Today, I received the checks on the two loans that I made. I earned $171 in interest for the month.
Next month, I plan to earn about $480. I will get over $300 more a month based on the new loan I just made. DH calls me the Bank of Julie! Heck, I like earning 4% interest.

Prev. total $15,901.00
today 171.00
new total $16,072.00

I have $4 in one dollar bills left over in my wallet. That bring my total of saving $1 dollar bills to $11 for the month.

Our friends invited us out for a free dinner last night to celebrate closing on their new cabin! (We loaned them the money to buy it) We ate at our favorite restaurant for the first time in about 3 months. It was good to see the old gang again and dinner was delicious.
I brought home some chicken for Holly. She is finally eating steak and chicken and a little bit of dog food. I am so glad! She really had us worried for a while.

Prev. total $15,897.00
today 4.00
new total $15,901.00

I started on the dollar bill challenge today. I bought steak at Bi Lo yesterday and saved $4 using my bi lo card. Then I unloaded the rest of my dollar bills out of my wallet this morning. I had 7 of them, so I am adding $11.00 to the $20 challenge today.

Prev. total 15,886.00
today 11.00
new total $15,897.00

It was a busy day today. I am making another loan to a couple that we built a house for, about 10 years ago. We have become very close friends as we do with most of the couples we build for,
They want to buy a small cabin and I am loaning them the money at 4% interest.
When I went to get the cashier's check this morning, the bank's computers were all down and I could not get the check.
The couple panicked because the closing was today and the sellers had come all the way from Florida for it.

Finally, about noon, I got the call from the bank that the bank could now get me the check. We met our friends at the bank and gave them the check.

Then we did a little christmas shopping. My dh and I only buy for each other. We really have no extended family and I give my granddaughters each a check at christmas time.

We hit Wal Marts and Home depot so dh could give me some ideas of what he wanted.

Then we did our grocery shopping at 2 different food stores. Dh put the christmas tree up and we put some presents under the tree.

I love it that I bought many gift bags from QVC several years ago. We re use them and the tissue paper over and over and it makes putting presents under the tree a very easy job. Plus I think it saves money. I paid about $25 for the assortment of gift bags and tissue and have used it 3 or 4 times.

I finally had a no use gas day ($2), got $1 in the mail and my friends gave me a check for $62 for 6days interest. That is $65 to add to the $20 challenge.

Prev. total $15,821.00
today 65.00
new total $15,886.00

My little dog Holly had surgery a month ago. Since then, she has not wanted anything to eat and we have been force feeding her baby food.
Thursday night, we cooked her a steak and she loved it. She has eaten steak everyday now, so today I went and bought her another N.Y. strip steak. Actually, I bought myself a steak too and saved $4 using my Bi Lo card.
I will add that to my challenge money.

Prev. total $15,817.00
today 4.00
new total $15,821.00

i always love getting checks in the mail especially when they are unexpected. I got a $50 rewards check from my Chase Mastercard, which I had ordered last week.

But I also got a check for $14 from the Sumter Electric coop in Sumterville, Fl. Apparently, my dh had joined the co op when he was married before. About every 15 years are so, they send him a check. I have no idea why but I will take it!

I will add these checks to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $15,763.00
today 64.00
new total $15,817.00

We stopped at Bi Lo to get some steaks this morning for dinner tonight. That is what Holly (poodle) seems to like to eat, when she eats. (She has been real sick)
My girlfriend had given me 2 coupons. One was for a free dozen eggs and the other was for $2 off of any brand of toilet paper.
Plus all 3 steaks we got were on sale and one of them had another $1 off coupon. All in all I managed to save $10 which I will add to the $20 challenge.

