Calories: 1500

I indulged at yesterday's picnic, but I had had light meals beforehand, so it all turned out okay. It was a good time, a ton of free food, and lots of free activities for the kids, including a bouncy house, bags, and croquet.

The watermelon smoothie was good! There's so much water in watermelon that it is quite easy to pulverize. I just added a bit of almond milk and a small scoop of ice cream. I had another one this morning. Enough watermelon left for another one tomorrow!

I made the veggie burgers and Spanish rice and froze both. I've really caught up on the food now. Just have a lot of lettuce to eat, but it's salad weather anyway.

There's a baseball game tonight, but it's raining now, so we'll see. My grandson pitched at the last game and did poorly. He felt so bad and I felt bad for him. He's been practicing since, but my guess is he won't be on the mound this game.

Calories: 1449

Just as I was drifting off to sleep last night I heard a knock on my door. That's very unusual, as no one can come to my door unless they have a key to the building -- so it had to be a neighbor -- anyone else would use the buzzer.

I opened the door, and it was a neighbor with a police officer! Her unit and at least one other was burglarized yesterday. Shocking! The burglar broke into the main door and then broke into the units, so it was just a matter of luck he didn't choose mine! It was only third-floor units, probably because there was less chance of interference up there.

After they left, I heard a lot of banging; it sounded like neighbors were fixing their doors.

The odd thing is that when I came home from errands yesterday, I went through the main door and didn't notice anything.

It was unsettling, even though I wasn't affected. I checked my locks, but then, locks didn't help the neighbors, did they? Finally fell asleep late into the night.

In other news --

Yesterday was an errand day. I mailed three packages at the post office ($28). One held my Merrell shoes, which I am returning to the original store (in Georgia, not Florida). The associate I spoke to was not in the shoe department, which makes me a little nervous, but she assured me that I could switch for a bigger size as long as I included the receipt and the shoes were unworn. I included a letter explaining it all, so here's hoping.

I returned library books, and then went to Kohl's to spend my Kohl's cash. Took me a while to figure out what I wanted, but I ended up buying a rug that matches the one I bought on my trip. Only it's bigger. I placed it at the foot of my bed, and it really warms up the room. After my Kohl's cash it cost only $17 -- same price as the other, but it's about twice the size. The original price was supposedly $65.

Then I stopped and picked up some kitty litter at Aldi's ($5) and baby aspirin and batteries at Walgreens ($8, after using $5 in Walgreen's rewards).

That all took me out of the house the whole afternoon, which was apparently when the burglar struck.

I also did a load of laundry before I left ($1.50). Unfortunately, the machine I used leaked oil or grease or something on my laundry. The mesh of my sweater dryer was ruined, which is no great loss, as I have two others. But a good pair of capris was stained a little. I am treating them, and they'll be wearable for everyday, but still.... I reported the problem to management, and just got the generic reply.

Today I'm going to a community picnic. It's going to be hot, and I'll have to walk a bit to get there, which I'm already dreading! But it's a free meal, and a chance to socialize, so I'm going. The rest of the fam is going, too.

I never got around to making the Spanish rice or the veggie burgers yesterday, so that's on the list today. And I'm making a watermelon smoothie for breakfast! I'll let you know how it turns out.

Calories: 1306

I spent most of the day yesterday doing laundry and processing leftover food. More work to do today on both! I'm going to make Spanish rice and veggie burgers today. Yesterday I made guacamole soup and put most of it in the freezer. It's good!

I have a whole head of lettuce to use up, so I guess a lot of salads are in my future. And watermelon. I bought one-quarter of a watermelon and forgot to serve it. This morning I cut it into pieces so it will be easy to snack on.

In the evening I went to an out-of-town baseball game. While out in the western suburbs, I filled up the gas tank - $26.

The Merrell shoes I bought in Florida are a little tight. I tried them on without socks -- just those store-provided footies -- and that was a mistake. They really bother my corn. I'm going to find a Merrell dealer here to see if I have any recourse -- if I can trade them in for a bigger size. I can't go back to the place I bought them!

Also, my Kohl's cash has become available to use, so I might go there to find a use for it. Probably a gift, as I don't really need anything for myself right now. I also have a $5 Goodwill coupon to use, but I have more time on it.

I'm very sorry to hear about the vote in England; I'm sure it will hurt all our portfolios!

Calories: 1947

Lot of estimating in the above. The birthday dinner was not low in calories, and though I held back a little, neither did I deny myself.

I have lots of leftover food, and today I'm dealing with how to preserve it and use it up. I already froze the shredded cheese (which was ready to expire) and the cake. Guacamole is the next challenge. Looks like freezing is not a good option, but I can eat it on lots of things and even make soup out of it, which, I assume COULD be frozen.

Very thankful the dishwasher works. I've already done one load and it's almost filled again.

The party was a success; the food was a big hit, and DIL liked her gifts as well.

Laundry is really piled up, and I need to get to it. I think it will be my only spending today.

