DH ran into the couple who bought our last house. WE are holding the mortgage on the house.
She mentioned to him that she had just put the house payment in the mail that day to us.
It was mailed on October 9th. Today is October 16th and we still have not received it. It only had to travel about 6 miles. I am afraid that it is lost in the mail.

$20 challenge total $19,329.00

We got to see the moving viet nam wall. It came to our small town for about 4 days. Because we thought there would be long lines in the daytime (I can no longer stanad for long periods of time, old age)we went to see it about 10 pm at night. It was very moving and I am so glad we got to see it.
$20 challenge update:
new total $19,315.00

We get a builder's rebate from the building supply store that we do business with. About 20 years ago, they approached us and told us they were giving a 5% rebate to their 20 best customers! We are the last customer still here and still receiving the rebate. I have always saved the rebate; it is like found money. This month, it is a good amount, $717.00 which I am adding to my $20 challenge:

Prev. total $18,547.00
today 717.00
new total $19,264.00

I watched the braves last two ball games on Sunday. They did not do very well this year. It is a rebuilding year with almost all new players.
Since the all star game I have been putting $5 into my $20 challenge every time they won a game (which was not very many) plus $5 for each home run. (Again, not very many. Sunday was a good day with 2 wins (double header) and 3 home runs.
My $20 challenge looks like this : $18,522.00.
Let's hope for a better year next year!

I have earned some dividends on stock for the month of Sept. and they are just sitting in my Edward Jones account, so I had them transferred to my checking acoount. I will add them to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $18,342.00
today 111.00
new total $18,453.00

I am getting close to my $20,000 goal for the year.

Almost 5 years ago, I had some c.d.'s coming due. I had been getting 5% interest. I searched and searched but the best I could find was Melrose credit union paying 2.9% for firve years.
I wondered if I was doing the right thing; tieing up a large sum of money for 5 years at such a low rate.
Now, the 5 years will be up in February and I cannot find anything paying as high as 2.9% interest.
I cannot believe these low rates have lasted for 5 years.
Back in 1977, i was working for a savings and loan place that paid 5 1/4 on savings (daily interest) and 6% on regular savings accounts. Our c.d.'s were paying 8% interest. (One time we even went up to 18% interest.)
My intention always was to save enough money to live off the interest, like all the retired people that could afford it, did back then.
My husband and I have never worked anywhere where we would get a pension, so I knew it was up to us to save as much as possible.

Soon, the 5 year c.d. will be up and I cannot find anything paying as much as 2.9% interest. Ofcourse, it is not nearly enough to live off of, but I am grateful for what we get. Luckily, my husband is still working, but because his job is so arduous and he has hurt both his arm and his foot this year, I don't know how much longer he can continue to work.

However, I will add the interest from my two Melrose c.d.'s to my $20 challenge and just keep on saving!!

$20 challenge balance $16,292.00
Melrose c.d. 2.9% 1657.00
Melrose c.d. 2.8% 393.00
new total $18,342.00

(This interest is for 3 months, the 3rd quarter of this year.)

I received my monthly interest from my 4 internet savings accounts, which I add to the $20 challenge.
I received $13 from GE bank, $89 from Mysavings direct, $4 from Barclay and $6 from my new savings account at Mysavings direct, the "Wright) account. (An account for the mortgage money and other rebates that I am receiving. That comes to a total of $113 which I will add to my $20 challenge:

Prev. total $16,169.00
today 113.00
new total $16,282.00

The leaves are turning colors in my area alrady. I wonder if we will have an early freeze?
I entered my chase rebate check to my $20 savings challenge. The new total is:

$20 challenge Balamce $16,120.00

I recieved my s/s check today and put it into my $20 challenge as usual. My new total:

Old balance $15,335.00
today 529.00
new total $15,864.00

Is today the first day of fall? I don't have a single calendar with the mention of fall on it.
However, the leaves are starting to fall and it is pretty cool in the morning.
I like the fact that neither the heat or the a/c has been running this week. That helps on the elecric bill. I use to add the savings from the electric bill to my $20 challenge. I budget $160 per month, and during the fall and winter months, the electric bill would go way down. Now, with a new heating system which now includes a heat pump, the winter bills are even higher than the summer bills.
I do not like heat pumps and will NEVER have one put in again. ( in our spec houses) I trusted the guy that has done our heat and a/c work for over 20 years. He reccommended the heat pump. He quit carrying Lennox systems and now carries Trane.
Believe me, Lennox is better and that is what we
still put in our spec houses.

