It is a beautiful spring day today. I am trying to stay home more and eat out less, so i went to town and bought a roast. I wound up spending about $10 all together, but we will have leftovers for dh's lunch.
I have my taxes ready to mail, now I have to start another project I have been putting off.
The state of Ga. is requiring all builders to be licensed and we have to jump thru hoops and a lot of paperwork to get grandfathered in.
I have been putting it off because we will now have to spend $4000-$10,000 a year in general liability insurance. Since my husband makes about $50,000 a year, that is a big hunk of our pay. Plus we have been doing this work for 22 years and never had a claim.
oh well, it has to be done!!

I singed up for all these survey places that pay and so far all I get is about 100 messages in my bulk mail everyday.
I do get paid surveys from 1 company, but they only pay about 3 cents each and you don't get paid til you earn $40, which is 1000 surveys!
But to my surprise i did do a survey last week for survey savvy and today I got the $2 check in the mail. That will go into my challenge money.
prev. total $4586.00
today 2.00
new total $4588.00

Well I picked up my taxes at H &R Block, ready to mail them on Monday. Seems like you can't mail them anymore, it is all electronic. I don't think I like that. So my husband signs nothing.
It cost me $198 to get the taxes done. I will get a small sum back but I have to pay in $1650 to the state of Ga.
I stopped at Ingles in that town, and they had diet sprite on sale. (For some reason we can't get it in my town) I bought the maximum and saved $7. I also bought some beer cause you can't buy anything here.
Noticed that premium has gone to $3.05 a gallon here.
We got invited to an easter brunch. My husband wants to work on the yard all day, but we don't know how to get out of it!!

I told my husband Monday night that we were not going out to eat on Tuesday. So, we stayed home. We were kind of bored. I walked on my treadmill and he sat outside with the dog.
As I have explained before, our eating out is a lot about having something to do in the evenings, without watching tv.
I had just sat with him in the eye doctor's office fot 2 hours, so i was not sitting any longer.
I walked on my treadmill and played on the computer.
Finally at 7, I went and sat outside with my dh and our puppy, Holly.
We cooked eggs, sausage, potatoes and rolls about 8:30.
I am taking the $20 I saved plus $1 from walking for 30 minutes and adding it to my challenge money.
prev. total $4565.00
today 21.00
new total $4586.00

I went with dh to the second of his eye dr. appts. We got there and the place was so crowded there was no place to even sit.
We sat for 2 hours and were the last to see the dr. The total bill was $202 but the receptionist told me I could just pay part of that.
My dh asked me why she said that, and I explained to him that there are some people who do not have $202. He finds this hard to believe, that people our age have no money in savings.
I personally could not have slept nights if I did not have at least a few thousand in savings!
I know there are some younger people on here who have barely nothing in savings, and I encourage you to build your savings anyway you can!! Sell something, take a part time job, have a yard sale, do something to build up your savings and save a part of everything you make!

I can't make myself stay inside, it is just so pretty outside. Spring is definately here.
My husband has to go to the eye doctor today, so we will have to pay that bill. I guess I will go with him and run errands while he has his appt.
I told my husband we are staying home and eating breakfast for supper. That should save a few dollars today.

Well, yesterday, I got serious about writing down where I spend my cash. I have no trouble with the budget for my bills, but I know I spend too much cash. Well, my first day was not good.

First I went to Wal marts to buy some hummingbird food and spent $91. Then we went out to eat and spent $20, stopped on the way home for gas and spent $29. That is $140 in just one day. That is NOT good!

I won't be going to Wal Mart for a while. Now I am glad that we don't have one, I would be there everyday. I have to drive to N. Carolina to go to the nearest Wal Mart!!

Ingles has been advertising 4 12 packs of coke products for $10.00, a savings of about $6 for four. Problem is, we both drink diet sprite and there is not a can or bottle of diet sprite in that store. They insist the coke company has run out of diet sprite. See any where you live? Anyway, I bought some diet lemonade and save almost $2 which I will add to my challenge money.
prev. total $4563.00
today 2.00
new total $4565.00

I just started today tracking my spending, and I already blew $91. I never go to Wal mart because of that, but I need some hummingbird food that only they carry.
When I left there, I had spent $91 on stuff!! I am sure I saved a few cents since things are cheaper, but I still spent $91!!
Well, $30 was for some medicine I would have bought anyway and $10 was for a christmas gift for me, but the rest was kind of blown on stuff I have been wanting, like a new game and a new frying pan.
I will go stand in the corner now.

I made a list of what i was spending, but I did not keep it up, or total it up each week. I know I spend way too much money eating out and I think if I kept track of everything for a month or two, I would see how much money I am wasting. I won't write down the bills that I pay by check, but everything I do with cash, needs to be recorded.
I am going to start again tomorrow.
I saved almost $4 with my advantage card at the grocery store yesterday and earned $1 walking yesterday, so i will add $5 to my challenge.

