QUICKIES ala Broken Arrow Style



*Adding to the Challenge money from CashHappySon donation.

$20 CHALLENGE
$35.43 balance
+00.83 generous manchild
_____
$36.26 Jan MTD

2007 Challenge $36.26
Cumulative Total $162.37

*FrugalSon worked yesterday, Hubster dug out ice in driveway and CashHappySon and I went to the movies to see Night At The Museum which was pretty cute. Somewhat better than I expected. Of financial note is that our matinee movies have now gone up to $2.25 from $2.00. Have to readjust my yearly entertainment budget now from $24.00 to 27.00! OWWWWWW!!
Not painful, but still I'd rather that they hadn't hiked it! Even a quarter makes my Frugalicious Gene (TM) pucker!!

*FrugalSon got a dime raise on his check yesterday.

*I got headhunted for a very nice job - went for the interview - turns out it would be commissioned based sales and I'm just not interested in sales. Was nice to be sought out though and the commissions would be quite substantial but still I'm just not into sales - I've done it before and it's not quite my cup of tea.

*Hubster and I went and spent about 3 and half hours picking out the doors and hardware for our interior/exterior doors and they are now coming up w/a quote as much of it will be custom cut to fit our odd sized doorways. Hoping to get loads of the doors done for little cash, but that might be asking a bit much!

*Quote for CashHappySon's car insurance is ridiculous. Both boys are going to go together and each pay their own amount based on their respective vehicles, but they'll get a multi-car discount. Still, too much though!! OUCH!!! Hubster and I do not want them on our insurance - as we would hate to be financially liable if they were to seriously hurt someone in a car accident.

*Estimate from the country treasurer says that our house taxes are going up by a mere $5.00 next year - which isn't too bad you know!

*Think I'll go drink a cup of serenity!

ChopChopShop-Mom's Shopping Service

CashHappySon had yesterday off so we got a couple of things done.

1)Got all his extra ING orange accounts shut down! Kiss Off Orange!!

2)Sat on hold for 45 minutes trying to get his Tracfone up and running again after his sim card went kaput. Near non-English speaking CSR later he was unable to help us get it back up and running nor unable to tell us what to do.

3)Trip to Walmart to exchange his phone for another one. Thankfully due to Hubster's good influence we all save our boxes, receipts and baggies, etc. so we had everything needed to exchange it - even after one lady at the register said it couldn't be done.

Lesson: NEVER MESS w/A MAD MOM who has just set on HOLD for 45 minutes and then driven thru an ice-storm and trekked thru a Walmart store full of RUDE people about a phone that he's only had for like two months being fried!

I was ready to Kick Pa-Tut*-y and take names.




He got a new phone AND the price had since gone down so he got a small $4.55 refund. YEAH TEAM FRUGALIS!!

4)Do Not Forget Dear Reader - that he has a burning hole in his pocket which cash likes to run through. He's been knife collecting and so he took his spending money for the week of $5 and added the refund and bought himself a four knife lot off of ebay. He doesn't have an ebay account so Mom does the bidding and paying. Price w/shipping $10.44.

Money Burning Hole in Pocket 10.55
CashHappy Collector's Fever -10.44
__________________________________
Wouldn't you just know that
Mom's Shopping Service Fee just
happens to be = .11 cents!!

5)Taking it to the challenge!

$20 CHALLENGE
$35.32 balance
+00.11 chopchopshop
______
$35.43 Jan MTD

2007 Challenge $35.43
Cumulative Total $161.54

Under The Keyboard



In the whooo-haaa fest of remodeling the day after Christmas I suppose I stuck change that was in my hand under the keyboard to deal with later, however, where it's from I don't really know, but there were a couple of checks that were under there and $7.00 in cash.

Taking the $7.00 to the challenge.

$20 CHALLENGE
28.32 balance
+7.00 keyboard
_____
35.32 Jan MTD

2007 Challenge Totals $35.32
Cumulative Total $161.43

Ratholing - Hiding Money From Myself

I was boogying my wallet (boogy = Flylady term for cleaning out a spot) when I ran across 3 five dollar bills stuck way in a deep dark crevice. I have a huge wallet that is full of everybody's 'important papers stuff' so it's easy for rathole money to get lost.



Taking it to the $20 CHALLENGE.

