Yesterday was bridge day at my house. A fun day with very little cost involved except for a few refreshments. Everyone knows that all I drink is water (and cocktails at night) so if they want something else, they bring it with them. The stock market went up yesterday ($1) and I saved $3 using CVS bucks to get a new hair brush which I badly needed.
Prev. total $13,960.00
today 4.00
new total $13,960.00

The braves are playing their last game of the season, so no more contributing to the $20 challenge when they win. I have also stopped contributing every time I win a game of mah jong, cause I win a lot of games!
Right now, I have started concentrating on more no drive days and more, no eat dinner out days. I used to eat out 5-6 times a week and we have cut back to more like 1-2 nights a week.

Well, we do. I guess we could save a bunch of money if we didn't. Of course I have two dogs that eat very well. We have at least 3 or 4 bird feeders out in the back yard that we fill with sunflower seeds constantly. We also have a hummingbird feeder up except for winter time. (they even get bottled water)

Dh built a feeder for corn kernals to feed the deer every night. We always get the same 4 deer early; Ralphie, alice, trixie and Ralphie;s baby) We also feed at least one groundhog, Abraham, who likes corn too. Other deer come when it gets darker and there is never any corn left over. (squirrels like it too)

I did buy some baby back ribs and hamburger on sale today, so I will add the $7 I saved to put into my $20 challenge.
prev. total $13,953.00
today 7.00
new total $13,960.00

Well I checked at my tax office and found out even more about homestead exemption. In the state of Georgia, they give you a $2000 exemption off of the 40% value of my home. I looked up what the state of Georgia thinks is 40% of the value of my home and it has me listed at about $414,000. At 40%, does that mean that I live in a million dollar home?? Wow, that sure changes my net worth! I think I need to ask someone about that!

Well, I checked my bank balance last night at 5 pm and I was still $16,000 richer. I never get on the computer when my dh is home, so I did not get to check again until just now.
Yup, they found the error and the $16,000 is no longer in my checking account. I knew they would find it. I use to work for a savings and loan and we did our bookkeeping by hand, no computers. We had to balance out to the penny every afternoon and we stayed until we found the money.
Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!

One thing I like about computers is that I can track my balances at the banks; checking, savings, and Certificates of deposit.
I check my balances every day except on the weekend and keep track of all my outstanding checks.
Imagine my surprise when I checked my balance this morning and found a $16,000 error made today, in MY favor!
Of course, I know they will find it when they balance this afternoon, but it is fun to see a much larger sum in my checking account, even if just for a few hours.

I hate to remind you all of that, but the time is fast approaching! Three months from today! The braves won their last game and I had a no use gas day today. $3 more to the challenge.
Prev. total $13,891.00
today 3.00
new total $13,894.00

Well, the rain in North georgia has finally stopped for a while and the sun is out! Dh managed to go back to work today but came home a little early. He is trying to get the grass cut before dark. (We have 2 acres, all grass)
The braves won twice in a row; the stock market went up yesterday; and I had a no use gas day. That is $5. Today, I saved another $5 by using my Ingles advantage card at the grocery store, so that is a total of $10 for the challenge.
Prev. total $13,868.00
today 10.00
new total $13,878.00

What a pain in the neck that can be. Our county changed everyone's address this week to update their 911 system. Most of us have the same street, but all of the house numbers have changed. I have so many account, mutual funds, individual stocks, etc. and I will have to change the address on all of them.
Oh well, the stock market went up on Wednesday, the braves won on Wednesday (I am a day behind) and I saved $3 using my Ingles advantage card, so $5 more to add to the challenge fund.
Prev. total $13,130.00
today 5.00
new total $13,135.00

I had to run to the bank this morning to cash dh's paycheck, so I turned in all the change I have saved for the past month. I have $34 to add to the challenge money.
Prev. total $13,089.00
today 34.00
new total $13,123.00

I got a pinecone check for $3 yesterday. I did two surveys in a row, so I should get another check this coming week. The braves won 3 games in a row, so that is $6 more to add to my challenge account.
My dh made it home safely from the car show in Pigeon forge. The best thing was, he did NOT find a car he just has to have. You can tell we have never been apart very long, I really missed him and he was only gone 13 hours!
Prev. total $13,083.00
total 6.00
new total $13,089.00

