A Week In Kansas City Suburbs, KS On A $131,858 Salary

Occupation: Senior manager, finance
Industry: Transportation
Age: 38
Location: Kansas City suburbs, KS
Salary: $131,858 plus a $14,000 bonus. My husband makes $121,500, plus a $9,000 bonus.
Assets: $1,300,000 in retirement savings; $350,000 in home equity; $100,000 in brokerage; $80,000 in 529 accounts; $30,000 in a HYSA; $15,000 in HSA accounts; ~$10,000 in regular checking/savings.
Debt: $280,000 remaining on our mortgage.
Paycheck amount (2x/month): $3,052.30 (me); $2,996.46 (husband).
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing costs: $3,273 mortgage payment that includes escrow for taxes/insurance. I live with my husband, M., and our two children, B. and L., in a single-family home.
Loan payments: None. Both our cars are over 10 years old and we paid off our student loans about 10 years ago.
401(k): $2,878 (deducted from paycheck. Eight percent match for both of us).
Health/dental insurance: $450 (deducted from paycheck).
HSA contributions: $300 (deducted from paycheck. $1,500 annual contribution by company).
DCRA: $208 (deducted from paycheck. $2,500 annual company match).
Childcare: $2,400
Utilities: ~$450
Internet/phone: $209
Car insurance: $175
Streaming services: $45
Kid activities: $119
Pest control: $40
Massage membership: $80
Monthly cleaning service: $200
Additional savings: $200 each to HYSA and a 529 account.

HOA: $600 (this includes trash/recycling service and access to the neighborhood pool).
Credit card: $1,200
Costco: $120
Amazon Prime: $139
Zoo membership: $135
Science Museum membership: $105
Vehicle registration: $400
Duolingo Plus: $60

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
College was presented as the only option for me growing up, even though none of my parents or step-parents had completed degrees. I don’t think they had a realistic understanding of the college application process or costs but I did go to a four-year private university. I had a lot of scholarships and grants, and my mom and then stepdad helped my freshman year. After that I paid for the remainder by working full time as a server and at an on-campus job, and took out about $30,000 in loans. I later got an MBA that was paid for by my company.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
All I was really told about money was to avoid debt; if you can’t pay cash for it, you can’t have it. My dad was a spender and my mom was the responsible one, which caused a lot of arguments before they split up.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was working at a Little League concession stand when I was 15. I got it more to hang out with friends and for something to do in the summer than because I needed money.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I was definitely aware that we had less money than most of my friends’ families but my grandfather had a lot of money so we had access to things like boats and nice events through him. When my parents split up when I was 11, things became pretty bleak for a while because while my dad was present as a father and a good dad to us, he was terrible with money and always changing jobs so he didn’t contribute financially and my mom really struggled. If it hadn’t been for my grandpa bailing us out, I’m sure things would have been a lot worse.

Do you worry about money now?
Yes and no. I know that we make enough money to have a nice life and we’ve really aggressively saved for retirement and stayed out of debt so I shouldn’t, but paying for childcare and unexpected expenses that come up still just makes me nauseous. My husband and I both grew up in households where a lot of bad financial decisions were made so I think we’re just constantly afraid of repeating history or having to bail someone out. My dad died about five years ago and my siblings and I ended up having to split his final expenses.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
Nineteen. My mom had a traumatic brain injury when I was 16 and became disabled and then she and my first stepdad split up my freshman year of college, so what little money she had was needed to support my younger sister. My grandpa did help them out and gave me about $8,000 so that I could study abroad my junior year, but I was mostly on my own after my freshman year. Our safety net now would really just be our own savings and investments. If I really had an emergency, I would probably go to my siblings first.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
Yes. When my grandma died, she left each grandkid about $25,000. I used mine to start a 529 account, even though I didn’t have any kids at the time, because I felt that’s what she would have wanted me to use it for. A few years ago, my aunt and uncle both succumbed to their battles with alcoholism and didn’t have any children so their estate ended up being split among me, my siblings and cousins. I ended up with about $300,000 from that. We used about half to beef up our down payment and finish our basement when we moved back to Kansas; the other half is in various investment accounts.

6:30 a.m. — I wake up next to my 4-year-old, B., who is still asleep. My husband, M., is asleep in our guest room because he’s working nights this week and I’m solo parenting the next three days. I grab a quick shower before the kids wake up and brace myself for the Monday morning battle. I get my 2-year-old, L., up and dressed first then come back to grab B. We head downstairs and I microwave pancakes for them to eat while I pack their school bags. My sister texts me a reminder that it’s swimming lesson signup day; we were out of town for the last signup and missed it so I need to make sure we get B. in this round. We straggle in at 8:15 a.m. but manage to snag a spot. I’ll need to remember to bring a check this afternoon. I drive the mile back home, eat some banana bread and then head upstairs to my office to work.

