Minding My Pennies In Retirement

 

With rising costs it seems to me that the pennies matter more now than ever.  Because of this I find myself spending less and less and doing without more and more.  One might think this a bad thing, but truthfully I am discovering I really don’t need very much to live a simple and content life.

 

Before I purchase anything I search my home first to see if I already have what I need or if I can find something else that will work just as well.  If I still feel the need to buy something I will wait for at least 24 hours to make sure it is something I truly want and want to spend my money on.  If I decide to go ahead with that purchase I will then search for the best quality at the lowest price available.  I will often purchase products from stores where I can use a gift card to shave more off of the price whenever possible as long their quality and pricing is in line with being a good value.

 

Going without items isn’t the worst thing in the world, especially at this stage of my life as I’m trying to move things out of my home rather than bring things into it.  Instead of acquiring more things I find myself in more of a use and replace mode.  I’m using up what I already have on hand and then deciding if it is even something I need to replace.  Quite often I’m finding that I’d rather not purchase a replacement of most of the things I’ve used.

 

Last year I purged clothing on two separate occasions to make my wardrobe much more practical and manageable.  Several months ago I had three pair of socks that were worn thin so I purchased three pair to replace them.  I could’ve purchased more socks than that, but I just didn’t need any more at that particular time.  Right now I’m trying to maintain my current wardrobe inventory without expanding it.  When I do buy clothing items I only purchase items on sale or on clearance.  I will even ask for something as a gift for my birthday or a holiday if that is appropriate.

 

To extend the life of my clothes I hang dry a lot of my stuff on laundry day.  I am also really good about mending holes or worn spots right way as well as replacing buttons or snaps before they get to the point of no return.  I can repair snags and runs in knitted items too.  I’ve done mending or hemming for several of my friends in exchange for a lunch out or a favor in return although I’m always quite happy to mend items with no expectation of anything owed.

 

Simplifying my meals and meal plans has helped me to save a ton of money so far this year.  I’m also focusing on using items I already have on hand before I purchase any new items, which has helped me to keep my food waste at pretty much nil.  The upside has been that I’ve become much more creative and resourceful when it comes to my meal planning which has been a lot of fun.  I also find I’m cooking less often, have less work and clean up to do and I am saving a lot of time and energy.  Win-Win-Win!

 

As I’ve shared previously I’m riding the city bus more and more, even to run errands and do my grocery shopping.  It has been very nice not to feel the effects of the rising gas prices at the pumps lately.  In the process I’ve been getting much more exercise on a daily basis.  I’m sleeping better, gaining some lost strength and endurance back and meeting some wonderful people along the way.  I’ve even inspired some of my co-workers get on board and ride the bus or use their bicycles.  Additionally, I had signed up with Share The Ride Idaho and recently I signed up for a couple of challenges to complete in the month of May.  They are giving away gift cards upon completion.  Yay!

 

To “earn” extra money for the things I purchase I will download digital coupon offers from the stores I patronize.  I pay for pretty much all of my purchases throughout the month with my credit card and then pay it off in full before I accrue any interest.  I earn rewards points on that card that I can redeem for gift cards to stores and restaurants.  I’ve done surveys for gift cards and I participate in Fetch rewards which gives you points each time I upload one of my receipts.  It will take me a while to earn enough reward points to redeem for a gift card because I don’t shop very much these days, but every little bit helps.

 

At the time of each purchase it may or may not seem like I’m saving all that much, however over time it really does add up to quite a bit.  Is my quality of life compromised?  Not at all!  If anything I feel like my quality of life has dramatically improved this year.  I feel supercharged and exceedingly happy pretty much all of the time.  Kind of funny, huh?

 

Affordable Mattress Project

 

I need a comfortable mattress to take camping with me this summer.  I want to do some hiking and camping in some of the beautiful remote areas in Idaho and that means pitching a tent.  With that in mind I know I’m no spring chicken and I want to be comfortable so I get some good, comfortable sleep.

 

Last summer I had purchased a foam camp cot pad at Fred Meyer, but from past experience I know they aren’t bad, but on their own they don’t hold up too well.  I didn’t want to end up getting it all dirty and having pine needles stuck in it or have it get torn by getting caught on things.  I knew I wanted a protective cover, but I also wanted it to have an added layer for warmth and comfort.  Nobody wants to feel a rock or lump of earth poking them in the back nor do I want to end up stiff and sore in the morning.

