I am back from town, did not spend a dime. I had to go to the bank and the doctor's office. I had to pay for the procedure performed last month, so i charged it on my cc. I put aside $100 a week for medical expenses, so i will have the money to pay the cc off when the bill comes due end of this month.
Two days without spending!!

Well, now that I have been reading my meter and testing all the appliances, I have decided to find out how my car is doing. Lucky for me, my car has all kinds of gages to tell me things.
One is the miles per gallon that my car gets. I took a trip toNorth Carolina the other day. I got over 29 miles a gallon on my little trip.
I thought that was pretty good. Of course, in town, my mileage is more like 18 or 19 mpg.
I filled my car after the trip and it took $17 for a whole week, about 5 1/2 gallons.
Best way to save money on gas, drive slower and drive less.

I read the meter everyday at noon. The past two days have been bad. I need to stay about $5 per day or under 60 kph. The past two days, It has read over 60 kph. It is this heat!!

We went out to look at some property we were thinking of buying. As most of you know, dh is a builder and we build spec houses and custom houses. (spec means it is for sale)
We had looked at this property in early spring when there were no leaves on the trees and the views were great.
Now the leaves are there and the views are not so great, so we are rethinking this. Do we really want to pay $80,000 for a lot with a so so view?
Good thing is, while we were thinking it over, we had dinner at home for a change!!

I don't do that. I did when I first got married and had a problem with ants on the clothes.
However, I can see where you can save a lot of money. I can't measure with the the kilowatt device. Does anyone know what an average load would cost?
We do not have clothes lines in our neighborhood. I don't suppose the neighbors would really mind, but I don't think I would like it. I only do about 2 loads a week and I do put two dry towels to cut down dryer time.

It rained most of yesterday, so things cooled down. I read my meter everyday at noon and I only used 36 kwh yesterday compared to 50 the day before.
I am calculating my electic bill as I go along and I don't think I will have have anything left over for my challenge money when i get next month's bill.
Well, July, Aaugust and September are the worse months.
I did calculate that it costs about 15 cents to run the fan all night. We don't use it for cooling but to make a noise. My hd has tinnitus and it helps the ringing in his ear. Still, that is $4.50 a month, kind of wasted!(sorry, that is my DH, not hd (hound dog??)

It really is hot! I have been trying to keep my KPh under 50 a day, but it has been that and above for about half the days this past two weeks. I just have to remember that July and August are the two hottest months.

I tried to get my dh out for a cheap meal at Wendy's last night. No dice, he wanted a normal hot meal.
I always thought because I stay home all day, it was me that really wanted to get out of the house.
Now, I can see, this is our routine. He enjoys it as much as I do.
Oh well, we took the old hot rod and had a good time. We also talked to another young waitress about saving for a roth ira. One day we may get thru to one of these girls.

My poor dh is working so hard. He is building a BIG spec house to sell, a smaller house for a widow and now he has just started one for a friend (sort of). He was really hoping to get the smaller house done, before he started on this new house, but the "friend" wants it started now. (We have a basement done)
No one realizes that he is just one guy, working all alone. We have not seen our helper since June 29th.
Not only does dh do all the work alone, he is also doing all the plumbing and electrical alone too.
People beg him to build houses cause he is so good, but I think he is getting burned out. I really don't think he will take anymore custom houses. He even talks about moving away, so he won't be bothered by everyone he has ever built a house for.
Oh well, if we ever get this big spec house done, I think that we will go back to the smaller houses. Funny, cause you make just as much money on the small ones as you do on the big ones.

I do something, I very rarely do, I had lunch out today. Even if I do it, I just get something from the 99 cent menu at Wndy's.
But today, I met two ladies for lunch at a nice restaurant. They are two ladies that post on my local forum. I had lunch with one of them last month, so today, we did lunch again and I met a new lady. It was nice, but I feel like I blew $10, $7 for lunch and $3 for a tip.
Well, back to being frugal!!

I never realized how much my husband likes going out at night to eat. I thought it was just me.
I mentioned that some of you on this forum were going to have a no spend week starting next week.
I asked him if he would be interested in that , and he said NO! Not if it meant he could not go out to eat at night.
He is not a spender. He only spends his money on gas for his van and the lawn mower. He takes his lunch and water every day, so he never goes to the fast food places.
He use to get coffee at mcDonald's, but he gave that up years ago.
So, what can i do? The man works 10 hours a day, seven days a week!
I guess he deserves his nights out if that is what makes him happy!

July 25!! Just 5 more months til Christmas. QVC is having christmas in July today and I have been really tempted.
Finally, a few years ago, we really cut down on gifts. (we use to have 100 gifts under the tree for the two of us)
But we just don't need anything anymore, so we have scaled way back.
We always had a live tree, last year, I got a small fake tree.
But the one part I really enjoy is decorating outside,so I have been tempted by the inflatable carosel for $129. So far I have not picked up the phone!!
We are on a dead end street, so I know we really don't need to buy anything else outside, plus it takes up lots of room.
Merry Christmas!!!!

It was slow at the restaurant last night so I decided to talk to our young waitress. She has been there about a year, and probabaly makes decent money for an 18 year old.
I told her at her young age, she should be opening a roth ira and saving her money.
She did not have the slightest idea of what I was talking about.
She has never heard of IRA's or mutual funds.
Her mother works at the area's largest bank, and she has never heard of mutual funds, ira's!!
That is sad. Young people are not being taught anything about money, not even from their parents!!

I enjoyed my evening last night. DH came home from work early (5 pm) to cut grass, weedeat and trim bushes) We sat out on the back deck and listened to the crickets and the creek.
By the time we got to eat, it was after 10 pm. We cooked pork chops that I got on sale, plus mac and cheese. So Our meal cost about $4 plus we have enough left over for another dinner! I felt pretty frugal for me!