$20 challenge update: $15,274.00

I applied for the Citi double cash card about 2 months ago and I have been using it.
The only credit cards we use, are the ones that give us cash back.
I have one card that pays 3% back on home improvement purchases, but only up to $2000 in purchases, then 1% after that. That comes in handy, since my husband spends a lot at home depot for his building business.
Then we have the Capital one quicksilver card which gives us 1 1/2 % back on purchases.
The Citi doublecash card pays 1% on purchases and 1% when you pay your balance, so I get 2% but I have to wait until I pay the card each month to redeem.Yesterday, I got my first check for $39.77, which I will add to the $20 challenge.

Prev. total $15.197.00
citi check 39.00
new total $15,236.00

(as you can see, I do not add the odd cents.)

We received our 2nd mortgage check in the mail yesterday. It is wonderful to be earning a nice interest rate again. Our mortgage holders sent a very nice note with the check again, thanking us, just like they did last month. It is wonderful to be appreciated; I appreciate them too! I sent the money off to our "right" account at My savings direct along with some savings. Our new total are:

Right (Wright) account $ 8565.00
$20 challenge $15,181.00

What a bummer. Yesterday, Mysavings direct lowered their rate from 1.24% to 1.09. After all these years, it is hard to believe these terrible low savings rates.

WE got a good rebate from thebuilding supply place that we do business with, mostly because the bill was so high. (Over $13,000) So I have 1 rebate of $620 to add to my $20 challenge.
Also, I have to go to home depot today. For some reason they charged me $19.98 for a propane tank??
I have always had a charcoal grill and have never used a propane tank. (escept for the 1000 gal tank to heat my home) I am hoping to get that taken off of my charge card without any problems.

Prev. total $14,488.00
today 620.00
new total $15,108.00

Today, I got interest on my accounts. The total was $103 at My savings direct, $5 at Barclays and $25 at GE bank. I am adding that to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $14,290.00
today 133.00
new total $14,423.00

I received my social security check of $529 yesterday. As usual, I will add that to my $20 challenge: It is almost Sept. and I still have almost $6000 to go to reach my $20,000 goal for the year.

Prev. total $13,677.00
today 529.00
new total $14,206.00

Last month, after closing on the house for which we are holding the mortgage, I decided to open a new savings account.
Since the highest interest I can find right now is at
Mysavingsdirect, (1.24%) I decided to open the acoount there.
This account will be mainly for my monthly mortgage payments that I will receive. I will also add the discount money I receive from Builderway (where we buy building materials) stock dividends, credit card cash rewards. advantage card savings and other discounts.

The reason I named it the "right" account is that the young couple that are making the mortgage payments to me are named Wright!

I opened the account last month with $1055 that I had accumulated from the above mentioned sources.

My first mortgage payment was due on Aug. 25th, but I received it on August 13th. I deposited it along with other savings and now have a grand total of $4055.00 in my account. I will keep a running total of that,just like I do my $20 challenge.

