July 9 

$9 Lunch Out

I ate out and redeemed my free soda.

TM(21) requested homecooked chicken and dumplings (birthday dinner).  A newer recipe of MH's, that is more of a chicken soup gravy with biscuits.

The cake did not last long. 

July 10

$20 Groceries 

Another chaotic day.  My employer will be out of the country next week and so was pushy about needing certain things done.  While also having planned a work event.  & then I will be out of town taking care of my mom for a few days.

So we did some cooking thing (summer work event).  Much like the cake, the food was not pretty but it turned out pretty well.  I brought home tons of food for the kids, which is kind of usual anyway.  I am always saving food from the trash, but will have to let it go when I no longer live with human garbage disposals.

I just worked from home for a couple of hours, drove to the event (closer to my house than the office) and we finished up very early (2:00?)  Which was a relief because I had some packing to do.  Hadn't anticipated working after the event, so was over it and ready to switch to other stressful life things.

I am more of an off peak early bird but didn't think I'd have time in the morning to grocery shop.  I tried 8pm grocery shopping which was really very nice (more empty than 8am).  I spent $20 on cat food, ketchup and potatoes.  The last time I was with my parents their ketchup looked scary and was way expired.  I figured I would just bring my own.  (Ended up getting stuck with scary expired PB & mayo, this time.  I get it.  It's not so easy when you don't live with growing boys.)  I was going to pack some ground beef from our freezer, but for whatever reason it came up and my Dad told me he had beef I could use.  So that saved me some $$$.  I packed up some dinner leftovers and bread (about to expire) and figured I would be good for a few days. I also packed up a can of tuna, some veggies, and crackers.  

Before I forget, I am switching DL's name to TM.  From Drama Llama to Teacher Monkey.  He's more had an evolving identity over the years.  I think Musical Monkey or something like that would also suit him (more of his long term personality) but MM is already taken.  

July 8 

$3 McDonalds - coffee for cake

$16 rental liability insurance

TM(21) is the only one in the house who likes coffee at all.  I ordered him a cake (with coffee) last year but he did not care for it.  So I saved a chocolate coffee flavored cake recipe at some point.  I reasoned that I never drink the work coffee and I should probably just borrow a cup of brewed coffee (would be far less than my fair share).  But I was not in the office this day and thought maybe I should check the McDs app.  I could have gotten a free coffee, but I think I could only do one deal at a time and I decided to get some free french fries (+$1 soda).  Which means the coffee was $2. 

The coffee was more than I needed, so I took a sip.  I realized that A - my taste buds have chilled out over the decades and it's no longer the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted.  & B - I think my Starbucks generation (1990s high school) peers who practically shoved coffee down my throat, telling me I just wasn't doing it right, maybe went the wrong way with all the sugar and cream.  I am now thinking they would maybe could have won me over going the other way.  While I still disklike 'coffee flavoring' in general, this bitter hot drink didn't bother me as much and I can see it being an acquired taste.  I never minded beer.  So maybe bitter black coffee is more my thing. 

I made DL's cake.  It was a double decker, a first time for me.  I think I over baked the cake.  I checked 10 minutes early, noting another favorite cake recipe of mine bakes up 10 minutes faster in our current oven.  It was already well baked.  & it ended up sticking to the pan more than I anticipated.  In the end, the cake was ugly but it was divine.  The coffee taste was very subtle but everyone liked it.  & I mean, I pulled it off well enough.  I just refused to move the cake after I iced it.

TM(21) does like beer but he is wary of addictive substances (alcohol and coffee and whatever else) and so he has zero interest in any of that.  My friend had just been telling me she took her kid gambling on his 21st birthday.  So I asked if he thought about gambling.  TM's response was very, "Hells no." The one thing I know that he will enjoy is being able to go to a concert or a jazz club, without worrying about if it's a 21 & over show.

