$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.

CashHappySon slipped me a rolled up $1.00 bill 'for the deal you're doing' and I found a penny on my desk. Adding them to the $20 Challenge.

$20 CHALLENGE
$11.62 balance
+01.01
______
$12.63 MTD

2007 Challenge $154.46
Cumulative Total $280.57

Contributing to the $20 Challenge $5.76.

$20 CHALLENGE
$5.86 balance
+5.76
_____
11.62 MTD

2007 Challenge Total $153.45
Cumulative Total $279.56

Putting cash back towards my Roth IRA via the $20 Challenge.


$20 CHALLENGE

00.00 May balance
+5.86 cashback
_____
$5.86 MTD

2007 Challenge $147.69
Cumulative Total $273.80

Finishing Up April $20 Challenge by adding $1.82 in change from my wallet.

$20 CHALLENGE
$27.04 balance
+01.82
______
$28.86 April '07 total

2007 Challenge $141.83
Cumulative Total $267.94

Took $11.00 on a bank run this a.m. towards the $20 Challenge.

16.04 balance
11.00 from allowance
_____
27.04 MTD

2007 Challenge $140.01
Cumulative Total $266.12

Adding $5.67 to the $20 Challenge.

$10.37 balance
+05.67
______
$16.04 MTD

2007 Challenge $129.01 YTD
Cumulative Total $255.12

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.

Took my first big paycheck from PineCone to the bank! I.N.C.O.M.E. -- YEAH!

Taking it to the...

$20 CHALLENGE
$04.02 balance
+05.00 1st PineCone Check
______
$09.02 April MTD

2006 Challenge $ 126.11
2007 Challenge +$121.99
-------------------------------
Cumulative Total $248.10

My thanks to everyone here at SavingAdvice.com for turning me on to this lil' slice of nature!!

X-Ray Your Portfolio

I've been having a lot of fun playing with this lately. Very nice! I believe Ameritrade also has it up within their website, but think it's proprietary to Morningstar. Very helpful! AND, well worth your time to input your holdings to see where you're at in the wide, wide world!!

I input my Roth, Hubster's Roth, his 401-K and his Rollover IRA, plus our other holdings to get a complete picture in one place, even though a couple of these accounts are held at other places. Nice to be able to see a total picture while the machine does the math percentages!



Quikette Blurbeennie: Moved $3750 into Hubster's Roth IRA this a.m. and that completes his 2006 contributions! YEAH!! Inside Roth sits $1260 in cash uninvested, so he currently has $5000 to purchase into some additional funds.

"They" say Asset Allocation is one of the most important parts of investing and choosing the RIGHT vs. the wrong investments can make a whopping $$$$BIG$$$$ difference in how you live in retirement, so I've been doing quite a bit of research. You only pray that you make the right choices, eh?

I *THINK* we'll be choosing two out of these three funds for this portion of his Roth. I'm giving him these as possible suggestions for him.

We will eventually be converting quite a bit out of his Rollover IRA into the Roth during the next few years and probably putting it in the target fund

http://personal.fidelity.com/products/funds/mfl_frame.shtml?...
FFVFX.

We don't have to do that now, but we could as our income is currently rather low and it's a good time tax-wise to be converting. The other two options he has up for consideration is:
FAGIX and
FNMIX. Both bond funds.

Due to proximity to his retirement we need to rebalance our overall portfolio with more bonds so that's why we are looking here. I'm not real excited on getting too bond laden, but he wants this 5000 SAFE. Remember, we have a May-December marriage. I'm looking longer term, he's thinking shorter - so we are trying to meet somewhere in the middle.

He already owns PIMCO Total Return-A (PTTAX)in his 401-K and FBNDX in the Rollover IRA, but somehow we need more bonds to meet his target asset allocation. Besides which he is a very conservative investor. I am more of an aggressive risk grrrrl.

So likely we will go w/the two bond funds now and maybe when we get another 2500.00 together get into the FFVFX. Not sure. I'm going to leave it up to him to decide.

I like FAGIX, just having bought it inside my Roth, BUT, I'm not real keen on us both being in it right now...would kind of like to spread our eggs into some different baskets for a time to see where we're headed. The other fund we will be looking at is
FSHBX as a different choice than FAGIX for him. But doggies, FAGIX looks so much more exciting!!

Perhaps he'll have time tonight and we can cuz n' discuz before I get too antsy and push the buy button w/o him!

