We’re so conditioned to believe that paying extra always leads to a better product, service or experience that we rarely consider the features and benefits of the so-called “base” model. After all, it’s only just a few extra dollars and if we’re going upgrade, why not go first class?

If executed correctly, those small upgrades can be a profit center for your creative business. On the other hand, if you aren’t mindful with your business purchases, you could be wasting money on things that don’t add value or streamline your process. Take business equipment: investing in quality tools and equipment is pretty much a no-brainer – BUT do you REALLY need top of the line everything and the entire range of rulers, sewing machine accessories, hammers or other gizmos? Probably not. I personally prefer to shop for big ticket items from a reputable manufacturer that are 1-2 levels above the base model. Gently used is even better. Some sewists upgrade their expensive TOL sewing machines like some folks trade luxury cars. The previous owner of my Janome 8900 had the machine for 6 months before she traded it in. I scored a sweet deal! It’s been a great machine; however, I use it mostly for machine quilting. Now that the 9480 with the stitch regulator is out, here’s hoping that someone decides to try it, then upgrade to the M8. I’ll be waiting!

There’s no getting around it. The price of everything is up and continues to go up. The media can say it’s only 3.4% inflation. Yeah, right! I’ve had to rework our budget to absorb a $465.00 monthly increase in expenditures due to in increases in health insurance, car insurance, home insurance and utilities alone. This is over a 13 month period from December 2022 to January 2024. Can you believe Georgia Power is once again before the Public Service Commission requesting yet another rate hike? Jeez.

Our monthly income has remained consistent since retirement. We chose to adjust our spending to absorb the increased costs rather than increase our withdrawals from retirement funds. Any money we’ve picked up from the occasional side gig automatically goes into savings. How do we manage? Below are some ways we stretch our funds to continue to enjoy activities that mean a lot to us.

Eat at home. Peruse the weekly sale ads to take advantage of deals and help with menu planning. Shop with a list. Have a snack before heading to the grocery store. If you shop at more than one store, is there a part of town where the stores are close together? There’s a grocery store 1 mile from my house. However, I can drive 5 miles and have access to Publix, Kroger, Lidl & Aldi within a 1/2 mile of each other. This saves me time and gas.

Get and use a library card. Today’s libraries offer so much more than just books. Digital access, programming and meeting space are just a few of the services available.

Take a water bottle and snacks if you’ll be away from home more than an hour or two. Ditto if your furkid often accompanies you. I keep an extra leash, water bowl and poo bags in my car at all times.

Shop prescriptions before refilling. GoodRX or the pharmacy’s own discount pricing is often cheaper than your health insurance copay on generics. You can easily transfer a prescription to another pharmacy.

Use a credit card for most purchases, especially ones where there is no cash discount. This offers you a level of consumer protection, helps with expense tracking/cash flow and may allow you to earn perks and rewards for simply being a cardholder. The caveat here is that you must pay the balance in full each month. If you can’t do this, then stick with good old cash.

Learn about all the amenities your area has to offer – parks, recreation, social groups, volunteer opportunities and special events. Picnic in the park, take your dog for a long walk, volunteer at the library, participate in the weekly farmer’s market, attend movie night or a summer concert on the lawn. You get the idea.

Keep your vehicle in good repair. Keep up with routine service and maintenance. Run it through the car wash on a regular basis. If you have a car loan, pay it off ASAP and plan to keep your vehicle until the wheels fall off. Many of today’s cars are designed to make it to 200k miles. Yes, you many have some major repairs as the car ages, but that’s part of it. Still cheaper than buying a new one. I think hubs and I both are now determined to see how many miles we can put on our vehicles.

Clean out and organize your clothes closet. Your daily uniform is likely to be jeans and a cute top or sweater in retirement – not the dressier work wardrobe your day job required. But hold on a minute before tossing everything except your jeans – keep a couple of dresses and some of your favorite business casual outfits. You’ll still need them occasionally and will be glad you kept them.

Audit all of your subscriptions & auto-renew items annually – magazines, streaming services & other digital entertainment, warehouse memberships, shopping services, quilty box of the month subscriptions. Do you read the item or use the service? Does it still provide value? Is there a cheaper option available? I let two of my favorite magazine subscriptions expire because they’re now available in the Libby app. Hubs was a die-hard Sirius XM fan until I showed him how to replace his beloved Braves game broadcast with a free app from the local sports radio station. Some streaming services are now included as an added benefit with our mobile phone plan. Amazon Prime will probably be the next subscription to go away at renewal time. Not happy with all the ads now in music, podcasts and other online streaming services offered through Amazon. I thought I pay an annual fee to avoid that.

And we’re off! All of our normal activities resumed this week, including therapy dog visits. Sadie (my dog) was read to by a reader with the same name. This little girl brought her two “lovies” so my Sadie could meet them. So sweet!

For 1st Qtr 2024, I joined a Featherweight Club hosted at a local quilt shop. Based on the description, I eagerly anticipated an enthusiast group getting together to sew projects and swap tips on maintaining our machines. Turns out, It’s a class for new FW owners. Oh well, I’ve already paid, so I’ll attend the remaining 3 sessions and see what transpires. One of my Friday sewing squad told me that I could probably teach a FW class. After yesterday, I agree 100%.

Thursday afternoon was the second half of our READ pillow project class with the girls at the SQTM. Loads of fun! The education chair and I decided this class would be best suited as a school break or summertime class split into two 3-hour sessions. This way, students can do ALL of the steps and not feel rushed.

I’m also planning adult classes to offer at the SQTM later in the year – spring bench pillow w/Lori Holt style applique, fall wall-hanging and a Christmas kitchen textile project.

The end of the week brought some very welcome news – official notice that I fulfilled all the requirements to continue our existing health insurance under SEC provisions (basically post COBRA for former employees with a certain amount of service credit) until I’m officially retired. Less than six months remaining at COBRA rates! Woo-hoo!

Looks like winter will finally arrive next week. Stay warm and quilt, my friends!