Oh yeah, MM(22) got home at 2am the night before, so everything about this day was chaos.  He likes to drive home late at night.  MH was kind of, "So you are coming home early so that you can unpack your car?"  MM(22) replies, "Nope.  Can I park in the garage?"  So we did that.  He once again packed his car very well.  Brought home all his big furniture and kitchen supplies.  Don't ask me how.  I should have taken a picture when everything was vomited all over his room, but he quickly went into 'organization' mode and I didn't get any pictures that captured the full crazy. 

I suppose we've only ever tossed old appliances and mattresses when we replaced them.  But MM(23) still has my old high school mattress.  Obviously time to move on, but seemed silly for a bed he uses a week or two out of the year.  He took apart the old bed (it's also not salvageable, probably because he is a monkey).  So we will have the junk hauled.  Apparently we get two free junk hauls a year, but this will be the first time using that in 25 years.  Or it sounds like MM(23) can drive it to the dump with a coupon (that I generally keep track of but I think one just arrived in the mail this week).  I think he would enjoy that and clearly he can make it fit in his car.  Will leave it to his preference.  We bought him a much nicer queen size bed for college, which he set up this day.  & he took apart my old desk (from 2000) that I don't think is salvageable.  Just an old cheapie thing that has been moved once already.  That might go in the junk pile.  He picked up a nicer/newer desk at the college (free).

My next project will be some serious decluttering.  My 'hoard everything the kids could use later' plan is going to evolve a bit.  I wouldn't keep the old mattress and no one wanted the old desk.  I will go through the chairs soon, see what the kids want.  (We clearly have extras).  & no one wants an electric skillet that MM brought home from college. I will be busy freecycling items.  I think the old bed headboard might be salvageable, but I am not sure (if it would work as a standalone).  I also have boxes of stuff from FIL's hoarder garage.  (Don't ask me.  MH thought MM might like some free stuff.  & also MIL was very pushy about giving us her junk.)  I just keep putting off, but I can see it's time to clear some things out.  

I spent $16 for one more month of rental liability insurance, because MM(23) is still on his lease for another few weeks.  Will cancel at the end of the month.

Anyway, the day was pretty chaotic between cake making and MM(23) moving.  & tearing apart old furniture, and so on.  I did several loads of laundry for MM(23), don't ask me why.  Bedding.  Probably because it's an easy chore and he was very busy.  We laughed and laughed about some mystery comforter pocket? he acquired.  I followed the washing instructions and didn't look inside until it got all jumbled up in the dryer.  I recognized the comforter I bought for his bed, inside this comforter cover of some sort?  MM(23) was so confused, remembering the comforter (that's where that went!) but not the bright orange cover he (or someone else) encased it in.  Maybe we were also a little silly with exhaustion, at that point. 

MH got his last paycheck for a while.  There was ~$400 left in the checkbook after that (I run the checkbook to $0.  It's just where money comes in and out.  I don't keep any money in there).  So it's easy to visualize excess.  Which isn't really a thing (having excess, re: our tendency to over-save and run things very lean).  But I figured I'd wait and see what MH's paycheck was and maybe just leave it in there to make life a little easier this summer.  In the end, I will need it for MIL's milestone birthday celebration this month.  I have no idea if this will cover it, but it will make a dent.  Not something we particularly planned for.  But I would never skimp on this re: my in-laws' generosity.  It's just unfortunate we spent their last big cash gift in one week in February (the emergency week from hell).  & MH is off work for summer, and our other cash reserves are lower than I would prefer.  So the timing is not ideal, but we will survive.

July 7

$2 Lunch Out 

$8 Groceries

$10 DL Birthday Gift (chips & salsa)

$33 Dinner Out

$50 savemooncamp.org

I've always been surprised by the 'rewards to spending' ratio when it comes to loyalty accounts and apps.  Historically not much of an eater outer, this means Round Table rains free pizza on us, though we might average one pizza every 8 weeks.  & then I signed up for the McDonald's app when it was clearly easier for their employees.  (Hindsight 20/20, they have the best app, re: my limited fast food use).  So now they give me infinite free french fries. 

