Lack of organization is expensive

I went through a long pre-COVID streak of buying gift cards on Raise.com for future travel. Works well in theory, but when I was sitting on a ton of travel credit & not traveling, I realized it wasn't worth it. We still do buy gift cards - right in advance of a trip. As I'm about to book, I look for good options. Or, for our preferred airline (Alaska), I always take advantage of the Costco $500 gift cards for $450. I then immediately upload them into my Alaska "wallet", which is easy to pay with when you check out. No fuss, no keeping track of gift cards, etc. 

We are working out options for a travel tournament for Nick in a month or so, and I remembered buying a Delta gift card way back pre-COVID on Raise. I went down the rabbit hole this morning of trying to find that gift card, and check the balance. It turns out, that wasn't one gift card, it was a bunch of small gift cards. Which, added up to $600. I'm so irritated with myself. This was money we could have used on other travel (ironically, Delta dropped the flight route we would have used it on, post COVID). And, had I not thought of it this morning, I would have been out the money - erasing years of gift card savings. 

I normally track all gift card purchases by printing them out, and keeping them with my other gift cards. I've been using this method successfully for a while now. A few years ago, I kept them all in a spreadsheet, but the spreadsheet was corrupted in some way, and erased all of the gift card info. That's where these Delta gift cards were stored & then subsequently lost. What should I have done? Gone back into Raise, and find each gift card, checking the balance, and then tracking anything remaining. I've since done that this morning, and have a very clear picture of everything left, and also marked all zero gift cards as such, for future tracking. 

On the positive, I've discovered $600 of travel gift cards that I didn't know existed. On the down side, discovering them this morning was a fluke, and I should think twice about what the "breakage" rate is on all future gift card sales, and avoid them unless we have an immediate need. 

I'm off to go to a workout class, and then get people to soccer games & driving lessons, & all of the teen things. Any frugal fails to share? 

Saturday Happenings

I was supposed to be hiking in Lake Tahoe with a friend this weekend, but fire smoke prohibited that. Maybe another time. In the end, it probably works out for the best, as M got home late from his trip last night, & there are just a lot of logistics involved. Instead, we're meeting for a hike & brunch this am, to catch up.

Here's what we're up to today:

• Make a shopping list
• Costco
• Grocery store/produce stand
• Meet a friend for a long hike
• Brunch with friend, after hike
• Take Nick to/from reffing game
• Take Nick to/from tennis lessons (he's teaching)
• Both boys have calculus tutoring tonight
• Figure out the menu plan for the week
• Work in the garden for a bit
• Time permitting, make muffins

That's it on our side. What about you? What are you up to today? 
 

Frugal Friday

 

Saving on things we buy

• I'm not sure how this will actually play out, but I was able to achieve the top airline status on my most recent work flight. It's estimated value is quite high, but since I don't plan to do any more business travel, I'd need to use this perk for personal trips. If nothing else, if we plan a ski trip, we will likely use this airline, as we get six free checked bags! That's a huge advantage for a ski trip. I also have a bunch of free international and domestic upgrades available, and need to figure out how to best use those. 

Earning money

• Nick reffed soccer games. He has all kinds of ideas on how to make money, & I like that he doesn't mind hustling. Sam was content to work full time for five weeks in the summer (and, overtime hours), & then slowly use the money during the year. Different strokes/folks, I suppose. :-) 

Avoiding spending

• We avoided a big grocery shop this week, as M was out of town for a few days & we kept things simple on the meal front. 

Eating what we have

• We did a good job of eating through leftovers during the week, which always makes me happy.
• I made a sandwich wrap out of a bunch of random fridge items: a garden tomato, a piece of provolone (leftover from a long ago meal), a tortilla from taco night, leftover grilled chicken, and a small container of a sauce from takeout Greek food. Winner, winner. 
• I added eggs to leftover fried rice, and had a delicious & cost effective dinner. 
• We finished off a bag of chicken from the freezer.
• The boys ate some remaining pool party pizza (freezer). 

For others

• We carpooled, helped others with some logistics, and I kicked off a new mentoring program at work. This program is intentionally designed to provide more support when someone just joins the company, so my departure date won't interfere. 

What about you? Any wins to share?

August Goals Recap

 Once again, I'm late this month. I blame my Tokyo trip, as I feel like I missed the transition between months this time. Oh well, better late than never!

Here's how I did with my goals this month.

Financial:

• Stick to our budget - yes, we're mostly on track
• Progress towards side hustle goals - yes, I've made a bit here & there, and also made progress towards using up my gift cards.
• Work with M on some budget management stuff - we've had a few chats to align on what will happen after I quit. More to do here, but generally heading in the right direction
• Inventory gift cards - yes, done!
• Continue to list items on eBay/FB, & go through all eBay inventory - nope. Didn't get this done.