Here is my June recap, as promised:

Vacation/Travel: 490
Home Repair/Maintenance: 360
Clothing: 135
Utilities: 109
Gifts/Charity: 81
Groceries: 54
Phone: 52
Medical/Health: 33
Entertainment: 25
Furnishings/Equipment/Decor: 24
Vet/Pet Supplies: 9
Eating Out: 7
Laundry: 5
Grand Total: 1384
Variables: 101%

Because I switched gears on tracking this month, mortgage & assessment fees are not included. Vacation costs swallowed up a lot of regular costs like groceries, eating out, laundry and gas. So it was kind of an odd month. Unrealistically low.

Well, on to continuing the cleanup!

Calories: 1245

In all fairness, I must confess that the calorie count I reported yesterday was wrong. I said it was 1260; in fact, I accidentally deleted the count for a sandwich I ate, so it was 1590.

The dishwasher repairman came, and he was able to fix it. The cost was $275 above the $85 I had already paid. That was high enough to buy a cheap, new dishwasher, but I decided to go for the repair anyway. I'd rather not add to the landfill if I can break even. Anyway, I wanted to use it right away -- and when I do replace the dishwasher, I'll get a quality appliance like a KitchenAid or Bosch, which is considerably more.

I baked the birthday cake this morning and just took the layers out of the pans. I'll frost it this afternoon.

The birthday menu is:

Beef tacos (soft tortillas)
Chips with salsa and guacamole
Corn casserole
Watermelon slices
Refried beans
Lemonade
Yellow cake w/chocolate frosting
Vanilla ice cream

Basically all I have to do now, besides frost the cake, is chop up lettuce and tomato, slice the watermelon, set out bowls of cheese, salsa, guac, sour cream, make the lemonade (in a punch bowl), bake the casserole (already assembled) and warm up the beans.

Housework-wise, I have to vacuum, and I still have to clean the fish tank! (I admit, I procrastinate about that.)

Okay, now to financial stuff.

Today is pay day. I paid the mortgage and all the credit cards. (I say all, because I made charges to Kohl's and Target cards this month, in order to get special deals.) Everything is paid off except Discover, because I accidentally selected the minimum payment instead of the full payment. I'll have to wait till tomorrow to pay the rest.

June will look like a very low-spend month when I do my recap, but that's because the mortgage and the bills will go on July's report, since today is essentially my July 1.

I'll do the recap later, since today I'll be pretty busy.

Still waiting for those storms -- I hope they don't materialize right at dinnertime, but if so, we'll deal with it!

Calories: 1260

It was too hot to eat!

Well, I had a bit of bad luck yesterday. I loaded up the dishwasher, pressed the button, and -- nothing. I checked the circuit breaker, tried several times choosing different cycles, canceled and restarted -- nothing. I looked online but quickly realized that none of the suggested fixes were anything I wanted to try myself. So I called a repairman. He will come this afternoon. I will have to pay $85 for a service call, but it will be applied to any repair/parts that are needed.

I'm kind of bummed, but in 3 1/2 years here, no appliances have needed work, and who knows how old the dishwasher is? The previous owner didn't leave a manual.

The worst part is that this is hitting just when I am preparing for the birthday dinner. I thought of postponing, but all the food is bought and some of it is ready. I can handle having a dinner without a dishwasher. I've been washing as I go since yesterday afternoon, and it's not too bad. I'll have a mess on my hands after dinner, but I have plenty of time to deal with a mess.

Best case scenario, it will be fixed this afternoon! I'm not expecting it, though.

I just hope I don't have to get a new dishwasher. I have the emergency cash for it, but I just don't want to go through the process, if you know what I mean! Shopping, installation, waiting and washing by hand while I wait ... yuck.

Yesterday was very hot and humid, and I am still living without AC. I had some discomfort but I managed; just didn't get much done. Best place in the house is on the bed, under the ceiling fan!

Today is much cooler; it's supposed to be a beautiful day. Storms tomorrow.

I have the taco meat prepared; the corn casserole is assembled and in the fridge and waiting for baking. I'll make the cake tomorrow; don't want it sitting too long in this humidity. I'll have a lot of last minute stuff to do before dinner, so I'll have to do the cleaning in the morning.

Today I'll clean the floors and the fish tank; both really need it.

Whew! Thanks for letting me organize my mind!

Calories: 1478

I did the rest of the grocery shopping yesterday, a little early, but I was already out looking for a cake cover, and decided to just get it done.

The groceries were $24 for sour cream, watermelon, lemons, tomatoes, guacamole, onion, and lettuce. I also got a jar of spaghetti sauce free with a MyMixx coupon.

I looked at BB&B for a cake cover, but they only had plastic sets designed for storage and transport. I just wanted a pretty topper to set over a cake. Then I went to Goodwill, to drop off my donations, and popped in to see if they had one. They didn't, but they had a plastic storage set for only $2. The plate portion was cracked, so I asked for a discount, and they gave it to me for $1.

Someday I'll find the kind of cake cover I want, and I'll toss this one, but this will do the job till then.

