In these tumultuous times, I have been trying to put more in savings. I have a small income, and it's mostly Social Security, so this has always been a challenge, but now I feel I have to do more. Frankly, I'm terrified of this abominable administration. My son is a government worker. He is not safe. I depend on Social Security, so I am not safe either. Don't try to tell me Trump says it won't be touched. He is the biggest liar and most depraved man I ever seen in public office (and I have lived for 75 years!) I don't believe him. Musk is even worse.

So I am challenging myself, as the end of the month looms, to spend nothing till the first of March. My supplies are dwindling. I have some chicken salad, half an apple, some uncooked pasta, one frozen chicken breast, most of a half-gallon of milk, 10 eggs, half a package of sliced cheese, half of a cake, a few nuts, and some frozen fajita filling and lasagna. As well as some frozen vegetables and fruits. I think this is enough to tide me over.

The catch is I have to pay my semi-annual property tax installment, as well as three utility bills, so it will hardly be no spending. I am simply focusing on what is avoidable. I hope to sweep more than $1000 into savings at the end of the month. I hope to do this often.

I didn't ask for this. I didn't vote for the man. But I think we all wlill suffer, except, of course, the uber-rich. However, Buffett is certainly not a fan! He has moved away from US stocks and into Japanese investments. We should listen.

I went to my dermatologist yesterday for my annual full skin exam (to screen for skin cancer). Everything was fine. But  he looked at my scar from the Mohs surgery I had a year and a half ago, and it has clearly not healed well. Very lumpy. He recommended an injection to help smooth it. I had to check first with my insurance company to see if they covered the procedure. They do, or at least they pay 80%. I figured it's worth it to try -- after all, it's on my face! So I made an appointment to go back in a couple of weeks.

My dermatologist practices in a suburb quite a bit north of where I live. It is so hard to get a dermatology appointment around here that you have to accept some travel. It might be better now, but I like this doctor, so I'm sticking with him. Anyway, I took the train to this particular suburb, but I realized too late that I left my phone at home -- and I was planning to Uber from the train station to the medical building. There's no way to Uber without your own phone. I went to a nearby bank and asked a teller if she could call a taxi for me. Turns out this suburb does not have a taxi service -- or at least this young lady couldn't locate one. But she did pull up Maps and showed me how to walk there. It was a 50-minute walk, but a straight shot, most of it on a walking/bike path, so it wasn't bad. Of course I had to walk back, too, after the appointment. I got a lot of exercise. Unfortunately, it was a bit cold for my taste.

The upside is -- I didn't spend anything! Well, except for the doctor's fee. I had packed a small lunch, so I wasn't tempted by Panera, or Chipotle, or Epic Burger. Just ate my apple and granola bar in the train station as I waited for my ride home.

Next time I will take my phone.

I am in the middle of a big reorganizing project, which started when I pulled out some dusty boxes from under my bed. They were full of photos and family memorabilia, so I'm going through them and trying to bring order to chaos. Eventually, I will need to find a better place to store them. It will not be under the bed. But I ordered a couple of underbed storage containers, and I'm going to move some of my blankets and quilts there, which will free up some closet space. At the same time, I ordered some plate holders, to prop up some plates that are precariously leaning against the back wall of my hutch. I don't want them to come sliding down and knock over other things. The Amazon order for the containers and the stands was $45.

I just got a notice from Paypal that I received $10 in a class action settlement. Every little bit helps!

Decided not to post my spending amounts anymore, not that I am spending differently and want to hide it! I just think it will be more meaningful for me to discuss what happened during the month.

Of course it was a crazy month, and just the beginning of a crazy four years, that I don't know how I will endure.

My biggest expenditure was on car insurance, the irony being that I am not driving. However, my son and grandson are using the car and it must be insured. No, I am not going to ask them to pay the insurance. I am glad that they are using the car, keeping it in good shape. It was never their idea, it was my idea. Soon the license issue will be resolved, because for God's sake, how can it go on any longer? I called the DMV the first week of the month, and was told that my application had finally been sent to the medical review committee. This should have happened many months ago. Their incompetence is mind-boggling. But I got a promise -- backed up by a letter -- that I will have an answer in four to six weeks. So there is an end in sight. Maybe. I don't trust them at all.

Other high spending was a $290 medical bill (from my ER visit last April), and $177 for gifts and hosting a Christmas dinner, which turned out to be a New Year's dinner.

Unusually low spending for groceries ($63) and eating out ($6) -- mostly because I had many leftovers from the dinner I hosted, and I used them religiously.

I've been doing some minor home improvements -- I framed and hung some photographs my grandson took of wildlife, and I installed a shelf unit under my bathroom sink. Those amounted to $60.

I attended my other grandson's volleyball tournament in Milwaukee, but that only cost me $18 for the ticket and $6 for coffee. I rode with my son, and he paid for my meal. And it was a great day!

Nothing else really stands out.

February will be a bit spendy, with property tax coming due (semi-annual) and a birthday. Also, I will be traveling out of town for a doctor's appointment, which may involve some Uber-ing. I will take it as it comes.