Ima Saver's Personal Finance Blog

My dh requested boneless chicken to cook on the grill tomorrow. I thought I remembered that bi lo had a buy one, get one free on boneless chicken.
Sure enough, I got a free pack of chicken which we can either freeze or cook up and have for another meal or lunches. That saved a minimum of $5 which I will add to my challenge money.
prev. total $6366.00
today 5.00
new total $6371.00

Well i walked for over 30 minutes on my treadmill and walked up and down 22 flights of stairs, so i have $2 to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $6364.00
today 2.00
new total $6366.00

Our worker just showed up with a big box of vegetables, pototoes, green onions and squash. He brought up some last weekend and those were the best potatoes, I have tasted.
My husband cut up the red potatoes, mixed them with chopped green onion, oil, butter, spices and cooked them in alum. foil on the grill. We ate on them for days!!
I know what we are having for supper tomorrow night, chicken and potatoes, cooked on the grill. (squash too)

Or is it grey? I have needed to color my hair for a few weeks, but determined I would wait for a sale. Both the local drug stores advertised it on sale this week, so with my coupon, I got $2 off. I also walked 30 minutes yesterday, so I have $3 to add to my challenge money.
prev total $6361.00
today 3.00
new total $6364.00

My credit card came and had a balance of $525 on it. I had put the cost of half my procedure from the hospital on it. But I have been saving $100 a week in my medical envelope, so I was able to pay it right off.

I have been reading the meter everyday and making notes. I have turned the air conditioning up to 76, but my husband complains at night that it is too hot to sleep. I turn the air upstairs off until it gets unbearable in the afternoon. I have really tryed this week, but I keep using about 47 kwh per day. The weather has been in the high 90's, so i guess that is why my usage is so big. As long as I have enough budgeted in my envelopes, I guess i should not complain, but it has been nice having that extra money from the electric bill to put into my challenge money.!!

I got my walking up to 60 minutes yesterday, and at $1 for each 30 minutes, that will add $2 to my total.
Prev. total $6359.00
today 2.00
new total $6361.00

We received our american express credit card bill today. Because my dh puts a lot of home depot charges for the houses he is building, on the card, we get a rebate once a year. It came today, so I am going to add $515.00 to our challenge money.
prev. total $5844.00
today 515.00
new total $6359.00

I am going out to lunch today with a new friend. Usually when I meet my girlfriend for lunch, we go to burgerking or wendy's where I can eat for about $2. (I drink water)
But this is a new person, i have ony met once, and she suggested we meet for lunch, so I picked some place nice. I know lunch will cost me about $7, so with tip, I will blow about $10.
I feel kind of bad about this, but there is nothing I can do, short of sit there and not eat. I won't do that! (I would if they had nothing I liked but that is not the case)

I stayed home all day and didn't spend a dime. I filled up the car with gas last night, total $21. I didn't think that was too bad, compared to some people.
I walked on my treadmill for 30 minutes yesterday, so I am adding $1 for that and $1 for a no gas day. A total of $2 for my challenge money.
Prev. total $5842.00
today 2.00
new total $5844.00

I have been reading the meter everyday around noon. We did not do too well yesterday. We used 47 kwh for one day, for a cost of about $4.28.
I did keep the a/c off up stairs almost the whole day and it got to over 80 degrees upstairs. I kept the downstairs air set at 76, but my husband complained it was too hot, so I turned it down to 74 last night.
I ran the dishwasher, one load of clothes and one load in the dryer. I ran the dryer at night, so i don't know how many kwh's it used, but, I think quite a few. Now I know why so many of you line dry your clothes!

Looks like we are going to get a wal mart in our area. I am not too sure if this makes me happy. Our closest wal mart is over 25 miles away, one way. I only go about 3 times a year, cause I spend too much when i go. I know things are cheaper.
But I am afraid I will be tempted to go there almost every day, it is only going to be built about 3 miles away!!

I made another land payment yesterday. So far, I have been able to come up with an extra $1000 a month to pay on the principal. It is nice to see that interest amount drop.
When i started the payments, i was paying about $400 a month in interest. Yesterday the interest was $165.
The amount I owe is dropping rapidly. I started out owing $64,000 and my balance is now below $29,000.

DH decided he would take sandwiches for lunch the rest of the week, so I went to Ingles to get him some ham. My favorite low carb ice cream was almost half off and I had a coupon for the only food my dog has ever like, beneful.
so I saved almost $4 at the store, plus $1 for walking at least 30 minutes yesterday. Another $5 for my challenge money.
prev total. $5837.00
today 5.00
new total $5842.00

I am trying to track my electric use by reading my meter everyday. So today, I paid attention when I started the hot water heater and the dishwasher. During the time the dishwasher and hot water ran, it used 6 kwh's for a cost of 54 cents. Of course that does not count anything else that was pulling electricity like the refrigerator, so the cost is actually less. Not bad!

