When I first moved to this area, I use to see lots of turtles crossing the road. The locals seem to get a kick out of running over them and killing them. (they like to throw puppies and kittens in the dumpsters too)
Now, I hardly ever see a turtle cross the road. Today, I did, so I turned around and came back.
I just dared any of those fast drivers to run over my turtle while I waited for them to pass me. I got the turtle, put in in my vette and brought it home. Holly has never seen one, so she is barking at poor Myrtle.
After I while, i will carry her down to the creek and hope she stays in my yard and stays safe!

I paid my insurance yesterday and I have $30 left over in my envelope. It looks lonely there, so I am adding to my challenge money.
prev. total $10,209.00
today 30.00
new total $10,239.00

Stayed home last night and ate left overs. We sat outside even tho it was cooler inside. Our puppy loves going outside on the porch, so we did it for her. This is the longest heat wave I have ever seen. We get a few days in the 90's but not three weeks straight like now. We even watered the weeping willow tree for an hour cause it is not looking too good.
I walked for 60 minutes yesterday plus did not go out for dinner, so I have $22 to add to my challenge money.

prev. total $10,187.00
today 22.00
new total $10,209.00

After I get to know our servers, I often mention the fact that they should start saving young and open roth ira's. I talked to a young woman last week and last night she told me she was going to the bank today to see about opening a roth IRA! I finally got someone interested!! The first one!!

I have a fireplace in my bedroom, with built in cabinets. I have my financial papers in those cabinets, also my saving tins, one with a picture of someone sitting in a lazy boy (retirement fund) one of my red vette (pay off car) and one of the view of Brasstown Bald, the highest peak in Georgia! (pay off the acre and a half that overlooks that view. I noticed a small white "tub" like a diaper wipe tub thing in my cabinet. I looked inside and low and behold it has $50. It is my money (my husband never has any) but I forgot what I was saving it for. Anyway, I will put it towards my challenge money.
Prev total $10,137.00
today 50.00
new total $10,187.00

I was expecting to eat leftovers last night for supper and putting that $20 i saved in my challenge money. Instead, dh came home and wanted to go out. Fine with me, the leftovers will hold over for tonight, I guess.
So, the only money I can put into the challenge is the money I saved using a coupon and getting the 10% tuesday discount at rite aid, a big $2. Oh well, $2 is $2!
prev. total $10,135.00
today 2.00
new total $10,137.00

We use to have a garden, but everyone around here has a garden, so you get lots of freebies. My worker had not worked since June 30th. He promised to come back to work last week. He did, he worked 5 hrs. on Thurday.
Yesterday he finally showed back up. He brought a peace offering, tomatoes,potatoes,corn on the cob and some home made salsa.
We went out to eat last night cause dh came home early and wanted to go out.
We will have leftovers tonight and try come of the free corn. I love free food!!

I usually do my liquor run on Mondays or tuesdays. I have to drive to North Carolina to buy liquor. I am skipping that drive this week, so I will be saving at least $6 worth of gas, so I will add that to my challenge money.

Prev. total $10,129.00
today 6.00
new total $10,135.00

We had dinner at home last night and I made lasagna. I usually put away $20 for my challenge money when I eat at home, but this time I will take out the cost of the fixings. I had nothing, even my ragu was out of date, so i spent about $10 buying the ingredients.
The most expensive thing was a large container of cottage cheese. ($3.09) I only needed a little, but they had no small containers.
So DH took cottage cheese for lunch today.
I will add $10 to my challenge money. also, My DH worked until 7:30 instead of 6, so that is 1 1/2 hrs. of more pay for him.
prev. total $10,119.00
today 10.00
new total $10,129.00

Monday's are my get paid days and do the budget days. I get an allowance every week, some of which I keep in my wallet and some I keep in my good old bank bag. That way if I ever lost my wallet, I would not lose a lot of money.
It had to be the spend no money challenge from last week cause I have some of my allowance money left over. The nights I did not go out to eat, I added that money to my challenge money, that was 3 nights.
But I still have some money left over, so I am adding that to my challenge money today.
Prev. total $10,069.00
today 50.00
new total $10,119.00

I got my grocery shopping done plus all the ingredients to make tonight's lasagna. With my advantage card and coupons, I saved $9 to put into my challenge money.
prev. total $$10,060.00
today 9.00
new total $10,069.00

I am going to actually make dinner tonight. The going without spending money last week, has made me think about cutting down on my eating out.
I realized that I started eating out so much in the winter time. It gets dark by 5:30 so my husband gets home about that time. It is depressing to me in the winter because of the darkness, so we started going out to eat every night.
I was thinking that since it is still light out til about 8:30, I could get use to staying home more often until the time changes.
I am going to make lasagna, something I have not made in over 2 years. (when I started my low carb diet) I hope I remember how to make!!

I walked 2 miles today, so I will add that $2 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $10,058.00
today 2.00
new total $10,060.00

On July 25th, they had a christmas in July sale on QVC. They had lots of ourdoor decorations that I drooled over, but did not order.
But, I did cave in and ordered home made christmas cards, with envelopes, in a gift box.
The last 3 items I ordered from QVC, I sent back.
I stuck the box away when it came and forgot about it.
Today, I opened it. Oh my gosh, those are the cutest cards I have ever seen. I am going to have a hard time parting with them. They are beautiful!!
I usually have the picture christmas cards made, but these are so much neater looking!!!
I got 46 cards plus the box for $23 plus shipping and handling! I really think they are worth the price.

