Financial Friday-Spending in the Time of Covid (and Asking The Readers)!

Obligatory dog picture for this week. Said dog literally jumped into the swing next to me and tried to put his paws around my neck because neighbor's smoke alarm chirped and we could hear it through the screen. Pouting because my lap is generally of limits for fifty pound dogs when outside

ETA: The ask the readers thing is interesting as I was expecting more rock and motown suggestions by far. Keep those suggestions coming.
I'm not sure these days a traditional Frugal Friday post applies as such, hence the change in title for now?  In other words, thoughts on spending, not spending, and saving this week in retirement:

1.  Surprisingly, the good news is that the food spending is wayyy down. I'm sure some of this because we are are using items from the freezer in order to make room for future sale meats as shortages and high prices arrive. As well as considering what kind of pantry we need if any, that is greater than what we have.  Still, this morning I paid a whole $76, and a portion of that was different kinds of flavored sparkling water (including dark cherry and pomegranate) and diet root beer so I can have a diet root beer float. I did splurge since it was Doughnut week last week, and have a dozen Krispy Kreme delivered to the door Sunday morning!!

Dinners this week have included Italian beef sandwiches ( a chuck roast with two of those Good Seasons Italian dressing packets and a coke or  root beer poured over and slow cooked forever). The Totinos Party Pizzas that were accidentally delivered to us with salad and fruit (they had to be eaten some time). Lasagna, garlic bread and salad. Oven baked prepared and marinated ribs from Trader Joe's with side salads. Maple mustard chicken thighs (mustard, maple syrup, rosemary and other seasonings mixed and then brushed on bone in chicken thighs before baking). We'll have plenty of leftovers this week!

2.  I am still spending a moderate amount over all for things that self entertain/comfort/amuse at home.  Ideally I'd like to lower this a bit and concentrate on using up things I have. But there are no entertainment, travel, or gas expenses happening, so for now I'm comfortable in this area as I'm going nowhere any time soon and these small home comforts/home entertainment purchases help keep me sane and grounded. This week those purchases included some fabric, the hand dyed yarn previously shown,  and an umbrella stand for the patio ( I bought the umbrella a while back and the stand we had was not holding it in place securely, too big a hole). Spending for the enforced staycation of you will. With the price of that yarn, some of these things will definitely end up being gifts, early or otherwise, but that's okay. Quality materials and all that.  

3. Obviously spending on what would normally be considered "entertainment" remains almost nil. I have absolutely no intention of going to a sit down restaurant or bar any time in the near future. Movies are not open where I live, I don't think we have a summer outdoor concert schedule of any kind (except for the type below which are free), and overnight trips are out of the question although I may hit a day trip or two. So my entertainment costs remain nothing more than my streaming type subscriptions for now, although I am looking forward to a streaming Canvas and Cocktails thing soon.  

 4. I have a post coming next week on volunteering in the time of Covid. Meanwhile, while I don't have a great deal of cash to throw in this area as I would like ( I do contribute to my church which contributes to many organizations), I have allocated a small amount to budget locally for charity, social justice type spending. In the normal times, there would be things I would go to and participate in. Between creaky knees and Covid, I'm not up to marching, demonstrating, participating in open activities or even going to my 'drinking liberally" Meetup. So I am donating to the NAACP legal defense fund. I'd also like to send some money to local independent businesses as they open and I feel comfortable.

5.  I continue to add the dribs and drabs to my Texas account. Between Texas spiking cases and the whole United States expecting large fall increases the logistic and timing of my move could be completel different than I imagine, ya know? I the normal times I'd make multiple trips to Texas (staying in hotel) with a car full each time of stuff to go into strorage and visit this place multiple times. Now I can see myself moving south with a single car load and leaving my poor son and sister to load everything into a pod and sent it down depending on pandemic stuff. The good news is that there are not alot of up front fees to this place and while I will need furniture fairly immediately,  once I have a bed, a sofa and some kind of table and chairs the rest can be purchased at my leisure

And so it goes.  Now, for the ask the readers portion of the post.  It's all about the music, people. When I drive (usually alone) I go through multiple dead music zones as well as a couple where there ar only Latin and serious country music. For that and other reasons I'm taking advantage of my Amazon Prime free music account in order to make various playlists-for traveling, knitting, relaxing and anything else. Right now, I have a Classic Rock list, a Rock and Roll list, A soft songs list (which includes soft rock and Frank Sinatra and so on),  a Classical (shorter pieces) list, and an R and B/Motown list.

 So I need your songs people. The more esoteric the better (my way of saying I obviously have the Beatles, ya know?) The hard rockier, the harder bluesier, the rappier, the funkier the folksier, the bluegrassier better. I'm looking to go beyond what you would hear on the radio on a regular basis.


List as many as you want as often as you want. Heck, just list a performer if you want, if it's someone you think I've never heard of. It can be any kind of music (seriously people, I know all the words to Gangsta's Paradise!!) and I expect good music to have the occasional offensive word or implication

Just leave out the country for now, except for maybe the Drive by Truckers. (with no offense to anyone).  And Rush, leave out Rush, please.