When we went to the grocery store today, we returned some bottles and cans we had. We ended up returning $4.50 worth! We still have a few more to do; I can't believe we drink that much soda! We are usually really good about only drinking water, but latey we have been craving soda like crazy. Gonna have to watch it.

We also needed lightbulbs, so we bought a 3 pack of those energy-saving ones. They were $2 off the original price, and we want to convert all our lightbulbs over as they die, so this was a good place to start.

So, overall, another $6.50 to the challenge.

$20 Tax Old Balance: $121.84
Bottles and Cans: $4.50
Lightbulb coupon: $2.00
----------------------------
$20 Tax New Balance: $128.34

Went to Walgreens tonight with The Boy to get some hair dye. I have naturally red hair, but sometimes I ache for a change, so I got a 28 shampoo dye that will wash out. As we were looking at the dyes, an employee came up and asked if we needed help. We thanked her and said we were all set. She said when we were ready to go to her register. We thought nothing of it.

BUT, we did go to her register when we were ready to check out, and she said "I have a coupon for that." Then she pulled out a box of coupons, and sorted through them until she found the one for the brand I was buying. She scanned it and $2 off! Yay! How nice was she???

I've never had a cashier do that before. I don't know if this is standard practice for Walgreens (we don't go there much) or just something the girl was doing to be nice. Whatever it was, we thanked her several times. We will definitely go back there before we go to CVS anymore.

Had to pick up a few items today at CVS. We did fantastic!! Here's what we got:

2 packs AA batteries
2 bottle Irish Spirng Body Wash
1 pack Thermacare heat wraps

Total spendings: $13 and change
Total savings: $12.49!!!

How did we do it? Well, I had $1 coupon off the thermacare wraps, $1 coupon off the irish spring, plus $6.50 in Extra Care Bucks, and the batteries were buy one get one free ($3.99!)

Ahhh, it's good to know that even though I am on the dole, we can smell pretty and have batteries for the tv remote control! LOL

My car, once again, is having issues. It's making wierd noises and vibrations. So I took it to the mechanic this morning. He is about a 45 minute walk from my house. While I was there, I called Enterprise to rent a car for the day so I could get home and then have a way to go back and pick it up.

BUT, I decided instead to save the $40 it would have cost for the rental and WALK HOME!!!

45 minutes, not too bad! I am so proud of myself!! You have to realize, I am an almost 350 pound woman; walking home before NEVER would have happened! But since I rejoined WW and am looking for ways to save money, I decided what the hell? Mine as well go for it!

And when I have to pick it up? I'm gonna go walk there again!

Found this in a book I was proofing at work. Thought it was interesting.

A number of factors in the years from Nixon’s resignation to 2005 have made it harder for most Americans to maintain their living standards throughout their working lives and during retirement.
After strong, steady yearly income growth stopped, the broad American middle class faced serious tradeoffs. If people choose to incur more and more debt to live in their accustomed style during their working lives, saving for an adequate retirement becomes increasingly difficult. But setting aside sufficient savings for an adequate retirement puts the current living standards in jeopardy.
At one point an adequate overall retirement program seemed likely, but the outlook today is grim. The combination of limited income growth, a precipitously declining rate of savings, and an
increasingly inadequate pension system has put much of the middle class in great jeopardy of failing to maintain their working years’ standard of living at retirement.

Jump forward to the 21st century and the picture has changed radically. Personal saving is on the endangered species list. The experts were wrong—the growth of private pension systems stalled and pension plans became less generous. Only Social Security thrived. It had become a political favorite later in the Golden Years and greatly expanded to become the strongest of the three components. But Social Security growth alone will not
take up the slack.

Saving. Many Americans lacking steady income gains are on a borrowing treadmill. Washington Post staff writers Jeffrey Birnbaum and Chris Cillizza observed in a September 2006 article: “According to a study by the Federal Reserve Board, the ratio of financial obligations—primarily mortgages and consumer debt—to disposable personal income rose to a modern record of 18.7 percent earlier this year. The amount of
mortgage debt alone has more than doubled since 2000, to nearly $9 trillion.”

Historically, Americans have not been among the biggest savers compared to people in other rich industrial nations. But what is happening now is unprecedented. The rate of saving to
disposable personal income that ranged from 8 to 11 percent from the Second World War through the 1980s now has
dropped below zero. Associated Press reporter Eileen Alt Powell wrote in mid-2007: “The nation’s savings rate has been negative since the second quarter of 2005.” This is hardly a good sign in the struggle to retain families’ standards of living at retirement.