Prev. total $4558.00
Today 5.00
New total $4563.00

I am ordering some vitamins. They are cheaper than I can buy them here, and right now they are buy one, get one free. I have to pay for shipping, but it is only $5, so i am still saving money. I am, however, trying something new.
I am on a low carb diet, and have lost a few pounds, but have been stuck at this weight forever.
There is something new out called C-120X that is supposed to block about 50 grams of carbs at a meal high in carbs.
The cost is $19.99 and it says money back guarantee. I know most people do not return things, but I am planning on doing so, if they do not work. I am smart enough to know that most diet products do not work. If they did, we would all be skinny. However, this is a well known vitamin catalog company, so i think I will have no problem getting my money back.

Well I did not go to town yesterday, so saved $1 in gas, walked 20 flights of stairs, that another $1, plus walked 60 minutes on my treadmill for another $2. That is a total of $4 I can add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $4554.00
today 4.00
new total $4558.00

Well, I gave into temptation and ordered something from QVC today. I use to order a lot, but I stopped that last year and only order a few things at christmas time. I just don't watch it, anymore.
I have a weekness for jackets. Nothing else was on tv and I turned it on while walking on my treadmill.
I saw the cutest jacket. I turned the tv off, but I had written down the number already.
Finally after about 40 minutes, I ordered it. It was sold out, but stock MAY be come available. (and usually does)
So, I may be getting it anyway. No, I don't need it, I have several jackets.
I will save it for a christmas gift for me if it comes, but now, I am going to go and stand in the corner!!

I loved Oprah's show yesterday about the debt diet. The couples seem to be making progress.
I like the way that found new work to bring in extra money. I was thinking about my husband, but gosh, he works 7 days a week now.
I guess I should get a job, but at my age, it is hard, since I have no skills. I guess I will just keep trying to save and be frugal to try and do my part.

My gecko came today. We eat out every night at a place called Monets, so we have gotten pretty friendly with the owners, Joan and Dave.

They just bought a new little place down the street and they are going to open another restaurant which will serve tex/mex food. They are calling it Dos Geckos.

I found the cutest little gecko in a catalog so I ordered it to give them for a gift for their new place. It lights up and the head and tail both move.

It came today and my husband just put it together, it is so cute. I am excited about giving it to her tonight.

Yeah, I had a no spend day, that doesn't happen very often. I stayed home all day today, no gas money running to town.
I have not balanced my check books since December, and I have 4 checking accounts. That took up most of my afternoon, so i just stayed home today.

I hate filing, but I am getting a start on it today. I have 6 months plus of paperwork to file. This morning, I did put every thing into it's own pile, so that will make things easier.
Yesterday I saved $1.67 when I bought some benefial dog food with a free coupon.
Other than that I only spent $1.25 on a jar of relish (we were out) and picked up a $20 precription.
I did not get all my stairs in yesterday, but I did get 30 minutes in, walking, so I will add that $1 to the $1 I saved in dog food to my challenge.
prev. total $4552.00
today 2.00
new total $4554.00

I swear to you, my dog talks to me. If I am somewhere in the house, Holly comes and stands by me and "talks". That means she wants me to follow her to see what she wants.
Sometimes she goes to the door, that means, go potty. sometimes, to her bowl, that means feed me.
Sometimes she goes to the closet, she wants me to open the door so she can go and hide under the pillows. Sometimes she just stand in a spot in the sunshine. That means she wants a chair or pillow put there. She does NOT lay on the floor. Nor does she eat much dog food. ( I have taken her to the vets and we have finally all given up on her, she will starve herself)
So she gets people food a lot.
Today she wanted to eat, so I fixed her some people food. No, she said to me and went into the pantry.
That means she wants me to microwave it so her dinner will be warm.
Of course I did.
Holly is a poodle, weighs 5 pounds and is the boss of this house!!

It is time to get out the easter candy. I like to give little gifts to my waitresses during holidays. At christmas, I gave them each a card with $20 in it (plus their regular tip)
For valentines day, I left them heartshaped candy, with the tip.
Now I have bought some choc. fudge filled bunnies to start leaving with their tip. I wonder what to do for the next holiday?
I did not get my exercise in yesterday cause we had to go to North Carolina, but I did do it the day before, so I have two dollars to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $4550.00
today 2,00
New total $4552.00

I use to love to go dancing and we lived near Daytona Beach, so we would go nightclubbing once in a while. When we moved here in 1984 to a dry county, that stopped.
Finally someone opened up a little honkey tonk that had a live band on sat. nights. (byob) and we went every sat. night and listened and danced. About 8 years ago, they closed and I have not danced since.
Last night as we got home after dinner, they were playing one of the songs they use to play at the honkey tonk, a fast song. I told my husband to turn the music up and I got out and danced til the song ended.
Hey, he kidded me about being a little out of breath, but I got to dance!!

