Frugal Friday

 It's been another week, and we are looking forward to Easter this weekend. Nick is having a few friends over for dinner, where M will be making Persian kebabs & rice. I'm in charge of dessert, although I haven't figured out what I'm making yet. 

Saving on things we buy

• Picked up a few things we needed at the store (a family sized bag of Caesar salad, two containers of oat milk & the largest sized of unsweetened iced tea), and redeemed a $10 reward. I paid $7.67 out of pocket, and uploaded my receipt to Fetch. I also earned $.05 back on iBotta for the oat milk & found $.10 in the change return at the self check out. Making me rich! ;-) 
• Picked up plants for our garden boxes, and used a Home Depot gift card. I bought the Home Depot gift cards at our grocery store, as every $50 generated a $10 reward. 
• This doesn't really fit into any other category, but I filled out both boys taxes, & they are getting a small amount back ($80 & $140). I used two different tax software programs, as one didn't work for Nick. But, I paid $14.99 for Sam's state return, and figured out a way to do it differently next year & get it for free. Lesson learned. Nick's entire return was free. 
• Used a CVS Extra Care reward & a couple of coupons to pick up: two gift cards for the boys for their Easter baskets, some candy, and Advil. I also earned $2 back on iBotta, as well as 4% back on the full purchase from iBotta. I tried to choose candy that I won't eat before Easter, so wish me luck. 

Earning money

• Cashed out additional survey money ($15)
• Received a Costco executive rebate of $354. I minus out the cost of the membership, leaving us with $224 that I'll count towards our side hustle. 

Avoiding spending

• Nick went to Pinnacles National Park for a day trip on his spring break. He requested a park pass for his 18th birthday from my parents, so he was able to use his pass at the park, saving the admission fee.
• I also treated Nick for lunch on his spring break, and he requested Subway. Had enough on a gift card to get us both lunch (and, used a coupon for the second sandwich) for no out of pocket spending.  

Eating what we have

• Made an easy spaghetti & meatballs + garlic bread dinner, which we always have ingredients on hand for. I like this menu item, because we can customize the amount easily, and it doesn't require anything beyond what we keep in the pantry & freezer. (We use cheater frozen meatballs from Costco, which are really great.) 
• We splurged & allowed Nick to select takeout for dinner one night of spring break. He opted for Greek food. We had enough leftovers for 3 additional lunches. 
• Used the leftover mini containers of tzatziki sauce (from the Greek takeout meal) with grilled chicken.
• Finished off the leftover broccoli & beef one night, and the rest of the burgers as well. We are doing a good job of staying on top of our leftovers & keeping food waste to an absolute minimum. 
• Used garden lettuce, peppers & lemons in our salads.
• Had leftover burgers for another dinner. 

For others

• Found a lost phone at the grocery store. Went around to everyone nearby, and no one was missing it. Stood in line at the customer service desk to turn it in to the lost & found. 

What about you? Any wins to share?

A second class

One of my goals for 2025 was to try things that are "new & uncomfortable". I can definitely say that teaching my first class fell into that category!

While I wish I could say that it was the easiest thing I've ever done... it was most certainly not. It was a rocky start, as the calendar invite I received from my employer had the wrong Zoom link in it. By the time we got that straightened out, I was 5 minutes late for class. And then, the audio on my setup didn't work. I had practiced several times, but tech glitches... Ahhhh, so much fun! The actual class was okay, and I was happy to see the student surveys, as they were generally positive, with a couple of folks complaining about the same thing I dislike - we are required to use Zoom for the class (fine), but we run all of the in class engagement using Slack. It's clunky & requires a lot of switching back & forth, which is disruptive on all sides. Hopefully I'll get better at the switching, and/or the program will figure out a better option.

I spent about 15 hours over the last week getting ahead of my class prep, organizing all of the resources, watching recordings from other professors, and really getting into the modules. I will practice the tech prep again before class (the monitor, having three windows up, and the back & forth Slack engagement). Fingers crossed. 

My hourly rate for this class is quite low, as I like to be very prepared. If I end up teaching it again, I think it would get much easier on every session, as the first one is the one that requires all of the prep work. 

Fingers crossed that tonight's class goes smoothly!

Fitness Monday

It's been absolutely lovely spring weather, which has encouraged me to get outside more.

Weight: I finally weighed in, and I've gained 1.4 lbs since my last weigh in. Drat. I am doing better with watching my calories, so hopefully this will start dropping again. 

