Ima Saver's Personal Finance Blog

I am certainly getting my exercise today. The phone keeps ringing and ringing. apparently someone advertised that they want to buy a tow bar and they used our phone number in the ad!
I'm not even quite sure what a tow bar is??

When a baby is born today, they are assigned a social security number. Not so, in my day.
You did not have to have a number when I was born; you applied when you got your first job, usually.
I have been called Julie since the day I was born, so that is the name on my social security card.
I visited the office two weeks ago with my birth certificate. My real first name on the certificate is slightly different (one letter)
I was told that I had to have my correct name on my social security card, so today I got my new card! With my new name!
Now, where is my darn check!!!!!!!

I almost had a no spend day. My dh asked me to bring a check over to the job to pay a guy for hydroseeding the yard. I remembered that his worker (part time guy that shows up every month or so) was having a birthday today, so I stopped and got him a piece of birthday cake. I took matches and a candle and sang happy birthday to him.
So, I spent 61 cents, but that is all. My dh asked where his cake was. He is not a cake lover (does not like icing) so I did not get him one.

i am working on getting dh licensed as a builder in Georgia. It doesn't matter that he has been licensed in N.C. forever, that doesn't count. I finally got the general liability insurance and we got the paperwork down to be notorized. The notary's husband is a builder also. He turned in his paperwork in Feb. and still does not know if he will be grandfathered in!!!
The people at the newly organized state building dept. don't seem to know what they are doing.

In N.C., I just sent in 4 sheets of paper, one of which is a financial report.
With the Ga. paperwork, I am sending in building permits, letters from people he built for, his picture, bank statment, etc.
I wonder if we will ever know? Oh well, he has enough work lined up to last a year, maybe we will get licensed by then.

I stopped at Ingles, only to buy fresh bread, but I wound up getting several things that were on sale, so I saved $3 more to put into my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,473.00
today 3.00
new total $16,476.00

It has been 15 days in a row, since I have run the a/c or the heat. The electric bill should look good this month. I bought advil onsale yestersday and saved $2. I also filled up with gasoline last night. I am going to start saving the difference in gas money. since it has gone down about 30 cents a gallon and I needed 10 gallons, I am putting the $3 I saved into my challenge money. so,
Prev. total $16,468.00
today 5.00
new total $16,473.00

We spent too much for dinner. I usually have something cheap when we eat out, a hamburger or chicken strips.
Last night, we went to North Carolina to a great place called Shoebooties.
They use to have a special once in a while called bourbon pecan chicken!
It is now a regular on the menu and we both got it. Yum, so good and I have some leftover for my lunch today.
I will do better tonight!

I got a letter in the mail. I hate cell phones and I don't have one but dh does. The letter says the phone is so out of date, they are being discontinued and I am being charged an extra $4.99 a month if I keep using it.
I have to take it and get a new cell phone. I don't understand the one he already has, and he has never learned out to program it or do any thing with it.
It is pretty bad when you don't understand computers and now you can't figure out the phone!!
I think I will tell him he is on his own.!

I am a pushover when it comes to halloween stuff. For some reason, rite Aid has put a bunch of their stuff on sale at half price.
So, I bought another costume for $17, and a pair of elvis sunglasses for my elvis costume!
Now I have enough costumes for several years, but look at all the money I saved!!(not really, I know I spent it!)

I had to spend $1751 today. The state of Georgia is finally getting around to making builder's get a license and we know have inspectors. What is funny is that the inspectors do not have to be licensed builders, plumbers or electricans. They can be right out of high school.
My dh has been a licensed contractor for 20 years with the state of N.C.(We live about 10 miles away from n.c.)
Georgia is now requiring that all builder's get general liability insurance. Even though my dh has no real employees, he still has to pay it. Our first year's preminum is $1751 and I am told it will go up every year. We have been building 22 years without a single claim, so I feel like I am wasting my money.
But he cannot be a builder here anymore with it. N.C. does not require it. Maybe we should move to N.C.!

I love pay day. I get to come home and put all the little twenties into their respected little envelopes. Always nice when there is enough for all the envelopes. My husband, being self employed works different hours and he is paid by the hour. so the paychecks do vary!
I have walked a mile today and I saved a dollar buying deli ham on sale. I will add this to my total for the $20 challenge.
Prev. total $$16,466.00
today 2.00
new total $16,468.00

I ordered my halloween costume in early august. I for a notice saying they would be in stock the end of the month of august!
As of last week, end of Sept., I still had not received my costume, so I paniced and ordered another one. I received notification that it has been shipped.
today, in an e mail, I got notification that the first costume was shipped! I think i will just keep them both. Maybe i will get invited to two parties!! Probably not. But at least I will be set for the next Halloween!