$20 CHALLENGE
$13.32 balance
+15.00 ratholed
______
$28.32 Jan MTD

2007 Challenge $28.32
Cumulative total $154.43

Yesterday was another No Spend Day!

Forty-one Scrounged!



Adding .41 cents to the $20 Challenge. CashHappySon gave me .36 of it and I found the nickle on the floor this morning when I was changing the sheets on the bed. Sadly, me diving for the nickle was the only clutching going on in my bedroom this a.m. Unlike the threebeansalad's CashCat I'm unable to just walk away.


$20 CHALLENGE

12.91 balance
+0.41 scrounged
_____
13.32 Jan MTD

2007 Challenge Total $13.32
Cummulative Total $139.43

Just Stop It Already & Spare Lung Anyone??!!

On today's financial forefront was a phone call to National City Credit Card to STOP sending me those dumb convenience checks. Only took a minute or two, and I did use their toll free number but wish these places did not send this crap out!

No bank run today as we are iced in AND I took all my wallet cash out earlier in the week and stuffed piggy with it for the $20 Challenge anyways. So, nothing there to run with.

Today finds us eating leftover white beans w/ham chunks for lunch. Yummers. That will be the end of that and I'll make us a big pot of potato soup for supper. I love me some tater' soup folks! The best next thing to being home at Momma's and eating HER potato soup! I did get a call from her this morning and they are without electricity but the worst to her was that she won't get to make her weekly trip to the hairdresser! Oh Vanity!!

Of family note is that my sister took my brother to the doctor yesterday and he hasn't been doing his breathing treatments like he should. Doctor gave him a good talking to. Sister asked him on the way home if he understood it all and if he knew what the cure was for the acute pulmonary hypertension that he has.

"Uh, no - a cure???"

Well she tells him..."It's a lung transplant bubba - do you know anyone who's going to give you one of their lungs???? No? Then better start doing those breathing treatments, heh? ...and keeping that oxygen on at ALL TIMES."

His breathing level is practically nil and his heart is already grossly enlarged. Can the boy not get a hint???? Sheeesh! You gotta love my sister, God love her she tells it like it is. No sugarcoating. Just blunt.

It's reality time brother!

Sometimes it feels like a swift kick to the backside is not doing any good and you'd like to go for a good whack up side the head if you thought it would penetrate, ya know????

I got off the phone w/Mom giving me the medical update and walked outside and there was Hubster with a lit cigarrette in hand. I just whacked him right on the shoulder - thru his parka coat and asked if he'd had the quit smoking prescription dealybob filled yet? I already knew the answer was no. He got it from the doc early last week!

I am tired of sitting by the bedside of folks who won't take care of their own health!!!! I gave him the evil eye, I'm watching you look and re-entered the house! Lord help us all!


K.I.L.L.E.R.

No spending - I haven't spent any money this week at all - none since last Saturday when I spent 3.24 on drinks for three harried remodeling folks after our sawing & hammering. Yeah me!!

TNT - Dynamite Ten Dollar Addition



I'm taking an explosive step and taking all ten dollars I have in my wallet and putting it in Piggy for the $20 Challenge. I will just have to suck it up for the next two weeks. I'm trying to meet a personal unspoken goal here.

$20 CHALLENGE
$02.91 balance
+10.00 TNT blowup
______
$12.91 Jan MTD

2007 Challenge $12.91
Cummulative Total $139.02

Home James!



CashHappySon got his driver's license today! YEAH! Four down and one to go!

After he chauferred me home he gave me .83 for the $20 Challenge. See, it does pay to hang out down at the DMV!

$20 CHALLENGE
$2.91 balance
+0.83 DMV tip
_____
$3.74 Jan MTD

2007 Challenge $3.74
Cummulative Total $129.85

Free Penny

Adding to the $20 Challenge is .26 cents, the free penny came in one of those goofy mail advertisements and the quarter came from my change purse.




$20 CHALLENGE
$2.65 balance
+0.26 free penny & a quarter
_____
$2.91 Jan MTD

2007 Challenge $2.91
Cummulative Total $129.02

Only 363 days until 2008 and we have football fever here. No, not your everyday boob tube football fever, no tail-gate parties, no crisp air, hot cheerleader's kinda' fever.

Boring football fever.

Boring that is unless you have the dna of a fruggie. Gifted with the Frugalicious Gene (tm), that is.

