I did 20 flights of stairs yesterday, so that is another $1 to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $3404.00
today 1.00
new total $3405.00

Today, I will take the $165 that I put in "The Ridge" envelope every week and add it to my challenge. Now that my property on the ridge is paid off, I am continuing the payments to myself. This will go into my challenge money and someday be used for a car fund!
Prev. total $3239.00
today 165.00
new total $3404.00

I just got back from town. I did not plan to spend a dime. I needed to turn in the signature card for the c.d. I just opened and mail something at the post office.
When I was in bi lo wednesday, I "lost" my bonus card. Actually, I think I was never given the card back. So, i stopped to apply for another one. I looked around a little to see if they had any good deals. They had our favorite microwave popcorn, buy one, get one free. So I did and saved over $2 to be added to the challenge.
Prev. total $3237.00
today 2.00
new total $3239.00

Well, i walked over a mile yesterday, walked 20 flights of stairs and used no gas yesterday, so that is $3 more that I can add to my challenge money.
prev. total $3234.00
today 3.00
new total $3237.00

Dinner will be at home tonight. The owner of the restaurant we go to, called me and said they were going to close. So i will just take the $20 I would spend and add it to my challenge money.
prev. total $3214.00
today 20.00
new total $3234.00

They say it is supposed to snow in the morning, so I like everyone else in this town, went to the grocery store today. I bought some hamburger on sale, so saved $2 to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $3212.00
today 2.00
New total $3214.00

I haven't eaten at a fast food place in ages. Last night we went to a meeting for builders to discuss changes to the building codes. We did not get out until 9 pm, so it was too late to go to a restaurant. (our little town closes up at 8:30!!
So, dinner at Wendys for us. We only spent $6, so i am adding $10 to my challenge money since I saved on dinner. I also saved $3 on sprite using my advantage card yesterday.
Prev. total $3199.00
today 13.00
new total $3212.00

I got a $100 check in the mail from state farm visa. They have a program where you can earn cash back on your visa card. I will add that to my challenge:
Prev. total $3099.00
today 100.00
new total $3199.00

I love Kentucky fried chicken. We don't get it very often cause we know fried food is supposed to be bad for you.
Actually, I never ate it in my life until I married my dh.
I am a very funny eater and always have been. I would not eat anything but boneless chicken cause I don't like to eat chicken with my fingers.
My dh, cuts the chicken off the bone for me.

I had picked up steaks earlier in the day, yesterday, cause they were on sale, but dh was really craving KFC. I will save the steaks for later, cause the snow word is mentioned for two days this week.
I really do think you can buy KFC cheaper than you can make your own fried chicken. First of all, I only like the breast and that is expensive. By the time you buy breasts , legs and wings, go home and use on the grill for over an hour (using 1/2 bag of $5 charcoal) you probably have spent just as much money.
So, for $9 we got a bucket of chicken; enough for dinner and lunch today. I had a coupon, so I got $1 off the chicken to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $3098.00
today 1.00
new total $3099.00

I ran down to bi lo's today. They are so good about putting steak on sale. This week was my favorite, N.Y. strip steaks. I got two very nice steaks for $7 and saved $3 using my bonus card. Of course, that gets added to my challenge money.
Prev. total $3095.00
today 3.00
new total $3098.00

My house is even smelling cleaner, dh is bleaching the carpet and he is using floral scented bleach.
Yesterday I had a no gas day and I walked a mile, so I have $2 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $3093.00
today 2.00
new total $3095.00

They finally finished my windows today and the bill was $802. That is ok, I was expecting a bill around $1000. I really have a lot of windows and they have been here for almost 5 days. I did do 20 flights of stairs yesterday for the tune of $1 plus I had a no gas day for another $1.
prev. total $3091.00
today 2.00
new total $3093.00

Now, that I have a computer, I love the fact that you can check on your bank accounts, checking, savings, money market, etc.
When i put in that big check last Friday afternoon, I have been checking every day to see what my balance is. My balance has stayed the same. They said they would put a hold on it for 7 business days and I guess they meant it. The banks are only 1 block apart, so I know the check has cleared.
I wonder if they are just doing that to keep me from moving the money.
I do plan to go and open a jumbo CD to get an extra 1/2 % on some of the money.
I love looking at the interest it has earned too, $258.79 for just 4 days.
Well, I did earn a dollar walking a mile and I saved another dollar by buying shampoo and getting conditioner for free. Both for just $1.
Prev. total $3089.00
today 2.00
new total $3091.00

I walked on my treadmill for 2 miles, so that earned me $2 towards my challenge money. I only spent about $12 yesterday but that was for several grocery items that we were out of. We tried a different restauarant last night and it was good, but no cheaper than our regular place.
Prev. total $3087.00
today 2.00
new total $3089.00

Well, I checked on my accounts today to see if they have taken the hold off of the big check I deposited Friday. (I was told it was taken off, but it wasn't)
In my checking account was a new deposit, just made this morning, from the U.S. government, in the amount of $538. This is new money to me, so I will add it to my challenge money this month and every month that I save it.
Prev. total $2549.00
today 538.00
new total $3087.00

I want to thank you too for voting for me. I came in 2nd in the $20 challenge. I won $75 and I know you ALL know what I am going to do with it. Of course, put it in my new 2007 $20 challenge. My husband doesn't believe I won anything. I can hardly wait to show him the check. Thanks again!!