I have really enjoyed this forum the past seven months. Yesterday, one of the members on here accused me of sponging off my husband because I don't work, and it made me feel kind of sad.
How can we judge and say unkind things to people that we don't even know?
Did he read that I started work at age 12 and worked for over 40 years since then. Did he know that my last full time job was working 7 nights a week? Did he know that my husband asked me to quit so that I could stay home with him at night?
A big thank you to all of the really nice people on this forum that have made me feel happy to be here!!!!!!!

I got my total wrong, I put in $3 yesterday too, so todays total is
$10,058.00. (New challenge total)

It is not much, but I did my exercises yesterday plus stayed home and used no gas, so I have $3 to add to my challenge. I haven't used any coupons this week cause I have not gone shopping all week or spent any money.
prev. total $10,052.00
today 3.00
new total $10,055.00

I had a crummy evening last night. I stayed home all day, so i was really looking forward to going out last night. We had only been sitting down for 5 minutes when in walked " the couple from hell" Of course, they wanted to join us for dinner, just like they do everytime.
We eat at the same place every night, our car stands out in a crowd.
Once, we tried eating someplace else, but they found us anyway.
He drops in once or twice a week to visit with us while we are eating dinner, but when he brings his wife, they are there for the night.
I am sorry, I try to be a nice person, but they are the most boring people in the world.
Plus, I think it is rude, to just show up and join people for dinner. (constantly)
We can't tell them no because my husband is going to build them a house.
Did you ever see Archie bunker holding his finger to his head (like a pretend gun) while Edith is babbling on and on and on.
that is how I feel when they show up.
thanks for letting me vent!!!!

I have stayed home all day. I had planned to go out, but just didn't . Yesterday I did my 30 minutes of walking and 20 flights of stairs plus I stayed home, so no gas money spent. So I have $3 more to put in my challenge money.
prev. total $10,052.00
today 3.00
new total $10,055.00

My husband loves his hot rodder magazines and has gotten it for years. I got an offer from a subscription service to get 2 years worth of magazines for just a little more than the cost of 1 year.
I sent my check on March 15th and we have never gotten the first magazine. I called and got an answering machine twice but no one ever called me back.
today i called and threatened to report them to the better business bureau.
I got a call back, believe it or not. I asked for my money back although she says that they ordered the magazine for me in May.
Yesterday, someone on this site gave me magsforless.com and I ordered the magazine for only $6.55 instead of the usual $30. Now, If I can really get my money back, I will add that to my challenge money. We will see!
Anyway, I hope my husband gets his beloved magazines soon.

I have done 4 days without spending. It really has not been that hard. I think I go to town because I am bored. I need a hobby!! I use to play bridge, but my partner died and I have not played in years now. When you don't play, you forget. I wish I could take lessons on bridge again.

We stayed home and ate hot dogs and beans for supper last night. I have not had a hot dog in ages, I forgot how good they can taste.
So, since I did not go out for dinner, i added the $20 we would have spent, to my challenge money.
Prev. total $10,032.00
today 20.00
new total $10,052.00

It is 3 pm and I just turned on the a/c upstairs. We have 2 seperate units for both heat and a/c. When we built the house, I had no idea, I would spend lots of my time upstairs. I keep the a/c set on 90, so it is really hot up here. I do have a fan to move the hot air around.
I need to go to the cooler downstairs and do some bookwork.
I did get in 30 minutes of walking yesterday plus my 20 flights of stairs. That is $2 more to my challenge money.
Prev. total $10,030
today 2
new total $10,032

Even tho I hit my personal goal of $10,000 in the $20 challenge, I am not quitting. This is too much fun and we still have almost 5 full months left.
So I am going to keep adding to my challenge money and see how much I can save!!

I could not think of anyway to get the $10 I need to get to $10,000. I am in a no spend week so i can't save anything on sales. No checks came in the mail today, but my phone bill did. I checked and I have $40 more than I need in that envelope.

So............
Prev. total $9990.00
today 40.00
new total $10030.00

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am back from town, did not spend a dime. I had to go to the bank and the doctor's office. I had to pay for the procedure performed last month, so i charged it on my cc. I put aside $100 a week for medical expenses, so i will have the money to pay the cc off when the bill comes due end of this month.
Two days without spending!!

I walked for more than 60 minutes yesterday, so I can add $2 to my challenge, plus I stayed home and used no gas, another $1 saved. that is $3 more to add.
prev. total $9987.00
today 3.00
new total $9990.00

Wow, Just $10 more to go to reach $10,000.

We stayed home last night, third night in a row. We sat outside (in the heat) and then we ate leftovers. so i can add another $20 to my challenge money.
prev. total $9967.00
today 20.00
new total $9987.00

Getting close!!

Well, now that I have been reading my meter and testing all the appliances, I have decided to find out how my car is doing. Lucky for me, my car has all kinds of gages to tell me things.
One is the miles per gallon that my car gets. I took a trip toNorth Carolina the other day. I got over 29 miles a gallon on my little trip.
I thought that was pretty good. Of course, in town, my mileage is more like 18 or 19 mpg.
I filled my car after the trip and it took $17 for a whole week, about 5 1/2 gallons.
Best way to save money on gas, drive slower and drive less.

I like Thrifty Ray's blog about what she is NOT going to buy the rest of 2006. So I am making a list too!!
I will not buy:
magazines,
clothes
shoes
books
cd's for the car
jewelry
panty hose
wine
bras
wrinkle cream