Frugal Friday

 It's been a relatively quiet week around here, but a few wins to share.

Saving on things we buy

• Ordered a few things Sam needs for college. Debated having it sent to us, and having my dad take it to him (they are visiting), but remembered that anything delivered in Oregon is tax free, so went that route. 

Earning money

• Nothing much happening here. I completed a survey for $50. 

Avoiding spending

• Ate at the lounge on Friday for free, vs buying food at the airport. 
• Used Southwest credits for our flights home for Christmas. I had a combination of gift cards (purchased at a discount at Costco) & a flight credit we had for Nick for something I can't recall at the moment. 

Eating what we have

• I planned two dinners at my sister's house (at her request, she's been really busy), and made sure they had coordinating sides. (Mexican chicken skillet one night, nachos the next). 
• Had Sunday brunch leftovers for brunch on Monday, ahead of our flights.
• Made dinner ahead of a few appointments & picking up my parents, so we didn't have to do takeout. 

For others

• Fed all of the random teens who showed up at my house this week for impromptu study sessions. ;-) 

What about you? Any frugal wins to share at your house?

Menu Plan Tuesday

 I flew back from Portland yesterday, so I'm a little late to the party. Here's what's on the menu at our house.

• Friday - I ate at the airport lounge, and then had a glass of wine when I got to my sister's house
• Saturday - my sister's partner made us Mexican chicken rice skillet, which was delicious.
• Sunday - we celebrated our 10k run with nachos, which I try to only have on special occasions, because they are a true indulgence. These were delicious, with carne asada on top. Yum!
• Monday - I got home from the airport & scrambled a bit to figure out dinner. M grilled salmon & I made a spinach salad to go with it.
• Tuesday - tonight will be grilled chicken over salads
• Wednesday - likely pasta & meatballs, if Nick is going to be home. It's his favorite.
• Thursday - I'm making chicken fajitas, after we pick up my parents at the airport
• Friday - tacos, so we can use up the rest of the chicken fajita fixings

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

Frugal Friday

Sometimes it feels like my frugal "wins" are drops in the bucket compared to expenses, but I keep on keeping on. Because, what's the point of spending more than you have to, and all of the savings adds up. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway. ;-)  

Saving on things we buy

• Saved $134 by paying upfront for Nick's orthodontia
• Saved $6 on a cash back offer I'd forgotten about (on our credit card) for the pizza we ordered for Nick's VP debate watching party last week. 
• Uploaded grocery receipts to Fetch
• Used CVS rewards to pick up Nick's preferred brand of deodorant, and used an iBotta/CVS offer to save another couple of bucks. 

Earning money

• Sold Sam's old bike, & made $300
• Sold a pair of sunglasses & made ~$90

Avoiding spending

• Arranged for a friend to drive Nick to a far away soccer game (Nick drives him to all of the practices), so we both share on gas costs

Eating what we have

• Picked out first few pomegranates and have had those for a snack in the evening (largely Nick)
• Continued eating basil, peppers & tomatoes from the garden, but the heat has killed everything else. 
• Brought home leftovers from date night, and had that for two lunches (veggie risotto, which was so delicious)
• Made Nick & his friend snacks while they were studying at our house, saving them the cost of eating out or grabbing snacks
• I'm working on eating a huge container of spinach, so I've been trying to incorporate it into all of my meals. Had the last of the veggie risotto over a bed of spinach. I just heated it in the microwave, which helped the spinach soften a bit. It was delicious & just the right amount of spinach to risotto ratio to be healthy while not overwhelming tasting like warm spinach. ;-) 

For others

• This is a busy time for seniors applying to colleges, so I've been spending quite a bit of time helping my volunteer students with their tasks, answering questions & generally providing guidance. 
• Stayed after a soccer game to collect the goals, flags & shade/bench to put away in the shed with another parent. There is no assigned roster of people to help, so unfortunately, one parent does most of the heavy lifting on this. I was able to help & streamline it all, which was great since it was unbearably hot. 

What about you? Any wins to share?

Thursday Happenings

I've had lots of medical appointments over the past few weeks, so that's been keeping me busier than usual. I'm having a lupus flare, and trying to figure out the best way to manage that. It's no fun, I do not recommend. 

That said, I have a bunch of fun things lined up for the upcoming few weeks, including my trip to Portland tomorrow (running, or more likely walking + a little running a 10k with my sister & BFF). I'll also get a chance to see my parents for brunch. My parents are flying here in a week, and then we're heading to Costa Rica. The weather looks pretty terrible for our trip, and we've gone back & forth between going & just enjoying what we can between rain storms, or going somewhere else. I think we've decided to just make the best of Costa Rica. 

The final college application has opened up (this is the complicated international one, that has to be hand mailed in), so Nick & I need to get started on that, as it will take the longest. That will be it! Otherwise, he has scholarship essays to work on, and a few other small tasks, but nothing quite like the bigger application process, which he will have finished. We will both be thrilled once we're done. ;-)

As for today:

• Attend workout class
• Stop by Trader Joes on my way home
• Laundry
• PT exercises
• Check in for tomorrow's flight
• Pack
• Daily chores (language, meditate, journal)
• Work in the yard (I'm especially loving this, as the weather has cooled way off)
• Clean the shower. We have very hard water, so this is my most dreaded chore of all.
• Call with Nick's orthodontist. I don't really understand what it's for, but it's required ahead of kicking off treatment.
• Work on job search stuff for ~1 hour

That's it on my side. Hope all of you in Florida are staying safe & escaped the storm(s) with minimal damage. Thinking of you all. 

Menu Plan Monday

I'll be eating more red meat in the upcoming month or so, as I try get my iron level higher. So, if you see a lot less chicken on the menu, that's why!

• Friday - grilled chicken salads
• Saturday - spaghetti & meatballs + garlic bread
• Sunday - grilled burgers
• Monday - leftover spaghetti & meatballs
• Tuesday - tacos
• Wednesday - leftover burgers
• Thursday - leftover tacos
• Friday - I'm out of town, so the boys are on their own

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

Sunday things

Yesterday was a good day, as I finally got Sam's old bike sold! Woohoo. I find that the bike buyers on FB marketplace are sooooo in to haggling. My approach to all items I list are to price very low & not negotiate. Most people don't bother when you've underpriced, but on bikes... there are still hagglers. ;-) Anyway, got the bike sold yesterday, and I'm feeling happy about that.

I also went to yoga, which was nice & very peaceful. I really like the class. I'm so not flexible, but I suppose maybe that will come with lots of time & practice. Or, maybe I'll forever be not so good at it, but it's still good for my body. Who knows?

M & I went to dinner & tried out a new Greek restaurant in our town. We had a great time, and it was such a lovely location. We chatted about career pivots (me) & bucket list items (both of us). I brought home about 2/3 of my dinner (vegetarian risotto), as we shared a feta/pepper dip appetizer & I had a few bites of M's dinner as well. 

I'm so excited for pomegranate season! We picked our first pomegranate on Friday, and have maybe 15-20 on the tree. We had probably 3-4x that earlier, but the squirrels knocked off the majority of the blossoms. 

I'm off to head to Nick's soccer game. There are maybe 3 left in the season that I will be able to attend, and this will be his last season of club soccer (after 10+ years), so I want to make sure I attend as many matches as possible. 

Finally, hoping it cools down, as I'm so, so ready for a break in the heat. Hope you are all enjoying your Sunday!

