Fashion

[KonaKat]

Good morning, shopping friends. Where has the month gone? It seems unreal that tomorrow will be August.

This has been a good month of shopping restraint. We will see if the momentum carries over into August. As far as the TSV is concerned, I might order it for an office gift to the vet and staff. I always get them something every year and the number inside this is enough for a couple per staff. I know I don't have to do this but I always get them something each year because of the great care they give Midnight when I travel.

Speaking of travel, this is one of the rare summers in which I did not venture anywhere. I guess I'll have to call the 3 day stay in the hospital for the cardiac ablation my get-away for the Summer.  I had plans to do a lot around the house but the reality is that part of this time has been spent regaining my energy and getting used to the new medicine which has a tendency to leave me tired. Today, I'm feeling great but then I have done nothing.

I guess my big project for today is to develop my budget for August based upon how well I did this month. Trust me when you look at a budget's column and see it in red which indicates I've exceeded the monthly budget for that category, it makes you think. This month, I've exceeded the category for medical, prescriptions. etc. and car for a small amount in each. I'm find with the categories for clothing, groceries, etc.

Have a great day. If you shop, shop wisely.

[Snicks1]

Sorry I didn't see your post, KK, this is what I posted, which I will now delete:
Good morning ladies, hope all are doing well and ready to enjoy a nice weekend.

I didn't see a thread started so decided to start one myself. I have no shopping on my agenda for today, other than some fresh vegetables a bit later on.

I spent yesterday going to the nearest city that has a SSA office, I am getting very close to the 'medicare' age and wanted to get info straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak. I had not received the medicare 'bible' in the mail, which they told me I should have already gotten in the mail, but they gave me one, so hopefully I will understand this whole process better now. I was getting confused from the deluge of stuff I get on a daily basis from every insurance company in the world, it seems, lol. Anyway, I feel much better about my options now, and that was the whole purpose of making that trip.

I still have shortness of breath and a cough, but I do feel some better, so that's a good thing.

I have the laundry going now, have ran the dishwasher which I need to put away the clean dishes, did the pool maintenance. Once I get more ambition I will tackle some weeding in the front yard.

Oh, I did try on my Linea top and it fits great, I really like it a lot. Trying to decide now whether I want to order another one in a different color.

Hope everyone has a nice day.

Waving to everyone.

[Bird mama]

Thank you to Snicks and Jean for getting the thread started this morning.

Jean, good luck with your August budget.   Did you receive your new phone yet?  The other day you mentioned the Clarisonic.  Because I rarely use makeup, for now I use it 2-3 times a week.  

Snicks,  I know that once you near the 'magic' age, everybody and their mama send you information about various plans.  My DH died at the age of 62, about the time he would have turned 65, material started coming to the house in droves.  The paper I shredded was ridiculous.  Would you believe, I still get mail in his name.  I've contacted some of the charities directly, spoken with a person and advised them he's not here any more and they continue to send stuff.   I'm glad you like your Linea top.  I received my pair of rockport driving mocs in copper/bronze this week.  I already bought the same shoe in the hematite/pewter option. I'd say I'm all set on my loafer collection for awhile :-)

[LindaLatte]

Good Morning/Afternoon!  Thanks for getting us started Jean and Snicks.  Glad you are feeling good today Jean and not too bad, Snicks.  

I think August will not be a good budget month for me, but I'll try.  The trip to Maryland early in the month is an unusual expense, and I usually end up buying things for DD and family (or paying for things) when I'm there.  The money is already set aside for the kitchen cabinets, so that will not be an unexpected expense, but an expense for sure.

Glad you feel a little better about Medicare, snicks.  I felt that I didn't have sufficient information at first, but I felt pretty good about it after reading a lot of material.  And, once it gets started, things are a bit more understandable.  One of my concerns was that I do not receive Social Security (old Federal government retirement system), and they would not automatically take the premiums out of my pension as they do for people who get Social Security.  So, before I turned 65, I received a bill for three months of Medicare.  That was a shock.  Anyway, the premiums are now taken out of my checking account on a monthly basis.  

