Ima Saver's Personal Finance Blog

Finally, the braves won, so I can add $2 to my challenge. I also had a no use gas day yesterday, so that is $2 more. Gas is up to $2.35 here (premium) ugh!!
Prev. total $6794.00
today 4.00
new total $6798.00

We stopped at the grocery store last night to pick up a few things. Cranberry juice was on sale, cheetoes were buy one get one free and NY strip steaks were $2.99 a piece! I spent $10 and saved $10. I am adding that $10 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $6784.00
today 10.00
new total $6794.00

I really love the month of May. All the tree leaves are coming out now, the dogwoods are in bloom and everything looks so spring! Plus, I have not had to run either the air or the heat so far this month. That certainly saves money!

I did my weekly grocery shopping yesterday and using my Ingles card, I saved $5. I will put that towards my challenge money.
Prev. total $6779.00
today 5.00
new total $6784.00

There was a story in the local paper about a young cat, this week. A fisherman found the poor cat, inside a locked birdcage and thrown out by the lake. It is no telling how long that cat laid in it's own urine, with no food and water. One eye was covered with ulcers and will have to be removed. There is no telling yet if he will be able to see out of the other one. I sure wish they could catch the person that did this.
A group called castaway critters had the poor young cat and are asking for donations for his surgery. You better believe that I am mailing off a check tomorrow.

I had 2 C.D.'s come due this week, one on Friday and one today. I have called around to all the local banks and the highest rate I can find is 2.6% I was getting 4% and I would settle for 3% if I could find it.
I do have a checking account that is paying 3.1% until June 30th, then I am sure that rate will disappear.
Gosh, I can remember when just saving accounts were pay 5-6% and C.D.'s were paying 8% back in the 70's. I guess those were the good old days!

I did my net worth yesterday. It did go up a little thanks to the stock market. We are lower in cash, but we are using our own money to finish this house, so I had to transfer $10,000 to my business checking. Then bank will pay us back when the house is done.
We made a trip yesterday to North Carolina to pick out carpet for the new house. Then we stopped at Lowe's to pick out knobs for all the cabinet doors and drawers. We had to buy over 150 knobs and that adds up after a while. Houses always cost more than we think they will. Oh, I have $6 to add to my challenge money; the stock market went up 2 days, the braves won 2 games and I won 2 games of mah jong.
Prev. total $6773.00
today 6.00
new total $6779.00

When I was a kid, we use to celebrate the first day of May at school. we usually had a May pole and a carnival at school.
Well, I celebrated today by going to the bank and cashing in my C.D. They were only offering me a rate of 2.3 % for a jumbo c.d. I am still getting 3.1% in my checking account til June 30th, so I stuck the money in there for now. I had hoped someday to live on the interest on certificates of deposit, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen for a while.
The bank was having customer appreciation day today, so they were mobbed. Besides my check, I also got a free hot dog and some free tomato plants. Yesterday, I got a reward check in the mail from my Chase Mastercard company for $50. That will go towards my $20 challenge.
Prev. balance $6723.00
today 50.00
new total $6773.00

I found 2 quarters today. I never have much luck finding a penny on the ground, but I have pretty good luck spotting change in the newspaper vending machines. Of course, I save all my change and turn it into the bank for the $20 challenge every month or so. Do you save your change?

I live in a very nice house, tax appraised at about 1/2 million. I have quite a bit of cash in local banks, sitting in jumbo certificate of deposits.
Yesterday, I got a renewal master card in the mail, my GM mastercard.
I have not used it in a while and they lowered my crdit limit to $300. What can you do with a $300 limit?
My fico score is over 800, so I feel kind of insulted! Would you?