Do any of you make goals and write them down? At the end of the year, I make my new year's goals. I write them on a piece of paper and if I meet one, i write the date next to the goal.
Of course one of my goals is to have $10,000 in my $20 challenge!! I am getting close to it! If I make it, I plan to keep on and try and see how much I can go over it.
( However, I have finally gotten over making the goal to weigh 112 again. It just isn't going to happen)

Have smilies always been allowed?? I didn't think so.[Automated by GetSmile]

I do!! I really enjoy seeing what is going on in all of your lives!! [Automated by GetSmile]

We are going to do something different tonight. We ususally go out, but find we often have company on thursday night at the restaurant.
This guy we know comes to town every thursday night and always comes in and sits with us, uninvited! It is annoying because all he wants to talk about is the house he is building. After working all day as a builder, dh wants to talk about something else.
So maybe we will save some money. We will still eat out I guess.
I would like to go to the job site and watch the sun set over the mountains.
Wish it wasn't so hot!!

No freebies today, just a package for Holly, my 5 pound black poodle. Inside, a safari outfit, complete with hat!! My nutty girlfriend, sent it from her male dog, Weasel (who names a cute dog, weasel?)
I have got to go and try it on her. I hope she got it somewhere cheap, cause Holly does not like wearing "clothes".
Wish i could show you a picture!

I am stuck at home today. My dh's van needed some work, so i picked him up, we came home and he took off to work with my car. You would think with 4 cars, i would have something to drive.
The old vette has a transmission leak problem which we have not had fixed.
The hot rod, is just, well, a hot rod. my husband's pride and joy. I am scared to drive it.
You have to shift gears, it has no windshield wipers (to look cool) and the mirrors are about as big as my thumb. (to look cool again) It scares me not to know what is behind me.
So, i guess i will just stay home and get in some exercising!!

I found a driver's license at the store today. Now, I could have assumed this guy's idenity, BUT, he was 22, had a full beard, weighed 240 pounds and was 6 feet tall. I am 5 feet 2 inches, have no beard, am quite a bit older and weigh quite a bit less, so nobody would buy it!! Of course, I turned it into the office!!

I have been reading my meter every day, trying to keep my kilowatt consumption under 50 every day, which I need to keep in line with my $160 a month budget. The past two days, I have gone over 50, actually the day before the reading was 64, the worst it has been this month. I forgot and left the hot water on. Plus it is just plain darn HOT HOT HOT!!!

I got a brand new GM card that pays you to use it!! it pays back 1% of the purchases in cash or 3% on a GM car.
We had an american express card that did the same thing, but only once a year. With this card, you can get your money when you accrue $100.
I have already got $19.32 built up this first month, that is almost $20 for free! Of course, we will pay this off as soon as the bill comes in.
Most of the charges were for building materials, for our spec house and another house dh is building.
We are starting another house and will be charging even more materials.

It is really storming here right now. I kind of expect the power to go off at any minute. We lost it one day this week and one day last week. I guess it will cut down on my power bill.
I am still measuring my kilowatts per hour. It cost 21 cents to distill my water, but still cheaper than buying it. I am happy to say that the treadmill only cost less than a penny a day to run!! It is the big things, like air conditioner and hot water that really run the bill up. (Oh and dryer too)

A few days ago, I received an autograph book in the mail from my FIL. He wanted my dh (his son) and I to sign it.
It was old, dated 1942.
I need to mail it back today and I sure hope it will arrive safely. I would hate to have his 64 year old book lost in the mail.
I don't know if anyone does autograph books any more. I had one when I was a kid, but probably threw it away.
I do have an old one, 1880, that is pretty neat. The autographs all start, to Julie! (that is my name)

This site is getting to me. Last night I dreamed about finding money. first i found, a nickle, then crossed the street and found a dime, then another, and another. I had a hand full of coins and then found 3 folded up bills. I was so happy, I hated to wake up!!

Well, I guess I saved a few cents. I heard a loud boom and my power went out. so I went to town and hung out for a few hours. I bought some charcoal at the dollar store and saved 59 cents, plus I found a nickel on the floor. Filled my tank with gas for a little over $21.

I got up early this morning. It is getting so hot here, it is hard to walk on my treadmill in the afternoon without turning on the air conditioner. Since I have been reading my meter every day, I am really aware of how my electricity I use and the air condidioner is the main culprit right now.
So I already have in most of my walking for the day. My next house will have an exercise room in the basement where it will be cooler, instead of upstairs, in front of a big sunny window!!

Well, it was for my dh. He got up at 7 and went to work, then came home at 5:30 to start on the yard work. He mowed, weed eated, raked and clean up the back porch. He finally finished about 9 pm. He hasn't had a day off in over a month. He then cook hamburgers on the grill last night, but actually let me clean up the kitchen, he was so tired.
He says he is coming home early tonight to clean house and we will cook out again. Now, before you think I am the laziest person in the world, you have to understand my dh.
He is a perfectionist, everything has to be done perfectly, so he has to do it himself!
I have to admit, I have enjoyed doing no housework for the past 30 years!! But, I really need to get him a maid!!

I have been reading how some of you have found change, even bills and I have been jealous cause I have really been looking. All I have found this past 6 months is 1 penny. Yesterday, passing a newspaper stand, I found a dime in the little change cup.
We went out to eat last night, and I told my dh about the dime, just as we were passing another newspaper stand. Low and behold, I stuck my fingers in the change cup and came up with 2 quarters. Maybe my luck is changing!!
I was excited, but dh thought I was nuts!