Prev. total $15,753.00
today 10.00
new total $15,763.00

That might seem like a funny thing to buy on black Friday, but that is what we bought. We use our grill more than our oven and our old one just died last week.
Home depot was full this morning, but no one seemed interested in buying a grill. We went and looked at them, did some more errands, then dh went back in this van to pick it up. (Won't fit in a corvette)
He is outside right now, trying to put it together.
We cook out all the time, even when it is snowing. We always use a charcoal grill and this one has a smoker like the old grill.
The electric bill came in and it was $50 under budget, so that money gets added to the challenge.
Prev. total $15,703.00
today 50.00
new total $15,753.00

I had a c.d. come due yesterday and I went to the bank and cashed it in today. If I had renewed it, they were only offering 8/10 of one percent. Gosh, even ING pays better than that on just a savings account. I have never seen interest rates this low. I have an old amortization book that I bought over 30 years ago, and the lowest rate in the book is 3%.

When I worked at a savings and loan place, we paid 6% interest on savings and 8% on C.D.'s. I had always hoped I could live on my interest when I got old. Now you can't even live on the interest of 2 million dollars.

So, I am loaning the money to a friend to buy a cabin. They will pay me 4% interest and I will add that to my $20 challenge fund each month.

That is what I had for my birthday dinner last night. It was sooooooooooo good and I brought home the leftovers for my lunch today.
I got a pinecone check in the mail today, I finally had a no use gas day Monday and the stock market is up today. That is $6 for the $20 challenge.

Prev. total $15,697.00
today 6.00
new total $15,703.00

Yesterday, my bridge buddies came over to play bridge and brought me a huge chocolate cake for my birthday.
Today, I gor a free turkey at Ingles and my social security check came in a day early. Tonight we are going to dinner with friends we only see occasionally, when they come up here from florida. So far, so good!

I will add the check to my $20 challenge;

Prev. total $15,697.00
today 486.00
new total $16,183.00

According to my On star subscription, the milage on my car is eligible for lower insurance. I called my insurance agent and reported the miles on my 2010 red corvette and also on my husband's 2008 corvette. His car has slightly over 10,000 miles (in 3 years) and my car has 2500 miles in 8 months.
Yesterday, I received 2 checks from state farm for a total of $130 in rebates.
That was very nice and will be added to the $20 challenge.

Prev. total $15,567.00
today 130.00
new total $15,697.00

There is a jewelry store in town that advertises that they buy gold and silver. I had never been in the store until Friday. I was surprised, cause it looked like a junk store inside.
I took in some old jewelry. I sold three old rings for $145. I had two old necklaces of my mother's, but I decided to keep them.
I also had a 1879 $10 gold piece that I bought over 30 years ago for $300. They offered me $350. When I left with the gold piece, they were offering me $450.

So, I am adding that $145 to my $20 challenge money.

Prev. total $15,422.00
today 145.00
new total $15,567.00

I saw that movie on tv yesterday. It is the first time I saw it since I was a kid in 1978. I use to go to the movies 3 times a week, every time the movie changed. Back then, it cost 14 cents to get into a movie and a box of candy was a nickle.
What I did not remember was that "The Blob" was the first movie that Steve McQueen starred in. He played a 17 year old teen, even tho he was 28. He made a grand total of $3000 to make that movie.
His girlfriend in the movie surprised me too. Do You remember Andy of Mayberry's girlfriend, Miss Crump? Well, she was the girlfriend. Her name is Aneta Corsaut!

Opps! I goofed, the movie was in 1958!!

On the money front, I did my grocery shopping this morning and really stocked up on several items that I use, that were on sale. If it was on sale, I bought double of everything.
Using my advantage card, I managed to bring my bill down from $92 to $68. That is the best I have ever done at the grocery store. I will add that $24 to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $15,398
today 24
new total $15,422.00

I have had a very expensive two weeks. We talked to the hospital administrator about dh's emergency room bill. (It helps that we built his house) The hospital sent us an itemized bill. Gosh, I could not believe that a cat scan was $3750.00 They lowered the bill some and then offered us 15% off if we paid the balance completely.

So, I paid them $6000, then I paid the vet visits and surgery of about $1000 and sent $2000 to my FIL to pay his house taxes.

All this, with no income coming in. Dh is starting a spec house, but so far they are just putting in a septic tank.

I did save a little by buying some items on sale at Bi Lo, yesterday, so I will be adding $6 to my challenge money.