I also bought 4 books at GW, for $4. One for my grandson, and 3 for me to read and pass on to my sister.

I treated myself to a cone at McDonald's, since it was so hot. $1.39.

This morning I got online to order the GreenPan from Kohl's. The site would not accept my Kohl's cash, even though it states the beginning date as June 20. So I aborted the order, and looked around for where I could find it today. It turned out that Target had it, cheaper, so I still got it for $20. The only catch was that I had to drive 6 miles to go to the Target that had it, but that was okay. While I was out, I also picked up some cat food for $4.

So, between this and that, I did drive my variables spending up to 101%. But with pay day only two days away, I won't have to push it any higher. I think I did well with a pretty challenging month.

Next month will be challenging, too, but the insurance premium and property taxes I will have to pay will come out of designated savings. Other costs will be a trip to Michigan, a vet visit for Iggy (shots), and window washing. I should be able to cash-flow those.

It's really hot! I'm looking forward to cooling storms tomorrow.

Calories: 1434

I can't believe how well I did on calories, considering the eating I did at the carnival. But I did skip dinner. My main treats at the carnival were a crabcake sandwich and Italian ice. I also got into the caramel corn and cheesy fries that others bought.

Spending -- well, I spent $25 at the carnival, with little to show for it. Mostly went to activities for the grandchildren. They had a good time, though they got tired and crabby at the end. I understand, I was tired and crabby, too, though I held my crabbiness in.

I really can't stand for very long any more. I can walk, but just standing around and slowly strolling are murder on my hips and legs. I went home afterwards and immediately hydrated and took Advil. I still had a baseball game to go to. At least I can sit through that! But I didn't want my legs throbbing while I sat.

Hoping that weight loss will at least help if not solve this issue. And I should be more regular about stretching exercises.

Shifting to finance -- I am going to change my tracking from a strict monthly (1-31) schedule to a schedule that coincides with my payday, which is the fourth Wednesday of every month. So when I get paid on the 22nd, that will essentially be the first of July for me, since the bulk of July's expenses will come out of that payment. It is awkward to have a few days after pay day when I feel like I can't spend anything, because I am trying to come in under budget. The budget should really reset on pay day. So -- the only reason I'm explaining this to you guys is that you will see monthly recaps before the end of the month, which might look like I'm jumping the gun, or even worse, cheating!

Now I'm focused on the birthday dinner for DIL. My schedule: tomorrow I'll order the gift and grocery shop, Tuesday I'll clean the house, Wednesday prepare and serve the dinner.

And then on July 1, it's up to Michigan again for the July 4th holiday.

Everyone with a father, who is a father, married to a father, or has children who are fathers -- Happy Father's Day!

Calories: 1266

Yesterday involved more culling -- I finished going through my books and removed 8 more. Next stage is papers, which will be more involved. I've worked my mail stash down to one box, but there is so much more I have to address. Files, stationery, gift wrap, notebooks, random file boxes. It will not be fun.

Spending yesterday was $1.50 for laundry and $2 for Father's Day cards. I got one card in the mail, though it probably won't get there in time. The other I'll give to my son today.

Today I'm going to a street carnival and then, afterwards, a baseball game. I had a very poor night's sleep, so I hope I can manage to have a good time. Right now I'm not feeling so great. I don't know why I couldn't sleep. It was probably a combination of hunger, heat, pain, and overstimulation. (Late baseball game)

I'm going to take it easy today before I go to the carnival.

Calories: 1236

I'm starting to regularly come in lower than my target of 1400 calories. I hope this will make for faster progress, and not slow down my metabolism! Which is already very slow. Years of yo-yo dieting and a hysterectomy. What can I say.

Yesterday was busy. I went to lunch with friends. Because I am trying so hard to stretch my money this month, I ordered a grilled cheese and water for a grand total of $5.45.

After lunch I went to the library, returned KonMari, and checked out two new books.

Then I went to Aldi. I spent $35 and this is what I got: cake mix, coffee, 2 cans of corn, eggs, ice cream, chili powder, Jiffy corn muffin mix, 2 packages of flour tortillas, frosting, kitty litter, ground beef, can of refried beans, salsa, and tortilla chips. The ground beef alone was $10, but I got five pounds.

After I got home and unpacked the groceries I lay down for a minute and fell asleep! And this was after a good night's sleep. I guess the activity just tired me out.

I woke up in time to go to my grandson's Tae Kwan Do class. He is starting his second session. He is very proud to have three stripes on his belt!

In between all this, I also continued "tidying." I'm all done with the clothes, and starting on books. I removed 8 books from my bookcase. I still have to go through cookbooks and coffee table books. The nice thing is that I now have room on my bookcase to place library books, and the books I'm planning to send to my sister.

Variables spending is now up to 91%.

Today I have to go get Father's Day cards for my sons. Once again, I'm late. It won't be a problem for my local son, but the one in Florida will get a late card, I'm afraid. Anyway, it's first on my to-do list to go get cards and then mail the one.