Glad you like your new Linea top so much.

Hi Bernie -- it is not good that people are still sending things to your late husband, especially since you told them not to do so.  I think my SIL has had some of the same problems since my brother also died when he was 62.  Glad you are okay in the loafer department.

I am not sure if my eBags order will reach me before our trip.  Fingers crossed on that one.

Waves to Kathleen, Arlene (sorry for all the bad things that have happened to you lately), twinny, Marijane, Susan, Charlene, Barbara, Rosa, LIndaR, Karen, pinky ann, Gayle, and all of our posters and readers.

My eye doctor appointment went well yesterday -- thank goodness.  I was a little concerned, but she said my cataracts are slow-growing, and I don't need to worry about them.  Also, I don't have any other issues.  My prescription is a bit different (stronger), but not much.  Since I have vision insurance (it is separate from my health insurance), I am entitled to a new pair of glasses every year, plus discounts on special features, etc.  Long story short, I'll be getting new glasses with many bells and whistles for $200.  The guy helping me with the glasses is from Maryland, so we had a nice talk.

DH and I took our walk early, and my plan is to go to the gym today as well as pick up a few things at the grocery store.  

Yesterday, DH was bored, so I took him to a small park -- it was very nice there, but pretty hot (upper 90's). Then, I took him to McDonald's for a sundae, and found that they had raised the price again.  They used to be $1, then $1,29, and now $1.79.  I'm thinking it might be better to go to a real ice cream place, since the sundae is small and the atmosphere isn't great. 

Have a nice day everyone!

Hugs,

Linda

[KonaKat]

Snicks--I always check in another window to see if the thread has been started before I hit the submit button. Sometimes, we hit submit at the same time. It doesn't make any difference; great minds think alike. You do get a deluge of information on different Medicare plans. I've been very satisfied with my plan. For example, I ended up paying exactly $100 for that cardiac ablation I had in May.

Keep in mind that I also had the bladder cancer procedure done in March which little financial impact. I have a plan that covers medical and prescription, and the plan I had with the State converted to a Medicare supplement plan.

I'm glad that your Linea top is a winner. Making a decision about whether to order it in another color is a tough one but I've done that when I've found a top that is a winner.

Bernie--I got the phone and it was very nice. It connected easily with the internet, downloaded stuff etc. and I had five bars so service was not a problem.  It would not activate, however, for some reason. I did it via the company's website and when I submitted the info, the page froze. This was the SimplyWireless site that sold the phone on HSN and gave all the extra minutes, data, etc. for TracFone. I called the number and got a "we are experiencing technical difficulties" message. By that time, I had played with the phone for an hour and decided all I really needed was a phone for calling and texting. I can get the internet and email at home or in hotel as I don't venture out that much. I have a small tablet that goes into my handbag which I can use to connect to the internet if necessary. Bottom line is that I'm sending the smart phone back and getting the updated version of the one I already have. It fits so well in my hand and is so comfortable. The touch screen on it is more responsive than the one I'm sending back. I'm getting 1500 minutes on the triple minute phone that is coming as compared to the 1200 minutes on the one going back....and it is cheaper.

Linda--eBags usually ships pretty fast so I hope your order arrives before the trip. It is great that your eye appointment went well with no major concerns with cataracts. I don't have vision insurance other than the token that Medicare pays, so when I got my new glasses with all the bells and whistles a year ago, it was around $600. I looked at vision insurance but the premium each year really added up when I never got glasses that often. My vision doesn't change that much in recent years. I vote for real ice cream sundae in a great, relaxing atmosphere.

I am not doing much today unless it might be loading the car with the donations, so I don't forget them the next time I go to the city. I know I have to go back on Monday for a dental appointment at 3:30pm. I'd like to see a new movie but it would run into the appointment time, so I might venture out this weekend to see it and possibly get nails done. I do know I need cat litter so that will be a definite purchase in the next few days.