9:30 a.m. — We have our weekly team call. A lot of people are out of office this week on vacation or in training so hopefully it’ll be a quiet week. I came back from vacation last week and am still catching up, plus it’s close week, so I can use the quiet.

12:30 p.m. — M. is up so we talk for a few minutes about the kids this morning and I follow him downstairs to eat. He eats breakfast while I eat leftovers from the weekend: grilled sausage, coleslaw, potato salad and fruit. It’s midway through the year so he decides to submit for the first half of reimbursement from his DCRA. I send him the documentation for the zillion dollars we’ve paid for childcare this year and he requests $2,500 from the account, then heads out to mow the yard while I go back to work.

4 p.m. — I finish submitting my journal entries for close and run some end-of-month reports. M. gets ready for work and leaves a little after 4 p.m., then I wrap up and decompress for a few minutes before heading to get my kids. My sister’s kids are in the same daycare and she’s picking hers up at the same time so we talk for a minute while trying to wrangle our four boys under five. We grew up about an hour from KC but I left for college, spent 15 years living in four other states, then moved back here about 18 months ago so I still get excited every time I get to see my sister. I need to ask her about some stuff for the extended family trip we’re taking later this year but the kids are wild so I’ll just text her later. I drop off the check for the swimming lessons and take the boys home. $125

6 p.m. — When M. is working nights, our meals tend to be a little more basic and kid-friendly. The kids eat yogurt and fruit snacks and watch Paw Patrol while I cut up some fruit and make a pasta recipe that is basically a homemade version of Cheeseburger Helper. I almost burn everything because L. is potty training and he comes in to say he has to pee while I’m cooking so I have to drop everything and help him potty. L. eats all of his food and B. picks at his pasta but doesn’t touch the fruit, so pretty typical evening meal with these two. I clean up and then help them build a farm before it’s L.’s bedtime. I take him up and read books and he’s ready to sleep by 7:30 p.m. I catch up on the group chat with my sister and SIL about plans for Hawaii and do my Duolingo while B. finishes his building for the night.

9 p.m. — B. is always a nightmare at bedtime. Tonight is actually easier than usual as far as getting him upstairs and into pajamas goes but keeping him in bed is not going great. I lie with him and read Lolita on my Kindle until he finally falls asleep shortly before 10 p.m. Once he’s down, I get myself ready for bed and go watch an episode of Love on the Spectrum. I start the dishwasher, hoping M. will unload it when he gets home, and then head to bed around 11 p.m.

6:45 a.m. — Alarm goes off and I hear L. starting to wake up so I hurry and get ready and head to his room. B. comes running down the hall so I get them both ready and downstairs for pancakes. It’s our monthly snack day so we’re bringing clementines and string cheese for the toddlers and yogurt tubes and veggie straws for the preschoolers. I drop the kids at 8 a.m. and head back home and make myself a tortilla rollup with peanut butter, banana and granola. I take my assorted pills for ADHD, anxiety and allergies as well as some supplements to help with inflammation. I’ve had Crohn’s disease that’s in remission right now but last year I was diagnosed with spondyloarthritis in most of my joints and lower back. Tuesday is my weekly injection day for methotrexate, which I started on earlier this year. It’s helped a lot with the pain and stiffness in my hands and feet but I still have some trouble with my knees and back, especially when carrying a 40lb 2-year-old.

9:30 a.m. — I get a text telling me my ADHD medication (guanfacine) is ready to pick up, which reminds me that my psych that I see for medication management wants to see me before my next round of refills so I call and make an appointment for the end of the month. I get an email telling me that my card was charged for tolls during our vacation car rental in Colorado last week ($13.05, expensed), which reminds me I need to do an expense report for last month’s work travel. I only had one single-night trip last month and charged everything to the corporate card, so it’s straightforward. I do get to put in a request for reimbursement of about $60 for my mileage to/from the airport. I’m on the phone when our backyard owl (B. named him Scorpion) perches outside and stares at me. It’s not surprising to see him during the day but then another owl comes and sits on another tree and I’m not sure how I feel about two owls. How many owls before it’s a bad omen?