Yesterday FrugalSon and I were cleaning out his room when we came upon some of the leftover boxes from when my FIL lived with us.

In there was one of those little plastic football shaped coin purses from the 60's and 70's like the one pictured above. This one was even decorated like a football and in it was .94 cents.

The Hubster says I can have it for the $20 Challenge. Thanks Pops!! I miss you!

~~~~~~~~HOLLABACK~~~~~~~

!!TOUCHDOWN!! She scores!

$20 CHALLENGE
$1.71 balance
+0.94 Pops was a team player
_____
$2.65 Jan MTD

2007 Challenge YTD Total $2.65

Cummulative Total $128.76

Day 364: Updating 2006 $20 Challenge Final Tally a/k/a Stuffing Piggy




I just now got Piggy down off his shelf and counted his contents in order to get ready for bank deposit.

Somehow in the mad rush up to Christmas
?somebody? tended the sign and stuffed more money in there than I knew about.

$20 CHALLENGE
30.01 balance
+3.11 extra stuffing
_____
33.12 Dec 06 MTD


Which makes the 2006 grand total $126.11 instead of just $123.00.

Adding then the 1.71 that we started off with yesterday brings the Cummulative Total to $127.82!

YEAH PIGGY STUFFERS!!

Pedal to the Metal



Okay to start gunning on the 2007 $20 Challenge, I'm adding $1.71 that is sitting here in my coaster in change!

$20 CHALLENGE

$00.00 balance
+01.71 gunning it
______
$1.71 January '07 MTD


2007 Total $1.71
L.L.Frugalis' Cummulative Total $124.71

Bring it on Ima!!

Slacker Redeemed at the Ninth Hour



Whhheeeeeeweeeee! (barely ducking in under the wire!)

I freely admit with all the family bickering, holidays, mom-taxi-ing, home remodel projects, Hubster vacationing at home, and all the other life stuff that's been going on this month I have slacked on my $20 Challenge.

However, luck would have it that FrugalSon came up with about $50 in Christmas cash that he gave to me yesterday afternoon to prepay on his truck loan that he owes Mom & Dad.

Well, I'm appropriating $25.00 of it (yes he gets credited w/all $50.00 on his payment schedule) to add to my $20 Challenge and adding the remaining .37 cents from a wallet clean-out to get to the fatter $30+ I said early in the month that I wanted to meet on this month's challenge.

So...to wrap up the year on a good note...

$20 CHALLENGE
$04.64 balance
+25.37 last minute save
______
$30.01 Dec MTD

Cummulative Total $123.00

The Thrill of Victory!! Off to a rocky start, but I'm hot on your heels Ima!!!

Will definitely try to get my mind back in the game now that most of the house stuff is done!

Inch By Inch



Adding .27 from CashHappySon.

$20 CHALLENGE

4.37 balance
+.27 inch by inch
____
4.64 Dec MTD

Cummulative Total $97.63

I also notice that I didn't post last Saturday's Bank Run of $2.78.

Total Cummulative Bank Runs $32.98.

Flagging Challenge

The challenge seems to be flagging out on me as Christmas plans take center stage. Or should I say I'm the one flagging out on the challenge?!

Here's adding .57 cents to try and fan the flames into life again!



$20 CHALLENGE
3.80 balance
+.57 fan the flames
____
4.37 Dec MTD

Cummulative Total $97.36

Do The Dew!



CashHappySon bought a Mountain Dew yesterday and gave me change from his purchase of .91 cents. Captured and to the challenge it goes.

$20 CHALLENGE
2.89 balance
+.91 Dew
____
3.80 Dec MTD

Cummulative Total $96.79

Twenty Four and Counting

The Hubster and I celebrated our twenty-fourth anniversary on Sunday - well, we actually had it on Sunday and went to celebrate last night. Pizza at Mazzios, for which I had a free mini pizza coupon w/a $5.00 purchase - I had him use our Discover card so we could get their current 5% cashback on restaruants.

We should have been charged 14.49 plus tax and when The Hubster reached the table w/a ticket for 19.53 I sent him back for a refund of 3.53. Left a tip of 1.50, so we're ahead of our Discover bill by 2.03 at this point. Instead of adding it back to checking I'm taking it to the challenge. Hubster took leftover pizza slice, garlic bread and the mini pizza for lunch today. Happy Anniversary to Us!!




$20 Challenge
$0.86 balance
+2.03 mazzio
_____
$2.89 Dec MTD

Cummulative Total $95.88

Adding $0.36 to the $20 Challenge



Here we go, watch me now!

$20 CHALLENGE
$00.50 balance
+00.36 watch her go
______
$00.86 Dec MTD

Cummulative Total $93.85

