Pennies on the Sidewalk

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

I haven't been on here much this month. Things have been crazy with the move and all. Been spending WAY too much money as well. Time to reel in the spending and get serious again. I always do better when I am here more often, so here I am again.

Not much new in the financial world. My credit is apparently getting better. My CC limit was raised to $5,000 (from $3,500) without my knowledge. And my APR on the CC, which used to hover around 30% is down to 19.99%! Still quite high, but it has made a big difference. My interest is dropping (lower APR, plus not using the card means nothing new to add interest to), so it seems to be getting paid off a bit. Still a long way to go, but I'm, feeling more positive about it.

Other than that things are tame.

FINALLY got my taxes done today...I know, I'm a slacker. All in all it worked out good: I am getting a return of $196! Yay! My fee to HR Block was really high, but it is OK since I had so many forms and so much paperwork that I know I never could have done on my own. So, the HR Block fee comes out of my Saving for Taxes account, and I don't have to take any out to pay taxes (which is what I had originally started it for). When I get my refunds, I will pop those back into the Taxes savings account. Now that my taxes are done, I will have to think about what I want that savings to go to; and what i will be saving for next!!

$20 Tax Old Balance: $513.13
- HR Block Payment: - 270.00
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$20 Tax New Balance: $243.13

I have a little to add to my $20 Challenge today. $10 from doing surveys, and $30 refunded for train issues. When I was taking the train, if it was 30 mins late, we would get refunded. Happened twice! Yay! Still have to cash in the tickets for the cash, but I figure that putting the amount into the $20 challenge now guarantees I won't spend it.

$20 Tax Old Balance: $473.13
Survey check: $10.00
Train refund: $30.00
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$20 Tax New Balance: $513.13

Have a little extra cash right now, so I put $10 into the EF and $10 into the Taxes/$20 fund. Also, interest from Feb.


Old EF Total: $100.30
Addition: $10.00
February interest: $.25
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New EF Total: $110.55


$20 Tax Old Balance: $462.20
Addition: $10.00
February interest: $.93
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$20 Tax New Balance: $473.13

OLD ATTCC: $3,149.32
Fees: $174.98
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New ATTCC: $3,324.30

OLD ATTCC: $3,324.30
Payment 3/5: $200
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New ATTCC: $3,124.30

How great is this? Last month, I got my check, and everything was OK, except I though taxes were too high, but whatever. This month, I get my check and it has my $170 for health insurance taken out pre-tax, which in turn, meant less taxes taken out, which in turn, gave me an extra $210.44 in my paycheck!

Whoo-hoo! Haven't figured out where it is all going yet. Some things from the extra $1,100 we originally have this month were more than I expected, so it may be helping with the cost of the move (TOMORROW!!!). For now, $50 went to the challenge monty, and I can hopefully put the rest to the EF.

I was starting to think I would NEVER have another addition to the challenge!

Well, today was payday, so I added $50 to the challenge, plus $4.77 from half.com.



$20 Tax Old Balance: $407.43
Half.com DD: $54.77
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$20 Tax New Balance: $462.20

So, it looks like we will be getting an extra $1,100 in March! Yay!!!! Great timing, too, with the move! I have already budgeted it all out:

$200 for the move (truck rental and treating friends and family to dinner afterwards)
$100 extra to LBCC
$100 extra to ATTCC
$100 extra to grocery budget (after the move, we will need to restock basics)
$100 into the $20/Taxes account to replace the $100 I had to steal out of it for groceries this week
$100 for new apartment things (dinning room rug, computer desk)
and the big one...$400 to the EF!!

I am actually excited to get the $1,100 so I can start transferring it around! Who knew paying bills and saving could be so much fun?

Yes, another one. I'm thinking I won't make it to 10 this month, but even a few help.

February No Spenders: 3

We got the apartment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



(I'm very excited!)

Boo_meyers, Veronak, Ima....hugs and thanks!!!!!

Well, after MONTHS, we have finally found an apartment we love, that we can afford, and is a much better commute for me for work. As long as we get approved, we're in. I think we will, since it was not too long ago we were approved for a small mortgage for that condo we loved. Let's just keep our fingers crossed!!

The new apartment is a 2 bedroom in Quincy! It is only 7 miles from downtown Boston! That makes me commute about 1 1/2 hours shorter AND $180 cheaper!

