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Home > Archive: February, 2007

Archive for February, 2007

Why Am I A Saver?

February 27th, 2007 at 04:17 pm

Why am I a saver and when did I become one? I think that I have always been a saver no matter what type of situation I have been in i.e. Living pay check to paycheck with a child and no husband. To then having a husband and him and I both not having jobs with plenty of bills. To both of us having jobs and good incomes. In all of these situations I have been a saver. Now after sending all three kids through college and having a few bucks left over we have been saving for ourselves.
Many on this webite are in different places with regards to why they are frugal and why and how they choose to save their money. I am one of the people that now save not out of necessity but more out of security and philosophy.

There is a wonderful post from My Two Dollars entitled Why We Save Our Money. Please feel free to read this article. Archive date is 2/16/07. If you have trouble finding this post just go to Most popular posts and it will be the seventh one down. The link to this blog is on the right side bar under links I frequent "My Two Dollars". I think this is another perspective on frugality and savings. One that I strongly identify with.

This Week's Savings Update

February 23rd, 2007 at 10:56 pm

I haven't been doing as well as I had hoped this month in the 20.00 challenge. I will have to be more creative next month. The trouble is...I haven't really sold anything on Half.com or Ebay and since DD stopped drinking soda, there aren't too many bottles to return.
Whatever was left over from my walking around money for the week I deposited into the 20.00 challenge.

In other savings, after paying a few bill this month I was able to save a good portion of my salary. Hubby and I went in on buying more stock for our DRIP account. He still wants to stay with the mortgage co. and the gas co.. That's okay by me, b/c I feel that he knows what he is doing when it comes to the market.

My mortgage balance is coming down nicely. I mark it in miles stones. Like I couldn't have been happier when it was under 300,000.00 then 250,000.00 then 200,000.00 and now the new magic number is 175,000.00. We have been living in this same home for over 18 years so very slowly we have been watching it creep down.

As far as my credit card goes I know that I have a small balance on it as I write but it will be paid in full when the bill comes in.

On the weight loss front, I haven't lost an oz. but I think when the weather gets warmer and I get outside more I will start to shed the pounds.

Automatic Bill Pay

February 21st, 2007 at 02:31 pm

Not much happening on the finacial front. It has been quiet around here. Not to much spending, just on food items. Will be paying a few bills the end of this week. I'm trying to get most of them onto my banks bill pay site. So far I have been lucky. The site is extremely easy to use and it saves me on stamps. I did call the companies to verify that the funds were received and that they were on time. They were. I was skeptical about paying bills this way, otherwise I would have used this service much sooner. I just wanted to wait a little to make sure all the kinks were worked out.

Some Savings

February 17th, 2007 at 01:01 am

This week I am fortunate to not have to pay any bills. My check goes to savings. I am not doing well this month in the 20.00 challenge. I think that I have to get more creative. More home cooked meals this week. No plans for the weekend as of yet. I am totaly enjoying the crocheting. I think I am getting the hang of it. Although, it is only a scarf.

Spend Fest

February 15th, 2007 at 04:42 pm

Yesterday was a spend fest for me. I needed to update the condo upstate with a few new things. First, I went to Ikea and spent about 50.00. Next, I went to Walmart and bought two very nice mirrors, shower curtain, towels, bath mat etc. Total there was 200.00. Put this all on my CC. Which I intend to pay off in full, once the bill comes in. I took up two new hobbies, crocheting and beading, spent about 60.00 in supplies. My mom is teaching me how to crochet. Can't wait until I'm not so spastic with handling the hook and the wool at the same time.

Tomorrow is pay day and I'm hoping to be able to save most of it. This month has been a pretty tough month for me to save. I don't know why? Maybe it is b/c of the winter bla's? I hope to get back on track very soon.

Since it has been so cold here I have been cooking and baking up a storm. I don't like going out into the cold. Since I have been baking I've also been eating more than I usually do. I'm afraid to get on the scale tomorrow.Frown

Quiet Weekend

February 12th, 2007 at 06:02 pm

I had a pretty quiet weekend. I didn't do much of anything except clean. Went out to dinner both Saturday and Sunday. I used gift cards that I received for my birthday.

Today is a long day at work. I know that it will be a no spend day. I guess that will make 3 no spend days in a row. That is a first for me.

Everything is pretty status quo on the money side. I'm not due anything outside of my weekly pay. My bills are paid and up to date. My taxes will not get filed until April. If I get a return this year it will not be until May. What is everybody else doing with their returns? I'm not sure what I'll do with mine.

Just Rambling

February 9th, 2007 at 10:28 pm

Deposited 10.90 from half.com and 1.68 from a dividend check to the 20.00 challenge. Paid off the CC and some other bills and managed to save 400.00 to my cash fund.

