My Tireless Retirement - Week 208

 

Last Friday was an absolutely lovely day.  With sunshine and warm temperatures I enjoyed a relaxed morning because I didn’t need to go into work, if you can call it that, until 4:30 in the afternoon.  When I did show up for work, it was to take a group of seniors out to dinner and then to the theater for a live performance of Austenprov.  It was rough, let me tell you.  Not!  To add some drama to the drama however, our bus doors had a switch malfunction which I had to sort out on the fly.  I managed to outfox the faulty switch and get the doors to close.  My group of seniors was rather impressed with my killer improvisation skills and they let me know.  It made me feel pretty darn good, I must say.

 

I carefully created a short list of needed items for yard work and gardening this year and instead of wasting fuel and going to Wal-Mart (which I hate) I did an online order with FREE shipping.  In less than twenty four hours my items arrived and I was able to get right to work.

 

I have pulled A LOT of weeds!

Saturday and Sunday were just as lovely as Friday and I enjoyed the weekend by puttering about the house tackling small tasks, doing a mini meal prep for the week ahead and taking loads of time to enjoy my fur and feather babies.  I was able to get my fruit trees sprayed before the leaf miners and tiny moths take hold and lay eggs.  I dug up another big pile of weeds for the chickens too.  I spent a fair amount of time outdoors, which I love.

 

Chicken salad 😂😂

Monday and Tuesday I worked for a few hours in the afternoon.  Sadly, it seems the toxic one is struggling to keep her $h!t together.  My “heart to heart” talk with her the previous week seemed to do absolutely no good and to be quite honest, I wasn’t expecting it to.  At the end of the day I know there is little I can do and it is completely up to her to make the changes necessary.  I am just going to sit back and wait to see what happens.  Thankfully, this month I am scheduled to work very little with the toxic one and next month she has several vacation days scheduled.  Whoo hoo!

 

In order to maintain my sanity and still get to work at my dream job I have been strategically plotting out some much deserved time off and got those days scheduled off.  Along with that my supervisor has been scheduling me to do more senior activities with less time with “you know who”.  I think I’ve come up with a good healthy plan for me to personally deal with this situation.  Boundaries have been established and I am holding the line.  The cost of holding the line, however, is putting up with her increased frustration.  I do believe, in the long run, it will be worth it.

 

One of the things I’ve been enjoying when I stop and take a break or come home from work is the television show The Equalizer starring Queen Latifah.  I watched the original series back in the day and wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy this newer one, but it turns out I really do.  I love when I can discover a new to me series I can sit down, relax and enjoy.  It feels like a big reward.

 

Because I am focused on cutting back this year I got resourceful with a little repair project.  My beloved Pampered Chef egg slicer I’ve had for nearly thirty years broke.  The little plastic nubbin that is part of the hinge broke off so it made it hard to operate with just one hinge.  My initial thought was to hop on eBay and see if I could find a replacement, but then I got the idea to go through my can of miscellaneous screws and see if I could find a short stubby screw.  I drilled a small hole and after screwing in the stubby screw it created a new “nubbin” and now my egg slicer works perfectly once again.  Money saved, nothing added to the landfill, I used up a screw that had been lying around in the garage, but more importantly I’m back in business!

 

With the change in weather I am still able to keep the main heating off in the house.  I didn’t even need the fireplace, but one morning to take the chill off.  I also layered up when it was chilly in the morning, but for the most part the house has been quite comfortable.  I’ve been able to open the doors and windows and let the fresh air in on several occasions.

 

Grilled tuna sandwich (low carb sourdough bread) 😋

It was a really good week.  I was able to get some good sleep, keep up on my housekeeping and laundry, eat good healthy food and accomplish quite a few tasks around the house.  I was conservative and resourceful bringing in far more money than what ended up leaving.  I call that a win!  Have any of you done some conserving of your resources lately?  Have you done any repairs or fixes to avoid having to replace something?  I’d love to hear about what you are doing around the house these days.

 

What's In My Bag?

 

When I retired I stopped carrying a purse or a bag and opted for a backpack instead.  A backpack fits my new on-the-go lifestyle perfectly.  So what do I carry in my backpack?  Well, let me tell you.

