I love to go grocery shopping on sunday mornings. It is so quiet, no body is there, shopping. No waiting in line, but I still usually check my self out. I love the u-scan feature. I used my advantage card and saved over $5 which I will add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16461.00
today 5.00
new total $16466.00

I got up early this morning to go grocery shopping! The store has halloween cookies out for sale. The hoilday is still 30 days away! Those will be some stale cookies.
I received a $5 check from pinecone yesterday, so I can add that to my challenge money!
Prev. total $16,456.00
today 5.00
new total $16,461.00

What a pretty day and a nice way to start the month. I got up early and went to the grocery store. I got my prilosec for free today, thus saving $10 to add to my challenge.
prev. total: $16,446.00
today 10.00
new total $16,456.00

Off to a good start this month!

I got out the electric blanket today. For the dog, not us! I don't like them and I like to sleep in a cold room. I have it airing out, outside right now. We get her a new one every two years. She sheds a lot, so it is not real pretty! She sleeps in the garage and this keeps her pretty warm. I think she misses the cat that use to sleep with her. I did do two miles on my treadmill and used a dollar off coupon, so I do have $3 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,443.00
today 3.00
new total $16,446.00

I paid my electric bill today. I budget $160 a month (that is the highest it has ever been) and this month's bill was $110. So I have $50 to add to my challenge money. the bill should be even lower next month. So far, I am on my 8th day of no a/c, no heat! It is 67 degrees in the house right now.
prev. total $16,393.00
today 50.00
new total $16,443.00

I filled up with gasoline last night. Prices have gone down over 50 cents a gallon this past month, so i am adding that savings to my challenge money. I got about 8 gallons last night for a savings of $4.
Prev. total $16,389.00
today 4.00
new total $16,393.00

Well I went to lunch with 3 friends today, so i spent some money I did not need to spend. It was only $3 and I enjoyed myself.
I did walk for 2 miles and I had a no gas day yesterday, so i have $3 I can add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,386.00
today 3.00
new total $16,389.00

I need to take time to remember the small amounts that I have saved for my challenge money. I did have one stay at home day, no gas, $1. One mile of walking $1. One day of 20 flights of stairs $1, Today I used coupons at the grocery store and saved $3. I am happy to report the price of toilet paper has come down and gas is $2.15 (regular) at the corner.
Prev. total $16,380
today 6
new total $16,386

Yeah!! Oh mjrube94. Would you e mail me. I don't know how to PM.. My e mail address is juliedenski@yahoo.com! thanks.

Bi lo has N.Y. strip steak on sale this week, so I got two for our sunday dinner. I also picked up some of my favorite cookies, which are on sale for about 60 cents a package. I saved $4 at the store today, so i will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,376.00
today 4.00
new total $16,380.00

Today is the first day of fall and it is a beautiful day! A bit nippy this morning but no heat of a/c. My house is very well built (guess who built it) and it takes quite a while for it to cool down inside enough for the heat to be needed.
I took my change into the bank today to get counted. I find I do better when I don't take in a large sum, then their total never agrees with mine and I always seem to be the loser. I got back $30 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,346.00
today 30.00
new total $16.376.00

We stayed home for supper last night and cooked chicken out on the grill. We had shorts on, but I had to resort to putting a sweater on. Fall is definately in the air. I will take the $20 we saved last night and add it to our challenge money.
prev. total $16,326.00
today 20.00
ne total $16,346.00

Since gas has dropped so much the past two weeks, I have decided to take what I save on gas and put it in my challenge money.
Now I don't use a lot of gas, usually less than 1/2 tank. But I was paying over $3 a gallon and now it is closer to $3.50. So I am saving 50 cents a gallon. I fill up once a week.
Yesterday I filled up; got 7 gallons and saved over $3. I am adding that $3 along with the $2 I pay myself for walking 2 miles, to my challenge money.

prev. total $16,321.00
today 5.00
new total $16,326.00 opps, imeant to say that gas is now closer to $2.50 a gallon.

I did my grocery shopping early this morning, it was so nice and quiet. They had t bones and chicken on sale, so that is what I got for dinner tonight. We can have the chicken tomorrow or tuesday night! By using my bi lo card, I saved $7 which I will add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,314.00
today 7.00
new total $16,321.00

We put up signs last week, I printed up 300 fliers to put out and our spec house went up for sale. (We are just doing the sheetrock now)
WE had our first lookers yesterday. My dh called me and said bring over the covenants, they will be back. They came back yesterday afternoon.
They came back again today. They gave me a deposit check for $2500!!!
I am so excited. Of course, my dh houses usually sell first because they are such quality. He does all the inside work completely by himself, I mean everything, paint, trim, tile, hardwood flooring, cabinets, etc.
We asked $400,000and the offer was for $400,000! (maybe too cheap?)
It is a 3500 sq. ft. house with 12 foot ceilings, a courtyard with pond, and a killer mountain view on 1.7 acres!!
I am doing the dance of joy and adding that money to my challenge money!
prev. total $13,814.00
today 2,500.00
new total $16,314.00

I have been reading and writing down the readings on my electric meter all summer long. The past two days has been the lowest usage for the past three months, only 21 kilowatts each day.
It is nice to know that our electric bill will start going down now and i can add that to my challenge money.