1 p.m. — I go down a travel rabbit hole on Reddit. I need to refocus but I head downstairs for lunch. We have leftovers but nothing sounds good so I make myself a turkey sandwich. I add some potato salad and a Dr Pepper Zero and sit on the back deck to eat and watch the owls some more. When I go back in, M. is up so we talk for a few minutes while he starts the kids’ laundry and I head back up to work. At 3:30 p.m. M. and I take a 30-minute walk along the creek that runs through our neighborhood. M. finishes up kid laundry and gets ready to leave for work while I hop on a call and mess with my spreadsheets. I finish a presentation and get it sent off, then take a quick shower before heading to pick up the boys at 5 p.m.

5:45 p.m. — My dinner plans were either leftovers or making something easy in the air fryer so when the boys ask for McDonald’s I say okay. B. wants a cheeseburger Happy Meal, L. wants nuggets and I get a quarter pounder and fries for myself and bring it home to eat. The toys are from Inside Out 2 and the boys have never seen Inside Out so we watch it while they eat and then L. and I play with his farm while B. plays with his trains until it’s time for L. to go to bed at 7:30 p.m. I get myself ready for bed and do my Duolingo while B. watches Paw Patrol and then I get him into bed and asleep about 9:15 p.m., which is pretty good for him. $18.28

10 p.m. — I eat a few Brookie Caramel Clusters from Trader Joe’s while I watch Love on the Spectrum. I can’t eat stuff like this when the kids are awake as they’ll steal it all, so this is an after-bedtime treat. I remember I was going to look at sports bras from Old Navy since they’re all half-price and I have Super Cash. I shop for a while and end up buying a dress, a romper, a pair of bike shorts, three sports bras, a few basic tanks and the next size up in B.’s favorite Spiderman shirt before heading to bed. I get in bed at 11 p.m. and start to read but only make it a few pages before calling it a night and falling asleep. $81.95

6:45 a.m. — I wake up with B. next to me again. He came in about 3 a.m. and it’s easier to just let him in bed with me and go back to sleep than get up and fight with him. I get myself and the kids ready and head down for breakfast. They want pancakes and blackberries again this morning so that’s what they get. We’re a little ahead of schedule for once so I warm up a sausage and cheese breakfast sandwich and eat with them, then we head to school drop-off. I’m reminded B. needs new inside slippers for school so I order them along with a few other items in my Amazon cart (face wash, concealer and some fidgets for me and B. to try to help with our ADHD), then start my work day. My role is technically hybrid and I do have an office but my team is mostly in Chicago or other locations so there’s not much value in being there. I do usually go in on Wednesdays if I’m not traveling but there’s honestly no reason for it today and I have some appointments this afternoon, so I’m skipping it. $58.84

10:30 a.m. — The owls are back and I’m pretty sure they’re a breeding pair and have either babies or eggs in a tree behind our house and that’s why they’re hanging so close and hunting so much. B. named the second one Owly and barred owls are my entire personality now.

11:45 a.m. — My boss is back from vacation so I’ve spent a lot of the morning catching him up and on calls. I head downstairs and once again don’t want anything in our house for lunch but heat up some of the leftover pasta from Monday night and eat it on the back deck while I have a staredown with Owly and Scorpion. I set a reminder on my phone to start dinner in the crockpot at 1:30 p.m. because I’m the most forgetful person on the planet and then get back to work since I’m skipping out this afternoon.

1:45 p.m. — I start meatballs with BBQ sauce in the crockpot. I’ll add veggies to it later but for now it’s super easy. I put it on low, talk to M. for two minutes and then leave for my massage and facial appointment (I try to get trigger point massages every month to help with my arthritis pain). Scheduling on evenings and weekends when my kids are home and M. isn’t working has been a nightmare lately and going during the work day is my only option this month. My therapist had to cancel my last appointment at the last minute so they gave me a credit for a facial, so I’m doing both today.

4:30 p.m. — My massage was great but the facial was just okay. Both are already taken care of but I leave a $25 tip for each service and apparently this place is charging a service charge for tips now? This is insane to me but I don’t have cash so I suck it up ($53.46). There’s a Target across the street so I stop in and get two boxes of pull-ups for L., two bags of chips, a rash guard and a T-shirt for B., two pairs of shorts and a T-shirt for L., and Father’s Day cards for M., his dad and my grandpa. My dad died five years ago and even before he passed he wasn’t really a “World’s Greatest Dad” type so I’ve always had a weird relationship with Father’s Day but M., his dad and my grandpa are all amazing so I’m happy to celebrate them. Total is $105.07 and I get a $10 gift card for spending $50 on diapers. Hopefully we’re nearing the end for pull-ups — a day that can’t come soon enough. $158.53

