Looking forward to going outside and cooking hamburgers on the grill. Get to sit outside and just listen to the creek ripple by and watch the fire flies!! Have a nice evening! (a frugal one too)

I just got back from seeing how the other half lives. We got a call from a couple wanting to build a new house. They want to down size. Their house now is on about 20 acres. Big long drive way. Lushly planted yard. Fancy pool in the backyard.

They showed us all thru the house but although the rooms were big, i was not that impressed. The house was too dark for me. I don't like real dark houses or real dark wood.

My white, bright, house looks good to me! We figured out who they were. They own a huge beverage supply house right in the center of town. We are talking about some big $$$ here.

But we told them we could not take anything for about a year. My dh is a one man show and does all the work himself, so it takes a while to build a house!

We had a wonderful time at the dinner party last night. The food was great, but it was a bit hot. She wanted the whole party outside, but until the sun set about 8:30, it was pretty warm.
I knew none of the ladies would wear shorts, and I was right!
So we were pretty warm, but the food was great. I really went off my diet and had cheese and crackers and a few bites of chocolate cheesecake!

i can't believe it, I just got invited to another party tonight. They just decided this morning to invite 35-40 people over for a party!!
The guy that owns the local rental place, has a place all fixed up called "Rick's playhouse" He has a live band that he plays in for fun and there is a dance floor!
I know I am too old for this kind of thing, but I sure am going to try and make it to both parties if we can leave the first one early enough!
I wish I had these problems when i was a lot younger!!!

I am going to a party tonight. I do love parties, even as old as I am. It is at a house (that my husband built) with a beautiful mountain sunset view, which I really enjoy. We will have dinner with about 20 other people.
Last sat. night I went to a reunion dinner and the saturday night before, it was a 50's party where all the guests dressed up.(dinner too)
I love it!!

I just took a survey which will pay me a dollar. I wonder how some of you get the big paying surveys?

Not much to add to my challenge, but every little bit helps. I did my 30 minute walk (only 16 flights of stairs) and I saved a dollar on tipping last night cause the waitress was totally terrible. Oh, I gave her $5 for our $20 meal, but I usually leave $6. So I am adding that $2 to my challenge. I stayed home all day so far, so no spending and no gas oday 2.00

We went to our usual restaurant last night and got a new waitress. Oh, she had waitressed before at another place and knew us.
She seemed more interested in talking to customers than waiting on us.
Someone else brought our glasses and ice. She took our order and brought bread. My husband never got his salad and someone else brought out our food. I kind of wish I had a lot of singles, because she did not deserve a $5 tip (for a $22 meal)
I usually leave $6 for the girls, but I saved a dollar last night.

We have several checking accounts, but two we use mainly. I have not balanced them in almost 3 months, so I made my self sit down and work on that this morning. Happy to report the job is done and they all balanced to the penny!!

Well there are certain critters that are determined that I won't sleep in late. The first was my dog, Holly, who had to go potty at 5 am. (that is our fault, we forgot to take her out last night)
Then my least favorite cardinal, starting pecking at my bedroom window at 6:30 am. I finally gave up and got up!
I need to balance all our checking accounts, but now I am too sleepy!

We bought a piece of property on Oct. 19th of last year. We are building a spec house on it. (for sale) I just got the title insurance on it today.
I wonder if someone is making a lot of money on title insurance.
Hopefully, we will sell that house this year and the owner will get title insurance on it again. Seems like a rip off, like we could just transfer it over without a fee. (it cost several hundreds for title insurance)

I have a cardinal that wakes me up every morning. As soon as it gets light, she starts hitting the window. Then she will go away and come back and do it again. Over and over, until I finally give up. I hung some alum. pans outside but that does not help. I sure wish she would go live somewhere else, but with four full feeders in the yard, I doubt she will.

It felt good to eat out last night. I hate going to florida because of the heat and also because the in laws do not eat supper at night. That usually means dh and I do not eat supper at night. We wind up eating junk food cause there is no restaurants in that town.
Last night we went out and had a normal meal like most people eat at night. DH splurged and got a big meal so he would have leftovers for his lunch.
Grass really needs to be cut, so dh is coming home early tonight to get it cut. Therefore, I am making a crock pot roast and potatoes!

Well, I got on my treadmill this morning for the first time since last Wednesday!! (been away on a trip)
It wouldn't turn on. I have had a treadmill and used it daily for about 20 years.
I got really upset, what do I do without my treadmill??
I got down on the floor, there is a re set button, but it was on. Well, I turned it off and back on, and yipee, the treadmill now works!! I have to walk off the 2 pounds I gained on this trip.