It is going to be an expensive month, medically, this month. My dh has an appt. this afternoon with his eye doctor to be tested for glaucoma. Then he has to go back again to the same doctor next week. Then a dentist appointment next week.
Since he has always been self employed, we have never had health insurance. (Well, we did, paid in $90,000 and never got one penny in claims)
So we pay full price for everything. I do put aside $100 a week to help pay for medical expenses.
Other than that, it should be a no spend day except for our usual eating out tonight.

My husband called from the job, he needed a pitchfolk to spread some mulch being delivered at the house he is building. He hated to drive home and back (30) miles and lose time from work, so he called me to see if I would bring him the pitchfolk. But first I had to see if it would fit in my vette. It did. The newer ones have lots more room than my old 78 vette.
Stopped by the store to get a free container of dog food, but my coupon did not work right, so I paid for it instead. However the cashier told me what to do next time, so I will use it up tomorow. Bought some lemonade and sprite on sale, so I saved $2 with my advantage card, plus $2 dollars doing my walking and my stairs yesterday, for a total of $4 to add to my challenge $$.

Prev. total $4546.00
today 4.00
New total $4550.00

When I first moved into my new home, I filled it with many live plants. Not having a green thumb, the plants started looking puny! I have been replacing them with fake plants. I have been buying the good ones, so they look nice.

Yesterday, my final 2 plants arrived, 2, 4foot trees to put on each side of the french doors, in my all-white living room.I finally got my kitchen back today and being out of it since Sunday. The paint is dry and I got everything put back in the kitchen.
Then I unpacked my two new trees. They come with christmas lights. Of course, where I put them, there are no plugs. Fortunately, I married Mr. can do almost everything, so he can run some wire and put light plugs in for me.
Then I can turn on the christmas lights all year long.
Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

Well the first quarter of the year has gone by. How is everyone doing with their $20 challenge. I am pleased with mine.

Woke up this morning to the sound of rain and hail. Blue sky this afternoon, so thought it would be safe to go to town, I was wrong. I had just gotten to the bank (Monday is pay day for us) when it started to hail. Big Hail.
I don't know how much damage hail can do to a plastic car but I went and parked at the best western motel, under the canopy until it stopped. It is bad enough that my husband spent a hour washing it yesterday.
I did get in my walking and stair climbing yesterday, so am adding $2 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $4544.00
today 2.00
new total $4546.00

Did you ever see one of those old comedy shows, where someone is painting a floor and paints themself into a corner?
Well that almost happened here!
My dh informed me he was going to resand and paint our hardwood floor, 3 coats.
So I took everything I thought I would need out of the kitceh for 2 days. I have an ice cooler, water, glasses, diet sprite, liquor, snacks, checkbook, all my bookwork, microwave, garbage can, etc, well you get the picture.
He painted last night. Everthing is great.
He paints the second coat this morning and exits out the garage, ready to now go to work while coat #2 dries today.
In the kitchen, he forgets his wallet (license, credit cards, money) his cell phone and his car keys!!
The he says, why didn't I remind him of that!!! I got everything I would need out of the kitchen: he couldn't remember to move his few personal things?? MEN!!!

His next move is to try and jump on the counter top and walk across them , then leap over to another counter top. I visutalize him breaking his neck, so I stop that.
I mention that I knew where a second set of keys are, I have an expired driver's license of his, and I will loan him money. The phone he will have to do without. He is gone and for once, I am glad!!!

Home from the grocery store. Went to bi lo to get steaks for dinner on the grill and they were on sale, we saved $5. I also noticed that my brand of hair color was on sale, so I will go back next week and get it earlier than I need it. I tend not to do that, and I should.
Went to Ingles and bought the rest of the groceries. Even with DH with me, I only spent $38. (he looks at everything) I got $4 off using my advantage card, So I have $9 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $4535.00
today 9.00
new total $4544.00

It was 29 years ago today that my darling husband proposed to me. On the beach, all dressed up from an evening out. Guess what I said? As I said, somewhere else, I have been on a date every night since that night 29 years ago. We never go our seperate way at night, it is always a date. Dinner out, getting in the jacuzzi, grilling on the back porch, watching the sunset, picnicing at the park or our mountain view lot, or us just sitting on the deck listening to the creek, the two of us have our date every night!

We went crusing last night. We have a 1933 ford victoria that we only take out once in a while. It can't be driven in the rain, it has no windshield wipers. (they are not cool)
It also has no heat, so it sits in the garage in the winter time.
DH got it out and polished it all up and out we went to dinner.
After we are, we drove all around town, thur all the shopping areas and around the town square. My Dh turned 55 last month and still likes to cruise town!!
Keeps us young.
Most people are surprised when they find out our age.

I usually keep track of my mutual funds, Ira's, stocks in a notebook and put the value down the first of each month. I was very upset to see that one stock was only worth half as much as last month. It could not have gone down so quickly. So I did some research on the stock and finally found that they had issued a stock split. Now I have twice as many shares. I know they are not worth any more, but it is still nice!