Allrighty, here's another entry in the 'The Best Way To...' Contest. Did you know we could enter more than once?

I've been working PRIVATELY on my own personal goals today and I'm really wanting to use Joe's Goals again this year. I did use joesgoals.com SOME last year, but not enough. I need a BEST WAY to keep on top of this goal-keeping whatchadoodle.

I went in today and revamped some of my settings, one being the 'Preferences' selection. Last year I had it ding me by email if I failed to log on in 7 days time. Well for me it seems 7 days is too too long! I reset it to ding me if I haven't logged on and updated every 2 days. This should work MUCH better. You might want to try it.

I created some new daily line items there as well -

Checking Account Update
Investment Log
Weight

I already do those things on quite a regular schedule but there are some days when I'm playing catch up. Or on the weight, I do weigh each morning but wasn't logging it anywhere. I'd like to get these locked down as Real Deeply NEVER MISS A DAY Ingrained Habits.

Yes, I know, some will tell you not to look at your investments every day. Well, I'm not every body. I like looking at mine daily. Why? It keeps me cognizant of the fact that the balances DO run up and down fairly regularly.

So, for me, it keeps me out of emotional realm and on track to just keep logging the balance. It might not work that way for everybody, but it does for me. I think we had one sell off in our investments in 2007 and that was to rebalance, so I'm not day-trading or anything as a result of keeping an eye on it. It does however alert me as to when I've enough cash on hand to invest into another fund and further diversify. Of course, once I get to a certain point I will stop the diversification process as I'm not wanting to set up some giant maze of investments.

Also while I was there at joesgoals.com I was logging in some of the receipts here on the desk and had to stop and ask myself just who was that crazy lady that was at the fast food restaraunt about 5 times last week???? BARRFFFFF -- I surely don't want that to continue! So, those frownie faces do work.

It has hardened my resolve to see all those on there. BOO HISS!!!

The other thing you can fiddle with on Joe's Goals is to increase your points for certain activities. On those that I'd been slacking on I boosted the points. Doing this points boost, helps spike the charts as well. A nice upward spike on the chart does give me some incentive as well.

As competitive as I am I want gold stars people! No stars available, but smiley faces, points and checkmarks will do. He has a little gadget where you can import your goal chart to your blog.

Plus, for every day there is a frownie for eating out or pop there is also no smiley there for No Spend Days! WELLL, obviously that crazy lady Must Be Stopped!!! Before the fat lady must sing!

The other bad thing about fast food for me is that means I'm usually getting a pop at the same time and my bottom line (ba-dum-bum) doesn't require any extra padding in that department either. So again, the frownie faces may help come to the rescue as I gave SodaPop a frownie line of it's own! Saving on future dental bills as well.

Besides which it does me No Good to complain about my children's spending habits when I'm letting my own run wild!

Time to Get It T.O.GETHER!!

Therefore, the best way to track goals is to have a centralized place TO track them and CHECK IT OFTEN! Automating the reminders to check it often just might be the best way to stay on track.

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In Other Financial News:

Today's $20 Challenge money came from a change slot in the wallet cleanout.

$20 CHALLENGE
$009.49 balance
+000.38 clean out change slot
_______
$009.87 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $9.87
Cumulative Challenge Total $538.48

We have a new contest huh? Okay, I'm going to enter this into the 'The Best Way To...' Contest.

The best way to cut electricity costs is to keep a somewhat eternal vigil on usage, wouldn't you say? I know there are big things you can do like buying Energy Star products, etc., but in the meantime or afterwards, is there a way for the ECONOMIZER in us to keep the electrical costs under control?

I've been thinking about this for a few days and I've come up w/a small idea. Alrighty guys and girls, every now and again I am going to alert us to a challenge such as the Flylady HotSpot Alerts.

I'm going to call this thing The Whack A Mole Electrical Challenge. Do you remember those games? Pop one mole on the head and another pops up?

That's what my electricity usage is like.

I think I have things under control but one sweep thru the house reveals a number of items that I can turn off, unplug so there is no phantom usage, etc.

Here I go - it's early morning here with showers and breakfast over...

Okay, I'm back -- I turned off:

1)desk lamp off
2)calculator off
3)computer speaker off
4)printer/copy machine off
5)bedside fan off
6)nightstand lamp off
7)living room TV off
8)living room overhead light off
9)kitchen TV unplugged
10)coffee pot unplugged
11)hair dryer unplugged
12)kitchen night light off
13)utility room night light off
14)bathroom night light off
15)microwave unplugged

YIKES!!!

See why we need to keep whacking that electricity mole????

Okay, your turn. Come back and tell me what all you were able to turn off or unplug!

Then stay ready, because you never know when I'll pop a Whack A Mole Electrical Challenge on you! ummmm...you might want to let your family in on this game, because there might be minor disgust from the spousal unit when one finds the microwave unplugged REPEATEDLY. Don't ask me how I know!

What's in your electrical outlets?

Go, Go, GO!!!! Whack Those Moles!!