Family:

• Plan one fun activity with the kids - we did a bunch of fun stuff in Bend, but things have been pretty crazy since we've been back home & started school
• Sign Nick up for a permit appointment - done, it's coming up in a few weeks
• Help Sam with driving practice, & sign him up for the test - done, coming up in October
• Have two dates with M - I can't remember, which is a pretty sure sign that we didn't. However, we've been making the most of mini breaks at the house, when both boys are gone for a bit. 
• Plan a call with M's family (or, pictures/videos) - lots of pictures were sent, and M has spoken to his parents quite a bit, as they were very sick with COVID (they are recovering now). 
• Adjust to back to school + sports schedules - as much as we can, yes!

Fitness/Health:

• Post weekly workout summaries - I've had to combine a few, but done (and/or, scheduled & written!)
• Stay healthy on international work trip - I give myself a B-. It's not as good as when I'm at home, due to inevitable lower energy. But, overall, I do what I can. 
• Beat July's calorie burned goals - Yes, I was at 14,310 vs July's 12,516. 
• Close rings 20 days - exactly 20 times
• Take advantage of workout classes - I'm continuing to take classes at the work gym, when I'm in the office. 
• Meditate 5x - No, & I need to get back to this
• Lose 2 lbs - I maintained this month

Personal:

• Do something social with friends - lots of meeting up for workout classes
• Start advisory role - yes, although it's a slower start than expected
• More thinking on "post career work" life/goals - Yes, & I gave (a long) notice to my manager, as we were in Tokyo together. 

Overall, I'd call it a successful month, particularly with back to school, & a work trip added in. How about you? How did you do with your goals for the month?

Workout Roundup

 I'm trying to get back into a regular routine. It always takes me a bit of time, after traveling.

Workouts for the week

• Monday - 1 hour of elliptical
• Tuesday -  50 minute elliptical, wedged between a bunch of other activities
• Wednesday - 2 mile walk + spin class
• Thursday - 1 mile run + spin class
• Friday - 45 minutes of elliptical. I had early calls, & by the time I got to working out, it was HOT!
• Saturday - 1 hour of elliptical + some walking at soccer
• Sunday - Orange Theory class

Eating - my eating was definitely better this week. My snacking was more under control. Not being exhausted from lack of sleep/jet lag definitely helps me make better choices.

Lowlights - still having a little candy at work, after lunch. If I can eliminate this, it would really clean up my overall eating. 

Highlights - it's always really hard for me to get back into a routine, post travel. I did pretty well kicking myself into gear this time. 

Focus for the week ahead - I'd like to reduce my calories by about 100/day, in order to lose the few pounds I collected over the summer. I'm all about the slow & steady, mindful & sustainable changes.

What about you? How did you do with your health this week?

A belated workout roundup

I didn't get this posted last week, as I was traveling. Here's what I've been up to!

I had to wear a mask in a non-air conditioned gym in Tokyo, which was quite challenging, & part of why you'll see such a string of elliptical workouts. I found that running on the treadmill with the mask on was just too much. 

Workouts for the week

• Monday (8/22) - one hour of elliptical
• Tuesday (8/23) - 1.25 mile walk + spin class
• Wednesday (8/24) - 75 minutes of elliptical
• Thursday (8/25) - one mile run + spin class
• Friday (8/26) - one hour of elliptical, plus 1.5 mile walk
• Saturday (8/27) - Orange Theory class
• Sunday (8/28) - one hour of elliptical, before my flight
• Monday (8/29) - one hour of elliptical
• Tuesday (8/30) - one hour of elliptical, plus a mile walk to dinner
• Wednesday (8/31) - one hour of elliptical, plus a mile walk to dinner
• Thursday (9/1) - one hour of elliptical
• Friday (9/2) - a long, but slow walk through Tokyo & a garden area
• Saturday (9/3) - one hour of begrudging, jetlagged elliptical
• Sunday (9/4) - a very hard Orange Theory class

Eating

• Work has been a challenge, so I've snacked more than usual. I did pretty well on my work trip, making my meals most healthy. I did have a small piece of chocolate when I arrived at the hotel on Monday evening, as I had a terrible migraine from the flight, & wearing the mask for so long. Otherwise, I'd describe my eating as "fair". I did, however, have a cocktail most nights at the dinners, and the calories on those add up quickly. 

Lowlights

• When I'm jetlagged, everything just sort of is harder. Workouts, getting up early, making smart eating choices, etc. When I'm really tired, caffeine & sugar is what I crave. 