Although it is not unusual for people to go into debt early in their earning careers, today the saving rate for those under 35 has dropped to 216 percent. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s
Economy.com, noted that “The post-boomer generation feels very cavalier about saving. They’ve been very aggressively dis-saving and have borrowed significantly.”

All this talk about hair lately has nudged me forward to do something with my own. I want to cut it, get something relatively funky. However, I'm not sure how work would feel about the funky I have in mind (Hot pink anyone?). So, instead I decided just to take a few inches off the end, give myself a little different look.

Did it myself last night! ANd it's even! LOL

Saved myself some money doing it myself. Although, I gotta say, I miss having it shampooed by someone else. Hmmm....wonder what BF is doing tonight...

Things I Can Do to Spend Less Money:

1. Cancel Netflix (we don't watch a lot of movies in the summer).

2. Cancel Website and e-mail I pay for (Yes, I have 2 e-mail addy's. Not anymore).

3. Eat breakfast at home instead of stopping for a bagel each morning at the DnD.

4. Make coffee at home every day instead of stopping at DnD.

5. Unplug all electionics, lights, etc we do not use at least once a day.

6. Start clipping coupons.

7. Keep up with regular oil changes in carso my gas milage is better.

8. Clean out my car (needs it big time) so my gas milage is better.

9. Consolidate trips in the car so I use less gas.

10. Plant mostly veggies in the garden this summer instead of flowers like last year.


Things I Can Do to Make More Money:

1. Freelance as much as possible.

2. Yard sale

3. Stuff on half.com and e-bay

4. Yardwork for Mums (This will nt make money per say, but it will be work towards paying off my debt to her).

Saved $30.18 at the grocery store tonight! $1.60 was from coupons and the rest was just due to having a frequent shopper card there and pcking items that were on sale. Will add at least that $1.60 to the $20 Challenge account. LOL I should use coupons more often!

Also added to the $20 challenge is $7 I saved at CVS yesterday. I had a coupon for $7 off any purchase from my extra care savings card. Yay for frequent shopper cards!

Old $20 Challenge Total: $113.27
Added April 13, 2007: $8.60
--------------------------------
New $20 Challenge Total: $121.87

OK, just added $5 in ones to my change bucket. Gotta get back in the saving habit. The Boy said today he thinks maybe the reason we've been so lax w/$$ lately is b/c I have been MIA here. Definately part of it. Posting here and reading others posts does keep me in check.

We took $40 from the Fn Account b/c the boy wants to use it to get me something for V-day. How cute.

Fun Account Total: $181.65
Withdrawl: $40.00
New Fun Account Total: $141.65

Well, we have our checking account. Then my bank savings account wich is really just for paying off the cc debt settlers fee since they direct withdraw $100 from that every month. I have the ING / EF / $20 CHallenge account going. Just openeded an Emigrant savings account. This account is going to be for "fun" things: BF's new glasses, our trip to Vegas, new tattoos, etc. Started it off w/the $1 to open it, and the boy has gotten $180.65 from e-bay sals this last 2 weeks, so that is going into the Fun Account.

Fun Account Total: $181.65

It's been a hectic month. Holidays. New job (longer work hours plus a longer commute). Being tired (gettin less sleep). Being sick (no Health Insurance right now, either). Spending time w/the BF (I love him so much! ).

I've missed being here. I've been doing OK money wise. Now that I have my first paycheck from the new job I know how much I will be bringing home every 2 weeks and I can create a new budget.

Let's see, what has been going on? Well, had to get the brakes redone on my car. Completely worn out (I drive fast and break hard and late). Didn't cost nearly as much as I thought it would, though. Dipped into the savings account to pay for it, which was so nice! It was a fab feeling knowing I had the $ put away for something like this and that I didn't have to use the CC. Cost about $300, but I was expecting close to $500, so I'm VERY happy.

My final CC agreed to settle! I'll be making a 1 time payment of about $1,500 to them next week, and then poof! GONE! It's a great amount...my original bill was about $3,600, not to mention the fees added on for not paying it these past few months when it's been in negotiation.

Made my last payment to CC #2 last month...yay! And my last payment to CC #3 next week....I'm just about done. I'll be starting 2007 with a good mount of debt, but with a balance on only my Med CC and LB CC. I feel like I still have a long way to go (I owe Mums so much $), but everything has gotten in control and I have a new handle on it all.

Things with the boy are FAB! We've been together just over a month now, living together, and I couldn't be happier. He's eve starting to pick up on some of my frugal ways! HA!