I was watching the Honeymooners on tv last night and Ralph was going to ask his boss for a 5 cents an hour raise. I remember get those type of raises, wow, a whole $2 a week raise. By the time you paid taxes, you barely even noticed the raise.
It is amazing how little we worked for way back then. (and how hard we worked)
Well, the stock market went up on Friday, the braves won 2 games this weekend and I saved $2 using coupons yesterday, so $5 will be added to the challenge.
Prev. total $6718.00
today 5.00
new total $6723.00

I forgot that I got my regular check on the last Wednesday of the month and I always add that to my challenge money. It is for $583 and I will also add the interest, $45 that I earning in my business checking for a total of $628. This month I am donating the interest in my personal checking to the local cancer drive.
Prev. balance $6090.00
628.00
new balance $6718.00

Today, I got asked my NFO my survey to take a short survey for 10 points. I took it and then they offered me a longer survey for 740 points. I jumped right on it. (that is a total of $7.50)
I now have enough points to cash out, so I did and I should get a check in the mail soon. I also ordered a $50 check from my chase mastercard rewards programs. Don't you just love getting checks in the mail? I do!!

I haven't added to the $20 challenge in a few days. My electric bill came in $60 under budget and I have $40 left over in my AARP envelope. I saved $4 at the grocery store on Tuesday, for a grand total of $104 to add to the challenge. That brings me over the $6000 mark!

prev. total $5986.00
today 104.00
new total $6090.00

Well, yesterday, I admitted to stealing a puppy when I was 3 years old.
I will have to admit, that is not the only puppy I ever stole.
I owned a small rental home that was not in the best neighborhood. The neighbors next door, who were renting, got them selves a puppy.
They both worked, so they kept the puppy tied up outside all day. It was tied up with shoelaces, so it could only move around about a foot in distance. Of course, it constantly knocked over it's water bowl.
The puppy cried all day.
I would go and fill it's water bowl and pet it several times a day.
The puppy was crawling with fleas. I mean a million of them.
Finally, I could stand it no longer. I couldn't call the humane society because the neighbors would know it was me, so I cut the shoe strings and took that puppy home with me.
The first thing I did was fill the tub with warm water and give that puppy a bath. The water was black with fleas floating off of him. I then took the puppy to the vets to get his shots. Later, I was able to find him a very good home.
Some people just should NOT own pets.

I was remembering my first dog this morning. I am a dog lover, as was my grandmother.
I was over at her house with my mother one day. I was a little over the age of 3. The neighbor's dog had had a litter of puppies and all but one (the runt)had found new homes. My grandmother was upset cause the neighbor's kids were dragging that puppy all over the neighborhood and it was cold outside.
My grandmother told me to go and "Take" that puppy and then take it home with me.

I can still remember finding the puppy in the garage and putting the little thing in my coat pocket. I got in the back seat of the car and would not get out til my mother drove us home.
My mother did not discover that I had that puppy til we got home then she called the neighbor to apologize. They said for me to keep the puppy and lucky for me, my father agreed.
I had that sweet dog until I was a teenager. But I was a very young thief!

That was my dh, yesterday. He came home from work early (5 pm) to cut the grass. He had no more than just started, then it started pouring. He took off his good hat, put on a coat and continued cutting for over 3 hours. He was so soaked, he had to undress in the garage. He looked so funny!
The braves won yesterday ($1) and I had a no use gas day ($2). I took in all my change to the bank this morning and got $33 for it. So I have a total of $36 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5950.00
today 36.00
new total $5986.00

Most of you know that my husband was building a very large spec home (4800 square feet) for another couple and the home got foreclosed on. The bank took the house back and then hired my husband to finish it. (He was only two months away from finishing it)
He had to sign a contract and was told he could get draws when he submitted bills on how much work was completed.
Well, he submitted his first bill on april 10th after we had over $15,000 of our money in the project.
By now, we have over $20,000 in the house (buying appliances, sinks, toilets, light fixtures, quartz countertops, etc.), so I was getting a little antzy! I have never dealt with a bank before.
Yesterday, I was so happy to see that the bank had deposited almost $15,000 into my checking account for the first draw. I feel so much better now!