I don't remember if the fridge was empty or I slept in or what, but I was thinking I'd check my rewards, for lunch.  I got a free burger and fries.  I was kind of joking with my coworker that Taco Bell never gave me anything.  But I got my first reward!  (Checking on a whim).  Free soda.  I decided to redeem at a future date.

Oh yeah, I had to buy a $1 soda to get the free fries.  I didn't want a soda and so I offered to a coworker.  I thought all McDs sodas were $1, but I guess that changed at some point.  I didn't know what she wanted and already committed to a large.  I figured I would survive re: $2 lunch ($2 for a large soda).  I just like their fries and fountain sodas (which happens to be their infinite reward).  I got the free burger from Burger King.

I swear I put eggs on the grocery list but MH swears they weren't on the list.  So he ran out to the store again.  He bought eggs and bread.

I met up with a friend for dinner, at my favorite Mexican restaurant.  She ordered some to go food for her son?  I briefly considered ordering some chips and salsa for DL(20).  He loves them so much that I picked some up on Christmas Eve for him.  I was more leaning against it, but then I remembered it was his birthday in two days.  He *loved* the pre birthday gift.

Two financial things of note that came from dinner.

My friend (mid to late 50s) casually mentioned she bought a home.  The post housing bubble burst has led to a generation of 55yos taking on 30 year mortgages.  Maybe that was always the case, but it's a little more 'starting over from zero' versus to when I think of the 'infinitely buying up' among my parents' peers.  Most our local peers (and somewhat older) lost their homes to foreclosure and have been re-buying in the past few years.  In this case, my friend was pretty smart with her money but lost her home to divorce. 

Completely random change of subject, but I have been keeping an eye on MM(22) expenses, as he graduates college and becomes an adult.  I think pretty much we cover the big stuff (room/board/healthcare) and off the top of my head we pay $15/month for his cell phone and $30/month for dental care.  & he covers most the middle stuff.  The only other thing I have come up with is I realized I also pay $20 to e-file his state taxes.

Talking to my friend, my Target credit card came up and I thought, "Oh yeah!  MM has my credit card!"  He is an authorized user, but I don't think he's used the card for a couple of years, and I completely forgot about it.  I did ask MM about it later and he told me he forgot the PIN #.  I told him if he wasn't using it anyway, we should retire the card.  But I will leave him as an authorized user.  There seems to be no downside to just leaving him on there.  Both my kids have 780+ credit scores, because of this one credit card.  Most the rest of my open credit was 'zero length of time' in recent years; I've never bothered with keeping old cards opened. In addition to refinancing mortgage periodically as rates dropped (paying off old loans and starting over).  So my kids benefited (credit score boost) re: the 15yo credit card.   I think this Target card is nearing the end of its life cycle.  MH refuses to shop there, but I keep using the card mostly because it's the only place I buy cat food in bulk.  I've switched to mostly buying toiletries and non-grocery items at the grocery store.  It's convenient.  But every once in a while the price of something (like granola bars) is still, "Hells no."

If you follow the Big Bear Bald Eagles (live cam), developers are trying to buy nearby land (partof the eagle territory).  They've raised $4.4 Mil of $10 Mil to block the deal and to preserve the land.  I wanted to donate a little more with the new month.  savemooncamp.org

July 5

$22 Movies

$31 Groceries

$57 Target

MH & went to the movies today.  I had sticker shock.  $14 for a 9am matinee?  Something like that.  We saw the new Minions movie.  (I very rarely buy a movie ticket, so in my mind a matinee is still $6 or something?  I don't know).  MH has his unlimited movie pass, and I bought a snack.

The most amazing cheesesteak place *was* by my new office, and then it went out of business quickly.  😞 So I told MH I would go to the movies if we could get cheesesteaks (right next to the theater), which are honestly kind of 'meh' (in contrast).  But it's all I got now.

I glanced at the cheesesteak hours as we walked by in the morning but completely missed the 'closed for the holiday weekend' sign.