 

First aid kit including some blister pads since I do a lot of walking

Inhaler & lip balm

Snacks!  Some for me and some to share if I come across someone in need

My backpack is five years old.  I bought it on clearance at Wal-Mart for $3 and as it turns out it was money well spent.  It still looks like new and I’ve used it a lot since retiring.  Not only is it my daily use bag it also is also my travel bag.  I’ve hauled my lunch, groceries and even my undies, toothbrush and extra clothes in it.  Remarkably, it holds a lot of stuff.

 

Bus schedule

Sunglasses, tissues, hand sanitizer, pill box with aspirin & nail clippers

When I need to pack a lunch this one fits inside perfectly

In order to keep it in good shape and looking new I launder it regularly and hang it up to dry.  Once it is dry I look it over really well and repair anything that needs it.  I’ve re-stitched the straps at the top when the threads began to wear and pull loose.  This time I sewed up a tiny hole in one of the mesh side pockets before it had a chance to get any bigger.

 

Shopping bag & my wallet

Laundered, repaired and ready to reload

All of this fits inside compact, neat and lightweight

Even though I only paid $3 for this backpack I still want to take care of it so I can use it for a good long time.  Taking good care of my stuff, regardless of what it is, makes it last so much longer.  Having this backpack allows me to live the life I enjoy and have all of the things I need to get me from Point A to Point B.

 

Not Waiting

 

I have never been one to just sit by and wait to see what happens - the what-ifs, maybes, most likely to happen, probable events.  To be quite honest I’ve been on guard ever since this president was re-elected because I’ve never trusted him.  Everything I said would happen, has.  My BFF told me it was uncanny just how accurate my predictions were, but more specifically the order in which things unfolded and how quickly.  I knew he would make a big mess of things, but what I didn’t expect was that congress would be so agreeable to let him.

 

Once Iran was bombed and the strait filled up with oil tankers I knew gas prices would shoot up and in one week they did here by 60¢ a gallon, now it is over a dollar higher.  Gas prices affect everything, especially the cost of goods and services because everything needs to be transported.  Our already high prices will begin to rise further based on oil prices, including heating our homes, trash removal, etc.  Our bottom line will be affected.  To survive this next round of craziness conservation will be crucial.

 

A couple weeks ago I parked the Subaru and started taking the bus to work again and I’m actually happy about it.  I need the fresh air and exercise and I know it is really good for me.  Admittedly, I was getting a little bit lazy so it feels good to be my former active self once again.  My plan is to only drive to work when I do the senior activities that run outside of the regular bus schedule which doesn’t happen very often.

 

I’m picking up my groceries en route as well so I don’t need the car as much for that.  I am able to walk from work to a Winco supermarket and also Trader Joes.  I have an Albertsons along the bus route to my home so I can stop and get off, do my shopping and then catch the next bus home.  I can walk a little further up to the airport and catch a different bus that will take me to Fred Meyer or Home Depot.  I am also within walking distance to my bank.  I can take the bus to my doctor too.

 

I’ve aired up the tires on both of my bikes and charged up the battery on my E-bike.  I fixed the flat tire on the cargo trailer so it is ready to go if I need to do a bigger bulkier shop.  I can ride my bike to the bank, many stores, including two different feed stores and even Home Depot if I need to.

 

On the days I do need to drive to work my plan is to make it really count by running an errand either on the way to work or on the way home.  Once a month I plan to be doing a Costco run and will pop into Wal-Mart or Grocery Outlet and the feed store while I’m at it (only if I need to) as they are located nearby.  Other than that, the plan is to acquire what I need by other means.  Because my fuel will not be used as much I’ve added fuel stabilizer to my tanks to help keep it from going foul.  I should only need to do this about twice a year.  I’ll be interested to see just how long a tank of gasoline lasts me now.

 

Along with the transportation changes I’ve made I also plan to make sure that nothing I currently own goes to waste, especially when it comes to consumables.  If I feel I need or want something I first must make sure that I truly do need to have it and then determine if something I already own will fit the bill and can I make do.  Is it something I could make?  If so, I will get to work and make something.  With food, I want to make sure I don’t waste anything and make more budget stretching meals, like soup, so my groceries last longer.  The same goes for toiletries and household items.  Just use what I need to get the job done and no more.