Dream come true....we got a FREE aquarium!! I've wanted one my whole life and a few weeks ago me and the boy were talking about saving up for one. Then, someone at my work announcs he is giving away a 45 gal aquarium, with ALL the equiptment, AND THE FISH for FREE!!!! We jumped on it and it's ours! Unfortunately, we have had to spend a little money on it (heater cracked in the car during trasport and we needed to get an air pump for it) but otherwise it's been Fab! There were originaly 6 African Cichlets, but we lost 4 of them in the move. Since then we have gotten a few more, lost some, and reaplced them. Luckily, the fish are fairly inexpensive, ony about $8 each. Still, it's enough to spend, with the gas money for getting to the pet store included.

Anyways, we now have 1 large Orange female named Lizzie (in honor of Lizzie Borden), one albino HUGE male called White (as in Whitey Bulger), two little yellow babies (Frank and Jesse James) and one blue baby who is one part of the former twosome the Menendez Brothers (we lost the other blue baby this morning). We have since had and lost Jack (the Ripper), Ted (Bundy), Gacy (John Wayne Gacy), and another set of James Brothers. I'm starting to think we cursed ourselves naming them after serial killers and criminals. LOL

Anyways, now that things are calming down around here, I'll be back soon. Merry Yule, Merry Chirstmas, Happy Hanukah, Merry Kwanza, Happy Ramadan, and Happy New Year (and anything else I forgot!)

Beginning of a new month; I want a record of all my finances.

CC Savings Account Update:

$1,164.09 bal
- $501.00 transfer to checking
----------
$663.09 bal
+ $110.00 DD from paycheck
----------
$773.09 bal
+ $110.00 DD from paycheck
----------
$883.18 bal
+ 0.28 interest
----------
$883.46 bal
- $98.57 payment to debt company
----------
$784.80 bal
+ $215.20 transfer from checking
----------
$1,000.00 balance 12/1/06

Back up to a grand! Yay!

Found an article in the local paper about this and though we could all benefit. Enjoy!

Hightlights of the Article:

The BBB continues to warn customers to be wary of gas-saving clains for automotive devices or oil and gas additives. While some of the gas-sving products have been proven to work, the savings are usually small at best. Worse still, some can severly damage your engine or void a manufacturer warranty by adding after market devices to your car.

Some products than can damage your car or cause a substantial increase in exhaust emmisions:
Air Bleed Devices
Vapor Bleed Devices
Liquid Injection
Fuel Line Devices
Mixture Enhancers
Internal Engine Modifications

Instead of risking damage with these products, the BBB suggests you try these tips to increase gas milage and save some moeny at the punp:

~Buy only the octane level gas you need. Check your owners manual to find the specifications for your car. If you don't need the high octane level, don't waste the extra money on it.

~Drive more efficiently by driving within the posted speed limit. Gas milage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60mph.

~Avoid frequent and sudden starts adn stops. Accelerate slowly when starting from a dead stop: gas milage can be improved up to 5% around town this way.

~Use overdrive gears and cruise control when appropriate. They improve the fuel economy of your car when you're on the freeway.

~Keep windows closed when you're traveling at high speeds. Open windows cause air drag which reduces your milage by 10%.

~Avoid rough roads when possible. Dirt or gravel roads can reduce your gas milage by up to 30%.

~Remove excess weight from the trunk and backseat. An extra 100 pounds can reduce gas milage by 2%.

~Properly maintain your car: keep the engine tuned, tires inflated and aligned, change the oil on schedule, and check and replace air filters on a regular basis. Replaciong clogged filters can increase gas milage by 10%.


*Taken from the Wareham Courier, Thursday, October 19, 2006 issue

Old Savings (CC Debt) Total: $969.44
Added $110.00 automatic deposit
Added $50.00 (extra $ due to raise)
New Savings (CC Debt) Total: $1,129.44

My paycheck is DD (Direct Deposit) so on paydays I just check my account to make sure it was deposited for the right amount. As I mentioned before, I often get extra money that is travel reimbursement. Well, this week I didn't have any extra in my pay, and I didn't even think about it. Then today I open the mail and I have a check for $248.60 from work! Milage reimbursement! YAY!

Since I hadn't had any plans for this extra $$ because I had totally forgotten about it, I am going to deposit this whole check into my CC account/savings. If I need to use a bit for bills, it's there for me. If not, it just helps me get down the CC debt all the more quicker. And if I put it right into the savings, I won't be tempted to spend it on other things, like I would if it was just sitting in my checking account (which my ATM/debit card is attached to).

Watch out CC Debt! I'm coming for you!

Old Savings (CC Debt) Total: $720.84
Added $248.60 milage reimbursement
New Savings (CC Debt) Total: $969.44

Sold more books for the $20 challenge...yay! Another $37.53!!