Saturday Grocery Shopping

 It's been a while since I've reported what we purchased at the grocery store (I had an entire year there where I tracked every single item grocery purchased & categorized it). That was a useful exercise, but I don't do that these days. I do still track all of our expenses, but just under the bucket of "groceries".  A typical week for us looks like:

• One trip to Costco
• 1-2 trips to Trader Joes (primarily for cucumber for Nick)
• sometimes a trip to the grocery store, if we are out of anything, or need recipe ingredients. 

Our monthly average grocery spend has been right around $800/month. Given we fed two teens for most of this year (and, additional teens most nights of the summer), I'm feeling pretty good about our budget, even though we are over goal of $550/month. I have no idea what I was thinking when I set that budget. Obviously, I wasn't thinking too hard. ;-) 

M went to Costco today, and here's what we bought & the cost:

• Organic bananas - $2.49 (Nick & I both eat these)
• Sparkling water - $10.99+$1.75 redemption deposit (we all have 1 or so a day)
• 2 lbs of organic broccoli - $5.99 (M's salads)
• Organic balsamic - $12.99 (M's salads)
• Olive oil - $29.99 (M's salads, plus regular cooking)
• Organic pears - $8.99 (fruit for me + Nick)
• Sliced cheddar - $10.69 (for cheeseburgers this weekend, and snacking after that)
• Cauliflower - $6.99 (M's salads)
• Organic spinach - $4.59 (for me, as I'm trying to eat a lot more iron)

Total spent = $95.46

How are you doing with your grocery budget for the year? 

Frugal Friday

 Nick needs braces, so once again, it was not a particularly frugal week on the major expenses front, and we are trying to keep the rest of our spending in check. 

Saving on things we buy

• I was really craving a turkey sandwich on sourdough, and was tempted to go out. Instead, I went to the store & picked up ingredients to make the sandwich. The local grocery isn't cheap & nothing was on sale, but it was still less than a sandwich out, and I can make plenty of sandwiches out of the ingredients. 
• Used $40 of rewards for pizza delivery for the debate party we hosted on Tuesday. 

Earning money

• Sold an old tablet on eBay, as well as an alarm clock, and a shirt I bought that I didn't notice was a final sale. 
• Made $2100 selling some old jewelry. Gold is super valuable these days. 

Avoiding spending

• We ate leftover cold pizza at home (and apples) on the day the power was out, vs going out to dinner. 

Eating what we have

• Continuing to eat the lettuce, tomatoes, peppers & herbs from our gardens. And, our pomegranates are almost ripe!
• Used some very old carrots in a crockpot chicken dumplings recipe.
• M finished off the last of a bag of panko shrimp for dinner last Friday, and I ate more of the buffalo chicken style meatballs that no one else seems to like. We served with Trader Joes cauliflower gnocchi. I thought that was very *okay*. It's hard to replicate a regular gnocchi. 
• Made Nick a grilled cheese (using the above bread & cheese) on a night he was just home briefly between events. 
• Made banana bread for the debate party, out of overly ripe bananas. 

For others

• Continuing to mentor my students who are applying to college. 

What about you? Any wins to share? 

Thursday Things

 Oof, last night was not a good night of sleep. It was 100 here yesterday, which is, btw, insane in its own right, and our power went off around 6 pm. I'd just caved & decided to start using the AC, so we could sleep, as I didn't sleep well the night before due to the heat. 

No power means no fans, and we have a large ceiling fan that we run probably 9 months out of the year to keep our bedroom cool. Ooooh, it was so hot in the house. I slept with a wet towel on my chest. The power finally came back on around 2 am, but when I went to turn off all of the lights, a smoke alarm started going off. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from, so I tried to sleep with two pillows over my head. M dealt with it this morning, bless him. 

Today is going to be a very sleepy day! 

On the positive front, I got to hold my friend's baby yesterday at lunch. She is adorable, five months old, and very squishy & smiley. Baby snuggles! On the way back from lunch, I dropped off my old jewelry at a shop that buys gold. This is very old jewelry that I haven't ever worn or don't want in general. It's been on my to do list to get rid of it forever, and it's finally gone. I also got way more money for it than expected, which is a lovely bonus! That money will help to offset Nick's orthodontia care. ;-) 

Nick & I finished the two Cal State applications that opened on 10/1. WOOP! We have just one to go, and it's for a college that hasn't opened their applications yet. We are in really good shape, and can now work on scholarship applications, etc. 

On to today:

• Workout class
• Finally got a doctor's appointment to establish care with a new primary doctor. I've been waiting for months.
• Package & mail an eBay sale
• Drop off a check for the orthodontist. There is a 2% discount by paying in full
• Work on job profile for consulting role
• Laundry
• Clean the fridge
• Daily chores (language lesson, journal, meditate)

What are you up to? Hope the weather is cool & lovely, wherever you all are!

September Goals Recap

September was a great month, with a hiking trip to Moab, dropping Sam off at college & that experience all going really well. There is still time for him to get homesick, of course, but for now, he seems to be doing fantastic, so we are thrilled about that.

Here's how I did with the rest of my goals for September.

Financial:

• Achieve September savings goal - We were about $800 short of our savings goal, although if I add in the October interest, we achieved our goals. Not sure where to count the interest we earn on our CDs/accounts at the beginning of each month. It doesn't really matter, but I want to be sure I'm tracking consistently month on month. For now, I'll count it was a win, and start including those at the end of each month.
• Confirm that M's BA miles were extended - done
• Freezer challenge: get rid of a minimum of six items - crushed this! Used up:
• Chicken Alfredo, chicken fajitas, chicken marsala, honey chicken
• Edamame
• Two chunks of French bread
• A breakfast sandwich
• 6 bananas
• White bean soup
• 2 burger patties
• Panko shrimp
• Get car sold - no, but M got it listed a couple of days ago & has shown it to a few people already
• Update CDs that are renewing - yes, done
• List 5 items on eBay - I listed at least 10, & I made $330 in September

Family:

• Help Nick with college essays/applications & achieve all school deadlines - yes! We got all schools that were open for applications completed in September! We are crushing it.
• Get Sam successfully moved into college & transitioned - yes, and he's doing great
• Adjust menu plan for 3 vs 4 diners - eh, we've been kind of winging it so far. And, is further complicated by Nick's practice schedule. We'll need to experiment a bit. 

Fitness:

• Continue PT - I really didn't do well with my PT this month. As my hip has felt better, and I do many similar exercises at my workout class. I need to remember to focus on the few that I don't get in at my class. 
• 15 strength workouts - I got in 13, with traveling
• Follow the No S diet 15 days & track calories daily - I tracked calories daily, and followed the No S diet 9 times
• Have a successful hiking trip to Moab - done, and it was fabulous!

Personal:

• Complete daily tasks 20 times (meditate, language lesson, journal) - yes, 22 times
• Get together with friends - tons of meet ups this month, plus hiking trip
• Declutter 25 items - got rid of 49 items
• Continue exploring jobs - had a few interviews, applied for additional jobs
• Spend time on volunteer role - I'm mentoring 3 students, and continue to really enjoy it
• Play pickleball 3x - we tried once and the courts were taken, and the rest of the time our schedule didn't work out, it was too hot, or we just plain forgot

What about you? How did you do on your goals for the month? 

October Goals

 I will post my September goal progress soon, but wanted to get my October goals posted. I like the motivation of a new month, even if the months are going by way too quickly!