It took me an hour this morning to slide FrugalSon to work - even with my truck loaded down with snow in the backend. It took 45 minutes to get back home as some of the traffic had cleared out.

The truck even had frost on the inside of the windows which is a new one on me as I've lived here ALOT OF YEARS (I almost slipped and told you how old I am!) and have never seen it do that before!

I did pass a place this morning on the way home, not in my normal track, but they had a Wanted: shop helper sign up and I called and I'm going to take FrugalSon by there on our way home this afternoon to see if he can get that job and do away with the burgercentral position.

They've got decent pay at this place - hope he gets the job then he could go to having one full time position instead of the way we've been doing it! Send up your prayers if you're the praying kind! Thanks!

Perhaps we can go sledding this afternoon once he's through with the interview.

Piggy Starts A New Gain Weight Challenge

Piggy is just not getting fat enough. We start a new month and plan to reach a total of $30 for the month of December. Adding 50 cents that SOMEBODY put in my coaster yesterday.

Love that somebody whomever he is!!



$20 CHALLENGE

$00.00 beginning balance
+00.50 Somebody
______
$00.50 Dec MTD

Cummulative Total $93.49

Updated November $20 Challenge



Counting out Piggy's contents and SOMEBODY slipped some more money in there! God bless their heart whoever they are!! The Mystery Man strikes again! Going to have to set up a spycam!

Total November $20 CHALLENGE = $22.49

Cummulative Total $92.99

Whole Hog


Piggy goes Whole Hog and gets a supersize meal today of $12.29 in a purse cleanout to try and meet the November challenge! $6.29 was in (HEAVY) change alone -- oh my aching shoulder thanks ye Piggy!! A penny of this was found in the parking lot of FrugalSon's employment this morning.

$20 CHALLENGE

$08.02 balance
+12.29 whole hog
______
$20.31 November MTD

Cummulative Total $90.85

Missed November It Seems

It seems I have missed November!

Adding to the $20 Challenge is $2.94 that CashHappySon has left in my desk coaster.

$20 CHALLANGE
$5.08 balance
+2.94 coaster
_____
$8.02 MTD

Cummulative Total $81.04

Nibble Nibble


Photo Credit: Citron

Piggy got a nibble from CashHappy last night.

$20 CHALLENGE
7.51 balance
+.05 nibble
____
7.56 Nov MTD

Cummulative Total $78.10

Piggy Gets A Snack



Found a quarter under my keyboard. Piggy gets a snack!

$20 CHALLENGE
7.26 balance
+.25 snack
____
7.51 Nov MTD

Cummulative Total $78.05

Lincoln Lover

FrugalSon gave me 80 cents before he left for burgercentral!

I really appreciate him feeding Piggy as it is truly hard for the kid to turn loose of money! He pinches those Lincoln's baby.



Adding it to the challenge:

$20 CHALLENGE
6.46 balance
+.80 Lincoln Lover
____
7.26 Nov MTD

Cummulative Total $77.80

A Laundry Tip & Margaritaville



First off let me just apologize to Jimmy Buffett as I'm not into stealing your hits man!

I'm having to adjust myself to the new schedules of folks around here. Moving the laundry to the dryer (formerly CashHappy's chore upon arising) this morning I found a quarter.

FrugalSon used to fold & put away in between job 1 and 2 at lunchtime and I'm trying to eliminate him coming all the way home in the middle of the day and we're packing him a lunch so when I pick him up at job 1 I can just drop him at job 2 w/o going back out! This taxi business is aging me! The Hubster does his own laundry (his choice) on the weekends. Now I've got the guys starting their wash at night before bed, and I'll move it to dryer in the mornings.

FYI: According to an article in SouthportToday, "Americans spend between seven and nine hours each week cleaning their clothes, according to a survey by Procter & Gamble. That’s a whopping quarter-ton of dirty laundry per person every year."

Uhhhh, I think folks are going to need to leave a bit more than a quarter in their pockets if that be the case. With four of us here currently that means we'll be doing a ton of laundry a year, literally! Egads - remember the days of seven at home!

Even so with just currently four the laundry lady may have to up the anty a bit then!

Taking it to the challenge:

$20 CHALLENGE
6.21 balance
+.25 laundry tip
____
6.46 Nov MTD

Cummulative Total $77.00

