Ima Saver's Personal Finance Blog

Bi lo has N.Y. strip steak on sale this week, so I got two for our sunday dinner. I also picked up some of my favorite cookies, which are on sale for about 60 cents a package. I saved $4 at the store today, so i will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,376.00
today 4.00
new total $16,380.00

They reassessed all the property in our county. I got the assessment in the mail today and it was a shocked. My house has doubled in value since they last assessed it! I guess that means my property tax is going to double too.
I guess I should not complain, most of you pay much higher taxes than I do.

$473.34 I opened up a new money market account at my local bank last month, It is paying 5.25% interest.
I looked at my account online today (I figured it out) and it has been credited with $473.34 today.
Wow! That is more than 2 weeks pay for me! Even as a waitress, I never made more than $200 a week.
Just for sitting in an account for 30 days, $473.34. I wish i could add that to my challenge money, but no one else it, so I won't.
Maybe next year, I will take the money I have saved in the challenge and add the interest that THAT money makes.
Anyway, this is fun!

This is the 3rd day in the row (at least) that I have not used the a/c or the heat.
I have been trying to be good all summer, but when it hits 80 upstairs, I do turn the a/c on. I have it set at 77 downstairs, and when it gets to 78, I do let it run.
We have a great theromostat. It turns the a/c at 78 and when it cools to 76, it turns itself off. I guess it runs more often, but not for as long. My bill should be under budget this month and even more under budget for last month.
This is one of the few bills I can control. The water bill is always the same unless we have to water the grass. The phone bills are the same too, because I use a card for long distance.
I am still reading my meter and writing it down. I am happy to say that most days I am using less than 40 kph!

Today is the first day of fall and it is a beautiful day! A bit nippy this morning but no heat of a/c. My house is very well built (guess who built it) and it takes quite a while for it to cool down inside enough for the heat to be needed.
I took my change into the bank today to get counted. I find I do better when I don't take in a large sum, then their total never agrees with mine and I always seem to be the loser. I got back $30 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,346.00
today 30.00
new total $16.376.00

I signed up to take bridge lessons today and I took my first lesson this morning. I am not a morning person and it started at 9 am, but I think I will enjoy it.
So, I spent $25 for the class and $7 for the bridge book.
Then I found a magazine that had several pages of the inside of a house my dh built, so I had to go buy a few copies of those.
Oh well, I think the money was well spent today and I know I will enjoy those lessons.!

We stayed home for supper last night and cooked chicken out on the grill. We had shorts on, but I had to resort to putting a sweater on. Fall is definately in the air. I will take the $20 we saved last night and add it to our challenge money.
prev. total $16,326.00
today 20.00
ne total $16,346.00

I think I should keep track of how many days I can go without air conditioning or heat. I cannot open the windows cause my dh does not like screens on windows.
I have not had the heat on yet, but I have run the a/c some in the past few weeks. It usually gets hot upstairs and I wind up turning the a/c on for a little while when I am up here.

I don't think I have run anything for a few days, but I am going to start with today and see how many days I can go.
I can't let it get too cold in the house cause I don't like alone. I have a dh and a tiny dog that likes to be warm.

Oh well, hope this is day one! It is still below 60 out right now. It was 42 when I got up.

I bet I am the only person on this forum that carries a back scratcher in my purse. My back itches sometimes so i take one on trips. Last year, I found one that telescopes and will fit in my purse. It is so handy! Do you carry anything weird in your purse. (Do you carry a purse broken arrow and bookie?)

My husband is taking today off and is pressuring washing the house. We have hired this done several times, but they never seem to do a good job, like my husband does.
I wish I could say that this saves money but it doesn't. He loses a whole day's pay plus has to rent a sprayer.
It would be 42 degrees this morning!! I know he is out there freezing and soaking wet (the sprayer leaks)
But, I will have a nice clean outside stucco house and I won't be ashamed of anyone coming to the front door.
We never use the front door or front porch and it tends to have little black "buggy" spots. It will be nice and clean soon!