I got my electric bill yesterday and was very happy to see that it was still under $100. I budget $160 a month for it, but because there was an extra payday last month (5 fridays) I had $200 in my electric bill envelope. Therefore, I have $100 to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $5737.00
today 100.00
new total $5837.00

I found some extra money in one of the envelopes It is actually an expense that has been discontinued, but if I have extra money, I will put $10 in that envelope. So I now have an extra $50 to put in my challenge money.
Prev. total $5687.00
today 50.00
new totl $5737.00

Ok, it is 76 here in my exercise room. This is where I spend most of my day. The computer is in here too. I am going to try and do better about my elec. bill cause every dollar I save from my monthly budget of $160 is money I can put in my challenge. This room needs a/c on all day, to make it bearable. I have a big floor fan on right now, and it is helping! Of course this room is upstairs (heat rises) and my treadmill is right in front of the window and gets the afternoon son.
If I ever move, I will plan a cooler place to put my treadmill.

I love Mondays!! That is my payday!! I love bringing home all that cash, getting out all my little envelopes and putting it all away. Especially, when there is enough money for ALL the envelopes. I list my envelopes in the order of importance, the bills that must get paid come first.
There are a few envelopes that I can miss if I am running short of money. For example, christmas fund, van fund (van is already paid for, so I add this to my fund to pay off car)medical fund (maybe we won't get sick) etc. Of course,I can always cut down on the groceries or going out to eat.

I wish I could be like frugal chick, open the windows and turn on the fans, but I cannot stand hot weather. It is hot today and the meter is spinning cause both of the airconditioners are running!!

We always cook on Sundays, no restaurants open in our area, except fast food.
I asked my husband what he wanted to cook tonight. (He does all the cooking and cleaning, plus works 7 days a week)
He wanted steak, but if they did not have what we wanted hamburgers would be ok.
You see, he likes rib eye steak and I like N.Y. strip, but we can never find just 1 of each. So we settle for porter house, if they have them.
Yesterday, they were out and I was kind of hoping they would be out of porterhouse again, so I could save money and buy hamburger.
Well, they had 3 left, so i got two steaks, almost $20. Just what I paid for my meal last night with enough leftovers for two lunches.
Well, it is father's day, he works hard, he deserves steak!!
I only saved $1 using my advantage card today and $1 for walking 30 minutes on the treadmill.
So I will add that $2 to my challenge.

Prev. total $5685.00
today 2.00
new total $5687.00

Happy Father's Day to all you guys, whether you are a father or not.
We don't spend much on gifts anymore, but my little Holly puppy did get her daddy some candy he really likes!!

It really is a boring day. I was invited to a cookout this afternoon, but it was mostly young women with children, plus my husband wanted to work.
I definatly had a no spend day, cash wise, although I did charge my qvc purchase on my credit card.
I saved $1 on potato chips last night and used no gas today, so I will add $2 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5683.00
today 2.00
new total $5685.00

That is my downfall. I watch tv when I walk on my treadmill. Since there is nothing I really like to watch, I tend to turn on QVC and Home Shopping. I just ordered a really cute solar powered butterfly to put out on the deck over the creek! Bad , Bad!!

Let's all have a real great weekend!!

My dh called and asked me to come to his job. He is doing the electrical work and needs advice on where to put light fixtures, plugs, extra.
I always enjoy going over to the spec house cause it has a beautiful mountain view.
However that means I did not get much exercise in today, so no challenge money to add. This has been a slow week, savings wise.

I am so happy! I got to eat and sleep again!! Why are all commercials about food, when you are on a medical fast?? 35 hours and only 3 popcicles!! Hey, I did lose 2 pounds!

My two day ordeal is over and I feel good. They found and removed 2 polyps and found I had diverticulosis. I wasn't given anything for it, so I assume it was not serious.
I have a no spend day except for the bill I occured and have slept most of the afternoon.

I am having a terrible day. I have to drink a gallon of stuff and I have been trying for over 4 hours and only have half down.
The main problem was the first glass was not cold enough and it made me sick. That made every other glass make me sick.
If you ever have to do this, chill the gallon container in the freezer to get it really cold. Also put 2 glasses in the freezer to make it even colder.

Well, I did 30 minutes on the treadmill so i can add $1 to my challenge plus I am definately going out to eat tonight, so that is another $20 to add to the challenge money.
prev. total $5662.00
today 21.00
new total $5683.00