Ima Saver's Personal Finance Blog

I got interest credited on my ING account today. It was $112 which I will add to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $4251.00
today 112.00
new total $4363.00

I got another chase rewards check today for $50. Sometimes, I get two of them a month. They pay you back 3% of everything you spend at a Home Improvement store and since dh is a builder, he spends a lot. Of course, we pay it off every month, so we have never paid a dime in interest. I will add that to the challenge money.

Prev. total $4201.00
today 50.00
new total $4251.00

We watched the old movie, "Cape Fear" with Gregory Peck last night. It was made in 1962. Did you know that Polly Bergen was still alive? She is.
I got my usual government check today; the 4th Wednesday of the month. As always, it will be added to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $3697.00
today 504.00
new total $4201.00

I got two small checks in the mail today. One was from pinecone for $3 and the other was from Tim Horton co. for $31. Hey, small sums add up.

Prev. total $3663.00
today 34.00
new total $3697.00

When my mother was born was in 1907. Growing up, she saw very few women that knew how to drive a car. She was determined to learn how to drive and she did.

She began teaching me how to drive when I was 12 years old. When I was 14, I got a beginner's permit. You were allowed to drive as long as an adult was in the car with you. My mother let me drive all the way from Florida to Virginia one summer.
I was always very thankful that she taught me to drive early.

When I married (the first time), I married into a family of non driving women. My first mother in law did not drive and neither did my huband's two aunts. We all lived within 3 blocks of each other, so I had to take them grocery shopping all the time. I can't believe it, but neither of those three women ever learned how to drive in their lifetime.

I have been driving for over 50 years now and I have never had a ticket or an accident. I have driven a corvette for over 30 years and people always ask me "how fast does that car go?" I tell them, it goes 55 mph. I am never in a hurry to get anywhere.

I was under budget on my electric bill this month. I had thought it might be higher than usual. My little Holly was so sick, and I had towels down all around in her pen. I had to do a load of towels and dry them, every day, so I thought the electric bill would be higher. Of course, I would do 10 loads a day and not care a bit, if I could have her back.
I budget $160 a month, but my bill came in at under $110, so I have $50 to add to the challenge.

Prev. total $3613.00
today 50.00
new total $3663.00

Spring is officially here. It is nice and warm and all the bradford pear trees are blooming and look so pretty.
I received notice that the special dog food that the vet had ordered for Holly was being shipped next week, so I cancelled that. I still have 22 cans of the food left, so I will donate that at the vet's office. I am also appealing my property taxes on one of the new pieces of land that I bought a few months ago. They tax office has it appraised at $100,000 and I paid $28,000 for it. It is only 1 acre.
I am also trying to get my husband's building license renewed, but I am having a hard time. I don't know how to do it on line and when ever I call the phone number to order the paperwork, it messes up every time. I give them the license number, but they get the letters wrong every time. I give them RBI, but the phone tells me I am punching in ZZZ.
I did do my grocery shopping today, but only managed to save $4 to add to my $20 challenge, but hey, $4 is better than nothing.

Prev. total $3609.00
today 4.00
new total $3613.00

I got a wendy's dividend check in the mail today and I am going to add it to my $20 challenge. I played bridge all afternoon and I ended the day with a grand slam! Good day!

Prev. total $3598.00
today 11.00
new total $3609.00

I am sure that you know that my dh is a builder and has been in this area for 28 years. He built a spec house last year and the first couple that looked at it, bought it.
He is on a new spec house now. The first couple that came to look at it last week, came back on Thursday. No, they did not buy the house, but instead asked dh to build them a house just around the corner. They bought the lot yesterday.
Things are so slow here, but he stays busy because he does such quality work and he does it all himself.

I had a good day at Ingles buying sprite on sale, so I saved $7 for the challenge!!

Prev. total $3591.00
today 7.00
new total $3598.00

Happy St. Patrick's day to everyone! I really am Irish, my grandparents were both born in Ireland. Be sure to wear something green today. I don't want you to get pinched!!

Did your dog ever get into the dishwasher? When I first got Holly, I came into the kitchen one day, and there she was; standing inside the dishwasher and licking the dishes.
The same thing happened with Molly; she's inside the dishwasher and licking the dishes. I just caught her doing that again today. I guess I need to learn to keep my dishwasher closed all the time.
But it is kinda cute!

I did my grocery shopping yesterday and saved $6 using my Ingles advantage card. The stock market went up also, that's another dollar i can add to my account. Hubby and I rode over to Murphy, N.C. last night with Molly. It just seems so lonesome at home.