5:30 p.m. — I pick up the kids and we head home. They want to watch Inside Out again so I put it on and add bell peppers and pineapple to the crockpot with the meatballs, then make some rice to go with it. B. refuses to even look at his dinner and eats a Pop-Tart, while L. eats all his portion and then B.’s. There's a ton of leftovers so I put those away and clean up the kitchen, then we all head up the stairs for bath night. M. does all the baths when he’s home so I always grumble about it when he’s gone. Midway through the bath, L. announces he has to poop and goes in the potty so we have a big celebration. He’s so excited he insists on FaceTiming M. at work to tell him about it. Luckily, M. is able to answer so we talk to him for a few minutes and then finish getting the kids in pajamas. L. goes down about 7:45 p.m. and B. goes back downstairs to play a little longer.

8:30 p.m. — B. and I share some Oreos and I finish cleaning up the kitchen and gathering up stuff for school tomorrow. They somehow keep bringing stuff home that’s supposed to stay at school so I have to make sure we have everything to go back tomorrow. B. can’t settle down tonight and I lie with him so long that I doze off myself. He’s finally down at 10 p.m. so I creep out and go straight to bed because I’m exhausted.

6:45 a.m. — B. woke me up at 3 a.m. again but when my alarm goes off both kids are still asleep so I squeeze in a shower. B. has OT today so we’re on an adjusted schedule. L. is asking for daddy. Both kids miss M. when he’s working nights but L. is a major daddy’s boy so he has a harder time with it. I promise him daddy will pick him up from school today and get everyone downstairs. L. demands a banana, which he does not eat, so I eat it. Neither wants anything I offer them for breakfast so B. eats fruit snacks and yogurt again and L. eats crackers and then eventually a second banana after he angrily discovers I ate the first one.

8:30 a.m. — We drop L. off at school and B. doesn’t need to be at OT until 9 a.m. so we stop at CVS to pick up my ADHD medication ($26) and then at Starbucks for an iced peach green tea and a breakfast sandwich for me and a cake pop for B ($15.45) and then fill up with gas ($47.53). $88.98

10 a.m. — We’re 99% sure B. has ADHD and is possibly on the spectrum; he struggles with certain tasks and impulse control so he’s been in OT for almost a year. We’ve been on a wait list to have him evaluated since last year and we’re not even close so all we can do in the interim without a diagnosis is private OT. The sessions cost $122/week but we should hit our $3,500 deductible this month and after that insurance will cover 80%. I pay by the month so there’s no charge today. B. goes in with his amazing therapist and then I check some emails and hop on a quick work call, pay a bill for an urgent care visit in March ($137.60) and then take a walk through the park and across the street until he finishes up. B.’s therapist says he had a great day but dropped the F bomb during his session so we have a talk about nice words on the way to school. I drop him off and am back home to work by 10:30 a.m. $137.60

12:30 p.m. — M. is up and he’s off the next three days so we catch up for a few minutes and then he heads downstairs to wash our bedding and then goes to the driving range. I listen to a Pride Month presentation from PFLAG that one of our business resource groups is putting on while I finish up some billing stuff and pay some invoices. When that’s over, I make myself a big salad and go eat on the deck again. I hear Owly and Scorpion calling to each other but can’t see them today.

5:30 p.m. — M. and I go together to get the kids and they’re super excited to see him. We bring them home and the kids and M. go outside to play while I make salmon and roast potatoes and asparagus. The kids won’t eat this so I just warm up various leftovers and cut up fruit for them. We got a few kid birthday invitations this week so I check our calendar and text RSVPs to the moms. M. cleans up the kitchen and I play with the kids and then B. wants to play firefighters so we all work together to put out imaginary fires until it’s time for L. to go to bed. M. puts him down while B. and I play a while longer and eat some Oreos. I make some last-minute changes to an EveryPlate box we are getting next week that will be charged tonight. We usually get a box about once a month, when I’m feeling in a meal planning rut, just to shake things up and make it easier. I pick four four-serving meals and add on some garlic bread and a Caesar salad kit. I have a $20 credit, which saves me some cash. $85.54

9:30 p.m. — Bedtime routine with B. looks different when M. is home. We play an elaborate hide-and-seek game where he and I find M. and then M. has to find us. Tonight he also wants to build a fort in his room. We get him in his pajamas and in bed relatively early but he keeps getting up for snack, drinks, to potty, even to “clean his closet.” I finally get him to sleep at 10 p.m. and head downstairs to watch Below Deck with M. Not even 15 minutes later, B. comes downstairs and I just let him lie on the couch while we finish the show, then take him back up to bed. By the time he’s finally asleep, I crawl into bed at 11:30 p.m.