Okay here are some actual numbers from Booth 1 sales for December 2007.

Total Sales $130.00
less 10% -13.00 (store owner)
___________________
117.00
less rent -50.00 lg. upstairs booth
___________________
67.00
less adver. -5.00
___________________
Check $62.00
inv. cost -11.71
___________________
Profit* $50.29

*Does not include taxes that must be paid, gasoline or my time to run it over there - I grocery shop at the same time, nor my time to price, or tithe - but it is nice to know that w/just $11.71 I can net sales of $130!

Sold 33 separate items which would average out at about $3.94 an item. I do have some large items in my booth, and nothing big sold this month, the most expensive one item went for $14.50.

I do try to keep a lot of 'smalls' in my booth as sometimes that is the only thing that sells. I remember my early days of 'junking' and I was happy to shop all day, but did want to bring some little something home for all my 'efforts' - HA! Thusly, I do try to have items in all kinds of price ranges available for my shoppers. I think my sales would about triple if I could get a downstairs space.

So, $31 to the Roth IRA today after I hit the bank w/the check I picked up yesterday. Booth 2 results are too sad to mention for December.

CashHappySon handed me $1.16 in change to go to the challenge. He is so cavalier about money it is scary.

$20 CHALLENGE
$007.83 balance
+001.16 parted with all too easily
_______
$008.99 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $8.99
Cumulative Challenge Total $537.60

Yesterday was a spender as HouseBudget spent a boatload on gas to fill up my truck. I took a load of firewood to my Dad about an hour away and then drove on to my Mom's to restock my junque' booth #2 and pick up December sales at #1 & 2 booths. Phhppfftt...those #2 sales not worth driving for (did meet my rent, got rid of some junk with a little left over*), but it does make me MORE regular in getting down to see her - she lives approximately 2 hours away.

Since both boys were off I took them with me to unload the wood and to see the grandparents, so it was $9.90 at the Golden Arches for lunch for the three of us (just the way the schedule turned out that we were between their houses at lunchtime or we'd of normally eaten with one or the other of them) AND $1.75 in toll charges.

*My other booth did meet it's December expenses plus $62.00 in income. Good thing I'm not trying to LIVE off of this money as it is very irregular! Now to figure out the profit...

Half of the income will go directly to my Roth IRA and the rest plowed back into more inventory.

I spent $13.01 here this week on groceries. I seriously overstocked before Christmas and Hubster's vacation, plus he got a nice spiral ham from his company and CashHappySon got a turkey.

The ham is mostly spent, just a few remains in the freezer for future ham, beans & cornbread nights, but the turkey is tucked away in the freezer uncooked.

It's Grocery Banked!!

In other spending news...at Family Dollar this week I spent $45.50ish. That is for paper goods, paper towels, paper plates, toilet tissue, lots of cleaning and laundry supplies -- enough to last a couple of months, a new broom, 2 new dish towels, coffee creamer, $1 for 4 cooking utensils, shampoo, conditioner, batteries for my camera, a Valentine's Day card for Hubster and a bottle of 'fake-o champagne-bottled grape juice' for VD coming up.

While we were there I helped FrugalSon pick out a card for his girl 'not toooooo mushy', and some clearance lotion products for her VD gift. Nice - he only paid $3 on one of those sets with about 6 or 7 items in it. He also has a perfume here at home for her in the shape of a floral rose presentation thingawho that will be added to his gift.

We looked for hearts filled with chocolates but they weren't in the store yet. He also bought himself a new cap - it looks like one of those Greek fisherman caps for $3.99, so he got out for around $8.50 total on his big splurge.

PLUS, he was here to tote and carry all Mom's purchases to the truck and then into the house! Gotta love those boys with muscles AND a good attitude that look like Greek Gods. Sweet!

Updating the mortgage balance...

If we continue on the track we're going down we'll shave an additional 1 year and 10 months off the loan, saving interest payments of 807.27.

New balance after payment on 1/1/08 is $19,705.71. Finally, under that $20,000 bar!

Contractual term left 6 years 4 months
Actual term remaining 5 years 7 months

Projected early payoff in July 2012!




And a nearby picture of the recent ice-storm! Hubster did go buy himself a new Stihl chainsaw the other day and while he was off on his Christmas vacation worked about 8 days all day EVERY DAY on cutting up trees in our yard alone and STILL the entire backyard and behind the creek is full of gigantic downed limb piles remaining to be cut up! That was an unexpected expense of apprx. $325 that came out of the Emergency Fund.

Keep scrolling down...









Of financial note: Speaking of OLD & NEW...maybe it's just me but is everything blurry & quiet in here?? The Hubster and I signed up for his HSA this year. Hope he gets his official paperwork soon as I see an eye exam and a hearing test in my future.

At church last Sunday I couldn't see one of my favorite little girls' face while she was in the baptistry waters! Granted, I sit in the balcony, way at the back but still....

Ughhhh!! I think it is a bigger issue than just being at a distance...like maybe I'm turning into an old fossil??

