I hit the big $10,000 in the $20 challenge for myself today.
The braves are doing so well and have won 9 games in a row! For that I am adding $10 to my challenge money.

Prev. total $ 9990.00
today 10.00
new total $10000.00

Look out $20,000, here i come!!!!!!!!!

I made a loan to nice couple that we are friends with. Actually, I made them two loans last month. One had the first payment come due on June 5th and the other will have the first payment due on July 5.
I am charging them 4% interest, which is better than either of us could get at the bank.

I got my first payment yesterday and I am going to add the interest payment to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $ 9860.00
today(interest) 130.00
new total $ 9990.00

Almost to $10,000!!!!!!!

We had a very nice and thrifty Memorial Day. DH did work, but came home early so we could attend a bar b que at a friend's house.
The only money I spent that day was on a memorial day decorated cake. I bought it early Monday morning, never expecting it to be on sale til the next day. I got a $6.99 cake, marked down to $1.50 and boy was it good!
The hosts of the cook out actually live in Florida, so they gave us a bunch of leftovers to bring home. That gave us another free dinner last night, plus we have more for another meal.

I am so proud of the braves. They went from last place in their division to first. They have won all three of their last 3 games, so that is $3 for the challenge. I also have 8 more one dollar bills in my wallet, so a total of $11 going to my $20 challenge.
Prev. total $9849.00
today 11.00
new total $9860.00

Today is Memorial Day, the 30th day of May! I honor the memory of my father, who served in both WWI and WWII.
I paid my end of the month bills today and had $100 left over in my electric envelope which I will add to my challenge money. I am sure the electric bill will go up next month and we start running the a/c!
Prev. total $9749.00
today 100.00
new total $9849.00

Today is memorial day, but most people celebrate it tomorrow. But the 30th is actually the real date. Sometimes I wish that holidays were celebrated on the actual date, instead of on Mondays. Of course, I don't work, so I understand why most of you like the long 3 days weekends.
I paid my end of the month bills today and I have $100 left over in my electric envelope, so that is going into the challenge. I know the bills will get bigger next month as we run the a/c more and more.
Prev. total $9749.00
today 100.00
new total $9849.00

I did my grocery shopping this week and really stocked up on sprite while it is on sale. According to my advantage card, I saved $12 buying food on sale. I also had 2 no use gas days in a row($4) plus the braves won 2 games ($2), so a total of $18 will be going into my $20 challenge.
Prev. total $9731.00
today 18.00
new total $9749.00

With my new car, I got free On star for a year. I also got XM free radio for 3 months. I can listen to the all elvis station that is located at Graceland. On my way home today, I heard Elvis sing, "In the ghetto" with a female. I have never heard him do a duet before.

I love google. I don't know how to use the computer very well, but I do use google a lot. So I google the song to find out who was singing with elvis. Do you all know who is was??

Well, it was Lisa Marie, his daughter. And she did the song in honor of the his death, 30 years earlier. She has a beautiful voice! I even found a video showing the both of them singing the song, seperately, of course.

I got my usual end of the month check for $486 today plus a $3 pinecone check. I will add that to my $20 challenge money.

Prev. total $9242.00
today 489.00
new total $9731.00

This week, I made a personal loan to a couple that we have known for almost 10 years. As a matter of fact, we built their home.
They called us about buying a piece of property that they own, but we really were not interested. The property is designed for a high end home and if and when we build a spec house again, it will be a small house.

They wanted to sell, so they could buy another piece of property, so I offered to be their "banker" I loaned the money to them at 4% interest, which is double what I can get at the bank. It is a good deal for them too, cause they can't get a 4% loan at the bank.

The couple is retired and I don't know what his pension is, but he once told me that he gets six figures! That is more than we make. Plus he gets about the top social security. So I am not too worried about them making the payments.

Since this is a new source of monthly income, I am going to start adding the interest only, to my $20 challenge next month.

