Ima Saver's Personal Finance Blog

It really is hot! I have been trying to keep my KPh under 50 a day, but it has been that and above for about half the days this past two weeks. I just have to remember that July and August are the two hottest months.

I tried to get my dh out for a cheap meal at Wendy's last night. No dice, he wanted a normal hot meal.
I always thought because I stay home all day, it was me that really wanted to get out of the house.
Now, I can see, this is our routine. He enjoys it as much as I do.
Oh well, we took the old hot rod and had a good time. We also talked to another young waitress about saving for a roth ira. One day we may get thru to one of these girls.

My poor dh is working so hard. He is building a BIG spec house to sell, a smaller house for a widow and now he has just started one for a friend (sort of). He was really hoping to get the smaller house done, before he started on this new house, but the "friend" wants it started now. (We have a basement done)
No one realizes that he is just one guy, working all alone. We have not seen our helper since June 29th.
Not only does dh do all the work alone, he is also doing all the plumbing and electrical alone too.
People beg him to build houses cause he is so good, but I think he is getting burned out. I really don't think he will take anymore custom houses. He even talks about moving away, so he won't be bothered by everyone he has ever built a house for.
Oh well, if we ever get this big spec house done, I think that we will go back to the smaller houses. Funny, cause you make just as much money on the small ones as you do on the big ones.

I do something, I very rarely do, I had lunch out today. Even if I do it, I just get something from the 99 cent menu at Wndy's.
But today, I met two ladies for lunch at a nice restaurant. They are two ladies that post on my local forum. I had lunch with one of them last month, so today, we did lunch again and I met a new lady. It was nice, but I feel like I blew $10, $7 for lunch and $3 for a tip.
Well, back to being frugal!!

I wonder how long these bogo deals have been going on. I will have to admit I never read the grocery ads until I joined this forum. Now, I am finding deals every week. I don't buy anything I don't use. Since we eat out a lot, there are lots of things we just don't need.
but yesterday I decided to check out the bogo deals at bi lo. I stocked up on crackers and potato chips for my husbands lunch, all buy one, get one free.
I was surprise to see that the low carb ice cream that I love was also a bogo. Unfortunatly, the only flavor I will eat (picky eater, me) is vanilla and they were all out. I have to go to town today, so i will check again and see if vanilla has been restocked. anyway I saved $6 plus $1 for walking a mile, so i have $7 to add to my challenge.
prev. total $9889.00
today 7.00
new total $9896.00

Lots of people don't know that vettes get good gas mileage. I did not make a liquor run this week, so filling up my car this week only cost me $13. ($3.15 a gallon) I use the car to go to town almost every day and we drive it out to dinner every night.
I walked for 2 miles on my treadmill yesterday, did my 20 flights of stairs and had a no trip to town,no gas day, so i will add $4 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $9885.00
today 4.00
new total $9889.00

I never realized how much my husband likes going out at night to eat. I thought it was just me.
I mentioned that some of you on this forum were going to have a no spend week starting next week.
I asked him if he would be interested in that , and he said NO! Not if it meant he could not go out to eat at night.
He is not a spender. He only spends his money on gas for his van and the lawn mower. He takes his lunch and water every day, so he never goes to the fast food places.
He use to get coffee at mcDonald's, but he gave that up years ago.
So, what can i do? The man works 10 hours a day, seven days a week!
I guess he deserves his nights out if that is what makes him happy!