Since gas has dropped so much the past two weeks, I have decided to take what I save on gas and put it in my challenge money.
Now I don't use a lot of gas, usually less than 1/2 tank. But I was paying over $3 a gallon and now it is closer to $3.50. So I am saving 50 cents a gallon. I fill up once a week.
Yesterday I filled up; got 7 gallons and saved over $3. I am adding that $3 along with the $2 I pay myself for walking 2 miles, to my challenge money.

prev. total $16,321.00
today 5.00
new total $16,326.00 opps, imeant to say that gas is now closer to $2.50 a gallon.

I think i set a record yesterday. We went to Wal Marts and I did not spend a penny!
Now, going to wal mart is a pretty big chore. We don't just pass one everyday. we have to drive to another state to visit Wal Mart. It is about 30 miles just one way.
We needed to go to North Carolina to order some tile for the front courtyard and also make a liquor run.
We went by Walmart to take back two items that I decided I did not need. So instead of spending money I got a $15 credit on my charge card! That is good!

The price of gas has really gone down the past 2 weeks. I buy premium gas and I have been paying over $3 a gallon for what seems like forever! I noticed that the corner station has gas for $2.54 (premium, 2.34 regular). That is about 50 cents a gallon less than I was paying two weeks ago. I only fill up once a week. I think I will take that 50 cents a gallon and add it to my challenge money. I also called about propane.
They advertise that propane was on "sale" this summer for $1.79 gallon. I just called and the price is now $1.69 gallon, so I ordered 300 gallons.
Hopefully that will keep us warm for a couple of months. I keep the house at 60 in the daytime and 63 at night for my dh!

I did my grocery shopping early this morning, it was so nice and quiet. They had t bones and chicken on sale, so that is what I got for dinner tonight. We can have the chicken tomorrow or tuesday night! By using my bi lo card, I saved $7 which I will add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $16,314.00
today 7.00
new total $16,321.00

We had dinner out as usual. I thought about having something expensive to celebrate our possible sale of our house we are building! But decided i would wait until we were really sure.
The poeple want the house and they gave me a deposit. But they need to sell their house and some other property, and arrange for financing. So I am hoping and keeping my fingers crossed.
When we get a contract, i will splurge then!!

We put up signs last week, I printed up 300 fliers to put out and our spec house went up for sale. (We are just doing the sheetrock now)
WE had our first lookers yesterday. My dh called me and said bring over the covenants, they will be back. They came back yesterday afternoon.
They came back again today. They gave me a deposit check for $2500!!!
I am so excited. Of course, my dh houses usually sell first because they are such quality. He does all the inside work completely by himself, I mean everything, paint, trim, tile, hardwood flooring, cabinets, etc.
We asked $400,000and the offer was for $400,000! (maybe too cheap?)
It is a 3500 sq. ft. house with 12 foot ceilings, a courtyard with pond, and a killer mountain view on 1.7 acres!!
I am doing the dance of joy and adding that money to my challenge money!
prev. total $13,814.00
today 2,500.00
new total $16,314.00

I have been reading and writing down the readings on my electric meter all summer long. The past two days has been the lowest usage for the past three months, only 21 kilowatts each day.
It is nice to know that our electric bill will start going down now and i can add that to my challenge money.

It was cold and in the 50's this morning and now I have a fan blowing on me to keep cool. My meter has been moving very slowly thank goodness!
I did manage to save $1 from walking, one for stair climbing and a $1 off coupon at the store, to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $13,811.00
today 3.00
new total $13,814.00

We got our first lookers at our spec house today. They came back and took a picture and that is a good sign.
With this slowing housing market, I was getting (and still am) worried.
We started our building small mountain homes with a view and they sold quickly. Some how this house is going to be 3500 square feet and cost over $350,000 just to build.
I just think about all the interest I am losing on this money. However, at least I am not paying interest on the house.

