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So as we have eaten our way through the steer we bought last summer, we are now mostly left with ground beef.  A lot of ground beef.  3 compartments in the chest freezer and 1/2 a bin of it in the upright.  So I spent a good amount of time on youtube the last couple of days trying to find recipes that aren't all about Mexican food.  My daughter is having issues right now with those spices so I've been trying to veer away from them, but the hugest number seems...
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It was a pretty good month. I kept variables down to 80%. I'll be able to sweep $840 into savings, though I won't do that until my insurance payment is withdrawn in the next few days, and my RMDs are deposited. Don't want to cut it too close.
Housing: $746
Fees/Services: $200
Utilities: $190
Furnishings/Equipment/Decor: $171
Gifts/Charity: $140
Groceries: $93
Medical/Health: $56
Household Supplies: $45
Gas: $40
Personal: $39
Eating Out/Takeout: $39
Phone: $32
Entertainment:...
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Income Total: $1509.42


     * $1200 Recurring monthly retirement account distribution  


     * $225 Swagbucks and My Points earnings (cash out to PayPal) 
     * $84.42 Credit Card Cash Back Rewards


      


Total Spending: $1127.87


Total Savings: $381.55 (difference between monthly income and monthly spending)  Fixed...
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It is the end of June here...can you believe that we are half wy through the year already...geez the last couple of years just seem to be flying by. It is payday this weekend but probably won't pay bills till monday....non need to be paid right now...I haven't really saved much this month, we have blught a bunch of things that we "wanted" such as 2 new water bottles for me..mine was old and needed replacing (2nd one was almost free and it won't go to waste), we have bought more...
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Last Monday night, I had just finished picking strawberries and set them safely on the raised bed.  I went to sit down in my garden chair, but instead of double checking I was lined up properly and sitting on the seat, I sat down on the arm and it broke, collapsing the chair.  The sharp edges of the chair arm cut into my arm as I hit the pavement.  It was horrifically painful.  It cut two large gouges into my arm, which would be one without out the one inch...
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Life has been a whirlwind the past couple of weeks.  We don't have anything planned for the rest of summer.  The stars just aligned to craziness last week.  It was all the things.
Celebrated my parents' 50th Anniversary.  Did our annual family camp trip.  Those were the biggies.

Camp.  It's a miracle it stands and we felt very blessed.  Even if there was a lot of challenges (from the fire).  One smart thing they did was request that campers...
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Called the IRS the other day and they informed me that they sent us a check, which I wasn't happy with as our country will no longer be accepting overseas checks, we talked to the bank and it hasn't come into effect yet but will in a couple of months but they said it could take weeks to clear, because it has to go back to the states and clear before it is available in our account...I am just hoping that when they do this years taxes (yes we sent them in jan) they do the right thing...
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I can't believe how long it's taking for some of the credit cards to rcv and apply my payments. Frustrating. 
I did finally make it to the credit union to pay off a loan. I also took 10K out of our savings account there, and moved it to another credit union we bank (er, save) with. We have been with the original CU for 25 years. And they are making it harder and harder to access my money. Need to call ahead to take out more than $1k. They are closed on Saturdays now. It's...
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One of my  recent posts I commented about Pinterest and how it makes me try new things. A positive was I found a blog that mentioned some books about eating and living during the Great Depression. My parents lived through that and I remember them talking about how hard it was. As a result, I often have that Great Depression mentality of worrying about the future, reusing stuff, finding resourceful ways, and not wasting food.
Over the weekend I had the oppoortunity to go to...
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Well as an australian I can't believe what I am hearing from the US...I have read so much and who knows how much of it is true or not as there is so much to research but my question is and I would like honest opinions, or tell me if I am wrong (but don't be negative teach and inform..don't tear people down) but these are y thoughts.
Women in some states can't have abortions, so they will need to travel to get one, who pays for that? if they can't get them who is going to pay their...
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HOTEL:
--------
$50 Hotel Coupon
 
MOVIES:
--------
$50  Regal
$50  Art House Theater
 
RESTAURANTS:
------------
$50 Cracker Barrel (small balance left)
$25 Chili's
$5   Jamba Juice (Gift)
$ 25 x 2 Jamba Juice (Gifts)
 