Prev. total $15,392.00
today 6.00
new total $15,398.00

It has been an expensive 2 weeks. We talked to one of the administrators at the hospital about the emergency room bill and got an itemized bill. (It helped that dh built his house)They charged $3750 for a cat scan. Gosh, I did not want to buy the machine!

Anyway, they lowered the bill some and also offered me a 15% discount if I would pay it all at once.
So I paid off the hospital to the tune of $6000, my vet visits and surgery came to $1000 and I sent $2000 to my FIL so he could pay his house taxes.

All this, with no money coming in. Dh is trying to get a spec house started and they are putting in the septic tank right now.

I picked up a couple of things on sale at Bi Lo yesterday and saved $6, so I will add that to my challenge money.

Prev. total $15,392.00
today 6.00
new total $15,398.00

I am taking the interest that I earn every month on a personal loan and adding that to my challenge money.
Yesterday in the mail, I received this month's payment. The interest I earned was $173.

Prev. total $15,219.00
today 173.00
new total $15,392.00

Change does add up! I try not to spend any of my change except for pennies. I throw it all in a jar and every once in a while, I turn it in at my bank. They have a machine that counts it and it is at no cost to me.
Today I have $37 dollars more to add to my challenge money.

Prev. total $15,182.00
today 37.00
new total $15,219.00

I put out my Halloween decorations, filled a bowl with candy, turned on the porch light, and waited last night. No trick or treaters showed up. We were kind of disappointed. I mean, they did have a big block party down on the square Saturday night, but last night was Halloween, and no one showed!
I guess the parents did not want to go out two nights in a row.
I got a great deal on a Halloween cake yesterday. It was $8.99 marked down to $1.50. I served it to the women in my bridge group today.
We still had a good time. One of our favorite movies was on last night, Forrest Gump.

I got a $50 chase rewards check in the mail today and I am adding that to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $15,132.00
today 50.00
new total $15,182.00

I love dressing up for Halloween. Sometimes we dress up for parties, other times, we just dress up for Halloween and go out to eat.
Our little town has a big Halloween thing going down on the square (which is round) on Halloween.
Some good friends of ours usually have a party for Halloween. Last year, my dh won first prize. Year before that, I won 2nd prize. The year before that, dh won first prize again.
There was no party this year because of health reasons, so for the first time in years, we are staying home to pass out candy!

I saved $3 on Halloween candy on sale plus yesterday was a no use gas day, so I have $5 to add to my challenge money.

Prev. total $15,127.00
today 5.00
new total $15,132.00

Because of my little Holly's unplanned surgery this week, I forgot all about my monthly check that comes the 4th Wednesday of the week. Since I never spend any of it, I always add it to my challenge money.
(BTW, Holly is doing fine, but refusing to eat anything but people food since she is sick.)

Prev. total $14,641.00
today 486.00
new total $15,127.00

i was able to get a new pet bed for Molly today, for 1/2 price. Molly is my younger dog. She is a Malta poo. (her mother was pure bred poodle (black) and her father was pure bred maltese (white) She is all white. Even tho she is a year and a half old, I still call her a puppy. She sure acts like one.

She has ruined her last two beds by pulling all the stuffing out of them. So, I am going to try again with a brand new bed, hoping she will leave this one alone. The beds usually run $10 but I got it for $5.
I will take the $5 I saved plus a $3 pinecone check to add to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $14,633.00
today 8.00
new total $14,641.00

I picked up Holly this morning. She had emergency surgery late yesterday afternoon. She had pyometra. That is an infected uterus. It is often fatal so I was quite lucky that I had taken her into the vet for an unrelated problem.
The vet did some blood work for an uncoming surgery (to remove a turmor) and discovered a problem, The x ray showed the problem with the uterus. The vet reccommended immediate surgery and when they touched the uterus, it exploded. She probably would not have lived much longer than a day or two.
This was a new vet that I tried and she will certainly become my all time vet.
I do reccomend when you get a new puppy, get her spayed to prevent this problem. Holly was so little, I was afraid to have it done. I do regret that.
So, it was a very expensive day for me, but so worth it. Holly is worth a million dollars to us.
She is home now, resting and so far, so good!

I did come in under budget on my electric bill, so I have $40 to add to the challenge.

