We had dinner at home last night, a rare thing for us. Now, I remember why, I get too bored sitting here all night. So, we took a ride to look at the beautiful mountain view on some property that we own. Wasted a bit of gas, but the ride was nice and Holly loved it.
We had pork chops last night which cost me about $5, so I figured we saved about $15 dollars last night, plus the braves won. That is $16 i can add to the challenge money.
prev. total $16,478.00
today 16.00
new total $16,494.00

Yes, I splurged. I have not bought a pair of shoes in 3 or 4 years. I am going to Gatlinburg in Sept. and to my class reunion in florida in October. So, I ordered a new pair of shoes from J.C. Penny. They were $10 off and under $40. I also realized I only have about one decent pair of shorts.
There is no place to buy shorts in August around here. They are getting rid of the summer stuff. So I ordered a new pair from QVC, denium and company for those who order from QVC. I would really like a black pair, but they were sold out. Then I splurged and got my dh a few new short sleeved shirts from Penny's. All in all I spent close to about $100, but we really needed these things.
Well, the braves didn't play, the dow went down, I did not walk or do stairs yesterday (I played bridge), so no money for the challenge there.
However, I am not making a liquor run to Murphy, N.C., so that is about $6 in gas that I am saving.
I will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,472.00
today 6.00
new total $16,478.00

What did the dow do yesterday. I know a computer literate person could figure out how to look that up, but that is not me! Could anyone tell me, please??

Since I have joined this forum, I have looked for loose change on the ground, but have not had much luck. One thing I also do and my husband doesn't like, it to look at newspaper stands. I look at the newspaper headline, but I also look in the coin return to see if there is any money there. He hates that.
Today, I stopped and looked at the local paper stand and there were 2 quarters in the coin return.
When I came out of Ingles, I looked at the Atlanta paper and found two more quarters there. Wow, I gained a buck just for looking.
I walked a mile yesterday, saved a dollar on bacon on sale, plus my dollar today. I also have $50 in the money I have saved since I cancelled life insurance. So $53 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,419.00
today 53.00
new total $16,472.00

I went to Mary Hunt's website this morning. She says if we had started saving $1 a day from the day we were born, put it in good mutual fund earning 12% and never touched it, we would have over 7 million dollars when we turn 65.
That being something that we did NOT do in our lifetime, she suggests we start now and save $2 a day. If you are young enough you can still become a millionaire. Who is game for it? Want to save that extra $2 a day?
I walked a mile yesterday, plus the braves won and I have the Ridge money to add to my challenge today.
Prev. total $16,252.00
today 167.00
new total $16,419.00

I just read Tynana's blog and I was so sorry to hear of her brother's suicide. He had lost his job and had a lot of debt.
I got over my head in debt once about 1980. We had decided to go into business with 2 other couples. We were all supposed to put in equal shares of money, but at the end, one couple had no money, so we loaned them their share.
The fellow we loaned the money too was supposed to be the "expert" and run the business. He turned out to be a bit of a crook and business was very bad.
My dh took over the business and ran it for a long time with absolutely no pay at all. It was a rough few years and it was not uncommon for my husband to work 20 hours a day.
We made it thru those years and sold the business and broke even.
But there were many many worried days and nights for us.
After that we learned to really save our money and build up a large emergency fund. Believe me when I say, a large emergency fund will take away most of your worries and I have such a happy life now.
I am so sorry for your loss, Tynana.

A friend called and stoppped by to bring back a vcr tape I had loaned her.
She wanted to go out to lunch. I convinced her to eat lunch at home and put that $5 she would have spent in her ING account.
I ran to the post office to put the paperwork in the mail for selling my home depot stock.
Then I did my weekly grocery shopping; using my store card and a coupon, I saved $4. I walked a mile and did 20 flights of stairs yesterday, so that is a total of $6 to add to my challenge money. (the stock market and the braves let me down yesterday)
Prev. total $16,246.00
today 6.00
new total $16,252.00

I got a letter from Home Depot offering to buy my stock from me at $39 a share. Since it is selling at $35, I thought it sounded like a good deal. I called them, and they have lowered their offer to $37 a share.
I still think I will sell because I am not happy with that store like I was when I first bought their stock in 1995. My husband goes there almost every day and he says the service is terrible and they are always out of everything.

I was reading an article about living below your means.
Start talking to yourself. Whenever you are faced with a desire to spend, STOP and ask yourself:
Can I afford it?
Do I really need it?
Do I need it now?
Do I have something like it already?
Can I find a cheaper substitue?
Is this the best deal?