RETAIL:
---------
$100 x 2 Target (Emailed/paper gift cards)
$25  Kohls Gift Card (DL Christmas Gift)
 
REGIFT:
---------
$25  Starbucks
 
Note: Edited over time to remove used gift...
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My DH and I had a load of errands to do today, and our local "fancy" grocer was on the way.  They had some great specials this week, so we stopped in.  A little history:  DH will eat anything pretty gratefully.  He does like an occasional Saturday night steak dinner, but he's not a fussy eater.  He rarely--and I mean every other month or so--goes to the grocery store.  He's busy, and I often stop on my way home from the university.
He's heard me rattle...
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I went home last weekend for the combined Father's Day/Juneteenth holiday. As a federal employee I was off on Monday.
I didn't plan Father's Day well. I thought we would go to the movies on Sunday since I figured the restaurants would be busy, then to a restaurant for lunch on Monday. We ended up doing the opposite. When we showed up to the theatre on Sunday I realized that I should have bought tickets in advance because the seats for Top Gun were sparse and not in a good location.
We...
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Finally got through to the IRS again..after 2 hours waiting on a cell phone..can't imagine what the phone bill will be...but thats another story.
So I tell them it has been 4 weeks and the money still hasn't hit our account, he looks through our account and says that they sent a check...I said why I specifically stated that our country no longer accepts overseas checks and the guy last month was told this when he said it would be processed, I also put sticky notes on our taxes...
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I have 2 0% credit cards right now, one I put on my A/C and the other I just put property taxes on.  I have until Feb and March 2023 to pay them off.  
Blue Amex 0% March 2023 $6041 - paid $2k today , $4041 balance
Wells Fargo 0% Feb 2023 $18,864 - paid $2k today, $16,864 balance
Today I paid another $1500 to the WF bringing the balance down to $15,364.
My goal was to pay $4k by August.  I have $2500 left.  DH gets paid on 6/29 as our 3 payment month...
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On Wednesday I drove my grandson to two different baseball games in two different cities. My son and DIL were working and could not do the driving. The two games were scheduled only three hours apart, which was pretty close. As it turned out, my navigation failed me on our trip to the second location, and I got my grandson to the game late. (We were also slowed down by a train that came to a dead stop at a crucial crossing.) He was taken out of the lineup and it was a disappointment...
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I'm sure y'all remember the slogan, "Build it and they will come." 
Well, it rang true. Not only in the movie, "Field of Dreams" but now for the former movie set in Dyersville, Iowa. 
Our local tour company offered a short overnight bus trip there and my husband is a big fan of the movie and he was all for it. 
We arrive in Dyersville Tuesday afternoon and are met by two ladies from the local Chamber of Commerce. We are given a short tour while on the bus and...
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We have a sunny day today so finally took the dog for a walk, he was so excited we have had constant rain for a week so haven't taken him out, also was able to meditate outside today in the sun, so that was really nice, haven't been able to that in weeks...next week we have I think 4 days that are cloudy/sunny so will hopefully get out much more. Although it is still cold but I have opened the whole house up to air it out..I just love fresh air in the house and it has been weeks...
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I was getting low on creamer and coffee -- staples in my house -- so I went to Aldi. I spent $31 on groceries. I also spent $28 on a lidded saute pan and a teakettle -- both in the light teal color that I've been collecting. I knew I would regret it if I passed these items up. They were on sale, and, you know, when they're gone from Aldi, they're gone.
Variables are at 62%.
Today I am headed out for two games in two different towns. Neither one of them my town! I'm picking up...
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I spent two hours tonight at a zoomed state retirment seminar.  Ugh, I'm so zoomed out.  Zoom meetings, zoom with students, now zoom HR sessions.  I'm not sure I learned anything new but it was pretty well done.  I need to have another meeting with the benefits people at my university as they have other parts of the plan under their control.  I'm hoping for an in-person meeting there.
I walked my usual route before 7 this morning to avoid the heat as it...
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