I couldn't believe my eyes. That is how much a pound of butter is now.
We had read an article several years ago that butter was much better for you than margarine, so we switched to butter. I still use margarine for cooking. Guess I am going to have to use it for eating too. Food prices are getting so high.
Our favorite restaurant had to print new menus and raise their prices. They just had to.
Today, I did my grocery shopping and saved $3 with my store card. I will add this to my challenge money.
Prev. total $20,987.00
today 3.00
new total $20,990.00

I love these cool mornings. It is still in the 60's now at 10:30 am. That means no air conditioning and no heat running.

It is so hard to keep the tv on these days. There is nothing but bad news on. I am scared to death about this big government bail out and what is going to happen. Plus, my dh is running out of work.
Now, we are having trouble finding gas. We could not find premium for the yellow vette last night.
Well, let's take a deep breath and try to look on the positive side on life. Yesterday I won 3 games of Mah jong, the stock market went up and I had a no use gasoline day. That is $6 I can add to my challenge money. ($2 for no use gas)
Prev. total $20,981.00
today 6.00
new total $20,987.00

I have ordered 600 gallons of propane to add to the almost 200 gallons that I have in my tank. I called around to get the best price I could get.
I am paying $2.45 a gallon, so my bill will be over $1600. I remember the first year we lived in this house, it cost about $300 to heat it.
How much are you paying a gallon??

I have $40 in insurance money (AARP) to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $20,941.00
today 40.00
new total $20,981.00

My dh has to take prilosec every day. I remember when it was over $3 for one pill. Now I can get 42 pills for $30. Today I bought the 42 day supply with my advantage card, saving $2 and with a $4 off coupon, so I have $6 to add to my challenge fund.
Prev. total $20,935.00
today 6.00
new total $20,941.00

We have a food pantry in this town and anyone can go in and ask for a helping hand. Lately, the pantry has been having articles in the paper about how empty they are. I guess they are getting a lot more people who are down on their luck in this bad ecomony.
I am buying 2 or 3 things for the pantry every time I go grocery shopping.
Here is what they are asking for:

canned potatoes
canned peas
chunky soups
bagged rice
instant potatoes
canned tuna and chicken
peanut butter
jelly
powdered milk

Maybe you could pick up a few items to donate to your food pantry too.

According to my Ingles card, I saved $3 today, so I will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $20,932.00
today 3.00
new total $20,935.00

Are these becoming the rage now? I was invited to a jewelry party brunch this morning. There were over 20 ladies there, all decked out!! Sipping champagne too!! Of course, I had to order something!!
What am I doing with all these rich women? They even hire women to serve the food at their parties!!
Well I played mah jong yesterday and won 3 games, so that is $3 I can add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $20,929.00
today 3.00
new total $20,932.00

My little poodle Holly is off being groomed today. I am so lonely when she is gone. I cannot imagine life without a dog around.
She went to a new groomer today, so I am kind of nervous too. I hope she does ok!!
We finally got our mower repaired and my dh cut grass last night. It really needed it. So, we had breakfast for supper last night. I figured that I saved at least $10, so I will add that to my challenge.
Prev. total $20,919.00
today 10.00
new total $20,929.00

I love this time of year. We don't need heat, and the a/c has not run at all. That helps with the electric bill.
I used my store card today to pick up a few groceries and saved $2. I will add it to my challenge.
Prev. total $20,917.00
today 2.00
new total $20,919.00

I had a quiet Tuesday. Thank goodness the stock market went up today and I saved gas by not going anywhere, so I can add $3 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $20,914.00
today 3.00
new total $20,917.00

We went over to the big house my dh is building last night. someone dropped off an old dog about a month ago, and dh has been feeding it so it won't starve.

The was the first time I got to see the master closet finished. It looks great. It is huge. It has a place to hang long things, like gowns. It has all kinds of shelves for shoes, purses, sweaters, etc. Lots and lots of rods to hang clothes, and best of all, 26 built in drawers! Even a built in seat to sit on to put you shoes on. Boy, it is a neat closet!! Ya'll are all invited to come over and see this house!!

Ok, I used no gas yesterday and the braves won a game, so I have $3 to add to the challenge money.

