Had to Shop for Auto Insurance

 We recently received our 6-month auto insurance bill from GEICO.  Surprise!  It was a 20% increase in

the bill.  After that shock, I shopped around locally for auto insurance based on what I researched from the Word Of Mouth pages (local to me) on FaceBook. 

A call to a local State Farm office saved us $800 a year. Shocker.  The policy is the same as the one at GEICO and we were able to bundle our homeowners insurance in the package too.  Unfortunately, we could not get a policy from them for the rental ( my deceased parents' home).  That home still has insurance just through another agent.  It is difficult to get coverage for a home in Florida built in the late 1960's.  The insurance companies want the houses up to the current code ( related to hurricanes) and those strict building codes did not start until 2002. 

We are enjoying fantastic weather. The temps are in the 40s in the AM but quickly warm up to about 60 degrees.  I have been able to open up the house and air it out which does not happen very often at all.  We are expecting it to warm up to the 80s again at the end of the week. Crazy weather.  

There are a couple of things I still need to get looked at regarding the house.  The garage door opener is glitchy and has been for at least a year and the pool light works intermittently.  I am hoping to get both of those looked at before the end of the year.  I have YouTubed how to fix the garage door, but have yet to find a solution.  Regarding the pool light, I am hoping my electrician sons can help me to get that fixed. They are both soooo busy with their jobs and lives that it is hard to work that in. 

Menu Plan Monday - How Went Last Week Plans for This Week

Here is what we were supposed to have last week. Most days were successful.  Friday and Sunday were days we ate carry-out food.  I typically budget $50 a paycheck for eating out and we pretty much spent it all.  I was dealing with an upset tummy on  Friday and on Sunday we were finishing up projects on our to-do list.  I just got lazy lol. 

One of our projects was replacing a panel on the oven door.  The adhesive had somehow worn out along the bottom of the outer cover and when you would open the door, it would wobble.  Annoying.  

I ordered the replacement with the help of a local appliance repair business.  With the help of YouTube, we were able to remove the door and my husband was able to replace the panel and we were back in business.  There was a glitch in getting the door back on the oven, but more YouTube research helped that process.  

 Since the oven door was off, I went ahead and did a quick cleaning of the oven.  I removed the racks and
started them soaking with vinegar and Dawn.  Then I wiped the oven down and sprayed it with GooGone oven cleaner.  The GooGone was basically odor-free and did a fairly decent job of cleaning and removing most of the gunk on the inside of the oven.  I am putting a reminder in my phone to clean out the oven next year about this time with the link to the YT video that we found most helpful for removing and putting the oven door back on. 

Oh, and let's not forget how junky and crumb-filled the bottom drawer was. Disgusting! 

HERE IS LAST WEEK'S MENU

• Monday - Roast in the crockpot.  I have had this roast in the freezer for a LONG time.  Will add potatoes and carrots 
• Tuesday - Leftovers. Maybe.  If not, then Sliced Ham and air fryer potatoes with broccoli
• Wednesday - Pulled pork sandwiches with sauce.  Coleslaw
• Thursday - Thanksgiving at family.  We will probably eat sandwiches or hot dogs in the evening. Depends on how hungry we are..
• Friday - Pizza    Chick Fil A ( stomach was still upset)
• Saturday - Frozen fish triangles with Mac and Cheese ( Kraft blue box)
• Sunday -  Crockpot Taco Hashbrown Casserole     Take Out Pizza

HERE IS THIS WEEK'S MENU

• Monday - Sliced Ham and sweet potatoes.
• Tuesday - Spaghetti Casserole 
• Wednesday - Breakfast for dinner
• Thursday - Hamburgers
• Friday -      Grilled Cheese and Soup
• Saturday - Air Fryer Chicken Breast and Large Chef Salad
• Sunday -  Crockpot Taco Hashbrown casserole   Going to try to actually make it this
•  time.