Financial:

• Achieve new savings goal (~$2500). 
• Get car sold
• Update CD that is renewing
• I don't need a big freezer challenge this month, as I did such a good job last month eating down a lot of what was in there. Instead, I can keep my list pretty targeted.
• Eat 1/2 of the pizza in the freezer
• Use up the cranberries in muffins

Family:

• Help Nick with college essays/applications & achieve all deadlines
• Still working on adjusting menu plan for 3 vs 4 diners
• Have a great trip to Costa Rica

Fitness:

• Work on back & hip exercises
• 15 strength workouts
• Follow the No S diet 15 days & track calories
• Successfully run the 10k with my sister & friend
• See the doctor about lack of energy, overall health
• Lose 2 lbs

Personal:

• Complete daily tasks 20 times (meditate, language lesson, journal)
• Get together with friends
• Network a bit (2x)
• Declutter 25 items
• Continue exploring jobs. Apply for two jobs in a "pivot" field (e.g. not something I've done before)
• Spend time on volunteer role
• Play pickleball 3x

What about you? Do you have any goals for the month? Let us know so we can cheer you on!

Menu Plan Monday

 Still adjusting to feeding three people vs four, but we did a great job last week of eating all of our prepped freezer food. The freezer is looking good & ready for me to stock it with some soup for my lunches. 

Here's what's on our menu this week

• Friday - pizza (cauliflower crust + regular)
• Saturday - tacos
• Sunday - grilled chicken + rice
• Monday- leftover tacos
• Tuesday - leftover grilled chicken + rice
• Wednesday - chicken yakisoba (one of the last prepped freezer meals)
• Thursday - carnitas (the other last prepped freezer meals)
• Friday - leftovers

What about you? Are you adjusting your menu as the weather changes? I'm the only one who eats soup, so I make it & freeze it for lunches, as I can't get my other dinner diners to join me. ;-) 

Sunday Happenings

The weekend is whizzing by. I went to a really relaxing yoga class yesterday (I need more yoga in my life, as I'm really not very flexible) & got some chores done around the house. I also made this crockpot chicken & dumplings recipe, which is always a winner. I'm the only soup eater in the house, so I had it for dinner last night, saved some for lunches this week, & then froze the rest. It will make an easy & delicious lunch on busy days.

Sam & I texted a bit more yesterday, and he's thrilled with his roommate, enjoying the food & feels like his classes will be good this year. Says he loves his calculus professor. 

Nick & I made more progress providing his academic record to one of the schools he's applying to. It's a super *fun* process where you enter every grade for every semester manually. He also has to enter middle school grades, as he took geometry & two years of Spanish in middle school, both of which are "required" high school classes for some colleges. Luckily, I requested a transcript of his middle school grades way back when Sam & I were applying last year, knowing that I would need the same for Nick. We also provided transcripts to another college, activated his accounts at a few other colleges (you use this to track your application, and each college has their own system). We have a spreadsheet keeping track of login details for each school. There's a lot of info to manage!

Nick worked at a soccer tournament yesterday to earn some extra money. He and Sam are such different creatures. Sam has spent none of the money he earned last summer, because he's still using money he earned two years ago. Nick, on the other hand, is a more prolific spender. ;-) This is a good time in his life to practice and experiment, to feel what it's like when you run out, and to understand how to better prioritize spending. 

As for today, here's what I'm up to:

• Workout class
• Laundry
• Vacuum
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Pay Nick's physics tutor
• Meet a friend for a walk
• Package & mail an eBay sale
• Make my to do list for the week ahead & review the calendar
• List a bike on FB

What about you? What are you up to today?

Frugal Friday

Nick & I finished four more college applications (and, paid the application fees for four more colleges) , so trying hard to keep the rest of the spending under control. We are making great progress clearing out the freezer, so that's always a win. 

Saving on things we buy

• I go through our credit card reward offers (e.g. earn 10% back at CVS by opting into the offer & saving it on your card) & select any that we might use. There's no harm in savings them, as they are free & just expire if you don't use them before the deadline. I occasionally save money on offers I've forgotten about, and it's always a pleasant surprise. I earned a few bucks back on gas by doing this. I tend to save all of the gas offers, as you never know. We typically get our gas at Costco, but in Moab & traveling back & forth to Corvallis, we stopped at other places & one of them qualified for a small cash back offer. 
• I used a few grocery store coupons to save a bit (free avocado, free bananas, and $1.50 of of my total). I also uploaded my receipt to Fetch & iBotta, saving another $3 between the two. I rarely see produce coupons, so was happy to find a few to save money on things we would already be buying. 

Earning money

• Listed a few things on FB Marketplace, as I clean out Sam's room. 
• Moved Sam's desk into Nick's room, and sold Nick's desk. When the boys move into college apartments, we will definitely buy local items vs trying to move things from here. Made $90. 
• Sold three card games, for another $25. 
• Earned $460 in dividends, and moved those over to cover some expenses. We reinvest all dividends in our primary investment accounts, but we are trying hard not to draw down our savings right now, during this very expensive life phase, so opted to pull this out. This is not from our primary investment account, but a stock account that we are trying to sell off (to diversify our investments), & are just waiting on timing given tax implications. 
• Earned $107 on my blog (the only amount I've earned in 13 or so years, so my hourly rate is fantastic. ;-)) I've been experimenting with the ads & changed them to hopefully be less irritating. Fingers crossed. 

Avoiding spending

• Really limited grocery shopping this week, as we were out of town here & there, we no longer have DS18 eating at home, as well as we aren't also feeding his GF for most meals. That makes a big difference on how much food we need! I need to adjust our shopping & menu plans. DH loves to shop at Costco, but there are things we just no longer need that quantity of, and it will be an adjustment for the two of us to align on what we should buy there vs at the store in smaller quantities. ;-) 

Eating what we have

• I've done a good job of eating up leftovers for various meals
• Finished off the fantastic mango a friend left at our house while she was dropping off meals for Nick when we were gone. I'm usually kind of meh on mangoes, but this was incredible. 
• Had a few delicious salads, with garden lettuce & tomatoes. 
• Made Nick a smoothie using up strawberries a friend gave me, as well as some orange juice that is about to expire. It was a good post soccer game snack. 
• Made muffins out of overly ripe bananas out on the counter, plus six bananas from the freezer. I left out one container of muffins for M this week, and the rest went into the freezer. No bananas currently in the freezer, which I always like to see. We've made a real dent in the freezer the last few weeks, which is always nice. 
• I try to have salad with leftover protein for lunches, but had a day when I didn't have any leftovers. I dug into the freezer & found some buffalo chicken meatballs that no one seemed to like, and heated up a few of those to go on the salad. It was an unexpected combination, but was pretty good. 
• Defrosted two chunks of French bread (we cut up Costco bread, wrap it & freeze it, as we can't use it all before it goes bad) to make cheesy bread for Nick. 
• Found a container of white bean rosemary soup in the freezer, and had that for lunch with some cheese and an apple. It wasn't my favorite recipe, but that was the last of it. 

For others

• Passed on a few job options to a friend who is looking for work. 
• Did another volunteer call with a student I'm mentoring. 

What about you? Any wins to share?

Thursday Things

 I went for a long hike with a friend yesterday, and we took a wrong turn, so it ended up being much more challenging than we expected. Glad I brought plenty of water. ;-) I also met up with another friend for a walk, but we kept it nice & slow after my long hike. I ended up with over 27k steps for the day, so plenty of activity happening! 

I've also picked a lot of tomatoes! I'm trying to pick only what we can eat over a couple of days, to keep them fresher longer on the vine. 

