Ima Saver's Personal Finance Blog

I am in the middle of a thunderstorm right now. Older dog, Lucy is scared and locked in the garage. Little dog, Holly is lying on top of the couch and barks if it thunders too loudly. She is not scared a bit.
I did my stair challenge yesterday and walked on my treadmill for 60 minutes, so I have $4 to add to my challenge money.

Prev. total $4783.00
today 3.00
new total $4786.00

opps, I typed $4 when I meant $3, sorry!!

I have always tried to talk to our waitresses and encourage them to save money. I tell them how I started off waitressing over 20 years ago and how I put 10% of my very low tips, into savings and into mutual funds.
Last night, our waitress Julie, told us that she has saved over $500 and put it in a certificate of deposit. I am so proud of her.

I had a hard time going to town today. Every place I wanted to turn, it seems the road was blocked off by a sheriff's car or an ambulance.
I finally made it to Ingles and bought some sausage I forgot to get on Saturday.
When I got home, I got on our local forum and found out there was a bomb scare at the courthouse, so that is why all the roads were blocked off!!
I have done my budget for the week and I always look forward to that.

We just had a nice dinner at a couples's house (we built their house), there were 2 other couples, for a total of eight. She fixed a nice ham dinner, We had bloody mary's out on the deck overlooking the mountain view.
She had a big basket full of easter eggs as a centerpiece on the table.
After dinner, we all got to choose 3 eggs and there was a prize in one of them. I just had a feeling that purple was going to be the winning egg, so I took the only two purple eggs.
I won!! And there was a $10 bill inside my plastic purple egg. So, I got a free meal and $10 to add to my challenge.
prev. total $4773.00
today 10.00
new total $4783.00

Just wanted to say Happy Easter. We are invited to an easter brunch at a friend's house today at noon. Wish we could hunt for eggs like back in the good old days!!

I am proud of myself. I have not been real good about being frugal until I found this site.
Oh, I was frugal when I was poor, but now I am, because I want to be.
My husband was making tuna salad and ran out of miracle whip, so he got out a new jar. (I always try to have 2 of everything)
Then I put miracle whip on my grocery list to get last week. It was $3.32 so I decided not to buy it. I wrote the price down, determined to check it every week.
After all, one jar will probably last for months, we don't eat many sandwiches.
I just got back from shopping and that same brand was on sale for $1.99 today.
I saved $1.33 and I am so proud! (Maybe I should go back and get another??)

Anyway, I saved $6 in grocery money which I will add to my challenge.
prev. total $4767.00
today 6.00
new total $4773.00

Wow, they are cut down, one day and back the next day. But it is good to see spring arriving, even if it does bring dandelions. Actually I think they are pretty. I need to get to the library to make copies before they close, then on to the grocery store. Happy Income Tax Day!!

Well, I got a check in the mail today from Edward Jones. I have an account with them for stocks I own and somehow I have accumulated $165 from dividends or something.
I called and asked for the money. I am sure it is earning little interest, so I need to put it with my challenge money to earn over 4% interest! I also saved over $2 buying my favorite sugar free candy on sale, so i will add that too.

Prev. total $4600.00
today 167.00
new total $4767.00

Wow, I am excited!!

I had a free lunch today, my bank was having customer appreciation day, so I went and got two hamburgers. (one for my dh)I also broke my diet and got a piece of cake. I won't buy it, but free, who can resist?
I also got some gardening gloves, flower seeds and a manicure set free from the bank! Not bad!!

We stayed home and I fixed supper last night. I made a roast and potatoes in the crock pot. That cost me about $10, but I saved $10 to put in my challenge money. Wow, two nights, not eating out this week. Plus, I got two more lunches for my dh and one for me.
My bank is having customer appreciation day today and I am going to see if I can get a free lunch. They ususally serve hamburgers if you are willing to wait in line for a while.
I also met my walking and stair climbing challenge yesterday,so I have $12 more to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $4588.00
today 12.00
new total $4600.00 Yeah!!

I did business with Edward Jones a few years back and bought some stock thru them. I have stayed away from the stock market the past 5 years and just let things ride.
I got some mail from them yesterday, a summary of my account. I notice there is about $165 just sitting in a small saving account, earning about 1/2 percent interest. I guess those are accumulated dividends or something.
Anyway, I called and asked and they are mailing me a check. I can add that to my challenge money and put it in a savings account paying over 4% when it comes in. I won't add it to my total until I get it, but it will ge a nice addition!

