No & Low Cost Summer Fun Ideas

 

When times were tough (meaning I didn't make that much money) I was always on the lookout for no and low cost ways for me and my family to have fun, especially when I was saving for something important like when I adopted my daughters or when I took my children to Disneyland.  During those times day trips and camping were low cost ways for us to go out and have fun, get away and still enjoy some vacation time without blowing the budget.  I would get tickets on Free Museum Day and we’d go to the old penitentiary or the historical museum.

 

Bike rides, picnics, hiking and nature paths, as well as going to the park and just playing on the swings were common things we did.  Our city offers self guided PDF brochures I can print off and use for walking tours through various parts of town.  I’m one of those weird history buffs who loves to visit old cemeteries.  Ghost towns and a packed picnic lunch were also on the list of fun things to do and there was always an old cemetery to visit.  Our city also offers free events like car shows, arts & crafts fairs, live music and tons of other types of entertainment.

 

With my friends we’ve enjoyed a handful of Happy Hours at area restaurants and bars.  This saves us quite a bit of money on food and drinks when we want to get together and go out to eat.  We are also taking turns hosting get-togethers at each other’s homes to cut costs further.  We still have a low budget movie theater too and “tightwad Tuesday” allows me to go to the movies for only $2.00.  I’m getting reacquainted with my DVD collection and searching for free streaming movie options.  Whenever we find a good one we let each other know.

 

With the price of fuel so high right now my luxury item this summer will definitely be gasoline.  Who would’ve thought that fueling our automobiles would be a luxury for many of us?  I want to still go camping and take some daytrips, but with the cost of fuel so high it adds to the price of each adventure considerably, even with a fuel efficient vehicle.  Needless to say the majority of my Fun & Leisure budget will be going toward supplementing my monthly fuel budget in order to make things happen.

 

Additionally, I plan to make and enjoy a lot more food from home and over the summer to cut down quite a bit on eating out, even Happy Hours.  If I decide to hit the town during the daytime I’ll most likely get an all day bus pass to go wherever I need to go.  Our bus system offers a $27 cash card for $20 and I can use that to buy my bus passes.  If I use the bus once a week to run around or do some errands that cash card would last me two and a half months and a lot of money on fuel as well as wear and tear on my vehicles.

 

So that is the plan anyway.  What are some of the things you’ve got planned for the summer?  How are you cutting costs on these activities?  Please share so we can all learn from each other and get new ideas.

 

I'm Just Doing My Own Thing

 

It has been two weeks now since I left my part time retirement job and I am settling into my new routine rather well.  Simply put, I do whatever I please and I don’t do anything I don’t want to do.  I’m just doing my own thing without reservation.  I don’t care what someone else might think and that includes myself.  I no longer have a set of rules I need to follow.  I have quieted that voice inside my head that insists I need to be productive and accomplish something every single day in order to “earn” my leisure time.  I literally told it to go pound sand.

 

I go to bed when I’m tired and get up when I’m not and I’ve been sleeping like a log.  The only thing that wakes me up these days is a hot flash and I’m able to go right back to sleep in record time.  I feel rested and if during the day I get sleepy Jack and I will take a cat nap together.  He is showing me how and he is a very good teacher.  You can learn a lot from a cat.

 

I’m allowing myself to watch TV and enjoy it whenever I please.  I’m reading, working my crossword puzzles, writing more and gently planning my future with no particular timelines or deadlines.  Sometimes I just sit in silence.  I’m enjoying my coffee, tea, ice water and really good food at a leisurely pace.  I’m in no rush.  To do anything.

 

Within the first twenty four hours I dove right back into a passion project I haven’t touched since I accepted that job.  I’m back to working on my vintage doll rehabilitation and I’ve been busy giving these lovely old dolls a second chance.  So far I’ve finished one that was in progress and completed two more dolls and when I’m ready I will list them for sale in my Etsy shop or on eBay.  Until then they can sit and smile at me while I continue to work on their pals.

 

I’ve puttered in the garden, played with the kitties and the chickens, played cards, visited with my friends, gone out to lunch, done the laundry, puttered about the house, trimmed my bangs, packed my car for a camping trip, gone, hiked, walked and ridden my bicycle.  I’ve checked the mail, paid the bills, updated my spreadsheets, made a grocery list, went to the grocery store and to Cash & Carry.  I’m moving right along - at a leisurely pace.