I did my grocery shopping today and saved $8 using my advantage card. I will happily add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5942.00
today 8.00
new total $5950.00

Well, it is April the 18th and the heat is still turning on every day. It did warm up yesterday to about 70, but it is still getting in the 30's at night. The dogwoods are blooming and it is getting pretty here, but I am ready for spring. We filled up our propane tank in October, which was a mistake since the price has come down since then. I am thinking about filling up this summer when, I hope, prices are lower. We have 1000 gallon tank, so it is pretty expensive to fill up.

I am very happy with my electric bill. When I moved into this house 13 years ago, I set a budget of $160 per month cause that was the highest bill I have ever had. Even tho the price of a kilowatt has risen, I have never gone over $160 in one month. I think that is pretty good, cause I am home all day and I have a pretty good size house. (3200 sq. ft. plus garage apartment)
I got my bill yesterday and it was $98. Of course, I know it will go up when the air conditioning goes on, but I am still pretty happy with it.

I had 2 no spend, no gasoline use days in a row, tuesday and Wednesday. The stock market went up yesterday and I walked a mile. That makes a total of $6 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5936.00
today 6.00
new total $5942.00

Well, there really isn't anything happy about it! I am just glad my taxes are done and are mailed in. I owed again this year, both federal and state. I sent in my estimated tax today also. I am just glad it is all over for another year!!

The braves won 3 games in a row this weekend, so I need to add $3 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $3933.00
today 3.00
new total $3936.00

I use to shop the day after easter to get stuff on sale for the following Easter. I liked getting cute things on sale for the Easter basket. I did not buy candy of course. It really saved a lot of money at Easter time.
Now, I don't have any baskets to fill, so I don't buy anything.
I did look today for some Easter colors M&M's on sale today, but they were sold out.
Did you get anything on sale?

I saved money on Money magazine. I have subscribed for years, but in January, I decided not to renew for a while. I got an offer in the mail yesterday to renew for $10 less than normal. So, I am taking them up on their offer.
Happy Easter day to all!!

We ordered a new table and 4 chairs for our breakfast room about a month ago. My dh went over to pick them up in North Carolina. He has the chairs, but they sent the wrong table!
So, now we will have to wait another month for the right table to be sent.
Oh well! The good news is I got a $3 check from Pinecone and I had a no use gas yesterday worth $2 to the challenge.
Prev. total $5928.00
today 5.00
today $5933.00

Ingles recently sent out a flyer with lots of coupons. I clipped all the ones for things I always use.
They had a spiral sliced ham on sale for $1.58 a pound. plus a coupon for another $1.50 off. So, I bought a $30 ham for about $12. All in all I saved $30 today using coupons so I will add that to my challenge money. (and now, I have easter dinner)
Prev. total $5898.00
today 30.00
new total $5928.00

I stopped at the grocery store after picking up my taxes at H and R block. I only bought three things, but they were all on sale so I saved $5 there. The braves won last night's game, so I have $6 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $5892.00
today 6.00
new total $5898.00

Yesterday, I was playing bridge with 3 other ladies. We were talking about soup cause one lady had not been feeling well and was eating lots of soup.
She mentioned Progresso soup, chicken noodle.
I had purchased a can of that soup on sale for about $1.50 and I liked it. However, when I went to get another can of it, the price was $2.50. I just can't make myself pay that much for a can of soup and I told her that.
She said that whenever she goes grocery shopping she never looks at the price of anything she buys so she is always shocked at how much her grocery bill is weekly.
Gosh, I can't imagine not looking at the price, can you?

We should really save money by not eating out this week. My dh is working both jobs and is working late tonight. I did pick up something for dinner, but it is so late now and he is not home yet. (after 8 pm). I think we will just have sandwiches.
The braves won their first game and I won 2 games of mah jong, so that is $3 to add to the challenge money.
Prev. total $5889.00
today 3.00
new total $5892.00