I wish the weather would stay just like this. It is cool, 72 and sunny and pretty. It will be a good night to go out to eat and then cruise the town in our '33 vicky!! That is just what we will do!

No good mail today, it all went in the garbage. I did get a coupon from L'oreal for a free High intensity pigments liquid makeup.
I found it at the store for $12.99, but it is all so dark. Do any of you with light skin use this make up. I was kind of afraid to try it! But I hate to waste a $12.99 coupon!

Soem of my favorite sugar free candy is half price at the store. It is not advertised, so I hope that doesn't mean it is being discontinued. I stocked up on it and saved $5 to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $13,806.00
today 5.00
new total $13,811.00

Last night was my first night to wear a sweater outside. I wanted to sit on the deck by the creek, but we had a light rain. So we sat on the back porch deck instead, dh, me and Holly.
She loves to go out on the deck and everytime one of us gets up to refill our drink, she gets in our chair!
We cooked pork chops and hamburgers on the grill last night.
I bought some sugar free candy that was 41 off yesterday. That plus the $20 we saved not going out to eat, gets added to my challenge money.
prev. total $13,785.00
today 21.00
new total $13,806.00 Meant to say that the candy was $1 off!

It sure is nice to see the electic meter is slowing down. Instead of a reading in the high 50's and 60's each day, it has slowed back down to the 30's (kilowatts) I know we still have a few warm days coming,but I love saving on my electric bill.
I am thinking about how to save gas money to add to my challenge. Gas is going down quite quickly, I sure hope this lasts!!

I received my first pinecone check for doing a survey, yesterday. You all were right, they sure pay promptly. I saved $3 in coupons at the grocery store, so I have $8 more to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $13,777.00
today 8.00
new total $13,785.00

We ate at TGIFriday's, friday night. The next day I looked at the bill; I paid $7.99 tax on a $40 tab. That is 20%, so i called them and was told that that is what sevier county charged for everything, 20%!!
The next night, I ate somewhere else, this time my tax was a little over $5 on an $82 tab. No where near 20% not even 10%!!
I would have never done this before I joined this forum, but I am writing to the manager, sending the two bills, and asking for a refund of the overpaid tax. Wish me luck!
(By the way, I did tip the girl $10 on the first check, so I am not being a cheap skate)

I got hot dogs on sale a few weeks ago, buy one pack, get one free.
My dh has beeen taking them for lunch everyday. Yesterday we got invited over to a hot dog and beer cook out.
Last night, dh asked if we could go get KFC so he could have chicken for lunch today instead of hot dogs. He is hot-dogged out!!
I had a coupon for $1 off the KFC, plus I know I walked at least 3 miles in Gatlinburg, so I have $4 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $13,773.00
today 4.00
new total $13,777.00

Well, I have gone 3 whole days without adding anything to my challenge money. That will not do.
I thought about the challenge while on my mini vacation.
Saturday morning, with my dh off real early to the car show, Idecided to forego my expensive waffle breakfast. Instead, I hiked to McDonald's for a biscuit and glass of water. So, I saved about $5 which will be added to my challenge money.
prev. total $13,768.00
today 5.00
new total $13,773.00

It feels so good to be back home, in a nice big house, not a little motel room. I tried to be a little frugal on this trip.
We had a fairly cheap (for us) dinner out the first night. We went to TGIFridays and I had just potatoe skins and dh had a burger. We did share a bottle of wine.
DH really wanted steak the next night, so we had a splurge night, with filet mignon and a bottle of wine!
Anyway this trip was paid for out of the money from my "charge card" envelope cause I haven't been charging much.
DH got to look at a million old cars, and I caught up on lots of money magazines and Mary Hunts book, cheapskate money makeover.

I am leaving this morning to go to Gatlinburg. Now, don't you guys go doing anything exciting while I am gone. I know I will never be able to catch up on all the blogs I will miss while I am gone! I sure will miss this site and I am going to try and practice being as frugal as possible while I am gone!!It will be a car show for dh and lots of reading for me and Holly. (no shopping, I hope)