AND,

I couldn't hear the people at the other end of the table in my Sunday School class. Granted, it's a big class, but, still, I like to participate. Need to be able to hear to do that!! Maybe I'm just full of funky earwax?? Hear's hoping that's all that is!

Hopefully the little bit we put towards the HSA will cover both those expenses. We are newbies at this HSA thingy, so we didn't plop a lot of money towards it. 2008 is our test launch year and I think he either put $400 or $500 on it, either of which should be easily hit.

-----
Cleaned the desk off yesterday while preparing for FrugalSon's date. My desk is in the living room, so um, yeah, it had to have a clean sweep! Found a dime and someone had left 35 cents on the lazy susan in the dining room. The waitress (dear Ol' Mom) claimed it.

FrugalSon's 'The Girl' came over bearing a chocolate cake last night and we had Domino's pizza (yes, w/a coupon) and watched Godzilla -the relatively?? new one.

Wooohoooo Party!!

Huuuu!! I fell asleep during the first part but was enough of a party animal to be awake from about 11 on til about 1 a.m. Big time fun. Well, for us anyway.


2008 $20 CHALLENGE

$000.00 balance
+000.45 desk cleanup & waitress tip
_______
$000.45 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $000.45
Cumulative Challenge Total $402.95

Anyway, I pray that everyone of us here at SavingAdvice.com will prosper during the coming new year!! Let the clock start ticking!! I'm off to make my mortgage payment.

OhJoyyyyyyyAndHappiness!

Is that my Sciatic Nerve Acting Up? NO!! It's a genuine pain in the posterior!

Okay, the Hubster's 40 Year Service Award is going to be paid out in the form of being added to supposedly his next paycheck, which means it will be frigging taxed & won't be issued until after the first of the year, so it will be an entire year before any of that tax bite can be recaptured.

Can you tell I'm slightly ticked off????

Arrrghhhhhh!!!


In an attempt to soften and at least slightly counteract the blow I went in and upped the 401-K deductions only to be told that it won't go into affect until AFTER that check is cut!!

Pain in the right and left buttocks**!!

Like I said before it would certainly be nice if the employees had a little notice that the company was going to do these bonuses and awards in the fashion that they do, so we can counter-attack the tax burden.

Guess why? They don't do matching or take any 401-K contributions out of bonuses or awards. Isn't that just fine?


NO, not in my book.

Does anyone have a solution, methodology or a way around this?? Maybe I'm thinking about this all wrong, but it chaps my hide and yes, I do think it a royal pain in the posterior.


I hope I'm wrong and it comes in a complete untaxed form.

Yes, we could go ahead and take some of our own money and go buy the television NOW that he's wanting but it's doubtful that we will. I didn't particularly want a new TV, but he does, and it gripes me that they COULD HAVE done better by him than they have.

Okay, so I'll let you know how much actually shows up later, should be in his hot little hands when he returns to work from vacation time off on Wednesday.

----

Of other financial interest, I managed to scrape up an additional $999 to go into my Roth from various savings. I'm going to add my own little $1 from the current budget to get it to that magical $1000 mark. That still leaves me slightly short some on the 2007 done by midnight on the 31st, however, perhaps I will be able to make the deadline by April. GEEEEEE, WHINE, WHINE, WHINE, I so wanted to be done by the end of the literal year.

POUT!!

---
Yesterday was a NO SPEND DAY!!! YEAH!!

---
Today was a spender. Everyone here but the Hubster has the croup and the boys have been hitting the cough syrup supply quite heavily. So, after church we stopped for cold supplies. Tried to buy day time cold meds, night time cold meds, tissues and regular cough syrup.

Because some people in my state like to cook up funkydunkydrugs from the stuff I had to give the cashier my date of birth and was only allowed to buy two of the cold meds on one ticket. The third one I had to buy on a separate ticket.

How, may I ask you Dear Reader, did that keep in bounds with the law? Yeah, it did with the letter of the law?? but still. It's a law with good intentions, but silly if the cashier is just going to let you buy the stuff on two tickets. WEIRD.

Not sure how I'd of liked it handled, because with three croupy people I needed the goods, but come on!!! Either stick with the law or don't bother.

Geeee, it is a strange world anymore where you almost need an act of Congress to buy cough medication!


**For more classy information on buttocks check out Wikipedia for Venus of the Beautiful Buttocks!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_Kallipygos

Oh the things we can learn these days. I had seen the statue, but never heard the story about the farmer with two daughters possibly originating with Venus????

I live, I learn, I educate my faithful readers.

We all are now further classically educated, yes?? Additional small talk fodder for the New Year's Eve parties to come!

Started a new Sharebuilder Account today with plans to use it to keep my DRIPs & DCA (dollar cost averaging) buys inside. Will see later about transferring some of the ones I've had for awhile over to there...not sure how all that works, but know it is doable, not sure on the ease.

For a new dollar cost averaging holding I am going with $50 automated buys monthly of Goldman Sachs (GS)...


http://www2.goldmansachs.com/our_firm/investor_relations/a...

...to start this off in the new year with my first buy to take place 1/8/08.

