Ima Saver's Personal Finance Blog

Today, in my little town, they are having a memorial day parade.
I am sorry, but Memorial day is May 30th, not May 24th!!
My father was in both WWI amd WWII. I wish I knew more about what he did in the war, but he died when I was a little girl and I never got to ask him. I do know that he was over in Germany and France during WWII. I also know that he was a member of some kind of secret service and my mother often did not know where he was.
I think we should honor all our troops, both alive and passed on, but please remember that next Friday is Memorial day.

I really do love my master card. It is a Chase reward card and we get 3% back on purchases at home improvement stores.
I started using this card around December after we used up our GM points towards a new car.
Yesterday I ordered my 6th $50 check from Chase. That will be $300 that I have received this year.
I have not paid one dime in interest, but instead have made $300 cash!! You can't beat that.
The braves won yesterday; the stock market went up and I saved $2 buying steak on sale. That is $4 to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $11,578.00
today 4.00
new total $11,582.00

But not a big one, like yesterday. I had forgotten about this one. I had to buy a new phone a few months ago because my upstairs phone quit working. Not only did I get it on sale for $5, I filled out a rebate form and got a check for $3 back. The braves won last night, so I have $4 to add to my challenge.
Prev. total $11,574.00
today 4.00
new total $11,578.00

I have explained this several times. I went into the local builderway store when I started this challenge and asked for a rebate on purchases and they agreed. A few times a year, I get a check in the mail which I add to my challenge. The check just came and it was for $1586.00. Whopee!! that will sure help my challenge goal of at least $20,000 for the year.
Prev. total $ 9988.00
today 1586.00
new total $11574.00

Braves played a double header yesterday (with the mets) and won both games. I won 2 games of mah jong, so that is $4 more to add to my challenge money. The open house yesterday went well and I sure got my exercise showing everyone around the house. (stairs)
Prev. total $9984.00
today 4.00
new total $9988.00

They are having an open house at the house my husband is building. They have not even finished painting yet, but the clubhouse was having an open house, so the house will too. I am heading out there to show people around the house. This open house is for realtors only and there are supposed to be $2000 in door prizes!! Wonder if I can enter?
The stock market went up yesterday and I won 4 mahjong games, so I have $5 more to add to the challenge
Prev. total $9979.00
today 5.00
new total $9984.00

I don't buy clothes very often, but I am getting pretty close to needing a new pair of jeans. I was looking for an old sweater to put on this morning cause I was chilly. (And Holly was laying on my other old sweater.)
I came across a brand new pair of jeans, with the tag still on them in a drawer I very seldom use. That is so nice! I ordered them in Feb. of 2007 from QVC. (denium and company)
Now, I don't have to clothes shop the rest of the year!!!
Yesterday I won 4 games of mahjong and the braves won too; $5 more to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $9974.00
today 5.00
new total $9979.00

Anyone know anything about foreclosures. They are published in the paper every week that they houses will be sold on a certain date on the courthouse steps.
However, I have seen the same foreclosured houses in the paper for months and months.
Is that because the houses just don't sell? Will the bank not take less than what is owed on the mortgage??
Just curious.

I like to shop on sunday mornings when it is quiet. I always use a list too. A lot of the things I needed today were on sale which was nice. Using my advantage card and a coupon, I saved $10. The bacon I bought was $5, but it said buy one, get one free.
Ingles has a policy that if you only buy one, you get it for 1/2 price.
The scanner read the bacon at full price. I asked the cashier and she removed it and gave it to me for free. So, I got $15 off of my groceries this morning. I also saved $2 by staying home yesterday an using no gas. A total of $17 for the challenge money.
Prev. total $9957.00
today 17.00
new total $9974.00

I had a no spend day yesterday. More importantly, I did not go out and use any gas, so I will pay myself $2. The braves won last night and I won two games of mahjong. That is a total of $5 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $9952.00
today 5.00
New total $9957.00

They have raised the KPH rate at the electric company to 10.3 cents. However, I just got my bill for the month and it was less than $80. That means I have $80 left over in my envelope to add to the challenge. This is nice. I have not turned on my air or heat for the past 3 weeks.
Prev. total $9872.00
today 80.00
new total $9952.00

Well, we filled up my car last night after dinner. We paid $4.04 a gallon for gas. I can remember when I paid 17 cents a gallon for gas. It is hard to believe!!
The stock market went up yesterday and I won 3 games of mahjong, so I have $4 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $9868.00
today 4.00
new total $9872.00

I have been paying myself ( $20 challenge fund) $1 every time I stay home all day and don't use any gas.
It is 9 miles from here to town, round trip. That is about 1/2 gallon of gas used. So, when I stay home, I pay myself $1. Well, gas just went to $4.02 a gallon here, so I need to start paying myself $2 every day I stay home. Today, I HAD to go to town, but maybe I can stay home tomorrow.