Here's what I'm up to today:

• Workout class
• Go to the bank to deal with CD rollover
• Work in the garden
• Call an insurance broker
• Call the orthodontist for Nick
• List a few things on eBay
• Do back strengthening exercises
• Have a call with the student I'm mentoring
• Go to the store to pick up a few items

What about you? What are you up to today? For those gardeners out there, are you still harvesting? 

Tuesday Happenings

I had one good interview yesterday, and one interview where the recruiter never showed. This is the second time with this recruiter where he posts his calendar, asks me to select a spot, I choose one, and he....never joins the call. Last time claimed he messed up the time zones (he's in India). Fair enough, forgiven the first time. He apologized last time & pushed me hard to reschedule. I never even heard back from him after yesterday's snafu. Well, that tells me everything I need to know about the company. Also, as a recruiter, you have one job. If I were the hiring manager for this role, I would be so frustrated to know how my recruiter was handling (or, not handling) things. Anyway, oh well. 

I briefly spoke to Sam, after his academic orientation. He asked me to put additional dining dollars on his meal plan. ;-) I'm so happy that guy is having fun, meeting people & getting ready for classes tomorrow. Nick also starts his dual enrollment class at the local community college today, and he's looking forward to that. 

Otherwise, here's what I'm up to:

• Follow up on networking emails/texts
• Sort out eBay fail. I posted shoes (shoes from England) that were DH's, but used the wrong sizing. The buyer & I sorted it out, but not until I'd paid $20 for postage. Sigh. Totally my fault, and honestly, I'd put off listing these shoes because I knew they would be a hassle. I need DH to help me with a few things today, and maybe I will at least cover the postage & a bit more. Now I'm invested in getting these things sold. ;-) 
• Work out class
• Pick up ant bait at the hardware store. This is an ongoing problem at our house.
• Figure out what chargers work for two old tablets. I'm hoping to sell them on Amazon, but need to know if they even power up. Otherwise, I'll put them in the e-waste, but hope to avoid that if they can be used. 
• Set up an Ortho appointment for Nick

That's it from my side. What about you? What are you hoping to accomplish today? 

Menu Plan Monday

 I need to start getting adjusted to feeding three people vs four, which will be a bit of a process I think. Sam & I were the most aligned eaters, whereas M can't eat most carbs (food allergy) & Nick eats almost entirely carbs & doesn't love things mixed together. ;-) I'm mostly kidding, as Nick eats plenty of fruit & veggies, but is pickier about his protein options. Making a menu plan will be quite an adventure! My previous approach was to choose things that Sam & I would like, that could also be adapted for the other diners. Now it seems silly to optimize for just me, so who knows! I suppose some experimentation is in order.

• Friday - chicken marsala (from the freezer)
• Saturday - salad with grilled chicken
• Sunday - barbecued burgers (freezer)
• Monday - tacos (prepped meat from the freezer)
• Tuesday - spaghetti & meatballs + garlic bread
• Wednesday - leftover tacos
• Thursday - leftover spaghetti & meatballs
• Friday - pizza (cauliflower crust for M)

What's on your menu for the week?

Sunday Happenings

It's been a pretty mellow weekend so far. Nick had a game yesterday (they got trounced), I made muffins, worked out, & continued organizing & cleaning out Sam's room. I sold a desk & some card games (from his room, they went into the "get rid of pile" before he left).

I received pictures from Sam's roommate's mom, as they stayed an extra day & took Sam & all of the suite mates out to dinner. Looked like everyone had a fabulous time, and it made me so relieved to see him happy & having fun with new friends. They were also playing corn hole & some other game out in the grassy area by their dorm. The weather in Corvallis this week is perfect, which is just what they needed.

Sam is reasonably introverted, and we talked a lot about needing to really put himself out there those first few weeks/months in order to meet friends & have fun, and really enjoy the college experience. So far, it looks like he's doing it! He's gone bouldering at the gym, attended the Friday night foam party (sponsored by the school), & yesterday attended his first college game. I don't think Sam even attended a high school game, so I was pretty shocked! He said they had a fantastic time!

Bonus that Oregon State beat Purdue yesterday, at the first game. :-) So, so glad he's having fun.

As for today:

• Working out
• Cleaning the house
• Rustling up dinner
• Prepping for two interviews tomorrow
• Spending 2-3 hours with Nick on college applications
• Working on a networking plan for next week
• Doing a bit more gardening work, if I can get out before it gets too warm.

What about you? What are you up to today?

Frugal Friday

 

Saving on things we buy

• Used a few sale coupons for items at the grocery store, and picked up the Friday Freebie protein bar, which Nick finished off before we got home from the store. Earned $5.30 from Fetch & another $1 from iBotta.
• Picked up road trip snacks for M & Sam, as well as OTC medicine at CVS. Used rewards, and uploaded my receipts to iBotta & Fetch. Additionally, used my monthly CVS credit. 

Earning money

• Had enough Fetch points to cash in for a $25 Amazon gift card.
• Sold a tank top & pair of shoes on eBay.

Avoiding spending

• At Sam's request, he really wanted his Thanksgiving flight booked before he left for college (so he can see his girlfriend), so I got that booked. I was able to use up a flight credit from some cancelled flight of yore, as well as a gift card to cover the very expensive cost. 
• Received two free snack boxes on the flights. Brought home the snacks from the second box, as neither of us were hungry. 
• We didn't need a couple of items that we bought for Sam's college move in, so I brought them home in case we need them for Nick. 

Eating what we have

• I've been making lunches for the teens, to use up on hand items & ensure nothing goes to waste.
• We've also had plenty of lettuce, herbs & peppers from the garden, as well as a big resurgence of tomatoes. We have *a lot* of tomatoes!
• Brought home leftovers for our Sunday night dinner out (Sam's choice for our last family Sunday dinner for a while). Ate those for lunch one day. 
• Stretched leftover egg roll in a bowl by adding another package of coleslaw mix on the second go round. I also prefer to make it this way, as the cabbage is much better when not reheated a second time. 
• Found a breakfast sandwich in the freezer (Sam's favorites), after he'd left for college, so had that for breakfast one morning.
• Ate leftovers for lunch, and had some eclectic meals. :-) Cleaned the fridge so I could see exactly what was available.
• Pulled chicken marsala out of the freezer, and had that for 2 dinners. 

For others

• Helped two other parents get supplies for their students to college. We were driving & had extra room in our car, so our posted on our family alias & had plenty of folks who wanted to take us up on my offer, as they were flying. It was nice to be able to help out & save them an extra checked bag or the postage required to mail. 

What about you? Any wins to share? 

Back from college move in

The last 48 hours have been a whirlwind. We were both up at 4 on Tuesday, getting all of the last minute stuff packed (still forgot the toothbrush charger, despite my best efforts. I'm not exactly at my peak at 4 in the morning ;)). Sam slept for the first few hours & M drove. Then they swapped & Sam drove the rest of the way. I flew to Portland, picked up all of Sam's gear at my sister's (we originally weren't sure if he was going to bring his car, and/or get a parking permit, so we had everything shipped to her) & drove to Corvallis. 

We met up at the hotel, handed off a box to one of the families that we offered to help, and had a fabulous dinner across the street from where we were staying. It was a super early night for everyone & then M & I got up in the morning to work out. Sam slept, unsurprisingly. ;-) 

We found the residential parking lot for Sam's car, and then unpacked & moved him into his dorm. Huge props to OSU. The move in process was fantastic. Lots of people to help, plenty of parking, super friendly people around, etc. We had him all unpacked & moved in before his roommate arrived. I think we brought just the right amount of stuff. We had lunch with the roommate & his parents before we took Sam to pick up a few extra supplies & then dropped Sam off for a last hug (and, tears from me). 