 

After a fair bit of research I came up with a plan and I ordered a camp cot mattress pad to add to the foam pad.  I also ordered a washable and breathable cotton mattress cover that zips closed so it will stay on nicely and not allow anything to get inside and damage the mattress or allow it to get dirty.  It was easy to assemble the foam pad and the mattress pad using the corner straps that came on the mattress pad.  With a little finesse I was able to slip both the foam and mattress pad into the cotton cover and get it zipped up.

 

I need to be able to roll it up enough for it to fit inside the backseat of my truck or inside a plastic tote so I used a wide piece of elastic I happened to have in my sewing stash to make a stretchable band to go around the mattress after I rolled it up.  I was also able to add my travel pillow and tuck it into the band.  Perfect!

 

Everything came together as I had hoped it would.  After laying on it for a while I know I’m going to be comfortable and will be able to sleep very well on my summer adventures.  I spent $28 on the foam pad last summer, $38 on the mattress pad and $19 on the cover.  I didn't think that was bad at all.  The bonus of having this little mattress setup is that it will be perfect to have in case I need an extra place for a guest to sleep and it won’t take up much space at all.  I personally can hardly wait to try it out myself.  Yes!  I'm so excited!

 

My Tireless Retirement – Week 109

 

April turned out to be a particularly busy month for me and it seemed to go by in a flash.  I’ve completed quite a bit of work inside and outside of my home and I’m pretty proud of all that I’ve been able to accomplish.  I pruned fruit trees, cleaned up a lot of yard debris, pulled up a boatload of weeds, set up the bird bath, prepared the raised garden beds for planting and even purged a few things.  Inside my home I started a new quarterly housekeeping checklist which helps me to maintain my home with a little bit of deeper cleaning, I’ve purged and reorganized some stuff in my garage, purged and shredded papers and some lists I no longer needed, purged and donated some craft supplies and used up a bunch of extra stuff I’ve had lying around the house for a while.  I definitely feel like progress is being made.

 

As I’ve headed into May it appears I’m going to be just as busy as I was last month and I’m quite happy about it.  I love to be busy, especially when it is a productive busy.  Last month I worked part time five days a week and was hoping to get back to my three to four days a week, however we had one of our part time employees that I job share with quit so we are punting until we get another part timer hired on.  With a little bit of finagling they were able to get me scheduled with a weekday off three out of the next four weeks and then I just requested some time off around the Memorial Day holiday which they also worked in.  That will work!

 

One of the projects I needed to complete was to fix the front driver’s side turn signal as well as one of the side marker lights, both of which had burnt out.  This has been an ongoing project for a while as my truck is older and they no longer make the replacement bulbs for the turn signals.  I was able to easily find the bulb for the marker light and get that fixed, but I literally had to do quite a bit of research to figure out which bulb I could use.  I was about at the point of going over to the dealership and visiting the parts department for an overpriced bulb, but I was able to find what I needed, at Wal-Mart of all places, and now, three weeks later that project is completed.  Hurray!

 

Since I was at Wal-Mart I made my trip count and picked up a short list of items I needed including a can of brake fluid to top up the reservoir on the truck and some garden supplies, especially fruit tree spray for the apple and the pear tree.  This is the time of year I need to get them sprayed so we don’t end up with wormy fruit.  At least that is the goal.  Wish me luck, it has been a struggle.

 

One of the items on my canning list this year was to can up some beef roast for my LTFS.  I had picked up two pot roasts I had found on clearance so I decided to pull those out of my freezer and once they were thawed I cut them both up into pieces and was able to fill up three pint jars.  Although they were raw packed I did add a little beef broth au jus to give the roast some really good flavor.  I love to use this for quick meals or to add into rice.  I can also use a little bit of cornstarch to thicken and make a roast beef and gravy to serve with potatoes or rice.

 

Meals I Prepared: 

I made some really good and tasty meals last week.  To begin with I put a pint jar of ground beef and a can of beans I had in the pantry for a while along with a bit of water into my smallest slow cooker to make a tasty chili bean soup that I topped with grated cheddar cheese and a dab of sour cream.  Very simple but it was amazingly delicious!

 

A couple of baked potatoes “baked” in the microwave made for two delicious meals when I took one and stuffed it with steamed broccoli and topped it with grated cheddar, sour cream and diced cooked ham that I had leftover from a ham steak I had thawed the week before.  I had just enough leftover soup, just over a half cup, to place inside the other potato and topped with grated cheddar and sour cream to make a chili stuffed baked potato.

