We went to a christmas dinner party last night, so I saved another $20 by not eating out. I am surprised the restaurant owner has not called us. Thursday night we stayed home because of snow,and Friday and Saturday nights, we went to parties. I will add this money to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,729.00
today 20.00
new total $19,749.00

Can you tell, I love parties. I went to one last night and there is another one tonight!! I am, of course, wearing my christmas tree hat. Who cares what I look like, I just like to have fun.
We did not eat out last night, so there is $20 more to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,709.00
today 20.00
new total $19,729.00

Yeah, I just got a check from a survey I took a few weeks ago. I will add that to my challenge.
Prev. total $19,699.00
total 10.00
new total $19,709.00

It was snowing last night and it was sticking to the ground, so we decided not to go out to dinner last night. So, I have $20 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,679.00
today 20.00
new total $19,699.00

Well, it is snowing so hard, that we are staying home for dinner tonight. I guess, since I buy nothing for dinner, we will be having breakfast for dinner. That's ok. I can just add that money to my challenge money tomorrow.

We got our first snowflakes today. If I was a kid, I would have been excited! But all I am, is cold!! brrr
I saved $5 using my bi lo card yesterday, so I am adding that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,674.00
today 5.00
new total $19,679.00

Since Rduell opened her account at ING and got the free $25, my account was credited with a free $10. Nice, I shall add this to my challenge money.
Prev. total $19,664.00
today 10.00
new total $19,674.00

i went to CVS to get some prilosec for my dh. The pills are on sale for $3 off plus I have a $4 off coupon. So, I have $7 to add to my challenge.
Prev. total $19,657.00
today 7.00
new total $19,664.00

I got a nice little surprise in the mail late yesterday. The building supply place that we do business with, sent me a rebate check. This is the 3rd one of the year. I asked them the first two times, this time it just came in the mail. $955 to add to my challenge money. It is going to my bank first thing in the morning.
Prev. total $18,702.00
today 955.00
new total $19,657.00

I wonder if I can make it to $20,000.00 by new year's eve??

Bi Li had a good sale on new york strip steak, so i stocked up and got some for this sunday and next sunday too. I saved $8 which I will add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,694.00
today 8.00
new total $18,702.00

Well I have a few more dollars to add to my challenge money. I had a dollar off coupon at CVS and I walked a mile, so that is $2
prev. total $18,692.00
today 2.00
new total $18,694.00

Today begins the last month of the $20 challenge. I have really enjoyed it and think I have done pretty well.
I hope this forum has the challenge again, but even if they don't, I will have my own personal $20 challenge. It is amazing to me how much you can save if you really try to find everyway you can to save.

I just made homemade cookies for the first time in ages. Mainly because there are just the two of us, and we are always watching our weight. But my husband is really getting too skinny. So I made these cookies for my bridge ladies today, hoping my husband and not me, will eat most of them.
I ran to the store this morning to get the cookie mix, some eggs and some food for my little puppy Holly. why is it, the only food she will eat, cost $1.75 a tub? Talking about expensive dog food.
Oh well, she is worth it.
I used my store car and saved $3, plus I walked a mile and had a no gas day. So I have $5 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,687.00
today 5.00
new total $18,692.00

I am also a participant on a local forum in my area. Of course, not everyone is local, many are people hoping to move to our area some day.
One lady e mailed me asking for advice on who to get locally to pave their drive and cut down some trees. I gave her the names of our subs.
When they came to their vacation home, they invited us over for supper last night. It was fun to sit outside in front of a roaring bonfire. There were 2 other couples and we enjoyed ourself a lot. Dinner was cooked on the grill and was great. It is nice to make new friends over the internet.

In the mail today, I got a check from Tim Horton for $10 dividend. I also saved $2 with my advantage card yesterday, so I have $12 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,675.00
today 12.00
new total $18,687.00

I received my first check from my GM master card's 1% rebate. I don't really charge that much, but my husband buys a lot of materials for spec houses at Home Depot. So I got a check from GM for $100 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,575.00
today 100.00

new total $18,675.00

Last night I splurged on my dinner. I usually get something for about $7, last night I ordered the $14 chicken marsala, my favorite meal.
When the bill came, it was free. The owner had paid for my dinner in honor of my birthday.
I walked a mile yesterday and with my free meal, I have $15 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,560.00
today 15.00
new total $18,575.00

I decided to do my grocery shopping a day or two early, so it was nice and quiet at the grocery store. I went to pay a bill at the building supply store ,but they are celebrating a 4 day weekend and were closed. I also stopped to close out a very small account at the bank.
It one time had over $200,000 sitting in it earning interest, but I have used that money to pay the bills for this spec house, so the acct was down to $75 and I was going to be acessed a fee.
So I came home with $75 plus I saved over $3 by using coupons at the store. I also found a quarter in the paper machine.(I don't feel around, but if I can see it, it is mine)
So I have $78 to add to my challenge money today.
prev. total $18,482.00
today 78.00
new total $18,560.00

