I heard on the news this morning that, starting tomorrow and every day after that for 15 years, 10,000 baby boomers will turn 65 and go on medicare! Wow, that is a lot of people!!

This is the last day of the year, and the first day that dh was able to to to work! We have no plans for tonight, so we will just stay home and celebrate by outselves! (if I can stay awake that long)
I did have a no use gas day yesterday, so I will add my final $2 to the challenge. Gas is now up to $3.35 per gallon here, so staying home does save money now!

Happy New Year!

Prev. total $16,642.00
today 2.00
new total $16,644.00

After 5 days of being snowed in, we finally got out today. It was supposed to be in the 40's today and I had hoped the snow would melt, but the sun did not shine and the snow did not melt. When the garbage truck came (they were due on Monday), I figured the roads outside the subdivision must be ok even tho our roads were still icy.
We had a slight debate over which car to drive, mine or my husbands. In the end, we took my husband's since it is older.
We went into town to stock up at the grocery store. I spent $106, the most I have ever spent in my life!!
Thank goodness, we never lost our power. I can live without almost anything, but heat for my little puppies!
The paper said we got 6-10 inches. It is funny how well they can handle 2 feet of snow up north, but Georgia is just not equipped to handle much snow.

I got a check in the mail from Tim Horton's, so I can add that to my $20 challenge!

I am excited to start the new challenge this coming Saturday!

Prev. total $16,624.00
today 18.00
new total $16,642.00

Well, it has been 3 days and we are still snowed in. The snow is very pretty but it has been a very boring day and too cold to stay outside much. My little poodle, Holly, hates the snow and the cold.
Molly, my still puppy sort of, loves to go out in the snow and tries to catch the flakes.
I so hope it warms up tomorrow and melts the snow.
I have had 2 more no use gas days, so that is $4 more to add to my challenge.

Prev. total $16,620.00
today 4.00
new total $16,624.00

It is a white christmas for sure. It started snowing about 7 am. and has not stopped yet. We are definately snowed in for the weekend. I won't be using any gasoline today, so I will add $2 to the challenge today.
Prev. total $16,618.00
today 2.00
new total $16,620.00

Merry Christmas to everyone here at SA!

I have lived in this area for 26 years. For the first time in 26 years I bought a bottle of wine in the county that I live in! We are no longer a dry county!!! (I still have to drive to North Carolina to buy liquor)
The cashier carded me, which I thought was so funny. I guess everyone is going to be carded!
Well, I have a bottle of wine for christmas eve, I got a pinecone check and 4 one dollar bills to add to my challenge money.
Merry christmas eve!
Prev. total $16,611.00
today 7.00
new total $16,618.00

Hubby received a gift certificate from the building supply store. It was a gift certificate for a little market. We got one last year and it was the very first time we had been in the market. Now we go there every week for some of their specialities; stuffed baking potatoes, chicken cordon blu and meatloaf. They are closing for two weeks for vacation, so I stocked up today and only spent $1.50! Gotta love gift certificates! I am adding my $1 bills to the challenge today.
Prev. total $16,607.00
today 4.00
new total $16,611.00

Yesterday was the shortest day of the year. That means the days are now going to get longer.
Dh could not work yesterday because of the weather, so we went christmas shopping. we found several things to get each other, came home and put them into gift bags. We get very few surprises for christmas because we always shop together, but that's ok!
I got my usual monthly check direct deposited in my checking account, so I will add that to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $16,121,00
today 486.00
new total $16,607.00

Today is the first day of winter. It has seemed like winter for at least a month. We have had snow several times and we usually don't get any snow until January. I hope this does not mean it is going to be a really bad winter. Dh is trying to get a spec house started.
He managed to get the concrete slab poured yesterday, and don't you know it, it has been raining all day. (That is not good)
We did our grocery shopping on Sunday night. Dh has been trying to change his diet because of the gall bladder problems he has been having. He is eating a lot of salad and giving up on meat, fats, snacks, etc.
He does NOT need to lose weight, but has already lost 8 pounds.
We did not get a receipt when we went grocery shopping because the register was out of paper. I always save my receipt and add what I saved that day to the $20 challenge. I know I bought pie and ice cream on sale, each about $2 off. I am going to add $5 to the challenge cause I am sure I saved at least that much.