 

Like I said, I am never one to sit idly by and become complacent.  By making changes now I am preparing myself to better handle what will most likely happen in the not too distant future.  Conserving my resources, making do, adjusting habits and making wiser choices about spending and consuming will help me along the way.  What is something you can do to help yourself?

 

 

Healthy & Delicious Meals From My Pantry #3

 

In February I cleared out the stash of freezer meals I had in there so I was in need of a good meal prep session to get some more meals made up and tucked back in the freezer.  I have been super busy the last two months and having something made up and ready to pop into the microwave when I get home is super handy.  Now that I am riding the bus to and from work again it is a lifesaver having those meals ready for me when I get home hungry and tired.

 

Salisbury Steak dinners

Spaghetti with meat sauce

Chicken Lo Mein

I pulled out some meat and vegetables from the deep freezer, as well as some canned goods form the pantry, and was able to make up a lot of create some delicious components for making meals.  Taco meat to make tacos or taco salad with, a small batch of spaghetti and a really good teriyaki chicken stir fry with jasmine rice was first up.

 

Home canned chili (I added a sliced hotdog) 😋

Taco meat with black beans

Eggs & sausage for hash or breakfast burritos

To go with a salmon fillet and a NY strip steak I put together a cauliflower bake using sour cream, cheddar cheese and green onions.  Delicious!

 

Low carb cauliflower bake

My homemade dill sauce

I made some condiments – salad dressing, dill sauce for fish and a salsa and sour cream sauce to go on taco salads.  I also pulled out some home canned chili, soups and meat options.  Using a can of chicken breast I made a scrumptious curry chicken salad for sandwiches.

 

Teriyaki Chicken with rice

Curry chicken salad

In one meal prep session lasting about four hours I was able to add quite a few good options to the freezer as well as a nice line up for the week ahead.  I made a meal plan that me set up and kept me well fed for the month without much effort.  In the process I was able to use things I already had on hand, which works really well to save me a lot of time as well as money on my overall grocery bill.  I had fun with doing my little meal prep and have enjoyed every bite!

 

My Tireless Retirement - Week 207

 

Hello and Happy Spring!  It is officially spring and I hope everyone is doing well.  I am sitting here feeling grateful and blessed despite everything else going on in the world.  I am focused on making my little space in the world the best possible and I feel like I’m accomplishing that rather well.  I am resting when I need to, eating good quality, delicious and healthy food, journaling and doing my therapy work as well as praying and practicing gratitude.  I am so grateful to be the person that I am in this world.

 

I swapped out my chair covers with my spring ones

Last Saturday I did some ancestry research which I haven’t done for a while.  I love doing it, but it can be overwhelming and time consuming as you chase leads down rabbit holes in hopes of finding that clue to get you going again.  I think I am at a point now where I need to start reaching out to family members for help.  I have a cousin that may be able to help me so I want to reach out and get in touch with her and possibly schedule a visit to go and see her.

 

I ate lots of scrumptious meals last week

Sunday I puttered around the house and yard and got a few things done around the place.  I was thinking it would be handy to have a couple more dish cloths and towels on hand as I tend to run out of clean ones before I do laundry.  My first thought was to add them to the shopping list, but instead I decided to shop my home and realized I was overstocked in my camping box so I removed two dish cloths and two dish towels and restocked the drawer in my simple thrifty kitchen.  Hurray for an easy no cost solution!

 

I found three quarters lying on the sidewalk while walking to the bus stop 😲

I worked all day on Monday and again on Tuesday.  My co-worker that was on medical leave came back to work on Thursday and I am so glad she is back now and I can go back to my regular schedule.  Progress is being made with the toxic one, but it is going to require a concerted effort to hold the line and keep her accountable.  The TTO and I had two frank conversations again this week (the second one involved her tears) and I also met with my supervisor.  Apparently she and the TTO had an issue just prior to me arriving at work.  We discussed it and came up with a strategy.  Thankfully my supervisor is completely on board, especially now that she has experienced firsthand what we have been telling her, and is encouraging and very supportive.  I can tell the TTO is struggling and probably scared now.  During our last conversation she tried to spin the narrative a bit by saying she was hurt too, but I held the line and told her that basically she had brought this on herself.  That being said, I do feel hopeful that a resolution is coming.