Calories: 1,548 - within four calories of the last time I posted my average ;-). Apparently, I'm pretty consistent. If I can drop this down by another 100 calories/day, I should be in the right spot for a slow & steady drop. 

Steps: 13,552 - my goal for the week was above 13,000, so this was a solid win. The nice weather definitely helps. 

Workouts:

• 4 workout classes (combo of strength, running & rowing)
• 1 running class
• 2 -1 hr elliptical workouts
• 1 - 2hr & 10 minute elliptical workout (I was watching a class training I need to take, & broke this up into two sessions). I prefer to learn while doing something easy, like being on the elliptical. 
• Some bonus walks, to increase my steps.

Overall nutrition:  I've been doing reasonably well getting back on the "No S" diet train, although I tend to have a glass of wine with dinner Friday-Sunday, which is not in the plan. I'm okay with that. M also asked me to sit outside & have a glass of wine with him on Tuesday, as he was reviewing various job stuff. It was lovely & we enjoyed our discussion. All that to say that I had three No S Days during the week. I'll keep working on improving this, although I'm definitely getting more No S days than I did in previous months, so progress is being made. 

What about you? Any health & fitness wins to share?

Menu Plan Sunday

 The schedules are heating up recently, with Nick working a few nights a week at a restaurant, me teaching a class one night a week, and this is Nick's spring break, so he may go skiing with friends. All that to say that this is a general menu plan, and things will almost certainly change. 

• Friday - we had spaghetti & meatballs + garlic bread
• Saturday - garlic beef & broccoli + pot stickers
• Sunday - M is grilling burgers
• Monday - creamy Dijon chicken
• Tuesday - leftover beef & broccoli
• Wednesday - leftover chicken
• Thursday - I have a snack earlier in the evening & then fast. I don't like to eat after my class. Everyone else will have leftovers. 
• Friday - TBD, but likely something easy, as Nick is working. Perhaps grilled fish & salads

What about you? What's on your menu plan this week? Any new recipes to share?

Frugal Friday

 There were a few wins here & there this week, although we were primarily focused on other things. 

Saving on things we buy

• I go through my credit card offers about every week or so, and click anything I think we might use. There's no harm in adding them, and they just expire if you don't use them. I ended up getting gas at a station we rarely use while out of town, so I earned an $.84 reward. Please don't be jealous of my big wins. ;-) That said, it's money I was spending anyway, and getting any amount was a nice bonus.

Earning money

• I taught my first class this week! I get paid at the end of the session (10 weeks), but it's my first time "working" in a while. 
• Worked on doing surveys (Prolific) here & there, making ~$25.
• Lots of interviews, interview prep & networking. 
• Received $40 as part of a settlement.

Avoiding spending

• Disputed a $14 charge, and got that refunded back.

Eating what we have

• We don't often have much bread at the house, but ended up with a bunch for various reasons. I've been making the teens sandwiches for lunches, and also froze some. We also keep baguettes in the freezer for making garlic bread. We cut it into 1/3 chunks when we buy it, and then wrap & store it. It's the perfect size for garlic bread making for 1-2 people, and that way you don't have a bunch of leftovers. 
• Blitzed some of the leftover bread to make bread crumbs for a delicious chicken parmesan
• Used up two frozen pizzas, which helped clear some space in our freezer!
• Picked a bunch of Meyer lemons off of our tree, as well as peppers & lettuce from our planters. 
• Cut back a bunch of herbs from our garden, and dried them 

For others

• Gave away additional fresh herbs to our neighbors.
• Filled out reports as part of my volunteering efforts. 

What about you? Any wins for the week?

Thursday Happenings

It's been a busy week, full of interviews, prep for interviews, & getting ready to teach my first class this evening. I'm excited/nervous, which I suppose is natural for doing something outside of your comfort zone. That said, I used to teach a class to 200 managers once a month at my last employer, and facilitate some really challenging discussions, so this will be a smaller group for sure. I'll be teaching a marketing class to mostly college students, but the course is also available as a certification for non-college students. Should be interesting!

I have a 9:00 call with a recruiter for a contract role. I need to start prepping for a full panel interview for another role. And, I'm supposed to hear back on two other positions in the next few days. A lot going on!

What else am I up to today?