M & I drove back to Portland & got on a late flight home, so we would only be gone for one night from Nick. (We had a friend stay with him, and his parents kept a close eye on them.) 

I'm all bleary eyed this morning, and missing him, but Sam was so excited & happy yesterday when we left. It helped so much to see him so ready to kick off this incredible adventure. I'm thrilled for him. 

Today is going to be all about the coffee! And, working on a schedule for the rest of the college tasks for Nick. We've made good progress, but need to focus on the remaining tasks. Oh, and the house is a wreck, so some cleaning as well. 

Menu Plan Monday

 As I mentioned in my previous post, the teens watching the debate cleared us out of food! I suppose it's a good thing that we are entering a new week with no leftovers. ;-) 

• Friday - I made an eclectic dinner based on what the three diners wanted. Pasta & meatballs for myself & Nick. M had no meatballs but did eat spring rolls. Everyone had salad and/or fruit.
• Saturday - Egg roll in a bowl
• Sunday - out to dinner at Sam's favorite restaurant, for a goodbye dinner
• Monday - apricot chicken (freezer)
• Tuesday - out of town for college drop off. Will eat out. 
• Wednesday - home super late from college drop off. Will eat at the airport.
• Thursday -  leftover egg roll in a bowl
• Friday - leftover apricot chicken

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

Cost of Moab trip

 I always like to recap how much a trip costs, for myself & for anyone who is curious. It's a helpful exercise for me as well, when I look back on our annual travel expenses. 

Here were my expenses for Moab:

• Travel to/from airport - got a ride from Sam on the way to the airport, and from M on the way home. No out of pocket spending. 
• Flights - covered by miles, minus $11.20 in fees
• Rental car - I covered the return flight home for my friend using my miles, and she covered the rental car using her travel points. No out of pocket spending.
• Gas for the rental car - $67.52. I covered gas & a few other expenses, while my friend covered things like the park pass, etc. We flew into Salt Lake City, and Moab is quite a drive, hence the gas costs. We also drove around for various hikes.
• Lunch at the airport when we landed - $16.86
• Lunch for both of us at the airport before our flight home - $40.46
• A tshirt for Nick, who normally doesn't request souvenirs, but is obsessed with Moab - $27.91
• Various groceries = $70.42. This included a zippered cooler bag that came home with me, two bags of frozen peas (which served as our makeshift cooler for the car), extra water, a few nibbles for the room, etc. 
• Three nights lodging, plus 3 dinners, 2 lunches, & a breakfast. Also included a free yoga class - $1000 (my half)

Total spent for the trip = $1234

This doesn't include a few things I bought for this trip, but will use on other hiking trips. I didn't track these as carefully, so some estimates

• A 3L bladder to hold water - $30 or so
• Hiking boots/socks - $140
• Electrolyte water tablets - $20 (have 3/4 or so still left)
• Hiking pants - $60

I already had plenty of workout outfits that were fine. I bought hiking pants, but didn't end up wearing them, because it was really, really warm while we were there.

Altogether, it was a totally reasonable trip & I think we did well on the cost. The hotel offered packed lunches that we purchased for both hiking days. (included: a sandwich, chips, piece of fruit, cookie & a drink for $18). The dinners were fantastic, and while the lodge was a bit more expensive than an off property restaurant, we loved the convenience of eating at the lodge after a long day of hiking. 

Do you track your travel expenses? 

Saturday Things

First up, for visual interest, here's a photo of the ranch we stayed at in Moab. It was SO peaceful. They had horses, and the little lodges were along the Colorado River. You could hear the sounds of the river in the evening. I loved the location. The second photo is the view at dinner from the lodge restaurant. An absolutely stunning location all around. 

It's been getting real around here, with helping Sam pack for college & Nick's college applications (first acceptance came in!) I've known for a long time that Nick will be leaving for college a year after Sam, but... it definitely feels more "real" at the moment. 

I've taken a couple of days off of working out, thanks to some blisters from my hiking socks, but I definitely need a workout today. Here's what else is on my agenda:

• Menu plan for the week
• Shopping list
• Grocery store
• Mail an eBay sale
• Help Sam with packing
• Laundry
• Clean the house (it's a wreck!)
• Book Costa Rica tour

What about you? What are you up to today?

Frugal Friday and Moab is beautiful

First of all, Moab (Arches & Canyonlands National Parks) are two of the most stunning places I've ever been. The trip was fabulous, my hip was totally fine, I did some challenging hikes & had an incredible time with my friend. I'm now back, totally in the swing of family life again (soccer, AP test registration, college stuff for Nick, college move in prep for Sam, laundry, groceries, etc). It's so nice to be home, but this trip inspired me to visit more national parks when we are empty nesters. A few photos, although it's very hard to capture the scale. 

Once again, so, so many expenses over the last few weeks (AP exams for spring, Moab trip, etc). 

Saving on things we buy

• We are doing a few requested dinners for Sam, ahead of him moving out in just a few days! We took advantage of an offer at PF Changs (one of his favorites), along with a gift card & spent $40 for a 3 course meal for four. We had LOTS of leftovers, which was perfect, as that filled in for a bunch of lunches with Sam & his girlfriend. We ordered: 1/2 soup & 1/2 salad, lettuce wraps, 2 order beef & broccoli & 2 orders of orange chicken. It was a lot of food! 

Earning money

• I've been pretty diligent about listing things on eBay, and sold a pair of shoes. 

Avoiding spending

• Nick's weekend game in Fresno got cancelled due to the excessive heat, so we saved the cost of a meal out. I think the other club is actually pushing for a forfeit (which, is a little crazy, because the heat + humidity makes it a cancel according to US Soccer), which would save us a future trip to Fresno. 
• I brought protein bars & hydration tablets from home for the hiking trip. 

Eating what we have

• We've been trying to really use things up, particularly to clear up some freezer space. I made fajitas from prepped meat in the freezer one night. 
• I made Nick a lunch out of an assortment of fridge items: pears, leftover meatballs & some Mac & cheese lingering in the fridge. 
• Nick invited his classmates over for a debate viewing party (they needed to watch it for his AP Government class) & they cleared out every scrap of food in our house: leftover PF Changs, leftover Persian food from another get together, pizza M ordered, all of our fruit & veggies, snacks from the pantry, etc. We had 20+ teens in our house! I came home to a very empty fridge last night. 

For others

• We planned to bring a cheesecake to a family get together, and didn't end up using it. It was a really nice bakery cheesecake, and the presentation was lovely. None of us are huge cheesecake lovers, so I posted it on Buy Nothing & a woman was celebrating a milestone birthday for her dad, who happened to adore cheesecake. Win, win. 
• Matched with another person to mentor on the college front, and provided informal mentoring to two other people. 

How about you? Any wins to share? 

Menu Plan Monday

I'm out of town for most of the week, but here's the rough plan.