Yes, I am home alone today. For the first time in over 25 years my dh has gone to the Shades of the Past car show in Pigeon Forge,Tn.
I have a fairly new puppy, so I stayed home with both dogs. In a way, we have saved money, cause we generally spent about $500 for a motel room two nights and many nice meals out.
But it sure felt funny to wish him a good trip at 5 am. this morning. We are almost never apart other than his work.
The braves have won their last two games and since I have no singles, I am adding $5 to my challenge money.
Prev. total $13,078.00
today 5.00
new total $13,083.00

I picked up my older dog from the vets yesterday and paid a $274 vet bill. I had paid $150 on tuesday. This was for teeth cleaning and 2 extractions.
I have figured out what I have spent on the two dogs this year and it comes to $1800. Of course, I am so lucky that my medical bills for the past three years, has come to 0.
I called an made a doctor appt. yesterday. When the receptionist asked me what I was coming in for, I said, I am coming in for nothing. I have not been there for 3 years and I am afraid he will drop me as a patient.
Holly has another ear infection, so that means I have to go back to the vets in 10 days. I am so glad I have the money to keep my babies well.
The stock market went up two days in a row, the braves won a game and I had a no use gas day on Wednesday, so I can add $5 to my challenge money.
prev. total $13,073.00
today 5.00
new total $13,078.00

I took my older dog to the vet today. She is going to get her teeth cleaned on Thursday and they had to do blood work. The bill today was $150, so I wonder what the total bill will be for teeth cleaning?? Dogs are expensive, but they give back so much happiness that you can not put a price on that!!

Happy labor day! I read about why this holiday was created and it was not a very happy reason. However, my husband has gone to work, to labor, like he has done every labor day that I have known him. I hope his entire crew shows up.
I saved $6 on steaks I bought this weekend, so I will add that to my challenge money.
Prev. total $13,060.00
today 6.00
new total $13,066.00

Gamecock has a blog about a friend that has a money tree. I have tried 4 times to read it, but I can't seem to get into her blog.
So what is her blog about??

I guess August is considered the end of summer. This was a very nice summer, we did not really get very hot weather at all. That helps out with the electric bills. Also, we got a lot of rain. That does not help out with my husband's work (outside construction)but it really helped out with the drought we had all of last year.
Labor day will soon be here and so will the car show in Pigeon Forge. For the first time in 25 years, I won't be going to the show. Dh is going to just drive up for the day. It is just difficult with a new puppy and I hate to board my dogs.
I got a nice check in the mail yesterday (rebate) for $242 and also saved $4 using a coupon for prilosec, so that will be added to the challenge.
Prev. total $12,793.00
today 246.00
today $13,039.00

I had my puppy spayed this week. I was upset all day about it cause I worry about her, but she came thru fine. We picked her up yesterday and have to keep her confined, which is very boring to a 5 month old puppy.
My older dog is getting her teeth cleaned in week and the vet game me an estimate of $360 if she had no teeth extracted; more if teeth had to come out.
So, I was expected a much bigger bill for spaying.
Even with me telling them to do blood work first, the bill was only $202. I was very happy with that.
They don't even do stitches any more; they use surgical glue.
She is such a cutie, I am so happy to have her back home with me!!

Dh is finally going back to work tomorrow. He only worked one day last week. They were suppose to pour concrete on Thursday, but had to pospone because they were calling for rain.
Now the concrete should be poured tomorrow.
He got a lot done around the house and spent most of his time retiling our large back porch. He just finished up an hour ago and is now out cutting grass. He still has the front porch to do, but that can wait a while. Not only did he retile the porch, but he rocked all around the edges too. It looks great!

Boy, my house is looking so good! All of my cabinets have been repainted and now dh is working on laying tile on the front and back porches. The back one is huge and he is working on that right now. Maybe I should put the house up for sale??
My neighbor did, a few months ago and already got a contract! We live in a very nice neighborhood!
Somebody got a very good deal on the really big house that my husband finished in May. Asking price was $799,000 and the bank accepted an offer of $320,000.(house was forecosed on; it was a spec house, not ours)
I was tempted to buy it myself, but we don't need two houses in these unsettling times!
The braves did not win last night, but they did win the 2 games before that and the stock market was up the past 2 days. That is $4 more to add to my challenge.
Prev. total $12,117.00
today 4.00
new total $12,121.00

On aug. 18, 1984 we moved from hot, sunny florida to the North Georgia mountains. Quite a change since both dh and I had lived in Fla. since our childhood. I don't think I would be that brave today!
We moved up here with no friends, no family and most important, NO JOBS!
Dh had never build a house in his life ( he drew house plans) and he built our Lincoln Log house completely by himself. (Including the plumbing, electrical, tile, cabinets, etc.) He could not hire anyone to even help him lift one log.