7:10 a.m. — I didn’t sleep well last night and woke up several times, even without B. coming in, so I hit snooze a few times. Since M. is home, we tag-team the kids. B. wants pancakes and L. wants cereal so M. handles that while I gather up all the towels to throw in the wash. We drop off the kids, then M. drops me off back at the house and heads to Starbucks for a cold brew for him and a strawberry açai Refresher for me ($11.65). While I’m waiting for him to come back, I clean up the kitchen and go through our stack of mail. I throw 90% of it away but have to pay two medical bills from my rheumatologist ($19.01 for lab work and $81.41 for an office visit). I use my HSA for both so it was already taken out of my paycheck. When M. comes back, I take my drink and two slices of banana bread up to my office to work and he gets to work unloading the dishwasher and doing other chores downstairs. $11.65

10 a.m. — We’re getting a patio addition done next month and have to move some of the sprinkler heads in our backyard so they won’t be covered by the new patio. The sprinkler guy comes by to look at what needs to be done and luckily we only have to cap off one sprinkler head so he just charges us the $100 minimum service fee. M. is leaving to go golf near my brother’s house so I text my SIL and see if M. can come by and pick up my nephew’s old cleats when he’s done so my kids can try them for T-ball tonight. $100

12:30 p.m. — Once again I have no interest in anything for lunch so I just eat a bowl of Frosted Flakes on the back porch. I can hear the owls again but they’re well hidden today. We have a few woodpeckers today and lots of other regular songbirds so I watch them for a while before coming back in and back up to work. I’ve become an accidental bird lady since we moved into this house with a wooded yard and I started working from home. Some of my feeders are low so I refill them.

2 p.m. — I open up some files to start working on something and realize how labor-intensive it’s going to be. I just don’t have the brain power for it on a Friday afternoon so I make my to-do list for next week, send out a few weekly reports and decide to call it a day around 2:30 p.m. M. and I head to our favorite local happy hour spot and I get two margaritas and he drinks two beers while we share some cheese curds and chicken tenders. I end up outside on the phone with my boss for 30 minutes but it’s nice to spend a little bit of time together without the kids. $58.15

4:30 p.m. — We pick the kids up a little early so they have time to eat before T-ball. They were supposed to start last week but it got rained out so this is their first night. They each eat different random leftovers and strawberries and then we head to baseball. B. and I play on the playground while M. is on the field with L. and then it’s B.’s turn. Two kids from B.’s class are here so I sit with their moms while M. takes L. to the playground. Both kids participate for about 75% of the time so we will call that a win.

8:30 p.m. — It started raining at the end of baseball and the kids are filthy so M. gives them a quick bath and gets L. in bed. I drink a beer and it makes me super tired so I try to get B. down so I can go to sleep, too. He keeps getting up but luckily he wants M. so I go to bed and am asleep before 10 p.m.

7:45 a.m. — It stormed pretty hard overnight and I woke up several times but still got a decent sleep. The kids sleep in until 7:45 a.m. (past 7 a.m. is sleeping in!), then B. comes into our bed and M. goes to get L. up. We usually have cinnamon rolls on Saturday morning but we are out so I sell the kids on biscuits instead.

10 a.m. — I spend way too much time cleaning out the pool bag from last year and restocking it with sunscreen, towels, snacks etc. We get the kids ready and covered in sunscreen and hit the neighborhood pool right when it opens. We’re the only people there for the full 90 minutes we’re there and the kids have a great time. They would swim every day if they could but I’m hypervigilant about water safety so I won’t ever take them unless M. or my mom can come too, so they both always have an adult within arm’s length.