Prev. total $16,116.00
today 5.00
new total $16,121.00

Well, our property taxes are due tomorrow. I mailed off the check on Friday. I wish they were not due so close to Christmas. I am sure it hurts a lot of families.
Like many people on here, I save to pay my property taxes ( and car and house insurance) out of each paycheck, so I have the money on hand when I need it.
I know I am lucky. My property taxes are probably a lot lower than yours. Mine are around $3000 but will go up next year cause I just bought some land.
Just glad I have the money to pay them!

I know what a DRIP plan is and I totally believe in them. However, I still get small dividend checks from Wendy's and Tim Horton about 4 times a year. I think it has something to do with when the Wendy's company split off from Tim Horton.
Anyway, I am adding that check ($11) and the 2 singles I have to my $20 challenge.
Prev. total $16,103.00
today 13.00
new total $16,116.00

I ordered my husband some new business cards which I am going to give him for Christmas. He has never had cards that had both of his license numbers on it; one for his North Carolina license and now one for his Georgia license.
I got a good deal on the cards too. I only paid for 500 cards, but they printed me 1000!
I am still saving $1 bills and I have 6 to add to the challenge. That makes 29 for the month so far.
Prev. total $16,097.00
today 6.00
newe total $16,103.00

The snow is finally gone. It has been here since Saturday. We got rain today, so it melted all the snow. I was able to get to town today and run a few errands. My dh was sick last night.
He has been having the same symptoms that he had before the gall bladder surgery.
I am not very good on a computer, but I googled it and it says that about 40% of all people who have their gall bladders taken out, still have the same symptoms after surgery.
He has to completely change his diet and give up everything he loves.
Now, I am a meat and potatoes type of person, I could never do what he is going to have to try and do. Give up all red meat, pork, chicken, bacon, sausage, milk, ice cream, butter, chocolate, etc. Everything good is going to have to go! I feel so sorry for him.

I had a no use gas day yesterday plus I have 3 $1's to add to the challenge for a total of $5.

Prev. total $16,092.00
today 5.00
new total $16,097.00

It is interesting to watch the weather in Boston on tv. They say it is 51 there today. Here I am, in the deep south, in Georgia. It got to a high of 21 degrees today and we are snowed in!
We started getting snow yesterday and it continued all night. With the high winds we are having, it looks like a blizzard around here.
Of course, I have had 2 no use gas days, so I will add $4 to the challenge and with the $1 I will get in change, I will make it $5!!
I sure hope we can get out tomorrow. We bought a piece of propery and the closing is set for tomorrow. We got a pretty good deal on the property. It is 2 acres with a good mountain views. It is in a new subdivision with a clubhouse, tennis courts and a large swimming pool. The bank auctioned off the property. The original price was $119,000 and we got it for $42,900. We hope to build a spec house there some day if the market ever comes back.

In the meantime, we are both pretty bored today!!

Prev. total $16,087.00
today 5.00
new total $16,092.00

I have read, with grest interest, some of the goals that some of you have set for yourselves for the next year. I think this is very important.
I have done this for over 30 years. I make a written list of everything I hope to accomplish over the next year and if I do it, I write down the date accomplished next to the goal. (Some people call this new years resolutions, but I call them goals.)
Most of my goals are financial, like pay off the car or have 100 shares of xyz stock.
My goals this year are hard to come by. Because my dh is not working at this time, it is much more difficult to set financial goals. However, set some financial goals I will!
I did not meet my goal for the $20 challenge this year, but I am still pleased with my progress!

I have 6 $1 bills to add to the challenge, bringing my total to $20 for the month.

Prev. total 16,081.00
today 6.00
new total 16,087.00

It is hard to believe that 2 weeks from today will be Christmas eve! The older you get the faster time goes. We have very few presents for each other. I really don't care and I don't think dh cares either. When we really need something, we just go ahead and get it.
Dh has to update his tools all the time. He can't wait til christmas! Last month, our grill tore up and we had to get one right away. We cook out on the grill several times a week. We are just lucky that we can buy whatever we want and don't have to wait for christmas.