I'm also going to do some laundry, change the bed linens, cook off the ground beef, continue my "tidying" and go to a baseball game.

Had to cancel a dinner with friends in the city -- it was scheduled on DIL's birthday. I'm glad I had a good excuse, because I was going to cancel anyway, due to lack of funds....

I forgot to mention, I did settle upon a gift for my DIL, and I can get it from Kohl's. The catch is I have to order online, and I can't do it till the 20th if I want to use my Kohl's cash. Obviously, I won't have the gift in time, but I'll wrap up a picture of it! She has asked for (on Amazon) an 8" GreenPan. Using the Kohl's cash, I'll be able to get it for about $30.

Anyway, I'm still hoping to come in under budget this month, or nearly so!

Calories: 1246

I have a big day planned today! I'm going to lunch with former colleagues (and I already know what I'm going to get -- a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato dipping sauce). I will swing by the library and return the KonMari book, as well as pick up a novel I have on hold. Then, after lunch, I will go to Aldi's and buy cat litter, and ingredients for the birthday dinner. I won't get everything for the dinner, just things that are particularly good to get at Aldi. Next week I'll go to Jewel and get the fresh and unique things. The menu is tacos, refried beans, cornbread casserole, chips & guac, watermelon, cupcakes and lemonade.

The book I'm picking up is the latest book in the Isobel Dalhosie series by Alexander McCall Smith. I "read" the four preceding novels while on the road on vacation, so I am anxious to finish off with this one! I love this character!

Yesterday's tidying yielded more stuff for donation: 1 pair of shoes, 2 sets of sheets, 5 dish towels, 2 coats and a wastebasket. I cheated and did some tidying in the kitchen -- I'm supposed to work in this order: clothing, books, papers, komono (stuff), sentimental items. Kitchen stuff is komono, but somehow the drawers just got to me yesterday so I did some sorting there. The stuff I got rid of I just threw away, nothing to donate. The main thing was rearranging how I stored things. I redid five drawers and the under-the-sink area. Feels and looks much better.

I found some insulated copper wire I had been saving because I thought it had some value. I stripped the insulation off (seemed hard at first, but got easier). In the end I had 9 ounces of copper, which is worth a little more than a dollar. Oh well. I don't think I'll take it to the scrap yard until I have other metal to take as well. It can easily be tucked away somewhere.

It was supposedly in the 90's yesterday, but I was still pretty comfortable without AC. Hope I can last till window-washing time.

Calories: 1415

Diet is going well -- little hunger, little feeling of deprivation. My clothes aren't falling off yet, but they are more comfortable.

I've been writing down my planned meals each morning. Even if I don't stick to it exactly, I come close. It helps me feel directed. Then at the end of the day I calculate the exact calories I've eaten and record that.

I also write down the things I want to accomplish. I don't always do them all, but it helps to keep me focused.

Yesterday I continued going through my clothes. I removed 8 sweaters, 3 sweatshirts, 9 tops, 3 sweatpants, and 7 t-shirts. Wow! I'm done with clothes EXCEPT for the collection of rarely-worn fancy and seasonal clothes that are in a side closet. I've gone through that fairly recently (though not with the 'spark joy' mindset) so I don't think it will be too bad.

I managed to clean out a whole drawer, where I put my handbags. They were just piled on the closet floor. This is so much better. I moved my cat's box into the vacated space. The box is just a cardboard box with a blanket in it, but the cats love it. I hope they will love it in a new place. The bedroom looks clearer now and I love it.

I still don't have a good place to store my tall boots, but maybe one will emerge as I keep organizing. Which reminds me, I still have to go through my shoes, too, before I'm done with clothes.

No spending yesterday.

My DIL wants to have her birthday dinner on the 22nd. I'd like to use my Kohl's cash for one of her gifts, but I can't use it till the 20th, so I guess I'll be shopping at the last minute. I do have a gift card for a local restaurant and a couple of skeins of good yarn already -- as well as a mason jar vase with a positive message -- I figure I'll get a few flowers for it and then have her take the whole thing home. I don't know what I'll get at Kohl's, but I'll look at her Amazon list to see if it gives me any ideas.

She has requested Mexican, which isn't too expensive, so next week I'll be buying the ingredients.

Maybe I'll actually make it through the month without exceeding my variables budget! I'm still at 86%.

Calories: 1397

I forgot I was stretching my money last night, and I bought my grandson some ice cream from the ice cream truck. $3.

I said I was only reading the Kondo book, but I got inspired and jumped in! I went through one closet and one chest of drawers yesterday and removed 4 blazers, 5 tops, 1 pair of jeans, 3 pairs of pants, 4 scarves, and a bunch of underwear. Today I have two more closets to go through, which will probably have more chaff in it. Yesterday was the easy part. I also rearranged my underwear and sock drawers, and moved my scarves from a hanging rack to a drawer, where they are neatly folded.

This may keep me entertained for quite a while!

I have two bags of stuff to go to Goodwill, and they are already in the car, ready to donate whenever I am next in the area.

Calories: 1330

Gosh, it's so much easier to diet at home!

