Ima Saver's Personal Finance Blog

They really added up yesterday. I did more than 20 flights of stairs plus I used no gas and had a no spend day again yesterday. So that is $3 more to add to the challenge.
My bridge game got cancelled today because one of the regulars fell and broke her leg.
I still have to go to the town to make copies and to get a few things that I am completely out of. I try and keep 2 of everything we use a lot, but somehow I slipped up.
Prev. total $1103.00
today 3.00
new total $1106.00

I did something nice for my husband today. Since he likes the Barrett Jackson car auction so much, I taped the whole thing on our VCR and went down and stopped the tape so he would not have to watch all those commercials.
He was outside in the cold all day, earning money for me, so it was the least that I could do.
I made lots of trips up and down those stairs!!

Well, I had a no spend, no use gas day yesterday, so there is $2 for the challenge. I also got a $10 check from nfomy survey to add.
Prev. total $1091.00
today 12.00
new total $1103.00

You need a plan to break out of the debt trap!!
1. Get serious. Decide righ now that you are going to do whatever it takes to get out of debt and stay out forever. Make a commitment. Write it down and date it. Refer to it often. Put it in a place where you can see it everyday.
2. Start saving. You can not spend it all. Even if you are deeply in debt, you still must save something. Start with $5, stick it in a jar and add to it every week. Save all your change.
3. Start tracking your money. It is not that you don't have enough money, you don't know how to manage what you have. Get a small notebook and wite down every penny you spend.
4. Know what you owe. Make a list of all your debts. Write down the current balance, the current payment and the interest rates.
5. Design a plan to pay off your debts. Some pay off the smallest debt first, then add that payment to the next debt. Others pay off the highest interest rate first. Choose your plan and start on it immediately.
6. Have a sale. Declutter your life with a huge garage sale and apply that cash to your debt.
7. No more new debt. Make a commitment that from this day forward, you will incur no more new debt. Put your cards away and do not carry them with you.
8. Persevere. You are starting on a new journey in life. Some days will seem much harder than others, but just know that you can do it!! We are all here at savingadvice.com to encourage you on this new journey!!!

It is 16 degrees out with a windchill factor making it feel like 5 degrees. My dh has gone to work. He felt bad about missing most of yesterday because of snow.
I feel so badly that he has to work outside all winter. Why does it always seem to work out like that?
He stopped and bought kerosene for his kerosene heater. He got 2 gallons for $10. I hope none of you have to heat your homes with kerosene!!

The snow is here now. They have been predicting it for days. It finally hit the mountains of north Georgia around noon, so I called my husband to come home. I didn't have to try too hard to talk him into it.
The Barrett Jackson auction started at 2 pm. and he is happily watching that.
We have about an inch of snow on the ground, but it is not laying on the roads yet. However, I am planning a stay home, eat home day and evening. So, no money spent.
I too was excited when I first moved here and it snowed. Now, the novelty has worn off and I really would be happy if it never snowed again!

They have been predicting snow for days now. It was supposed to come in after midnight last night and all activities have been cancelled around here.
My dh slept in late, convinced that he would not be able to get to work today.
Well, about 9:45, he decided to go to work.
When I see the first snowflake, I will call him and tell him to come home. In the meantime, he is earning money!

Well, my net worth certainly took a hit this month. I am down $29,000 in mutual funds just since Dec. 31st!!
I try so hard to make my net worth go up each month by saving and adding to my money market, but i sure can't control the stock market!!

Don't you hate when all of your mail goes directly to the garbage can? That is the way my mail has been the last two days.
I get lots of catalogs and lots of offers for credit cards. They all go into the trash!
Remember when we use to write letters? Those days are long gone.
Oh well, maybe I will get a bill today? Or a check?? I prefer checks!!!!!

It was so nice to go out and eat last night after staying home for 2 nights in a row.
Then we went and filled my car with gas. I can't believe that it took $40 to fill it, but at $3.32 a gallon, it is no surprise!
We are expecting snow again tonight, so we may be snowed in this weekend.
I know people enjoy snow, but my dh does not get paid when he does not work. Plus, he hates staying home unless he has something to do!!
Guess I had better prepare to cook this weekend!

The best ways to lower your electric bill is to read your meter daily.
Write it down and keep track of how many kilowatts you use each day.
Walk thru the house and turn everything off. Get in the habit of having nothing running unless you are in the room.
No tv, lights, etc., on in an extra room.
If the plug feels warm, it is using power.
My best advice is with your electric hot water heater. Turn it off at the fuse box. Only turn it on about 20 minutes before you need it for a shower or to run the dish washer!!

Take what you save on your electric bill and add it to your $20 challenge each month. That is what I do!!

I usually grocery shop on the weekends, but they are calling for snow again on Saturday, so I figured I would go today instead.
I had a coupon for some free pudding which was worth $2.78, but I am not going to count that in my challenge money because I would not have bought the pudding if I didn't get it for free.
I used a coupon and my advantage card for a savings of $4, so I will add that.
Prev. total $1087.00
today 4.00
new total $1091.00

Last night, I cooked!! They had called for snow, so I was ready. I made comfort foods, meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
We spend about $20 when we go out for dinner cause we brown bag our drinks. So, I am adding that $20 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $1067.00
today 20.00
new total $1087.00

The snow started about 6 pm last night and we got an inch or so fairly quickly. The good news is, we did not get the sleet and ice they predicted, so the power did NOT go out.
DH was happy as a hog watching the old cars on Barrett Jackson auction and I caught up on reading some magazines.

