Today is payday (yay!) so my automatic savings went into my $20 savings and my EF.

$20 Old Balance: $607.78
Payday deposit: $25.00
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$20 New Balance: $727.88



Old EF Balance: $135.83
Payday deposit: $25.00
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New EF balance: $175.83

Got my state tax refund yesterday. Going right into the challenge. I am getting excited about how fast this savings account is growing! I can't wait til I hit $1,000.

And I especially can't wait til I get that $600 refund check. I am trying to decide if I want to throw it all at the CC debt (it would pay off a 1/3 of one of my CCs), add it to my paltry EF, or stick it in this savings. I don't feel too bad about my EF being only $100 or so; I figure if I have an emergency, I can tap into this savings account. Once this on gets big enough, a certain amount will be moved over into my Ef and not touched for anything else, and the rest of this one will be for something special (new laptop, vacation, investing, down payment on a house, who knows?).

I love tbis feeling od saving, but I also know I need to get my butt in gear and pay off the CC debt. When I do, whatever I sent to the CCs can be put in savings each month (at least $300, if not more). And while I know that, and I know keeping a balance on my CCs means I am paying extra money for interest, I think I am scared to pay off the CCs. I know myself, and as long as I have room on the CCs I will use them. It's a bad habit I need to break. But maybe I will just save for a bit, then when I have enough pay off the CCs in one or two big payments, meanwhile continuing to pay on them what I pay now....I knwo it is throwing money away, but...

I think I am afraid of having not enough income to live again and having to rely on help. I don't want to hit that point again - ever. I think having that savings makes me feel more secure, so I am hesitant to use it to pay off the CC debt.

OK, enough introspection for now...

$20 Old Balance: $607.78
State tax refund: $95.10
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$20 New Balance: $702.88

Another DD from half.com I have to admit, while I LOVE the mini payments, I hat having to package up the books and go to the post office. I seriously drag my feet about it. But anyways, I'm now over $600 in my $20 challenge! And I'll have another $100 when my state refund check gets here....I feel good having it back up over $500. I think I ma going to keep saving until I hit $1,000. Maybe then anything over $1,000 I'll put towards something special, but for now, I want to hit that savings goal.

$20 Old Balance: $598.42
half.com dd: $9.36
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$20 New Balance: $607.78

Today I rolled up my spare change and took it to the bank. $25.50 I also had a refund check from our cable company to deposit. When we moved, they never cancelled the old account, and without looking at it, I paid the bill for a month we weren't even there. Luckily, they checked their records, saw that it was supposed to be cancleed, and gave me a refund. Decided to add that to the $20 challenge as well. $56.20. I figure if I hadn't spent it last month, it would have been in our leftovers at the end of the month and gone in here anyways.

$20 Old Balance: $516.72
Deposit 4/21: $81.70
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$20 New Balance: $598.42

Three times in the past 2 weeks I had had to take a taxi home from the bus station after work. The first time was because I had an hour wait until the next bus and I could not wait that long to pee (no public restrooms at the station). The 2nd and 3rd times were because I left work late and missed my bus.

I hate paying for cab fare, especially when I have unlimited rides on the bus for the month with one small payment. Grrrr.....

At any rate, the amount I spent on taxi fare is going into my savings.

$20 Old Balance: $495.72
Taxi Fare: $21.00
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$20 New Balance: $516.72

Feeling pretty sad about the state of my savings accounts lately. Added $15 to the EF. Gotta get that built up.

Old EF Balance: $135.83
Random contribution: $15.00
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New EF balance: $150.83

With the big drops on the interest rates in personal savings, I need to find a better way to save. problem is, I get confused with the numbers and percentages and financial language.

Can anyone recommend me to a website or a book that explains money market accounts, cd's and the like in easy terms?

Thanks!!

twice so I a got $31 refund for my fare! I hate those late trains, but I love the on-time guarantee! Too bad now that I have moved I won't be taking it anymore... OK, not really too bad since my commute was 2.5 hrs each way and now it is only 1 hr each way. But I will miss those refunds!

$20 Old Balance: $463.90
Late train refund: $31.82
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$20 New Balance: $495.72

So close to $500!

I am trying to keep my savings above $500 right now. Anything over that I can spend on something I've been saving for (new laptop battery, for example). I am thinking I might discipline myself even longer and make it a goal to keep the balance minimum at $1,000...I guess we'll see how quickly it is saved up.

Got one of my tax returns today! Not a huge amount, but it was a return, so I am happy. Adding it to the $20 Challenge.

$20 Old Balance: $362.90
Tax return: $101.00
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$20 New Balance: $463.90

Yay! Got a half.com direct deposit today! Love that.

$20 Old Balance: $333.54
Half.com DD: $29.36
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$20 New Balance: $362.90

Looking forward to bumping this up to at least $500 again! Still not sure what I am going to do with the money. My laptop needs a new battery. I want to save for a vacation. My car will need to be replaced in a few years. Would like to have a down payment for a house in a few years. So much to save for, so little to save.

Welp, things are good for April so far. We are sticking to our budget, and the expenses have been decent. Today we need to do a major grocery shop. Our monthly budget for goceries is $350; trying to cut it down this month from $400 last month. We have about $325 left of it right now. Also need to put gas in the car ($120 budget we haven't touched yet for April). Other than that, it will be a lazy day. Heck, already has been as it is after 2 pm and niether one of us are dressed yet!

Well, we moved into the new apartment, and seem to be doing ok. Much better for work. We did pretty good actually, with all the expenses of the new apartment (setting up new accounts for tv, phone, etc, buying small things, like a new trash basket for the kitchen, restocking the fridge and cupboards, etc). We ended the month with $22.88 left. Put it into the Challenge.

There are three things I noticed that I am not too happy about. First, we didn't have a single No Spender in March.

Second, we spend about 38% of our income on rent (which includes heat and hot water).

And third, we didn't follow our budget through the whole month. This one really bothers me. We made it through the month, and even had a little left over, but I am still not happy. We need to get better at tracking all out spending and following our budget. Maybe April will be better.

Decided to start putting a monthly contribution into my EF. Otherwise, at the rate it is now, it will NEVER hit $1,000!

Old EF Balance: $110.55
March interest: $0.28
Monthly contribution: $25.00
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New EF balance: $135.83

Have a whole bunch of contributions to the Challenge today!!

Regular monthly deposit, what we had left in our checking from March's budget, what i had leftover from my B-day money that my parents gave me, interest, and what I got for selling some of my used CDs. All in all, pretty impressive!

$20 Tax Old Balance: $243.13
Monthly contribution: $25.00
Leftovers from March: $22.88
Leftovers from B-day money: $35.00
CD Sales: $6.50
March interest: $1.03
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$20 Tax New Balance: $333.54