I did not make my liquor run to Murphy, N.C. this week. I stocked up last week. We just had a vote to allow liquor to be sold by the glass last week in restaurants; it lost by 49 votes.
Anytime you want hard liquor, wine or beer, you have to drive to anothe county. The frustrating thing is, you can't buy all 3 in one county, you have to go to N.C. for liquor, but to a county in Ga. to buy beer!
Anyway, I figured that I saved 2 gallons of gas, plus my 30 minutes of walking, gives me $6 plus $1 for my challenge money.
prev. totl $9878.00
today 7.00
new total $9885.00

July 25!! Just 5 more months til Christmas. QVC is having christmas in July today and I have been really tempted.
Finally, a few years ago, we really cut down on gifts. (we use to have 100 gifts under the tree for the two of us)
But we just don't need anything anymore, so we have scaled way back.
We always had a live tree, last year, I got a small fake tree.
But the one part I really enjoy is decorating outside,so I have been tempted by the inflatable carosel for $129. So far I have not picked up the phone!!
We are on a dead end street, so I know we really don't need to buy anything else outside, plus it takes up lots of room.
Merry Christmas!!!!

It was slow at the restaurant last night so I decided to talk to our young waitress. She has been there about a year, and probabaly makes decent money for an 18 year old.
I told her at her young age, she should be opening a roth ira and saving her money.
She did not have the slightest idea of what I was talking about.
She has never heard of IRA's or mutual funds.
Her mother works at the area's largest bank, and she has never heard of mutual funds, ira's!!
That is sad. Young people are not being taught anything about money, not even from their parents!!

I had a colonoscopy done in June. I got the bill last month and paid it, $917.00
Today I got anothe bill for $125.00. I called the hospital and found it was a charge they neglected to add to the first bill. I still owe $350 to the doctor and $500 to the pathologist.
Well, as thrifty ray said, I just need to look on the bright side of things. So I will! The bright side is that I have the money to pay all the bills! But for that much money, I think they should have sent me back my polyps in a jar!!

I went to rite aid and got my senior discount card today. They don't advertise it at all. I asked one of the clerks and they told me I could get one in the pharmacy.
It will save me 10% on Tuesdays. I don't buy a lot there, but heck, 10% is 10%. I then went to Ingles and stocked up on some sausage my husband likes, on a bogo. I saved $3 there, plus the $2 I pay myself for walking and 20 flights of stairs. That is $5 to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $9873.00
new total 5.00
total $9878.00

I enjoyed my evening last night. DH came home from work early (5 pm) to cut grass, weedeat and trim bushes) We sat out on the back deck and listened to the crickets and the creek.
By the time we got to eat, it was after 10 pm. We cooked pork chops that I got on sale, plus mac and cheese. So Our meal cost about $4 plus we have enough left over for another dinner! I felt pretty frugal for me!

Do any of you make goals and write them down? At the end of the year, I make my new year's goals. I write them on a piece of paper and if I meet one, i write the date next to the goal.
Of course one of my goals is to have $10,000 in my $20 challenge!! I am getting close to it! If I make it, I plan to keep on and try and see how much I can go over it.
( However, I have finally gotten over making the goal to weigh 112 again. It just isn't going to happen)

I am so happy to be on this forum! On my local forum, if I say anything about saving or being frugal, I get jumped on! Here I can talk about money.
I did 60 minutes on my treadmill yesterday, that earned $2 plus I ran to the store this morning for a few things for dinner tonight. I saved $3 using coupons, so I have a total of $5 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $9868.00
today 5.00
new total $9873.00

My dh takes prilosec. It just to cost us $130 a month but now it is over the counter. You can get 6 weeks worth for $30. Today, Rite aid had it on sale and I saved $4. That goes to my challenge money. Plus i am going to apply for one of their discount cards to save 10% on Tuesdays.
prev. total $9864.00
today 4.00
new total $9868.00

My electric bill came. I have been watching it all month. July, august and September are ususally my highest months because of running the a/c. My budget is $160, but my bill was only $113, including tax. So, I have $47 to add to my challenge money.
Prev total $9817.00
today 47.00
new total $9864.00

I saved over $6 at the grocery store using coupons and my advantage card. I got my walking in yesterday plus a "no gas" day, so I will add in another $2. That is $8 for my challenge.
prev. total $9809.00
today 8.00
new total $9817.00