 

Wednesday morning I was up and out early to get my errands run.  It was the first time I had used the car in ten days.  I went to the feed store to pick up a couple bags of chicken food, pellets and scratch grains, and then off to do my monthly Costco shop.  It is handy that the feed store and Costco are close by to each other.  Then I headed home to put everything away and fix myself a delicious chicken salad sandwich on low carb bread for lunch.  It was delicious!

 

Thursday I got out and with the leaf blower and cleaned up the debris after our last windstorm.  While I was at it I blew off the neighbor’s driveway since he was at work.  I pulled up another big bucket full of weeds for the chickens.  They really love seeing me come with that bucket too.  They are keeping me steadily supplied with eggs and I am able to share them with my friends as well.  After running a load of laundry I called it a day as far as the chores were concerned and did other things.

 

Our weather has been absolutely wonderful.  I turned off the main heating and am hoping it can remain off, opened windows and doors to let the fresh air inside, and have been soaking up the sunshine.  I rode the bus to work Friday, Monday and Tuesday and loved the experience each day.  I have a walk to the bus stop and then a walk from the downtown station to work so I am able to get some good exercise each day along with the fact that I don’t sit much when I am at work.  Then I walk back downtown to the station and then walk from the bus stop to the house.  I’m getting lots of fresh air and steps in.

 

I hope all of you enjoyed a blessed week and were able to get outdoors for some fresh air and sunshine.  Let me know, what has been keeping you busy lately?

 

Cutting Back In 2026

 

It feels prudent to cut back and be really intentional about my spending as I make my way through 2026.  Our economy is in the toilet, people are losing their jobs, prices are steadily rising and it doesn’t seem like any of this is going to improve anytime soon.  Fortunately, my monthly expenses are fairly minimal and I don’t feel constantly pulled to consume and spend.  A lifetime of living a thrifty lifestyle has taught me how to be resourceful.  Years of downsizing, decluttering and simplifying my needs and wants has helped me to feel content and happy with what I have.

 

I've got a replacement plan mapped out

My focus this year is to maintain my current inventory with regard to good quality food as well as the nonfood items I need to keep my house clean and take care of myself.  Everything else feels negligible so I can pretty much take it or leave it.  This year I think I will leave it.  What I already have is good enough.

 

I'm sticking to the basics when it comes to groceries - REAL food for the win!

In order to better afford my lifestyle, even when prices are rising, I need to be resourceful.  I try to only buy food and nonfood items when they are on sale or come from a store that offers them at the best prices.  I also utilize paper coupons, digital coupons, special offers and gift cards to shave even more off the overall cost.  I will definitely continue to do that.

 

Fuel prices are skyrocketing so I plan to purchase less of it now

 

With gas prices leaping, I am choosing to park the car and ride the bus to and from work again.  My city ID allows me FREE access to the bus.  I am going to be walking from work to the grocery stores nearby and stopping in along my bus route to get my groceries.  Once a week I will use my car to run errands and when I do I will map out my route for maximum efficiency to save money, mileage, fuel consumption and my time.  I think that if I am efficient enough I won’t even need to do this every week.  I am looking forward to getting back to using public transportation because I’ve actually missed it.  I want the exercise and fresh air that I’ve been missing out on too.

 

I am blessed to be in good physical shape so I will be walking more
and using public transportation as well

I have plans for some fun outings and travel this spring and summer.  I think that by reining in my expenses I’ll be better able to afford to do these things despite the rise in prices without busting my budget or having to give it up altogether.  I am also working on resourceful planning to keep costs down when I go about my travels.  I can hardly wait to get going.

 

I plan to fully plant my garden beds this year

As many of you know I am, in no way, a good gardener.  Even still, I am going to do my best this year and give it another try.  I took last year off to give the garden beds a rest and add in more amendments and it was good timing too as I was getting frustrated.  I am hopeful, once again, that I can make it happen.  We shall see.  Plus, it is a good outdoor activity.

 

There are loads of FREE things to go and do in my city
I'll be packing my own drinks, snacks and picnic lunches to enjoy on my outings

Are you feeling the need to cut back and economize this year?  What are some of the things you do to save money?  Does it feel like the rise in prices are giving you more of a pinch?