What I really want for christmas is for dh to go back to work. He does not have any houses to build, but is trying to get a spec house started. He is ready to pour the floor slab, but the weather just won't cooperate. Starting Sunday, they (weatherman) are calling for snow for 3 days, then rain for three days. It looks like the house will have to sit until we have decent weather! Let's hope we have a few warm days this month!

I have always enjoyed Gamecock's blog. She has not blogged in a long time. I wish she would come back and bring us up to date on her life!! Gamecock, where are you?? We miss you!!!

That is what dh said to me last night, and he is serious! The weather this week has been about the worst I have ever seen and it is not even officially winter yet!

WE have had below freezing with high winds and snow for about a week. They even cancel the christmas parade on saturday. Dh is trying to get a new house started but the ground is too frozen for him ( or anyone else) to work.

We moved here from florida and we really do love it here, MOST of the time. But it really gets cold here. We need to find a place in south Georgia that we can run away to, once in a while. I was looking up St. Simon's Island, but that looks pretty expensive.

DH took me grocery shopping and I saved $4 using my Ingles advantage card, so I will add the to the $20 challenge.

Prev. total $16,077.00
today 4.00
new total $16,081.00

We had more snow again this morning. It is not even winter yet and it has been so cold and windy here. My dh is trying to work at getting the new house started but it is hard to put in many hours in this cold weather. He was home most of the weekend, not working. It drives him crazy to sit around the house.
Well, I had a no use gas day, so that is $2 to add to the challenge.

Prev. total $16,075.00
today 2,00
new total $16.077.00

Petunia asked me about the $20 challenge.

I have been doing this for four years.
You start with $20 and think of ways to add to this money. It can be anyway you want.

You can sell things on e bay, have garage sales, save up all your change, save $1 bills. I add on anything I save when using coupons or grocery store credit cards. I add any unexpected checks, my s.s. check which I have never cashed. I have made a few personal loans to friends and I add the interest I make on that. I get cash rewards back from my credit card and I sometimes get rebates from a home improvement store.
Actually, Petunia, it can be any thing you want it to be. I track the savings on paper and add it to my savings account once or twice a month.

Today was too cold to do anything but take a ride in a warm car. We went to find the Park Model home that our friends purchased this week. We did find the Park Model park but were not sure which home was theirs. It is a pretty neat little park.

I woke up to snow this morning. Luckily, it is not sticking to the ground. Yesterday, it was a miserable day. It was cold, windy and it rained all day. I did not think I would have any ones to add to my challenge money, but at the last minute, we ran to a little market to pick up a few things. So, I do have $3 in ones to add to the challenge.

Prev. total $16,072.00
today 3.00
new total $16,075.00

Today, I received the checks on the two loans that I made. I earned $171 in interest for the month.
Next month, I plan to earn about $480. I will get over $300 more a month based on the new loan I just made. DH calls me the Bank of Julie! Heck, I like earning 4% interest.

Prev. total $15,901.00
today 171.00
new total $16,072.00

I have $4 in one dollar bills left over in my wallet. That bring my total of saving $1 dollar bills to $11 for the month.

Our friends invited us out for a free dinner last night to celebrate closing on their new cabin! (We loaned them the money to buy it) We ate at our favorite restaurant for the first time in about 3 months. It was good to see the old gang again and dinner was delicious.
I brought home some chicken for Holly. She is finally eating steak and chicken and a little bit of dog food. I am so glad! She really had us worried for a while.

Prev. total $15,897.00
today 4.00
new total $15,901.00

I started on the dollar bill challenge today. I bought steak at Bi Lo yesterday and saved $4 using my bi lo card. Then I unloaded the rest of my dollar bills out of my wallet this morning. I had 7 of them, so I am adding $11.00 to the $20 challenge today.

Prev. total 15,886.00
today 11.00
new total $15,897.00