Prev. total $20,911.00
today 3.00
new total $20,914.00

I sure wish we could get some of that rain here, where I live. It is so dry here in North Georgia. I live on a creek and I have never seen it so low. I am glad we don't have hurricanes or much bad weather, but it sure would be nice to get some rain.
I did my grocery shopping early, yesterday instead of Sunday. According to my receipt, I saved $3 using my store card. I will add that to my $20 challenge.
Prev. total $20,908.00
today 3.00
new total $20,911.00

My last post made mention that gas had gone up $1 since yesterday in our neighborhood. Then I went down town. Gas is still under $4 in town but up to $4.95 premium near where I live. I will try not to use those stations in the future even tho they are more convenient. The stock market went up yesterday and the braves won 3 gams in a row. That is $4 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $20,904.00
today 4.00
new total $20,908.00

I got a rebate check in the mail today for $4. I don't do many rebates, only if it is for something I really need.
What is disappointing, I did a rebate for rite aid back in July and never received the $9 I was suppose to receive for buying prilosec and something else. I wonder if there is any way I can check on this.
I also have not been adding my "ridge money" to my $20 challenge because I have opened up a new car fund with that money. If you knew my husband, you would know why we HAVE to have a new car fund.
I have $315 to add to that fund, for a total of $319 to add to the challenge account.
Prev. total $20,585.00
today 319.00
new total $20,904.00

I decided to treat myself to lunch out yesteday since I had a bunch of errands to run and nothing at home to eat. I wanted my favorite food, a hamburger. So, I stopped at Burger King.
When did a whopper Jr. go from $1 to $1.50? I could not believe that I paid that much for such a tiny hamburger. It sure is NOT a whopper! It is tiny!
I got my last one on memorial day and it was $1.
I did buy a frozen pie and had a $1 off coupon, so I will add that money to my challenge money.
Prev. total $20,584.00
today 1.00
new total $20,585.00

I played and won 3 games of mah jong yesterday plus I had a no use gas yesterday; so that is $5 I can add to my challenge money.
I also received a $3 check from a survey I did for Pinecone. I really like the fact that the surveys are much shorter now. We picked up a bucket of chicken last night from KFC. I had a coupon, so we got 10 pieces of chicken for $12. That was our supper and will make 3 lunches for my husband this week.
Prev. total $20,576.00
today 8.00
new total $20,584.00

I got another check in the mail today. This time it was a dividend check from Tim Hortons. I ususally reinvest all dividends, but I was never asked on this stock. It was a spend off from Wendy's. I will add it to my challenge money.
Prev. total $$20,562.00
today 14.00
new total $20,576.00

I am like BA, I am watching Fannie and Freddie fall to below a $1 in cost. At one time, I had thought about buying stock in one of them; glad I didn't.
I get sticker shock every time I go to the grocery store. I went today. I bought 2 baking potatoes today and they cost $2.16. A tiny jar of mayo was $3.18. Prices are just rediculous.
According to my advantage card I saved over $3, so I will add that to my challenge.
prev. total $20,559.00
today 3.00
new total $20,562.00

We got up early this morning. dh set the alarm cause he had to be at the dentist in another town at 8 am, so we got up before 7a m.
We have been putting out corn for the critters in the yard. We have seen a mother deer and her spotted baby several times in the evening.
This morning, she was out there eating and she had two spotted babies with her. Twins!! They are so cute.
I did manage to stay home and use no gas at all yesterday. I have about given up on the braves, they are not doing well at all. but they did win one of their last 5 games. So, I will add $3 to the $20 challenge.
Prev. total $20,556.00
today 3.00
new total $20,559.00

I paid off my citi charge card yesterday. Over a year ago, I got an offer to write a check for anything I wanted, for no fee and no interest for 13 months. I figured I could put it in the bank and earn interest on it, so that is what I did.
I did not know what my credit limit was, so I only wrote the check for $5000. I figured that I made about $200 in interest on that free money.
I wish I would get more offers like that.

I stayed home all day sunday and Monday and used NO gas, so I will pay the $4 I saved into my $20 challenge.
Prev. total $20,552.00
today 4.00
new total $20,556.00

I got another check in the mail today. It was from my Chase mastercard. It is a reward check for charging on my mastercard. so far, this is my 11th $50 check that I have received this year for a total of $550. Got to love this free money and I pay off that master card every month, so I pay no interest. This will be added to the challenge money.
Prev. total $20,502.00
today 50.00
new total $20,552.00

That surprises me. I thought that the only person that worked on labor day was my husband. Well, so far, the market is not doing very well. I guess oil prices are a big worry. I got my electric bill on Sat. and it was $40 under budget. So, I will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $20,462.00
today 40.00
new total $20,502.00

I got my end of the month check in direct deposit this week. It was for $551. I have never spent a penny of this check. I am saving it for my "old age". Heck, you are only as old as you feel!! And I feel young!!
Prev. total $19,911.00
today 551.00
new total $20,462.00


Yeah! One of my goals this year was to save $20,000.00 in my $20 challenge and as of today, I have done it!!

