I've tried posting this entry twice.  Not sure what happened, but it never posted.  So here goes another shot:

I've been terribly sick all week.  Coughing, sneezing, runny nose - the whole bit - completely run down and lacking energy.  I went to the doctor and he thinks it's viral, so I just need to wait for it to run its course.  In the meantime, he prescribed me a ZPac to hold on to in case it doesn't go away, along with some cough medicine and eye drops.

As bad as I feel, I definitely take time to reflect on how grateful I am to have a job with paid sick time, and a great benefits program that covers doctors and prescriptions with minimal outlays.  My daughter turns 26 at the end of the year and will be rolling off of my insurance.  I need to help her find some good solid coverage, because I'm really uncomfortable at the thought of her being uninsured.  That's definitely on my to-do list over the next month or two.

Hope everyone dealing with this weekend's storms stay safe!

As part of my decluttering / organizing / purging resolution, I'm trying to get away from a mindset of waste.  I'm always quick to throw things out, and I live with my family who never want to part with anything, so it's a fine line.  Yesterday, I came across a large piece of luggage with a broken main zipper.  It's completely unusable, and has been this way for years.  I was all set to toss it, but instead, I emailed Samsonite with a picture of the zipper, and asked if it may be covered under warranty (I no longer have the receipt).  While the rep wouldn't commit, he did email me the form to submit to the repair center, along with the picture, and it sounds like it should be repairable.  Best case - the repair is covered and will be free; otherwise, hopefully just a minor cost.  Luggage is *so* expensive; it would be a huge win for me if I could get this repaired for little or no cost!

My other big win over the past few days was cleaning out some old wallets/pocketbooks and finding a $25 Staples gift card and $25 Walgreens gift card, both with full value!  Based on some other papers in there I think these date back to 2015 or so.  

I also cleaned out a trunk that I had been storing in my son's room for years (and years, and years).  I knew it had some of my husband's clothes, but didn't remember the specifics.  There were some shirts, shorts, and pants, about 2/3 of which were not salvageable (and so went in the trash).  The rest still fit and are in good shape, so they're getting cleaned and will go into his closet.

Once I figure out how to get my side panel updated, I'm going to start tracking the money I save, the costs I avoid, and the costs I incur as part of this year-long effort.  I'm excited to see the results! (Also, a thanks to those who commented on my last post - great idea to donate the ear thermometer sleeves and other items)!