As I was walking this morning I already thought of a few different things we can eat this week. If I change anything I will post it. I did get 1.3 miles in this morning.  It is dreary but the weather is nice and cool.  Can't complain. 

Did you stay on track with your menu plans last week?  Are you eating any Thanksgiving leftovers this week? 

Saturday Check In

Thanksgiving did not go as planned. We were invited to our daughter's in-laws for a Turkey feast and I was really looking forward to it. About 30 minutes before we were supposed to leave, my stomach was not feeling great, and decided that I had to stay home. 

 I encouraged my husband to go on without me, but he declined.  He stayed home and ate a turkey 
sandwich.  Luckily, my inlaws sent over food with my daughter for us.  My husband was able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal and I made myself some plain spaghetti with butter.  That was about all my stomach could handle. 

The rest of the evening was uneventful with regard to my stomach issues, but I really did not tempt the fates by eating anything else. 

Black Friday came and went.  I did order a new comforter from Belk to take advantage of the Black Friday pricing, but I did not venture out into the shopping chaos. Most gifts have been bought already and the rest of the gifts will be gift cards or cash. 

I did venture out to the local thrift store to drop off items, but one was closed and one was not accepting donations after noon.  This was one of the few occasions that I did not need to go to the grocery store for something.  Leading up to Thanksgiving I felt like I was at the store every day! I was finishing up an Ibotta deal and then I got hooked on Ibotta and felt like I had to get more "deals".  Vicious circle lol. 

My stomach is better but not 100%.  I hope that today (Saturday) there will be a vast improvement.  

Regardless, I will try to get a few things done.  When I go back to the thrift store to drop off items, I will probably go in and see what they have.  I am looking for craft stamps, and sometimes you can find them in the bags they hang on the wall. 

• Morning walk
• Drop off items at the thrift store
• Finish putting up Christmas decorations
• Decide what is for dinner
• Vacuum and dust master bedroom
• Work on decluttering the computer room
• Continue to pull together estate papers.  

The weather is cool but with that, we are not seeing the sun as it is overcast and gloomy.  I am okay with that as it will help the electric bill.  This morning it is 56 degrees with a high of 74 degrees. 

How is the weather where you are? Did you go out and shop Black Friday deals?

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Wishing you and yours a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

Menu Plan Monday

 I run hot and cold on menu/meal planning.  Here's to getting back on track. Again.

• Monday - Roast in the crockpot.  I have had this roast in the freezer for a LONG time.  Will add potatoes and carrots
• Tuesday - Leftovers. Maybe.  If not, then Sliced Ham and air fryer potatoes with broccoli
• Wednesday - Pulled pork sandwiches with sauce.  Coleslaw
• Thursday - Thanksgiving at family.  We will probably eat sandwiches or hot dogs in the evening. Depends on how hungry we are..
• Friday - Pizza
• Saturday - Frozen fish triangles with Mac and Cheese ( Kraft blue box)
• Sunday -  Crockpot Taco Hashbrown casserole https://www.themagicalslowcooker.com/taco-potato-casserole/

What's cooking at your house this week?  

What Are You Doing for Thanksgiving?

This Thanksgiving we are invited to my daughter's inlaws home.  I love that I don't have to cook a big meal and am only required to bring a dessert ( or whatever else is needed).  The days of prepping a huge Thanksgiving dinner for 17 to 20 people are done for me.  I look back when I did do the big meal thing and it was at a time when I was working full time and commuting an hour daily round trip. What was I thinking lol? 

My children are grown and in their 40's.  You would think I could go to their house for Thanksgiving.  My daughter does not cook.  She always said since she was a little girl that she never wanted to cook and that she would find a man who would cook.  And that she did.  

My middle son does have a BIG neighborhood Thanksgiving dinner celebration.  We have attended on a couple of occasions and have enjoyed ourselves.  We try to rotate between my son and my daughter's in laws for Thanksgiving. 