Finally set up bill pay through my local bank. If this works the way I hope it will this is the way I will be paying my bills in the future.

Still haven't lost any more weight. I'm stuck at 154 for about 3 weeks now. I have been cooking dinner every night this week. Tonight will be chicken, mashed potatoe and veg. Popcorn for desert while watching my shows.

Tomorrow I will be heading upstate to my condo to give it a good cleanning. We will be having people use it in the next few weeks.

Counting My Blessings

February 9th, 2007 at 12:41 am

I took my cousin to lunch today. We had a very good time. My treat.

My cousin will be losing her house (foreclosure)soon and will be moving in with her parents. She is a divorced mom of 3 older children (20,17 and 13). She was never good with money and after the divorce she kept refinancing the house. Her boyfriend at the time, encourage her to do this so that they could go out and have a good time. When the money dried up, he was nowhere to be found. The mortgage is now at a staggering 3,500.00/ month and then she has to pay 12,00.00 a year in taxes and that is just to maintain the house. Next are the utilities and everything else that goes along with owning a house. To think that before she got divorced she only had 16,00 left on the mortgage. SCAREY!. Anyway the appraisal that was done only a couple of months ago was poor. She would wind up still owing if she sold it. It just makes sense for her to go into foreclosure at this point. In addition to all this she just got out of a nursing home after a long illness. The doctors to this day do not have a diagnosis for her. She is trying to get disability and they are giving her such a hard time. And that is b/c of all the idiots out there defrauding the system. I want to help her out but I just don't know how to. If I were in her position right now I think I would be crying but she isn't, she is very matter of fact about her circumstances and is just plowing through. I was actually afraid about meeting up with her today. I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. She was able to laugh and joke and to have a good time. There wasn't any self pity in her at all. What I took away from today's visit is that your monetary belongings can be taken away in a blink of an eye but it is much harder to take away the spirit. I believe that my cousing will be alright... not great. My uncle is going to put an addition on his house and she and the kids will live there until circumstances change. I will be there for her if she needs anything else. As I've said I wish that I could do more but I don't really know how, at this point. This whole situation really makes me count my blessings. This could have been me!

No Spender

February 5th, 2007 at 10:58 pm

Today was a no spend day. Worked all day and decided I didn't want to go out into the frigid air to go to the supermarket(for dinner). I have to think of something to make for dinner. I have frozen chicken cutlets on hand and frozen shrimp. I'm thinking of the options that I have. No money in...no money out,today.

February 3, 2007

February 3rd, 2007 at 11:06 pm

I received another cash gift today from another one of my brothers for my birthday(50.00). I will put this in my cash fund. I sold another book on half.com today. When that money comes in I will add it to the 20.00 challenge.

I spent 50.00 on a gift card to Red Lobster for my parents anniversary and 3.00 on a card. I went to the mall today with DD and I didn't spend anything. I had three gift cards I could have used but didn't. I am proud of myself. Lately it has been difficult going to the stores with DD b/c she is always urging me to buy stuff. I don't want to and this leads to an argument and then I have to deal with her bad mood afterwards.

Hubby is busy posting on Ebay at the moment and I am thinking about what to have for dinner. It is very cold tonight. I feel like I'm in the deep freeze.

No Spender Today

February 2nd, 2007 at 09:50 pm

A no spend day today!Yipee!Worked all day.
Ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at home. My Mom gave me a 100.00 bill for my birthday and I put that into my cash fund. My Dad and brothers gave me gift certifictes to restaurants nearby. Hubby and DD gave me a new pair of jeans and my favorite perfume. My birthday was a few days ago, I forgot to write about it.

Haven't lost any weight this week. I think that is b/c I have been on a salty popcorn kick. Every night I have been sitting down to watch my shows with a big bowl of popcorn. Yummy! But if I want to lose any weight I think I will have to stop this.

DRIP,DRIP...Not A Leaky Faucet

February 2nd, 2007 at 12:21 am

Deposited 38.69(Ebay money) into the 20.00 challenge today. Sent off two checks today for my DRIP account, 500.00 a piece, first one to a gas and oil company and the second one to a mortgage company(Jan. contribution). This is the first time in about two years that I can contribute something to this fund. The end of this month I hope that I will be able to write another two checks for two more stocks in my portfolio. I am very happy to be realizing one of my financial goals for the new year.

This was the first week in a long time that I didn't shop with coupons. I didn't have any good coupons and the stores really didn't have much that I needed. I only bought a few things this week and used mostly what I had in the house. I did have the store flyer coupon which gave me 5.00 off my entire order.