My business checking account was credited today with $86 in interest for the month.
I am going to remove that interest every month and put it in my savings and add it to the challenge money.
I am so happy with this new high interest checking account that I opened two months ago.
Prev. total $19,771,00
today 86.00
new total $19,857.00

For a month now, I have been keeping track of how much we spend eating out almost every night.
I have decided to start charging it, cause our Chase credit card will give us 3% back on all restaurnant charges. So, I charge the bill, then I come home and put that much cash in an envelope. Then, when the bill comes in, I have the cash to pay it all off.
This past month, we spent $322 eating out almost every night. We usually have enough left overs for lunch at home every day.
To us, eating out is just not a way to get a quick meal.
To us, it is a date out every night. We are allowed to brown bag it, so we have cocktails and just talk for about an hour before we order our meal. Of course, my dh is very careful to make his drinks very very mild since he is always the designated driver.
I guess it is worth $322 a month to enjoy every night out; at least it is to us.

Oh, I need to add the aarp money to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $19,711.00
today 60.00
new total $19,771.00

My dh took the day off today. Now, that the house is so nice and clean, he has decided to "bleach" the white carpet in the living room. This is something he does every 6 months or so, but today he is doing it up right.
He has moved all the furniture in the living room, so he can get the entire carpet bleached.
Of course, that means that everything on top of the furniture had to be moved also. I pretty much have an all white house, which I like.
White walls, white carpet and a huge sectional white sofa with muliticolored cushions along the back of the sofa.

You can tell I have no children living here.

I stayed home all day on Friday, so i used no gas and that will add $2 to my challenge money.

Prev. total $19,709.00
today 2.00
new total $19,711.00

I have had my house being cleaned for the past two days. They even took down the glass from the chandliers and washed them. Everything in this house has been scrubbed clean and the house looks so nice. I have been having trouble with my knees the past few years, so getting up and down from the floor has been getting harder for me.
So, I spent a few hundred dollars, but the house really needed a good cleaning.

The stock market went up two days in a row and i saved $3 with coupons at the grocery store. So that is $5 more to add to the challenge money.

Prev. total $19,704.00
today 5.00
new total $19,709.00

Yesterday, someone mentioned that they were surprised that earning $12.97 in interest on my personal checking account made me so happy!
Yes it does!
When I moved here, the only job I could get was as a waitress. Back then, minimum was $3.15 an hour, but we only got paid $2.01 and hour and we really had to work. Besides waitressing, we had to do all the cleaning and that was very hard work.
Sunday was the day we made the worst tips and everyone hated to work on Sundays. But it was our busiest day, so we all had to work.
The most I ever made in tips on a Sunday was 12!! Big tables would come in, parties of 8-10-12. Sometimes they would not tip at all. I will never forget my first table of 18 people. I ran my legs off getting them more drinks, bread, etc.
They left a total of 87 cents!!
I never came home with more than $12!! $12 for waiting on hundreds of people all day long.

Yes, a free $12.87 is just like a Sunday off and it does make me happy!!

I won 2 games of mah jong yesterday, so i will add that to my challenge money.

Prev. total $19,702.00
today 2.00
new total $19,704.00

Everyone here is so kind and supportive. I guess it is because we all have something in common. It is our interest in saving money for retirement someday.
I am on a couple of other forums. I get jumped on constantly, made fun of and ridiculed. Yesterday, someone used my user name (there are no rules on this forum) to say unkind things about a friend of mine. I was playing bridge at the time and did not know until 2 friends sent me an e mail to see if that was me.
It is very unpopular to talk about saving money. I was even accused of hating people who live in trailers and do not drive corvettes!
That is so far from the truth!! When I met my husband, he had a trailer. When my best friend moved to Knoxville, I encouraged her to buy a used trailer to build up some equity.

As for cars, what do I care what anybody drives. Most people have kids, corvettes do not work when you have kids! Drive what you want. I happened to marry a "car" guy. So what??

What do people find it so interesting to follow me from site to site? They even told people on the forum to follow me over here and read my "stupid" advice. Why would they want to do that? They have no interest in saving money or living a frugal, happy life!!

Bless you people! I never hear an unkind word on this forum.

