I was toying with the idea of doing a grocery skip, but instead settled on doing a 5-item shop instead of a 10-item. Oh, my goodness! 5 items are so much easier to carry! And it was super cheap. $13. I bought beef shank (reduced for quick sale), butter, Swiss cheese, an onion and a bag of red potatoes. Over the weekend, I made batch of beef stew, and French onion soup. Plus, I took all the leftover rolls I had in the freezer and made croutons.

Possible meals this week:

Beef stew
French onion soup
Chicken pot-pie pockets
Sweet pepper omelet
Potato-veggie scramble

I also bought a $2 StreetWise magazine and spent $3 on laundry. And I found .38 in various places!

On the entertainment side, I went to my grandson's baseball game, and watched two movies on HBO's freebie weekend -- Divergent and Gone Girl.

I started watching The Good Lie, which was very interesting, but I was too tired to stay up any longer.

It was a bad weekend for sleeping, and I can't say why. I hope that sleeping will be easier once I am retired.

I got my final document for the unclaimed property, so I'll send that in today. I also got my welcome letter and card for my Medicare Advantage program, and a letter from Social Security saying that I had been approved. Thought I already was, but, whatever!

My DIL and I set plans for her birthday dinner on Friday -- however, I think there may be one last Happy Hour on Friday, so I will try to reschedule. I need a whole day to cook anyway. The weekend would be better, or barring that, Wednesday the 1st. The first day of full retirement! On the next day I head up to Michigan for a family reunion, so the full force of retirement won't hit me right away.

My variables spending percentage is now up to 78%. I bought a gift for my DIL that cost $63. It took some deliberation on my part, but in the end, I decided to buy what she wanted without trying to come up with a cheaper version. It was from her Amazon list -- a sports bra. She is a serious runner and very particular and I know that only this particular sports bra would do. I could have bought a different color for a few dollars less at Kohl's, but it was not that much of a savings -- and the wrong color.

I have an unofficial limit of $50 on gifts, but there is give and take. My gift to my other DIL was actually $46, so they kind of evened out! I think it's okay, because they won't compare gifts, and I got each of them what they wanted.

I also refilled a prescription for $15, but that doesn't come out of variables, since it is a flexible spending item.

I drove today, hoping to sidestep the Blackhawks celebration madness, and I stopped for gas on the way in - $31. I've spent 69% of my variables budget now, with 60% of the month done. I may try to skip the grocery this weekend; I seem to be pretty well stocked, at least enough to get me through another week.

With my gas tank full, and enough pet supplies on hand, I should be able to get through the rest of the month on the $225 left in the budget. I DO have to buy a gift for my DIL, and make a dinner for her. But there is no other expected expense till July.

I will load up the car with personal stuff from my office before going home. It will probably take me several trips to empty it, so I will use every chance I get to take a load home.

I located my mother's death certificate and obituary in my files (yay me! I'm usually bad at this stuff!) So now I just have to wait for the third property form to come in the mail and I can send it all in. A little over $1000, to be split four ways among the siblings. Nice snowflake!

Yesterday was another no-spend day.

I found another quarter by the same range of parking meters. I also found a penny in the college parking lot.

I had my exit interview yesterday. Mainly, I learned that my $12K lump sum will go into the bank on July 15, and that is also when my little monthly stipend will begin. I am estimating that after taxes, I will get about $200 a month for the next three years. Also, a lump sum will go into my retirement fund -- only in the $500-600 range as I remember. That may happen sooner. I should check today!

(New readers -- this is not all that I will receive in retirement. I will start getting Social Security in August, and I will also get a monthly interest payment from my retirement fund. It will be a lean budget, but doable.)

I got a letter from my Medicare Advantage provider telling me I can no longer pay my monthly premium from my Social Security check. Since I am not getting a Social Security check until August, this is not a surprise. What is concerning is that this is the first communication I've received about paying, and there is no information about due dates, etc. I am a little worried about the company's administration, especially coupled with the hour-long conversation I had with them yesterday about my "lack" of medical coverage this past year. (Not so!) Ugh. Want this done.

I will send a check to the indicated payment address. I have the option to call and pay with a credit card, or to call and get a form to set up automatic payments, but I don't want to deal with their staff again. The person I spoke to yesterday seemed very nice and personable, but also didn't seem to know what he was doing. What has happened to customer service? It just doesn't seem to exist any more.

I emailed my insurance company yesterday and asked about a senior or retirement discount. My agent replied that I am eligible for a discount on my condo insurance, but not on my car, as I only have liability coverage now. However, if I get a new car someday, I will be eligible for a discount. Not sure how much my savings will be, but I'll certainly look for the discount when I get my condo insurance bill. Every little bit helps.

Looking forward to yet another free lunch on Friday -- another colleague leaving, another party. Soon I won't be able to rely on all these free food events. I wonder how retirement will impact my food bill? Positively, I hope, as I will have more time to plan and execute meals!