I just ordered my $50 gift card from Choice -- not without a lot of wrangling with a customer service agent who wanted me to get the Choice Visa. I listened to the terms, because I would have been interested if there had been a cash bonus, but since it offered points for hotel stays and gift cards, it was not a card I wanted.

I'm looking at another offer from First National Bank of Omaha -- $100 bonus for spending $1000 in 90 days -- pretty easy money. I should get on that, so I can use it for my insurance premium, and maybe my property taxes, too!

I returned my library materials yesterday, and while I was there, spotted "Spark Joy" by Marie Kondo. I've just delved into a little bit -- I don't know that I will actually do the whole cleaning out process (even though she says you can't do it halfway) but I'm interested in reading about it, at this point, anyway.

No spending yesterday except for the load of laundry.

Tonight I'm going to GS1's night baseball game, which will involve using some gas, but should be no expense otherwise.

After a cool day, heat is expected to come back today. But I am managing without air conditioners. I may actually want to wait until July, when the windows are washed -- at least, that's when they were done last year! The windows never get cleaned well when the cleaners are working around air conditioners. I think I can manage with fans and open windows for the time being. And it would save electricity, too!

Calories: 1265

Yesterday's heat affected my appetite. I didn't really feel like eating, and I was able to keep my calories quite low.

Today is cooler. My air conditioners (window units) are not yet installed. They are too heavy for me, and my son, who is my installer, has been too busy to get around to it. He generally installs for me when he does it for himself, and he hasn't done it yet.

Since I am in a BOB (big old building) it stays pretty cool even when it's hot, and I have fans. That said, yesterday was pretty hot!

Because of my vacation and my fun spending while on vacation, my variables budget is at 86%. That's if I try to cash flow the whole vacation. I would like to do that; I don't want to erode my savings, especially for non-emergency things. So that leaves me with a big challenge to eke out the rest of the month with only $115 (non-bills, of course). And yet I already know that will be almost impossible, as my other DIL is having a birthday at the end of the month, and I have to buy a present and make a meal.

However, I CAN have a pantry/freezer challenge and try to do as little grocery shopping as possible. I am decently stocked up and I think I can make what I have go far.

Yesterday we set up the "new" keyboard at my son's house, so GS2 is all set for his piano lessons, which start tomorrow. It was really satisfying to be able to help them out by hauling it back from Florida.

Also tomorrow there is a night baseball game for GS1 in a nearby (but not too nearby) suburb. I am looking forward to it -- I think it will be fun to watch a game under the lights!

I had almost given up on my man friend, but he emailed me yesterday. We will meet on the July 4 weekend for lunch. I've stopped expecting this relationship to move along, so I guess I'll just be happy to have a lunch buddy.

Yesterday was a no-spend day except for a load of laundry ($1.50). (And I have another to do today.)
Today should be no-spend, too, but I do have some no-cost errands today -- I have to return materials to the library, and I'm also going to go the the grocery store just to pick up my free MyMixx item (this time it's a can of Pepsi -- which isn't a need, by any means, but might be nice to take to a baseball game.) And since it's free, I'll add its value to the snowflakes. I'm already at the point where I can give each grandchild $340 for their college funds this Christmas! And I will be earning more -- I have a $200 bonus coming from Chase, as well as the $50 gift card from Choice Hotels.

There's a cool breeze floating in through the open windows, and I'm lovin' it!

Update: I just checked my Chase account and the bonus is there! So that's another $50 for each grandchild!

101: 1460
102: 1761
103: 1382
104: 2024
105: 1641
106: 2122
107: 1510
108: 1918
109: 2404
110: 1739

Many estimates in here, but I think I did a fair job of calculating. Obviously, I allowed myself some treats. The average was 1796, which, for me, is not dieting, but perhaps it wasn't gaining either.

Now it's back to more stringent eating!

I got back yesterday, and today I'm resting up and catching up. It was a good trip, but also exhausting. Even though it was pretty low-key. We ate out twice, went to the Butterfly Rainforest and Florida Museum, and visited several parks and playgrounds.

My DIL loved her birthday gifts, and loved getting to celebrate a little early!

Here are the vacation totals:

Food: $106
Gas: $138
Lodging: $207
Entertainment: $39

So I didn't meet my goal of sneaking under $400. However, I will get a $50 gift card for booking two nights in Choice hotels, so that gets me closer.

I also did some shopping, which I didn't count as a vacation expense.

Clothing: $135
Gifts: $51
Furnishings/Equipment/Decor: $23

The clothing was a pair of Merrells I bought at a clothing outlet while on the road, and some underwear and socks I found on sale at Kohl's. I also found a scatter rug on sale at Kohl's, so I bought that, too. I did get a $10 Kohl's cash coupon, so I will use that next week. Even though it is $10 off a $30 purchase. I think they used to be just $10; no other purchase requirement. The gifts were clothes and treats for the grandchildren.

So, while it was a fairly frugal vacation, it was kind of a spend-a-thon, too.