Prev. total $14,593.00
today 40.00
new total $14,633.00

Christmas. Yes, just two months from day!! Dh and I only buy for each other and I give the grandchildren cash to buy what they want.
I finally got the first gift for DH. It is two tee shirts with pictures of his beloved cars on the front of them. I call it "three vettes and a vicky" (Ford Victoria, 1933)

We had a grest weekend. On Saturday, we went to a big bar b que for over 700 people. This one couple has been throwing this party in October, for 29 straight years.

That night, we went to a mexican themed party with a full supper served and even live music.

I have been getting behind of the challenge, but I know I had 3 no use gas days last week, so that is $6 more to add to the challenge.

Prev. total $14,587.00
today 6.00
new total $14,593.00

My dh went to visit his father in florida last week. He came home with some unusual news. BIL is now broke! (That would be his younger brother)
BIL started a very sucessful business about 30 years ago. He made great money and had about 12 employees.

He and his wife built a new house on the lake. They bought vacant lots on the lake. His wife and oldest daughter went into their hobby with a passion, horses! They acquired 6 of them, along with all the trailers used to haul them to horse shows and the heavy trucks required to pull the trailers. They bought vehicle after vehicle and went on costly vacations constantly.

Now, that things have slowed down in the economy, his work has slowed down too. He has no employees. He admitted to his father that they are broke, have 3 car payments and are $50,000 in credit card debt.

Not that we have ever counted on getting anything from my FIL when he passes on, but dh was surprised to find that he has been written out of the will and everything will go to the broke son, because "he needs it". I am sure that has hurt his feelings and I feel so sorry for him.

I saved $9 today using my bi lo bonus card today and of course, they will be added to the $20 challenge.

Prev. total $14,578.00
today 9.00
new total $14,587.00

For the first time in about 20 years, I am home alone.
Dh left early (6 am) this morning to go and visit his father in Florida. Today is his 89th birthday.
We have never traveled with 2 dogs in a corvette, so I decided that I would stay home. The older dog, Holly has traveled a lot, but the puppy, Molly has not.
Plus, my FIL and his girlfriend now have a new dog, so I think 3 dogs together would be too much!!

So, I am all alone here with my two little buddies!They are very good for protection too. You can rest assure that Molly won't let a squirrel get within 4 feet of this house.

I have not kept up with the stock market this week; the braves are no longer playing, but I did have a no use gas day this week, so I will add $2 to my challenge. (Ugh, gas is now $3.05 a gallon here. I use premium and need to fill up today.)

Prev. bal. $14,576.00
today 2.00
new total $14,578.00

My dh is planning on taking a trip and he asked me to wash some clothes he had not worn in a while. While unloading the dryer last night, I came across 7 , well washed and dried, bills. Two 5 dollar bills and 5 $1 bills, for a total of $15!! Finders , Keepers! I will add that to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $14,561.00
today 15.00
new total $14,576.00

I received my last $10 check from nfo mysurvey today. As I mentioned in an earlier post, you have to earn 1000 points in order to receive a check. The survey company has lowered the points they give you for taking a survey from 10 points to 5. In some cases, they ask you to take the survey for NO points!
I also did not like the fact that this time, they charged me 150 points ( $1.50) for sending me a check.

So, I am happy to get my final checkand add it to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $14,551.00
today 10.00
new total $14,561.00

One plus to my husband not having much work (or a house to build)is that he is keeping up with our house. He does have some part time jobs, but he can't work on them til next week.
Today, he was home most of the day so he washed all of the windows. We have lots and lots of really big windows in our house, so he stayed busy all day. The house looks really good now.

I had a no use gas day and the braves won, so $3 will be added to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $14,548.00
today 3.00
new total $14,551.00

I had a very good day yesterday. Not only did I play bridge, one of my favorite things to do, but I also received 3 checks in the mail.
Two of the checks were payment on the two personal loans I made to a couple. I count the interest on this every month towards my $20 challenge. The amount of interest this month was $174.
I also received a rebate of $540 from a building supply company.
The total of $714 will be added to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $13,834.00
today 714.00
new total $14,548.00