I have $5 to add to my challenge money. the braves won 2 games in a row and I won three games of Mah jone.
Prev. total $19,697.00
today 5.00
new total $19,702.00

Once a month or so I get a nice check in the mail. When this challenge started, I went to the building supply place and asked for a "rebate" At home depot, I often get coupons for 10% off, but I am pretty local to the same building supply place that we have used for 25 years.
So, I asked and they said yes!
I use to get the checks 3 or 4 times a year, but now they come once a month. I have never spent a penny, I just add it to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,189.00
today 508.00
new total $19,697.00

Getting close to my goal!!

I just got back from grocery shopping. I cannot believe how much prices have gone up. The 16 slice kraft cheese that used to be $1.99 is now $2.99. We needed liter fluid but I did not buy any. It has gone up to $4.99.
I did however have quite a few coupons so I did manage to save $8 with those. I will add this to my challenge money today.
Prev. total $19,181.00
today 8.00
new total $19,189.00

That is today's date. You won't see that again anytime soon. I walked a mile yesterday and the braves won, so I have $2 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,179.00
today 2.00
new total $19,181.00

We have been invited to a free lunch today. It is being given by the local building supply place and will be held at a local park. of course, we are going, even tho I do not like bar b que. I have been getting behind in my $20 challenge lately. Finally on tuesday, the stock market went up, the braves won and I used a $1 off coupon on a pie. That is $3 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,176.00
today 3.00
new total $19,179.00

I had this talk with my dh Sunday night. We went to a party/cookout on saturday night. Every man there makes a nice 6 figure income. There was an engineer, a sciencetist, a ceo of a bank, the head of trade and tourism for the state of Georgia, a owner of a travel bureau in Naples, etc., etc.

My husband was the only blue collar worker there. He builds houses and since he actually does most of the work himself, you will have to call him a carpenter. (and plumber and electrician, and tile guy and cabinet maker; well you get the picture)

No, he says, it does not bother him at all that everyone makes more money than he does.

The women were dressed so nicely. Believe me, I was the only person in $20 QVC jeans and my newest shirt that I got 6 months ago on sale at Wal mart for $5.
I was also the only one with $30 sneakers that I bought 8 years ago. They all had on fancy matching outfits and cute sandels. Their toes were painted, their nails were done, their hair was perfect. One lady was even telling about the two face lifts and one neck lift she had had done this year.

Yes, it does bother me. But, I just have to be me. I have never been one to spend a lot to look good. I wear my hair long and straight. I color it myself. I don't use nail polish. My face isn't ever going to get lifted!!

Hey, I am just not a high maintaintence woman, but my dh loves me anyway!!

Well, I am going to add $20 to my challenge money cause we did NOT go out to eat on Saturday night. We ate at the party.

Prev. total $19,156.00
today 20.00
new total $19,176.00

I got another check in the mail yesterday. This was from the Edward Jones firm, where I have some stock. This check was because of some dividend money that had built up in my account. Of course, it will be added to the challenge money.
Prev. total $19,022.00
today 134.00
new total $19,156.00

I took all the change that I saved for this past month to the bank this morning. I got $37 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,895.00
today 37.00
new total $19,022.00

I paid the electric bill today. It was $120, about 40 under budget, so that $40 goes into my $20 challenge $$.
Prev. total $18,945.00
today 40.00
new total $18,985.00

I received my reward check from using my Chase mastercard yesterday in the mail. It is for $50. That makes $550 I have gotten back from them this year. I will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,895.00
today 50.00
new total $18,945.00

These are some of the things that helped me save a lot of money.

1. Always pay yourself first!! You work hard for your money and you should be the first one to get paid.

2. Always save at least 10% of your paycheck. When i was a waitress, even if I only made $20 for the day, I saved at least $2 in my little savings box.

3. Read a lot of books and magazines on finances. You will learn a lot. I started with Money magazine and that is how I learned about mutual funds. (we live in the boonies and the library had NO financial books back then)

4. Don't spend a lot of money on yourself to look pretty. Don't become a high maintence woman. I think I have always looked pretty, but I don't have to go to the beauty parlor to get my hair and nails done. I use cold cream on my face and spend about $10 a year on make up. I color my own hair.