• Friday - chicken fajitas (from the freezer)
• Saturday - spaghetti & meatballs + garlic bread
• Sunday - grilled burgers & watermelon
• Monday - out of town. Likely leftover spaghetti & meatballs for the others
• Tuesday - out of town. Likely leftover burgers for the others
• Wednesday - out of town. Likely pizza for the others
• Thursday - driving
• Friday - TBD

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

Saturday Happenings

Nick & I made more progress on his college applications, & I was able to organize the list of remaining work into buckets of essays. It's been very helpful to see what's ahead & where he needs to focus. Our goal is to have the remaining applications done by 10/15 (deadline is 11/1), leaving the three that don't open up until October 1st to do after that. He starts a college class towards the end of September, and school soccer begins in November, so he really needs to get as much done as possible early in the cycle. He's super swamped with course work this semester as well, so the business will continue!

We treated Sam to PF Changs last night (one of his favorites). It was *somewhat* reasonable, as I used a $15 offer, plus a gift card, and we did the "back to school bundle", which came with one appetizer, soup/salad & one entree per person for $20. We picked up, to minimize the rest of the cost. It yielded a big dinner for last night, and eat least 2-3 lunches for Sam & his girlfriend (she's been eating most meals with us this summer). 

Sam & I also went to the bank yesterday, and I got added to his new savings account, so I can set up automatic transfers for college. We are beginning a new process where he is managing more of his expenses, within a budget. Hopefully that will help him with the adult process of managing his money. He's saved up quite a bit from his summer jobs over the last three years.

As for today, M's cousins invited us over to swim & have dinner. We haven't seen them in about a year, so it will be great to catch up. Nick had a soccer game in Fresno, which was cancelled due to excessive heat & humidity. No one is sad to miss it, as Fresno is very far from our house for a soccer game.

Here's what else we are up to!

• I'm going to a workout class this morning
• List a couple of things on eBay
• Work with Nick on college essays (what a treat all around ;)
• Finish up some volunteer work
• Wrap up the packing for my hiking trip next week
• Laundry
• Dust

What about you? What are you up to today? 

Frugal Friday

 We spent a lot on the college application process this week, so we need to buckle down on other expenses, particularly given my hiking trip next week. A few wins scattered here & there.

Saving on things we buy

• Picked up a bunch of things I needed at CVS, and earned $15 in CVS rewards for a future purchase. I also earned $7.10 via iBotta & $.75 via Fetch.
• Similarly, picked up sparkling water at the grocery store, and used a $.50 off coupon, and earned another $2 via iBotta & $2 via Fetch.

Earning money

• Listed a few new things on eBay, which I often find has the bonus effect of boosting views to older listings.
• Did a consulting call & earned $150 for an hour.
• I attempted to give away a pair of Nick's soccer cleats (used only for reffing, so in good shape) on Buy Nothing. No takers. Then I attempted to donate them to our soccer club cleat exchange. Forgot them in the back of my car. Since I didn't want them hanging around my house & they were in too good of condition to drop off at the shoe recycling place, I listed them on eBay. Sold them in a few hours & made $25. Who knew? 

Avoiding spending

• Paused Sam's gym membership, while he's away at college
• Treated Sam to Subway sandwiches (another favorite) with a gift card, and a $6.99 foot long offer. 

Eating what we have

• I'm trying to make sure Sam's favorite things get eaten before he leaves (like the chicken taquitos that are his go to lunch), and also staying on top of what we're buying. Our grocery bill has been insane lately!
• We've continued to eat lots of garden lettuce & herbs, as well as peppers, but only have two ripe tomatoes left. I will definitely mourn the end of tomato season. 
• M bought steak for Labor Day, and we had that for dinner with sauteed green beans (from a neighbor's garden). We saved the other half of the steak & grilled those on Wednesday night. We didn't know that Sam was bringing his GF for dinner, so M & I split one mini steak & I filled up on beans. Probably healthier. ;-) 
• I had the other half of my Subway sandwich as lunch the following day. 

For others

• The great clean out of Sam's room continues, and I've given away a ton on Buy Nothing
• Had another call with a student I'm mentoring on the college application process.

What about you? Any wins to share?

Thursday Things

 It's been a busy week so far, with lots happening on the college front. Nick & I have been making a ton of progress, and we are feeling good about where we are on the application side.

Yesterday, we:

• Finalized all of his school requirements that are due in mid-September (document for teachers writing letters of recommendation, parent questionnaire, and a large school report containing major & deadlines for every college)
• Requested SAT & AP scores to be sent to each college he's applying to. (That cost close to $500, btw. The process isn't cheap!)
• Went through & edited his list of activities for the Common App. He has SO many activities, because that guy is crazy busy: two school sports x4 years with various awards to list, club sports x2, volunteer service & board of directors for a local organization, school activities... There was a lot to cover, and the very limited word count made this a challenge.
• Researched major selection at most of his colleges. Need to finish the rest today. He wants to be a mechanical engineer, which is a very competitive major at most colleges. As such, he might need to have two potential majors listed for each college, and there are a lot of restrictions to research, with each school having a very different approach. 
• We submitted the applications to two colleges which don't require essays! Woohoo! Two are submitted. It felt nice to make a tiny big of progress on that front. These are the easiest schools to apply to, and going through the process helps you learn a lot about what you need to do for the other schools, so this was a very helpful exercise.

For the rest of today:

• Workout class
• Meet & greet with a recruiter for a job
• Work on a couple of other job applications
• Clean the house
• Figure out dinner. We were supposed to be having leftovers, but we've had a lot of guests this week, and I don't think there are enough leftovers to go around!
• Laundry
• Pack for hiking trip
• Additional college application work
• Daily chores

What about you? What are you up to this week?

September Goals

 September is a big month for us! We are moving Sam to college (oh my, this is going to be an emotional month) & I'm heading out on a hiking trip to Moab with a friend next week. I suppose that will be a good distraction ahead of the college drop off? Nick also has a ton of school related college tasks to complete, and is generally incredibly busy with: his dual enrollment college class starting, as well as club soccer & taking 3 AP classes. Phew. It's going to be a wild ride this month!

Here are my goals in September.

Financial:

• Achieve savings goal. I'm removing the stock component, because it's highly variable, we don't control it & it is not a reflection of whether we are actually saving anything. This is making it much easier to track if we are saving money, or our savings accounts are just increasing due to stock gains. My goal is to save $2k more in September.
• Confirm that M's BA miles were extended.
• Freezer challenge: use a minimum of six items
• Get car sold 
• Update CDs that are renewing
• List 5 items on eBay

Family:

• Get Sam successfully moved in to college & transitioned
• Update Sam's room (we are getting rid of some furniture, & potentially getting a bigger bed for the room)
• Help Nick with college essays/applications & achieve all school deadlines

Fitness:

• Continue PT
• 15 strength workouts
• Follow the No S diet 15 days & track calories daily
• Have a successful hiking trip to Moab

Personal:

• Complete daily tasks 20 times (meditate, language lesson, journal)
• Get together with friends
• Declutter 25 items
• Focus on one career path I'm interested in, and go much deeper
• Spend time on volunteer role
• Play pickleball 3x 

What about you? Do you have any goals for September? Fill us in!

August Goals Recap

 August was an action packed month, and we squeezed a lot in! Here's how I did with my goals. 

Financial:

• Achieved savings goal. - We stayed even for the month, and maintained our savings. Hoping for better results in September. 
• Confirm that M's BA miles were extended - I need to confirm. We forgot to do this
• Sort out United credit plan - done! We're going to Spain!
• Freezer challenge: get rid of a minimum of six items. - done. Gave away a huge package of popsicles Nick got from work, used up freezer bananas & fruit, and used up quite a few frozen meals. 