I wanted to do the OIH & CGW etfs, but alas they are not listed under their available Tuesday purchases. Not sure exactly how all Sharebuilder works YET/BUT, think it may be possible to do a real-time trade into OIH & CGW. We shall see later. Just trying to up my diversification outside of my OFFICIAL retirement accounts.

This money has a dual goal set for it. It is my buy a houseboat and an RV for my retirement living/travel needs. I MAY go without a permanent station in retirement other than a docking & parking fee at a local lake.

I am invisioning a small auto (used paid for in cash) pulled up to the darling houseboat (used paid for in cash) which is docked alongside a smallish van/truck over camper RV type (used paid for in cash) with a tow hitch.

Any one of these three could take me away for a bit of travel/living economy style. I could hop in the small RV and head for the kids and grandchildren's homes and visit a week or two without being a major inconvenience and yet get my wanderlust satisfied at the same time.

We shall see.

That's the somewhat distant & vagueish goal at this time. Who knows, it may be only a slightly bigger RV and I rent a houseboat each summer on different lakes. OR a small condo with time each summer in a rental RV &/or rental houseboat.

Time & health will tell.



And I have saved enough in my CD Savings Fund that I'm popping it off today to buy another short-term CD.

And, there's enough in the Savings Bond Fund to buy another I-Bond. I am buying these and putting my children & grandchildren on as POD (payable on death). This way I can use these IF I need them (future income) in old age, but if not, the ones w/the kiddos on them can be their small inheritance from the old Gran.

What can I say, I like my eggs in different baskets. It's scriptural I believe. Simpler to have it all at one place, but not sure of the soundness!

SEE: "Ecclesiastes Chapter 11 - Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good."

I'm trying to be a good caster of my bread!

And this Sharebuilder automated account builder is one of those set it and forget it doowhickies. Yes, I'm willing for now to pay the $4 for trades. We shall see how it all pans out.

Yes Virginia, I am BUYING assets. Assets that pay me in future income. Remember my Granny L's saying, "Trinket or Treasure?" The difference I heard someone speak of between poor people and people who have money are that the poor people buy STUFF and folks w/money buy ASSETS.

No, I currently (me myself personally, not counting Hubsters income) don't have enough income after normal living expenses to just buy a CD or even a savings bond sometimes.

I just budget a bit each month for these things into various little funds kept earning interest under an umbrella slush fund at EmigrantDirect and when they accumulate up to a certain size then I pop off and buy them. Anyone can.

At this point in time I already have way too much STUFF. Need more income producing ASSETS.

Of financial quickie note - yesterday was a No Spend day. I've gotten away from blogging about them, but they do count and add up!

Okay, just went back thru the check register and I deposited $16.92 from Piggy in September. And in October I added a contribution of $101.00 to my Roth IRA most of which was left over from my Texas trip that went unspent. This was over and above my regular contribution.


Making the addition to the log over on the left.

$20 Challenge

September 2007 $16.92
October 2007 $101.00


So, I didn't make my goal in September but I seem to have more than made up for it in October.

CashHappySon was spotted the other day plunking a few coins into Pigger before I could stop him, so I'll wait to the 31st to give a final 2007 $20 Challenge update.

So far 2007 found $402.20 for the $20 Challenge. Add that to the 126.11 for 2006 when I began and you get a Cumulative Total of $528.31.

Not Mr. Rockefeller yet, but hey, for money that I would've piddled off elsewhere it looks to add up, yes?

Of other financial note: Paid 1/2 of the house taxes earlier this week, these were due by the 31st. I have the other half set aside, but that half isn't due until mid March, so I say, "Let the interest pileth up!" and then I'll mail them the rest of what is owed later. House taxes up by about $30 this year, not too bad if they just HAVE to go up, this at least is a reasonable figure!

Also paid this week and taking another bite out of the ol'bankbook was my taxes and association dues for our Florida timeshare. I know lots of people hate timeshares but I've always been well pleased with mine. I love to travel and the exchanges have always worked relatively easily and well. My sister and I co-own this property, so my share for it is only half.

Oh yes, on the challenge, I did find a jar w/money in it in my gift drawer the other day when I was fishing around for a last minute gift. I've yet to count it. Will be taking that to the 2007 Challenge as well. I don't think there is more than $3 or $4 dollars in there though.

So, inquiring minds want to know, how did you make out on the $20 Challenge this year?

Also while absent from the blogosphere I cancelled my cell phone as my contract had expired and replaced it with an emergency-use only Tracphone. With part of the savings difference the Hubster and I purchased Term Life Insurance! YEAH!!

It's not as much as I would like to have, but it beats a snowball. Partly this is because he smokes and is older thus the premiums on the kind of coverage I'd like is a bit on the 'TOO MUCH for the budget to handle' side! It's the age difference that has me worried, because in all likelihood I will outlive him and there is a good number of years between now and when I'll be eligible to collect Social Security - this will provide at least a small coverage of that gap.

Anyway, we got a smallish policy for me and a larger one for him as he's the main breadwinner.