The braves won 5 games in a row, so I am adding that to the challenge today.
Prev. total $9237.00
today 5.00
new total $9242.00

I turned on the braves game yesterday. The pitcher had been having a bad day, obviously. The Braves were in the bottom of the 2nd inning and they were already losing 8-0!!
I decided I did not want to watch the game, but I turned it on later to find out the final score. I got the tv on just in time to watch a replay of a new player hitting a grand slam home run.
It turns out the score in the bottom of the ninth was Braves 3, Reds 9.
The braves scored 7 runs in the 9th inning and won the game 10-9!! Wish I had watched the 9th inning.

I have made 2 personal loans in the past month to a couple that we know. I am going to start adding the interest that they pay me to my $20 challenge. So yesterday, I got a check for $25 interest, 3 braves have won 3 games in a row and I had a no use gas day, so I have $30 to add to the challenge today.

Prev. total $9207.00
today 30.00
new total $9237.00

I made the first car payment on my new car last month. One other time, I tried to pay my new car off early by adding extra to the principal each month. That only confused the finance company (or bank, I forget which) and they showed me as paid ahead. So, I quite doing that and just paid myself and kept track of it on paper.
This new car is financed with Bank of america. Last month, the statement had a place for extra principal, so I filled it out and sent an extra $1000/
I just got this month's statement and the entire $1000 was credited to the principal. I am going to do this every month so that I can get the car paid off early!
I did my grocery shopping this morning and saved $4 using my Ingles card and the braves won yesterday. That is $5 to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $9202.00
today 5.00
new total $9207.00

We went out to dinner for our anniversary last night. I never look at drink prices because we always brown bag it. If not, then we just drink water. I happened to look on the menu and noticed that a glass of milk was $2.59!! Can that be right??

Growing up in my home, I drank a lot of milk as a kid. A coke or something like it, was just not allowed. You drank milk or you drank water. An orange crush was a big treat you got when on a trip.

So, I grew up liking milk and I drank a lot of it. I still like milk but I don't buy it very often.
I can see that if you have kids, you wouldn't want to take them out for dinner and have them drink milk. It is way too expensive and that is a shame. I think our nation drinks way way too much soda!
I never got addicted to it like some people cause my mother just never bought soda! I guess that soda is cheaper now than milk!

I got a pinecone check in the mail, so that is another $2 to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $9199.00
today 3.00
new total $9202.00

opps, I meant to say $3 to the challenge!

I got married to one of the most talented men on earth. I went to an elvis concert on February 15, 1977 and just three days later, one of my good friends set me up on a blind date! It was my dh! Less than 2 months later, we were married; May 13, 1977.
It was a Friday the 13th, but it has been good luck ever since.

The braves won 3 games in a row (but are still in last place) and the stock market went up yesterday. That is $4 to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $9195.00
today 4.00
new total $9199.00

I had to turn on the heat today. It has been cool the past two days. I had the a/c on for the past week, but today, the doggies were shivering. So, I turned on the heat and got the heating pad out for the older dog to sleep on. I don't have one for the puppy, cause, well, she is a puppy and might chew on the wires.
I took her to get groomed today and she looks so pretty and cute! However, her shorter hair will make her feel even cooler.
I finally had the nerve to see what my mutual funds had done during the big fall in the stock market last Thursday. I lost about $20,000 in my mutual funds in one day. I checked again today after yesterday's good rise in the market and had gained back about $11,000.
I have given up on the braves, nuff said!
The market went up yesterday and I used a coupon for $2 off to buy hair color, so I am adding $3 to the challenge.
Prev. total $9192.00
today 3.00
new total $9195.00

I notice that many of the stores are now offering new store cards. I always use my Ingles card a lot. The other day, I got a new CVS card in the mail. Today at Rite Aid, I got a new card to use when something is on sale. However, they did away with 10% off Tuesdays for senior citizens. I will miss that. It was 20% the first Tuesday of every month too.
Bi Lo has a lady just working exclusively, signing people up for their new card. It will not only be used for sale items, but will means cents off at the pump at a nearby BP station. Since that is the only gas station we use for gas for the vettes, that will be handy.