Just want to add that my mortgage has finally slipped under the $70K mark! Once I get through these four lean years ahead (reminder: I am drawing spousal benefit now; will switch to full benefit at age 70), I'll go back to putting extra on the mortgage. Right now, anything extra will go into savings.

Yes, it was a no-spend day (other than paying my bills).

This morning on the way to the train I found four quarters, all scattered around parking meters. Sweet!

I got my forms to fill out for the unclaimed property in my mother's name. I decided to look for more documentation linking her to her childhood address. What did I find, but another unclaimed property under her maiden name! About $340 more, which makes the whole "estate" around $1,000. (Unless she had more squirreled away -- who knows at this point?)

I have to get a death certificate, and proof of residency at the pertinent addresses. I had to get a death certificate before, so I'm going to search my own records to see if I kept a copy.

I actually do have a copy of the Social Security Death Index record, but I don't know if that is what they want.

I added $11.17 to my snowflakes yesterday -- Discover cashback money which I transferred to my checking account.

I am well over the $500 required spending on my BOA Visa, so I will get $100 at the end of the 90-day period.

Money flowing in! I like it!

I haven't updated since Thursday, when I was planning to go out for dinner. Well, I did! I spent $43 on a not-so-great meal (but it WAS a good time with friends) and also $2 on parking. Evidently I drank way too much, because driving home (50-minute drive) I thought I would POP! I expected to find a place to stop on the way, but my navigator was taking me through sketchy-looking areas where I didn't want to stop. Finally, when I got into the city limits of my own suburb, I stopped at a Steak N Shake. Really uncomfortable experience. (Yeah, I know, I'll blog about ANYTHING!)

Friday was the day I spent escorting the Trustee wives around. Although the day was cold and rainy, it was a pleasant time. The ladies were very nice and game for anything. We visited the lapidary art museum, and also got a special tour of the College's art collection. I got a free breakfast AND lunch, both very good.

On Saturday I babysat all day. I took the boys to the Little League game, and afterwards we got ice cream from the ice cream truck. ($8) The little one just about ruined his pants with all the melted tie-dye colors, but they washed out pretty well! For dinner I picked up a pizza ($14).

Sunday was devoted to grocery shopping, cooking and laundry. I spent $55 at the grocery, which included $9 spent for Father's Day cards. My ten items were:
K-cups, dry milk, flour, eggs, frozen yogurt, Italian beef, chicken breasts, mini sweet peppers, carrots, and salad-in-a-bag. Thank goodness the K-cup expense is almost over. My K-cupping will end with my employment!

I also went to PetSmart and spent $19 on kitty litter and cat food. I got a $3 coupon which I activated by filling out an online survey. I'm always happy to find ANY way to save on pet supplies.

Today was pay day and I got an awesome surprise this morning when I looked up my bank account. I had an extra $4K! That is how much my unused vacation/sick time added up to. I'm amazed! I didn't think it would be any where near that much! I also got a $50 rebate for transit.

Therefore, my month of no income will be no problem at all. I will be able to cashflow it without coming anywhere near my savings.

My variable spending is at 65%, halfway into the month. Still ahead of what it should be, but I don't think this will be a typical month post-retirement.

I spent an hour on the phone this morning trying to get it established with my Medicare Advantage plan that I HAVE been covered for six years and should not have to pay a late enrollment fee. Sigh. I hope it was corrected.

Planned meals this week:

French dip sandwiches
Chicken piccata
Salad
Crudites w/dip; cheese & crackers

Plus these meals still available in the freezer:

Chicken veggie soup
Chicken pot pie

And these, which are almost always generally available:

Omelet
Grilled Cheese
Cheese Quesadillas

It was a long day yesterday, operating with too little sleep. I thought it might be another bad night, with the temps climbing close to 90, and no air conditioners yet installed. But I opened all the windows and turned on the ceiling fan, and I was fine.

Tonight I am going out to dinner with friends, so I drove. That always means I can leave a little later, which makes me happy! I bought a breakfast at Dunkin Donuts on the way - $3.

I may score some free food from work. There is still quite a bit of Italian beef and chicken piccata left over. We have offered it to our colleague on medical leave, but if she is not interested, I'll take it! There is also a container of broth poured off from the beef which I have laid claim to. It will make wonderful soup. It baffles me that no one else is interested, but I LOVE to cook with leftovers.

Yesterday I was looking at unclaimed property sites and found, to my surprise, two properties in my mother's name! They are insurance dividends amounting to about $750. I found city directory records proving her residency at one of the listed addresses (one I never even knew about! A house we apparently rented before our house was built -- I was 3!) The other address she used is a bit problematic. It is the address of her childhood home -- she was raised by her aunt. The only record I could find shows her living there under her maiden name (misspelled to boot!) probably years before the policy was taken out. My guess is that my parents stayed there temporarily once after their marriage. They moved around a lot. Anyway, I guess I'll have to get a marriage record to prove that she is the same person despite the name change.

It's not a lot of money, but hey, it's ours, meant for us, and worth claiming! I've found money in her unclaimed insurance policies before -- about $7K, and I split it with my brother and sister, and my late brother's children. I'll do the same this time, so I'll get less than $200.

I'm always late sending my Florida DIL her birthday gift. This time I decided to be early. I got on Amazon yesterday and picked out one of her wish list items. It was perfume, which I've never thought about buying for her before! I hope Amazon is very, very good about packaging such an item. It was $45.

So now my variables budget is 45% spent; ten days in.

And I'm going out to dinner tomorrow night. And I have another birthday. What a month.

Got my free dinner at last night's golf outing. I sold raffle tickets and checked out the silent auction winners. No golf for me; I'd rather stay inside! Though it was a beautiful day. I got done around 8 and it was a nice ride home; no traffic.

Unfortunately, as it often happens when my schedule is disrupted, I couldn't sleep last night. Coffee with dinner probably didn't help either. When I have a day like this, I just tackle it in chunks. Okay, you can get up and go to the couch. Okay, you can take a shower and get dressed. Okay, just walk to the station and then you can ride. Okay, walk to work and then you can have coffee. You get the drift.

Luckily, I have only one meeting today, and it's not a scary one. Not that there is such a thing as a scary meeting any more when I only have -- drum roll -- 13 work days left!

This is becoming a busy week. Tonight I work at the annual golf outing. The good side -- light work, great free dinner. The down side -- it won't wrap up until 7:30 or 8 and then I have to drive home (and the golf club is even farther away from home that work is!)

On Thursday I am having dinner with friends in Oak Park. It will mean driving again (as I did today) and another late-r night.

On Friday I am spending the day with at least three Trustee wives. Maybe more will sign up. The day is scheduled with activities such as park tours, art gallery tours, lunch, etc. I generally don't do this kind of work, but a lot of people are on vacation or at conferences, so they asked me. It should be fun, but I'll have to be "on" all day. For an introvert, that's hard work! But again, a free lunch.

On Saturday I babysit all day, including taking my grandson to his ball game.

Speaking of free lunches, there was so much food left over from my retirement party that we are all eating the leftovers for lunch. About 8 people ate lunch yesterday, and there is enough to feed them all again today! (The party was well attended, but too much food was ordered, and people ate lightly.)

I spent $14 this morning on a frozen lasagna, garlic bread and salad to take to my colleague who is on medical leave. I don't believe I spent anything yesterday.

I have two DIL birthdays this month, so it's going to be a tough month to come in under budget. Especially after starting the month with a vet visit. So far I have spent 39% of the budget only 9 days in. Hmmmm.....

I went garage-saling this weekend -- the first time this season! I spent $18, and my haul included a brand-new, large Crock-pot, a new box of embossed notecards, an autumn wreath, a potholder, two toys for the toybox, a silk scarf, a set of wall hooks for keys, and two gifts (a compact mirror and a plate stand). The notecards may also be a gift. Afterwards I spent $8 on lunch at a funky diner that I loved! Will go back again!

My grocery shopping was $28, and I bought: rice, whole wheat bread, sourdough bread, crackers, coffee, mashed potato flakes, salt, crescent rolls, allspice and body wash.

Possible meals this week:

Cheesy couscous w/veggies
Chicken pot pie (homemade)
Chicken noodle veggie soup
Spanish rice
Egg salad

I'll be eating out tomorrow night, so I expect this will be more than enough....

On Sunday I got my hair cut. I had a coupon, so it was $14 including tip. And I did two loads of laundry for $3. I gave a lady with a "need help" sign $3.

My retirement party on Friday was lovely. We ate outside at my boss' beautiful home. So much food! I took home a salad, which I feasted on all weekend. The group gave me a framed photograph of the College's chapel with notes of farewell written on the mat. I also have a nice group photograph of all the people retiring this year -- for once I took a pretty good picture!

In other news, the Frank Lloyd Wright tour that I was looking forward to was rescheduled to this Saturday. I can't go because I have promised to babysit, while my kids go to an out-of-town wedding. Oh well. The ticket was already bought, so I'll donate it to someone else who would like to go.

I've now spent 37% of my variables budget. I also sent $420 to Medicare, but that doesn't come out of variables. I was able to charge it to my new BOA card, so I'm already almost done earning the bonus! I am paid up to Medicare through September, and then they will start taking the payment out of my Social Security check. I will probably get another 3-month bill for the Medicare Advantage plan.

I thought the day before was a good haul, but yesterday I found $1.20! One dollar bill and two dimes.

I drove this morning, since I'll be going to my office farewell party tonight. I bought breakfast at McDonald's ($4), rationalizing that since I had a free lunch yesterday, and will have a free lunch and dinner today, it's justified! Yesterday we had a good-bye pizza party for a departing co-worker, and there is plenty left over to have lunch today.

I almost completed my five things last night. The only one I didn't finish was the mail, because it was 9 o'clock, and I was tired. But I did grab ten pieces, threw away what was clearly junk, and put the rest in my bag to look at today. So it will be done soon.

I didn't sign up for Medicare Part D yesterday, as I got sidetracked by reading all the stuff about Medicare. As I said in a comment, though, I will go for Part C (Advantage) rather than Part D. The HMO Advantage that UnitedHealth offers (through AARP) does not have a premium above the Part B cost; it has a thorough and comprehensive drug list and is well-rated by users. And my doctor's office accepts it. So I'll get that done today.

My only spending yesterday was the $1.50 for laundry.

My five things today:

l. Cat pan
2. Wash bras
3. Mail
4. Get Advantage
5. Pay Part B bill

(I'm going light, because I'll be home late after the party!)

Update: The Medicare Advantage plan costs $29 per month; apparently the $0 premium option is only available in some areas. I signed up. It's done. Since I had budgeted $66 for supplemental Medicare, I'm still good!

Yes. 18 cents! All along one long block.

No spending yesterday. I did make the chicken veggie soup and chicken pot pie filling and froze them both.

I'm going to adopt the five things concept, and here are the five things I want to get done tonight:

Wash a load of laundry
Change the bed linens
Clean the cat pan
Vacuum
Process 10 pieces of mail

About the latter. I throw my mail into a box after dealing with the urgent stuff. It's a bad system because it really builds up. I'm going to take 10 pieces of mail out of the box every day and do what needs to be done. (And probably most of it can be trashed!)

My task today (before I get home) is to make a decision about Part D Medicare. I only have one prescription (and it's been that way for a long time) so I'm not excited about prescription coverage that I have to pay extra for. But I understand that it's also for peace of mind, knowing that if I get slammed with expensive prescriptions I will have the means to pay them. Looks like the cheapest is Humana-Walmart, at $15.70 a month, which I think requires me to actually use Walmart to fill the prescription. I guess that's doable, there's a new Walmart about three miles away.

Had a lovely dinner last night, at a Wok 'N' Fire (I know it's a chain around here, but I don't know how widespread it is). We sat out on the patio in the late afternoon sun, drank Mai-tai's and ate coconut shrimp and egg rolls. My share of the meal was $20. But the conversation and catching up with friends was priceless!

So now my variables spending is at 27%, only three days into the month. This is really teaching me how easy it is to get behind in your budget. I'll try to find ways to make up for it.

Tomorrow I have a free lunch -- pizza party for a departing co-worker. And on Friday a free dinner at my own "celebration." (Are they celebrating that I'm leaving???)

Tonight I'll make chicken tacos for dinner, because they're fast, but after dinner I'll make soup and the filling for chicken pot pie. Just because I need to get the food processed and put in the freezer, or whatever. I don't want it to sit around too long.

I learned that one of my college classmates died of pancreatic cancer. I haven't seen her since college, but she's one of those people you always remember. She was so cute and lively, full of fun. According to her obituary, she was a passionate birdwatcher and naturalist (which she wasn't in college!) She's been all around the world pursuing her hobby and she seems to have had a happy life with her husband, who was a college professor. They had no children, but evidently a full life well lived. It makes me sad that she is gone so soon. I am too far away to attend her funeral, but I will send a note to her husband.

It does make me remember to treasure every day I have.

Housing - $677
Groceries - $147
Utilities - $123
Car Repair/Maintenance - $120
Fares/Parking - $111
Fees/Services - $103
Clothing - $55
Gifts/Charity - $54
Phone - $51
Eating Out - $45
Vet/Pet Supplies - $29
Gas - $24
Household Supplies - $22
Entertainment - $15
Laundry - $14
Medical/Health - $10
Personal - $8
Total - $1618

I spent 96% of my variables budget.

All in all, a good month, with a few surprises to handle. I'm glad I still came in under budget.

Money flowed out yesterday. It began with ordering my marriage record online ($17), and then I got a fill-up and car wash ($30). Then, with some unexpected time on my hands, I decided to do my ten-items grocery shopping ($23). (The ten items: Taco sauce, macaroni, boxed mac & cheese, K-cups, tortillas, almond milk, creamer, bananas, celery and a Vidalia onion.) I bought my summer beach pass ($26), and then took my cat to the vet ($64). (She's okay, just a scratch that festered.) I also paid $2 for parking, and gave $2 to the guy selling StreetWise.

I almost paid $77 for the marriage record on vitalchek.com, but I decided to check the county website, and it was only $17 to get it through them. So a $60 savings! So glad I looked around.

This morning I bought breakfast at the station ($4).

That brings me to 24% of my variables budget spent!

I found a cast iron griddle pan by the dumpster yesterday. It has a bit of rust, but I think it can be scrubbed and re-seasoned. It's a nice flat, round shape; I can really use it if I can get it back in shape. The other day I found a stoneware jug with a matching cup in the same place. Someone is de-cluttering the lazy way! I guess it's okay; in a populous area like this, there will always be someone to grab nice things that are being recycled.

Meal possibilities this week:

Chicken salad
Chicken vegetable soup
Chicken tacos
Broccoli cheese soup
Egg casserole
Spaghetti due

I made it through the weekend without spending a cent. But I found a cent (ha ha) and I also got a $15 check from my health provider -- not sure what for, but I'll take it.

I got a call from the Social Security office. They are working on my application, but in order to collect benefits on my ex's account, I have to provide documents proving I was both married to and divorced from him. I found my divorce papers, but couldn't find any marriage record. I'm sure I have some somewhere, but I've moved so much, who knows where it might have ended up? I'll have the write to City Hall to get that record.

The nice thing is, I know it's in the works, and, because I asked, I know the benefit will be what I calculated.

Because I was no-spending, I essentially skipped grocery shopping this week. I can try to go some evening this week, but actually, I think I can make it till Saturday, and I might try. I have a very busy week. I have to take my cat to the vet today (couldn't get in this weekend), I have a dinner tomorrow night, a party of Friday night, and a tour and lunch on Saturday. I also have to get those marriage records and resubmit my SS application, get my cat's past medical records, and get a beach pass (before the price goes up).

I went to my grandson's baseball game on Saturday, and I have to say it was the coldest, wettest spectator experience I've had in a while. Poor kids! I can't believe they didn't call the game. This is not money-related, I'm just complaining!

Well, I hope it will be a no-spend weekend. Last night it seemed that my cat Mystery was not feeling well. I hope it is a passing thing, and that a vet visit won't be required. She has a sore place on her nose, her third eyelid is showing a little, and she seems warm, like she might have a fever. When I left her this morning she was cuddled up in the closet. I hope she can fight this off.

Just in case, I'm going to look around for a vet who takes appointments on Saturday morning. I haven't' used one since I've moved to this suburb; the cats have been healthy, and they're indoor pets, so there hasn't been a need.

I dread having to give her medicine. She is the worst; it's almost impossible to get anything into her.

In other news, I still haven't received my new BOA card, so I guess I'll call this morning. I really wanted it to be here by now, so I could use it for my train ticket. And I'd like to put any vet bills on it, too. Maybe it will be in the mailbox today.

One of my co-workers is taking medical leave for six weeks, so a lot of her work is going to fall on me for my last few weeks of employment. I certainly don't begrudge her; she is truly ill and should have taken time off before now. In fact, our office is planning to take turns taking meals to her place. She is fighting cancer AND recovering from two mini-strokes. She is very strong, but now it is time for her to back off and rest.

Yesterday I found a dime on the train, and two pennies in the station. That neatly raised me well above the $60 mark I was hoping for!

Since I am committed to no more spending this month (with the exception of the train ticket, which I must buy before the 1st) I am facing a weekend of no laundry and no grocery shopping! Actually, I think I can do it, though it will make for a busy week next week.

My variables spending stands at 96% of the budget, and I want to keep it that way.

Next week I am going out to dinner with friends. There is also an evening party in my honor (for retirement). So that is two nights I won't be eating at home. I'm also going on the Frank Lloyd Wright studio tour with a friend, lunch following, a week from Saturday. Busy, busy!

I don't anticipate any particular financial challenges in June, but I'll have a semi-annual insurance payment to make. That won't figure into my variables budget. Post-retirement, I'll be setting aside $255 every month to cover taxes and insurance so that will be outside of the spending budget.

That's my found money total right now. I picked up a penny this morning. I need just one more!

I was approved for a BOA Travel credit card that pays $100 (10,000 points) after spending $500 in 90 days. I figure that will be easy, even on a tight budget like mine. I got all the supporting materials in the mail yesterday, but not the card. I'll let another day pass before I worry.

My clothes seem to know I'm retiring. They're giving out. I've thrown away two pairs of black socks this week, and today I'm wearing a pair of khakis that are making their farewell performance. I noticed that there are tiny little holes developing all over -- the kind that indicate the material is wearing out. I have another pair, and if I would just lose some weight, I have two more pairs. I have a pretty nice wardrobe in a smaller size, if only I could get there. That will be a retirement project.

I did have a no-spend day yesterday, and I expect I will be able to finish out the month with no more spending.

Came to work this morning; updated all my spreadsheets, and then BOOM! The power went out. All the power. Generators came on giving us emergency lights. So we sat in dimness for a couple of hours until the the power surged back on -- only in some buildings, but mine was one of them. All my spreadsheets were okay; they had been autosaved.

Now it's pouring down rain (not unexpected). I don't think the power loss was related to storms, but we are going to get some.

Now for the catching up.

On Friday I applied for Social Security online. I hope and pray I did it right. I got a couple of emails saying they got my application, and they will be in touch if there are questions.

In the process I realized I was figuring my Medicare Part B payment wrong. I was assuming the cost of the supplement would be my total cost, but it is ON TOP of the basic Part B payment of $105. Adjustment was made to the spreadsheet. What this means is that my budget is a bit leaner, but my practice spending is still within boundaries. I'll just be running a tighter ship than I thought. At this time, I've spent 95% of the "new" budget for this month.

On Saturday, I went downtown to see the "free" play. It was very good, but I'm glad I didn't have to pay $48 for the ticket! Even with a validated ticket, the cost of parking was $15. I probably should have taken the El, like I had planned, but on the other hand, there are safety issues when taking the El after dark. I feel safer on the Metra, my usual rail transportation. But it didn't go where I needed to go.

I was very, very thirsty when I got there, so I shelled out $3 for a bottle of water. But that and the parking were my only expenses because dinner afterwards was picked up by the board treasury. The board president and I DID do a lot of discussing of board issues. (And I took home a doggy bag, so the board also paid for lunch today. )

I had a lazy day on Sunday, mostly just lay around fighting my allergies. (Zyrtec finally took hold and made me feel better today).

On Monday I went to a family cookout. I had promised pasta salad, but on Monday morning I realized I was short on some ingredients. I stole some pasta from a box of Kraft mac & cheese, blended some dressings, and made do with broccoli, carrots, onion and garlic on the veggie side. It actually turned out quite good and I got compliments on it. So there you go. You can't really mess up pasta salad. And I didn't have to run to the store.

During the weekend I did my laundry ($3) and my grocery shopping ($41). My ten items were: toilet paper, popcorn, Greek yogurt, eggs, sherbet, frozen mixed veggies, chicken, fresh broccoli, wine and Zyrtec.

I actually bought a box of wine. It promises to be good for 6 weeks and I like chilled wine anyway. (Also cheap wine!) It is much cheaper than buying bottles. I'll see how I like this plan.

I bought a whole chicken and baked it. I had the legs for dinner one night. The rest of the carcass is in the fridge now. I'll cut some meat off for sandwiches and so forth and then I'll make broth when the carcass is mostly stripped.

I also made gravy (yielded about a cup and half) and fed the boiled giblets to the cats.

Possible dinners this week:

Chicken & pasta salad
Chicken sandwiches
Chicken Manhattan w/couscous
Carrot soup
Broccoli cheese soup

And then there are the old standby's: omelets, grilled cheese, pbj, and peanut soup.

When I made the pasta salad, I also chopped up the broccoli stems and made broccoli slaw to have at home.

No answer from the museum lady. Utterly typical!

I did manage to extend my no-spend days through Friday, and I'm working on another one today.

Found .27! Two pennies and quarter. I am within two cents of surpassing the $60 mark! Not bad for just picking up what's on the ground!

My former boss, who is now at the museum, visited our office yesterday. I had only a few private minutes with her, but she said she wanted me to be a consultant on contract, and I could choose my hours; part-time would be fine. Holy cow! We didn't have a chance to really talk about it; there were so many other people popping in and gathering around to see her.

As much as I crave the freedom of retirement, and I really do, I know this is an opportunity I can't pass up. Not only would it give me a financial boost, but just having this on my record would ensure that I could consult just about anywhere in the future, if I chose to. This is mind-boggling!

As if the universe was saying "Do it," I went outside and found a quarter and four pennies!

(Or the universe was saying, Don't worry, I'll supply change; you don't have to work! Hard to tell what the universe is saying sometimes. )

So today I have to send her an email spelling out my terms. Basically, I would want to work about 20 hours, ideally on Tuesday through Thursday. The commute would be no improvement. I would have to either drive through the city (it's on the south side, and I live due north). Or, if I took the El, I would have to transfer to a bus, and it would be just as long as the commute I have now, and less comfortable. For these reasons, I would like to limit it to as few days a week as possible.

I also have to see how it would affect Social Security, but if I'm remembering right, as long as I wait to draw SS until my full retirement age (which will be in August) I can continue to work with no penalty.

I might have to get a new car (which I wouldn't have done if I retired). And I might have to buy some new clothes (more corporate atmosphere). But I'm counting chickens before they hatch!

I'll keep you posted!

Another no-spend day. Three in a row. My goal is to keep going until Saturday.

In fact, I can report income today, because I found a penny! For some reason, I always like it better when it's a shiny one!

I got a call from Social Security yesterday asking when to start the Part B for Medicare. I said to start it on June 1. I don't know if that means I'll have to pay a little extra, but I'd rather have overlap than risk not being covered. After I get the Part B I'm going to apply for Medicare Advantage, which will cover both doctor visits and drugs.