My oldest son will either come with us to the in-laws or he and his girlfriend will celebrate at their home. He works A LOT and he may be working some of the holiday weekend.  

We will all get together for Christmas dinner at our home.  I will fix dinner and entertain the masses then. We don't exchange gifts but I do put together a huge saran wrap ball that is filled with assorted gift cards and small dollar tree gifts.  The total amount for the gift cards will be about $400. You get what you get. 

What pleases me is that my grown kids are happy in their lives and careers.  I can pick up the phone and chat with them and catch up.  And they can do the same.  I am GRATEFUL that we are still on the same page as a family and are not divided by disagreements or significant others. 

That is the best gift for me as a mom.  The love and support of my family. I pray it continues. 

Today I will be cleaning out a couple of kitchen cabinets that are long overdue.  These cabinets hold the meds and supplements for us.  I am not on any maintenance meds but I do take supplements when I remember. My husband is on a couple of maintenance meds and lots of supplements. 

Happy Sunday!

 

Friday Check In

 It has been an absolutely dreary week with endless rain and no sun.  There is a tropical depression that has invaded South Florida and we are reaping the after effects of that storm.  Hurricane season is ending with a bang, that's for sure. 

For the last week, I have successfully walked at least a mile every day, even in the rain lol.  It has been good for me physically and mentally. While walking, I plan my day and come up with a mental to do list.  The challenge is to remember what I came up with and get it done. 

I write down what I can recall and try to get most of that done through out the day.  Today on the list is:

• Order the last of the Christmas gifts from Amazon
• Order new curtains from WalMart.  ( I will pay the shipping, I do not want to GO to WalMart at all)
• Organize Estate documents. ( This is ongoing and I try to do a little every day or so)
• Start wrapping the few gifts that have arrived.
• Work on my desk and clean out a spot for me.   Started it.
• Figure out what is for dinner tonight
• Plan what is for dinner for the next few nights
• Finish up Christmas decorating inside the house
• Vacuum and wash floor in TV room. ( I like to just deep clean one room at a time)

I may run to the Thrift Store and see what they have.  Last month I closed down my eBay store and have had a couple of resellers come over and buy what they want.  I am done with reselling and all that it involves. 

But, I still like to go to the thrift store and look around.  :-)

Have a great weekend! 

Checking Back In

 It has been MONTHS since I last posted.  

I have been checking in now and again to read my favorite
bloggers and have kept up for the most part.  I have just been busy with thrifting and reselling and YouTube.  I have a thrifting YouTube channel and now a cash stuffing/budgeting YouTube channel.  Strange, right?  

The budgeting channel evolved from researching budgeting for retirement, then I got sucked in to the YouTube rabbit hole of cash stuffing and budgeting.  I am happy to report that using cash for many of our transactions has been helpful in tracking the money. I feel confident that we will be okay financially when the hubs steps down to part time with benefits and then eventually retires. 

Other than that, I have been just keeping up with the regular stuff.  I was given a 6 month supply of Qzempic for weight loss and it was successful.  Then insurance denied the refills. And the weight loss has stalled and now I have gained a few pounds back. 

We are currently in the middle of a bathroom renovation, we are doing the tear out and hubs is rebuilding a couple of walls and will be doing the drywall as well.  We contracted out for the tile work. It is still not cheap, but considerably better than the first quote we got at $20,000.  Good grief. 

I think that is it in a nutshell for now.  I will leave the link for the thrifting channel: HappyGirlThrift

and the cash stuffing channel: Figuring Out Retirement

I am still busy with the grandkids, but they are getting older and are starting to do their own thing.  They are just super busy.  I do get to  pick them up from the bus one a week and we will go out to grab a bite and or shop for a few things. 

We have not been to Disney, passes expired probably 2-3 years ago.  Going there with the kiddos was the most fun, for sure. 

My grown kids are all well, everyone is working and have the lives that they want for the most part.  Which is a blessing.   

Thanks for reading this long overdue post, and I will check in more often.