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

On the local forum I am on, I started a thread entitled "what frugal thing did you do today?"
On the whole, that group does not want to talk about money at all. They do not believe in saving at all and their come back is, "you can't take it with you"
I don't want to. I just want to be comfortable while I am here.
One of the frugal entries yesterday, was "I got a pair of pants on sale for only $76!!
I know what this group would say to that. To buy clothes you don't really need and to pay $76 for one pair of pants!! Now, I know why they have no savings.
The funny thing is, many of them, dislike me. They dislike me because they think I have to much money!! Hey, I save my money, that is why I have it.
The people on that forum make just as much money as we do.
The thing is, I keep part of my money; they spend all of theirs!

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

Yes, my dh took the day off today. If you know anything about me, you know my dh is a workaholic that usually works 7 days a week. That sure helps out cashwise and we do spend 7 evenings together on "dates"
Today he is staying home. Right now, he is cleaning house and then he plans to clean all the carpets. We have pure white carpet which he bleaches every few months. He is cleaning tubs, mopping, vaccuming, etc.
If I could "clone" my husband, I could make a lot of money!!

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

Does anyone else feed the birds. I know I spend some money doing it. We buy a 50 pound bag of bird seed (sunflower seed) every month.
I have 4 feeders, 3 are squirrel proof and one I just let the squirrels eat out of. That is one non frugal thing I won't give up, feeding the birds.

I just talked to my window cleaner. He is afraid of heights!! He brought his girlfriend with him today. (they are in business together) She is on the ladder and doing all the upstairs windows.
He has a second job and that is as a tree man. What funny two jobs to have, for a young man afraid of heights.!!
I am scared too, so I am not critizing!

It is another frosty day here in the mountains. My window cleaner just showed up. What a hard worker he is. He is just like my dh and works 7 days a week. He has another job, but does window washing on weekends or whenever he is off. I hope he finishes today so i can pay him what I owe.

Another date night in Georgia!! Hope everyone else is having a good night too.!!

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

My window washer is back. He has been here for 4 1/2 days so far. I have no idea what the bill will be, but I am sure it will be expensive. I got all my end of the month bills paid yesterday, now I just have to balance all the checkbooks. I think I will grocery shop today too cause I am almost out of diet sprite. I love stockpiling it when it is on sale, but I have run out. Hate to pay regular price!!
Our waitress last night, said she told her boyfriend how we came into her restaurant every night for our "date" Instead of saving, wow, that is romantic, he said, wow, they must be rich!!
My husbands says we can eat out cheaper than we can cook at home. That works for me! (Besides, no one wants to cook)

I had a no spend day today. I was supposed to go to my bridge lesson, but I just didn't feel like it. It is really cold and windy. So, I just stayed home and walked on my treadmill for a while. Now I think I will go and pay my end of the month bills. I got the final electric bill from the spec house to pay also.
So, a no spend, no gas day. I love the fact that it is staying a little lighter every night!

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

Just 11 more months til christmas!!

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!!

I just requested my state farm credit card check. If you use the card, they give you back 1% of the purchases that you can use on state farm products, like your insurance. They also gave me a $15 bonus for opening the card.
So, I will be getting a check from state farm for $100 to help in paying my house insurance of $1100.00 due in Feb. I mentioned before that Feb. is a high bill pay month.
I owe $283 for car insurance, $1100 for house insurance, $350 for vehicle tags and then my property tax is a total of $2700 for two pieces of property. I have this all budgeted for but because taxes went up, I am about $200 short. This $100 will cure half the problem.

The big check from the house sale that I deposited Friday afternoon has shown up in my money market account today.
Until I take out the money to buy the next lot and start the next house, that money is earning me $64 a day.
Do you realize that I have never earned $64 a day in my life. I have never made more than minimum wage which would come to about $41.20 a day, before taxes.
When I was a waitress, I usually adveraged about $20-40 a day in tips and about $16 a day in wages.
Makes me hate to have to take it out to start the next house.
Building is slow right now, so I am going to let the money sit for a little while. Just let it sit and enjoy it!

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

We just had a luncheon for our local town forum, blairsville.com. Everyone wanted mexican except me. I eat plain food, that is all. They all assured me that the mexican place had hamburgers.

Well, the did, for kids under 12. But I persisited and they brought me one, wrapped in tinfoil. I swear they went to McDonald's, got a kids happy meal and gave me the tiny burger.

We were all kidding about what kind of meat they would use for the hamburger, chihuahua maybe?? Anyway, it was not good and I had to pay $3.50 for it.

But I had a great time and met some very nice new people, so it was worth it.

Today is called Blue Monday. It is supposed to be the unhappiest day of the year.
First, the weather is bad.
Second, all the christmas bills are due.
Third, all the new year's resolutions you made 3 weeks ago have been broken.

Well, I don't know about you, but i am very happy today!! I had a great steak dinner last night, my windows are sparkling and I am meeting people from my local forum for lunch today, some of them for the first time!!

Happy Blue Monday!!!

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

It seems awfully cold in this house and I could hear the heat running downstairs. Glad I check it out, the front door was standing wide open. It is only about 37 degrees here.
I think my window cleaner did not shut the door tightly and it blew open. I am just glad my little poodle did not wander outside. So, I am giving thanks!!

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!

Our window cleaner is back. He is the only guy besides my dh that I know, that works on weekends.He was here all day yesterday too. As a matter of fact, he has been here for four days now.
Dh took down all the inside window grids this morning.
He was amazed at how many windows we actually have. I wasn't, I remember paying the window bill 11 years ago and it was over $50,000 for these anderson windows.
Anyway, they are slowly but surely getting down. I am expecting about a $1000 cleaning bill, but it will be worth it to get all the spots off the windows. The spots were caused by the house being pressure washed with hard water. I wish it would quit raining, so he could get done. It is amazing how much stuff you have to move when you get your windows cleaned.

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