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.  www.savemooncamp.org