A few of you didn’t check in. I hope you are doing well. This is for you.
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FUCK.
I forgot about the fee on a rarely used credit card. $39. My misc spending for the rest of the month is now down to $76.12.
This frustrates me. I have 2 cards with annual fees. Both, I have had for many decades, so if I close them, then my credit takes a hit because of account longevity. I have called both cards. Can you waive the fee as a courtesy, longtime customer? NO. Can you switch me to a similar product that doesn’t have the fee? NO.
This particular card also has a truly obscene credit limit - like, nearly half my salary - so I kind of don’t want to lose that, both because that would be a hit to my debt-to-credit-limit ration (or whatever it’s called) and because, well, should shit really hit the fan hard enough that I blow through all my savings, that’s a cushion.
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week 2 -
I did not check in for week 1.
I did not figure out my work VPN.
I did not set up my work rrsp matching (eligible in mid Dec).
I did not figure out how to submit my drug or dentist expenses under my new work insurance.
On the plus side
I did not buy a spiral cut ham just because it was on sale for $17 marked down from $46.
I hand washed 8 pairs of wool socks and 3 bras.
eta: I did not eat 3 dozen oatmeal raisin cookies in 24 hours
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OK. My November is really busy, so I want to continue to deliberately spend some money on high priority areas of my life I want to make sure doesn’t let slip, or even potentially improve:
- try a personal training session focused on weights and resistance training
- purchase some more at-home gym equipment that are low cost but high “efficacy/efficiency” - a weighted medicine ball, maybe?
- spend some money or time on really cleaning up the house
- list some clothes on Poshmark and donate others
- order some chocolate boxes in preparation for giving out as gifts over the holiday season
- buy healthy travel snacks or easy meals to bring along to two trips
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EVERYONE PLEASE READ
This week’s check-in window starts now and ends late sunday or early monday, Hoth time.
Tell us how you’re doing!
Also please say what you did this week that you’re proud of.
The reward this week is the allocation of a treat to one of the four options:
-
T’Challa the kitten-cat.
Full of beans and snuggles. Runs too fast and hits walls with his face. Snuggles my face. -
Daisy the dog.
Such an idiot. So lovable. What is she chewing on? Who knows! -
Sprocket the dog:
Attentive and smart and loving. Bullies the other animals. -
A neighbourhood stray:
The neighbourhood is overrun with stray cats. Winters here are brutal. My younger kid knows where the feral cat colonies are.
Please use your update to allocate one treat to one of these animals, or 1/4 cup of dry kibble to a feral cat.
If the treat is for one of my animals, specify if you want the treat thrown so the animal catches it, flicked so they chase it, or put in their bowl like a civilized creature.
Allons-y!
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Argh forgot to check in for last week. Notably, have also not made much progress on spreadsheets and tracking this last week (thanks, travel, for making life not-focused-on-spreadsheets).
Will do better this week.
ETA: This was not intended as an official update, because I was behind reporting time for last week, but because Smacky told me to, 1/4 cup of kibble to a feral kitty would be a lovely thing. Please tell LD that An Internet Stranger thinks his concern for and knowledge of the kitties is freaking awesome.
Things I am proud of… um… I traveled with 3-4 other people for almost a week and did not go bonkers?
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Throw a treat for Daisy.
Savings goal is coming along nicely, with another $120 in regular savings and $40 to the HSA.
I’ve managed to avoid the temptation of ordering lunch by bringing my own every day this week. We’ll be out at a client the next two days so lunch is on boss.
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T’Challa the kitten cat should have a treat flicked I think.
Today I set up the rrsp thing for work matching and opened the file to do the VPN setup.
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I think they all deserve treats, but I’m won over by the freezing feral cats in Hoth.
I’m working on my last goal: looking at Marketplace plans and checking my providers. Found out my rheumatologist does not accept any Marketplace plan, so that’s a bummer. But, better to know now, I guess…
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This is not an update. Please follow the rules so a creature can have treats.
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HELLO SMACKY HERE IS MY UPDATE ALSO I STILL LOVE YOU
Tracked things, as I required myself to do.
Groceries: $306.75
Eating out: $128.07
Gas: $39.53
I rolled a D4 and it told me to feed sprocket.
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WEEK 2 PROGRESS:
Next dental work is Saturday morning. Pretty confident about it, and then I can discuss the dentist’s list of remaining work.
Landscaper comes for site visit tomorrow. My folks help us finish the fence on the weekend.
Grocery spreadsheet has made keeping the pantry properly stocked really easy.
My yarn for xmas presents turned up and I’ve started working on them.
We have had the air-conditioning on and ignored electricity costs because it is fucking hot.