Prev. total $3584.00
today 7.00
new total $3591.00

For my husband and I. We can't seem to get over the passing of our little Holly. My hubby said, he will never get over it.
He held her on his lap, every night after supper, for almost 12 years. (she would have been 12 on May 14th)
She was so tiny and so cute. And smart. I bet you didn't know that the poodle was the 2nd smartest of all the breeds. She was definately the boss of the family! And the queeen of the couch.
Little poodles like to lay at the very top of the couch and she had no trouble jumping up there even tho she was less than 10 inches tall.
We never once left her. If she couldn't go on vacation with us, we just didn't go. She was always with us. Our baby.
Even the puppy (who is almost 3) misses her. She doesn't cry at night, thank goodness, but she just acts so sad and quiet. That's Molly!

I have not been keeping up with the $20 challenge at all this week. I know I have had some no use gas days and I think the stock market went up. I am just going to add $10 to the challenge.

Prev.total $3574.00
today 10.00
new total $3584.00

I think I got my love of dogs from my grandmother. She had a small white dog, named Trixie!
Ond day, I went over to visit my grandmother. She lived with my aunt and uncle. I was between the age of 3 and 4 years old.

My grandmother was quite upset cause the kids next door had a bunch of puppies and were carrying them all around the neighborhood. It was quite cold out and she was especially concerned about the littlest puppy; the runt of the litter.
She told me to go and get that puppy, put it in my coat pocket and take it home. I did just that. At the age of 3 1/2, I became a dog thief.

My mother did not discover the puppy until we got home and she called the neighbor. The neighbor was happy for me to keep the puppy and so was my father. (my mother was never a dog lover)
That was my first dog and we named her lady!

I would like to say that was my only case of dog kidnapping, but it was not.

We had a small business in a small neighborhood. The neighbors brought home a small puppy. They tied it outside all day in shoelaces. It had no food and water and it cried all day. It could only move a few inches on those shoe laces. I gave it water and fed it (they worked all day) but it still kept crying. On the third day, I cut the shoelaces and took the puppy home. I gave it a bath and a million fleas were on the poor thing. I am happy to say, I found it a very good home.

Don't be surprised if you see me one day on the national news, "Ima saver, dognapper"!


r.i.p. litte holly..

My little poodle, Holly, died this morning. She has been quite sick. I took her to a specialist in August and he put her on a strick diet. She hated the food, and even tho we changed it twice, she did not like any of the special diet. We have had to force feed her, 3 times a day, for over 6 months.

Finally, right before christmas, she was getting so weak; we decided to give her some of her regular food. We could not just let her starve to death, and I was afraid she would not make it another few days.
She seemed better after that, but she had diarrhea every day. I took her back to the vet who agreed that I should feed her whatever she would eat and gave me medicine for the diarrhea.

Her weight dropped from 6 1/2 lbs. to under 3 and she had a hard time walking.

Yesterday, she would not eat at all and we thought the end was near. Dh sat and held her all night until bedtime.

I don't usually get up first, but I had a feeling that she would be gone this morning and she was.

We built a little casket and buried her out by the creek this morning.

She was our little sweetie. She certainly will be missed. Good bye, my little Holly.

I received another pinecone check today, plus I had a no use gas day. That is another $5 to add to my challenge money.

Prev. total $3569
today 5
new total $3574

Yesterday, I reported that our deer feeder was stolen. At first, I thought that a bear might have dragged it off. We have seen bears out there eating the corn and tearing up the bird feeders.
But the ground was wet and there are no bear prints. Apparently, someone really NEEDED that deer feeder. The first one got stolen last fall.
Dh is going to build another one and anchor it into the ground.

I saved $7 using my Ingles advantage card, so I am adding that to the $20 challenge.

Prev. total $3562.00
today 7.00
new total $3569.00

A few years ago, dh built two deer feeding troughs. He buys corn and feeds many deer every night.
Last fall, one of the feeders disappeared. We have never seen it again.
Last night, the remaining feeder disappeared. We are sure no person is taking them; it must be a bear. We have a large yard with over 500 feet on the creek and we can not find it anywhere.
Poor deer, I don't know where they will eat tonight??

I ran to Bi Lo this morning and picked up several items on sale, total savings, $5, which I will add to the challenge!

Prev. total $3557.00
today 5.00
new total $3562.00

I have NEVER seen a tornado, nor do I want to. Last night, a tornado touched down at the small town north of here, about 20 miles north.
We went to bed with flashlights by our sides. Both dogs wore their leashes in their beds. They are our number #1 priority to save.
The little town did not make it on the tv news; so hopefully the damge was not too bad and no one was hurt.
I had a no use gas day today, so $2 to add to the $20 challenge.

