Ima Saver's Personal Finance Blog

We went out for dinner for our anniversary, but my DH , who has been sick the past three days, didn't want anything but a bowl of soup.
So, I figured that saved us at least $5 in our bill, so I will add that to my challenge money.
prev. total $5363.00
today 5.00
new total $5368.00

I wonder how many of you smoke? I am not critizing you. I started smoking when I was 12, back in the 50's. We thought it was cool!!
My mother and father both smoked. My mother told me if I wanted to smoke, not to sneak around, smoke in front of her; so I did.
I was a heavy smoker, I smoked for over 30 years. One night, I feel asleep and my cigarette burned out on the carpet. I quit cold turkey that day.
There is a new pill coming out to help stop smoking. It is called chantex. (not sure if spelling is correct)
I hope you will consider this new pill. Think about how much money you could save by not smoking!!
When i quit, I put that money away the first year and saved it for my mutual funds.
When i started smoking, cigarettes were about 20 cents a pack. I am not sure how much they are now, but I know at least $2-3 a pack. Boy, you could save some money!
I have been smoke free for 16 years, my husband quit too!!

Went grocery shopping and saved over $2 with my advantage card, so i will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5361.00
today 2.00
new total $5363.00

Well my husband came home from work, sick again. At first we thought he had some kind of stomach virus, but now I think he may have kidney stones.
He has had them before and we spent over $1000 each time at the emergency room. Anyway, not a good way to spend your anniversay. We saved money by not eating out last night, and it looks like that is what is going to happen tonight too. I will add the $20 I saved to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $5341.00
today 20.00
new total $5361.00

Today is my 29th wedding anniversary. I got my present this morning, my husband woke up feeling much better!!
It was hard yesterday. He was sick all day and spent the whole day in bed. That meant I had to be very quiet and could not walk on my treadmill.
Now I know why older people feel so stiff. I just can't sit like I did all day yesterday.
Anyway, today was the happiest day of my life, 29 years ago. It has been a great marriage!!!
Hubby managed to eat some cereal this morning, so we are planning dinner out tonight for our anniversary. (He may just eat ice cream, but hey, that is ok)

Well, I am stuck home all day with a sick husband, so there will be no spending today or tonight. I did run and get him some gingerale for his sick tummy, so that was $1.85. We only keep diet sprite in the house and we use it for mixed drinks only. He managed to get some dry toast for lunch.
We brought home his leftovers for dinner last night and I ate them.
Guess we will find out if he has food posioning if I get sick too.
He is really qriping about the stomach cramps he is getting, I told him, think about getting cramps once a month for about 30 plus years. Oh well, I will just baby him and maybe he will be better by tomorrow.

I have a sick husband today. usually, no mater how sick he is, he goes to work. But he was up all night, throwing up. He went to work, but is still throwing up, so he came home and is in bed. We don't know if it is the flu, skipping his heartburn pill for 3 days, or food poisoning!!
Looks like I won't get in any walking on my treadmill today. It is upstairs, but right over the bed he is resting in.

There has been a big snake sunning himself on my front porch today. I took Holly out to see him, but I held her so she would not get hurt. I actually like snakes and would never hurt one.
Well, I did my walking and stairs yesterday plus I stayed home and used no gas, so i can add $3 to my challenge money.
prev. total $5338.00
today 3.00
new total $5341.00

Can you believe that tomorrow they will air the 3000 episode of the Jerry Springer show?

5:30 a.m. That is the time my dog decided to get up to go potty. It is my fault, I forgot to take her outside last night. But I could not go back to sleep, so not a good start to my day!! Well, it was good for my all white carpet. We always know when Holly has to go out cause she sleeps in bed with us

I ate at home last night, plus I did my walking challenge. I figure it cost us at least $20 to eat out, so i am going to add that to my challenge money when i convince myself to stay home and eat.
prev. total $5317.00
today 21.00
new total $5338.00

I went out and picked buttercups yesterday before my husband cut the grass. I haven't done that since I was a child. Did you ever hold them under your chin.?
I had a no spend day yesterday, even cooked dinner myself!!

I got a letter asking me to renew my subscription to the tv guide. I don't like the new format, it is like a magazine. I just want to know the daytime movies and when the Braves play. None of that is in there anymore.
So, i told them that, and that I did not want to renew. I got a check in the mail today for $12, they cancelled my subscription.
Great, I will add that to my challenge.
Prev. total $5305.00
today 12.00
new total $5317.00

It feels good to get all the bills paid and all the books caught up. Because my husband builds houses, we have a lot of bills to pay. Even on a custom, home, we paid all the bills and just get draws from the customer.
I got every thing mailed off, visited 2 banks for deposits, got my prescriptions and didn't spend a dime. Well, I did pay for my prescriptions, but we get the same three pills refilled every month, so that expense is already in our monthly budget.
I got my challenge money deposited so that it can start earning interest!

I didn't do any exercise yesterday. By the time I got home from running errands it was already after 4 pm. I like to catch up on this forum, so I read and posted for a while. Then my husband came home. We have a funny relationship to a lot of people. We spend all of our time at night together. I don't ever get on the computer or walk on my treadmill when he is home! Usually he is home at 6 pm. and we spend every evening together.
So,I need to exercise and get everything done before 6pm.
I bought him some sausage, but i got a different brand than our usual, cause it was $2 cheaper!! He hates it!! Sometimes you just can't save money on everything!

