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Home > Archive: May, 2018

Archive for May, 2018

Holy Cannoli! Gas $$

May 27th, 2018 at 07:31 pm

I just finished updating YNAB (oops .. hadn't done it since the 13th ...)

We are at $380 for gas - and DH has 3 more work nights - so at least one more tank.

I'd upped the budget to $350 …

But the two trips to the low cost vet - 45 minute trip one way - probably didn't help …

We also have already overspent on groceries by $30. Ugh. I really need to keep up with this more often. It won't help with gas, but at least with groceries, I can make more informed choices and limit the overspending.

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We have to wait til sometime next week for the results of the new test for Baby. Plus take him up back to the vet at the end of the month to see if the new food is helping any. (another blood test + gas$$)

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I finally got credited with the cashback on my US Bank card. It was $177.83 statement credit. But because I cashed out for over $100, I'm getting a $25 gift card in addition (in 6 weeks or so?)

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I mowed the yard again this morning (hadn't set the setting very low last time) and of course didn't wear my gloves … Guess who has popped blisters on her hands? Ouch.

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Tomorrow I plan on cleaning the carpets. Fun fun, but needs to be done.

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I started watching Madam Secretary on Netflix yesterday. I like it so far.

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I bought a soda stream from someone on FB market for $30. I haven't tried it yet, but it was too good of a deal to pass up. (not using to make soda - just carb water)

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DH found a new home for the chickens!!!! Hopefully that is going to help the smell in the house (once he cleans the workshop thoroughly …)



Now off to enter receipts ...

Baby :(

May 26th, 2018 at 04:15 am

Baby is one of the two cats my DH had the first time we dated in 2004. The other one - Riddles, died a few months before our wedding.

Baby had severe issues with UTIs when he was younger, and had two surgeries to help. One of which essentially castrated him I think, and rearranged the uretha? tube.

We had complete blood work done on him 1 1/2 years ago due to lots of upchucking. We were told he was in excellent shape for his age.

The last few weeks we'd caught him peeing next to a wall - nowhere near any of the numerous clean litterboxes - multiple times. This wasn't exactly new, but we hadn't seen it in a long time.

DH also noticed he'd been throwing up a lot more again. And he'd lost several pounds.

So on Thursday he took him to the vet - they ran the blood tests again.

This time it looks like there may be a kidney issue. As in possible renal failure. Frown

I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow for her to do some other tests, and get prescription food.

He's such a good cat. We're so not ready to say goodbye to another cat - we just lost Sunny in November.

Frown

Hoping our pet fund will handle this - Sunny's care pretty well depleted it. If not, we can dip into the EF.

Life

May 19th, 2018 at 04:15 am

Well, I don't know that there is really that much financial to write about. Let's see ...

I finished my 6th week of physical therapy for my shoulder today. It finally seems to be making some progress. The PT guy came in and suggested doing a laser treatment - usually costs $249 for 6 treatments if done by itself (insurance doesn't cover) but would be $20/visit on top of my copay.

He gave me one free treatment today.... I gotta say, I think it did help.

He mentioned that he thinks I may have the beginnings of frozen shoulder ... The pain is getting better, but there's still only so far I can lift my arm in various directions without my shoulder protesting. PT guy said it was stiffness from not being used.

He told me to stretch, stretch, stretch - even if it was causing discomfort. That's the only way I'll prevent frozen shoulder.

So ... I'm bullying through the discomfort and stretching!

DH and I were discussing the need to check our gutters again. He has two bad shoulders (and a fear of heights) and with my shoulder situation, I don't think climbing a ladder is a good idea.

It would be far less expensive for us to hire someone to come out and do it, then for me to get up there and fall again!

I mowed our yard on Sunday - between picking up sticks/trash and mowing it took 3 hours. Ugh. Then the next day up pops TONS of dandelions. Double ugh. It almost looked like I hadn't done anything to the yard.

So frustrating.

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I have one run left to do to complete my Runbet, and one day to complete my Stepbet. 3 days to complete my Spryfit bet.

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I paid our home insurance and my car insurance today. $1347 out the door. Oh well, it was all budgeted for.

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My grandma's been having lots of health issues recently. Her pacemaker hasn't been doing it's job as well as it should - she had to have it recalibrated? once, and almost went in a second time. She's now on a low potassium, liquid diet. Hopefully Frosty's are low potassium, because she LOVES her Frosty's. Smile

I have the sad feeling that she probably isn't going to make it to 98. (She turns 97 in September.) We are prepared for the phone call with our Emergency Travel funds. A fund you hope you don't have to use for a long, long time, but are very glad to have when you do need it.

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I still am not getting my eating back under control. Breakfast and lunch most days are very healthy and on plan ... it's just what I eat at night isn't very good.

I'm hoping this weekend I will actually follow through with my meal prepping plans and have everything ready to go for the week. When I manage to do that, the week seems to go so much better with my managing to eat healthfully. Less wasted food too. (DH is very frustrated with the food waste ... I am too, but I have all these great plans about what I'm going to do with it ... then it becomes a science experiment before I get to it ...)

At least I'm doing good at getting my exercise in ...

Sigh. (Diet is 80-90% of the health battle. Exercise is important, but it can't replace healthy eating.)

Home Warranty and Face Plant

May 13th, 2018 at 05:07 pm

So if you recall, we were waiting to be reimbursed for the cost of replacing our water heater. At first the HW company said that the email receipt I forwarded wouldn't work since it didn't give detail. They said they'd been in contact with the place that replaced our water heater.

On Tuesday I remembered to take our paper copy of the receipt to work with me. I scanned it at the darkest resolution. It still was just barely readable. So I made a second copy that I went over in pen, and scanned it. Then emailed both copies to the HW place.

We had our reimbursement check in the mail on Thursday!

So on Friday I called to renew our policy. I wanted to pay up front for a year. I asked about the two free months advertised if you renewed before the expiration date.

That was ONLY for those paying month by month with automatic withdrawals from checking. I expressed how unfair and ridiculous I thought this was - why should I be punished just because I wanted to pay in full??

At first I just paid in full because I prefer to avoid monthly payments. But then I got to thinking about it. By doing this, I'd be paying an extra $100 just to avoid paying monthly. If I were to pay monthly, I'd have the $600 I'd set aside to use elsewhere ...

Was it really worth it?

So .. I called back and canceled my payment. On Monday I'm going to call back with my checking info.

I'm still annoyed, but inexplicably in this case, making monthly payments will work out better financially.

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So I've had five weeks of physical therapy for my shoulder. On Friday I finally felt like real progress was finally being made.

Then yesterday I went for my 4th run of the week (Runbet) and ended up tripping over my own two feet. I landed mostly on my right side / knee, but I definitely jarred my left shoulder some too.

I'm really hoping I haven't set back my progress too much. Ugh.

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I have one week left on my current runbet and stepbet. I plan on resigning up for both again as soon as my winnings are paid up. I've been doing pretty well with exercise ... wish I could say the same for food ...

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Recommendation! The Lizzie Bennett Diaries on youtube! Based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice