2025 Frugal Friday File, January 3...

1.  After a full year of letting our credit card's cash-back accrue (5% on store-brand groceries, and 1.5% on everything else), I have transferred to our bank account a tidy $281.97.  We only use this particular card for groceries and meals out, and we pay the full balance off each month.

2.  I made a week's menu and grocery order.

3.  I made a batch of homemade Rudy food.

4.  I read.

5.  Jared was off today, so he and Carey went out for brunch at IHOP.  Carey had received a coupon for 20% off of a visit.  They really like IHOP, and it is a rare treat that they get to go out for a meal together.  Though I was invited, I wasn't in the mood for anything I could think of on  IHOP's menu.  Lunch out, even when it's 20% off, is still money out of pocket.  I enjoyed the Toasted Cheddar Jalapeno Bagel topped with Mashed Avocado that I made at home so much more.  And I can enjoy another one tomorrow.  :)

On the menu this week:

Saturday:  Out for Tex-Mex

Sunday:  Sunday family supper at Kasey & Beau's

Monday:  Dublin Coddle

Tuesday:  New Year's dinner at Kasey & Beau's

Wednesday:  takeout burgers

Thursday:  Spanish Rice

Friday:  Chicken fingers, dressing, broccoli, cranberry sauce

**designates meatless meal

Bucket List of Hopes for 2025...

 

  1.  Stop wasting so much time on my phone playing games.  On 12/31/2024, I deleted all games on my phone except for four New York Times puzzles (Strands, Connections, Wordle, and Weaver) that I play once each per day.  If I want to play Sudoku, my plan is to use puzzles in book form.  If I want to do a jigsaw puzzle, I have a number of new, unopened ones on the shelf.  

The time freed up should help me accomplish more of the following goals:

  2.  Bake bread at least once a month.

  3.  Finish two quilts.

  4.  Complete The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge with e-books already on my Kindle and library and/or free books.  I won't say that I won't buy any books this year, but if I do it won't count toward the challenge.

  5.  Complete the Storyworth project and have it printed by Mother's Day.  Kasey gave me a one-year subscription for it awhile back, and I have since had to renew the subscription so as not to lose completed entries (which is not enough to justify printing).

  6.  Start volunteering.

  7.  Find a new reflexologist.

  8.  Relearn Canasta.  Carey and I used to play all the time, but have forgotten how.  We so frequently lament that there is 'nothing on tv worth watching,' so instead, why not play a game of cards to spend time together.

  9.  Get my Singer Featherweight up and running and in use.

10.  Make some progress on our family trees.

11.  Check out our local farmers market.

12.  Send 52 letters in 52 weeks.

This is a longer list than last year's, because:

    a.  last year's shorter list wasn't very challenging,

    b.  some of these do not require much sustained time over the year, and

    c.  these are all things that I continue to tell myself, "You really should..."