12 p.m. — The kids have turkey sandwiches and fruit for lunch and M. unsuccessfully tries to get L. down for a nap while I go to Aldi. I don’t need a ton of stuff since we’re getting an EveryPlate box this week but I buy honey wheat pretzels, Hawaiian rolls, hot dog buns, sandwich bread, bananas, strawberries, blackberries, avocados, a gallon of milk, parchment paper, yogurt, butter, hot dogs, lunch meat, 2.5lb of ground beef, cinnamon rolls, biscuits, ice cream, hummus, tortillas, peanut butter and a pizza. $92.15

2:30 p.m. — After putting the groceries away, I rush to wrap a birthday present for B.’s friend and then we all head out to her birthday party. It’s at a huge indoor playground place and the kids run wild and have a ton of fun. B. is pretty self-sufficient but I wind up spending more time than I’d like in the top of the play structure with L. M. buys a game card so the kids can ride go-carts and gets a Diet Coke while we’re there. $14.50

5 p.m. — We stop at Target on the way home from the party for a pickup order: two cases of Diet Coke, one of regular Coke and two bottles of ZzzQuil. ($33.45). M. is on dinner duty and grills burgers and hot dogs. I never ate lunch so I’m starving and the burgers are amazing. We eat them with potato salad, watermelon and a tossed salad. M. and I tag-team clean-up and then he goes outside to play with B. while I get L. ready for bed. He wants to talk to grandma before bed so we FaceTime M.’s mom for a few minutes and then call my mom, who tells me that her husband had a heart attack on Friday and is in the hospital. She doesn’t seem too worried about it and he’s been less than supportive with a lot of her health issues in the past so I don’t worry about it too much. I invite her to come hang with me and the kids tomorrow but she has to wait and see what happens with my stepdad. $33.45

9 p.m. — B. is overtired and fighting bedtime but once he lies down he’s out immediately. I go downstairs to read and do my Duolingo and hang out with M., who is watching some documentary. He’s back to work tomorrow night so he’s trying to stay up as late as possible. I say goodnight to him and head to bed about 11 p.m.

6:45 a.m. — It stormed again last night and kept me up but for some reason I’m wide awake at 6:45 a.m., even though both kids are still asleep. I take a shower, then just lie in bed until they both wake up at 8 a.m. I make them cinnamon rolls since we didn’t have any yesterday and then they get pretty engrossed in watching Firebuds and playing with their trains. I take advantage and start my laundry, unload the dishwasher and work on organizing the coat closet. I need to go through pretty much every closet and storage space in this house and do a massive reorganization and purge but it’s so hard to do when the kids are here and I’m always working when they’re not. I try to get little things like this done when they’re distracted but I’ve got a huge list of projects to tackle when they go to my in-laws for a week at the beginning of July.

11:30 a.m. — B. has his ninja class today. It’s pretty much CrossFit for kids but they also work on character-building and it fits well with what he does at OT. He does pretty good for two-thirds of class today but spends part of it just running around not listening. When I ask him why, he says, “My brain is going really fast and my body needs to go fast, too.” Ultimately he finishes strong, which is good because he’s leveling up today and super excited to get an award. When we’re leaving, L. bolts across the parking lot and I have to chase him down, while B. runs in the opposite direction. This is a big part of solo parenting I do not enjoy. I don’t feel like making lunch so we stop at Sonic on the way home. They each get a corn dog kids' meal with slushies and tater tots and I get myself a BLT and a strawberry lemonade slush ($22.24 with tip). M. is up when we get home so he plays with the kids while I fold laundry and doomscroll. $22.24

3 p.m. — We are meeting my sister and another friend at the splash pad today so I gather up all of our gear again and we head over there and let the kids play. They have a creek to play in, two water spray areas and a big sandpit — of course none of the kids wants to be in the same area and I get about 10 minutes total to talk to my sister and friend over the course of the two hours we’re there but the kids have a great time and burn off their energy so mission accomplished. My mom ends up coming with my sister and says my stepdad came home from the hospital this afternoon and is just supposed to rest and do more tests next week so I guess that’s good.

6:30 p.m. — The kids are overtired again but hungry even though they had 100 snacks at the splash pad and on the way home. I bake the pizza I bought yesterday and eat a few slices; they both end up eating yogurt, leftover hot dogs and popsicles. They get a bath and L. passes out as soon as I get him in bed at 7:30 p.m. but B. wants to stay up and build a town. I’m covered in sunscreen and sweat so I go grab a shower while B. builds a town and then get him to bed. He wants to sleep on his play couch instead of his bed and I don’t really care as long as he sleeps so I tuck him in there and he falls asleep pretty quickly. I go downstairs and clean some old leftovers and stuff out of the fridge since tomorrow is trash day, refill my pill organizer for the week and do one last kitchen clean. I eat some chips with a jalapeño dip and watch Love on the Spectrum, then head to bed at 11 p.m.

Weekly Total $$ Spent: $1086.86
Food & Drink: $336.91
Entertainment: $14.50
Home & Health: $480.97
Clothes & Beauty $81.95
Transportation $47.53
Other $125