I haven't applied for Social Security yet. I am within the 3-month window now, but I'm dithering about doing it online or going to the office. I want to be sure I will get the spousal benefit rather than my own, which I will switch to at age 70.

Talked to my friend yesterday, and she reminded me that if I drive to the play, my parking ticket will be validated by the theater. So I think I will drive rather than take the El. It will be safer, especially since we are staying in the city for dinner after the matinee.

I've been invited to a Memorial Day cookout, so I need to figure out what to bring, and how that will fit into my ten-items shopping. I'm leaning toward pasta salad, since it's cheap, and I have plenty of time to make it. And I already have most of the ingredients!

I did it again! No spending yesterday!

I'm determined to get through this month within budget, even though I've had a car repair, a license fee, and an unexpected clothing purchase. I think I can get through the next eleven days with minimal purchases at the grocery store. I can get by without buying gas. I think I have enough pet supplies. The unknown is how much going to the play/dinner on Saturday is going to cost. As I've said before, the ticket is free, but the parking/transit is not, and I've promised to have dinner afterward with my friend.

With all this in mind, I put off another dinner invitation from a different friend. She wanted to schedule sometime next week. I said it was a bad week (and that is true, in the financial sense!) and asked if we could do it after the first of the month.

I'm proud of myself for doing this, because, after all, I do have the money. I just don't have the room in my budget! (Reminder: I am living on my post retirement budget right now and saving the extra for a budget shortfall in July. So I'm not hurting, just being disciplined.)

Well, no, they aren't. That's the trouble. No-spend days are boring; at least they are boring to talk about.

But every one is a brick in my financial empire! Yay!

Went to the students' Phonathon party yesterday and they insisted I take a slice of pizza. Yay! Free lunch!

And this morning I found a slice of quiche that was hidden and forgotten in my freezer. That almost feels like getting a free lunch, too!

Today's goal is to continue my no-spend "streak." It's been an expensive month so far, so it's time to hold back.

This weekend was grandson-centered. I went to GS1's little league game on Saturday, then picked up GS2 from a birthday party and we all went out for ice cream. My treat, so it was $21. For myself, I just got some mango sorbet topped with fruit, but the boys piled on the toppings, hence the cost! Ah well, it's not like we do it every day.

On Sunday we went to see the new Avengers movie. My son paid for his sons' costs, so the cost to me was $6.50 for the movie, and $3 for treats.

I did my grocery shopping - $36. The ten items were: ketchup, mayonnaise, sweet relish, croutons, cheese slices, pantiliners, butter, carrots, K-cups and wine. No meat this week, but I have two hamburgers left over from last week. Six of the items were on sale, so my savings came to $12.49, or 27%.

Also spent $3 on laundry.

This week's menu possibilities:

Hamburgers
Quesadillas
Omelet
Carrot Cake Pancakes
Peanut Soup
Homemade Mac & Cheese
Grilled Cheese

I have spent 74% of my variables budget. No regrets, though. When I have the opportunity to have fun time with my grandchildren, I grab it!

Forgot to add my funny story! On the way to the movie, I found a quarter. Then, once inside the theater, I found numerous coins at my feet. They seemed to be dropping from somewhere. I looked above -- nothing! Then I realized they were dropping out of my coin purse, which I hadn't zipped shut. LOL. I think I recovered them all.

It's pay day. It's my second last pay day, at least from here.

I paid my mortgage payment and Discover. I have a $3K surplus in checking now. With another frugal month, I should be close to $5K which will get me through my lean month between retirement and the start-up of social security. (Not that it's really a worry -- more of a game. I will have $30K in my e-fund when I retire. But I would rather cash-flow the month!)

I have to sign up for Part B Medicare in order to get the Medicare Advantage plan. (I already have Part A.) So I'll do that today, and then it will be time to visit the Social Security office and get set up there for my monthly payments.

Yesterday I finished up a big project as Treasurer of my board. I filed papers to reinstate our chapter with the IRS. It required an amazing amount of paperwork, as well as $850 from our treasury. I am hoping and praying that it was all done correctly, and that the next thing we hear from the IRS is that we are reinstated. Our board President (who is the person going to the play with me next weekend) wants us to have a nice dinner afterwards to celebrate. I'm not sure if she means it will be on us or on the board! But I guess a nice dinner is in the cards. We are also paying the accountant who helped us in gift cards -- that will definitely come from the board's treasury.

Last night when I went to catch my train home, it wasn't there! So I took the one that stops at the station beyond mine. It meant a nice long walk home, which was overall pretty pleasant -- but it did make my ankle swell. So frustrating! It's so hard to get the proper exercise when old injuries get in the way!

I'm with Laura. I'll be glad when that creepy-crawly Cover Girl ad at the bottom of the page is gone. It has certainly inspired me NOT to ever buy Cover Girl.