 

The other quick meal I made was to combine a boxed rice mix I had kicking around the pantry that I wanted to use up, a quarter cup of extra rice and a pint jar of pot roast in au jus that I had canned in 2022.  I mixed it all together and cooked it on the stove with a pint jar of beef broth in place of the water that the mix called for.  It was surprisingly delicious, had some really grate flavor, and made four servings.  I ate three and placed one serving into the freezer to have later.  I roasted some frozen cauliflower and some broccoli in my toaster oven.  I sprinkled with seasoned salt and tossed with butter for a great side for this meal.

 

Although our weather was all over the place I was still able to get outdoors and spray the fruit trees and all of the shrubs, get the last flowerbed cleaned up as well as do a final general clean up of the yard, both front and back.  Things are looking pretty ship shape around here, even though a couple big windstorms left me with more debris to clean up, which I did, I still managed to keep things neat and tidy although everything could probably use a good leaf blowing.  Still, my yard has never looked better and I am super happy with it.

 

While I was at Wal-Mart I went ahead and picked up a new larger flowerpot to replace the brittle and well worn one I had next to my garage door.  I revitalized the old potting soil with some rabbit pooh and after placing cut up branches in the bottom of the new pot as filler I put the soil back in.  I am so ready to go and pick out something at the nursery to put in the new pot as well as some of my other ones.  Hopefully this weekend I will be able to do just that.  Anyone else ready to plant some flowers?  Or a garden?  I just love this time of year! 

 

FYI - My retirement week runs from Friday through Thursday.

 

 

2024 Garden Plans Update

 

Not everything goes as planned and that is quite alright.  My seeds I planted didn’t do to well and they were brand new seeds.  The ones that did come up didn’t come up looking quite normal, a lot of them didn’t come up at all and my soil I had bought was buggy.  I had all kinds of little gnats flying around so I dumped the whole lot and now it is time to come up with plan B.

 

A winter's worth of bunny poo

We've got worms!

I make no claims that I am any kind of gardener, but I do love to have a fresh homegrown tomato in the summertime.  And my zucchini last summer was the best I’ve ever had so I want to plant those again.  Last year I think I did fairly well when I bought some bedding plants at the store so I think that is what I will be doing again this year.

 

The soil in my raised garden beds looks amazing this year.  I have earthworms galore!  After dumping the bunny’s litter bins on top of the beds all winter long I turned the soil and was just amazed at how dark and fluffy it was.  Usually it is rather compact after the winter and not a chore I enjoy doing as it is a lot of work, but this year I got it all done in nothing flat and it was rather enjoyable.

 

Garden beds are ready for planting

Because I am going to need to buy plant starts and because I am on a slim budget this year I decided not to add the extra raised bed I had originally planned to install and will just wait until next year.  I’m not sad about it.  I have plenty of garden space to grow the things I want this year.

 

I planted garlic last fall and it appears to be doing well

I'm going to transplant some of this vinca into the backyard

I was hoping to be able to grow my own flowers from seeds this year, but that didn’t quite work out.  That is okay because I’ve come to the conclusion that I do a lot better with perennials so I’m going to be focusing my attention in that direction and add a few more to my flower beds and maybe even a new shrub or two.  I also have some perennials and ground cover to break up and transplant to different areas so that won’t cost me anything but my time.

 

After this little success I want to plant more bulbs in the fall

Regardless of my black thumb, my yard is doing well and I am thrilled with the progress I’ve made so far.  The garlic I planted in the fall as well as the daffodils all seem to be doing amazing.  I want to continue to maintain what I’ve done and expand my way into the backyard and gussy it up some more back there.  Little bit by little bit I am creating the spaces outside that I’ve always dreamed about.  What are some of the things you have planned for your yard this year?

 

So Much Great Stuff!!

 

Every morning I get up with no preconceived notions of how my day will turn out other than to know it will be a great one.  Regardless of what happens, at the end of the day it will have been top notch!  Even if something bad does happen or I encounter a bump in the road I try not to give in and allow it to define the whole day.  NO Bad Days!

 

I’m learning to just go with the flow, something I’ve never actually been all that comfortable with.  In the past I’ve stuck to schedules and routines and if those were interrupted I was so uncomfortable and often upset by it.  I needed to get things done and accomplish my goals.  Now my goal is simply to enjoy my life – moment by moment, day by day.

