It was a very good day today. I learned something new at bridge today and I will teach it to my Monday gals when they come here to play!
I think I learned how to create a folder at computer class. I am not sure what i will do with this folder?? Or what I need a folder for??

We had dinner at home last night. I enjoy going out to eat every night as most of you know. However, lately, things have been so slow at the restaurant and during the week, they have been closing early.
If we have to eat that early, we might as well stay home and eat, so that is what we did last night.
So, I saved $20 by not eating out and I am going to add that to my $20 challenge.
Prev. total $1683.00
today 20.00
new total $1703.00

I opened a c.d. last Thursday at a new bank. They have been advertising their c.d. rate of 4.8 % for about 2 weeks. In yesterday's paper (we have a once a week paper) there ad was about their hours, not their good rates. Looks like I lucked up and got into a good rate, just under the wire!

Does anyone remember when if you saved by the 10th of the month, you got your interest figured to the first of the month. I used to work in a small savings and loan and that is how we paid interest on our savings account!!

Well yesterday, I stayed home, spent no money, used no gas, the stock market went up and I walked a mile, so that is $4 more to add to my challenge money!

Prev. total $1679.00
today 4.00
new total $1683.00

Someone asked me how long I got my C.D rates for.
Last Thursday, we went to a new bank about 25 miles away. They were advertising rates at 5% for 6 months and 4.8% for 1 year.
I opened a jumbo c.d. for one year.

Then, yesterday when another c.d. matured, I took that ad to the other bank and asked that they match it. They did, even tho their rate had fallen to 3.3%

Sometimes, it pays to ask for a higher rate. Sometimes they will give it, and sometimes they won't.

I currently have a jumbo that is paying 5.5%, because I asked the president of the bank what he could give me. The bank was paying 5% at the time. (last May) So, I say ask, it can't hurt and it might help!!

I stopped at the grocery store yesterday and picked up 3 things, but with my store card, I saved over $3 which I will add to my challenge money.
After that, i spent the day playing bridge, which is a lot of fun for very little money ( a few snacks)
Prev. total $1676.00
today 3.00
new total $1679.00

I went into the bank to roll over my c.d. today. Even tho they are only paying 3.5% on c.d.'s now, they rolled mine over to a 4.8% rate. I guess they did not want to see me walk out the door with that money!!

Well, I just got back from Bi Lo's. I saved $3 on two steaks and another $1 from buying "elations" I will add $4 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $1672.00
today 4.00
new total $1676.00

I got a great deal on a new chandlier last night. We are building a really big house with a really big foyer and this chandlier is going to look great!

It was over $500 but they only had two and they were on sale for $180. We paid for it, but could not fit it in the vette, so dh will have to go back for it next week.

I am happy when I save someone else money too. This is a spec house we are building, but we are building it for another couple to sell.

I opened a new c.d. at a new bank in another city last Thursday. Yesterday, I received a thank you card from them. I thought that was very nice! I don't remember ever getting a thank you card for opening an account!
Oh, and also, the lady that opened the account gave me a free red umbrella!!
( I drive a red vette)

I have a c.d. that is coming due today. I am supposed to go into the bank on Monday to roll it over. The rate is bad, but the guy on the phone said he would match the rate that I am getting in another town, so we shall see. If he doesn't, then I will take a check for the entire amount.
I did earn $2644 in interest for the past 6 months, so that will help my net worth a little this month.
It will still go down a lot due to the terrible stock market in January!

I opened up a jumbo c.d. Thursday afternoon. So far, it has not been deducted from my money market account, so I assume that I am being paid interest on that money in two different banks. That is about $75 extra that I am earning. I love free money!! Don't you??

The stock market did go down yesterday, but the two days before that, it went up. So that is $2 more to add to the challenge. Then I had a no spend day yesterday and a no use gas day, so that is $2 more. Since all I have is a $5 bill, I will round that up to $5 and add it to my challenge money.
Prev. total $1667.00
today 5.00
new total $1672.00

I got a nice check in the mail today for $551. It is going directly into my challenge money.
Prev. total $1116.00
today 551.00
new total $1667.00

I have often bragged about my local bank appalachian Bank which offered money market accounts paying 5.25%
These accounts worked out great for us, cause we could make 6 withdrawals a month and that was all we needed when we were building a spec house.
I had 2 accounts there, one in joint names with $200K and one in my name, payable on death to my dh, for $100K.
That way, all $300K was fdic insured.

A few months ago, when the fed cut the rates, my interest rate dropped to 4.1% Yesterday, I was shocked to see that the rate had fallen to 3.4% I called the bank to see if I could move into a c.d. paying about 4% and was told no!

So, I called my husband to come home early from work and we drove to another town about 25 miles away.

I opened up a joint c.d. there for 200K earning 4.8% interest for one year! They had a 5.% rate for 6 months, but i think rates are going down, not up, so I took the lower rate in order to lock it in for a full year.

I figured I will earn an extra $2720 in interest money by moving it to the new bank.

That is worth losing a few hours pay.

Just 11 more months til christmas! Have you started to save your christmas money? I have!!

I check out my local bank accounts every day and record the amount of interest that I have earned.
I was very proud of my one local bank. For a couple of years they have paid 5.25% on a money market account and I made decent interest while we used the money to build spec houses.
Several months ago, the rates dropped to 4.1% but I still kept the money locally.
I was shocked when I went online today to see that the rates had dropped to 3.4%

I called the bank and explained that i had 300K in there, but they would not give me a rate above 3.6% Looks like I will be moving on!!

The snow word was in the forecast yesterday morning, so I did my grocery shopping early. We NEVER have any meat in the freezer cause my husband does not like frozen meat, but I decided we need to have something in case of emergency. I got a really good deal on a roast and some cubed steak yesterday.
All in all, I saved $10 using my advantage card and I am ready for snow.
BTW, the snow has now been called off.
Challenge money:
Prev. total $1106.00
today 10.00
new total $1116.00

I have a jumbo CD coming due this Saturday. I called last week to get rates at several local banks. When the fed lowered rates yesterday, I called again today. All of the rates were lowered some to 4% and some even lower than that!
I just opened an account at Umbrella bank cause they were paying 5% and today they are down to 4.65%
Wow, I just can't seem to move fast enought to get a decent rate!

At least this is taking my mind off of the falling stock market!!

Well, I went to my Chase mastercard rewards program and redeemed the rest of my points that I had acrued.
I should be getting two $50 check in a week or too.
For free!!
I will add them to the challenge when I get them.

I checked with my Chase Mastercard on Monday. I have not received my bill yet, but I have racked up over 10,000 points.
Last month, I ordered a $50 check from them and on Monday, I ordered another $50 check. I guess that is the maximum check, because I still have over 5000 points left, which is worth another $50 check.
They pay 3% at home improvement stores, and my dh stops at Home Depot almost every day.
I like this. It is nice to be paid to shop for building materials.