It's a trade-off, but I think it was a good one for us!

Last week I sent $410 extra to my IRA. Can't recall now why the funky extra ten dollars is on there, but it probably made my checkbook come out to a nice even number or something.

Even though I haven't been on the site much lately, I have been plugging away at finances. Anyway, that April deadline is looming and I need to boost my 2007 contributions.

How about you - do you have yours funded for this year yet?

Just now getting around to updating my mortgage balance over on the right. Getting ready to slip under 20 thou! Woo-hoo!

Just back from a great junc'tique buying trip to Round Top, Texas. Woo-hooo, lots of good bargains found, but it is getting harder and harder as prices were on the rise.

And yes, I shopped, the Junk Gypsy!


http://www.gypsyville.com/truckin_junkin.asp

Cleaning out the purse and adding my personal leftover vacation spending money to the $20 Challenge which will be added to my IRA!

$20 Challenge

$02.97 balance
+30.35 unclutched
______
$33.32 July MTD

2007 Challenge $218.53
Cumulative Total $344.64

Nice to note as well as we left the house w/$750 in vacation cash and came home after 10 fun days away w/a bit over $300. YEAH!!! We ate out 3 times at 'eat-in' restaraunts and many times going & coming in the fast food joints and went to many free events while we were away. We took one copy box full of groceries & spent $80 at the grocery store upon our arrival. Our best vacation expense? We spent $1.22 + tax for birdseed to feed the birds outside our resort condo.

Updating the mortgage balance.

Staying afloat - the new updated mortgage balance is $21,554.02! Time to actual payoff is 6 years 3 months. We are paying some little extra to this each month, by adding another $6.00 monthly I can shave off another month at the end. Will be trying to do that, making projected payoff in July 2012.

Just wanted to make myself a note here that I did my first Kiva loan a few Saturdays back as a community service project (my loans there will likely all go to widows or single Moms) and am currently investigating putting some money out to loan over at Prosper.com. I'm researching now but will likely not loan any $$'s out at Prosper until after vacation time when my head's clearer. Right now it's all bottled up w/figuring out where to kennel my dogs while I'm gone.

http://www.kiva.org

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I went last week and got on the list to be contacted when a booth space opens up in the antique mall in the next town north of me (about a 15 minute drive). And I made contact yesterday about taking over my Mom's space in the mall in her town about an hour and a half south of me. I can stock/clean/straighten it once a month when I go down for a visit.

Wanting to expand my operations AND get the basement cleared out as well.

Having a 'junque' booth generally takes little time for me as I have a bunch of stock already and all that is required is to sit and inventory it & price it while watching tv a night or two a week. A nice little side stream of income. Whenever I run out of STUFF (maybe a year or two away as I've got a big basement stuffed w/FIL's goods) I do enjoy going to auctions, yard-sales and thrift stores and believe I have a decent eye for what sells and am fair at making my displays sell for me. I've been wanting to get up a photo of my current booth but camera is all gum-up-i-fied. Meaning it's internal memory is full and I've got to hunt up the book as to how to empty it first before any more pics can be taken!

After the upcoming garage sale and when I can get these other two booths up and running then there should be enough room in the basement to set up one of the rooms as an occasional sales area. A lady in our town used to do this before she retired and moved away. She'd run an ad for 'junqtiques' about three times or four times a year, open up on a Friday and Saturday and then be closed again. No muss, no fuss.

As long as I can have someone else at home with me then I wouldn't mind doing it this way. I have lots of off-street parking and an easy to find address so I think I could do this w/ease. Only additional expense I believe would likely be necessary would be a rider on our homeowner's insurance if someone were to trip and fall or some such. I am also outside of the city limits in a semi-rural area, so unless there is some county permit needed, I think I'd be okay there.

Your Thoughts?

I wrote a big long blog entry on Saturday and then it went to blooper heaven by some strange flick of the wrist! AUGGHHH!!!

The boys keep handing me their change (good guys, eh?) so I'm adding to the challenge:

$20 CHALLENGE

$06.20 balance
+02.20 change gifts
______
$08.40 June MTD

2007 Total $171.19
Cumulative Total $297.30

Scheduled our upcoming vacation a couple of weeks ago - we'll be heading to Tucson in July. Hubster wanted to go somewhere 'warm'. Warm we'll be, I suppose, at least during the daytime hours. We'll be using our timeshare exchange to a nice resort for 7 days and the fee to use it is $135 to exchange and beyond that we've a budget of $600.00. Most of that will be for gasoline, 2 nights hotels w/continental breakfasts and we take most of our own groceries with us and eat out only a couple of times on our trips. Last year we came home with money leftover! Get out of here you say, no way? Yes way, we squeak those Lincolns ba-bee!!!

Hubster got his car tires the other day and by doing even more diligent shopping he was able to carve another $200 off of his cost and we're using the extra that we'd saved for that to fix the scratch he got on the back of the car a few months back when he didn't listen to me and use the truck to haul a bicycle - estimate to repair? $340.00. OUCH! Fellows, sometimes the little lady can be right and it might be worthwhile to listen - and NO, I didn't say I told you so, tempting as it was!