Earlier this month, I opened a c.d. to get the 4% rate offered. That left my money market fund pretty low and I will have to pay a $15 fee for being below the minimum. So, today, I am pulling funds from other sources to bring this money market up to minimum. It only pays 1.98% but I have to keep some cash nearby.
Yesterday, the braves won, the stock market went up and I won 3 games of Mahjong, so I have $5 more to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $9863.00
today 5.00
new total $9868.00

We went out to eat for our anniversary last night and splurged a bit. We usually spend less than $20 for dinner out, but I had chicken marsala and dh had shrimp!
When we were finished, a couple that we knew sitting close by, sent over cheese cake and ice cream for us to share.
Then the owner would not give us a bill at all, so our meal was completely free. Plus, our waitress and the owner came over to hug me.
You can believe that the waitress, a single mom, got a real big tip!
For that, I will add $20 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $9843.00
today 20.00
new total $9863.00

The braves won yesterday, the stock market went up and I won one game of mahjong. That is $3 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $9840.00
today 3.00
new total $9843.00

Today is my anniversary, we got married on Friday the 13th!! It has been 31 wonderful years! I have been so lucky to have such a wonderful, talented husband. I think I am going to keep this one!!!

That is the price for premium at the corner store. I just can't believe it!! I played bridge all afternoon so I spent no money except for groceries this morning.

Happy mother's day from me, also. I got my first payment slip on the new van yesterday. It is very low interest, so we financed the whole thing. I had too much money set aside in the van envelope, so I can put the rest on the challenge.
Pre. total $9785.00
today 55.00
new total $9840.00

Tomorrow is mother's day but dh and i do not celebrate because both of our mother's have passed away.
I was thinking about my mother this morning. My father died before I turned 10, so she was a widow at age 47.
She had never worked (women didn't work much back then), so she had to take a job making about $20 a week to support the three of us.
Until I married at age 20, I never saw my mother buy herself anything. She made sure she paid the bills first, bought food and that was that!
I guess that is why i find it pretty easy to be frugal, I learned by example.

Have a happy mother's day tomorrow.

The stock market was up yesterday. The braves pulled it out of the fire in the 9th inning and won yesterday. I stayed home all day and used no gasoline. I will add that $3 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $9782.00
today 3.00
New total $9785.00

I have used the envelope method for over 40 years and I love it.
Sometimes when I fund something and pay it off, I just keep adding the money to the envelope anyway.
A few weeks ago I paid off my car, but I keep funding that envelope. I also have what I call my "ridge" money. That was some land I had been making payments on, but have since paid off.
so, I have $760 to add to my challenge money.
Prev. total $9022.00
today 760.00
new total $9782.00

That is all I hear on tv lately, doom and gloom. I know gas and food prices are up, but as a life long saver, that has not affected my life too much. I have decided to just BE HAPPY!
The stock market was up on Tuesday and the braves won their last two games, so I will add $3 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $9019.00
today 3.00
new total $9022.00

I decided to put some of my cash into a c.d. paying 4%, out of money sitting in a money market account making 1.98% So I did that last Satuday.
Today it hit me. Now that my money market account is below the minimum required, they are going to hit me with a $15 fine!!
Well, at least I am making double the interest. Now, I need to get that m/m back to the minimum required! Lesson learned!!

My husband is now a licensed residental contractor for the state of Georgia.
Georgia has been working on having all builders in Georgia licensed.
Now everyone that owns a hammer ( and some that didn't even own that much) can no longer build homes that do not come up to code.(Before this, there were NO codes)
We had to turn in a lot of paperwork to prove that he has been building houses for a while. we had to get certifcates of occupancy for many of the homes and reference letters for all the homes we have built in the past several years.
Dh has been a licensed builder for the state of North Carolina (10 miles away) for about 20 years.

His license number is #399!! Good luck 399!!

I finally received a check from inbox dollars. I ordered it on March 23 and it came yesterday. It took me 15 months to earn $30 (the minimum) and then they take out $3 for handling fees. I have decided that I am not going to mess with them anymore. I had to click on that site 1000 times to earn that much.
The braves won Sunday and I won 2 games of mahjong, so with my check, I have a total of $30 to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $8989.00
today 30.00
new total $9019.00

I am never late on any of my bills. I just noticed that my electric bill had not been paid and it is due today. I have bridge people coming over in a few minutes, so i will have to drop it off at the bank after 5pm! The late fee is not much, but I am paranoid about paying my bills on time. I don't know how I forgot it! Must be old age or something!! I put the surplus money in my challenge account last week, but just neglected to actually pay the bill.

I went grocery shopping early this morning. I saved $6 using coupons and my grocery card.Last night the braves won and I won 3 games of mahjong, so that totals $10. I also have my term insurance money to add to the challenge, for a total of $50.
Prev. total $8939.00
today 50.00
new total $8989.00

I just filled up my car this morning. It took 12.8 gallons and cost $49.70 to fill up. I can not imagine what some people must pay weekly just to drive to work. We live in remote area. Our little town does not even have a taxi. Everyone must drive.
Well, I don't work, so I do try and stay home more than I use to.
I don't see how some families are even making it around here!!

I did my net worth yesterday, it went up about $17,000 but that is because the stock market went up for the month. The stock market went up yesterday, the braves won and I won 3 mahjong games, so that is $5 to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $8934.00
today 5.00
new total $8939.00