2 years ago we bought a beautiful piece of property with a 270 degree mountain view. There is a view in the front and on both sides of the property. The view is of Brasstown Bald, which is the highest mountain in Georgia.
I financed the property and we have been making payments on it for the past two year.
The subdivision of 15 lots is named "The Ridge at Owltown"
I paid it off on Friday, so now I can start taking the money in "the Ridge" envelope and adding it to my challenge money.
I am making a deposit tomorrow into my savings account, so I have $495 from my ridge envelope to add to my challenge.
Prev. total $2054.00
today 495.00
new total $2549.00

I forgot to get my mail yesterday, so just went out to the box to pick it up. My electric bill came. It was slightly under $95. Since I budget $160 a month, that means there is $65 left over to put into my challenge money.
prev. total $1989.00
today 65.00
new total $2054.00

I never got to exercise Friday because of showing the house and the closing, so I managed to get a mile in on my treadmill and walk 20 flights of stairs. That is $2 more to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $1987.00
today 2.00
newe total $1989.00
I did this exercise yesterday!

My husband did a complete set of house plans, elevations, trusses, etc. for a friend's son.
He would usually charge about $2000 for a complete set (you would pay an architect about $12,000 or more) and he is actually better, because he sizes all the beams etc. He has been drawing house plans by hand for 35 years, but he does so very rarely. He just doesn't have the time. He just does his own houses.
But, this guy has been our plumber for over 20 years and dh gave him a break. He only charged him $250 plus $24 for the blueprints.
So, we got a check for $274 that we can add to our challenge money.
prev. total $1713.00
today 274.00
new total $1987.00

Just went to the grocery store. We did not get the snow expected, but now they say we may get some on sunday. I just got a few things I was almost out of, plus some charcoal. I try and stock up on charcoal in the winter in case the power goes off and we have to cook on the grill. I had a coupon for $1 off popcorn and I saved another $1 using my advantage card, plus I walked a mile. That is another $3 for my challenge.
prev. total $1710.00
today 3.00
new total $1713.00

Well, I did not spend a cent today. I needed a few things from the store, but when anyone mentions the snow word, the whole town goes crazy and the stores are mobbed.
So, I even saved money by using no gas. I also got my exercises in, so I have $3 more to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $1707.00
today 3.00
new total $1710.00

Someone mentioned on the forums how they save money by doing something themselves. I am making distilled water right now and I realize that if I had to buy purified water every week, I would be really spending a lot of money every year.
Water is all that dh and I drink in the day time.(nights are different)
I am sure we go thru at least 3 gallon jugs a week in the winter and 5 or more in the summer time. I think I will start paying myself and adding that money to my $20 challenge.
I figure about $1 a jug would be right.
So, I will start today.
Prev. total $1704.00
today 3.00
new total $1707.00

We have had spring like weather this past week. It has been really nice to have the temp hit 70 this past Sunday. I think the warm weather is ending today. It is already getting cooler this morning. I have enjoyed the week without the heat running very much. Yesterday, it was almost too warm upstairs.
Well, things are changing. I need to walk on the treadmill to warm up.
I got in 2 miles yesterday plus 20 flights of stairs, so that is $3 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $1701.00
today 3.00
new total $1704.00

My husband likes to smoke a pork butt once in a while. (On the grill) We stopped last night to buy one after dinner. He smokes it all day and then he uses it for lunch for a week. The one he bought last night was on sale, so we saved $4 on it. I also walked over a mile yesterday on my tread mill, so i have $5 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $1696.00
today 5.00
new total $1701.00

I walked a mile on my treadmill and did my 20 flights of stairs yesterday, so I will add $2 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $1694.00
today 2.00
new total $1696.00

Well, I have another $3 to add to my challenge money. I saved about $2 using my advantage card and I got in my 20 flights of stairs yesterday too.
Prev. total $1691.00
today 3.00
new total $1694.00

I don't use a lot of make up, but I do use eye shadow and eye liner. Why does that stuff cost so much. It is terrible. I went to CVS this morning and used a $4 off coupon that i have, so i will add that to my challenge money also.
Prev. total $1687.00
today 4.00
new total $1691.00

I walked a mile yesterday plus did 20 flights of stairs. I also had a stay home day which means I saved on gas. I pay myself for each of these actions, so I have $3 to add to my challenge.
Prev. total $1684.00
today 3.00
new total $1687.00

I am not making my N.C. liquor trip today so that will save me at least $2 in gas money. I also walked a mile yesterday, so I have $3 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $1681.00
today 3.00
new total $1684.00