Family:

• Have a successful back to school (last one for K-12!) for Nick - yes, it's gone smoothly
• Help Nick with college essays/applications - we've made good progress, but the deadlines really ramp in September
• Help Sam with college readiness, deciding what to bring for college & declutter his room - we made a lot of good progress on the decluttering front
• Plan one fun family activity, as a reward for Nick winning the Presidential Volunteer award - yes, we squeezed in a fabulous camping trip to Big Sur, so he could try out his new camping gear

Fitness:

• Finish Hood to Coast relay - nope, couldn't do it this year
• Start PT for hip & back issues - yes, done & have been moderately consistent & noticing an improvement in my hip. Back remains basically the same. 
• Stretch 12 times - yes
• 12 strength workouts - yes
• Follow the No S diet 15 days & track calories daily - I actually did half of this (track calories daily), but only 8 days of the No S diet. My daily calories were, on average, 1492. This is pretty eye opening for me, and I've been focusing on tracking  more, so I can have a better sense of how to maintain my weight as I enter menopause. 

Personal:

• Meditate 20 times - I only meditated 9 times
• Get together with friends - coffee & hikes with friends
• Practice Farsi/Spanish 20 times - 21 times
• Declutter 25 items - crushed this goal in August, thanks to decluttering Sam's room
• Continue exploring jobs - yes, lots of time spent on this
• Spend time on volunteer role - yes, I'm now mentoring two students

What about you? How did you do with your August goals? 

Menu Plan Monday

 Here's what's on our menu this week:

• Friday - out, camping
• Saturday - leftovers (grilled chicken or tacos)
• Sunday - M is making kebabs & rice
• Monday - Grilled steak & caprese salad
• Tuesday - leftover kebabs & rice
• Wednesday - chicken yakisoba (freezer)
• Thursday - chicken shawarma (freezer)
• Friday - pizza

What about you? What's on your menu this week? Any recipes to share? Always looking for new options!

Camping was a success

 I can't believe we've never been camping with the boys before, but it's true! We had such a fabulous time & Big Sur was absolutely stunning. It was the perfect wrap up for summer, and a last hurrah before Sam leaves for college. M & I will definitely head back for a longer trip, with more hiking. 

We camped under the redwoods, had a fabulous dinner, lots of laughs, car karaoke, and a gorgeous (and super challenging) hike. I feel so lucky that the boys get along so well. Sam is so easy going, and Nick always has big dreams (the hardest hikes, making Sam carry the tent around everywhere to "train" for backpacking, etc) & they are just so much fun together. 

I can't believe today is September! I'll be back with an update on my August goals, as well as setting goals for September.

Frugal Friday

 It doesn't feel like a particularly frugal week, as we are rounding out our list of supplies Sam needs for school, buying parking permits, & getting Nick his school items. But, it's always nice to look back at the week & find a few wins here & there. 

Saving on things we buy

• Packed snacks for the flight home
• It was not done with the intention of saving money, but a friend & I are going on a hiking trip to Moab in a week or so. We opted to fly home later in the evening on Thursday, vs Friday morning. This was largely done because we'd have to get up at 4 am on Friday morning, and who wants to do that? The flight change was free, and we'll save one (shared) hotel night, & a bit off of the rental car fee. 

Earning money

• Sold a few things on eBay: expensive face products I received from a hotel in Japan, two pair of sunglasses, a pair of Nick's pants he outgrew before he wore, & a luggage tag. I've actually made quite a lot on eBay this month, which is a big change from the previous months.  

Avoiding spending

• Called the dentist to ask why I was being billed a second time for an appointment Nick had. It was an error, and they credited me back the $150 charge. 

Eating what we have

• Because I wasn't home last weekend to prep food, we're largely eating out of the freezer this week. So far, we've had tacos (two containers of prepped ground beef out of the freezer), chicken marsala, & 
• I also made a double batch of zucchini muffins, using one of our garden zucchinis. 
• Made lunches for Sam & his girlfriend multiple times, to save them money (teens eat out a LOT!) & used up a few things from around the house. 
• Made smoothies to use up overly ripe bananas. 

For others

• Helped an old coworker with a job search
• Helped my sister with a decluttering project at her house, and listed a few things (eBay & FB Marketplace) & sold some items for her as well.
• I was matched with another student for my volunteer college counseling, so we had a call this week as well. 

What about you? Any wins to share?

Menu Plan Monday

 I'm late to the party this week, as Sam & I got home late from Portland last night. He did absolutely fantastic in the relay, despite it being 33 & sleeting his first leg! He started at the top of Mt. Hood. He says his second leg was the hardest, as he was already sore. He's definitely hobbling today, but says he would love to do it again. Love how flexible that kid is!

Menu Plan:

• Friday - I was with my mom at my sister's house, and we had a charcuterie tray & a slice of leftover pizza
• Saturday - I ordered Thai food for the runners, and we had that before everyone crashed. 
• Sunday - M grilled burgers, and thank goodness he made a lot, because Nick had two friends over last minute. they each had 3 giant cheeseburgers! And, 1/2 a Costco watermelon. ;-) 
• Monday - I defrosted chicken marsala, and will make fresh pasta to go with it. 
• Tuesday - leftover chicken yakisoba (freezer)
• Wednesday - spaghetti & meatballs
• Thursday - tacos
• Friday - TBD

What's on your menu this week?

Frugal Friday

 Not sure it's been a terribly frugal week, but here are a few wins.

Saving on things we buy

• Went to the grocery store to pick up a few items for diners, and used a coupon to get a free loaf of bakery French bread, a $2 coupon off of ice cream (for the teens) & the weekly freebie (electrolyte water). I also submitted my receipt to Fetch, and earned $2 via iBotta. 

Earning money

• Sold a few things on eBay: 3 packages of face cream, a freebie item I got from a store, & trail running shoes.

Avoiding spending

• We were planning a dinner out to celebrate the "last' back to school day, but Nick ended up having an away soccer game, so Sam, M & I had dinner at home. 
• I ordered a bunch of hiking gear (me) & new clothes (Sam), and returned everything that didn't fit. 

Eating what we have

• Used up a package of naan bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch one day for the teens. Another day I used most of a bag of chicken nuggets I bought via an iBotta sale. They are not the favorite chicken type, so I'm trying to get these out of the freezer.
• Made Sam a smoothie using a very over ripe banana, as well as some mango from the freezer. 
• Made a few dinners & froze all of the leftovers.
• M made kebabs one night for dinner, using a package of prepped kebab meat in the freezer.
• Continued to use up lots of garden items: tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, mint & basil. 

For others

• Signed up to volunteer another high school senior, and had a call to review essays with my current match.
• Gave away a bunch on Buy Nothing. 

What about you? Any wins to share?

Wednesday things

 This week is flying by, and Sam & I leave tomorrow to head to Portland. He will be participating in the relay, and I will be at my sister's house, hanging out with my mom. I'm planning to help her list a bunch of stuff on Buy Nothing & Facebook Marketplace. We are also going to purchase any of the college dorm items Sam needs. I will pick it up in a few weeks, when I fly back in for Sam's move in day. We are also hosting a brunch at my sister's house for my dad's birthday. Should be a fun weekend!

I've had a great week of selling & giving things away, and have had a bunch of eBay sales. Woohoo! Junk out of the house! I've also given away a lot on Buy Nothing, and I love to see those items out of the house as well.

And, my hip/glute is feeling so much better. I've been able to work out more, and my PT gave me harder exercises to try over the next four weeks, and approved me adding another day of running. Hurrah. Very excited about that.

