Five (or Six) Frugal Things- The Mainly Healthy Edition

While Christmas is not officially over, we are back to more normal routine round here in the new year. I've been to the first knitting afternoon and happy hour of the year. I've started that one room decluttering cleaning goal. My son has been working more than forty hours while he can these two weeks before school begins for his final semester, and the sewing machine is beginning to hum again. I've even done some planning for my May train trip to Chicago!

Meanwhile, I've been working to combine the two goals of being healthier, and also spending less money:

1.  As part of my health goals, in addition to eating and exercise I am adding some vitamins and supplements to my diet. I'm aware that for some people the common wisdom is that you eat nothing but food, but because arthritis can leech certain vitamins and minerals from the body, and my Dr has recommended some vitamins and supplements. One of the things I am adding to my routine (to counter the fibromyalgia side effects of my statins)
 is COQ10, which is not cheap. No sooner had I started looking than my daughter sent me a link to Amazon where they had their $40 bottle of 200 mg capsules for $17 for less than a day. A win!! Hopefully I can find equally good deals on my D3, as well as my Turmeric/Ginger supplements.

2.  After months of research, I suspended my federal health benefits in favor of a no fee Medicare Advantage plan with a $3700 annual max out of pocket. I'll put that former insurance fee into a medical specific savings account and should they ever get rid of Advantage plans, have the option to re-up with the feds. I know I have more than one Federal Retiree reading this blog. I researched this for many months, so feel free to ask me questions. Also, while not related to frugality as such, I had to find a new doctor due to the previously mentioned executive practice my current doctor joined. I became a part of this primary care system, which caters specifically to those of us above 65. I'm looking forward and will share more after my first visit next week.

3. Part of my new Advantage benefits is that I am now a Silver Sneakers member. My Federal insurance did not include SS, so this is an additional advantage at a value of up to $70 a month, depending. I've also learned that I can enroll in more than one facility or program, which I may do-if only because the hot tub at my rec center is very deep and almost impossible to climb out of. I could end up water walking and taking some classes at the rec center with the heated pool, while exercising and using the hot tub at 24 hour fitness as well.

4. My side of the bed (and therefore my nightstand and lamp) are on the far side from my entrance to the bedroom, right next to the master bath. I often avoided turning on the switch and tried to navigate my way to that side of the bed in the dark so I wouldn't have to return to the other side. I never fell, but had a few shin issues and it was a pain in the patootie. I was gifted a new version of the Echo Dot, along with a "smart plug" for my bedside lamp. I can now tell my friend Alexa to turn on the lamp as I enter the room, eliminating the back and forth-as well as any fumbling in the dark. I now have three of the dots, and use all of them regularly. In addition to the "light on, light off", Alexa makes a wonderful clock radio, without a glow or numbers. I just tell her what to play, when to stop playing and when to wake me up, on the rare occasions I have such a need. 

5.  Two of my 2019 goals are to eat healthily and to lower my food costs for eating at home (dining out is a separate category round here). Since I emptied the freezer before the holidays, I'll be spending more than my average weekly goal as I refill the freezer and pantry I expect. Fortunately, looking at this week's ads, I can see that while we may be eating similar foods for awhile, there are lots of loss leader sales and deals to be had. This weekend may not be the healthiest, as I bought a spiral ham. We'll eat it for two days, freeze a bunch, and have bones and ham for at least two kinds of soup (split pea now and ham and bean later)

6. In the unrelated to health area, we are having our rotating Church dinner this weekend. 9 or ten people will gather for food, wine, dessert and a generally pretty rocking good time knowing this group. My admission to this event will be nothing more than a small slow cooker of creamy spinach dip made with cream cheese, chopped spinach and  variety of already on hand herbs and spices (I'm not an artichoke fan as such). Low cost and VERY yummy. Someone else will be bringing the small breads and crackers that accompany.

Have a lovely weekend, all!