Spending:
- Groceries: $770/1000 (not much left)
- Meals out: $100/250
- Work lunch: $90/250
- Me spending: $78/$75 (didn’t buy anything else, worked out how to browse library ebooks easier.)
Send food to feral cats plz
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Okay, my idea of updating in the middle of the week is not aligned to the badges giving timeline. Can I have one anyway @Smacky?
ETA: after reading your post, it seems that I am in the timeline, just one week late lol. I assign the treat to Sprocket the dog and I want you to throw it so that he can catche it. Seems like something he’ll like.
Packing Lunch: It’s a good thing that this is a No-Stress challenge because I haven’t done any lunch packing whatsoever.
Meal planning and batch cooking: Still on survival mode here. We had 2 take-out meals last week; one on Wednesday eve and one on Saturday before we left for the weekend. This week I’ve been managing so far, I did a big pasta sauce for Tue and Wed. Tonight I don’t know how I’ll manage but I’m thinking of taking tomorrow off to do some batch cooking and decluttering. If I do I’ll create a meal plan for the remaining weeks.
Having a budget for the black Friday shopping: Nope. I feel nauseous just thinking about it. I might create a topic to ask for tips on how to make yourself do necessary shopping.
Tracking my personal spendings: I am reporting a cumulative amount (detailing when necessary). For Nov1-13, it was: €160.89
Entertainment: €64,09
- Restaurants: €58,79
- Swimming pool: €5.30
Transportation:€96.80
- Uber: €21.60
- Monthly Transit pass: €75.20
Tracking our family spending: Also cumulative and for Nov1-13 it is €1285.45
*** Housing: €762.86**
- Morgage1: €212.38
- Water: €72.59
- Electricity: €150.00
- Homeowner insurance: €299,39
- DIY projects: €28.50
*** Education: €277.56**
- Afterschool:€262.56**
- PTA:€15.00**
*** Groceries: €182.40**
*** Entertainment: €34.09**
*** Transit: €20.13**
*** Internet: €8.41**
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The feral kitties need some kibble. (Side note, is there a spay/neuter volunteer group that would come out to the colony?)
I think the last items I have are to get autopay set up and work on my art project. I have made zero progress on my art project so I’ll have to make it a priority this weekend, but I have poked around in my bank’s web interface for autopay and asked [entity] for the information I would need for autopay.
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- Groceries are now at $151.67. We inadvertently planned a week of meals that leave us tons of leftovers so I expect we’ll have a cheap week next week.
- We haven’t had any invites from friends to spend money on restaurants. We’ve mostly been seeing our friends who are working on some house projects. We’ve been trading off whose house we work on, and whoever’s house we’re at makes dinner.
Thing I’m proud of: We’ve been better at entering expenses into our spreadsheet as we go instead of waiting until the end of the month when we don’t remember why we went to Target or whatever. Sometimes we enter the expenses into the spreadsheet before we even leave the store.
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Hahahaha update
- no one has PM d me their address for Christmas cards. As I explained to a friend last night (while forcing him to retrieve my Christmas tree from high, and switching between the three of us who wore the princess santa hat, the reindeer headband or the cat’s Santa hat), Christmas for me is not religious or overcomercialized. It is the remnants of my family’s distant pagan winter festival and requires people to accept my overwhelming and unwelcome cheer. Also food
- feral cats. And I want my delivery made by a singing child.
3). Last week I survived. Today is the dawn of a new week and my goal is also to survive, and to withdraw money from my bank account today.
Accomplishments from last week
Survival
Halfway complete money laundering
Ate lots of home food
Did not touch savings accounts to avoid money laundering
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Oh yes! Please throw a treat for Sprocket so that the other animals will maybe get a moment’s peace.
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I want you to put a treat in T’Challa’s bowl! That way you can pat her cute little cat bum while she eats!
Proud of? Haha, not much lately. I guess pulling somewhat out of my funk and limiting my screen time, if I had to choose 
.
Spending!!!
No more shopping since last check-in, some added in food + drink and I think that’s it!
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- Still using Toodledo and YNAB.
- Grocery costs this week $56, total for the month $95, well below my target of $300. So far resisting the impulse purchases because they are on sale. So were the ones currently in my freezer, eating them first.
- Still meal planning well. Have next week’s plan mostly done too.
- Stopped tracking for several days. Geting back into the habit. Tried one of my suspected problem foods and it causued problems. Not doing that again for a while.
- Initiated the rollovers. YAY! Selected the funds I will invest them in once they transfer and everything clears and I’m able to invest, probably next week. Proud of this one, I’ve been procrastinating for a couple of years.
Please feed the feral cats for me.
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