5. Save every extra dime that comes in the house. Save extra checks, survey checks, bonus checks, coupon cash-ins, all spare change, etc.

6. Buy a good starter home when you are young and pay it off early. Having no rent or house payment for over 30 years has helped me to live a very full life.

7. Shop around for the best interest rates for your cash and the best low fee mutual funds for your retirement money. Start a roth IRA as soon as you can.

8. Join the $20 challenge on this forum. I am saving more now than I ever was and finding it a lot of fun to do.

We had a quiet evening last night. We had planned to sit on the deck right over the creek, but we had a rain shower and everything was wet.
So, we sat outside on the dry back deck with our little Holly.
Dh cooked out on the grill and we had some homegrown corn on the cob.
I figure that we saved $20 by staying home, so I am adding that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,875.00
today 20.00
new total $18,895.00

It has been a pretty good day today. I stopped at the store to get something for dinner and our favorite ice cream was $2 off, so I bought 2 and saved $4 to add to our challenge. One of my c.d.'s paid its quartly divident today, so that is another $1252 to add to the pot.
Prev. total $18,871.00
today 4.00
new total $18,875.00

I turned on the news this morning and the news lady was saying that Americans have used 40 billion gallons of gas LESS than they did last year. Hey that is a lot. I am doing my part. I use to drive to town everyday cause I was bored, now I stay home and use no gas.
Today I filled up and spent $13.90 (that is at $4.18 gallon) That was for the past 11 days. I like to fill up before the tank gets very low.
I had a no use gas day on Saturday and used a $1 off coupon. That is $3 to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $18,868.00
today 3.00
new total $18,871.00

We have lots of builders in our area, and some of them are sitting on a half dozen homes, spec homes that is. Now my husband loves to build a spec house cause he can build it the way he want to, but right now he is doing custom homes.
I can see building one spec house and it has not sold, but why build another one before you get the first house sold? I guess it was just too easy to borrow that money from the bank.
However, the way we build is to use our OWN money to buy the land and built the house. So, we build one house and we don't start another until it is sold.
So we have NO houses sitting and no financial problems at this time.

As for the challenge, the braves won yesterday and the stock market went up, so that is $2 for the challenge!

Prev. total $18,866.00
today 2.00
new total $18,868.00

I have mentioned several times that I am on a local forum in my little town. The problem with that, there always seems to be troublemakers.
It is strange that this forum, does not seem to have much of a problem with that.

So yesterday, one of the computer savy gals started a new forum for us locals and it was by invitation only. It is so nice to be among like minded friends on this forum. Not only that, but we try to get together several times a year at both lunches and parties. We had a cookout last month and a 4th of July party.

I have gotten a little behind on my challenge money. The braves won Wednesday night and the stock market went up, so that is $2 more to the challenge.
Prev. total $18,864.00
today 2.00
new total $18,866.00

I am going to be working on the books this afternoon, but I wanted to add something to my challenge. I did have a no use gas day on tuesday! so that is $2 that I saved.Someone of the other forum told me that I should not talk about money so much. I think most people just don't like talking about money. So glad I have you guys!

Prev. total $18,862.00
today 2.00
new total $18,864.00

My regular check came in today. I always transfer it right from my checking to my savings account and add it to my challenge money.

I also went furniture shopping today. We really need a new breakfast room set and a couple of new chairs for our bedroom. All the furniture just looks so big to me!! How do short people (with short dogs) get onto those big high beds??

Prev. total $18,311.00
today 551.00
new total $18,862.00

I got a check from Pinecone in the mail yesterday for $3. Funny thing is, I also got 2 crisp new one dollars bills in the mail.
They both came from places doing surveys on new cars. So, I did the surveys and will add the cash to my challenge money. Oh and a buck cause the braves finally won a game.
Prev. total $18,305.00
today 6.00
new total $18,311.00

We now live in a subdivision that has 5 corvettes! Not bad for a subdivision with only 15 houses. There are 25 lots in here, but the original owner kept 5 lots around his house, all on the creek.

My neighbor across the street just got himself a black corvette. He has been looking for a while, so I am not sure if it is a new one or not. They all look so much the same. Another neighbor ( a chevy dealer) has a red convertible. Of course, we have red, yellow and tu-tone blue. I think it is catching!!