********
Of other interest: Here's another nickel on my keyboard???? Taking it to the $20 Challenge.

$20 CHALLENGE
$03.97 balance
+00.05 nickel showed up
______
$04.02 April MTD

2007 Challenge 116.99
Cumulative Total 243.10

More Blurbies = Fool's Gold




To add more to today's Quickie-Blurbettes:

Blurb 5)When I went to put in the $1.02 that was waiting on the keyboard to go into the $20 Challenge Piggy I found that some mysterious fool of the April variety had stacked up $2.95 in front of Piggy! I'm thinking it must of been CashHappySon as he's the only one who knows I log it here before feeding it into the private stash. So we are up for the day!

$20 CHALLENGE
$01.02 balance
+$2.95 Fool's Gold
______
$3.97 April MTD

Blurb 6)Using Craigslist yesterday the Hubster sold one of the many EXTRA computers we have around here. $700 samoleans to go back (loaned) into the Emergency Fund! Tonight we take pictures of computer 2 that needs to be sold and posting it online! Expected proceeds of about $600 also to be paid back to the E-Fund.

Quickie-lite Blurbettes!!



blurb 1)Scaled Hubster's 401-K contributions back to only get the matching and the rest that we've been putting there will now go into his Roth IRA. He was convinced when we started that we couldn't even put back 1%!!! Slowly over time I inched us up to 10% but we only need 6% to get all matching funds. He's now convinced that we can save on our income!!


blurb 2)Hubster has agreed to let me take what's needed (about $3700)from savings to round him up to the complete $5000 IRA contributions he can make for 2006! YEAAAAAAAAAA DOGGIES!!! The man is finally coming around. It will have to go into conservative investments for him as he is so near to retirement, but at least we'll have met the yearly contribution...and then we are on to seeing what all we can do for 2007 contributions. The above change in the 401-K contributions will help.

blurb 3)Showing him the monthly statements that his money is now growing instead of just stagnating has been helpful. And for all of you out there who are dealing with spouses who are not yet on board, keep rowing, sooner or later you're bound to hit some smoother waters. The Hubster is finally beginning to realize he has to put his money out to Hard Labor before it can come back to knock on his door!

blurb 4)Adding $1.02 in change to the $20 Challenge to get the April party started.

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!

PTR Survey Site




Wanted to tell you about the PTR site that AutumnxButterfly mentioned over on Ima's blog. They say that they'll pay us to read e-mail, visit web sites, etc..

It's free to join and easy to sign up! CLICK THIS REFERRAL LINK TO VISIT:

TinklyCash.com

Thanks AutumnxButterfly!! I'm looking forward to getting into these PTR & survey sites and adding the money to my $20 Challenge. I really appreciate the partnership atmosphere here at SavingAdvice.com!

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.

Last night finishing up February's books, I found I had $2.48 in change in my wallet. Taking it to the February challenge, as I was too sickly with the snizzles & snuffles yesterday to give a big rat's fanny...

...just shuffled off to bed in my furry houseslippers and flannel nightie w/the tissues sticking out 'my pockets! Here's hoping today is a better health day. Not to worry though, I'm wrestling with it!!





$20 CHALLENGE

$33.46 balance
+02.48 change pocket
______
$35.94 Feb Total

2007 Challenge $89.87
Cumulative Total $215.98

In other February news I was able to plow an additional $650.00 into my Roth IRA during the downturn in the market.

Bought on sale! YIPPEE.

This was extra sitting in my checking that wasn't really planned for anything else, so was tickled to have a bit to put in while things were selling at a discount. Only wish it were more. This amount is over and above my regular Roth IRA contribution.

Yesterday was a no spend day for me, but the house budget bought Arby's since the cook was sick last night.

HONK! HONK! BARK! SNIZZLE, and SNIFF! My, my, isn't THAT attractive? NOT!!

Thank God for Puff's Plus w/Aloe Vera and a very loving Hubster who takes care of Dr. Mom when she is sick!

Washing My Wallet

I have a wallet that is made of cloth - I love it as it's huge and I can carry two checkbooks in it and loads more stuff. Anyway after listening to all the germy purse scare stuff this past week I was glancing at my black wallet and it was filthy. I mean when your black stuff is so dirty that you can see the dirt it's time to give a rinse, eh?

During the cleanout there falls out an extra $20 stuck back in all the folded up papers (my mad money I suppose). I'm taking it to the challenge. WA WA WA!!!