• Figure out how to set up my presentation, so I can also access multiple screens. Maybe get a second laptop out, so I can see speaker notes & access Slack (for the class).
• Work out (after 9 am call)
• Go for a walk
• Laundry
• Talk to Nick about senior trip plans
• Menu plan for the week ahead
• Sort out spring break for Nick
• Help Nick buy prom tickets

I think that's it. What about you? What are the happenings around your house today?

Fitness Monday

This was a pretty decent fitness week, mostly because I do well with a routine & I had no out of town trips, house guests, or anything like that planned.

Weight: I still haven't weighed in. I don't know if this is because my brain is "helping" me by forgetting, but I do actually need to weigh in! I weigh in typically after a workout, so that's on the list for today. 

Calories: my daily average was 1,544. Still a little higher than ideal, but a drop from the previous week. 

Steps: my daily average for the week was 14,260, so over my 2025 goal of 12,000/day & the goal I set for the week of 13,000, to help increase my average. 

Workouts:

• 4 workout classes
• 1 yoga class
• an hour on the elliptical
• an 8 mile hike with a friend

Overall nutrition: I had four "No S" days (the No S plan is a pretty straightforward plan that I try to follow, because it takes the decision fatigue out of eating & keeps things really easy.) I did have one bigger eating day (homemade buttered popcorn!). 

I'll give myself a B- for the week, as it was a pretty good week with lots of produce & mostly healthy choices.

Goals for the week ahead:

• Weigh in
• 5 No S days
• Calories below 1,500 average for the week
• Steps above 13,000 average for the week

What about you? How did you do with your health & fitness last week? 

Menu Plan Sunday

 It's another week of menu planning!

We have salad with every meal, which I don't typically list, unless we've turned the salad into the dinner itself (salad with grilled chicken or salmon on top, etc). Just in case you think we're light on our veggies. ;-) 

• Friday - wings + pot stickers 
• Saturday - Date night for me + M, Nick & Sam on their own (frozen pizza)
• Sunday - Korean beef & rice
• Monday - chicken parmesan
• Tuesday - leftover Korean beef & rice
• Wednesday - leftover chicken parmesan
• Thursday - M is in charge (I have my class)
• Friday - TBD

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

Frugal Friday

 It's Friday again! Here's how we did.

Saving on things we buy

• I had to pick up a prescription at Rite Aid, and had $2 of rewards expiring. The store is pretty much empty, but I did find one of my preferred protein bars. It was $1.49 after rewards, but I also used an iBotta offer for $1.25, making the very expensive bar $.24. I'll take it! 
• I used CVS rewards, coupons & some iBotta offers to similarly pick up some treats to make Easter bags for the boys for $14 or so. 

Earning money

• Continued to apply for jobs
• Cashed in $20 of survey money

Avoiding spending

• I stocked up on lunch items, so I would avoid the temptation of eating out
• I cancelled Sam's gym membership, which was on a pause that was expiring
• In an attempt to avoid wasting the United credits, I pre-booked Nick's Thanksgiving & Christmas flights from college. While we may need to shift the dates/flights slightly, getting them on the books means I won't waste the credits. Flying home for Thanksgiving is eye wateringly expensive, so I'm glad to have the credits to use!

Eating what we have

• Finished off spaghetti & meatballs + garlic bread leftovers
• Used the last of the taco meat to make a taco salad
• Made chicken shawarma for dinner, which used up a lot of odds & ends, including a package of naan bread from the freezer

For others 

• Reached out to two friends who have suffered family losses recently
• Met with another student I'm mentoring

What about you? Any wins to share?

Things to do today

First up, thanks so much to everyone for sharing their non-linear college experience & feedback. As a parent, it's so hard to know exactly how to support your kids during this time of so much change and growth. It's two steps forward, a step back, and vice versa. 

I'm looking forward to getting outside & maybe getting some gardening in today. Inspired by Kim, I thought I'd share my to do list. 

Here's what's on my to do list for today:

• Attend a morning yoga class. I realized that my yoga pass will expire soon, and I still have two sessions left. Wasting money is definitely not my goal, and my back has really been bothering me lately, so yoga it is!
• Seriously sort out the boys taxes. They received a link to their W2s (summer jobs), but no information on how to create an account or access the W2s via the link. 
• Prep content for week 2 of my class.
• Continue to apply for jobs. Specifically, send email to a friend who has offered to refer me, and prep details about role qualifications & some background about why I would be a good fit.
• Figure out what's for dinner. It was originally supposed to be leftovers, but I'm not totally convinced there are enough. If not, figure out what to add.
• Gardening
• Walk
• Hit up CVS & Rite Aid to use expiring rewards

What about you? What are you up to today? 