So we went to the grocery store.  I wanted a couple of items like bread, and told MH I'd prefer the 'ready to eat' section over eating out.  Wasn't sure if I would buy anything, but my second choice was probably a pound of beef (which is very expensive these days, though would have lasted longer).  So I picked up a take and bake pizza not knowing what the price would be.  I think it was $11, and the kids devoured it. 

The GF broke one of my favorite little 10 oz glasses.  I popped online to buy more, but of course I can't find the ones I bought last time.  *Sigh*  I had already bought a couple of sets, but can't find them now.  In the end, I love the new ones I ended up with.  $30-ish.

I mentioned recently that I no longer deny myself things, within reason.  While shopping online at Target, I found a few pretty notebooks.  & then I remembered the granola bars are often 50% - 75% cheaper than they are anywhere else we frequent.

July 6

$17 Lunch out

$148 Groceries

MH did a grocery run.  

On whim, I tried another (highly rated) cheesesteak place by my work.  It did not win me over.

July 3

$31 Dinner Take Out (x2)

MH wasn't feeling great Friday and of course he would have eventually figured it out, but his smart watch ended up telling him his skin was a little hot, late at night or when he woke up the next morning.  So he took his temperature and he had a fever, a reaction from the shingles vaccine.

There's a local burger place we have never tried and MH was in a "Whatever, nothing sounds good" mood.  I treated myself to a milk shake and it was divine.

July 4

$86 DL(20) Birthday Gift

MH, the gift buyer (and insister on buying material things for holidays and birthdays), asks me if I planned to buy anything for DL's birthday.  No?

I guess DL(20) had just played this card game and it was amazing.  & asked if we could buy it and play it on his birthday. I presume MH bought some expansion packs and that kind of thing (re: the cost).

I thought I was going to entirely give up re: hectic week.  Nothing new or unusual, but it's a big birthday month, plus a few outings thrown into the mix.  It doesn't take much to throw off our minimalist preferences (usually reflected by a lot more downtime and a not crowded calendar).

Anyway, Wednesday is always more of a breather, and I suppose I will have a lot of downtime while I am caring for my mom later this week.  So I will soldier on.  

July 1

$86 salt/pepper shakers

I replaced a broken salt/pepper shaker set recently and MH does not care for the new ones.  I told him to get his own then.  I figured it was going to be a 'different strokes for different folks' thing.  He prefers to meet in the middle (and have less stuff).  I prefer to just use what I actually like (and have two of some things).

He figured it out.  I think we would both be happy with the much higher end salt and pepper shakers.  So while it is unlike him to spend this kind of money, I can see that's what he was excited about.  Just having one set that we both like.

MH received a $500 gift for his 50th birthday (6 months ago).  I think he might have been more on the fence, but I told him he still had some gift money left.  Usually he doesn't want to spend and I'd just invest.  But I told him this year, I was going to set it aside.  & not like he usually gets that much for his birthday!  But just talking about random money in general, when it falls out of the sky.  

There's probably a week or two (late June through early July) where I am spending down similar buckets of money.  I am extra appreciative of our slow burn through unexpected or set aside money (some of it I have been saving for years), during this murphy year from hell.  It's allowing some more luxury spending when we could not otherwise justify.

MH still has $250 of his gift money.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 2

$103 Dinner Out (x4)

This was MH's last work day before his seasonal summer break.

He had his second shingles vaccine after work.   When I got home MH was over it.  Long day, and he was tired. We briefly thought we could sneak out and enjoy a quiet dinner for two.  (We do not always invited the kids because that is far outside our budget).  & of course, we had just talked about how we really needed to rein it in this summer.  Because I will likely need to touch our emergency funds, if anything else big breaks while MH is not working.  & we just have less money to spend, in general.  But usually we just muddle through.  It will be a harder muddle this year.

So of course, we go out for a big dinner.  

We did discuss DL(20)'s birthday plans (over dinner) and he told us he did not want to eat out for his birthday.  So in the end, I consider this a very planned (financially) pre-birthday dinner.  Cheaper than planned, because MM(22) was out of town.

Money well spent.  The food is always amazing at this Thai restaurant.