 

I walk A LOT these days and just enjoy being outside feeling the weather and seeing all of the beauty that is popping up and out around me.  The fresh air feels and smells so good.  I love the warmth of the sun on my face.  Springtime always seems to renew my spirit.  Every day is a new adventure.

 

So far this year I’ve managed to increase my activity tenfold.  I’m getting more exercise than I have over the past three years and the affects are amazing.  While I haven’t lost any weight my clothes are looser which tells me I am finally gaining back some of my muscle loss.  I feel so much stronger and I have a lot more stamina and endurance.  I am so happy about this.  In general I feel better, both physically and mentally.  I’m enjoying myself so much more than I ever have.  I find myself smiling all the time and people notice too.  That is so awesome!

 

Even though I still have one more super thrifty year ahead of me I definitely do not feel like I’m depriving myself of anything.  I know how blessed I am to have the things that I have, which really is a lot, and I don’t take anything for granted.  At this time I have no need to go shopping and buy a bunch of stuff.  Simple pleasures bring me great joy and I am content with what I have and what I am doing.  There is peace and joy in my every day.  So much great stuff!

 

What is some of the great stuff that is going on in your life these days?  What gives you joy?  Is there something coming up that you are looking forward to?  I’d love to hear about it.

 

My Tireless Retirement – Week 108

 

The view outside my kitchen window is glorious right now.  It often is, but with this season now in full swing I’m appreciating it more than ever.  Spring is definitely my most favorite of the four seasons and every time I look outside my heart swells.

 

After a busy week I treated myself to a day out on Saturday.  I hopped on the bus and went to my neighborhood shopping center where I treated myself to some truffles from the candy store and lunch out.  I had received a coupon at work for a FREE hamburger so my lunch only cost me $3 for a side of onion rings to go with my burger.  I brought my own water to drink.  The weather was perfect and I was able to eat outside on their patio.  Afterwards I went for a walk and then hopped back on the bus and made my way back home.

 

Between the candy store and lunch I popped into Dollar Tree and picked up a packet of stickers to use in my daily journal.  I also found a crossword puzzle book I thought I might like.  Once I was home I spent a fair amount of time decorating some journal pages and relaxing before I headed back outside and got busy pulling up all of the weeds that had popped up alongside the driveway and in some of the relief cracks.  I was able, once again, to give the chickens another bucket of leafy greens.

 

Phoebe laid me this giant egg last week
Pretty sure this is a double yoker

Now that the majority of the yard cleanup is pretty much done, I have one more flowerbed to work on and the pond to flush and get up and running, things are looking pretty much ship shape around here.  It feels so good as I walk up to my house each day and see how nice everything looks.  I’m hoping to get some more bark this year to spread in the flowerbeds and hopefully, if the price is right, I can get enough to finish the backyard around the raised garden beds.

 

Ways I Saved $$: 

I used a FREE hamburger coupon I was given at work to treat myself to a nice, inexpensive lunch out.  A rare treat indeed these days. 

I emptied the five gallon gas can into my truck to use it up so it doesn’t go bad.  I plan to refill it next time I go to the station and top up my tank.  For now though I have of fuel in the truck to get by with for a few more weeks.

After feeding the girls all of those weeds, I didn't need to refill their feeder as it still had quite a bit of feed in it.

 

Meals I Prepared: 

The tortellini soup I had made the previous week was rather filling so I didn’t eat as much as I thought I would.  I ended up with one more serving plus an extra meatball so I started off the week finishing that up. 

I made two very delicious salmon dinners with baked potatoes and steamed broccoli.  Oh my goodness, what a fantastic meal that was and on an extreme grocery budget no less.  A digital coupon offer from Albertson’s in March allowed me to purchase four salmon fillets for less than $5!  I figured it up and each serving came to less than $2!  A salmon dinner!  Where can you get two salmon dinners for only $4?  Oh wait, I know, my house.  Ha, ha. 

I used a pint jar of pasta sauce and one of spicy Italian sausage and peppers to make a little pasta dish.  I ended up with three meals for the week.  I also took some leftover rice as well a slice of ham from the freezer and made myself a small batch of fried rice one day.

 

My journaling class went well with only one little squabble between two participants.  Yes, that actually happened.  Will I be teaching another one?  I’m not sure.  We shall see if there is an interest for me to do one, if so, I’m game.  It was definitely not the experience I was thinking it would be, however it was an experience and I am glad I did it.

 

My rhubarb plants are already huge!

How did your week go?  Has spring arrived and is the weather warming up where you live?

 

FYI - My retirement week runs from Friday through Thursday.