Hi everyone. I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was quiet—I spent time tidying the house and trying to relax.
I want to update you on my “Reconnecting with Family” post from January. I CALLED MY AUNT ON SATURDAY! I’d been putting it off for a long time, and often hung up out of nerves. She told me she’d been hesitating too and was really happy I called.
We played phone tag a few times after the first call because she couldn’t talk then, but on Sunday we finally had a nearly hour-long conversation. It felt really good to talk to her. We didn’t discuss my dad much—every now and then she would say he’d be proud of me and that she wished she could talk about him more, but she didn’t want to make the call too sad. I’m still not quite ready to talk about him without getting upset, so that was okay. Overall it was a positive reconnection and I’m glad I reached out.
I had planned to ask about my grandfather and get his phone number, but my aunt told me he had passed away. They weren’t close, so she didn’t say much, and I didn’t press. I wish I had reconnected sooner—there’s regret there. I spent every summer with my grandfather when I was younger and we visited often, so I’m sad about it. It’s hard to write, so I’ll change the subject.
I also recalculated our student loans and expected payoff schedule and decided to wait until May to pay them off. I don’t want to drain our emergency fund just to clear the loans early, so pushing it back a month feels wiser. I know some might call that a personal finance fail, especially given recent spending, but I’d rather keep a buffer for now.
Spending
We didn’t do much shopping this week. We did go to Lowe’s and spent about $300 on plants and a fire pit—ouch! Fortunately, a gift card covered the purchase and there’s still a significant balance left on it. There are plenty of other items we need for the house, but we’ll buy them over time as needed.
Extra Income (does not include income from our main jobs)
Extra income increased last week, so it was a good week overall. I’m focused on growing affiliate income and brainstorming new strategies to boost it. I’m also aiming to diversify our income streams and explore more passive income options. What methods have you used to diversify? Do you have passive income strategies that work well? I’d love suggestions.
Also, Lance is looking for a potential staff writer for his blog. I know many of you ask about opportunities, so if you’re interested, reach out to him by email.
Food – Clean Eating!
We did really well with food spending this week. We barely ate out and prepared solid dinners each night. Lately I’ve been following several “healthy eating” and “clean eating” accounts on Instagram and using their recipes. One of my favorites is FITalacious—she shares inexpensive, tasty recipes. Have you heard of her? Who are your favorite food accounts on Instagram?
Next week’s meal plan includes lots of grilled salmon and chicken, brown rice, vegetables, and peppers. We used to eat unhealthily most nights—drenching meals in dressing, cheese, sugar, or butter. Lately we’ve shifted to cleaner meals, adding very little beyond a squeeze of lemon. We’re both committed to eating healthier and are enjoying the food more. After long periods of unhealthy eating, cleaner food starts to taste better and becomes more satisfying. What’s on your meal plan? Share recipes or photos in the comments.
Being healthy
I’m doing well here too—see the food section above. I’ve also improved my running routine. I haven’t used the treadmill much because our dog waits at the end and looks guilty when I run inside without her, so I’ve been running outside with her instead. It’s nicer for both of us.