I got two bags of free dog food from the pet store, $10 a bag was the price. I pay about $5 a bag normally at the grocery store.
I filled two bowls with food for the dog, Lucy, while we were gone to fla. She ate all of the $10 food and none of the $5 food.
Even dogs chose the most expensive things. I hope she enjoys it, she goes back to the cheaper food when this is all gone.

Someone mentioned that they had never heard of Umatilla, Fla. It is in central florida, near Leesburg, eustis, and Mount Dora.
It is one of the ugliest towns I have seen. There is nothing to do and no place to eat except McDonald's. I have seen all the McDonald's I want for a long time. Even the grocery store moved out of the town. There is nothing to do in that town, but sweat!!! Oh well, I don't have to go back until next year!

You can keep Florida, it is hot when you wake up! It was in the 90's all the way home, when we hit Clayton, Ga. (in the mountains), the temperature dropped to 60. We had to wear a sweater when we cooked out last night. No place like home!

I feel frustrated that I cannot do anything to add to my challenge money while on a trip. At least I am taking all of my change and putting it in a little pocket in my suitcase. I can add it to my coin jar when I get home!!

Ok, you guys in Fla., how do you do it? I have been here one day and I cannot stand the heat. We have been sitting in the house all day. My dh wants to go and take rides around the area. One trip to Publix wiped me out!!

We are here in Fla. for my husband's class reunion. We rode around to find out where the dinner is going to be held tomorrow and talked to some people that were at the dining hall.
The reunion is for anyone that graduated in the 60's. Each class is having a party tonight. We were told the party would be at one house at 6 pm. At the dining hall, we were told it was at another house at 7 pm.
Not much organization at this place!!

Hi, I am here and I am hot!! I sure miss the mountains of Georgia. It is too hot to do anything!! (or spend money)

I am packing for a trip to Florida. Trying to find something cool enough to wear, so I am taking way too many clothes. Did you ever notice that almost everything, "dress up" is long sleeves. I wish I could just wear shorts.

This is the first time I have had time to come to this site, my favorite place to visit. I had a bunch of errands to run today to get ready for our trip. Then I had to take the car in for an oil change and tire alignment. That took up about 3 hours, as I had to go to another state. Looking forward to dinner out tonight!! And catching up on all these blogs!!

I was cleaning out a drawer today and found an old wallet. I wish I could say it was full of money, but I take better care of money than that. I always know how much money I have.
This wallet did have a change purse and it was full of nickels. We use to play a game that used nickels, so I had stored them up.
At least some change got added to my change jar today.
I picked up my dog from the groomer and noticed our restaurant was not open today. I bet we will have to do something else for supper!! That should save us some money!!

We had a great time at the party last night. lots and lots of food, we pigged out. Even had dessert. I was dressed as Elvis and a male elvis did win the best dressed prize.
They had about 30 couples enter the dance contest. My dh wouldn't enter, so I danced with a stranger, but we took 2nd prize. I won a 30 minute massage. Not sure what to do with that, I am not the "massage" type.!!

I am going to a 50's party tonight. Knowing all the ladies will be so cute in their poodle skirts, I decided to do something different.
You know when you get older, you really don't care what people think of your looks, so I always like to be funny at parties.
I am going as Elvis. The fatter version of Elvis in a white jumpsuit.
I have a terrible Elvis wig that would make elvis cry. (He did have great hair, so did my husband when we got married, but it is gone now!)
I hope when I leave the party someone will say, "Elvis has left the building"!!

Well, I visited the job site today and just did not like the living room windows. They don't match. In the last spec house, I made dh change the living room windows. Sorry, but he is going to have to do it again.
We have a garage full of windows and french doors! I guess we will have to sell them at $10 a piece.
So, I definately blew some money today, but the house has got to look good for the price we have to ask.
Yes, he is still speaking to me!!

I think I have the cleanest car in town, my husband washes it so much. He is washing it now. It has rained 4 times this afternoon, I bet it gets rained on tonight. It always rains when you wash a car.

I got my new $1500 tires today. I guess I should get a chair and go sit in the garage and look at them. Isn't that about what those fancy big screen tv's cost?
My husband loves them. Obviously, it is a man thing!!

My husband just found out about a class reunion about a week ago. Not too organized, they didn't even send our invitations, just called a few people. He graduated in 1969. Why are they having a reunion in 2006? No one seems to know anything, but I guess we are going. It is the first reunion since 1979. I think we are going to be wasting 4 days pay plus expenses going to Fla., but he wants to go. Oh well!! Hope it is not too hot as I cannot stand the heat! That is why we went to visit his Father in Jan. and still wore shorts.