We took a class to fill out the paperwork we need to get my husband licensed as a builder. We submitted letters from the buyers and the building permits in lieu of certificates of occupancy. We were given the forms to do that at the class. Our county did not give out certificates of occupany until this year and this was for the past 3 years.
We get a letter to day asking us to PROVE that our county does not issue certificates of occupancy.
This is so frustrating. No one we know has gotten licensed yet! This state is certainly not on the ball.
We have been licensed in North Carolina for about 20 years. I guess we should move there, it is only 10 miles away.
On the bright side, I saved $4 with a coupon at CVS today, so I will add that to my challenge money.
prev. total $19,843.00
today 4.00
new total $19,847.00

There is too much money in one of my envelopes. Tht happens sometimes cause I budget for 4 paychecks a month and sometimes there are 5 paychecks in a month.
I just paid the cable bill on the 15th and it was $40. There is now $80 left in the cable envelope, so I will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,763.00
today 80.00
new total $19,843.00

I will be having a no spend day today for sure. I have 3 ladies coming over to play bridge all afternoon, so I will not be leaving the house. We all took bridge lessons together, so we are trying to play each week, so we don't forget what we learned. The lessons will start back in January. Bridge is a lot of fun, but learning to bid is the hardest part.

We are trying so hard to get the spec house done this week,so we can get it appraised and hopefully close before the end of the year.
So, the tile that comes from Michigan is one box short. We can't have tile that comes from Home Depot,no, that would be too easy, it has to be from Michigan.
So, we are waiting on that!
Now, the carpet is being installed. After working on it for almost 2 days, the boss called. They are installing the upstairs carpet downstairs. They don't even have the downstairs carpet, which is most of the carpet being installed. Most of the upstairs in hardwood flooring.
Fortunately the customer has agree to take the wrong carpet at a much lower price!( I am paying a certain amount and she is paying the rest)
The tile will hopefully be overnighted and get it soon, and we will survive. Howwever, I feel sure we will never build a house this big again as a spec house. We have been on the house for 14 months, but it looks good!
I did walk 2 miles today and saved a dollar with a coupon, so that is $3 I have to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,760.00
today 3.00
new total $19,763.00

I earned $5 yesterday doing a Pinecone survey. The survey was all about drinking coffee and I have had maybe 2 cups in my entire life. I had to answer "I do not know" on almost every question. I feel guilty taking the $5. I won't add it to my challenge money until i actually get it. They may decide that I really did not earn the $5. That is ok, if they do.

I just heard from my FIL and he is sending us a free honeybaked ham for christmas. We sent him a gift certificate to his favorite restuarant. I love gifts of food, cause I just love food. Last year, we did not know he was sending one, so we ordered one. We got two hams on the same day. They are not supposed to be frozen for more than a month, so there was a lot of ham eating going on at our house for a while. Yum!

I haven't spent much money this past week, but somehow I have accumulated a lot of single one's. My wallet is full enough from all the store cards and coupons I carry. So I am donating some of my ones to my challenge money.
Prev, total $19,749.00
today 11.00
new total $19,760.00

I wonder if anyone else but us, cooks out on the grill in the winter time? We even cook out if it is snowing. How else do you cook steak?
Speaking of steak, we really had a good steak dinner last night. I had a no spend day and I had bought the steak on sale, so it was a frugal day.

We went to a christmas dinner party last night, so I saved another $20 by not eating out. I am surprised the restaurant owner has not called us. Thursday night we stayed home because of snow,and Friday and Saturday nights, we went to parties. I will add this money to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,729.00
today 20.00
new total $19,749.00

We went to a christmas party last night, actually it was more of a dinner party. She served some killer appetizers and then we had a sit down dinner for 18. It was wonderful.
After dinner, we had pecan pie and ice cream; I have never eaten so much in years.
After dinner, the hostess wanted to play a game and passsed out song sheets. We were all supposed to sing the 12 days of christmas, but had to change the verses.

Do you believe it, every single one of the guests decided that they had to go home then. It was only 9:30. I thought that was so rude and I think it hurt her feelings.
Of course, we stayed and she and I sang the song and had fun! I wore my christmas tree hat too!!

Can you tell, I love parties. I went to one last night and there is another one tonight!! I am, of course, wearing my christmas tree hat. Who cares what I look like, I just like to have fun.
We did not eat out last night, so there is $20 more to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,709.00
today 20.00
new total $19,729.00

I went to a christmas party for the online local forum I belong to. It was a family party with lots of kids.
We had a white elephant gift exchange. It was pretty funny and I got to get rid of my six pack of "dead armadillo" beer. We each took a number from 1-30. I took 30, cause I knew I would be the last to get a gift and I could take anyone else's gift I wanted. (Why did no one but me think of that)
I took a great gift. clark Howard's book for free! I think I was the only one there that wanted it, but I was thrilled.

Yeah, I just got a check from a survey I took a few weeks ago. I will add that to my challenge.
Prev. total $19,699.00
total 10.00
new total $19,709.00

It was snowing last night and it was sticking to the ground, so we decided not to go out to dinner last night. So, I have $20 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,679.00
today 20.00
new total $19,699.00

I bought a christmas Hat last year that looks like a christmas tree and it lights up. I had planned on wearing it to all the christmas parties this year. When I checked it out, it would no longer light up, a wire was broken.
So, I ordered a new one and it came in Monday. I just tried it out, and the wire in it has broken already and my first party is tonight.
Gosh that makes me mad. Oh well, I will just wear it anyway.