I just came back from grocery shopping. I cannot believe the cost of food anymore!! We eat out almost everynight and I still spent about $80. I can't imagine what you must spend to feed children too.
Our local food bank is out of food so i am picking up some extra to donate.There is very little work here since our main industry is home building. There is none of that going on and so many new houses just sitting unsold!
I am so thankful that I have a good emergency fund to live on should we have too.
I did use a coupon and found hamburger on sale, so I have $6 to add to my challenge fund.
Prev. total $19,905.00
today 6.00
new total $19,911.00

I have been busy with going with my dh to doctor's visits for the past two days, so I have not put anything into my challenge account. The stock market went up, the braves won and I had a no use gas day today, so that is $4 more I have to add to my challenge!

Prev. total $19,901.00
today 4.00
new total $19,905.00

For the first time in months, I can hear the creek. I have lived in the mountains for almost 25 years and this is the lowest I have ever seen the creek. Finally yesterday and today, we got rain. I love it!!
Last night, we stayed home and had breakfast for dinner. I am sure I saved at least $10 for not eating out, so I am adding that to my challenge money!

Happy Rainy Day!!
Prev. total $19,891.00
today 10.00
new total $19,901.00

Yesterday, Gamecock asked me what I did with my challenge money tha I saved on the $20 challenge.
No, I do not have a separate account for just the challenge money, but it might be a good idea to see how much interest it earns.
Instead, I add it (challenge money) about once or twice a month to my regular local savings account that is payig 3.1% interest.
I keep track of how much I save on paper and put the actual cash and checks in a cash box each day. Then, every few weeks, I deposit it so it can earn interest.
This past week, I had 5 stay at home and use no gas days. It cost me about $2 to go to town and back, so that is $10 in gas money that I have saved. I will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,881.00
today 10.00
new total $19,891.00

This morning, I was figuring out how much I will owe on my credit card for the meals eaten out, that I charged this month.
I did this cause I get 3% back on restauant meals charged. Then I come home and put the cash in an envelope with the charge ticket.
The bill will be here in a few days, so I took out the cash that I will need to pay that bill. I have $8 left over because I rounded up everytime I put cash in that envelope. I will add that $8 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,873.00
today 8.00
new total $19,881.00

DH took half a day off yesterday from work and we went furniture shopping. We need a new table/chairs for the breakfast room and 2 new chairs for our bedroom.
We went to 9 different furniture stores in two different states and could not find a thing even close to what we wanted. (we want something like we already have)
So, I felt like it was a wasted day, plus we lost 5 hours pay.
I did come home to find a check from american express in the mail box. It was for $6. I think it was from a reward when we last used the card, months ago. I will add it to the challenge money.
Prev. total $19,867.00
today 6.00
new total $19,873.00

DH brought home a big bag of corn the other night. We put it out for the wildlife to eat. We have a couple of groundhogs that live somewhere near our creek.
On Wednesday night, we noticed a deer eating it. Poor deer, it looks so skinny. We have not rained in ages so there is no grass. This morning, I woke up and there was a deer, eating it again. I just put out another big batch.
It is so neat to have wildlife right in your back yard.
Yesterday, I played mahjong almost all day and won 5 games. also, the stock market went up, so there is $6 to add to the challenge money.
Prev. total $19,861.00
today 6.00
new total $19,867.00

Have you seen how much lighter fluid is lately? Here, it runs between $4-5. We pretty much only cook out on the grill; very seldom do we cook in the kitchen.
I am just not going to pay $5 to get the charcoal started on the grill.
Instead, we went to Ace Hardware and bought one of those plug in type charcoal starters.
We used it last night and it worked great.
We buy a lot of our paint for the customer's homes at Ace hardware. They send us gift cards all the time. We had $55 in gift cards, so we got the charcoal starter, plus a new bird feeder, stake, birdseed and cracked corn to feed "wild critters" just about for free. Hey, you can't beat FREE! And now we are saving money when we cook on the grill.

I stayed home yesterday and used no gas, so that saved $2, plus I won 2 games of mah jong, but another $2 to add to my challenge money.

Prev. total $19,857.00
today 4.00
new total $19,861.00