I kept track of what I ate, but not the calories. I'll try to figure those out today and will post later. I will say, it will not be good. But on the other hand, I did not eat everything in sight.

Very glad to be home and resting up! It's really hot -- hotter than it was in Florida, as we were feeling the effects of the tropical storm (Clinton?)

Oh, and I was able to transport the keyboard with no problem. Everything fit!

Calories: 1580

Not great, but better than the last couple of days!

I'm just getting ready to pack the car and leave, but I wanted to share my May recap:

Housing: 677
Utilities: 144
Fees/Services: 129
Groceries: 113
Gifts/Charity: 101
Medical/Health: 96
Household Supplies: 78
Clothing: 72
Eating Out: 54
Phone: 52
Furnishings/Equipment/Decor: 41
Vet/Pet Supplies: 34
Vacation/Travel: 27
Gas: 22
Personal: 18
Laundry: 17
Entertainment: 15
Fares/Parking: 8
Grand Total: 1698

That's the lowest grand total I've had this year! I hope I haven't made a mistake!

Hoping to keep my vacation under $400 -- we'll see!

I'm not taking my laptop, but I will check in by phone once in a while. And I'll keep track of my calories.

Calories: 1975

I hate it that I have to report another high-calorie day. This time it was not tempting treats -- I was just hungry, and I plowed through half a box of crackers.

I can see that in the past this is where I jumped off the diet -- about three months in, no really exciting progress, feelings of deprivation, rebellion against the constant tracking.... I'm not going to quit this time. Onward!

For the trip tomorrow, I'm packing carrots, apples, cheddar slices, string cheese, pepperoni slices, homemade muffins, a jar of peanuts, crackers, tortillas and a small bag of chocolate-raspberry bites. I'll buy coffee and water with my Dunkin Donuts card.

The first leg is only three hours, to my BFF's house, where I will stay the night. Then, early in the morning, I'll leave, hoping to make it to Chattanooga by supper time, where I will buy supper and find a hotel.

I've basically packed -- all except putting the stuff in the suitcase. I don't do that till the morning of, since it freaks out my cats. I've packed a tote bag with one change of clothes, pj's, and my cosmetic bag, so I won't have to lug the suitcase in. I'll repack it with fresh stuff when I head out from Indiana tomorrow morning.

I have a lot of gifts to take -- not only for my DIL's birthday, but a housewarming gift (bottle of wine) and some clothes and toys for the kids. That will be one trip down to the car in itself!

Since the library was closed yesterday, I didn't get my audiobooks. That will be accomplished today, along with buy extra cat food and cat litter.

Breathe!! This is the most stressful part of a trip for me. I am fine once I get on the road....

Calories: 1956

Oops! I went out to lunch after the baseball game yesterday. Not only did I have a hot dog and fries, but I had an ice cream cone! Oh well, it was a good day, and I more than made up for it the day before.

Today I'll be doing laundry and getting ready for the trip. Laundry, pre-packing, making lists, getting audiobooks, etc.

The keyboard is 58 inches long, so I'm going to measure to make sure it will fit between the front seat and the back of the car. It has legs, which may come off, but if they don't, I can stick my suitcase in the empty space that the legs create. Along with the bench.

My variables spending is at 90%. I will buy cat food and kitty litter today or tomorrow, to have on hand for while I am gone, but that should be my only spending before June 1. So it looks like I made it under budget this month!

Calories: 1261

Mostly just checking to report yesterday's calories. The hamburger I had for lunch pretty much filled me up for the whole day!

After yesterday's two games and the traveling, I was dog-tired when I got home, yet I had a very bad night. I feel like I couldn't have slept more than an hour or two. The biggest problem was pain and restlessness in my legs. I didn't exercise much yesterday, but I sat for a long time on bleachers, and I guess that was enough to mess me up. I'll try to stretch more today, but since it is only one game, it shouldn't be as bad.

Despite putting sunscreen on twice, I still managed to get a sunburn -- mostly on my upper chest, which I guess I missed in the application. Well, I'm just thankful I didn't get that much of a burn on my face.

I have arranged with all concerned that I will start my trip on June 1. Should arrive in Gainesville on the evening of June 3. I'm going to charge everything on my BOA travel card (though I don't think I'll get any points for gas & food -- I will for hotel rooms, though).

I've been told that the keyboard I'm bringing home is very large, so I'll have to clear out my car, and expect to fold down the back seat. Still, I'm very happy I can do this for my grandson.

Will pack a bag of food, and will only buy coffee on the road until dinnertime, when I will stop for the day and find a nice restaurant (by which I mean Cracker Barrel, or something like that!)

Yesterday I wore a pair of capris that were too tight to get on last year. They were still a bit tight, but I could wear them! For my trip, I'm taking all my capris and a bunch of tees.

I'm getting excited!

Calories: 1470

Yesterday was a pretty quiet day, but today I went to a northwestern suburb to watch two of my grandson's baseball games. These are his first games with the traveling team. The first game was a "slaughter" -- they called it when the point spread reached ten. Unfortunately, we were the losing team. We won the second game, though, 10-7. This team has had very little practice together, so it is bound to get better as the season progresses.

