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I have to have an MRI (on my brain). I'm nervous. Financially its ok because I have already met my deductible from my ankle injury. But my mind is swimmy as I type this.
Prayers and positive thoughts are appreciated.
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I have to take a break from blogging here at Saving Advice, most likely through the end of the year, potentially longer.

I love coming here to talk about personal finance and give advice to others climbing out of debt. It's such a joy to see others finally get that they can take charge and make positive changes in their finances when before they were overwhelmed and at the end of their rope. They realize that the only one that can fix it is themselves. They deep dive into asking...
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I hate winter it makes me miserable and I tend to spend more money. Yesterday I bought myself a new blanket the one on my bed was getting old, the dog sleeps on it, has scratched on it and it had a couple small holes and it was so thick you couldnt wash it...so bought a new one that is so warm and soft and can be washed easily..and yes I do have 2 other blankets on the bed for the dog...I bought DD1 new warm sheets..this house gets cold...bought DD2 a new cover for her bed again...
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Last night's baseball game was well attended. Too well attended. There were many games going on in the park and it was crowded. Most people were wearing masks, but there was not much in the way of social distancing. I felt uneasy.

There are two games this weekend, both away games at different parks. Maybe there will be more space. Maybe the heat will keep people away. If I feel uneasy again, I will leave. I think my grandson will understand; he is a pretty smart guy.

No...
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I can’t stress how important it is to wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, and practice social distancing. This virus is serious, it is not a hoax, and if one person dies from it, that’s too many.

As you know my friend’s mom did not take this pandemic seriously, she is now in ICU in an induced coma, and her daughter in law, my friend’s wife now has the virus, contracted, they think from the party they all attended. Please adhere to CDC guidelines.

I’m in...
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After I did my big chest freezer inventory, I took a half an hour to sit down and work out a meal plan based on the meats and some of the frozen and garden vegetables I have here. While I did not include it in the below meal plan, I also buy seasonal fruit or pick it. For example, watermelon and cherries are in season and cheap right now. Also, right now in the back yard garden I have ripe strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. So while I might jot it down on the meal...
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So I did drop DS2 from our auto policy once he moved to his own place and bought himself a car as I planned in an earlier post. And our insurance price increased as a result! I guess the insurance company figures that with DS2 out of the picture, DS3 drives the vehicles more. And that’s true. One of the vehicles is in my name but is actually DS3’s – he paid for it. DS2 was 22 with a good student discount. DS3 is 18 without a good student discount. Ah, that’s what I get....
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My spending so far this month is at $1326.15. All my regular monthly bills for July have been paid except for my cell phone bill which will be due later in the month. The only other spending I anticipate will be one more small grocery shop. I still have $173.85 left for the month to cover those costs, more than enough.

When I first retired, I set a strict monthly budget of $1500. I was a little worried that would be too restrictive and I wouldn’t have much left for a few...
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I am trying to take all of the advice and comments I get with a grain of salt. I have been told I don't make enough money. I have gotten messages that I am not responsible. I was told I'm not committed. It makes it hard.

We got paid today. We had several things to pay:
Car insurance
Dish
Loan pmt
Netflix
Internet
Filled up my car with gas

Hoping I can do some research to lower bills on my lunch tomorrow.
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Today I'm worrying about the coin shortage. I have only one roll of quarters in reserve for laundry. That will go fast.

I'm going to stop washing linens every Monday -- let the sheets go for two weeks. I will change my bath towel every week, but I'll let them pile up before I wash them. I do have quite a few that I don't use because they're the wrong color or slightly frayed, etc. I hang onto them in case of a leak, or something, but now is a good time to use them for their...
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I'm not one to complain about paying my taxes. I support the necessary work of the government, but I knew, given my DH's better hourly rate this year we could be hit hard. And we were. My adjunct job has horrible bookkeeping and their withholding is always screwed up, so that made it worse. But heck, we had enough in the checking account to pay it, so onward.

Spending today was limited to selling my DD's AP prep books on ebay. One sold and we pocketed $5.80 after shipping....
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Got the car this morning! It cost $681. It's running great.

On the way home I bought groceries at Jewel, a traditional grocery store. I spent $54, not as much as I thought it would be. It's the first time I've been in a regular grocery store since the pandemic began. There were several instances where people came within 6 feet, but everyone was masked (it's required) and I think I'll be all right. It seems like the real danger is extended personal contact within enclosed...
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Home renovations:

Central AC complete installation-$10K
This is a welcoming "want". We are attempting to make our lives more enjoyable as we no longer have to sacrifice so much in life.

Front porch deck replacement- $5K
We decided to use "trex" decking material. It's more expensive but extremely durable.
This is a "need". We uncovered a badly constructed porch frame and an electrical receptacle just hanging under the decking.

This will conclude home renovations...
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Today I received my tax return of $538, I wish I could break even but hey. Anyway, I paid a few things (see previous post) and paid an additional $200 on the student loan debt.

This has been an amazing month, when it comes to tackling my student loans. Though I have a way to go, it still feels good to finally be able to get to this debt, while I’m on this debt free journey. I’ll be honest, I’m praying that another relief comes down the pipe and they continue the interest...
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$23,376.02 401K
+_9,713.49 IRA
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$33,089.51 Total Retirement

That is up by $585.22 from last payday. Only $220 of that is contributions. I hope it continues.
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I went to the dentist today. The hygienist had on a face mask and a face shield and two pairs of gloves. Everyone else in the office wore masks and when the dentist himself came in he also had the same get up as the hygienist. They had a blast shield installed at reception. Such is life in the new world.

It felt really good to have my teeth cleaned. It has been since September. I was due in March but of course that was cancelled because of Covid. My teeth were in great...
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$7850.89 Balance Forward
+__13.73 Allstate Refund Check
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$7864.62 New Balance
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Friday was a normal payday for us, no overtime. I have started contributing to the medical fund again because we have dental and glasses to pay for and it was getting really low. After those things are paid for I need to start thinking about saving for next year's deductible. So that may end up being a priority over the Emergency Fund. All it takes is one ER visit in January and we get slammed with almost the full deductible in one go. Since January ER visits have happened...
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I'm on a conference call and decided to take a look at our portfolio. As of market close today, we hit $1.4 million for the first time. Barely, but we hit it. And it could drop back below that mark tomorrow given the volatility of the market these days, but I'll take it for the moment.
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So glad that I checked, there was a time that I’d stick with the insurance company paying crazy rates, now I have no problem switching.

Geico sent my renewal, I felt like I did not receive the discount, called and got another quote with a different company, I’ll be saving $114.78 and for me, every little bit helps, so I’m switching.

Tomorrow is tax day and my deposit is scheduled to hit, I can’t wait to add more to my student loans.

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