After making my mortgage payment & paying extra to principal on the first, the new balance is $21,856.08.

Finished up May yesterday with a $5.00 check in from Pinecone. I was over .75 cents in my grocery budget for May so I applied that to the zero based budget for May ending the month totally in the black. And, as I said yesterday there wasn't a spare penny even laying around the house to put in the pot! Thank you Pinecone Surveys!!

We use YNAB software (youneedabudget.com) and I just hate seeing any red in my columns, so I'm one of those who adjusts my budget as the month goes along. Others are diehard, fix it once at the beginning of the month/year and roll with the occasional red.

I just can't do it.

Too TOO Anal!!

I love a zero based budget - all the money coming in is given a job and then sent on it's way to do it's work. Some to short term savings and some to investments and then some to spend for current expenses. At the end of the month it should all tally up to no more than what you brought in.

I will take the remaining $4.25 to start off the June $20 Challenge.

$20 Challenge
$00.00 balance
+04.25 survey says
______
$04.25 MTD

2007 Challenge Total $167.04
Challenge Cumulative Total $293.15

Yesterday was a no-spend day for me.

The house budget paid all of the June bills: The mortgage payment plus an extra $65.04 to principal, including a painful $763.00 for house insurance for the year and $505.06 for 1/2 years worth of auto insurance for mine & THE Hubster's vehicles.

It is amazing to me how much more difficult it is these days to turn loose of the monies for these things. It was all there in savings House Insurance Escrow and Car Insurance Escrow earning us interest, but I waited until the last possible moment to pull it out so as not to loose even one extra day's worth of interest.

I'm actually becoming very Scrooge-esque these days. I mean 'tight-fisted butt-puckery' over spending money! However, it is a LOVELY feeling to be able to pay all the bills w/o having to worry IF we have the money. AND, it's not so much the spending of monies or worry over interest as it is the loomingness of an underfunded retirement portfolio. Youngsters take note and start retirement savings earlier!!

On the CC this month was a $55.00 emergency dental bill for Hubster (money was already put back in the Medical/Dental/Prescription Co-Pay Slush Fund) and a new Dell computer monitor $313.00. I've finally convinced him he HAS TO move the old stuff on BEFORE he buys new. Used to he'd buy first w/plans to sell the old, but somehow it wasn't ever getting done.

We did sell his old monitor for $150.00 on Craigslist and he recently got a nice little bonus check of $295.00 after taxes so he's paid for his new monitor and still has a running start on his next computer purchase in the bank in the Office Equipment Slush Fund. So, the CC again was used and is back to zero.

It's going on three or four years now and it is SOOOOO Nice not to ever carry a balance on those suckers! It has been tempting a few times especially for Hubster, but I've prevailed as that is a slippery slope I don't want to ever go back down if at all possible and I mean, I'm willing to go donate at the plasma bank if necessary to keep it from happening ever again!!

And I absolutely HATE needles! But, I hate debt even more!!

On the slate for tomorrow is a set of new tires for his car - he's making an educated-prices-already-compared estimate of a cost of about $425.00 including tax, mounting and balancing and there is **TA-DA** (NICELY DONE Mrs. LLFrugalis - pat back pat back!!) a total of a little over $475.00 sitting in his Car Tire Fund!! Again, the tires will be purchased on a cash back credit card while those tire dollars earn another month's worth of interest. You gotta love it when you're ahead of the game!! HOOOOOO-HAAAAAAAA!!

$20 CHALLENGE

$12.63 balance
+03.59 purse cleanout
______
$16.22 May MTD

2007 Challenge Total $158.05
Cumulative Total $284.16


On investments: I bought PHO etf (PowerShares Water Resources) on 5/18/2007 at 19.49 per share.

Today will be a no spend day.

Yesterday I paid my mortgage payment of $353.96 + an additional $65.04 in extra principal. Updated balance as of 5/1/07 is $22,150.48 with an expected payoff in August of 2012, the month & year THE Hubster expects to retire. Updating balance amount over on the left.

From CashHappySon is $1.35 in change to go to the $20 Challenge!

$20 Challenge
$09.02 balance
+01.35 coaster cleanup
______
$10.37 April MTD

2007 Cumulative Total $123.34
Challenge Cumulative Total $249.45

Yesterday I went out to lunch w/my Mom & StepDad and spent money for lunch, but truly with the here's my half, here's my portion of the tip, etc, that went on w/o asking for separate tickets up front and I'm not really sure how much I ended up spending - somewhere in the $15.00 dollar ballpark for FrugalSon and my portions. Ugh. I'd rather know exactly!

CashHappySon got his muffler/exhaust pipes fixed the other day for a whopping $25.00 repair bill! I was totally shocked as I had steeled us all for a $200-$225 bill! Thank You Jesus!!!! The kid had just about emptied his car repair fund and was getting ready to have to dip into his emergency fund.