Between the two games we went out to Portillo's for lunch, which our Illinois Laura will recognize. I had a delicious hamburger and drink for $7.

I didn't have to buy gas, because we carpooled.

There is another game tomorrow, in the same place. I will offer to take my car, or else pitch in for gas.

Variables spending is at 88%.

I believe there will be no Memorial Day celebrating this year. Some family members are out of town, and my son is planning on studying all day. After two days of away baseball games, I think that will be just fine.

Calories: 1419

Yesterday I finished up my shopping for my DIL's birthday. I picked up the book she wanted at Barnes & Noble -- I had a 15% off coupon and the total was $14. I also picked up the bird feeder at Walmart, which was already paid for.

I was in the neighborhood of Bed, Bath & Beyond, so I stopped in to find the callus shaver that interested me. I looked all over the store and consulted with several clerks, and finally found it at the very front of the store in a Tweezerman display. The shaver was $9 and I also bought replacement blades for $6. Today I'll try it out; hope it's worth it. I was kind of mad at myself that I forgot to take a BB&B coupon, since I have a gazillion.

While I was there I saw a sheet set that was marked down to half price -- still in the $50 range. It was the right color, size and had a 650 thread count. But I passed it up, since my budget is straining this month. Good thing I did. I learned yesterday that GS1's first traveling game is a twofer in a suburb about 45 minutes away. I'll have to buy gas and lunch (or take one). Then there is another game in the same location on Sunday.

I talked to my Florida son last night; he was checking on my timing for the trip. I was planning to arrive on Thursday evening, but he will be on his way back from a business trip, and he wondered if the next day wouldn't be better. He's going to confirm his plans and then let me know. It's no problem for me to leave a day later, though I'll have to check with my friend in Indiana whether her home will be available to me the day after I said.

No activities scheduled today. I'm planning to wrap the presents and organize the stuff I want to take. Also, it's not too early to check out audiotapes for the trip, so I might get that done today. I have some laundry to do as well.

I finally got back to my writing yesterday, and even though I am not pleased with what I produced, it feels good to be back on track again.

I think I'm almost ready to open the bin with my smaller clothes. Not that I can't continue wearing my pants, but a couple of pairs are really wearing out now, so maybe it's time to see if I've shrunk enough to get into some smaller pants in better condition. I hesitate, though, because if they're still too small, I'll really be depressed!

Calories: 1487

My calorie count is pretty good, considering I had a big bowl of ice cream yesterday. It was so hot, and I craved it desperately.

I didn't go out at all yesterday. And I really didn't accomplish anything, except finishing the novel I was reading. Which is good, because I'm going to give it to DIL when I go to Florida next week.

I will go out today, though. I have to pick up that gift at Walmart, and I'm going to check with B&N about whether the book I ordered is in yet. If I do go to B&N, I'm going to swing by Bed, Bath & Beyond and pick up a callus shaver. I've been using a disposable shaver on my corn, right after my shower, and it helps, but I think a shaver adapted to that purpose will work better. This evening I will go to my grandson's Tae Kwan Do class.

Variables spending is at 83%, with only five days to go. But I have yet to pay for the book, and there will probably be some cost on the 31st, when I drive to Indiana, the first leg of my journey. However, I don't plan to fill the tank until I leave the following morning, so I might come in under budget yet!

Calories: 1344

I did go to see "Love & Friendship" yesterday, and I enjoyed it -- it was very witty. It didn't have the warm heart of other Austen stories, but then, Jane wrote it when she was a teenager, I believe!

I got the popcorn, too. For some reason, I forgot there was not only a calorie cost, but a financial cost, too. The small bag was $6. It really wasn't worth it.

I did get the discount ticket price of $5.75, and I validated my parking ticket, so I didn't have to pay for parking.

Later in the day, I went to Walmart to pick up one of my DIL's birthday gifts, only to learn that it hadn't been shipped to the store yet. I was just going on faith it would be there next day, as promised. Foolish of me. I'll check before going back.

Today is payday, though the bank still shows the deposit as pending. I scheduled my mortgage and Discover payment. Done.

Nothing on my calendar today, so I'm hoping to get some writing done. It's what I wished for when I was working -- time to write -- so why don't I do it? I perplex myself.

Calories: 1517

My calories would have been lower, but I was still hungry after dinner, so I had some toast. For me, this is all about finding an eating plan that will be comfortable for life without making me fat!

That's why I'm planning to have a small popcorn when I go to the movies today! I'm going to go see "Love & Friendship." I love anything Jane Austen (though I have to say Pride & Prejudice & Zombies was a little too far out of my league!) I'm going by myself, as I don't have a Jane Austen soulmate here in town.