It is a beautiful spring day today. I am trying to stay home more and eat out less, so i went to town and bought a roast. I wound up spending about $10 all together, but we will have leftovers for dh's lunch.
I have my taxes ready to mail, now I have to start another project I have been putting off.
The state of Ga. is requiring all builders to be licensed and we have to jump thru hoops and a lot of paperwork to get grandfathered in.
I have been putting it off because we will now have to spend $4000-$10,000 a year in general liability insurance. Since my husband makes about $50,000 a year, that is a big hunk of our pay. Plus we have been doing this work for 22 years and never had a claim.
oh well, it has to be done!!

I singed up for all these survey places that pay and so far all I get is about 100 messages in my bulk mail everyday.
I do get paid surveys from 1 company, but they only pay about 3 cents each and you don't get paid til you earn $40, which is 1000 surveys!
But to my surprise i did do a survey last week for survey savvy and today I got the $2 check in the mail. That will go into my challenge money.
prev. total $4586.00
today 2.00
new total $4588.00

Well I picked up my taxes at H &R Block, ready to mail them on Monday. Seems like you can't mail them anymore, it is all electronic. I don't think I like that. So my husband signs nothing.
It cost me $198 to get the taxes done. I will get a small sum back but I have to pay in $1650 to the state of Ga.
I stopped at Ingles in that town, and they had diet sprite on sale. (For some reason we can't get it in my town) I bought the maximum and saved $7. I also bought some beer cause you can't buy anything here.
Noticed that premium has gone to $3.05 a gallon here.
We got invited to an easter brunch. My husband wants to work on the yard all day, but we don't know how to get out of it!!

I told my husband Monday night that we were not going out to eat on Tuesday. So, we stayed home. We were kind of bored. I walked on my treadmill and he sat outside with the dog.
As I have explained before, our eating out is a lot about having something to do in the evenings, without watching tv.
I had just sat with him in the eye doctor's office fot 2 hours, so i was not sitting any longer.
I walked on my treadmill and played on the computer.
Finally at 7, I went and sat outside with my dh and our puppy, Holly.
We cooked eggs, sausage, potatoes and rolls about 8:30.
I am taking the $20 I saved plus $1 from walking for 30 minutes and adding it to my challenge money.
prev. total $4565.00
today 21.00
new total $4586.00

I went with dh to the second of his eye dr. appts. We got there and the place was so crowded there was no place to even sit.
We sat for 2 hours and were the last to see the dr. The total bill was $202 but the receptionist told me I could just pay part of that.
My dh asked me why she said that, and I explained to him that there are some people who do not have $202. He finds this hard to believe, that people our age have no money in savings.
I personally could not have slept nights if I did not have at least a few thousand in savings!
I know there are some younger people on here who have barely nothing in savings, and I encourage you to build your savings anyway you can!! Sell something, take a part time job, have a yard sale, do something to build up your savings and save a part of everything you make!

I can't make myself stay inside, it is just so pretty outside. Spring is definately here.
My husband has to go to the eye doctor today, so we will have to pay that bill. I guess I will go with him and run errands while he has his appt.
I told my husband we are staying home and eating breakfast for supper. That should save a few dollars today.

Well, yesterday, I got serious about writing down where I spend my cash. I have no trouble with the budget for my bills, but I know I spend too much cash. Well, my first day was not good.

First I went to Wal marts to buy some hummingbird food and spent $91. Then we went out to eat and spent $20, stopped on the way home for gas and spent $29. That is $140 in just one day. That is NOT good!

I won't be going to Wal Mart for a while. Now I am glad that we don't have one, I would be there everyday. I have to drive to N. Carolina to go to the nearest Wal Mart!!

Ingles has been advertising 4 12 packs of coke products for $10.00, a savings of about $6 for four. Problem is, we both drink diet sprite and there is not a can or bottle of diet sprite in that store. They insist the coke company has run out of diet sprite. See any where you live? Anyway, I bought some diet lemonade and save almost $2 which I will add to my challenge money.
prev. total $4563.00
today 2.00
new total $4565.00

I just started today tracking my spending, and I already blew $91. I never go to Wal mart because of that, but I need some hummingbird food that only they carry.
When I left there, I had spent $91 on stuff!! I am sure I saved a few cents since things are cheaper, but I still spent $91!!
Well, $30 was for some medicine I would have bought anyway and $10 was for a christmas gift for me, but the rest was kind of blown on stuff I have been wanting, like a new game and a new frying pan.
I will go stand in the corner now.