Yesterday and today both No Spenders!

In fact I believe all I have spent money on this week is for groceries, a necessary! I did sneak three dish-towels @$1.00 each into the grocery cart that will be going towards part of my Mom's Mother's Day Gift. So far I have a nice little stash of stuff put back for it.

Are you guys that kind of gifter? My Mom gives gifts that are an ecclectic mixture of many small items and it's what I tend to do as well. I wonder why I don't just do one big spend on one item? For her, I think she prefers to have lots of variety so that's why I gift her that way.

You??

Ughhhhh!!! Grocery Dissatisfaction



I just spent $ 82.65 at the grocery store and still feel like there is nothing much here to eat. Several things in the store were noticably higher.

The canned chili I buy that we use on our hot dogs, normally 75-79 cents, now $1.15. Tortilla chips normally 99cents a bag, now $1.19.

Come on people, raise the price if you must, but why not oooch it up a little at a time rather than just gomming on a 20-36 cent hike all at once???

Corn at least ought to be getting cheaper with everyone planting it for ethanol purposes, surely it can't all be used for fuel production as there aren't that many plants yet! GAAA!!!

Baking in the oven is an easy doooo-waaa recipe:

Sausage & Potato Casserole

Uhhh....pardon my exactness! heeheee!!

Slice up a bunch of potatoes, add in some chopped onion, garlic, a can or two of cream of mushroom soup, a dash of milk, a half a stick of margarine cubed, stir. Add on top a chub of raw sausage chunked around (we like Owen's Italian but any ol'sage sausage'll do), sprinkle w/cheddar cheese, season salt & garlic salt and bake at 350 for an hour to an hour and 15-30 minutes.

-------

I make a huge restaruant size pan of this and there is never any leftover, and there are just four of us here eating it. Granted 3 are hungry adult sized males, but geeee - they scarf it down. Makes it a winner in my book.

Oh yeah, FrugalSon & I went to the antique booth and I can tell you the results of March's sales were none too fabulous. Made my rent and then some but nothing to write home about.

We then went out to a small lake nearby and did our exercise/walking/hiking doo and caught of few of those Solar Vitamin D rays ourselves.

Hit the bank on the way home to deposit the check and then to the grocery with the above results. Now I'm Capital P - PoooPed!!

...ohhhh, and who here heard Cramer's confession that may get him in deep?

Spinning Wheels



Okay, life has been revolving on without me and rather sucky over here with the crappy recurring blue-funk 'lost my voice' cold/virus/whatever that we kept passing back around and around at my house. To update the info over on the right...

Paid another $419 on the house - 353.96 normal payment and 65.04 in extra principal. I will update the new balances later.

In Piggy for $20 Challenge for the month is: $23.10 - that is now going into my Roth IRA instead of to the mortgage as I was doing in the past. And speaking of the ol' Roth it finally made it's way from ING over to Fidelity.

Lawseeeeeee, but those folks sho' do take their own little sweet time getting this stuff done. You may not remember but I made my first inquiry into doing this in late DECEMBER folks and it just made it to Fidelity this past week! Sheeesh!!!

We mailed all the paperwork in one envelope for the entire family's Roth IRA accounts over to Fidelity on the same day back in early January I believe. In February I had to mail it again since because true to everyone's predictions of course it must of got lost over at ING!

Hubster's got moved about 3 weeks ago. Mine went early in the past week. CashHappy & Frugal's had to have paperwork mailed a THIRD time!!! I've had to call several times as well.

CashHappySon's made it over yesterday.


And get this -- FrugalSon's is still sitting in ING!


Another call to Fidelity yesterday and hopefully things are moving again. It be enough to make a body pull the very hairs out of their head! Nothing like feeling you are spinning your wheels, heh? THIS is how 'banks/brokerages' act when you want to move your money OUT - but don't YOU dare be late making a payment! GRRRRR and ARRRRGGGHHH!!!!

So far in my Roth at Fidelity I've gone w/FFNOX and FAGIX. I'm still deciding where else to go.

For March to my ADDITIONAL retirement savings goes the bank run money which evened out to a nice $10.11 in change & my regular $42.00 contribution this month. Nothing too exciting.

Of other QUICK news I did read Suze Orman's new book in March and started my $50 account at Ameritrade. We'll see how it goes. Depending on income this may set me back in my keeping up the $42 autodraft on the BankRun monies. I'm hoping that there is enough coming in to do both.

Besides being sick for most of it and as March was a rather long month following the shorter days for earnings of February let us just say that I've had quite a few days of No Spending during March. AND, that I've gotten quite creative in stretching out the pantry goods for meals.

Only one more day till I spend money again! YEEHAH!!! My refrigerator will be grateful for something to cool off! And my crew is getting ready for some 'fresher' foods.

(Do not worry - there was plenty to eat and plenty of money here that I could have gone and spent I am just working very hard to keep w/the YNAB philosophy of only spending last month's earnings in the next month.) Sticking with a budget is more difficult some months than others!

