I just checked yesterday's mail and I got two $50 checks from my Chase rewards card. This makes $300 That I have received so far this year, just for charging and paying off my balance every month!! Got to love that!!!!!!!!
$20 challenge

Prev. total $6451.00
today 100.00
new total $6551.00

I almost missed a day posting on savingadvice.com. I have been so busy today, but I have a minute before we go out to dinner. I signed up to learn how to play "hearts" There was no newbies, just me and we just played. Needless to say, they were all pretty good. And all men!!
I splurged and had lunch out with my husband today. We only spent $7.
I did have $200 ridge money to add to my challenge.
Prev. total $6251.00
today 200.00
new total $6451.00

I got another check in the mail for $551 to add to my challenge money. I am catching up on reading Money magazine. It is depressing to see how far down the rates have come since the February issue. I have an account that was earning about $18 a day and now it is earning $7. My goal was to earn $20,000 in interest this year. I don't know if I can or not??
Prev. total $5700.00
today 551.00
new total $6251.00

Of course, I gave it to him!! I have always given him an allowance. He uses it for gas and his $80 a week isn't making it. For the last few weeks, I have had to give him more money out of my allowance, so I revised the budget and am now giving him $120 a week. He always has two jobs going but they are never next door to each other, so he does a lot of driving. Plus he is constantly pick up materials.
The past two days I won 7 mahjong games and the stock market went up yesterday, so that is $8 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5692.00
today 8.00
new total $5700.00

I did my grocery shopping this morning and it was sure quiet at the grocery store. I saved $6 using my store card and coupons, plus I won 4 games of mahjong yesterday. That is $10 more for the challenge, so I am caught up to date.
Prev. total $5682.00
today 10.00
new total $5692.00

I hope all of you have a nice easter sunday. My dh has gone to work today; I told you he is a workaholic. Actually, he took on two remodel jobs because he was afraid he would not get another house to build. Of course, he DID get another house, so now he is pushed to get these two big jobs finished.
Friday, I won two Mahjong games and walked a mile. That is $3 to add to the challenge. I also got 2 checks in the mail yesterday; One from state farm for $95 and one from Tim Hortons for $15. So I have a total of $113 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5569.00
today 113.00
new total $5682.00

It is a beautiful, sunny day here today. Yesterday, the stock market went up, I saved $3 using a coupon at KFC (dinner and 2 lunches) and I won 3 games of mahjong! So, that is $7 I can add to my total.
Prev. total $5562.00
today 7.00
new total $5569.00

My husband advised me that he needed desperately, a new staple gun. I had put away a free gift card that I got for opening a credit card. The gift card was for home depot in the amount of $100. So his staple gun, which came to about $97 with tax, was completely free to him!! That was nice!!
I walked a mile yesterday and won 5 games of mahjong yesterday, so I am adding $6 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5556.00
today 6.00
new total $5562.00

Yesterday the stock market went up; I walked a mile; I had a no spend, no use gas day and I won 4 mahjong games, so I am adding $8 to my challenge account.
Prev. total $5548.00
today 8.00
new total $5556.00

I have not done well the past two weeks on the $20 challenge. I have NOT been exercising, the stock market has NOT gone up very often and the braves are Not playing major league ball yet.
So, I have decided to pay myself $1 for every game I "win" at Mahjong. I have kept track of it, and the most times I have won in one day is 5, so that would be $5. I will start today.
I do have $2 to add to my challenge money; one was for the dow going up slightly yesterday and the other is for a no spend day.
Prev. total $5546.00
today 2.00
new total $5548.00

We had a lot of much needed rain yesterday. The creek looks nice and full now. However, the weather turned pretty nasty in Atlanta, about 2 hours south of us.
We lucked up and only got hard rain, thunder and lightening!
My last dog, Lucy, was terrified of thunder, but my little Holly just barks at it!! She is my brave puppy!
I ran out real early to do my grocery shopping before the storms hit. I only spent $31 for the week and saved $2 using a few coupons.
Of course, I will add that to my challenge money!
Prev. total $5544.00
today 2.00
new total $5546.00

I have been pretty lax about the $20 challenge the past two weeks. I have discovered how to play Mahjong on the computer, so I have missed adding money for no gas days, stock market, etc.
well, I know that the stock market went up on Thursday (down the rest of the week) and I have had several days when I did not spend a dime, but most importantly, I did not use the car and thus saved on gas. Our premimum gas is now $3.55 per gallon. We filled up the yellow vette last night and spent more than $50.
I use to think our big luxury was eating out, but now it is gas! we spend double on gas as compared to eating out.
Anyway, I will add $5 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5539.00
today 5.00
new total $5544.00

It is a beautiful day today, nice and sunny and almost seventy. My neighbor is cutting his lawn and I have been walking on my treadmill.
Yesterday I did 20 flights of steps and the market went up, so I will add $2 to the challenge.
Prev. total $5537.00
today 2.00
new total $5539.00

For the past two months, I have forgotten to add the Ridge money to my challenge money. I am making up a deposit to my savings account today, so I will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5337.00
today 200.00
new total $5537.00

I did my grocery shopping yesterday and noticed that everything seems to be going up every week. I did save $5 using my Ingles advantage card, so I will add that to my challenge!
Prev. total $5332.00
today 5.00
new total $5337.00