It was cold and in the 50's this morning and now I have a fan blowing on me to keep cool. My meter has been moving very slowly thank goodness!
I did manage to save $1 from walking, one for stair climbing and a $1 off coupon at the store, to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $13,811.00
today 3.00
new total $13,814.00

Soem of my favorite sugar free candy is half price at the store. It is not advertised, so I hope that doesn't mean it is being discontinued. I stocked up on it and saved $5 to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $13,806.00
today 5.00
new total $13,811.00

Last night was my first night to wear a sweater outside. I wanted to sit on the deck by the creek, but we had a light rain. So we sat on the back porch deck instead, dh, me and Holly.
She loves to go out on the deck and everytime one of us gets up to refill our drink, she gets in our chair!
We cooked pork chops and hamburgers on the grill last night.
I bought some sugar free candy that was 41 off yesterday. That plus the $20 we saved not going out to eat, gets added to my challenge money.
prev. total $13,785.00
today 21.00
new total $13,806.00 Meant to say that the candy was $1 off!

I received my first pinecone check for doing a survey, yesterday. You all were right, they sure pay promptly. I saved $3 in coupons at the grocery store, so I have $8 more to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $13,777.00
today 8.00
new total $13,785.00

I got hot dogs on sale a few weeks ago, buy one pack, get one free.
My dh has beeen taking them for lunch everyday. Yesterday we got invited over to a hot dog and beer cook out.
Last night, dh asked if we could go get KFC so he could have chicken for lunch today instead of hot dogs. He is hot-dogged out!!
I had a coupon for $1 off the KFC, plus I know I walked at least 3 miles in Gatlinburg, so I have $4 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $13,773.00
today 4.00
new total $13,777.00

Well, I have gone 3 whole days without adding anything to my challenge money. That will not do.
I thought about the challenge while on my mini vacation.
Saturday morning, with my dh off real early to the car show, Idecided to forego my expensive waffle breakfast. Instead, I hiked to McDonald's for a biscuit and glass of water. So, I saved about $5 which will be added to my challenge money.
prev. total $13,768.00
today 5.00
new total $13,773.00

Went to bi lo yesterday and picked up a few items on sale. I saved almost $2, so i will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $13,766.00
today 2.00
new total $13,768.00

My water bill was so late last month, it came the day it was due. so I had paid it (drop it off in a box at the bank)before the due date and I paid $20, because I was not sure of the amount. I wound up with a $3 credit. I have budgeted $20 for the bill, so I now have $6 left over to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $13,760.00
today 6.00
new total $13,766.00

I am back from the bank, with $20's in hand. Got all my envelopes and did my budget for the week.
We stayed home for dinner last night and saved that money, so i will take the $20 that we saved and add it to my challenge money.
prev. total $13,740.00
today 20.00
new total $13,760.00

I was going to have a no spend day until I realized my husband had run out of prilosec which he takes daily. Had to run to the store and get some. I did get in my walking and my stairs yesterday, so that is $2 more to add to the challenge.
prev. total $13,738.00
today 2.00
new total $13,740.00

I have been reading my meter every day at noon and recording the amount of kilowatts of electricity I have been using. for the first time since June, the kilowatt reading was under 30! It was 29. It really helps when it is cool like this. I still expect a large bill this month, but I feel sure it will be under my budget and next month's bill will be even lower. I love that, cause I add the difference to my $20 challenge.

I ran to Ingles to get something for dinner home tonight. It is so quiet in the store on sunday mornings. I found kleenex on sale and had a coupon for dog food. I also found 15 cents! I saved $4 at the store, plus I walked for 30 minutes yesterday, so i have $5 to add to the challenge money.

Prev. total $13,733.00
today 5.00
new total $13,738.00

It was so busy at the grocery store that you would think they were passing out free food.
I went to stock up on sprite which was on sale this week, 4/$10. You can only buy 4 cartons at a time, but it is a good deal. I got some sugar free candy from the drug store on sale too. All in all, I saved about $8 which I will add to my challenge.
prev. total $13,725.00
today 8.00
new total $13,733.00

I really stocked up when coke products were on sale before 4th of July. We still have plenty of diet sprite to last us. No having to spend $8 a week for 2 -12 packs has been great.
Well, they are back on sale again, 4-12 pack for $10, a savings of $6.00 I guess it is because this weekend is a holiday. so I will stock up again, keeping my old stash seperate from my new stash.
I got some really good savings today using my advantage card and buying almost everything on sale. I saved $13 to add to my challenge money!

Prev. total $13,712.00
today 13.00
new total $13,725.00

I got a lot of bills in the mail today, all business related. One was for over $1800. I had already paid that one.
The next was was for the concrete finisher. He charged me $928 for concrete. My dh had already paid the concrete bill which was for $815. I guess the extra $113 was his handling fee. You really have to watch other people and their bookkeeping!
Well I stayed home yesterday and used no gas, walked 30 minutes, did 20 flights of stairs and saved $2 using coupons today. More money for the challenge.
prev. total $13,707.00
today 5.00
new total $13,712.00