It's probably ambitious during a busy month, but I figured I'd dive into 'spending tracking'.  Just as a way to jump back into blogging.

Unlike in the past, will be focusing on my own spending (versus other household spending).  & maybe weekly, or 'every few day' updates.  & I mean, I can share grocery (household spending) but that is depressing right now.  😁 With a 5-person household.  MM(22) devoured all of our food for a couple of weeks, and then he left town for a couple of weeks (wrapping up stuff in college town; cleaning out rental).  We will definitely have to take some breaths and re-evaluate meal planning.

July will include 3 birthday celebrations, and a few days out of town caring for my mom.  

MH & I did our big dinner out, to celebrate MM(22)'s graduation.  MH's head was mostly where I expected it to be.  The one thing that was confusing to me was he seemed eager to push MM(22) out of the nest but I recalled MH had lived at home (free room/board) for 18 months?  It was just 6 months, I was confusing years.  So it does make more sense now. 

After that conversation, I ran into DL(20) and was asking him some questions about the GF's plans.  It turns out her rental situation fell through and so she plans to start paying us rent in a couple of months.  More things to figure out and talk about.  We might have a a couple of tenants paying rent in 2027. 

The bigger news is that DL(20) is talking about moving out, to help the GF with rent. (Not necessarily right away, but maybe when he finishes his degree next spring.)  I didn't *see* it because DL has been so insistent on living at home and saving money, and is so much like MH in that regard.  But MH called it.  We talked about it the other day and MH told me, "I just thought I would have done the same thing if you needed help with your rent."  Which honestly, I did need help with my rent at the same age, but I was more self sufficient and more quiet about it, I suppose. 

I wouldn't be surprised if all 3 of them move out at the same time, sharing an apartment to save money.

That reminds me, please send some good vibes.  The GF had a job interview this weekend for a job that she will enjoy (very much like the job she left on the east coast; it's a sister company).  The job market here is abysmal, like it always has been.  Both her and DL have been overly confident about this job, while I wouldn't personally hold my breath.  

I don't usually pay much attention to numbers other than an annual review.  But I figured I'd check in re: Emergency/Murphy year from hell.

First 6 months 2025:  In the black every month (earned more than spent), except for June when I had a $4,500 college bill.

First 6 months 2026: In the red February through May.  I have no idea how I ended up in the black in June.  We had several big expenditures, including more home repairs. 

Second half of 2026: I suppose that MM(22) could get a job tomorrow and our expenses could decrease drastically at that point.  But the only known at this point is that I no longer will have MM's college expenses.  

2025 vs 2026 spending: We've spent $19,000 more this half year, more than we spent last January through June.  

Details:

$6,000 College (more college expenses re: MM Year 5, but this is gone now)

$4,000 Home Repairs 

$4,000 Medical

$6,500 Emergency Vet

--------

$20,500 - Obvious reasons for increase in spending

This does not include things like paying an extra $3,000 in taxes (more FICA paid with raise; withholding more taxes re: loss of college tax credits)

I am grateful that this all happened this year.  We had so much going on last year and opportunities we were able to take advantage of.  The early year emergencies gave us the memo that there won't be much fun spending this year.  It set the expectation early.

I was cutting back retirement savings, intending to spend and enjoy more.  🙄 *This* is not what I had in mind.  But I have to admit it's one more reason I am probably stressing a lot less than I would be otherwise.  We will try again next year, re: more fun spending.

After all that, we somehow ended June with $2,400 in cash (above emergency funds).  It feels like a miracle we haven't had to dip into our emergency funds.  Will see what the rest of the year brings.

Side note:  By far not an all inclusive list of murphy year from hell, but it's the big/expensive stuff. 

Big picture: Net worth is up $50K.  

Details:

-$10,000 Cash (Medical Emergencies)

-$10,000 Investments (College Expenses)

+$ 5,000 Mortgage Decrease

+$65,000 Retirement 

It's always hard to sweat the smaller stuff when wealth is growing faster than we can spend.