I finished Jan. issue of money and saw that savingadvice.com was mentioned in there. Since I post so much, I told dh that that made me kind of famous. (lol)

Most of you know that dh and I eat dinner out, almost every night except Sunday. It is just our form of entertainment!

Last night, he wanted to watch the Barrett Jackson auction, so we went to KFC and got a bucket of chicken. I had a coupon, so we got 10 pieces for $10. I made some rice and we had a nice dinner, with enough left overs for a couple of lunches.

Since I usually spend about $20 for dinner out and this time I spent $10, I will add the other $10 to my challenge money!!

Prev. total $1057.00
today 10.00
new total $1067.00

opps, forgot to mention that I also made a liquor run before the big snow hits! I have to drive to North Carolina in order to buy liquor.
I always thought that by now this are would have allowed liquor sales, but I have been here almost 24 years and it has not happened!
Ok, we should be all set for the storm. I even stocked up on my favorite Hood low carb chocolate milk! Yum! I have cake and chocolate milk!!

They are calling for snow and ice to hit us sometime tonight, so like everyone else in my county, I went to the store to stock up on a few things.
We will stay home and cook dinner in tonight, so we won't be out, stuck , somewhere. That thrills my husband, so he can watch the Barrett Jackson auction again tonight!
So, I got some hamburger, a roast, milk, potatoes, and a cake to comfort me if I am snowed in.
I also picked up some prilosec because dh is almost out and has to take it daily.
I had a coupon for $4 off the prilosec and I saved another $4 using my advantage card.
That is $8 more to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $1049.00
today 8.00
new total $1057.00

Dh called his father tonight. We are still trying to see if we can get his name off of a loan that his brother made to fix the roof on FIL's house. We are told it is off, but we have no proof on that.
In the meantime, FIL says he is going to list his old car for sale.
Obviously, my dh got his love of cars from somewhere. My FIL was working on restoring a packard for over 30 years. He finally got to old to work on it and gave up.
He bought himself a 1941 packard back about 25 years ago.
He has decided to sell it. Guess who wants to buy it? You got it, DH!!
OMG, we practically have a recession and we are thinking about car #6!!
Good thing I really love this man and he works so hard!!

The stock market took another big dive today. I don't see how anybody's net worth is going to go up this month unless something happens.
The stock market did go up yesterday and I had a no spend day, so I have $2 to add to the challenge.
Prev. total 1047.00
today 2.00
new total $ 1049.00

Do birds eat more in cold weather. I filled up the feeders at noon yesterday and they are already empty. And we have 4 BIG ones!! My dh is going to have to get an extra job just to feed the birds!!

Today is the day to pay your estimated income tax, Jan. 15th. I just got back from mailing mine to Uncle Sam!!

I opened up a new account at Umbrellabank a few weeks ago with the minimum to earn 5%, which was $1000. Yesterday, I sent an extra $11,000 to the on line bank. I am a little leery of banking with a bank that is online only and so is dh.
I really sure put a large sum of money in there to earn the higher interest rate, but I will probably do it just a little bit at a time for now.
I am worried that I will transfer a lot into the bank, and then they will lower the rate, like ING did.
Does anyone bank with Umbrellabank??

Pennywise asked where did people keep their challenge money. I have a cash box that I have had for years and years. Every time I get any cash or check for the challenge, I put the cash/checks in there, plus I keep track of the running total on a notepad I keep right by the computer. Once a month, or more, I deposit this money into my money market local account, now paying 4.1%. So far, I have not added on the interest it is making, but I think maybe this year I will. Even tho it is not in a separate account, it is pretty easy to figure out how much interest it earns each month. Just take the total times .041% and divide by 12. I think I will start doing that at the end of this month.

The stock market has been open for about 2 minutes. It is already down 140 points. Do you think this will be a bad year for the market. Citi is really down today. Let's see what happens!

WE will be staying home tonight. Have you heard of the Barrett Jackson auction? Well, we will be watching that and my husband will be drooling over all the fancy cars!

They are predicting snow for Thursday. I hope they are wrong!

Today will be a no spend day for sure! The "girls" are all coming over this afternoon to play bridge. It is amazing how much fun it is to play bridge. I would do it every day if I could, and it costs nothing!!
We do have a few snacks which I buy in advance on sale if possible. The gals all drink water or bring their own drinks, since I never drink coffee or tea. I do have to warm the house a bit, can't freeze them to death!!

Hubby came back home this morning after leaving for work. Something wrong with the brakes on his van. We have had such an expensive time since October. I was hoping all the extra expenses would go away for a few months so we could catch up. It is not to be.

He took the new vette for his work vehicle today! At least it will class up the job, at the house he is building!

I was looking for my perpetucal calander today. A friend had a birthday today, but had no idea what day of the week she was born on, so i told her.
While searching for that in my desk, I came across a calculation that I had made many years ago.
I was figuring out how much money I would need in CD's to earn enough interest to live on.
I figured that we could live just fine on $24,500 a year. I just wonder how many years ago I figured that amount out? It sure would not be very practical today. Of course, I do know that some people do live on that amount so it is possible. We would certainly have to downsize and I guess we are not ready to do that.

I did a very short survey for Pinecone,so I was not sure if I would be paid or not. Sometimes you take a survey to qualify.
But sure enought, I got a check for $5 in the mail yesterday. They are so prompt. I also saved $4 using some coupons I had at the grocery store, so I have $9 to add to my challenge money!
Prev. total $1038.00
today 9.00
new total $1047.00