Added more money to the Lamp Fund! Woo-hoo! (Still can't get the pix to work )

ING Account (aka $20 Challenge) Old Total: $24.98
New Total: $62.01

Lamp Fund Total: $16.41
Lamp $$ To Replace: $30.84

Savings: $202.25

I often have to drive to different events for work, or to our main office in Boston. My work does pay milage (YAY!) but I still sometimes run into the problem of not having money to put gas into my car to get to that event, becasue the milage is reimbursed to us at a later date. As a result, gas in my car is a big expense for me.

I've got three Frugal Gas Tips for my fellow bloggers. If I get more, I'll add them. Meanwhile, please add your own in the comments! =)

Frugal Gas Tip #1
A good rule to follow of windows -vs- a/c is this: If you are going 40 mph or under, use the windows; it uses up less gas. However, if you are going above 40 mph, use the a/c; traveling at a fast speed with the windows open creates more resistance to the car, and it takes more gas to go that speed than using the a/c would.

Frugal Gas Tip #2
When you pump gas and your tank is full, before removing the pump, tip it upside down to get the last few drops. Over the course of a year, you'll have "found" an extra 1/2 cup of gas. And, you already paid for it!

Frugal Gas Tip #3
Many times people fill their tank, then "top off" to round the money up to the nearest dollar, half dollar or whatever. But when you do this, the gas you are "topping off" with actually gets sucked back into the pump. So, even though you end up rounding up the dollar amount, you aren't actually getting anymore gas. It's like paying for air.

Got this off their website. It's ideas to save.

Money Saving Tips:

**Save $.50 a day in loose change = $15 a month
**Cut soda/pop consumption by 1 liter a week = $6 a month
**At work, substitute 1 coffee for 1 cappuccino = $40 a month
**Bring lunch to work (saving estimated $3/day) = $60 a month
**Eat out 2 fewer times a month = $30 a month
**Borrow, rather than buying, one book a month = $15 a month
**Comparison shop for gas (save est. $.25/gallon) = $4 a month
**Maintain checking account minimum to avoid fees = $7 a month
**Bounce one less check a month = $20 a month
**Pay credit card bill on time to avoid late fee = $25 a month
**Pay off $1000 of credit card debt, reducing interest = $15 a month

That's a total of $237 savings per month! And, these are just a few money saving tips you can use. Save Money Everyday, Live Debt Free, and Balance Your Household Budget!

=)

So, for the past, I don't know, maybe 6 or 7 years, I have done the DnD Breakfast Run every morning on my way to work. The DnD Breakfast Run is this:

1 large Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee
1 Dunkin Donuts Bagel sandwhich

The prices always range depending on where I live, or what year it is. But right now, I pay $4.61 every morning for my DnD Breakfast. Let's do the math:

DnD Breakfast Run: $4.61
X 5 workdays a week = $23.05
X 4 weeks a month = $92.20
X 12 months a year = $1,106.40
X 6 years = $6,638.40

I have thrown away over $6,600 on coffee and bagels! And that's not counting the occasional weekend DnD Breakfast Run or the sometimes 2nd Coffee at 3-PM-Slump-Time Run.

$6,600!!!!

What could I have bought for $6,600???

110 months of membership at a nice gym
330 new DVD's
440 new CD's
33 Prada bags
1 Used 2000 Dodge Neon
1 Used 2000 Chevrolet Metro
1 pair of 1.5 carat, platinum setting, diamond earrings from Tiffany's
3 EACH Pacific Blue Kenmore Elite Washer and Dryers
3 Hitachi 57" Wide Screen TV's
733.3 bags of cat food
2,200 gallons of gas for the car
10.5 months of my rent paid
507.7 WW meetings
9.4 Cruises (including airfare!)
7.3 Round trip flights from Boston to London

*sigh*

I bought coffee to make at home every morning before I leave for work, and I have cereal, frozen waffles, and WW bagels for breakfast every morning.

Time to give it up.

Savings is a category of different things I am doing to cut costs and save.

This weekend I (partially) cleaned out my car. May not seem like a big deal, but my car is a 2 door, with the trunk completley full of things, as well as the back seats. Nobody can sit in the back seats, it is so full.

Going on the theory that the heavier the car is, the more gas you use, I started to clean out the car. I took out all the trash, 4 board games, some dishes, some jackets, and some books. About half the car is cleaned out.

This should help improve my gas milage. Since I drive a lot for work, and I spend A LOT of gas money, this is very important.

Tonight when I get home, I'll take out the wok and matching dinner set for 4 people, and the rest of the books (about 5 grocery bags worth). Then this weekend, the rest of it will be cleaned out, I hope.