I made a list of what i was spending, but I did not keep it up, or total it up each week. I know I spend way too much money eating out and I think if I kept track of everything for a month or two, I would see how much money I am wasting. I won't write down the bills that I pay by check, but everything I do with cash, needs to be recorded.
I am going to start again tomorrow.
I saved almost $4 with my advantage card at the grocery store yesterday and earned $1 walking yesterday, so i will add $5 to my challenge.

Prev. total $4558.00
Today 5.00
New total $4563.00

I am ordering some vitamins. They are cheaper than I can buy them here, and right now they are buy one, get one free. I have to pay for shipping, but it is only $5, so i am still saving money. I am, however, trying something new.
I am on a low carb diet, and have lost a few pounds, but have been stuck at this weight forever.
There is something new out called C-120X that is supposed to block about 50 grams of carbs at a meal high in carbs.
The cost is $19.99 and it says money back guarantee. I know most people do not return things, but I am planning on doing so, if they do not work. I am smart enough to know that most diet products do not work. If they did, we would all be skinny. However, this is a well known vitamin catalog company, so i think I will have no problem getting my money back.

Well I did not go to town yesterday, so saved $1 in gas, walked 20 flights of stairs, that another $1, plus walked 60 minutes on my treadmill for another $2. That is a total of $4 I can add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $4554.00
today 4.00
new total $4558.00

Well, I gave into temptation and ordered something from QVC today. I use to order a lot, but I stopped that last year and only order a few things at christmas time. I just don't watch it, anymore.
I have a weekness for jackets. Nothing else was on tv and I turned it on while walking on my treadmill.
I saw the cutest jacket. I turned the tv off, but I had written down the number already.
Finally after about 40 minutes, I ordered it. It was sold out, but stock MAY be come available. (and usually does)
So, I may be getting it anyway. No, I don't need it, I have several jackets.
I will save it for a christmas gift for me if it comes, but now, I am going to go and stand in the corner!!

I loved Oprah's show yesterday about the debt diet. The couples seem to be making progress.
I like the way that found new work to bring in extra money. I was thinking about my husband, but gosh, he works 7 days a week now.
I guess I should get a job, but at my age, it is hard, since I have no skills. I guess I will just keep trying to save and be frugal to try and do my part.

My gecko came today. We eat out every night at a place called Monets, so we have gotten pretty friendly with the owners, Joan and Dave.

They just bought a new little place down the street and they are going to open another restaurant which will serve tex/mex food. They are calling it Dos Geckos.

I found the cutest little gecko in a catalog so I ordered it to give them for a gift for their new place. It lights up and the head and tail both move.

It came today and my husband just put it together, it is so cute. I am excited about giving it to her tonight.

Yeah, I had a no spend day, that doesn't happen very often. I stayed home all day today, no gas money running to town.
I have not balanced my check books since December, and I have 4 checking accounts. That took up most of my afternoon, so i just stayed home today.

I hate filing, but I am getting a start on it today. I have 6 months plus of paperwork to file. This morning, I did put every thing into it's own pile, so that will make things easier.
Yesterday I saved $1.67 when I bought some benefial dog food with a free coupon.
Other than that I only spent $1.25 on a jar of relish (we were out) and picked up a $20 precription.
I did not get all my stairs in yesterday, but I did get 30 minutes in, walking, so I will add that $1 to the $1 I saved in dog food to my challenge.
prev. total $4552.00
today 2.00
new total $4554.00

I swear to you, my dog talks to me. If I am somewhere in the house, Holly comes and stands by me and "talks". That means she wants me to follow her to see what she wants.
Sometimes she goes to the door, that means, go potty. sometimes, to her bowl, that means feed me.
Sometimes she goes to the closet, she wants me to open the door so she can go and hide under the pillows. Sometimes she just stand in a spot in the sunshine. That means she wants a chair or pillow put there. She does NOT lay on the floor. Nor does she eat much dog food. ( I have taken her to the vets and we have finally all given up on her, she will starve herself)
So she gets people food a lot.
Today she wanted to eat, so I fixed her some people food. No, she said to me and went into the pantry.
That means she wants me to microwave it so her dinner will be warm.
Of course I did.
Holly is a poodle, weighs 5 pounds and is the boss of this house!!

It is time to get out the easter candy. I like to give little gifts to my waitresses during holidays. At christmas, I gave them each a card with $20 in it (plus their regular tip)
For valentines day, I left them heartshaped candy, with the tip.
Now I have bought some choc. fudge filled bunnies to start leaving with their tip. I wonder what to do for the next holiday?
I did not get my exercise in yesterday cause we had to go to North Carolina, but I did do it the day before, so I have two dollars to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $4550.00
today 2,00
New total $4552.00