$20 challange $13,631.00

Right account $ 4055.00

Braves have not done well these past two weeks. They have only won about 4 games out of the last 16.
Last night they played thw world champion San Francisco giants.
Not to surprisingly, when I checked the score, the braves were down 6-0 in the 5th inning.
They made a great comeback and win on to win 9-8 in the 12th inning. Since iput in $5 for every win and $1 for every run they score when they win, I was able to fatten up my $20 challenge last night.
The total now stands at $13,496.00

I got the interest from my GE capital bank account and also my Barclay dream account. The interest was $31 and $3 respectively. The dream account has a maximum of $1000 that you can add each month. They promise to give you a 5% interest bonus on the interest after 6 months. Of course, that will not amount to much, but I have added the max every month and made no withdrawals. I will add this to the $20 challenge:

Prev. total $13,426.00
today 34.00
new total $13,460.00

That means interest day! Unfortunately, not too much interest any more. I am holding a mortgage on the last house we built, so the money is not sitting in the bank earning interest. However, it is earning even more interest for me in a 4 1/2% mortgage. It just will take me a long time to get the money back.

I have a savings account at My savings direct earning 1.24% interest. This month I received $104 in interest. I also opened a new account for my mortgage payments. (This has earned a whopping 50 cents so far) I will add the $104 to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $13,322.00
today 104.00
new total $13,426.00

I hit the bank this morning to make two deposits. I took my coint jar inalso, to be counted. I had $43 in coins which I added to the $20 challenge:

Prev. total $13,263.00
today 43.00
new total $13,306.00

A quicksilver check arrived. That is from my credit card company, capitol One. I only use credit cards to get cash back. This one pays 1 1/2% back and i pay it off in full every month.
I dusted off my dave ramsey books, Financial Peace. I am going to give them to the young couple that bought our spec house. They are about 20 years old, but I think they can still be a big help.

$20 challenge
Prev. total $12,628.00
today 42.00
new total $12,670.00

I forgot to add my last month's s/s check to the $20 challenge:

Prev. total $11,632.00
last month 529.00
new total $12,161.00

Tomorrow is the big day. We are closing on our spec house. I am just as excited as the young couple that is buying it. It is nice to see them so happy.
We will not be coming home with any money. All of their down payment goes to the real estate agent for her comission.
I am paying the closing costs. The bank had estimated $7000 in closing costs, but they are coming to only $2500. (No inspection fee, appraisal fee or points)
I am holding the mortgage on the property, so this will be part of our retirement monthly income. Of course, I plan to save it until we need it to live on. Right now, my husband still works full time.

$20 challenge fund $11,623.00

I opened a new savings account at MYSavings Direct. They are paying the highest rate for savings accounts that I can find; 1.24%
I wish I could find a local savings account paying a decent rate, but no such luck.
I will be using this account to make special deposits.
I plan to save every mortgage payment check that I receive starting in August. The mortgage payments will go on for 25 years, but of course, I won't be here.
I also plan to add any additional money that I receive from dividends stocks, (i only have 3) cash back on credit cards (I have 2) and any rebates.
It will be fun to watch it add up.

My $20 challenge stands at $11,607.00.

Adding my GE bank interest to my $20 challenge looks like this:

Prev. total $11,564.00
today 30.00
new total $11,594.00

The Braves hit two home runs last night. I decided a few days ago to add $5 to my challenge every time they hit a home run. I am keeping the money in a seperate container and will add to challenge when the total builds up a little.

I received my interest from My savings direct for the month of June. It was $120 which I will add to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $11,402.00
today 120.00
new total $11,522.00

Well, the 2nd quarter has ended for the year. I get my Melrose credit union interest on the last day of every quarter. This time my 2 c.d.'s earned $1627 and $386. That makes my total $2013 for the past three months.
When I first opened these c.d.'s almost 5 years ago, I thought the interest rate of 2.9% and 2.8% were terrible. Now I am glad I have them. I have not found a better interest rate for c.d.'s anywhere else.

Asusual , I will add that to my $20 challenge:

Prev. total $ 9376.00
today 2013.00
new total $11,389.00

June 25,2015. Just six more months til Christmas! I bet you did not even want to be reminded.

Our gift giving has cut down considerably the past few years. Neither my husband or I really need anything, so we give each other the usual stuff, socks, underware, candy, etc.
The grandchildren and great granddaughter all get checks. That way they can buy what they want.
I still have a "Christmas" savings account.
I had my first "christmas Club" account over 50 years ago and the tradition still continues.

$20 challenge balance $9326.00