 

Never in my life have I left a job without giving notice.  I didn’t do that this time.  I’ve always carefully considered the impact my leaving might have, especially with regard to my fellow co-workers.  I definitely didn’t do that this time.  In fact, it was the worst possible timing with people on vacation, a sudden family emergency and my scheduled commitments to planned activities.  I did it anyway with no reservations.  I walked away.  For the first time in my life I put myself first.

 

I’m no longer allowing someone to be abusive to me and someone else to allow it to happen.  Instead, I chose to take care of ME.  My heart is light, my mind is clear and I feel nothing but pure relief.  I have absolutely no regrets.  Mentally and physically I feel strong.  I’m moving forward with renewed spirit and determination.  I’m doing things for myself only.  I’m just doing my own thing and I’m happy.

 

 

Does It Work? 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1

 

To get more creative in battling the rise in grocery prices I am open to trying all kinds of different ways to make that happen.  There are a lot of people using a variety of strategies to keep their dollars in their pockets and still feed themselves and their families.  One of the ways I discovered is the 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 – 1 Method and it intrigued me.  Especially as it is a method that can be tailored specifically to my own needs so I came up with my own way to utilize this and I’m going to give it a solid try this month.

 

What I figured out rather quickly is that this method requires me to really think about what I truly need and how much quantity I should actually purchase.  As I am focused on mindful spending this year, I find this really helpful.  It makes sense  for me to try it this month, based on what I already have on hand, as follows:

 

The beauty is that I can rearrange this list however I choose to based on what I actually need.  One month I may need to purchase more dairy or pantry items, while I may not need as much starch or protein.  This month I actually do not need any protein so I may decide, if I need something else, to purchase two additional items from another category.  I can make the protein category into an “extra” instead.

 

I hope this makes some sense, but the overall goal is to get out of the grocery store by only purchasing a structured 15 category items.  Now, you can make the rules however you choose so if I say I am going to buy tomatoes I can get as many as I need, as that is a category.  Does that make sense?  So my list may look like this:

 

I still have room to add three more things to my list

Regardless of how well this works out, I do think it will be a fun way to change things up and hopefully, in the process I can save on my overall grocery spending.  I will let you know at the end of the month how well it turns out.  Feel free to try it out and let me know how it works for you too.

 

My Tireless Retirement - Week 217

 

Good morning!  Can you believe we are sitting at the end of May already?  That is okay because life is good and getting better with each passing day.  I’m super happy with my decision to let go of my part-time job and fully embrace retirement.  The peace and calm that has taken over my life is indescribable.  As it sits now, I have no plans to find another part-time retirement gig.  I’m good!  And very grateful!

 

Gift card Trader Joes haul! 😀

I am sleeping so much better now.  I woke up Friday morning feeling well rested and ready to start my day.  With my Christmas gift card from Trader Joes I drove downtown and treated myself to a little bit of a shop first thing that morning after I had my coffee.  In the parking lot I visited with a kind, older gentlemen for a while before heading back home.  It was nice to just be able to do that without feeling the need to rush off to do other things.  I’m seriously in no rush to do anything.

 

A friend made me this card and the candle

A dinner get-together at my house was already preplanned for Friday evening and I felt no need to cancel or put it off, but I did change up the menu from a more complicated plan to a simple taco bar using home canned carne asada and pork verde, crisp taco shells out of a box, a jar of home canned black bean corn salsa (last one, need to make more) and tortilla chips.  For dessert I pulled out a frozen hot milk cake and some berries from the freezer for a super quick and simple berry shortcake complete with a can of the squirty whipped cream.  With the exception of the tortilla chips I already had everything on hand.  Perfect!

 

Saturday morning I got up and did something I haven’t done in ages.  I went into the craft room and worked on some doll rehab projects that have been sitting and patiently awaiting my attention.  I was able to completely transform one doll and finish another one I had already started.  It felt so good to get back to a passion project and devote my total time and attention to it.  I was so focused I was almost late to meet a friend for lunch.

 

I met a friend at a favorite pizza place where they serve a buffet and salad bar for lunch.  After lunch we went to Fred Meyer just to look around because we weren’t quite ready to quit visiting with each other.  I told my friend I wanted to see if I could find a cross body purse similar to hers and ditch because I no longer feel it fits my “new” lifestyle.  She agreed and we found exactly what I was hoping to find.  It is black leather with only a few compartments and a long strap so I can wear it across instead of just on one shoulder.  Best of all, it was on the clearance rack for $20.  We both agreed it was meant to be.  I love it!

