This week has been a ride on the struggle bus. The weather has been terrible, we had some damage to plants/trees in our yard due to a big storm. Work has been... ahem...really painful. My sister & I are stepping in to take over some projects from my parents, as they have been providing support to my special needs aunt & are reaching a point where that's getting complicated for them. Everything has just seemed much more challenging than usual this week. I need to go back & write in my gratitude journal, & remember some of the positives!
Moving on, a few wins for the week:
Saving on things we buy
- I rarely buy occasion cards (I keep blank note cards at home that we use for almost every event), but picked up a few Valentine's Day cards & used a $3 off coupon.
- I also bought Home Depot gift cards at the grocery store, as they were having a promotion. I earned $60 in grocery store credit, for future purchases. The store didn't originally register the promotion, but a quick email sorted it out.
- Speaking of staying on top of offers, my manager noted that he hadn't received Hyatt points for our recent work stay (we were at the same hotel). I checked & found the same. I also noted that I hadn't received any of my rewards/points back from cancelling my Turkey reservations. A quick email also got that straightened out.
Earning money
- I sold luggage tags & earned a bit over $100.
Avoiding spending
- It hasn't been a very spendy week, because I've been incredibly busy with life.
Eating what we have
- Used the last of the Greek style baked veggies to combine with two eggs & a slice of cheese for breakfast after my long run on Saturday. It was delicious.
- I forgot to take my prepared electrolyte water on my long run, and the electrolytes are expensive & don't last long once prepared. Instead, I had it when I got home, as it takes most of the day to replenish everything, depending on your run distance.
- Sam ate one of our date night leftovers as soon as we got home on Friday, and I ate the rest as my lunch on Saturday
- I made cranberry muffins to use up cranberries that have been lingering in the freezer forever. I had a tiny amount of sour cream leftover from a dinner, so used that in place of some of the yogurt. I also had a banana that really needed to be used, so tossed that in. And, another mom brought orange juice to our soccer event on Saturday, and some of that was leftover. I usually skip the suggested addition of orange juice, but added it & the muffins turned out great.
- I had chicken pesto pasta from the freezer for lunch one day.
For others
- Hosted a large soccer gathering, where the younger players made posters for the seniors. Given the party was after a game, we added pizza & cookies to our plans, because ...hungry teens!
- Continue to volunteer for a very intense project at work, which I'm suited to help with, but isn't anywhere near my responsibility.
- Gave a neighbor a ride to/from work.
What about you? Any wins to share?
I'm sorry you've had such a challenging week. It's so great that you and your sister will take over some duties for your aunt and take that off of your parents. I'm sure they will appreciate the help.
ReplyDeleteWe are definitely working on it. I hope we can set up some rules & guidelines that make everything easier in the longer term
DeleteElder care is challenging enough, but elder care by elders can be daunting. I worry about my sister with no children. She had a medical issue 18 months ago, and though she's still youngish, just 63, we need to plan with her. I'm sure your parents appreciate anything you can do, but yes, it stretches your capacity too.
ReplyDeleteIt's really so difficult. It's made more challenging by the fact that she doesn't acknowledge her own limitations, and lies/hides things, which is frustrating on all sides.
DeleteSo sorry that the week has been a challenging one. I am sure you and your sister will do well together in helping your aunt and that the parental units will be grateful to step back.
ReplyDeleteGood thing the email cleared the points and the cancelled trip things up.
God bless.
I'm sorry your week was so challenging. My friends in CA checked in to say they're safe, because we were worried about the poor weather out there. Great deal on the gcs. I love purchasing gcs that earns extra cash/rewards. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteIt's Ms Goose. I moved my blog, so I'm using a different name.
I'm with you - I really like buying gift cards that generate grocery store rewards.
DeleteI understand your parents predicament. It gets really hard being the primary caregiver for an aging relative. If it would not be a financial burden on them I would suggest hiring care givers or nursing care.
ReplyDeleteIt would definitely be a financial burden. She's in an interesting place, as she's healthy & able bodied, but just makes poor decisions, given her limitations. It's really hard to solve for that specific kind of problem.
DeleteI want to know what kind of Luggage tags netted you $100. lol
ReplyDeleteSorry about your Aunt and your parents' situation. Is there a Special Needs Trust set up for your Aunt?
Priority airline tags. I don't check bags, so I don't use these. Other travelers think this means the bags are treated with priority. Maybe?
DeleteNo, there's no trust. My grandmother bought her a house & she was left some additional money when my grandmother passed. There was no money for a trust. Currently, my sister & I both contribute financially each month.