If I get around to it, I will top off my 'tracking spending' posts through the 15th 18th, and maybe leave it at that.

Today I am in decluttering mode.  Trying to get rid of:

--4 Chairs (more to follow next week, when I can access)

--3 Bikes (note to self, might list next weekend)

--Swamp Cooler (I thought DL threw away the box so I couldn't return; have since found box)

--Electric Skillet

--Clock Radio

--Kids' Games (10)

--Laptop & CD Bags (FIL)

--Hodge Podge of electronics and various cords (FIL) that MM(23) tells me are outdated (no one would be able to use).  & MM hoarded a bunch of old weird stuff for himself, but even he has his his limits.

Edited to add:  I just happened to notice one person pick up most of the stuff.  I really expected it to be more of a challenge to be rid of the electronics hodge podge, so I should be thankful that guy showed up.

I still have a handful of things (mostly things that should be easier to get rid of), but feeling much lighter.  

The city is also coming this week to do a junk haul.  Then I will go through the rest of the stuff next weekend.  I wasn't sure how quickly the city would come out, but it was within a couple of weeks of scheduling.  I know there's at least one or two chairs hiding behind the old bed and desk.

The vast majority of this is stuff that MM(23) collected at college.  But some of it was old stuff he was willing to purge from his room.  & then the rest was admittedly a very small part of FIL's electronics hoard.  Annoying as it is to be dealing with it, I will admit that MIL did do most of the work.  & if I knew one person would pick everything up in an hour or two, I would't have griped about it.

Because things went so quickly, I asked MM(23) about some of the other furniture I found laying about.  He has my old table from college, which is going on the junk pile.  MM(23) had another piece of furniture that was pretty beat up and he has no idea where it came from, so I just added it to the freecycle pile.  I think someone will take it, but if not it can go on the junk pile.  

Edited to add:  This furniture was gone shortly after I put it out.

Totally random side note, but I recently discovered scones.  My work assistant took me (a few times) to a restaurant she used to work at, that is kind of like a Marie Callender's.  It's filled with old people and has a bakery.  😁 The food is always divine.  So one day she asked if we should get a scone.  I wouldn't consider myself much of a scone person, but said whatever.  When it came out, she told me I *had to* put butter on it.  I said, "That seems excessive."  (Every time I say that, it never is.)  It was freaking amazing.  I told both my kids to meet me for lunch sometime, see the new office, and I will take them out for lunch and scones.  Anyway, just happened to be watching a frugal cooking show recently and they had a scone recipe.  It was probably a simpler low cost recipe but it looked very doable.  So I am going to attempt to make scones now.

This TV show caught my attention because it was called 'Struggle Meals'.  Had the funniest conversation with TM(21) recently.  He tells me, "I told my friend H about your struggle meals and she asked if you were from the mid-west."  I guess her Dad is from Kansas, which is where both my parents have roots.  It's where my Dad grew up and where my mom went to college (where her mom grew up).  So H picked up on my mid-west 'struggle meals'. 

I made a struggle meal today:  Beans & weens.  It's a classic. 

I think also, my mom didn't like to cook, for the most part.  She did on some level and taught me a lot of cooking.  But then most of the time it was tuna casseroles and weird stuff like that.  Or things that only required a couple of ingredients.  She taught me a lot of baking.  So I make the weird struggle meals and the sugary treats, and then MH does all the normal cooking.  Is probably how my kids view it.

I suppose the scones are right in line with that.  Today it's beans & weens, and scones.  I wanted to try the scones anyway.  But MH is busy tonight and told me he won't be cooking.  

I laughed when the 'Struggle Meals' chef used a fork as a 'struggle whisk'.  Yup, that is how I was raised.  I own a whisk now, but it seems excessive and I rarely use it.  Maybe I shouldn't judge it as too excessive, but it is just one more thing to clean.

This reminds me of one of the funniest exchanges I saw on MM's college parent social media group (which is an amazing resource).  I just looked it up.  4 years ago...

College Student: I guess I don't have a cutting board

Parent:  Didn't I buy you one?

College Student: I can't find it.  I don't even have a lemon zester.  

😂

I think I acquired a lemon zester in my late 40s.  I will need it for the scones, now that I think about it. 

I need to watch more of the show.  The food looked really good.  & cheap.