Neither the stock market or the braves are doing anything to talk about, so i will just add the 4 one dollar bills I have in my wallet to the challenge.
Prev. total $9188.00
today 4.00
new total $9192.00

Even a year and a half later, our little paper is still full of foreclosure notices. I live in a small country town, and I am amazed at how many names I recognize in these notices.
Yesterday, a friend of mine was listed as a new foreclosure. I would never dream in a million years, that this couple would be foreclosed on.
They are both college graduates, own their own business, dine out all the time, go on lots of vacations and stay in 5 star resorts. They live (or did) the good life.
I am so sorry to see so many families suffering.

I have 4 one dollar bills to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $9184.00
today 4.00
new total $9188.00

Well, I had to turn on the A/C last night. It seems like we had a long, hard, cold winter for the past 7 months and now it is turning hot! It doesn't help that we have no screens on our windows. My dh does not like screens.
My frugal thing for today was to go and buy some steaks at Bi Lo! They were on sale and I saved $5 to put in the challenge pot!
Prev. total $9179.00
today 5.00
new total $9184.00

I am expecting an expensive evening tonight. My 2 granddaughters are bringing their boyfriends over to meet us. We are all going out for dinner, and of course, we will pay for everyone's dinner. But it is a treat I will really enjoy.
WE had a no spend day yesterday, used no gas, plus the braves finally won two games. That is $4 to add to the challenge. My husband spent most of the day helping a friend put up some awnings. He came home with a check for $125 which I will also add to the challenge money.
Prev. total $9050.00
today 129.00
new total $9179.00

My roses are starting to bloom. Dh has planted many flowers and the place looks nice.

Well, the braves are not helping my challenge money. This is the longest losing streak I can remember.
The stock market went up yesterday, I saved $5 using my advantage card and I got $1 in the mail today. The survey company wants me to keep track of how much money I spend in the month of May. So, I will do it.
Previous total $9043.00
today 7.00
new total $9050.00

i did a pinecone survey a few days ago and got a check in the mail today for $3. Pinecone is so prompt, I like that.

I also made a personal loan to a friend to buy some property. He is paying me interest on the loan and gave me a check for 6 days interest. The check is for $25.64. I will round that down to $25. I never count the cents when I am doing the $20 challenge, but I am very aware that cents due add up!

Prev. total $9015.00
today 28.00
new total $9043.00

I got my usual monthly check deposited to my checking account yesterday and as always, I am adding it to my challenge money.
I chose to take social security payments as early as I could, but i have never spent one penny of these checks. I save them all.

Did you know you can take social security early and when you turn 70, you can pay it all back to the s.s.admin. and get the higher pay out. You don't owe them a penny more than they paid you. You pay no penalty or interest. The interest you make on the money is yours to keep. Sounds like a pretty good deal if you think you will live a long time.

I don't come from a family of long lived people. My father died at age 55. My sister died at age 59. My mother got cancer at age 55, but recovered and lived til age 70, when she died of a recurring cancer.

Prev. total $8529.00
today 486.00
new total $9015.00

It has been two weeks since I have eaten out. I am proud of myself. I haven't gone this long without eating out in I don't know how long!
Even tho we did not spend a lot each night, still it adds up! I just hope we haven't hurt the restaurant business!!

I did my grocery shopping today and saved $6 using my Ingles card. It was also a good mail day. I got a $50 check for using my Chase rewards card and a refund of $85 for cancelling the insurance on the old work van that we sold.
This will all be added to the challenge money.

Prev. total $8388.00
today 141.00
new total $8529.00

Friends of ours invited us over on Thursday night. It was fun. We just made sandwiches, had a few mixed drinks and sat out by the creek.
Even tho they live local, they live on a mountain top with a great view. They wanted the best of both worlds, mountain view and creek side.
So, they bought an RV lot in an RV park, right on a creek. They have a very nice RV parked there too.