Last night was very nice. My husband made me a cake and then he fixed supper. We ate in the formal dining room for a change, by candlelight. We even played music for dinner and got up and danced afterwards.
I figured that I saved about $12 by eating dinner at home, so I added that to my challenge money.
prev. total $$18,470.00
today 12.00
new total $18,482.00

I had to go to both grocery stores and they were mobbed. I thought everyone had already gotten their turkey. The first store wasn't too bad, but the second one had long lines.
I got steak for our thanksgiving dinner and I saved $3 using my store card.
I will add that to my challenge money.
prev. total $18,467.00
today 3.00
new total $18,470.00

The electric bill was $75 this month about $7 higher than last month, but still way under the budget of $160. that gives me $85 to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $18,382.00
today 85.00
new total $18,467.00

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They are calling for snow flurries tonight. I really hope it does not stick to the ground. I am not a winter person and there is still a month to go until winter starts.
I did go to Bi Lo to pick up some snacks for tomorrow. I have invited 3 new friends over. We all took beginning bridge and are going to try to get together to practice once in a while.
Shopping at Ingles is cheaper but boring. I like the music they play at Bi Lo. When I walked in the door, they were playing, "You ain't nothing but a hound dog" Ingles plays elevator music!
I did save $3 with my bi lo card cause steak was on sale . Oh, and I walked a mile too, so that is $4 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,378.00
today 4.00
new total $18,382.00

What was I thinking of, doing my grocery shopping on the sat. before thanksgiving. I ususally go on sundays when it is slow. but I was out of diet sprite, so I went. Not much on sale today. With my advantage card, I only saved $1, so that plus $1 for walking is $2 more to the challenge.
prev. total $18,376.00
today 2.00
new total $18,378.00

I have enjoyed reading the lists, I haven't done much else this afternoon. I did have a no spend day cause the grocery store was out of the only dog food my Holly will eat.
I had a free lunch at the builder's supply place, all builder's were invited.
Then I turned in all my change in my change jar, so I have $31 to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $18,345.00
today 31.00
new total $18,376.00

I took another pinecone survey the other day and received my 3rd check today. I take a couple of others, but have not earned enough points to get paid for those yet. I will add this to my $20 challenge.
prev. total. $18,340.00
today 5.00
new total $18,345.00

I went into rite aid today because I badly needed a new lipstick and some self seal envelopes. I know I can buy cheaper envelopes, but I just like the self seal type.
They had all kinds of candy and cookies on sale for Christmas, so I bought 5 presents. They are handy if someone gives me something and I have nothing for them. If not used, my dh gets all the candy and cookies.
All 5 presents were on sale, plus I used my rite aid card. My savings came to $16, so with that, plus my walking, I am going to throw a $20 bill into my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,320.00
today 20.00
new total $18,340.00

I went grocery shopping this morning. I found several good bargains, especially ice cream for half price. I used my advantage card and saved $7 for the challenge. Plus I have paid myself $2 for walking two miles.
Prev. total $18,311.00
today 9.00
new total $18,320.00

Gosh it is 80 degrees outside and looks like a summer day with a lot of leaves on the ground.
I stopped at Bi Lo to only buy eggs and wound up spending almost $18. I did get some things on sale, so i saved over $3 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,308.00
today 3.00
new total $18,311.00

I am so happy, I just found out they are pouring the concrete driveway out at the spec house, tomorrow. we have been trying to get our regular guy to just call us back for two weeks.
We are trying another guy we have used before. We called him this morning and he is going to do it in the morning.
That means the $8500 worth of appliances can be delivered next week and won't have to be pushed thru the mud!
I had another no spend day today, but I did use gas to go to my bridge lesson. Yesterday, I walked 1.5 miles plus had a no gas day, so I will add $2 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $18,306.00
today 2.00
new total $18,308.00

I have really enjoyed the $20 challenge. I think this is the most money I have ever saved in one year. It really makes you wake up and think about how much you can really save if you try to. Actually paying myself every time I use a coupon on my grocery card may not seem like much, but it really adds up.

I don't know if this forum will have the $20 challenge next year, but I sure hope so. If it doesn't, I will probably just do it on my own.

What about you? Has it helped you. Will you continue in 2007?

I make a land payment every 28 days. I have always tried to pay as much extra as I can on the principal. I started out owing $64,000 and in less than 2 years, my balance is under $24,000.
A few months ago, I quit paying extra cause I want to make sure that I have enough money to finish the spec house and not let my account fall below $50,000. (min. needed to get 5.25%)
My original payment was $660 a month, but in Jan., the bank reduced the payment to $440 a month because I was so paid in advance.
I have continued paying $660 a month. That is no problem if I pay at the loan dept. at the bank, but when I use the bank at the grocery store, they get the payment all screwed up.
I should have gone to the bank yesterday, but it was cold, windy and rainy, so I made my payment at the grocery store.
I decided not to confuse them, just pay the $420 normal payment.
So I have $240 to add to my challenge money. That is what I am saving the challenge money for, to pay off this property. I also walked a mile for another $1.
Prev. total $18,065.00
today 241.00
new total $18,306.00