I picked up my car yesterday. I was figuring it would be $120 plus tax, but it was $120 even, so my variable spending percentage is a little better than I thought. Only 65%! It was actually good that I couldn't pick up the car for a few days, because it gave them a chance to open it up and air it out in the sun. I couldn't have done that at home. Too risky.

After I got home I ran a load of laundry ($1.50).

Tomorrow is pay day. I will have $1570 to sweep into savings; however, I'm going to leave it in checking this time. Might as well prepare for my month of no income. (July)

I learned yesterday that there will be another retirement party -- well, two, actually. The whole department will have an after-hours party at my boss' home, and then, on my very last day, our unit will go out to lunch together. It's nice to get this recognition. And then my family will celebrate my retirement on the July 4 weekend -- and my BFF says, "Let's take a celebration road trip!" I don't know if that will happen. Probably not until August, anyway!

Yesterday was my retirement reception, along with the rest of the "class" of retirees. I was the baby of the group, with only six years of service. Some had more than 40 years! Many people were sad and teary, but I am not as involved, so for me it was just a nice party with pretty good cake!

At lunchtime I bought a top, sweater and jewelry from Kohl's to dress up my appearance. They were $55. I'm actually not sorry for the purchases; they are all items I will use again and again. My colleagues thought the whole story was hilarious and kept telling me how "very nice" I looked. I felt comfortable, especially since we had a "class picture" and I spent quite a bit of time standing in front of the room.

According to the Kohl's receipt, I saved $41. And the clerk said I could bring in the receipt along with my 30% discount postcard and get a little more back. I'll do that this weekend.

Because of the reception, I didn't pick up the car yesterday. I'll do that at the end of today.

I had another unexpected expense, which really shouldn't have been unexpected. My license plate renewal came due. I went ahead and paid online, $103. I could have waited till next month, but what's the point? Better to get it done.

That pushed my variables budget to 66% spent (which also includes the estimated car repair). To meet my goal, I will have to be very careful. The biggest challenge will be the play on the 23rd. The ticket is free, but there will be the transportation/parking, and my friend wants to have dinner afterwards. I'll push for something cheap!

So I took the car to the shop yesterday, and it turns out they charge $120 just to examine the sunroof. The good news is, the problem was just cleaning the drain from the sunroof (who knew I had one? -- a drain, that is!) So it will only cost the $120. I left the car there overnight so they could air it out. I'll pick it up today after work.

So, today's problem -- it is the day of my retirement reception (not just mine, but all thirty-some people who are retiring). What am I wearing? Khakis and a jeans jacket! Other people are dressed up. (Like in pearls and heels!) I wouldn't mind if I didn't have to go up front to receive my gift package from the President. But I don't want to go like this. I don't often dress this casually for work, but this morning I figured, what does it matter now? Oops. It matters today. Needless to say, I totally forgot this was the day of the reception.

So I'm going to go to Kohl's at noon and try to find a blazer or sweater that will look more professional. Kind of a bummer, but I'll be able to use it in the future even if I am not working. I'll call it my "going away" outfit.

Good thing I didn't buy that muffin this morning! And good thing I found a quarter! Despite all this, I still think I can stay within budget this month.

I had a nice Mother's Day. My son made lunch for me (along with mimosas!) and bought me flowers; my grandsons picked out funny cards. My other son called me and promised a card on the way -- I also had a long chat with my granddaughter, though I didn't understand a word of it.

Yesterday I noticed that there was a pool of water on the floor of the car. Last week, I found maps under the seat which were waterlogged; I don't know why it didn't get me concerned; I guess I've just had too much to think about. Anyway, I have a leak somewhere, and of course it is raining, raining, raining, and I have no roof to park under. I drove to work today and I'm taking the car to the dealer today to get it checked out and fixed. I need to make this car last four more years! Just from the sound of it, the mechanic thought it might be a problem with the sunroof.

My Saturday ten-item shopping was a little more expensive than usual: $48. I bought buns, oatmeal, cooking spray, almond milk, dried cranberries, walnuts, romaine hearts, a Vidalia onion, vanilla and salsa. My entrees for the week:

Brisket sandwich
Pulled pork sandwich
Tuna salad sandwich
Salad
Spanish rice
Sloppy joes
Hamburgers

The brisket and pulled pork are left over from my Mother's Day lunch, so didn't even come out of my budget.

I went to PetSmart for the pet supplies: cat food and kitty litter. ($15) I hope I have enough to get me through the month. This morning I found a mostly-full jug of fresh kitty litter next to the dumpster. I know some may hesitate to take something like this, but it was clear to me that someone had tried it and didn't like the texture or something, and put it out for someone else to use. It is a brand I've used before, and I'm fine with it. It will be great to mix with what I already have.

I also bought Papyrus Mother's Day cards for my DIL's; the two cards were $12 (with a discount!)

I've spent about 29% of my variables budget. The car repair will probably throw that out of whack.