Okay, I'm STILL not feeling the great festivities and joy I get buying lots of last minute gifts. But, I didn't buy any gifts today. The big expense was running down to Costco to pick up a Rx, and picked up a few emergency food items. MD noted we are running out of my stockpile of muffins, soup, frozen meals, etc.

I did manage to dig out my pile of newspaper inserts and received coupons and cut them out and pile them up. MD hasn't filed the coupons yet, which he defends as HIS job in helping out in shopping. So, we will do the grocery shopping tomorrow. Mostly basics, a few items on sale for the holidays, like Gold Medal flour is 99 cents and I have a 25 cent coupon that will double to 50, and Philadelphia cream cheese on sale and a coupon for the frosting on the cinnamon rolls or stolen.

We need more chewy but not edible treats for the pup. He chews on EVERYTHING. The greenies went RIGHT through him. The rawhide chews he likes but gets bored pretty fast. He loves chewing the corners of the Christmas packages. I put a Neat Sheet over them, and MD held it down with an ottoman and weights, but the little one STILL managed to pull the Sheet off in about 60 seconds and was back in the gifts. Good thing he is SO cute.

It's been a hard day. A week since we put Mieske down. Spent an hour talking to JB about flying home to see my dad that is not my father. What a year! Anyhoo, the family has sent us $2000 to fly out and stay in a hotel. But, accepting money from the family means obligation and control and having to listen to their opinions, and staying "long enough" to have made their money worth while. There are issues with how long to stay and when, still trying to determine what is prognosis really is, 3 weeks or 3 months or 3 years.

There is debate about the inheritance, and if Mom will change the will when Dad is gone, lots of family politics about money that I want to stay clear of. It's amazing how families who are so loving can change so much over money.

Other than that, MD and I are just exhausted. So, we will be getting back to saving, and I will get back to writing up my savings challenges and successes and failures soon. Tomorrow, probably. For tonight, we crash.

Okay, maybe after I post a few freebies. Got to do SOMETHING useful today!