We lived in a 16 foot travel trailer with a teenager, a poodle and a doberman for almost a year. It got as cold as 23 degress below zero, and our blankets would freeze to the walls.
Lucky for us, we had always been frugal and managed to live on our saving until I got a job as a waitress making $2.01 an hour.
We were really out in the boondocks with the nearest town over 15 miles away. But we loved being out in the country and on the river!
I am so happy that we made the move!

I did my grocery shopping at Ingles today and saved $4 using my advantage card. In the mail, I got coupons from Ingles, offering 5% off of my groceries for the next 4 weeks. That is nice! Thanks Ingles.
Prev. total $12,098.00
today 4.00
new total $12,102.00

I got my propane bill in the mail yesterday. Last year my bill was $1832 and this year it is only $965. So, it is only half of last year's. I have a large 1000 gallon tank and it lasted the entire winter. We run the heat from mid Oct. to mid april.
Propane prices are much cheaper than they were last summer, so I decided to fill up even tho it is so hot. I do keep my house pretty cool (63 degrees) but we have a large house (3200) sq. ft., plus we heat a double garage with a bathroom and eff. apt. upstairs.
I budget $40 a week for heat and I will continue to do so. No telling what propane will cost next time I fill the tank.

Today, we had a spendy day. Since dh is not working as much, he has decided to completely retile the back and front porch. Of course, he can do all the work by himself, but he had to order the tile. It cost us almost $1600 but will really look good.
We also went to Wal Mart for the first time in a year and spent $56! However, some of that was for beer and you can't buy that where we live!
We did have some Ace reward cards, so we redeemed them for some light bulbs, a new leash, puppy food and 5 pair of working gloves. It is fun to get things for free!

I hope I did not make anyone mad about my post about cell phones yesterday. I realize that they are wonderful in an emergency, but some people I know just can't afford them.
I know a couple in their mid forties. They have a teenage daughter. They have no checking account and no saving account, but they all have cell phones. To me, a cell phone is a luxury item.
I guess the neat thing about everybody having one, is that in an emergency, I can borrow someone else's phone!!

My dh is just starting a house. Then land has been cleared and a crew is putting up forms for the poured basement walls, so there are about 10 men working there right now. Every single one of them has a cell phone, and they talk on them all the time.
Personally, if I was paying them, I would not allow a cell phone on my job. I don't want to pay someone for talking on the phone all the time.
Plus, how can they all afford it? They do not have good paying jobs. One guy told my dh, that his wife had run up over a $1000 phone bill last month. I don't understand this cell phone craze at all. I also heard on tv, that text messaging while driving is now considered more dangerous than drunk driving.

No, I don't have a cell phone, nor do I want one!

Our net worth went up last month, mostly because of the stock market doing better.This slow down in building is really hurting the area that we live in. We know of so many people who are out of work and are losing their homes. It is so very sad.
Our neighborhood is mostly older people and they are all doing ok cause they are retired. There are 3 young couples here and I think one of them may be moving out. I don't know if they were foreclosed on or not? I sure hope things start to get better soon.
I had a no use gas yesterday and the stock market went up two days in a row.
Prev. total $12,079.00
today 4.00
new total $12,083.00

I rarely if ever find any money, not even a penny! I look all the time, but never do I see any change on the ground. Today, I got lucky, I found a quarter in the newspaper stand. When I was self scanning my groceries, I put 5 pennies in the pay slot. When they did not register, I hit the button to get my pennies back. I got them, but I also got another quarter and a dime too! So I found 60 cents today, the most ever!

Do you remember what you did 50 years ago! I was in my first and only weddding. Oh, I have been married twice, but I just had a small at home service. This was the first wedding (in a church with reception) that I was ever in. It was my sister's wedding. No, the marriage did not last, but she was married for 19 years to the same man.
I remember going to a baseball game with my uncle, getting sun burned and almost being late to the wedding!

Boy, July went fast. I can't believe it is time for the kids to go back to school. I keep hearing about "end of summer" sales. Heck, I thought summer ended on Sept. 20th!
When I was a kid, we went back to school the Monday after labor day, not the first part of august!
Anyway, I had a no use gas day on Wednesday, plus saved $4 using my advantage card at the grocery store, so that is $6 to add to the challenge.
Prev. total $12,068.00
today 6.00
new total $12,074.00