 

Sunday was a more relaxed day for me.  I watered the garden, worked on my doll rehab project some more and then enjoyed watching a few shows on my new TV and the humming birds at the feeder outside my living room window.  Monday, also Memorial Day, and the rest of the week for that matter, was much the same.  Just calm and quiet and I can tell you the noise inside my head is leaving me alone as well, confirming further I made the right choice.  Our weather was a bit topsy-turvy and we even got a bit of rain which I appreciated very much.  It was just a really, really, really good week.  Nothing special or earth shattering happened, it was just nice.

 

I hope this past week has been very good to you and all is well and right in your world.  Do take care of yourself and let me know in the comments what has been keeping you busy lately.  And thank you so much to all of you who have left such kind and supportive comments.  It has been very much appreciated.

 

This Month's 2026 Grocery Spending – May

 

I began this month by taking advantage of sales in the flyers, but to be honest I wasn’t all that impressed.  Right now sales prices look a lot like the regular prices from only a few months ago.  Nonetheless, I was able to restock my dairy items at fairly reasonable prices with sales and digital coupons I had downloaded.

 

Digital coupons & sales purchase at Fred Meyer
plus cream from Cash & Carry for best prices

My next shop was at Winco to pick up some fresh produce, again very high compared to a short time ago, and a few pantry items including restocking my teas.  One of the things I was craving for some reason was cheerios with sliced bananas on top, a staple growing up, so I splurged and bought some.  I like the honey nut, but find them too sweet so I purchased a box of plain ones too and when I got home I mixed them 50/50.  I also picked up a box of raisin bran.  By sticking to store brands which surprisingly had a clean ingredients list, by comparison I spent a whole lot less and they are really good.  I was very selective with my produce and ended up scaling back the amount I originally planned to by, but it was enough so I won’t complain.

 

Winco haul

My last shop was to pick up two boxes of Triscuits on sale for $1.99 each and a few more bananas.  I wanted the crackers to take with me on my summer excursions.  I enjoy these with cheese slices or cream cheese spread on them while I am out camping or hiking for a quick snack or as part of a light lunch.

 

My only nonfood item was to pick up a extra jug of laundry detergent to add to my current supply for a mere $2.99.  I thought that wasn’t too bad.  My total spent on food came in at $64.61 for the month and although I don’t appreciate the rise in prices I do feel I did alright pricewise with what I got.

 

With prices set to rise even higher I am going to have to get creative and figure out new ways to curb expenses I suppose, but as always, I am up for a good challenge.  How are you doing with your grocery purchases?  Are you still able to find good deals and sales?

 

I'm Not The Same & I Made A Mistake

 

In 2021 I had three heart attacks and a few subsequent TIA’s while I was recuperating.  Eventually, it was determined that my heart issues were related to job-related stress.  I also learned that I had an undiagnosed congenital heart defect as well as an undiagnosed genetic artery disorder called Fibromuscular Dysplasia (FMD).  My goals when I was discharged from the hospital was to do everything I could to get back to the person I was prior to these events.  Little did I know at the time, this wasn’t going to happen.

 

My mistake was thinking that it would, or even could, happen and not accepting that I am no longer the same person I used to be.  But, the truth is, that is completely okay.  I don’t have to be.  What I am now is physically and mentally healthy.  After two and a half years my heart was completely healed and the surgery I was originally told I might need I no longer do.  I no longer take any medication for my heart, but I do take one medication to manage my FMD plus a daily low dose aspirin.

 

I do notice a difference in my body with regard to my energy level, strength and stamina which used to frustrate me very much, however I have come to realize that not only did I get walloped with cardiac issues five plus years ago, I also went through menopause and I’m older too.  Things changed and therefore, so did I, physically and mentally.

 

There is no way someone goes through something like I did without it affecting you in some way.  One thing I was not prepared for was the emotional toll it had taken on me and at first I was in complete denial that it did.  But, eventually I acknowledged that I had been scared, weakened and literally put through the ringer.  It was, to say the least, traumatic.  I was more emotional and sometimes I would cry for no apparent reason (I partially blame menopause too).  It was a lot.

 

Fast forward to today and I am happily accepting that, although I still deal with hot flashes, I am completely okay with the person that I am now.  I am no longer trying to be who I was and embracing who I am.  Change happens, in so many different ways, and I’m just going to ride the wave.  I need be very protective of myself and make sure I do everything I can to remain healthy so I don’t end up in a pickle again.  That is what I plan to do.

 

Memorial Day

 

Wishing You A Blessed Memorial Day