I saw a sign once - a smiling apron wearing lady of the 50's thereupon said "I finished your laundry - the ashes are in the fireplace!" heeeheeeee Cute! Guess I'll just waste away here doing the laundry!

I have that same exact washing machine in my garden with one of those neon green Margarita (ornamental sweet potato) vines growing in it! This plant really pops w/it's bright color and looks good trailing over the sides. The bottom of wash tub is painted black to match the shutter trim on the garden barn. Found it in the dump area that the renters/former owners had back behind the house by the creek. We literally had to dig it out of the creekbank.


Pretty!

Adding To The $20 Challenge

Let the dancing begin!



$20 CHALLENGE
$4.96 balance
+1.25 addition
_____
6.21 Nov MTD

Cummulative Total $76.75

Clearing Change

Clearing change of 1.39 in the purse to add to the $20 Challenge!



$20 CHALLENGE
$3.57 balance
+1.39 purse change
_____
$4.96 Nov MTD

Cummulative Total $75.50

Coin Slot



I cleaned out the coin slot on my purse this morning to feed poor starving Piggy!

$20 CHALLENGE
$2.88 balance
+0.69 coin slot
_____
$3.57 Nov MTD

Cummulative Total $$74.11

The Last Red Hot



CashHappySon gave me .72 for Piggy. This may be the last of the CashHappySon donations for awhile as he was called on Thursday to come in to his new job! YEAH!!!

He got four hours on Thursday and ten on Friday and will be going in to work from 7-12 today! This job is a grown up man's job and like I said in an earlier post will give him a lifelong skill and one that he could support a family on if he'll stick with it.

Of course he had to go make expenditures of $109.00 to get himself started with steel toe boots, gloves, safety goggles, box blade, lunch supplies (no more free meals at work ) and a cell phone.

Some days he'll be able to put in 12 hours a day. This boy is 18 years old and still does not have his driver's license. Working on the permit and we'll try to get over and take the written driver's test on Tuesday when he takes off for his orthodontist appointment.

So, in case he gets the extra hours he needed some way to contact me and let me know not to come and get him at 5:00 p.m. AND, once he starts driving himself WE WILL BE in contact about his whereabouts, and his car isn't the latest and greatest, so he bought himself a pay as you go cell phone.

Yes, he has a car but no license. I've been toting him to work for over a year and since he wouldn't put in the work to get the license I saw no need to put the miles on my truck so he anteed up his dollars and bought one earlier in the year. Not the greatest but fit his budget and he was able to pay cash for it. He knew I was going to be going to burgercentral anyway because of FrugalSon who is 20 and only has a driving permit.

Now, FrugalSon does have some learning difficulties (another whopper of a tale) and that may be all he'll ever be able to do, but CashHappy just took it as his right to just ride along and coast on the getting the driver's license dealy-who. Go figure! The Hubster and I both lusted after the freedom that driving would allow us as teenagers. We haven't quite figured out why these two aren't rushing for the gates! Too easy at home I guess. The other three kids took off early in their driving flight for freedom. The difference is that the last two were homeschooled in comparison w/the other three going to public school where peer pressure had to play some part.

So therefore and forthwith, Mom was the big bad meanie who wouldn't let CashHappySon sign a cell phone contract. He's too flightish at the moment to be hooking himself into payments. He's getting better and did make the year at burger place so he's on the right track, but still I didn't want him to be locked into monthly payments on a cellphone.

This ability to pull 109.00 out of the thin air (from HIS Emergency Fund) on a moment's notice has finally shown him the wisdom of Mom's ways. He had fought me tooth and nail over putting his money back, but yesterday he was glad of it!

At any rate the last of the red hot contributions to my challenge may have come to a screeching halt. I think him gaining useful skills and bigger money is worth it! Don't you?

I mean really, at some point we have to wean these babies when they are taller than you and have a five o'clock shadow at noon!! We do, don't we????

$20 CHALLENGE
$2.16 balance
+0.72 last red hot
_____
$2.88 Nov MTD

Cummulative Total $73.42