These no spend days are getting much easier lately. I have had several this week and also, I have had 3 stay home and use no gas days.
I use to run to the grocery store almost every day, just for something to do. Now, I stay home and am staying out of the stores.
I am going to add $6 to my challenge for my 3 no spend, no gasoline days.
( I am spending $3.45 for a gallon of gas now)
Prev. total $5326.00
today 6.00
new total $5332.00

I just read in an aarp publication, that the only place that seniors spend more money than folks younger than 50, was playing the lottery. I thought that was interesting. I just never even think about playing it and rarely go to a store where lottery tickets are sold.
Today, I am adding the money that I put aside to pay for aarp life insurance. I cancelled it a while back and just add the money to my challenge.
prev. total $5286
today 40
new total $5326.00

Steak is one of my favorite foods, but I rarely order it at a restaurant. No one can cook steak any better than my dh. I can almost always buy steak on sale at the local bi lot. We can usually have a nice steak dinner for two for about $7 instead of spending $35. (or more)
Last night I picked up 2 N.Y. steaks on sale for $6, saving $5 which I will add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5281.00
today 5.00
new total $5286.00

I am so glad I learned how to check my bank totals every day on the computer. Lat month, the bank deducted $10 service fee because my account went below the minimum. I added to the account, showed them my paperwork that had a lower minimu and got my $10 back. Well, it happened again. I was able to straighten it out over the phone and am now on a free checking with no minimum!

We stayed home and I cooked dinner last night. Cube steak on sale with rice and peas. I am adding the $20 I saved to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5261.00
today 20.00
new total $5281.00

I had too much money in my phone/cell phone/DSL envelope, so I am adding $80 to my challenge money today. My goal is to save at least $20,000 for the challenge this year.
prev. total $5181.00
today 80.00
new total $5261.00

Payday for me is every Monday when I cash my dh's paycheck and head home to put the cash in all the different envelopes. I noticed that the envelopes seemed pretty full, so I decided to "rework " the envelopes today.
Since there are sometimes 5 paydays in a month, I usually have more than needed in each envelope.
That is good, I like to have a week or two extra.
But, It has really built up in some of the envelopes. That money needs to be sitting with my challenge money, earning cash in the bank.
So, I am reworking the envelopes today and I have $400 from the car payment envelope to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $4781.00
today 400.00
new total $5181.00

I have received another $50 check from my Chase reward Mastercard. That makes $200 I have received from them so far. DH charges on the card at Home depot for his building materials and we always pay the bill in full each month.
The $200 received has been just this year, so I am looking forward to many more $50 checks.
I will add this to the $20 challenge.
Prev. total $4731.00
today 50.00
new total $4781.00

A big check came in the mail today. It was for $1922. I have explained this before, but we get a "rebate" check from a building supply place 2 or 3 times a year. We simply promised to be loyal to them and buy all of our building material there in exchange for a 5% rebate. After all, Home Depot often gives us coupons for 10% off.
That will go directly into my $20 challenge.
Prev. total $2809.00
today 1922
new total $4731.00

I went and did my grocery shopping early this morning. It was so nice and quiet and I got finished in a breeze. My dh uses prilosec every day and he was out, so I picked some up. It was $5 off at Ingles, plus I had a $4 off coupon, That is $9 I saved on prilosec.
I also picked up a couple of packs of meat that was on sale. All in all, I saved $15 to add to the challenge money.
Prev. total $2794.00
today 15.00
new total $2809.00

The electric bill came today. It was only $80. The power company announced that they are raising rates next month, but I have been well under budget each month. I have $120 left in my budget envelope, so I am adding that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $2674.00
today 120.00
new total $2794.00

We attended a meeting of an antique car club on Thursday night. It was a dinner meeting, but we chose not to eat there. (we don't like the place) So, we ate dinner at home late, after the meeting. That gives me $20 to add to the challenge, plus I have $5 more for no spend days and the market having an up day. All told, $25 more for the challenge.
prev. total $2649.00
today 25.00
new total $2679.00

Well, I have been lax this week about my $20 challenge. (I have been hooked on playing mahjong on this computer) I did receive a check for $551 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $2098.00
today 551.00
new total $2649.00

I have two dollars to add to my challenge money today; the stock market went up yesterday and I had a no spend day. I did order a $50 check from Chase master card today. This will be my 4th $50 check so far this year. That is the reward for charging on the card. I will add that to the challenge when the check arrives.
Prev. total $2096.00
today 2.00
new total $2098.00

The weather is terrible here, so we are staying home for supper tonight. We are going to cook on the grill. However, the wind is blowing so hard here, I hope dh can get the grill lit!
I was reading here about one couple's splurge on going out to dinner and they spent $70. Well, I spend that when we go to Gatlinburg, but around here we can get a sit down dinner for two for about $16. So, I am adding $20 to the challenge for staying home tonight.
Prev. total $2076.00
today 20.00
new total $2096.00

We had a nice birthday dinner out for my dh last night. Our local restaurant was having a 50's night with burgers and banana splits! The waitresses were dressed like the 50's!! we met a couple of friends there and had a great time. I also went grocery shopping yesterday and saved $5 using my store card and some coupons. I will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $2071.00
today 5.00
new total $2076.00