I did my grocery shopping this morning when things were nice and quiet. I stocked up on items that were on sale, like bacon, diet sprite and toilet paper. According to my receipt, I saved $7 using my advantage card. I also saved $2 for no gas yesterday and I walked a mile. That adds $10 to my challenge money.
The bad news was that my dh's wet saw (for cutting tile) broke after 17 years of use and we had to order another one.

The good news is, I managed to figure out how to do it on line and the company gave me over $100 off the list price and then $30 more for some reason. This wet saw is much cheaper than the first one but still cost us $589. Well, sometimes you have to spend money to make money!!

Prev. total $18,295.00
today 10.00
new total $18,305.00

A few weeks ago, my bank offered checking accounts paying 3.1% interest. I immediately changed all of my checking and money market accounts over to the new accounts. (I didn't have to close the old accounts and can still use the old checks, so it was pretty painless)

My personal checking account had NEVER paid any interest and my business checking account only paid 1/2 of 1 percent if you had over $5000 in there.

My business account contains other people's money, which I use to pay their bills as my dh builds their homes. At best, this account has earned me $5-10 a month and I have just left the money in the account.

When I checked my balance today, I had been credited $90.28 in interest!! Hey, that is great!! Since it is "new" money to me, I have decided to write myself a check for $90 and deposit it in my savings account.(which is also one of their new checking accounts)

I know that both checking accounts are paying the same interest, but I don't consider the business checking account as "my money" and I like to see my personal savings checking account go UP!!

Prev. total $18,205.00
today 90.00
new total $18,295.00

I am a member of a couple of local forums in my town. Once in a while, people will make comments about me having a lot of money.
I just want to straighten them out.

I started work at age 12 and worked full time til I was in my mid 40's. Then i worked part time for several years. I have never made "big" money and neither has my husband. But no matter how much or how little we made, I always saved part of my money.

When I first got married at age 20, I was making $1 an hour. My dh was making $1.25 an hour. I saved enough money that year to put a down payment on a new house. We had very little furniture for years.
My second marriage ( I was 32) and I was working at a small savings and loan making $89 a week. (this was 1977) My new husband was making $4 an hour ($160 a week) We continued to save.

We moved to the mountains in 1984 and lived on our savings for an entire year while my husband built our log house completely by himself. (He lifted every log alone)

I got a job as a waitress making $2.01 an hour plus very poor tips and my husband began building houses for $7.50 an hour. My husband was always busy cause he always charged less than the other really good builders.

But the difference was, we continued to save out of every paycheck and then I began investing in mutual funds.

My husband makes decent money now, but our last two customers told us that he still works too cheaply. We got lucky with our spec houses. They all (six) sold quickly and for a nice profit. We have never spent one dime of the profits, we are saving them for the next spec when building picks back up.

So, you don't have to make a lot of money to have a nice net worth. It is not what you make that counts, it is what you KEEP!!

I did a pinecone survey last week. This is the first one I have done at the reduced fee. They went from $5 to $3. However, I will say that I liked the survey better cause it was much, much shorter.
Yesterday the stock market went UP, I stayed home and used no gas and I won two games of mah jong. That is $5 more for the challenge.
Prev. total $18,200.00
today 5.00
new total $18,205.00

The dow closed back above 11,000 today, up over 200 points. We need some good news this week.
The guy we are building a house for is upset cause he has money in Indymac, the bank that is being closed down.
I am sure he and everyone else, will get their money back because it is fdic insured.
I had a no spend day today and even better, a no use gas yesterday. I pay myself $2 every day I stay home and don't use gas. I won 3 games of mah jong, so I have $5 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,195.00
today 5.00
new total $18,200.00

Now, I know why I watch the Jerry Springer show sometimes. With all the talk of the stock market falling, banks failing, gas prices rising, etc., it is a very depressing thing to turn on the tv. At least on Jerry, I got to see people acting stupid and I am always on the lookout to see if it is anyone I know from here. (They all seem to come from the south)
Well, yesterday, I won 6 games of Mah jong so I will add $6 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,189.00
today 6.00
new total $18,195.00