Last night was another baseball game. I gave my grandson a ride home afterwards, and he asked me why I was always going away on a trip (when I mentioned I would be in Florida next week). Tickled me -- I sure don't travel much, in my perspective, but in his perspective, I do! He asked me why I am always going to Michigan, and I said it was so I could see my brother, which blew his mind -- he had no idea that "Uncle M" was my brother. I guess that's how it is for kids, they go here and there to visit and actually have little idea of the relationships behind the visits.

I don't think I have any financial news today, except that my electric, cable, and assessment fees all posted yesterday -- but that's all automatic. Tomorrow is pay day! But that is a non-event, as well, since all I do on pay day now is pay my mortgage and pay the Discover bill.

One cool thing, though -- they changed my street-sweeping schedule so that it is always on the two days after pay day. That's going to be so easy to remember!

Calories: 1496

I got my shopping done for my DIL's birthday. I bought three bottles of Seventh Generation hand soap at Target, ordered a book at Barnes & Noble, and ordered a bird feeder at Walmart. Walmart's order will be ready to pick up tomorrow; B&N will let me know. Altogether I spent $38. I also have some bargain books and a bar of bath soap to give her.

With any luck, I will be able to bring back a keyboard for my grandson. If my son's cousin is able to get it to Gainesville from Sarasota, I will take it the rest of the way home. I would even be willing to meet his cousin halfway, as my grandson really needs this for impending piano lessons.

While shopping, I picked up some body wash for myself - $3. I also picked up a free loaf of bread and added the value - $2.99 - to snowflakes.

Variables spending is at 78%.

Today I have to get a beach pass for the season, before the price goes up at the end of May. I think it's around $35, if memory serves.

Calories: 1374

I did well yesterday, even with a surprise eating-out lunch (and an indulgence -- a small chocolate shake). I had a very light dinner.

After GS1's baseball game yesterday, I went out to lunch with GS2 and the other grandma ($7) and then we went to an art fair in the park, which featured work by K-12 students citywide. Both my grandsons had work displayed. Both were self-portraits -- one a collage and one a painting, which was a little off-beat, depicting only half his face. I love their creativity. We visited most of the exhibits, and GS2 made a Father's Day card at one of the booths. It was a good day.

When I came home, I had to wash my bedding again because of cat mischief. Grrr! I think it happened because my quilt was on the floor, and somehow that makes it fair game? I'll have to be vigilant about any other accidents, and see the vet if need be. If I can figure out which cat is the culprit!

I reordered my prescription online yesterday and realized it is due to arrive the day I leave for Florida. I have enough to get me through my vacation, but I don't like the idea of the package sitting there for a week. I'll have to tell my son to look for it if I don't get it before I leave. Anyway, the refill was free, one of the perks of my Medicare Advantage plan.

Today I'm going to shop for a couple of things from DIL's Amazon list -- I mean shop live; I don't want to take the chance that packages won't arrive in time, much less pay for shipping. There is a book I can get at Barnes & Noble, and hand soap from Target; should be easily accomplished. (She said confidently).

I also want to see "Love & Friendship" -- the latest Jane Austen movie. I may wait till Tuesday, which is discount day, only $5.75. Wednesday is Seniors Day, and it's $6.25 -- what's up with that? Seems it should at least be the same price as discount day -- anyway, I'll focus on Tuesday.

Calories: 1626

Ah me. Lots of bad eating yesterday. My justification is that I was feeling bad, and I went for the comfort food. Today I feel a lot better. My sore throat is gone, and I don't feel any particular signs of a cold coming on. Not yet, anyway.

In a few minutes I will head out for GS1's baseball game. His season is wrapping up, but he has made the traveling team, so there will continue to be baseball all summer long. And I'll get to see new towns, as many will be away from home.

I grocery-shopped at Aldi yesterday. I didn't stick to 10 items -- I got 12, because they had chicken and beef soup base on sale in the clearance bin. Here is what I got for $27: chicken breasts, creamer, eggs, croutons, salad, a sweet potato, strawberries, honey, ice cream and kitty litter -- as well as the two containers of soup base, of course. I'm finding I like Aldi better and better all the time. I can get most things I need there and the prices are amazing.

My variables spending is up to 74% now. But I only have 10 days left. Unfortunately, I remembered that I have to get a birthday gift for my Florida DIL. Her birthday is not until mid-June, but I want to take her gift along when I travel there on May 31. I do have a couple of pristine secondhand books for her (she's okay with that) but I also want to get something off her Amazon list. I'll have to check that out today.

So that will, no doubt, take me over 100%. I do still have a $500 surplus in the variables this year, so it's not a real problem, just a sign to be careful.

Gotta go!

Calories: 1560

Even though it was a fairly high-calorie day, I woke up in the night hungry. I didn't succumb, but it was an uncomfortable night.

I seem to be getting a cold. I have a sore throat, which is my typical "tell." Anybody have a surefire way to ward off the worst of it? Zicam, or something like that? I've tried Airborne in the past, which did nothing.

No spending yesterday, other than $1.50 for a load of laundry.

My grocery list has reached 10, which is my cue to shop. I guess it's better to do that today than wait for the weekend -- and I may not feel like doing it later if a cold does set in.