[sydsgma1]

jean..thanks for starting. Glad you are feeling better. You had a pretty major procedure and that will take time to recover from.

snicks..we have a great supplemental plan that covers all of our drugs, including my very expensive infusions. 

Bernie, my mom has been dead for over 10 years and I still get mail for her.,

i have aves recovered from my infusion so fell good today. 

Have axwonderful day. ((((((((Hugs)))))

[KonaKat]

Barbara--I'm glad that you are feeling better from the infusion. I sometimes want things to happen faster that what is normally acceptable, so I just have to give myself some more time. You are a source of great motivation and reinforcement. Have a great day!

[Rock_chick]

Good morning friends! For a couple more minutes. Ha! I am happy it is Friday and fit my first paycheck today. DD is bringing a guy home - she made sure to tell me he is truly just a friend. I am ready for a couple days at home to beautify and continue on my home.
Linda thank you for your sweet words the othre night. I left then up on another screen and have re-read several times. I have looked at my store a few times but nothing is speaking to me so no purchases.

[twinny70]

For some reason my post disappeared. Jean, that TSV looks yummy so I am sure that your vet & his helpers will appreciate it. July & August are our hottest months, so I am glad it went by rapidly. We were in the mid 80's yesterday & it will be that way until next Tuesday when we should be in the much more comfortable 70's by day & 50's at night. Good health insurance is so important. It is good that most of your expenses were covered. I am glad that you are feeling better. It is easy for me to over do it when I have a great day. That is why I don't mind having a day without any plans. SNICKS, It is amazing at the tons of info one gets when they are getting to the Medicare age. I went on Medicare Disability at 54 so I didn't get the Medicare stuff when I turned 65. My DH got so much info that he made up for both of us. I am glad that you are feeling somewhat better & can maybe continue with your lawn work. It is nice that you like the Linea top enough to get another color. BIRD MAMA, I don't own Rockport shoes, but I have tried them on at DSW. They are always in the back of my mind for winter. Getting SSA info for your late DH after telling them to quit sending it is ridiculous after that many years. We still get mail for our DD & she will be celebrating her 19th wedding anniv. in August. It comes in her wrong first name too. It is in the mid 80's again today, but they say 70's by next Tuesday for several days. Just in case I lose this post I'll be back.

[twinny70]

We had a real nice unexpected shower early this morning. My tomatoes are looking good as are the flowers. DH is outside mowing right now. It is in the mid 80's, but since we were able to leave the windows open last night, it was cool in the house this a.m. I had a good laundry day yesterday, It was windy so everything dried quickly. I did get groceries this morning. The fresh fruits & veggies are at their best right now. I even got myself a nice bunch of gladiolas. They are burgundy in color & look very nice in the ruby red vase that our DD & DSIL got for us on our 40th wedding anniv. Nothing exciting going on today except dinner out tonight. LL, I hope that you have a great trip to MD. It is good that your cataracts are the slow growing kind. Since I was on prednesone mine were fast growing. I remember telling my DH when we were traveling around the East Coast that each day I saw worse then the day before. It is good that you get your glasses paid for as they are expensive. My lenses are covered by Medicare as I have had cataract surgery, but my DH has to pay for his lenses as he hasn't had the surgery. When you get back home, you will have the pleasure of getting new cupboards. RC, First pay check. YEAH! Have fun. How nice for your DD to bring a friend home for the weekend. I am sure that you are enjoying being back home & getting things done to your liking. You have quite the experiences this past year. Wishing your DH good luck in his job search too. SYDSGMA, I am glad that you are feeling somewhat better after your infusion. I wondered if they were expensive like mine are. It is nice that you have such good health/drug insurance. This year DH & I had to get a different supplemental & drug plan as his retiree group plan stopped paying for retirees, so mine are all paid for now. The last 3 years I had to pay $500 for each infusion, that I got which was not bad considering that each one costs about $6,500.00. DH's drugs are all paid for but I have to pay a small fee for each one of mine.