We have a person who thinks we just love his company at dinner. We don't, we want to be alone and not have to talk about his house building.
He stops in, once or twice a week at our restaurant, to "sit" with us.
He almost always comes on thursdays so we decided not to show up at the restaurant last night.
Oh one night, we switched restaurants, but he found us anyway. What a pest!!
So last night, we sat out on our deck and had drinks until about 7:30, then we went to Wendy's for our gourmet dinner!
Actually, that 99 cent menu is great and that is what my dinner cost, 99cents for chicken tenders and water. My husband was starving, so he got a value meal.
All in all, we only spent a little over $5, so i figured I saved about $15, cause we usually spend between $16-23 eating out.
I will add that $15 to my challenge money.
prev. total $9794.00
today 15.00
new total $9809.00

I haven't read much about the $20 challenge lately. What have you all been doing. I know some of you have had to use the money for emergencies, but just like a diet, it is time to go back to the challenge.
I did my walking and stairs yesterday so I have $2 to add to my challenge.
Prev. total $9792.00
today 2.00
new total $9794.00

Have smilies always been allowed?? I didn't think so.[Automated by GetSmile]

I do!! I really enjoy seeing what is going on in all of your lives!! [Automated by GetSmile]

We are going to do something different tonight. We ususally go out, but find we often have company on thursday night at the restaurant.
This guy we know comes to town every thursday night and always comes in and sits with us, uninvited! It is annoying because all he wants to talk about is the house he is building. After working all day as a builder, dh wants to talk about something else.
So maybe we will save some money. We will still eat out I guess.
I would like to go to the job site and watch the sun set over the mountains.
Wish it wasn't so hot!!

No freebies today, just a package for Holly, my 5 pound black poodle. Inside, a safari outfit, complete with hat!! My nutty girlfriend, sent it from her male dog, Weasel (who names a cute dog, weasel?)
I have got to go and try it on her. I hope she got it somewhere cheap, cause Holly does not like wearing "clothes".
Wish i could show you a picture!

I took my coin jar to the bank today. Usually I wait til it is full. I add up every time I put money in and the last few times, the bank did not agree with my totals, and the bank always came out the winner.
So I decided I will take it more often, with less money, to see if it is more accurent. Today it agreed with me, so I have $27 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $9765.00
today 27.00
new total $9792.00

I am stuck at home today. My dh's van needed some work, so i picked him up, we came home and he took off to work with my car. You would think with 4 cars, i would have something to drive.
The old vette has a transmission leak problem which we have not had fixed.
The hot rod, is just, well, a hot rod. my husband's pride and joy. I am scared to drive it.
You have to shift gears, it has no windshield wipers (to look cool) and the mirrors are about as big as my thumb. (to look cool again) It scares me not to know what is behind me.
So, i guess i will just stay home and get in some exercising!!

I have an extra twenty dollars in one of my envelopes, so thought I would transfer that over to my challenge account.
Prev. total $9745.00
today 20.00
new total $9765.00

I found a driver's license at the store today. Now, I could have assumed this guy's idenity, BUT, he was 22, had a full beard, weighed 240 pounds and was 6 feet tall. I am 5 feet 2 inches, have no beard, am quite a bit older and weigh quite a bit less, so nobody would buy it!! Of course, I turned it into the office!!

I have been reading my meter every day, trying to keep my kilowatt consumption under 50 every day, which I need to keep in line with my $160 a month budget. The past two days, I have gone over 50, actually the day before the reading was 64, the worst it has been this month. I forgot and left the hot water on. Plus it is just plain darn HOT HOT HOT!!!

I am getting closer to my $10,000 challenge. I bought 5 shampoos and got 5 conditioners, thereby saving $5. I walked for 35 minutes on my treadmill. I went to Bi lo and saved $2 on my store card. I also got a coupon for a free bag of purina one dog food, but I am not going to count that in my challenge money. I would never pay $6 for a small bag of dog food, since my outside dog likes any kind of food. But I do have $8 more to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $9737.00
today 8.00
new total $9745.00