Highlights

• Consistently working out, despite the jet lag, and making it happen at the gym in Tokyo, even though it was really hot, I needed an appointment every morning, & I had to wear a mask. It would have been easy to give up & say it was too much hassle (it really was), but I did it anyway. 

Focus for the week ahead

• Continue to trim back the calories & unnecessary snacks

What about you? How have you been doing with your health?

Menu Plan Monday

 September feels like it's flying by at record pace. A menu plan always helps me stay on track, and feel like I at least have a semblance of a plan.

• Friday - a collection of leftovers (grilled chicken + salads, pizza)
• Saturday - Trader Joes orange chicken & fried rice
• Sunday - grilled burgers
• Monday - we have a wild night, with many moving parts. Chicken patty sandwiches
• Tuesday - enchiladas
• Wednesday - leftover burgers
• Thursday - baked chicken + curry
• Friday - I'm going to Lake Tahoe with a friend, so M & the boys are on their own. I'm guessing they will have spaghetti & meatballs (M's easy night go to)

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

Sunday things

The weekend is whizzing by. I'm trying to find that balance of relaxing & enjoying myself, while still being productive. 

Yesterday was good - lots of driving & soccer, but that's the season we are in. ;-) Sam helped me by doing a bunch of driving (I'm still required, to supervise). All three soccer games were a win yesterday, which is always a treat. I reflected on the fact that neither of my kids has ever really been injured in a game, and given how much soccer has been played, how lucky we've gotten. Sam had a minor knee injury yesterday, but was able to walk it off, and play again. Most of their friends have missed numerous games at some point over the course of soccer, so we feel lucky that they've stayed so healthy.

It was cooler yesterday (high 80s), but the smoke is getting worse from nearby fires. Here's hoping it 1) gets put out safely 2) stays away from our area. The heat/smoke combo is my least favorite part of fall, and has really made the season unbearable in many ways.

As for today:

• I was waitlisted for my favorite workout class. I opted to move to the early class (despite not wanting to set an alarm), & sure enough, got into the 8:15 class for today.
• Nick has a reffing game
• I'll be taking Nick to an afternoon soccer game
• Sam has driving lessons
• M is grilling burgers
• I received a sample copy of the hotel activities for our upcoming anniversary trip in Hawaii, so I want to review that with M, and talk about what we might want to include in our activities budget.
• Laundry. Ever so much laundry. 
• A bunch of our plants didn't survive last week's heat wave, so I need to get those cleaned up & removed
• Tasks for Nick's upcoming permit test: fill out application, gather residency requirements, & remind lazy teen to take the practice tests.
• We've been doing "college trivia" each night at dinner, which really just means that I research a college, and a few interesting tidbits about it (most popular majors, admission rates, fun facts, etc) & share with the kids. It's been interesting, & led to a lot of really fun discussions about different schools. 

What about you? What's on your agenda for today?

Saturday Happenings

I'm so happy that it's cooled off a bit. It's still supposed to be 85 or so today, but such an improvement over the 108+ we've been having. 

I got up this morning & squeezed in a workout, but it was shorter than I'd hoped, as I slept in. Definitely still adjusting to jet lag, and getting up at 6 during the work week meant I was operating with a bit of a sleep deficit. It was such a treat not to set the alarm this morning. 

Sam drove Nick (I supervised, from the passenger side) to a reffing game, then we picked him up, & dropped him off at a tennis match. Nick is at the age where he is just never home. Sam & I stopped & got Subway for an early lunch, as neither of us had eaten. I used a gift card, so no out of pocket spending, at least.

Other things for today:

• Pick tomatillos
• Pick up Sam's friend, take them both to a soccer game
• Attend two back to back soccer games (total of 5 hours, with warmups & all)
• M is taking Nick to & from the volunteer tennis lessons he teaches
• Nick has his own evening tennis game, but M will drive back & forth, as I'll come home & make dinner
• Dinner will be easy, due to all of the soccer. I'm going to make Trader Joes orange chicken & fried rice. Sometimes, you just need an easy win.

What are you up to today? Hope everyone is doing well, and staying cool!

A few weeks of Frugal Friday

I'm combining weeks, as I was in Tokyo last week. I spent a small amount of my own money to visit a local attraction, but otherwise, the trip was free (to me), and I earned miles & points on the airline & hotel. 

