A few more dollars to add to my challenge money. I went to the grocery store and picked up all of the things I went without all week. I use coupons and my advantage card and I saved $5.
Prev. total $17,891.00
today 5.00
new total $17,896.00

My husband finished the house plans and we got a check for it. I have $1347 to add to my challenge money.
He has draw houseplans for over 35 years. He does it by hand, so it is quite time consuming. An architect would probably get $8-10 thousand dollars for the same set of plans, drawn on a computer. I like the fact that he saves his customer so much money.
Prev. total $16,544.00
today 1,347.00
new total $17,891.00

Wendy's bought a Tim Hortons a few years ago and I have had stock in Wendy's for a long time. (My favorite burger)
Wenday's just split off Tim Hortons, so now I have 172 shares of Tim Hortons. I am not sure if I want to keep the stock or not!They did send me a check for a partial share, so I do have $22 more to add to my challenge.
Prev. total $16,522.00
today 22.00
new total $16,544.00

Finally, I have some money to add to my challenge. It has been hard cause I have not been spending for a week, so I don't save on coupons and my store card! I did take my change into the bank and have $30 to add to my challenge money!
prev. total $16,492.00
today 30.00
new total $16,522.00

I don't have a cell phone, never have, but dh decided about 4 years ago it would be handy to have at his job. This way he can order supplies and not have to drive into town all the time.
I have been informed that because his phone is so old, it is being discontinued.
He has 6000 unused minutes, so he does not use it that much.
Can any of you tell me about the phones you can get where you just buy the minutes when you need them?
Am I smart enough to figure them out? I have never even used dh's phone one time. Can you program in the phone numbers that you use a lot?

My husband has been working on plans for an addition to a house. The man wants a basement, with a garage above, then a rec room/guest room above that. It will be almost 3000 sq. feet of heated space.
This place is going to be so detailed. it is for a dentist that is going to retire. My dh has been putting the guy off for years cause he does not like to do additions.
My dh has been working on the plans for almost a year. We met with them yesterday and they have finally finalized the plans except for adding one door and a few windows.
I think my dh is going to get paid after a year of working on them.
I will add that money to my challenge money!!

It is a beautiful fall day and I spent several hours over at the spec house we are building, just looking at the mountains and the leaves all starting to turn colors. Really pretty and another no spend day. we will be eating supper at home tonight, steaks on the grill. Poor dh, he works all day and then comes home and cooks!

I didn't spend a dime today. My dh just got home and is in the process of cleaning and washing our car. It is so nice to have a really clean car.
Most people think I drive a new car cause it is so shiny. The last one I traded was 7 years old, but looked brand new!

I came back from the local parade with 2 pockets full of candy. (They throw candy at parades here) I wasn't really trying to get any, but the couple next to me kept picking it up and giving it too me.
I will use it for halloween.
We don't get many trick or treaters. For years, I just bought the fun size candy bars that my husband likes and he would eat all the rest of them.
Two years ago, he went on a diet and has pretty much given up sugar!
So no more buying candy. I still have the bag I bought for Halloween last year. We only had one kid!
I won't buy anymore candy for this Halloween.

It was 29 when we got up this morning. I still had not turned on the heat and it was 60 in the house.
So I turned it on and let it run for a short time. The doggie and dh were very grateful. As soon as he left for work, I turned it back down to 60! Well, that was 25 days without any heat or air. I put 300 gallons of propane, let's see how long that will last.
Official first day of turning on the heat, Oct. 14th!!

We are having a sorghum festival in my town this weekend. For those of you who do not know, it is a syrup. (I don't like it personally) This town goes all out for this syrup and has a festival this weekend and the next two.
I think people mostly come to see the colors changing in the mountains.
Today, we are having a parade, so there will be some free entertainment for me!

I have been balancing the checkbooks this afternoon. I am such a nerd, that I actually enjoy it. We actually have 4 checking accounts, but 2 are money markets, so they are easy.
The business one is the hardest. I talked to someone the other day who said she had never balanced a check book in her life.
Gosh, that is hard to believe, I have to have mine correct to the penny!
Haven't been spending any money lately except for eating out. I did walk a mile and get in my 20 flights of stairs, so that is another $2 to my challenge money.
prev. total $16,490.00
today 2.00
new total $16,492.00

We are building a new home and have a couple very interested in it. They have given us a small deposit and a check for a new shower.
My dh had to tear the tub/shower already in the bathroom, out! (The man has knee problems and can't step over the tub)

Wow, what a mess. They had to jackhammer up the floor too. They cut the tub in pieces to get it out. They had to tear out some of the drywall too.