Now, go home and sleep on it. Tomorrow you will probably change your mind!!

Opps, I did not add any money to the challenge yesterday. The stock market was up on Wednesday (down terribly yesterday) and I walked a mile. Yesterday the braves won by one run and I walked another mile.
I am also re reading all my copies of cheapskate monthly, now called debt proof living.
I will add $4 to the challenge money.
Prev. total $16,242.00
today 4.00
new total $16,246.00

Most people think saving money is depriving them of "things" that will make them happy.
Actually, saving money does make me happpy. I think it is a lot of fun to watch that interest add up!!
Today I logged on to check on a new money market savings account that I just opened a month ago. I just earned $488.78 in interest this past month.

Now who doesn't think that is fun???

We had a really late dinner last night. We had planned to have a nice steak dinner. (and we did) However, dh got a call that his grading guy could do a job that needed done about 8 pm. It was actually 8:30 last night that we were all out at the job site, digging holes for the porch posts.
It did not take that long, but we did not get home til after 9 pm.
By the time we got the grill going and the potatoes cooked, it was 10:30 by the time we ate.
I usually add $20 to my challenge when we skip going out to eat during the week, but I had to give the money to my dh instead. He had used all his money buying gas this week and he was broke.
He has two jobs going and they are so far apart. He tries to get to both of them at least once or twice a day.
It was a neat night, we saw a bunch of baby deer coming home. And the steak was just as good, just kind of at a late hour!

I don't sit and watch tv all day, but I do keep it on for the noise. So, every once in a while I will glance at it and the dow will be way up, then way down.
Last time I looked this afternoon, the dow was about 30, when it closed a short time later it was up to 153!!

Oh well, the stock market was up yesterday, the braves won their game and I walked 2 miles. That gives me $4 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,238.00
today 4.00
New total $16,242.00

We have a 1933 ford "hot rod" bright red. My dh loves to drive it when we go out to dinner. Last night, we did not go to our usual place, we went to a place where we could park close to the window and watch the car.

Lots of people go over and look at the car. It has sucide doors and no door handles so you have to use the push button control on the key to open the window, reach inside and unlatch the doors.

We were having fun watching the people. They would look in the car window and from inside the restaurant, we would push the button and lower the window. Of course, they would wonder what happened. After doing that a few times, I would go outside and tell them we were just teasing them.

We all got a good laugh out of that!

Dinner was good too.

Boy, it has been hot. It has been reaching between 95-100 degrees every day, even here in the mountains. I feel so sorry for my dh and his framing crew. They are just starting a house out in this heat, no shade at all.
Even tho I do read my meter every day and try and keep my electric bill down, I do keep my house cool, at about 75 degrees.
I will put on extra clothes in the winter and keep the temp. around 60, but I can not stand really hot weather.
I keep my electric bill pretty low most of the year, but this month I will happily pay extra to stay cool.

I stopped back at rite aid to stock up on the sugar free candy. It is almost 40% off and candy is good for quite a long time. I also used my rite aid card which is good for 10% off of Tuesday. I only saved $4 altogether, but hey, $4 is $4 which I will add to my challenge.
Prev.total $16,234.00
today 4.00
new total $16,238.00

The dow has really been moving today. At one point, the dow was down 100 points, then at the highest it was up 135 points. It just closed at about 31 points up! Well, up is better than down!
They are going to talk about the stock Cisco next and I am curious. I have stock in cisco, so I hope the news is good.

Many of you know, I was a waitress for years. That was when I learned how to invest my money. I was only making $2.01 an hour.
Guess what, they still only make $2.15 an hour.
I talked to the young man that was our waiter last night. I gave him my usual little talk. "Did you know if you saved $2 a day and put it in a good mutual fund, you could be a millionaire when you are my age?""
Turns out he is already investing. He is 17 and has a roth IRA and has bought stock in apple.
His father is a local doctor. (Heck, he was one of the first people we met when we moved here 23 years ago. He had just gotten married)
His father is matching everything that our young waiter is putting in his roth. I predict a very good future for our young waiter. He wants to become a doctor too.

Yow, we had never even heard the name of this "builder" (I use the term lightly) a few years ago, now we hear a complaint about him every day since my husband took over the house he was building.
We talked to a young couple at the party Saturday night. They moved into one of his houses a few months ago. They had a very long list of things that needed to be fixed in their house, but so far, he has not fixed anything.
I cannot believe how many people do not get references before they build or buy a house.
We have about 30 letters, complete with names and phone numbers that we give out to all prospective customers wanting to build houses.

