy Nothing. He's at that hard to buy size (or, you have to buy from more of a pricey "teen" store), so parents really appreciate receiving items. He also enjoys shopping at thrift stores, which is how he typically now sources his clothing.

What about you? Any wins to share?

Fitness Tuesday

I'm a bit late getting this together, as I had an interview yesterday & house cleaning & graduation prep! 

Weight: I've been really out of my routine, and haven't been weighing in lately, so no updates to report. 

Calories: 1,642 - up from last week, due to a couple of very snacky days + eating a bunch at a picnic with lots of homemade food on Sunday.

Steps: 14,871 - up quite a bit, thanks to the two hiking days.

Workouts:

• Workout class + unexpected bonus 7 mile hike with a friend (I was exhausted afterward)
• 3 days of workout classes (combo running, rowing & strength training)
• 1 day of a treadmill running class
• 1 7 mile hike with a friend
• 1 no workout day

Overall nutrition:  I felt very snacky all week (hence the higher daily calorie average) & tried a lot of delicious food at the picnic we attended on Sunday. I still want to increase my veggie intake. We have gorgeous garden lettuce that I want to be sure we're using up, and that I'm eating as part of my lunches. 

Goals for the week: We have guests this week, plus graduation & a bunch of stuff happening for Nick, so my goal is to have two full No S days (yesterday - check!, and today). Then keep the snacking & treats to zero, while I can have an adult beverage celebrating graduation. It won't be perfect, but it will be a lot better than a full on indulgence week.

What about you? How did you do with your health & fitness goals for the week?

May Goals Recap

 I can't believe it's June! 

May was a pretty good month for goals, but as always, progress not perfection is what I'm aiming for.

Here's how we did for the month. 

Financial:

• Bank all of M's severance, and open CDs.  - No severance yet, so this rolls over to next month
• Shuffle existing CDs for better rates - yes, and dates added to the calendar for the next round
• Sign up for COBRA - yes
• Find a job - well, I've invested a ton of time, but nothing so far
• Continue with part-time job, and invoice for the first half of classes - yes, and done
• Earn $300 in side hustle - $107 in side hustle, but also the class. I'll count that when I'm paid. 
• Get rid of 3 pantry items - I've used up a dressing, and barbecue sauce. So, 2/3.

Family:

• Plan Nick's graduation - yes! It's next week
• Date night with M - yes, we went out after photos for Nick's prom
• Work with the boys on various life stuff - Sam got signed up for summer classes, joined a gym, found a job, and found a dojo for his martial arts. Nick took his AP classes, finished out the school year and tennis, and is in the home stretch!

Fitness:

• Lose 2 lbs - I lost .9 lbs
• 15, 20, 15 -  strength workouts, No S days, meditations - 19 strength workouts, 8 No S days, 6 meditations
• Try a new workout - nothing really jumps to mind, although the day I did a hard workout class, followed by a hike with a friend was definitely...more than I'd bargained for. ;)
• Average 12,500 steps/day - 12,210, so pretty close but not quite

Personal:

• Get together with friends x2 - yes. Met two friends for a hike, got coffee after a workout 3x with friends, introduced two other friends for a group hike
• Say yes to adventure & try new things - I have been working on expanding my social network, and meeting up with new friends, which is going well
• Reduce screen time - I'd say maybe a 5% reduction. Definitely a little improvement, but nothing drastic. 
• Declutter 50 items - 39/50

What about you? How did you do with your May goals? Any wins to share, or goals you will roll over to next month? 

Menu Plan Sunday

 Another wild week, as we have my parents in town + graduation. Having a plan helps us minimize eating out to just planned events. We will still have some splurges, but they will be planned for.

• Friday - grilled chicken + salads
• Saturday - beef and tomato rice bowl
• Sunday - southwest Chicken skillet
• Monday - tacos (freezer)
• Tuesday - leftover southwest chicken skillet
• Wednesday - barbecued chicken & potato salad with my parents
• Thursday - we will likely have pizza delivered to the house, right as we get back from graduation. Nick has his grad night party, so we will be going out to lunch to celebrate
• Friday - steak + caprese salad
• Saturday - leftovers (my parents are heading home)
• Sunday - beef broccoli + noodles (freezer)

What about you? What's on your menu this week? 

Goals for June

 We have a lot of exciting stuff happening in June, and several trips + graduation & house guests. I'm looking forward to all of the fun!

Here are our goals for the month. 

Financial:

• Bank all of M's severance, and open CDs
• Shuffle existing CDs for better rates
• Find a job
• Finish teaching class, and invoice for all sessions
• Earn $300 in side hustle
• Get rid of 3 pantry items

Family:

• Have a fantastic graduation for Nick (including time with my parents, and celebration in Washington)
• Have an on budget and fabulous trip with M to Las Vegas 
• Work with the boys on various life stuff. Help Sam decide on fall plans

Fitness:

• Lose 2 lbs
• 15, 15, 15 - strength workouts, No S Days, meditations
• Try something new in my workout routine
• Average 12,500 steps/day

Personal:

• Get together with friends x2
• Say yes to adventure & try new things
• Reduce screen time
• Declutter 50 items

What about you? What's on your goal list for June?

Frugal Friday

 It's been another busy week, with lots of activities & interview prep. 

Saving on things we buy

• Used a $20 grocery store gift card to pick up ice cream and treats when we unexpectedly had some teens over this weekend. Also picked up the Friday Freebie (a sports drink of some kind) & uploaded my receipt to Fetch. 
• I occasionally meet friends for coffee after our workout class. The class is fantastic, but not really conducive to chatting. I buy Starbucks gift cards on sale (or, in exchange for a grocery store reward) & use that when we meet. I also bring my own container, which yields additional rewards (and, is better for the environment). 

Earning money

• Sold a pair of shoes on eBay & two pair of pants, & made $40
• As I mentioned yesterday, Nick won two scholarships & a service award at the Senior Awards ceremony. The scholarships, while not large, will be super helpful for college! One was from the sports boosters, and the other from the PTSA. 

Avoiding spending

• Nothing to report here.

Eating what we have

• I froze an entire batch of fajitas, as we ended up having fewer diners than expected.
• Picked some really delicious strawberries from the garden

For others

• Gave away a few items people requested on Buy Nothing, as well as items I just didn't need any more. 

What about you? Any wins to report?