I sure hope they buy this house. They are coming next weekend and I hope we get a contract then. Of course, they could still back out even with a contract, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

I love Friday the 13th. 13 is my lucky number. When I moved to the mountains, my new zip code ended in 13.
I got married on Friday the 13th. My account at the hardward store and the video store start with 13. My credit card has a 13 in it.
My husband's social security number ends in 13. My phone number starts with 13. Even my post office box is po box 13!
Good luck to everyone today!

Nothing to do with mone, except someone came over today, got me all hooked up and showed me how to use the printer on my computer! I guess an old dog can learn new tricks.(I meant to say, nothing to do with money, I get excited easily!)

It has been 23 days since I have run the air or the heat. I have not even cheated and turned either one on, even for a minute or two.
The lowest the temp. in the house has fallen to is 65 and that is ok with me. The a/c is still set on 77 but it has not warmed up over 70, so nothing has run. That is great!!

I am not going to make a liquor run to North Carolina this week. I just bought extra last week. So I figure that I save about 2 gallons of gas for a savings of over $4. I will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16, 486.00
today 4.00
new total $16, 490.00

I got the bill for long distance calls today, it was a little over $4. We had ten long distance calls. DH calls his father a lot and talks over 25 minutes each time.
I love this company, it is so reasonable. The name of the company is Lightyear. It covers all long distance calls that go to out of state. We have alot of subs that live just across the state line (we are 10miles away from the state line), so dh has to call them long distance.
I buy a calling card and use that when I make in state long distance calls. A $10 card will last me a year.

Now my dh cannot shave when he gets home tonight. I put it on my list of things to do. Problem is, I did not look at my list. Oh well, he will have to go out without shaving! (He could have told me when he was getting low, but no, he waits til he runs completely out!)

I am taking the money I save each week (old price compared to new, lower price) on gasoline and adding it to my challenge money. I would have spent that money on gas if the price had not gone down so much. I figure it is a savings of at least 50 cents a gallon.
My car took almost 8 gallons to fill up, so I will add $4 to my challenge money.

Prev. total $16,482.00
today 4.00
new total $16,486.00

A new friend came to visit today. Ihave had lunch with her but this is the first time she has come to my house. She was going to show me how to use my printer, but I think I need a cord for it. So I will have to go to the dell store and order it. It will be fun to print thing!

I had a no spend day!! How did that happen? It is very rare. Now, I only spent about $1.20 on some eggs yesterday but today I spent nothing.
I mailed some mail at the post office and picked up some boxes at the grocery store. I was going to start going thru stuff in my office and pack some things up. Guess I will do that tomorrow and go walk on my treadmill now.

Doesn't seem like I have done much to add to my challenge lately. It is hard to believe that there is only 2 1/2 months left in this year.
Well I did put in 2 miles on my treadmill, so i can add $2 to my account.
Prev. total $16,480.00
today 2.00
new total $16.482.00

It was a nice fall evening last night, warm enough to sit out on the back deck. My little Holly loves that. Sheknows she is not allowed off the deck,so she leans over it as far as she can and then "falls" off the deck. Don't worry, it is only abut 6 inches, but it is cute watching her try to get away with something.
We grilled steaks on the grill and had a wonderful evening!

Happy Columbus Day! Does anyone celebrate? For me, it means the bank is not open, so no payday today!

It was a two dog night last night. since we only have one inside dog and she is too little to warm us up, I got out an extra blanket for the bed. I am on day 19 of no heat or a/c! I can hardly wait to see our electric bill.

They are having a car show on our little town square tonight. We will go there first before going out to eat dinner. Our restaurant is just 1/2 block off the square so we can walk around.
I did do my grocery shopping today and only spent $16. I saved $2 using my advantage card.
prev. total $16,478.00
today 2.00
new total $16,480.00

It is a chilly morning today and I had to go out early to the post office. I wore my favorite coat for the first time since last winter.
I got my halloween costume mailed back (too big) and it cost me almost $9. I hated that.
I also got my husband's 20 page application for a building license mailed off, by certified mail, return recipt requested. Another almost $6!
I wonder how many months before we hear from them, if ever.
I have a friend who mailed theirs in, in Feb. and has not heard a word yet.

Cross fingers and toes!!

I think I waste money when i buy milk. We hardly ever use it, so when it expires I use it to make a cheese cake.
Anyway, I saved a dollar at the deli today and walked a mile on my tread mill, so I have $2 to add to my challenge money.
It is kind of warm today, but I still have not run air (or heat)for 17 days straight!
prev. total $16,476.00
today 2.00
new total $16,478.00

I am certainly getting my exercise today. The phone keeps ringing and ringing. apparently someone advertised that they want to buy a tow bar and they used our phone number in the ad!
I'm not even quite sure what a tow bar is??