Today was a great day! The braves won their game last night! The stock market went up a lot today! I got to play bridge today and never went set!!
What more could anyone ask for?

I will add $2 to my challenge fund.
Prev. total $16,232.00
today 2.00
new total $16,234.00

Today has been busy. First we had dinner at friends last night and did not get home til after midnight. So, I overslept until 9:30.
Today is pay day and bridge day, so I had to get to the bank and post office early. I reminded myself that I am all out of sugar free candy and need to get some.
However, I didn't think of that when I left the house and I took my little Holly dog with me. So into, the drug store she went with me cause I will not ever leave a dog in a hot car no matter what.
She was the hit of the store. The hit for me was discovering that my sugar free candy was on sale, 70 cents a bag off. I got 5 bags (some for dh too) and saved over $3 which I will add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,229.00
today 3.00
new total $16,232.00

I had a no spend day yesterday. Actually, I never even left the house until we went over to some friends for dinner last night. These are people we built a house for , about 5 years ago. We usually stay good friends with people we build for, which is nice.
So it was a good day.
I walked a mile, the braves won, I used no gas and heck, I even got a free meal. (hamburgers, my favorite food) She even gave me all the brownies she made to bring home for my bridge group.
I will add $3 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,226.00
today 3.00
new total $16,229.00

Well I dreamed abut pink flamingos last night. We went to a birthday party and that was the theme. There were flamingos up and down the drive way, hundred of them.
We all put on pink flamingo things on our head, pink flamingo leis and even pink flamingo sunglasses!
I have never seen so much food in my life. I am afraid to weigh myself this morning. Everything was so good and we had a great time.
We did bring home about 1/2 of the platter of sandwiches that we took, so guess what we will be eating for the next few days?

I recieved a check from Pinecone yesterday for $5. I also walked a mile, but the braves and the stock market did not co operate yesterday. I will also add my ridge money for a total of $171.

Prev. total $16,055.00
today 171.00
new total $16,226.00

We are going to a party tonight. I have to go to blimpie and have a platter of sandwiches made. The couple having the party requested that everyone bring a plate of appetizers. Since i am not much of a cook (because I eat so funny), I am going to have someone else make up the platter.
So, I will spend about what I would have if I went out to dinner tonight,but this should be a lot more fun.

I went to fill the bird feeders this morning and there was a snake in the large container that I keep the bird seed in. Do they like sunflower seeds?

Anyway, I am not afraid of snakes, so I just carried him and put him outside.

That is one thing that I do spend money on, sunflower seeds. I have four feeders and I have to fill them constantly. We do buy the seed by the 50 pound bag, but I noticed that went up this month, almost $6 more a bag.
Oh well, the birds are worth it!

We are invited to a birthday party tomorrow night. So today, I bought a gift certificate to my favorite restaurant to give as a gift. People always like free food, as least I do.
The stock market ended up yesterday, I walked a mile and did 20 flights of stairs, so I have $3 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,052.00
today 3.00
new total $16,055.00

Building of new homes is certainly slowing down around here. You use to have to get on a wait list for getting a basement poured, now they are out there in a few days.
We talked to the engineer at the power company and he says very few houses are getting started.
We talked to the guy in charge of the building dept. and no one is pulling permits to build spec houses right now.

There are over 700 homes sitting on the market in this county, and we only have a population of about 19,000. We have so many friends who are sitting on and paying interest every month on their spec house.

We have been so fortunate. We have decided to take a break from building spec houses until things pick back up. We are starting two homes for customers that will take over a year to build, plus we are talking to another couple on Synday. If they can wait a year, we will take on their house too.
So, we should be fine.
In the meantime the cash we have accumulated to build the next house will be sitting in the bank earning 5.25% interest.

Oh my gosh. There was a skunk in our yard yesterday. I have to admit, I have only seen skunks in the road, run over. This one seemed to be playing in a pile of grass clippings. It was rolling all over for about 20 minutes while Holly and I watched, from inside.
I would love to have gone outside and gotten closer but I was kind of nervous of what might happen if I did. Holly did some serious barking at the skunk, but he/she did not seem to mind.

I turned my change jar in at the bank this morning. I do this about once a month. I had $34.01 (where did the penny come from, I don't save pennies, I use them)
On my way home, I stopped and bought some hood chocolate milk, using a $1 off coupon that I had. So, I have $35 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,017.00
today 35.00
new total $16,052.00