HEY - What do you mean it looks a little clunky??




$20 CHALLENGE
$13.46 balance
+20.00 walletwasheteria wa wa
______
$33.46 Feb MTD

2007 Challenge 87.39
Cumulative Total $213.50

Blurbette Lite



Just a quick Blurbette Lite...

$20 CHALLENGE
13.26 balance
+0.20 jumped on my desk
_____
13.46 Feb MTD

Today saw eight books added to my Amazon account as available for sale.

Piggy Is Golden!



This Year of the Fire Pig is really paying off! CashHappySon donates again.

Happy Happy PIG!! Can't wait til he starts getting rid of those golden George's!!

$20 CHALLENGE
$12.86 balance
+00.40 golden donation
______
$13.26 Feb MTD

2007 Challenge $67.19
Cumulative Total $193.30

Year of the Fire Pig


Photocredit: atypyk

Well time is passing us by and it is the Chinese Year of the Fire Pig!!

Gotta set Piggy on Fire!! Time is Money!

CashHappySon gave me $2.29 in change to go to Piggy!! We're burning daylight over here!

$20 CHALLENGE

10.57 balance
+2.29 burning Pig
_____
12.86 Feb MTD

2007 Challenge $66.79
Cumulative Total $192.90

Of financial quicky note is that FrugalSon got a call yesterday from a place he put in his application for full time work. He wasn't home as he was at work (part-time job) and the lady did promise to call back next week to try to set up another time to interview him. Fingers crossed!

Pinky Wheel Driving



Cleaning out the wallet and adding $2.67 to the $20 Challenge monies.

$20 CHALLENGE
$07.90 balance
+02.67 addition
______
$10.57 Feb MTD

2007 Challenge $64.50
Cumulative Total $190.61

Spent $1.36 cash on Saturday getting CashHappySon a house-key to go on his new car keyring. He's 18, I guess it's time he finally has a key to the house!

Ha!

Some of you may find that odd, but since we homeschooled there just really hasn't been an occasion when one of us wasn't either already here or with the boys when they were going and coming from the house.

Of note is that the backup lights don't work on HiHoSilver Tanklilator and he'll have to be getting that fixed. The oil hasn't been changed since 2002 and since that oil change sticker is on the window there has been only about 500 miles put on the car. And, we put about 50 of those on there this past weekend bringing it home & around town on the backroads to let CashHappy get used to the monster sizing!

In addition to getting the backup lights fixed, an oil change and lube job is also in order The Hubster says.

This car was supposedly only driven to the grocery store...WELL, they either didn't shop often or the store was just next door or barely down the street!

A dream to drive - you know the kind, you barely need to touch the wheel w/a pinky. No, of course, I didn't let CashHappy see me driving that way Officer!

Tag You're It!!



I've got $5.00 extra leftover from paying for my truck tag in my Truck Tag Escrow Account.

"Taking it to the challenge!" ~~L.L.Frugalis

Yes, I could leave it in there as a head-start for next year, but I'm consistent w/my budgeting so I feel confident that next year the money will also be sitting there waiting to pop on the next tag due date. KNOCK WOOD!!

Here's to putting back for known expenses!!

$20 CHALLENGE
$02.90 balance
+05.00 tag
______
$07.90 Feb MTD

2007 Challenge $61.83
Cumulative Total $187.94

Tidy Up


Photocredit: LuxLivingFrugalis (that's my Mom as a little girl holding her dolly in the picture to the right.)


Tidying up the change purse and wallet and find $2.35 to take to the challenge.

$20 CHALLENGE
$00.55 balance
+02.35 tidy up
______
$02.90 Feb MTD

2007 Challenge $56.83
Cumulative Total $182.94

Up .03 Cents



$20 CHALLENGE
$00.52 balance
+00.03 clean up keyboard
______
$00.55 Feb MTD

2006 Challenge 126.11
2007 Challenge 54.48
______________________
Cumulative Total $180.59

I think these 3 cents came from CashHappy, all I know is they are annoying me sitting on my keyboard and falling off when I get to typing too excitedly...we then have flying pennies!

Week 5 Bank Run


Photo Credit: Worth1000.com

Took $3.50 to the bank in my Bank Run Challenge. I've been off of this for awhile as all of the remodeling and snow and ice has slowed me down.