It made me realize that we should spend more of our evenings sitting out by our creek!
dh got ambitious and is repainting our deck right now. It hangs over the creek and has lights on it. He has already painted the swing benches that we keep on the deck.

No good news about the braves games lately but I do have 7 one dollar bills in my wallet, so I will add that to the challenge.

Prev. total $7381.00
today 7.00
new total $7388.00

I saved $5 at the grocery store today, using my Ingles advantage card. I had a $4 off CVS coupon that I used when I bought prilosec. Plus, I have 7 other one dollar bills, so a total of $16 one dollar bills to add to my challenge.
Prev. total $8365
today 16
new total $8381.00

p.s. and I also found a quarter at Ingles!

I went without the heat running for almost two weeks. It got pretty cold this weekend and I had to turn the heat back on, on Monday.
Every Monday, we play bridge at my house and I can't let my guests freeze, so I turn the heat up to 68. They are still cool, but I am sweating!
Yesterday I got my older dog groomed (haircut) and she was shivering in the house. I just got her heating pad out of the closet for her to lay on, when the power went out.
Even dh was complaining how cold he was in the house. After about an hour, the power came back on and I heated the house up to 66, so if the power went out, it woulded be too cold.

I got my electric bill in the mail and it was only $88. Not bad for a 3200 sq. foot house plus extra double garage with bath and efficency room above. That is $90 under budget, so I will add that to my challenge money.

Prev. total $8275.00
today 90.00
new total $8365.00

My little dog, Molly, a malta-poo is a year old now. I wonder when she will quit acting like a puppy? She gets into everything. We can't leave anything where she can reach it. I was upstairs when I heard her playing with something. She had gotten hold of my husband's work shirt and was dragging it around the room. When I got there, she had a pack of matches and was busy chewing on them. (He doesn't smoke, but he was burning rubbish)
Today in the mail I got an income tax refund. As this is the first time in years we have ever gotten anything back, I am going to add it to my challenge money.
Prev. total $7608.00
today 667.00
new total $8275.00

I am curious, do kids still walk to school. I moved from Norfolk, Va. to Florida when I was in 3rd grade. From then on, I had to walk to school until I was a senior and had my own car. (which I paid for all by myself) The bad part about it was I had to carry lots of heavy books cause I did a lot of studying. I guess that is why most kids were not overweight back then.
I got a check in the mail for $55 today to pay me back for a car tow I had last month. I will use that, the $1 for the braves win and $2 for a no use gas day yesterday, to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $7550.00
today 58.00
new total $7608.00

We sold our old van and the guy just picked it up. We are down to being a 5 car family for the first time in years. It will be nice to cancel that insurance next week.
One of our workers has been paying payments on the van for the last 4 weeks; he just gave us the last $250.
So, I am taking that money, plus $2 from the braves last two wins and the $2 for a no gas day yesterday and adding it to the challenge money.
Prev. total $7296.00
today 254.00
new total $7550.00

Yup, today is April 14th, tax day! I mailed off my estimated tax yesterday.
Today I made a few deposits to the bank and took it my change for counting. I got back $32 which will be added to the challenge, the braves won, the stock market went up yesterday and I had a no use gas day yesterday. All in all, I have $36 to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $7260.00
today 36.00
new total $7296.00

Opps, I just discovered another $200 that I had put in a savings envelope, that needs to be added to the $20 challege.
I am making a savings deposit tomorrow. I need to build my savings back up. I wrote 2 big checks last month; one to pay off my 2008 car and one to fully fund both of our IRA's.
Prev. total $7060.00
today 200.00
new total $7260.00

I am making a deposit to the car fund account tomorrow, so I am adding in the $180 that I have in that envelope. Whenever I have any extra money, I will add that to the car fund.
I also received a check for almost $1900 in the mail. This is a mutual fund account that I opened for my oldest granddaughter several years ago. I hate that she wanted me to close the account, but she wants to use the money to take online classes. Well, this should give her a good start.
Prev. total $6880.00
today 180.00
new total $7060.00