Here's what I'm up to today:

• Workout class
• Package & mail eBay sale
• Clean kitchen
• Clean fridge
• Vacuum
• Clean bathrooms
• Laundry
• Finish packing for our trip
• PT exercises
• Check in for flight
• Nick's senior portrait
• Daily chores (journal, language lesson, meditate, water the plants & work in the garden)

What about you? What's on your schedule today?

Menu Plan Monday

 We had a couple of big winners last week, so I'm trying some new recipes again this week. Trying to break out of our rut. ;-) 

• Friday - spaghetti & meatballs
• Saturday - Korean beef rice bowls
• Sunday - honey garlic chicken
• Monday - Thai peanut chicken noodles
• Tuesday - leftover Korean beef rice bowls
• Wednesday - leftover honey garlic chicken
• Thursday- leftover Thai peanut chicken noodles
• Friday - I'll be in Portland, having dinner with my mom. Sam will be participating in the relay. Nick & M will be on their own! 

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

Saturday things

 M & I had a fun evening last night when he got home from work. We sat by the pool with a drink & discussed upcoming travel plans, and preferences for a few of our outings. We also played cards for a bit, while we waited for the teens to solidify their evening plans. No one was having dinner with us, so I went ahead & planned a dinner for two. Now, I made this mistake earlier in the week, and we ended up having four people, two of whom joined just as I was plating the food. That was a scramble. ;-) This time, there were really just two of us. I made a salad (lettuce from the garden!) & found two burger patties M had grilled a few weeks ago. I made a homemade aioli with mayo, whole grain mustard, garlic salt & sriracha. And, a bowl of chopped fresh tomatoes, with salt & pepper. It was delicious. No leftovers, which is perfect.

As for today, I'm hoping to get a chance to play pickle ball with M, but here's the rest of my to do list:

• Work out
• Volunteer at soccer event from 11-2
• Help Nick with college essays. We have a few that are very close to final draft phase!
• Stop by the grocery store for dinner items
• Daily chores: journal, language lesson, meditate, water the plants, garden
• Laundry
• Start packing for the relay + trip to Portland
• List a few more things on eBay & Buy Nothing

What about you? What are you up to today? 

Frugal Friday

 It's been a busy week, as Nick goes back to school on Monday! Here's what we've been up to. 

Saving on things we buy

• Nick is opting not to take the August SATs, as he's pleased with his June score. I cancelled, & received my money back, minus a cancellation fee. 
• Treated Sam to lunch at Subway, and used a BOGO free foot long sandwich coupon and a gift card. I can get two lunches at of a foot long. For Sam, that's just one meal. ;-) 
• Speaking of Subway, went through & combined all of our gift cards into one (it's a hassle in the app to have gift cards with not enough balance to cover a transaction) & got everything cleaned up, plus got a clear view of how much money we have on the gift cards. 
• Made a stop at the grocery store, and picked up sparkling water that had both an iBotta & Fetch offer. This rarely happens, and the grocery store was having a BOGO offer for the same brand, so it worked out well & saved ~$8. 
• I also bought Nick's two Christmas gifts at the local sporting goods store, as they were having 50% off camping gear, and that was his entire Christmas list. ;-) We got a really nice tent and sleeping bag. 

Earning money

• Signed up to volunteer with soccer club uniform distribution, which saves $100 off of club dues. We are "required" to do 3 hours of volunteering, and when we complete our volunteer hours, we get the credit off of our fees. 
• Sometimes it takes a while for Rakuten to feel like it pays off, but earned $71 in a payout, thanks to a few purchases that paid a high percentage (running shoes, if I recall one). 
• Sold two pair of Nick's tennis shorts on eBay for ~$20

Avoiding spending

• We finally figured out what we are doing with our United credits! We'd love to do a family trip to see M's family, but with Nick & Sam having highly varied spring breaks & overall schedules, that's not possible before the credits expire. Instead, M & I are going to Spain! This is best categorized as "how to not let a huge sum of United vouchers expire." I'll post more on this trip, as we will also be trying to use hotel points to offset a bunch of the remaining cost. 

Eating what we have

• I've been working through a few freezer items, and was able to use up all of the bag of small wontons & a bag of coconut shrimp for dinner last week. I also used 3 ciabatta buns.
• Continued to feed people leftovers, expand and contract meals to accommodate anywhere from 3-6 diners at any given night (with, almost no notice). Cut up fruit, caprese salad (tomatoes & basil from the garden) & garlic bread are my on hand additions I can always add, if I don't have as much of the main course. 

For others

• Donated books to the library sale
• Volunteered at Nick's high school orientation
• Volunteered with college assistance program

What about you? Any frugal wins to share?

The chicken marsala was a hit, and other Wednesday happenings

 We've tried two good recipes this week, so I'll share them. Chicken marsala & garlic noodles with beef & broccoli. Luckily, I doubled the chicken marsala recipe, as we had a full table of folks last night for dinner!

I also add a lot of caprese salads to the meal, when I'm trying to stretch it out for unexpected diners. Tomatoes & basil from the garden. 

I volunteered at Nick's school yesterday (schedule pick up) & it was so nice to see all of his friends. They are really sweet & polite. It was fun to help out & see the kids all excited for the start of their senior year. 

As for today, I have a lot on my list!

• Workout class
• Daily chores (language lesson, journal, meditate, garden, yard work)
• PT exercises
• Take Nick out to find new cleats. He has blood blisters from his soccer cleats from last season - apparently, his feet have grown! He also needed new hiking shoes. Keeping shoes on teens is an expensive project.
• Nick & I have carved out three hours today to work on college essays. His schedule is definitely getting busy, and we are hoping to get a bunch more done before school starts next week.
• Vacuum
• Clean the bathrooms
• List items on eBay

What about you? What are you up to today? 

Tuesday things

 Sam's friends have started to trickle off to college, so things are getting pretty real for him! Nick & his friends are frantically trying to soak up as much time together as possible before school starts again on Monday. There have been: beach trips to Santa Cruz with the girlfriends, golfing in Half Moon Bay, fishing trips, golfing at every local course that participates in the discounted youth membership, and...doing chores with Mom. Everyone is thrilled about that last one. ;-)

Sam has also been training for the relay that's coming up in a week & a half. I bought a companion fare (before I canceled my Alaska Air credit card) for myself & Sam, as I was also planning to do the relay. There was no way for me to cancel my part of the flight without canceling Sam's, so I opted to still go next weekend. My mom is also really struggling, as she helps her sister adjust to an assisted living situation, so I'm planning to spend some time with her, which she's excited about. 

I met a friend for lunch yesterday, and barely ate because I was so excited to hold her squishy new baby (4 months old). Oh my, holding a baby is so adorable. She was in fine form, and looking around, playing with my hair, and just generally cracking me up. 

I'm heading to a workout class today, and then volunteering at Nick's school this afternoon for orientation. He tried to convince me to volunteer when the lower classmen would be there, but I'm excited to see his friends. He was ... less excited. ;-) 

Our hibiscus plant is so beautiful right now! It only puts out one flower at a time, but the one it does put out is stunning. 

As for the rest of the day, here's my list of activities:

1. Gym class
2. A walk (gym class is strength focused, so I always try to get in some steps to hit my 12k/day goal)
3. Sort out dinner for unknown number of folks (it's a mystery who will turn up every day)
4. Daily chores: language lesson, meditate, journal, garden, water plants
5. Budgeting/bills
6. Apply for some jobs
7. Laundry
8. Volunteer at Nick's school

What about you? What are you up to today?