01/07 .00 total (autodrafted 42.00)
02/07 3.50 MTD + 42.00 autodraft

Bank Run Challenge
2006 Total $32.98 (after joing SA.com)
2007 YTD $3.50
Cumulative Total $36.48

This extra (different than the $20 Challenge) is in addition to my regular retirement allocation and goes towards investments outside of the traditional retirement investment vehicles.

Right now this money sits in Emigrant piling up - when I get to the $1000 mark it will go out further into the world in some investment or another...depends upon the financial signs of the times prevelant at that moment.

For you newbies, this is money saved out of my spending allowance. Money I was able to conserve by having those No Spend Days. The thing is to have it available to spend if I need it, but if not, then off it goes towards my future. It's usually taken to the bank on Saturday and then moved immediately to an online bank where it can earn higher interest.

To Work, My Pretty Slaves!!

(edited to add): I am updating the Bank Run Challenge portion over on the right as it never did reflect truly how the Bank Run works out for me. I've been doing this since April of 2005 long before joining the Saving Advice.com community. At some point during the game I decided to add automatic drafts for a portion of this and that is the monies that wasn't being reflected here on the site.)

What I would like newbies to pay attention to is the number in the middle -- the interest being earned while we sleep. It keeps growing/compounding because it is compouding upon itself. No, these aren't any big numbers YET, but you'll notice that they do get bigger each month. All together that is $28.60 that Hubster and I did not have to earn by working.

Exceptions to it increasing are when I took money out for a good cause (stop the paycheck to paycheck cylce w/You Need A Budget.com) and when interest rates dropped back a bit.

Little bits added to more little bits does begin to take off! This money is above and beyond what the house budget contributes towards me having a decent old age and was previously being frittered away!

~~!!Let's Get This Party Started!!~~



CashHappySon gave me .44 for helping him buy an MP3 player online last night. Mom as Shopper fees are indeed helping me w/my challenge - however, I do think I need to increase my rates!

Cleaning out the change purse netted me an additional .08 cents for the $20 Challenge.

$20 CHALLENGE
$00.00 February beginning balance
+00.44 shop fees
+00.08 tidy wallet
______
$00.52 Feb MTD

2007 Challenge $54.45
Cumulative Total $180.56

Also updating the mortgage balance over to the right to $23,023.85 as yesterday's payment posted.

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.)

Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother


PhotoCredit: EnglessCrillSmoke

As the month of January winds down I find myself up against the wall on my unspoken goal for my $20 Challenge.

Lucky for me CashHappy is generous with his change. Yes, I am indeed a redneck mother who takes money from my children!!

$20 CHALLENGE
$52.27 balance
+00.63 Redneck Ma donation
______
$52.90 Jan MTD

2007 Total $52.90
Cumulative Total $179.01

NO SPENDERS: Friday, Saturday and Sunday were no spend days for me!

Hair Slicum & Leather Sofn'r



Well I broke the no-spend roll I was on yesterday and bought some stuff. It was out of the Personal Care category and I went to the bank and got cash beforehand so I could limit myself at the store. I keep hearing this is a way of shopping smart but tis difficult when you don't really know the prices on 'stuff'.

Hubster was out of his beloved VO5 haircream and I needed something for this leather hide that's covering my neck and face. He goes thru one of those tubes of gunk about every three years so I had no idea of the cost and I usually just use whatever face moisturizer that my Mom passes along (she tries every new thing that comes along). But, anymore I'm getting more and more sensitive to the perfumes in that stuff.

Anyway, I guesstimated what it would cost and got myself a 10 spot out of the bank.

hair slicum $3.25
leather sofn'r 5.00
tax .74
___________________
spent $8.99

So, I'm taking the $1.01 change to the Challenge.

I don't particularly think I'll do it this way again as I feel pretty secure about my ability to hold back from just running amuck in the stores and it's too much trouble to keep track of the money to put it back into it's category.

But, whatever, now we are beau-tis-i-mous once again and Piggy is fattening nicely!!

$20 CHALLENGE
$51.26 balance
+01.01 glam leavings
______
$52.27 Jan MTD

2007 Challenge $52.27
Cumulative Total $178.38

Accounts Receivable



CashHappySon paid me back the $15.00 he owed me. Taking it to the Challenge! {that's my new favorite mantra.

$20 CHALLENGE
$36.26 balance
+15.00 pd in full
______
$51.26 Jan MTD

2007 Challenge Total $51.26
Cumulative Total $177.37