Ima Saver's Personal Finance Blog

I have spent the past two hours paying bills, both mine and for the houses we are building!! I found some extra money had accumulated in the telephone and cable envelopes, so I am putting that in my challenge money, another $80!!
Prev. total $5536.00
today 80.00
new total $5616.00

It felt good to eat out last night. I hate going to florida because of the heat and also because the in laws do not eat supper at night. That usually means dh and I do not eat supper at night. We wind up eating junk food cause there is no restaurants in that town.
Last night we went out and had a normal meal like most people eat at night. DH splurged and got a big meal so he would have leftovers for his lunch.
Grass really needs to be cut, so dh is coming home early tonight to get it cut. Therefore, I am making a crock pot roast and potatoes!

Well, I got on my treadmill this morning for the first time since last Wednesday!! (been away on a trip)
It wouldn't turn on. I have had a treadmill and used it daily for about 20 years.
I got really upset, what do I do without my treadmill??
I got down on the floor, there is a re set button, but it was on. Well, I turned it off and back on, and yipee, the treadmill now works!! I have to walk off the 2 pounds I gained on this trip.

I got two bags of free dog food from the pet store, $10 a bag was the price. I pay about $5 a bag normally at the grocery store.
I filled two bowls with food for the dog, Lucy, while we were gone to fla. She ate all of the $10 food and none of the $5 food.
Even dogs chose the most expensive things. I hope she enjoys it, she goes back to the cheaper food when this is all gone.

Since, I have been on a trip, I have not added any money to my $20 challenge. Today I went grocery shopping. I hate to say this, but I spent $46 and got One bag of groceries!! ONE!!
I did save almost $4 using my advantage card, so I will all that to my challenge money.
prev. total $5532.00
today 4.00

new total $5536.00

I was really hoping we would not spend much money on this four day trip to Florida, but we spent about $400. We stayed for free in a duplex, so that was great, but I bet we spent $200 in gasoline. I forgot that we had to pay for the banquet and that was $60. They had a cash bar, but it was expensive, $7 a drink.
I am use to brown bagging it at home and paying nothing for mixed drinks. We spent about $40 there.
The rest just was spent at visits to Publix. We bought all kinds of neat snacks, some of which melted in the car before we could get them home. (chocolate)

Someone mentioned that they had never heard of Umatilla, Fla. It is in central florida, near Leesburg, eustis, and Mount Dora.
It is one of the ugliest towns I have seen. There is nothing to do and no place to eat except McDonald's. I have seen all the McDonald's I want for a long time. Even the grocery store moved out of the town. There is nothing to do in that town, but sweat!!! Oh well, I don't have to go back until next year!

You can keep Florida, it is hot when you wake up! It was in the 90's all the way home, when we hit Clayton, Ga. (in the mountains), the temperature dropped to 60. We had to wear a sweater when we cooked out last night. No place like home!

I feel frustrated that I cannot do anything to add to my challenge money while on a trip. At least I am taking all of my change and putting it in a little pocket in my suitcase. I can add it to my coin jar when I get home!!

Ok, you guys in Fla., how do you do it? I have been here one day and I cannot stand the heat. We have been sitting in the house all day. My dh wants to go and take rides around the area. One trip to Publix wiped me out!!

I use to write expenses down when I went on a trip, I guess I still should. I think it has cost me about $60 in gas to drive to Florida. I only spent about $12 for the two of us for breakfast and lunch. I have spent about $35 at Publix, only to realize that some of the stuff is chocolate and it is 100 degrees out and things melt quickly. We spent another $6 out for breakfast today. So far, that is a total of $113. We are staying in a free duplex, so that helps!!

We are here in Fla. for my husband's class reunion. We rode around to find out where the dinner is going to be held tomorrow and talked to some people that were at the dining hall.
The reunion is for anyone that graduated in the 60's. Each class is having a party tonight. We were told the party would be at one house at 6 pm. At the dining hall, we were told it was at another house at 7 pm.
Not much organization at this place!!

Hi, I am here and I am hot!! I sure miss the mountains of Georgia. It is too hot to do anything!! (or spend money)

I withdrew $1000 from the vacation account today. I know we won't spend that amount, but I will need it for next week's budget, to make up for 4 days of lost pay.
That is the bad thing about being self employed, you never get a paid vacation or a paid day off.
Wish saving $1000 was as easy as withdrawing $1000!!!

I am packing for a trip to Florida. Trying to find something cool enough to wear, so I am taking way too many clothes. Did you ever notice that almost everything, "dress up" is long sleeves. I wish I could just wear shorts.

Forgot to add my new totals:
prev total $5512.00
today 20.00
new total $5532.00

not bad!!

Our restaurant was not open last night, so we ran to the store to find something to grill. We spent $6, so I feel like we saved at least $10 for the challenge. Then today, I used coupons and saved $4 at Ingles. I have 2 coupons for free dog food from the pet store.
That food was $10 each for a 5 pound bag. I am not going to count $20 saved for dog food because I do not buy expensive food for my outside dog. I figured that I have saved at least $6 in what I would spend for dog food, for a grand total of $20!! I also have a coupon for a free expensive bag of cat food. I will go get that someday and guess I can donate it to someone. Too bad I don't have any frugal friends!