Well, it is snowing so hard, that we are staying home for dinner tonight. I guess, since I buy nothing for dinner, we will be having breakfast for dinner. That's ok. I can just add that money to my challenge money tomorrow.

We got our first snowflakes today. If I was a kid, I would have been excited! But all I am, is cold!! brrr
I saved $5 using my bi lo card yesterday, so I am adding that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,674.00
today 5.00
new total $19,679.00

I have turned on QVC and am so tempted to buy. Quacker Factory is on and they have the cutest clothes. I see a sweater that I really like, but I have not ordered it yet. I have a few of the sweaters and I have not even worn them all yet. do I really need another one?I just ordered a $50 set of screwdrivers for my husband from sears. (for christmas) I really don't need another $50 sweater for me, do I? Talk me out of it!!

I just got my mail. I got an invitation to a new year's eve party! The invite says tux or suit and tie for men, dressy attire for lady.
The reason I am laughing is the party starts at 6:30 pm and ends at 9:30 pm.

A new year's eve party that ends at 9:30 pm? Gosh, I need younger friends! (the gal giving this party is 10 years younger than me)

I hate being called a senior citizen. I don't feel like a senior citizen. I know I don't act like one either. I know I should be grateful that I can get a senior discount in some places, but I usually don't ask. I just went to Bi lo and feel so old. On wednesdays they give you 5% off. So i saved 89 cents! Guess I could use it to buy a bottle of geritol.
Oh hell, rum and sprite taste a lot better than that! I just need to go dancing. I have a party to attend this saturday night. Maybe I can dance there.
I miss my juke box. I use to have it out in the garage and then I could dance when i wanted to.
I think I will buy myself a radio to put down stairs. Then I can play music on tapes or cd's and dance in the kitchen!!

Since Rduell opened her account at ING and got the free $25, my account was credited with a free $10. Nice, I shall add this to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,664.00
today 10.00
new total $19,674.00

i went to CVS to get some prilosec for my dh. The pills are on sale for $3 off plus I have a $4 off coupon. So, I have $7 to add to my challenge.
Prev. total $19,657.00
today 7.00
new total $19,664.00

Don't be afraid to add small amounts to your savings account. I enjoyed saving money when I was quite young, but I was always embarassed about just depositing a few dollars at a time. (That was when you could go to the movies and have two boxes of candy for a quarter)
For several years I worked as a bookkeeper/teller at a very small savings and loan.
We were alway thrilled when children came in to add to their savings.
The same with adults.
If you put it away right away, you will not be tempted to spend the money, or have it just slide thru your fingers.
So make those small deposits and make them often!

My dh and I got pretty upset last night. We sat and discussed last night, how soon we could have this house finished and have a closing.
DH has been working straight the past 4 months, with no days off at all.
He decided that we could closed the week before christmas, he would have the house finished! Wow, I was so happy because we have used our own cash to build this house and I want the money back in our savings account.
I called the buyers to tell them the good news. They have decided that they do NOT want to close until sometime in January.
Oh, that burns me up. We told them we would try and finish the house before Christmas and my husband has worked so hard.
We even decided to forego christmas shopping so he could get the house done.
We are both disappointed. Big time!!

I don't have them very often. I guess if I played bridge every day I would save a lot of money!! It was lots of fun and nice to see all her christmas decorations. I am just glad I don't have to dust them all.

I have already made my bank run this morning. Mondays are my pay day, the day I write my husband's paycheck and cash it. After I cash it, I come home, get out my written budget and put the cash in all the envelopes. So that is all done.
I am going to play bridge in about an hour, so this will be a no spend day. The only thing I hate, is I really don't have time to read all the blogs befroe I to and I love doing that!

I love parties and December is certainly the party month. We are invited to 5 parties so far this month. I have a christmas hat. It looks like a christmas tree and it lights up. A tiny wire in the hat has broken and it won't light up. I have ordered a new hat to wear to the christmas parties. Yes, people do think I am nuts, but I don't really care. Hope the hat comes soon!

I got a nice little surprise in the mail late yesterday. The building supply place that we do business with, sent me a rebate check. This is the 3rd one of the year. I asked them the first two times, this time it just came in the mail. $955 to add to my challenge money. It is going to my bank first thing in the morning.
Prev. total $18,702.00
today 955.00
new total $19,657.00

I wonder if I can make it to $20,000.00 by new year's eve??

I withdrew another $25,000 to put in our checking account and then spent it all, paying the bills for the spec house we are building. So far, we have put $315,000 cash into that house and still have a ways to go on it. I sure would like to have all that money sitting in the bank earning interest.
I have no idea when the closing will be, it will depend on when my husband gets the house done and he is working all alone. He has another job going and that took up 5 days of his time this week.
This will be our last big house. (I hope)

Bi Li had a good sale on new york strip steak, so i stocked up and got some for this sunday and next sunday too. I saved $8 which I will add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,694.00
today 8.00
new total $18,702.00