I forgot to mention, that I heard back from TGIFridays in Gatlinburg. I was complaining about the 20% tax we paid that night at their restaurant and the much lower tax we paid at a different restaurant.
It seems that TGIFridays has a huge tax on liquor (we had a bottle of wine) and the other restaurant does not.
I did not, of course, get a refund. but, she did send me a gift card good for one free appetizer, so it was well worth my 39 cents to write.
Now if we just had a TGIfriday's around!

We tried the new restaurant last night. We are good friends with the owners of the place we go to, every night. A few months ago, they opened a new place, right next door. It was a tex mex restaurant. The menu didn't have anything we liked, so we did not go but once or twice. No one else did either.

They asked our opinion and we said, we did not like the menu. This place needs a steak restaurant. The closed last weekend, changed the name and opened up Friday night as a steak house. We went and dh got the rib eye. He said it was great! However, the price is a bit over our budget. It was about $20 just for his meal. I went and bought steaks for supper tonight on sale, two n.y. strips on sale for under $6. That is a pretty good deal. My dh is cooking them, so I don't have to do anything but make a baked potato.
Hope my friends have really good sucess with their new place and we will be back when we save up our pennies!

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 love halloween, it is my favorite holiday. I love to dress up and go to parties.
Well, i should not have turned on QVC yesterday cause they had a halloween show! I ordered a battery operated fright sound machine! I can use it to record a halloween message on my answering machine, carry it with me to the big party and use it at my front door on halloween night!
Ok, I know I wasted $20 on something that I really don't need, but I really enjoy Halloween! But I need to keep the tv turned to the news channel instead!

A big thankyou to mjrube94 for sending me a coupon for prilosec. My dh has to take it every day. What a nice surprise. I was so surprised, I thought I had locked myself out of the house (forgot i went out the front door)

You all know I am computer illiterate! I checked my mail this morning and my inbox was blank! I never delete my inbox, that is how I send e mails. I don't use an address book, just too lazy. I even saved some of the e mails I received from some of you, like Ray, bookie, cathy, etc.
If you want to e mail me, please do! I have lost your e mail address!

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

My dh stands up all day. His feet hurt a lot and he needs a new pair of work shoes about every 6 months. Those who enjoy shoe shopping would love going with him.
If we go to the mall, he goes to every store and tries on every pair in the store. (I buy the first pair that fit me, I hate shoe shopping)
This goes on all day until he finds the best pair.

I won't even go to the mall with him any more. We have a large store locally that sells everything, including shoes. So I send him by himself.
I always tell him, if he finds something he likes, buy two pair.
Then he will have a pair for next time. He went yesterday, found two pairs, bought one! They were $75. He could not bring himself to pay $150 for two pair. So, He will have to go thru this again in about 6 months! Oh well, at least I did not have to go with him!

I made my first trip to the social security office today. I had to sit and wait for over an hour.
Finally, I went inside and the lady asked me what she could do for me?
I said I came to apply for social security benefits.
She said, "for who?"
I said, "for me"
She said, you can't, you are not old enough!

That made my day!

When I left, she said, I don't know what you are doing, but keep doing it!

On top of that, I will get my first check in January!

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

Today is Monday, Sept. 25th. Only 3 more months til christmas!!

Looks like I am having a no spend day today. I have not been out of the house. I did my grocery shopping yesterday and got steaks on sale for dinner tonight.
This is at least my fifth day in a row of not running the air or heat. It has warmed up here and i was temped yesterday, but I just used the fan.
I have been invited to join some ladies for lunch tomorrow, so don't know if I will spend the money for lunch or not!

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.

I don't know how much he spent, other than 2 1/2 hours, but the van is fixed for now. Thank goodness, we now have two functioning vehicles again, now to get the hot rod fixed! I wish my husband's hobby was not cars, but chickens. At least we would get free eggs.

Ugh!! Now I know why I like new cars. My dh van is sick, not sure what is wrong, but he says it hardly runs. The othe day he couldn't get it out of park. The hot rod will not crank and the old vette has something leaking out of it. Sounds like they all need to be fixed at once!
I even have a burned out side light in my car. Looks like this will be the month of the car repairs!
Dh is at the garage with his van right now, getting worked on. It is his work truck and he cannot do without it. Ihope it is fixable and can last another year or two.
It is only a 2001 but has done a lot of heavy hauling. I am keeping my fingers crossed that is will last a little longer. I got it paid off last christmas and then started a car fund, using that payment and putting it aside every month.