This is the first time I have had time to come to this site, my favorite place to visit. I had a bunch of errands to run today to get ready for our trip. Then I had to take the car in for an oil change and tire alignment. That took up about 3 hours, as I had to go to another state. Looking forward to dinner out tonight!! And catching up on all these blogs!!

I was cleaning out a drawer today and found an old wallet. I wish I could say it was full of money, but I take better care of money than that. I always know how much money I have.
This wallet did have a change purse and it was full of nickels. We use to play a game that used nickels, so I had stored them up.
At least some change got added to my change jar today.
I picked up my dog from the groomer and noticed our restaurant was not open today. I bet we will have to do something else for supper!! That should save us some money!!

I blew it today and it is all the bank's fault! If they were not closed, I would have cashed today's pay check and paid cash for my purchases.
Instead I put almost $25 worth of stuff on my credit card.
Why is make up so expensive. I need eye liner and the type I like, is $8. Eight dollars, that is terrible. Then I spent $8 more for two eye shadows. I have tried some of the real cheap ones, and they are terrible.
Plus I bought some sugar free candy and other misc.
Ok, I will go and stand in the corner now!! I should just quit wearing make up. Now I know why older women usually don't wear eye liner and eye shadow, we can't see how to put it on!!

Sunday night is our stay home, cook at home night. We have not had steak in about 2 months, so i thought I would splurge. It is a holiday although my husband generally works 7 days a week.
The steak was on sale with my bi lo card, so I saved $3. I also got in my 30 minutes of walking, so I have a total of $4 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5508.00
today 4.00
new total $5512.00

We had a great time at the party last night. lots and lots of food, we pigged out. Even had dessert. I was dressed as Elvis and a male elvis did win the best dressed prize.
They had about 30 couples enter the dance contest. My dh wouldn't enter, so I danced with a stranger, but we took 2nd prize. I won a 30 minute massage. Not sure what to do with that, I am not the "massage" type.!!

I am going to a 50's party tonight. Knowing all the ladies will be so cute in their poodle skirts, I decided to do something different.
You know when you get older, you really don't care what people think of your looks, so I always like to be funny at parties.
I am going as Elvis. The fatter version of Elvis in a white jumpsuit.
I have a terrible Elvis wig that would make elvis cry. (He did have great hair, so did my husband when we got married, but it is gone now!)
I hope when I leave the party someone will say, "Elvis has left the building"!!

Ok, May 25th was my official toilet paper countdown day. The first part of the year, I had lots of coupon to buy toilet paper with. I wound up buying 17 4double roll packages. So I have 68 rollds of toilet paper that cost me about $20 for all of them.
I just want to see how long i can go without buying toilet paper.
I bought a large bag of garbage bags and have been using them since Feb. 22nd!
I have stockpiled sprite and have enough for several months.
So, with my diet sprite and my toilet paper purchases, I sit here very happy!!

Just got back from the grocery store. I stocked up on sprite which is still on sale. I now have 12-12/can cases, but we drink it a lot. I also got another free case of disani water for buying coke products. I found a coupon for a savings on pickles, which were on sale already. With my advantage card, I saved about $10 which I will add to my challenge money. I am not counting the $5 I would have paid for the water because I never buy bottled water. I distill my own.
prev. total $5498.00
today 10.00
new total $5508.00

Yes, we are definately going to dh class reunion next week. Does it ever make you feel upset about skimping on all the little things. Then something unexpected, like this reunion, comes along, and you have to blow a lot of money.
Oh the reunion won't cost that much, but we have to take off four days from work and travel to Florida.
I do go to my reunion, but I also get about 6 months notice. I already know it will be held in October 2007.
I guess it wouldn't be so bad, but we just went to Florida for 4 days to visit in February. Just griping, thanks for listening!!

Well, I visited the job site today and just did not like the living room windows. They don't match. In the last spec house, I made dh change the living room windows. Sorry, but he is going to have to do it again.
We have a garage full of windows and french doors! I guess we will have to sell them at $10 a piece.
So, I definately blew some money today, but the house has got to look good for the price we have to ask.
Yes, he is still speaking to me!!

I think I have the cleanest car in town, my husband washes it so much. He is washing it now. It has rained 4 times this afternoon, I bet it gets rained on tonight. It always rains when you wash a car.

I paid all of my end of the month bills today. The electric bill is one I am never sure of as opposed to garbage, water, cable, etc. being a set sum every month. So I budget $160 a month to pay the electric bill. This month is was $80 so I have $80 left over which will go to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5418.00
today 80.00
new total $5498.00

Well, I saved $6 with my advantage card yesterday, stocking up on diet sprite while it is on sale. I also walked 30 minutes, so I have $7 to add to my challenge money.

prev. total $5411.00
today 7.00
new total $5418.00