If we pay an additional $64.50ish a month between now and August 2012 we will pay off our mortgage right at the same time The Hubster is slated for retirement.

The figures below do not include today's payment that I just made of $419.00, which was actually a nice rounded up figure of $65.04 + 353.96 to come out an even 419.00.



Countrywide's little accelerating payments calculator came up with this future forecast:


Scheduled Monthly Payment: $353.96
Total Additional Payments: $4,264.02
Total Interest Payments Without Pre-Payment: $5,721.46
Total Interest Payments With Pre-Payment: $4,601.53
Interest Saved: $1,119.93
Total Reduction in Term: 1 Year(s) 9 Month(s)

I'll be charting an updated mortgage balance tomorrow when today's payment posts - I'm expecting it to be in the 22,798.00 range.

~~THE CHANGE IN PLANS~~
I have decided that we will pay the extra 65ish a month, but won't be paying any additional down on the mortgage, thus making a change in my $20 Challenge.

Our joint budget (house budget) will be making the additional payment 65ish (early payoff right at retirement) and I'll be taking my $20 Challenge money and putting it directly into my Roth IRA instead of on the mortgage.

Thanks to everyone here for finally convincing me that it is the better option for our financial bottom line.

This is a compromise of sorts, as we could just take the 65ish and put it into retirement as well, but gosheedagnabit, I LIKE the idea of entering retirement with our home paid for.

The Bank Run Challenge $$'s will still go into my Extra Retirement Savings which will be invested outside of the Roth.

HELLOOOOOOO SPRINGTIME!!



Good news is that I was able to turn off the heater today and open the windows and patio doors for some nice cross ventilation. It feels great when those fresh breezes come wafting through to help clear out the winter stuffiness!

When I left the house awhile a go I saw that I have two daffodils that are bloomed out by my driveway! HELLOOOOOO SPRINGTIME!!

Daffodils are always a Happy Sign!

Of financial note I spent $31.02 yesterday at the scratch n' dent and got some great buys - Catsup at 25 cents a bottle, crackers 50 cents a box, BBQ sauce 50 cents a bottle, syrup 35 cents a bottle, sausage 99 cents a roll, etc. Came home with five HEAVY sacks of groceries.

HiHoSilver Tankilator Limousine



PhotoCredit: Not his car, but one off the internet that looks just like it.


Took CashHappySon on Friday to buy him a different car - his old car, his starter car, has some upcoming issues so it is soon to be out of the picture.

Hubster works with a guy who's f-i-l owns a used car lot in a little town north of us...and we've had him w/his ear to the ground for us. On Friday he called w/a 1989 Mercury Grand Marquis, garage-kept, 18,000 mile beaut!

After CashHappy got off work on Friday we ran up there and bought it. Hubster wanted it if CashHappy didn't. Thought we might have a 'SMACKDOWN' wrestling match over it. This car is a huge vehicle, but oh in such spiffy shape! He was able to pay cash for it - with a short-term loan from Mom & Dad, until his money returns from Emigrant.

He's excited. I didn't really think he'd want it because of it's size and age, but he loves it. It is silver and has really nice burgandy velvet interior. Very nice. The guy who owned it had broken his back and needed cash for medical purposes. So sad.

We've had to go out driving ALOT this weekend in it for CashHappy to get used to the MUCH bigger size than his little Ford Tempo. We had a guy look at the Tempo yesterday afternoon. Not our norm to buy one before selling the old, but this one was too good a deal to pass up.

Of course, we had to go let 'THE girl' see it. He calls it a limousine - and he's looking forward to driving her to the prom in it. Something like 'Go B.I.G. or go home!'

HiHoSilver Away!!

EEK! There are now FIVE cars sitting in my driveway!! ZOWSERS! At least they're all paid for! My poor neighbors, at least none of them are up on blocks!!

Frugalis Family Rose To The Occasion



This morning was time to count Piggy to see if the Frugalis Family was able to rise to the occasion and meet my UNSPOKEN goal for the month of January and I'm happy to say that we did!

The mystery man also included a bit extra this month to the tune of $1.03 that nobody at the house will claim putting in there.

To reiterate, this challenge money is currently going towards extra principal paydown on our mortgage. Traditional payments are 353.96 and 60.11 is what the family budget has to pay extra a month in order to have it paid off by the time Hubster retires and then this month I was able to add an additional $53.93 to the payment as well from the challenge, making our mortgage payment $468.00 today.

353.96 mortgage payment
+60.11 extra principal payment
+53.93 Challenge money to xtra princ. payment
______
468.00 payment

I paid it online just a minute ago and will update the amounts over to the right later after it posts.

Updating the...

$20 CHALLENGE
$52.90 balance
+01.03 mystery donation
______
$53.93 January total

2007 Total $53.93
Cumulative Total $180.04

The unspoken goal challenge is still on for February!! Wish me luck!!

(I found it compelling that in just one month's time with just a bit of EXTRA concentrating that I was able to almost DOUBLE the amount I was able to save in five months last year!! ..but NO, that wasn't the unspoken challenge! More to be revealed later.)