April Goals

 I'm hoping April is a better month for achieving my goals than March!

Here's what's on the list:

Financial:

• Pay our state & federal taxes
• Get a new job
• Prep for part-time job
• Earn $300 in side hustle
• Pantry/freezer challenge:
• 1 bottle of dressing
• 1 package of holiday cheese
• Soup from freezer

Family:

• Help Nick with college prep, spring break & senior trip planning
• Optimize points, perks & miles. Track value
• Date night with M

Fitness:

• Lose 2 lbs
• Strength train 15 days
• No S diet 15 days
• Average 13,000 steps/day
• Meditate 10 times
• Attend another tread class workout

Personal:

• Declutter 50 items from the house
• Get together with friends 2x
• Play pickleball x1
• Help students (volunteer role) make college decisions
• Do something towards my "Try something new" and "Say yes to more adventures"
• Reduce screen time

What about you? What's on your list of goals for April?

March Goals Recap

March has been quite an adventure, and not always in the best way. But, I don't set these goals with the assumption I will always hit all of them, and having goals motivates me. Even when the results aren't so great. 

Here's how the month went (or, didn't go, might be more likely). 

Financial:

• Continue to pay for Sam's college expenses - yes, although Sam is rethinking how he wants the rest of college to go & if he wants to transfer, stay where he's at, or switch majors. 
• Get a new job - I've continued to interview & have 3 jobs in the hopper, but one may not get funded do to the economy. That's the one I was most excited about, so I'm pretty disappointed. I've invested a lot of time in it so far, but fingers crossed maybe it will still happen. 
• Prep for part-time job - I've prepped my content for week 1, and have set a goal to be 2 weeks ahead at all times, so I'll finish week 2 soon. 
• Earn $300 in side hustle - I only made $80 in March, all through Prolific user studies. 
• Pantry/freezer challenge:
• 1 bag of frozen fruit - yes, done
• 1 bottle of dressing - nope
• 1 package of holiday cheese - nope

Family:

• Help Nick with final college decision, including two tours - we did two tours, and Nick finalized his decision to go to Boulder! He's very excited. 
• Enjoy spring break with Sam. Help him finalize his summer plans - Sam & I spent a lot of time together over spring break, and as noted above, he's trying to sort out how he wants to handle the rest of college. It's a big change for young adults. 
• Optimize points, perks & miles. Track value. - I've saved $3,864 by using points through the following: 3 nights in Sedona on my girls trip, 3 nights at the Marriott in Corvallis, 2 nights in Boulder for an upcoming orientation for Nick, & a free night during skiing. 
• Finalize Spain trip details. - Spain was cancelled, so this definitely didn't happen. 
• Enjoy Nick's senior year. Attend soccer banquet & at least 3 tennis matches. -I attended the soccer banquet, but his matches have been rescheduled a lot due to weather & I haven't been. 

Fitness:

• Lose 2 lbs - I lost 1.3 lbs
• Strength train 15 days - 11/15
• No S diet 15 days -  6/15
• Average 13,000 steps/day - definitely not! I was at 11,600/day, which dropped my average for the year. 
• Meditate 10 times - 7/10 times & found an app to use (free with my credit card). Having access to the app is making this goal much easier. 
• Try a new workout - I tried out a new workout class format & really liked it. It's a much longer running class, so I'll be adding more of these into my workouts. 

Personal:

• Language lessons 15 times - I totally fell apart on this, particularly once I realized we weren't going to Spain. While I didn't track this, I'm also not sure I did any language lessons in March. 
• Declutter 50 items from the house - No progress this month!
• Get together with friends 2x - Yes! I went for three hikes, a girls hiking trip & met another friend for yoga & lunch. 
• Play pickleball x1 - nope
• Help students (volunteer role) make college decisions - Yes, I've continued to meet with my mentees. 
• Do something towards my goals of "Try something new & uncomfortable" and "Say yes to more adventures" - went on another girls trip (hiking to Sedona), which was a wonderful adventure. 
• Reduce screen time - I've made progress on this, and also spent time skiing & hiking, which is definitely good for reducing electronics time. 

All in all, it was a very "okay" month by objective measure, but I kept on & am more than ready for April! What about you? How did you do with your goals for the month?