I am going to try and have a frugal day today. Yesterday, was a spend day. I had to make a liquor run to North Carolina. I spent another $8 at the grocery store for milk and dinner tonight. We went out to eat last night, $16 for dinner, then $28 to fill up my gas tank.
Tonight we are staying home and having dinner in, so dh can catch up on the yard work. It rained Sunday, so he went to work instead of cutting the grass.

My husband likes george dickel. He helped a friend out last week for a short time, and this guy gave him a big bottle of George Dickel as a thank you.
So I did not have to buy any on my liquor run today. I figured I saved about $25 ,so I am adding that, plus the $1 a mile I pay my self to walk. I got in 3 miles yesterday, so I will add $28 to my challenge money.
prev. total $5277.00
today 28.00
new total $5305.00

Had a very frugal Sunday. I stayed home all day and watched it rain. My dh went to work, so that was an extra 8 hours he put in.
I never went to the store, so no spend and no gas used.
We sat outside for a little while and cooked hamburgers and pototoes on the grill. Even tho my husband worked all day, he fixed supper. (he is a keeper)
I did managed to walk on my treadmill for 90 minutes!! Yeah!

It is a gloomy stay home day. I made a dollar by meeting my walking challenge and another dollar by staying home today and using no gas. So I have $2 to add to my challenge money.
prev. total $5275.00
today 2.00
new total $5277.00

I usually don't mind it raining, but we wanted to cook dinner out on the grill. Oh, we still will, but we won't get to enjoy sitting out by the creek!!
My husband went onto work, he is not the type to sit around. He had planned on cutting grass and do yard work, but the rain is not stopping. Even the dog does not want to go out, she hates to get her feet wet.

I just got an offer for a new GM credit card. This one will give you cash back, but instead of it being credited to your account once a year, you can ask for a check when the amount gets to $100. The problem is, I don't charge very much. Do you think I should charge more of the everyday things and then just pay it off monthly? Is that a good idea?

I feel like I am having a very frugal weekend. Yesterday, I had a no spend day, only went to the bank to make a deposit. I went out last night to a party where dinner was included.
Today I went to the bank customer appreciation day and got a free hot dog for lunch. Also, some free tomato plants. I went to the grocery store and only spent $42. I got several things on sale including milk for 50 cents and charcoal on sale. The bar soap I use was 50 cents off, so i bought two packages. Being on this site is really opening my eyes. I know I will never get good like you guys, I never get anything for FREE, but I am learning! Thanks you all.!!

I did my walking challenge yesterday. I shopped today at Ingles and found several bargains, including milk for 50 cents. I used my Advantage card and saved $5.00
Also, we did not go out to eat last night, we went to a party that served dinner. To me, that is saving at least $20 by not eating out.
So I am putting $26 in my challenge account today!!
prev. total $5249
today 26.
new total $5275.00

My husband has been complaining that his feet hurt and he needs new work shoes. In the almost 30 years we have been married, he has never bought a pair of shoes by himself. He always wants me to come, like I am a shoe expert or something.
Finally I told him yesterday that he is a big boy and he can go to the only store in town, that sells shoes all by himself and buy some.
So he left this morning and then went to work. I hope he found some shoes.
He only has 3 pairs of shoes to his name, one pair of tennis shoes for work, one pair of tennis shoes for home (and out) and one pair of dress shoes.
I was thinking, here is a guy that owns a half million dollar (or more) house that is paid for , and he only has 3 pairs of shoes???
Maybe that is why the house is paid for!!

We went to a great party last night. I am glad I don't like mexican food and ate just a little rice. Later they had homemade ice cream and I had two helpings. Back to the diet today!

Well, I did my walking challenge and my stair challenge, so I have $2 to add to my challenge money. I know it is not much, but every little bit helps.
I had to go to town today to make a bank deposit, I wait til after 2 so I can get the interest from the money market account.
On the $15,000 that I withdrew, that gave me 3 more days interest, which is $4.68. Every little bit helps. (this money is to pay for the spec house we are building, you all do know what a spec house is?)
prev. total $5247.00
today 2.00
new total $5249.00

We have been invited to a cinco de mayo party tonight.
One of my banks is having customer appreciation day today. I am going down there and get a free hot dog later.Sorry, I just don't like mexican food, but I am picky about all my food.
I will enjoy the margaritas tonight, but just skip the food!!
They are giving away free tomato plans too, so if there are any left, I will get a couple of those too. (I don't like tomatoes either)

We got out to eat every night at the same restaurant! For the past 2 years, this guy has been bothering us.
He bought a house here and is remodling it. He found out my husband is a builder, so he comes over to our table, hangs over it and talks to my husband the whole time we are eating.
It is very annoying and apparently the man does not know that it is rude.
Fortuneatly, he is only here one week a month.
I don't know his name, but he is from Miami, so I call him Mr. Miami.
The past month, I have had a female cardinal wake me up, by pecking at my window. She pecks for hours.
I decided to name her this morning, she will be call Mrs. Miami!!

Well, I walked on my treadmill for 30 minutes, did my 20 flights of stairs and stayed home, using no gas, for a total of $3 to add to my challenge.
prev. total $5244.00
today 3.00
new total $5247.00

I just love my treadmill. It is one thing in this house that is certainly worth the money that I paid for it.
Actually, this is my 3rd treadmill in the past 20 years. I wore the first two out.
I feel like my years of walking have contributed to the excellent health that I have always enjoyed, plus I probably would weigh about 500 pounds without it.
Time to walk!