Saving on things we buy:

• Uploaded a receipt to iBotta, finally seeing four offers that worked for us. This is rare, as I typically don't see anything we buy, and stick to the general "$.10 off any receipt" offers. This time, I bought: any hamburger buns, a juice Nick wanted for smoothies, and two containers of oat milk. 
• Used a pizza coupon for many pizzas for the boys swim parties. We picked up, which is cheaper than delivery. Dominos was so much cheaper than our local pizza place, and it was a hit with the hungry teens. 
• Adjusted my parents flights for an upcoming visit, saving $60
• Decided to just have M go with Nick to a soccer tournament in October. The tournament is Halloween weekend in Las Vegas (which, frankly, seems like a really crazy time to have a teenage soccer tournament), so the flights were outrageous. Used gift cards & left over credits from other trips to cover the flights for M & Nick. I'll stay home, see my parents that weekend, and save the money for my flight. 

Earning money:

• Nick did another job helping his tennis coach move some furniture, and earned $20 + pizza, as well as helped him coach a tennis lesson
• Nick signed up to ref a bunch of soccer games
• I sold an outgrown ski fleece on eBay

Avoiding spending:

• Used a coupon for free bananas at the grocery store

Eating what we have:

• Ate leftover burgers from the freezer. As long as the boys have buns to go with the burgers, they are happy. 
• Had leftover paella for as a side with the burgers
• Ate curry (freezer) for lunch
• Made the boys lunch, finishing off chicken from the freezer

For others:

• Discovered some late breaking Japan travel requirements, and knew my friend was on vacation. Tracked her down, and walked her through all of what she needed to do, including helping her with some print outs, so she could be ready for our flight. 
• Shared garden goodies with a neighbor

That's it from our side. What about you? Any wins to share?

Menu Plan Monday

 I'm not overly enthusiastic for cooking, with the jet lag & all, so our menu for the week will involve both a lot of M cooking, as well as some easy choice. 

• Friday - we got takeout Greek food
• Saturday - barbecued chicken & roasted potatoes
• Sunday - hot dogs & potato salad
• Monday - tacos
• Tuesday - homemade pizzas
• Wednesday - leftover chicken & potatoes
• Thursday - leftover hot dogs & potato salad
• Friday - taco quesadillas

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

Sunday Happenings

I was up from 11-1 am, and couldn't sleep last night, so I'm not really feeling this morning. But, here we are. ;-) 

Here's the to do list for today:

• Go to a workout class with a friend. Honestly, this will be a struggle, as I'm so tired. I'm trying to get back into a groove! The work trip combined with work stress the past month or so means that I've eaten more than usual, and been out of my workout routine. I need to get back on track. 
• Pick up potato salad for dinner. I tried to get just a small container at Trader Joes (Nick & M don't like it, so there's no point in buying/making a large batch), but they were sold out. I'll go to the fancier grocery store, and see if I can track any down.
• Prep for pool party. Inflate pool floaties, sweep outside, wash the table, load the beverage holder. 
• Laundry. I've washed all of the laundry, & unpacked from the trip, but a few random items still need to be put away
• Pickup the house. 
• Plan schedule for the week
• Arrange soccer carpool 
• Call my sister for her birthday

That's it on my side. What about you? Hope you are enjoying the day. 

Jet lagged Saturday

I got home yesterday morning, took a short nap (unheard of for me, but oh, that jet lag) & then stayed awake until around 7:30 pm. I slept until 8:30 this morning. 

The trip was really hard, as expected. But, it's done, and I advised my manager that I'm finished with my role. My role is hard to fill, so I'd committed to giving plenty of lead time, when I was close to being wrapped up. Check. 

I'd promised myself that I would make an effort to see at least one tourist location in Japan, and I'm pleased to report that I did. I'm hoping this will be my last work trip, and it's unlikely I'll get back to Japan on my own, so I wanted to make the most of it. 

We went to the Meiji Shrine, which was lovely. What struck me the most was how quiet & peaceful it was, right around the corner from the rest of the city. We walked from our office building. The weather for the trip was not great (there was a typhoon nearby, which brought lots & lots of rain, but still very warm weather).

It was absolutely lovely, & I'm so happy we went. Despite the weather!

As for today, I'm hoping to get a few things done:

• Prep for a pool party Nick's having tomorrow. We've been begging the kids to use the pool all summer, and Nick's finally decided to have friends over, although it's a bigger group than expected. I need to get a bunch of food, and we need to get all of the floats filled up, sweep, etc.
• Get some exercise, preferably in the sunshine
• Laundry. I got a start on this yesterday, but have more to do
• Finish unpacking. Mostly done, but a few odds & ends need to be put away
• Pick up the Too Good To Go order at a bagel shop. We're out of bagels, and we've been wanting to try this shop
• Menu plan
• Costco
• Grocery store

What about you? What are you up to today?