Prev. total $3,555.00
today 2.00
new total $3,557.00

Cucamonga sewing circle book review and timing!

Thats it! That is the name of the song I heard on the radio yesterday.

I have sirius radio on my corvette and you can get some neat radio stations. One station, plays Elvis and only Elvis. I listen to it a lot.
I also enjoy the station that plays only 50's; the station that plays only the 60's and the one that plays the 70's!

I heard this song yesterday while listening to the 60's station and I had never heard it before. It was recorded by Jan and Dean! Do you remember them?

Anybody else ever heard of this song????????

I started a "Save $30 a day" challenge for myself at the beginning of the year. January went well. I saved $30 a day for 31 days; a total of $930.00
We just finished the month of February and I managed to put away $870.00, That is $30 a day for 29 days. I am stashing this in my ING account!
I hope March turns out as well.

I got my February ING interest credited to my account today. It is $113.57. I will add that to my challenge money today.

Prev. total $3442.00
today 113.00
new total $3555.00

My calender says that today is Leap day. And it is leap year. My birthday was the day before Thanksgiving and I was looking forward to it being on Thanksgiving day this year. But because of leap year, my birthday will now be the day after Thanksgiving! Guess I will have to wait another few years.
I got a dollar bill in the mail today and yesterday the stock market went up, so I am adding $2 to the challenge.

Prev. total $3440.00
today 2.00
new total $3442.00

I received another chase rewards check today for $50. I have gotten a $50 check every month for the past several years. Sometimes, I get two checks a month. They pay 3% back on home improvement stores and dh does a lot of his buying at Home depot. It helps that he is a builder and needs a lot of material from home depot!
It is always fun to get a check in the mail. I will add it to the challenge money.

Prev. total $3390.00
today 50.00
new total $3440.00

That means just 10 more months until Christmas!! Ho Ho!!
I did not keep track of the stock market at all this week. I did have a no use gas day yesterday, so I am just going to add $5 to my challenge money.

Prev. total $3385.00
today 5.00
new total $3390.00

I had to go and get my cars tags today and it came to almost $700. Actually, I saved $70 by switching my two old cars over from antique tags to regular tags.
I did save $4 by using my Ingles advantage card and my social security check of $504 came into the bank today. I am adding that to my $20 challenge.

Prev. total $2877.00
today 508.00
new total $3385.00

The price hit $3.95 per gallon today at the gas station that I use, just down the road! Of course, that is for premium, which I usually use because I drive a corvette. However, last time, I just got regular and saved 30 cents a gallon. The car ran fine, no pinging noises like I had in my old corvette when I tried regular. I guess I will stock to regular for a while.
I had a no use gas day both Sunday and Monday, so I have $4 to add to the challenge.

Prev. total $2873.00
today 4.00
new total $2877.00

Today is another memorable date for me. I wrote that Feb. 15th was the date that I got to see Elvis live in concert, 35 years ago, but just 3 days later, I met my dh; Feb. 18th, 1977.
It was a blind ate and a friend had set me up. Her youngest son was friends with dh's youngest brother.
So, we met at her house and we went out dancing. (I lived in another town.)
We went back to her house and sat up all night talking. I asked dh if he would like to go with me to a wine and cheese tasting party the next night, but he said he could not. (I found out later that he had another date that night.)

I went home the next morning, took the phone off the hook and went to sleep. When I got up and hung up the phone, my friend called me. She said that dh had been trying to call me all day. It turned out that he had broken the other date and he came over to tak me to the party. We have been together every night since that first night!
He proposed on April 2nd, and we got married on Friday, the 13th of May!

I had a no use gas day yesterday and a pinecone check came in, so $5 to add to the challenge.

Prev. total $2868.00
today 5.00
new total $2873.00

I got my electric bill today. It was $55 under budget so I am adding that to my challenge money. Today is a beautiful day; almost reminds me of spring time.

Prev. total $2813.00
today 55.00
new total $2868.00

35 years ago today, Feb. 15th, 1977, I went to see Elvis live in concert! I still have the ticket stub. The price of the ticket was $15 and I was seated on row 1. (I won't tell you what I did to get on the front row) The concert was great!

For years, I carried that ticket stub with me for good luck, but when we built this house, we created an Elvis bedroom. The ticket stub isnow framed with some of the 45 elvis record jackets.

After the superbowl, I went out and bought a giant chocolate chip cookie on sale. My dh really liked it so today, I went and got a giant valentines day chocolate chip cookie for him.

I had a no use gas day yesterday, so $2 to add to the challenge.

Prev. total $2811.00
today 2.00
new total $2813.00