The rent is more expensive, but it includes heat, electricity, and hot water, which we didn't have here. And then the money saved on the commute, plus the fact that we will use WAY less gas in the car because I will public transportation it the whole way to work, allows us to magage a bigger rent payment. So, it looks like as of March 1st, out new budget will be:

Rent/Electric/Heat 1095
Meds 150
Car Ins 82.08
Cable 53.27
Cell Phone 50
Home Phone/Internet 55
Gas (car) 100
Groceries 300
Communter Pass (for 2!) 120
LBCC 100
ATTCC 200
Total expenses 2,307.08

Since I paid first, last, and security when I moved in here 4 years ago, we can pay rent at the new place for March, and the rent for this place will have already been paid for our last month. So, we can either move out over the course of the month, or maybe be out by the 15th and get half that last months rent back. That's what I am really hoping to do, but I don't know if the landlord will agree to it. He's kinda a slumlord.

Anyways, I'm just VERY happy and VERY excited! Now, all the packing....*groan*

Already paid my CC this month (put $300 on it!) but I decided to throw an extra $15 on it. I did this a couple of days ago. I know I had a good reason for it at the time, but now, I can't remember it. Oh well. Every little bit helps!

OLD ATTCC: $3,164.32
Payment 2/12: $15
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New ATTCC: $3,149.32

Another No Spender this week! This is good, starting to get some of them in. I think today will be one, too.

February No Spenders: 2

Small DD from half.com to send into the Challenge.

$20 Tax Old Balance: $401.47
Half.com DD: $5.96
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$20 Tax New Balance: $407.43

Finally had a No Spender this month. For some reason they are just slipping away from me lately.

February no Spenders: 1

Per Ima's advice, I am reposting...

First I would like to say that I do not expect anyone here to donate to this cause, and I totally understand if nobody does. I was never going to post this, but a few people have asked where and how they donate to my team in the MS Walk.

Second, again, please don't feel like I am hitting you guys up for money (we are, after all, ALL trying to save and be more frugal!). The words and support you all have given me re: my MS has been the biggest gift of all, and I can never thank you all enough. THAT is what means the most to me.

But, like I mentioned, a few people asked for this info, so I am posting it. To those people, thank you from the bottom of my heart (and wallet!). You (and everyone else here) are all so special and totally rock!!

*hugs to everyone*

The MS Walk will be April 13th, in Bristol, RI. It's a six mile walk (no, I probably won't walk the whole 6 miles, but my team members all will). My team is called the Errington Clan, and right now we have 6 members.

To donate to the National MS Society 2008 MS Walk on behalf of my team, please click here:

Just a few small bucks here and there. Interest for Jan, $ saved at CVS last night, and some bills in my CITB.

$20 Tax Old Balance: $396.62
Jan Interst: $.45
CVS savings: $2.40
CITB bucks: $2.00
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$20 Tax New Balance: $401.47

First I would like to say that I do not expect anyone here to donate to this cause, and I totally understand if nobody does. I was never going to post this, but a few people have asked where and how they donate to my team in the MS Walk.

Second, again, please don't feel like I am hitting you guys up for money (we are, after all, ALL trying to save and be more frugal!). The words and support you all have given me re: my MS has been the biggest gift of all, and I can never thank you all enough. THAT is what means the most to me.

But, like I mentioned, a few people asked for this info, so I am posting it. To those people, thank you from the bottom of my heart (and wallet!). You (and everyone else here) are all so special and totally rock!!

*hugs to everyone*

The MS Walk will be April 13th, in Bristol, RI. It's a six mile walk (no, I probably won't walk the whole 6 miles, but my team members all will). My team is called the Errington Clan, and right now we have 6 members.

To donate to the National MS Society 2008 MS Walk on behalf of my team, please click here:

As (most of) you all know now, I have MS. Well, I have decided to do a fundraising walk for the MS Society. I've gotten a team together and we are raising funds and planning to walk in April. When I got my team registered, I started the fundraising efforts with $50. I'm hoping the team will hit $200 (we should; we're already at $125), but personally, I'd love to see the team hit $1,000.

Any rate, that $50 was the first of my 2008 Donations.

2008 Donations: $50

WOW! A whopping 30 cents!!! LOL

Old EF Total: $100.00
January interest: $0.30
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New EF Total: $100.30