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.

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

Sick Pup



Miss Carmel 'Carmie' Corn is sick w/diareaha. We took her to the vet today and he told us to dose her with Pepto (two tablespoons) at noon and two more before bed this evening and again 3 times tomorrow. If she is still sick on Monday morning we are to bring her back in. Hope this helps the poor little thing. She has been out having the best time running joyfully thru the snow & ice!

Vet Visit - No Charge
Pepto at the Dollar General - $2.18

CashHappySon reimbursing me - PRICELESS!!

Bank Run - 02 December 2006



Bank run for today was $2.58. The Hubster had to drive me as we boondocked over the washboard ice from the blizzard! We had to get out to take FrugalSon to work anyway. He missed yesterday and the day before that because of the snow. CashHappySon didn't work yesterday or today because of it as it is too far to drive in this ice!

The Hubster dug out from 8:00 a.m. to 11:50 yesterday morning in order to get his car out of the driveway and went in to work and left at 4:00. The day before it had taken him 1 hour and 45 minutes to get home from what is a normal 20 minute commute.

Okay, back to bank runs - I didn't get to do some during my brother's stay in hospital (8 days) so November came up a bit short.

The Bank Run money IS deposited every week when I can get it there (and haven't spent it on crappy hospital cafeteria food) and then moved the same day to Emigrant in a specially marked retirement account there where it resides until I decide WHERE I want to invest next.

Right now I'm closing in on close to $750.00 in this account and will probably pop it off to some other investment at that time depending on the interest rate climate at that time. This account is also fed by a line item in my personal budget each month.

December Bank Runs $2.58

Cummulative Bank Runs $30.20

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

Got It At The Curbe' Mall

Saw a free chair by the curb this a.m. and stopped, asked the lady about it and was able to snag it for CashHappySon who wants to move out. It might not be his first pick but HEY, it was FREE Dude!!

Looks a lot like this:



Worst comes to worst he can toss a blanket over it and viola - a place to sit. And when he's done with it he can sit it out at the curb!

Later I went to a garage sale and the guy gave me a free box of oil paints that had been marked $5.00 for the box. FREE - can't beat it!

Did buy three tables from him - two twig tables for $5 lg. & $3 small that I'll resell at my booth for likely 10 & 6.

Got CashHappy one of those round doowhicky tables the el-cheapo kind you throw a round tablecloth on for a bedside table. He doesn't have one here. Paid a $1 for it.

FrugalSon was with me and he bought himself a little knife in a sheath for $2.50.

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!

A Suppressed Head

Did some of my Christmas shopping at the grocery store today! Love it - fundies for $4.00 for 3 pair, couple of big bags of peanuts for my brother, giant hot sauce for CashHappySon, de-icer for FrugalSon, t-towels and dishcloths for sister, niece, niece-in-law, ex-sis in law, mother - all five of these gifts for 14.00 total, candy for stocking stuffers, etc. Total here was $48.87, a dollar of which was for a loaf of bread. The rest comes out of the budgeted and saved for Gift Escrow.


Whittling the Christmas list down!!

Voted today.

Took CashHappySon to the orthodontist and found out that they will be putting braces on his upper teeth as well, which is basically a surprise to me as I asked the doc about this when we started and then the answer was No.

...hmmmm...I'll be having further discussions with them about this on the phone tomorrow as the kidster is the one paying for it and the lowers will put him in hock a good little while and if the upper ones will cost him more then I'm gonna up the stink level! His upper teeth appear fine, he just had an extra lower tooth that needed help! Always somethang', isn't it?? Then after the ortho it was off to work time for him.

Picked up and dropped off FrugalSon at his two jobs. Picked up CashHappySon from his job. Tired now. Something off with the blood pressure or some other body parts as today I have had a feeling of suppression.

Just took my blood pressure and will be reporting the numbers to the nurses in the family to see if I'm dead yet! Just an off feeling kinda like the feeling when your ears are stopped up but it's not in my ears but in my head. Weird. A suppressed head. Surely some humor in that but at the moment I can't come forth with it! :/

Tired Already!

Yesterday - Sunday November 5th 2006, was a no spend day! YEAH!

I did have to go into FrugalSon's work last night - thought I was going to have to *beat up* the asst. manager (really only a pup himself) for taking $5.00 from FrugalSon for a scratch that another kid put on his truck! SHEESH!

Anyway, that was FrugalSon's money for getting his haircut today! Ohhhh I was steaming! This place he works at is a mad house I tell ya and the supposedly adult managers are the worst of the bunch!

Yes, we got the 5 spot back but only after making a special trip and no the kid-manager would not come out and talk to me...I think he was scared. He ought to be VERY VERY scared as he has pulled an offense or two w/my kids that could easily land him in jail for a very, VERY long time!! ARRRGGHH!!

We just had an hour long conference with the main store manager on Friday. Good grief what a pain in the posterior!!

FrugalSon is 20 years old but tall, skinny looking couldn't beat his way out of a paper bag kid and he has some 'issues' that left him developmentally delayed. When people go to messing with him I'm ready to go to full scale war! Do not mess w/this Momma's cubs or you'll come away without a limb. That this JERK was trying to take advantage of him did not set too kindly.


Poor Hubster, I was out of my nightgown and into my clothes and out the door so quick that he didn't know what was even going on hardly when pft-zip-shazam I was back w/kid and dollars in tow! I did manage to tell him to be prepared to come bail me out of jail if I need you in a few minutes before we left.

Wha-happun????

heeheeee!

Today I'm going over to rework my booth this afternoon - right after FrugalSon gets off from work, gets his haircut and can go over to help me rearrange the big pieces of furniture. Thankfully he's off from burgercentral this afternoon and CashHappySon is already off at his new job and will be there till 5:00.

Sheets are in the dryer, chicken is in the marinade, dishwasher is run, 2 loads of laundry already done and ready to be put away. While I'm out I'm off to our joint checking bank to make a deposit into our 'Future Foundation' fund of $174.00.

When I get back I have major reading to do on selecting FrugalSon's health insurance coverage for the new year.

I'm tired already!

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

Mind Games & Dining Out Treats



Yesterday I finished reading 'Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman' by Elizabeth Buchan which was pretty cute. This book was a gift. It's still in perfect shape so will be re-gifting for Christmas to someone else on my list. Currently reading 'A Random Walk Down Wall Street', which I picked up for a quarter at a garage sale this past week.

Yesterday FrugalSon went to work in his costume. He went as a Manager from his place of employment at burgercentral. The managers in this operation all wear a different color shirt and a tie. Funny thing is that everyone thought that he had been promoted which just blew a few of their lil' minds!

heheeheee!!

I would've loved to have been a fly on the wall in the break room. He hasn't been employed there all that long, maybe 6-8 months. Can't you hear their wheels spinning, "To think that newbie could have been promoted over me!" I loved that he came up with the idea all on his own. Too cool!

CashHappySon gave me $2.16 for Piggy. Plus he took me out to eat at a local chicken place yesterday for lunch and treated me to a $1.09 sausage biscuit from Braum's this morning as we were out running his errands.

$20 CHALLENGE
00.00 balance
+2.16 generous son
_____
$2.16 November Month To Date

Cummulative Total $72.70

Catching Up Update - Up Up I say!

Sunday was a no spend day. FREE breakfast in Sunday School class. Somebody brought Braum's sausage biscuits which were really good. I had never eaten one before. There were other things such as FREE muffins, FREE coffeecake, and FREE coffee. Hallelujah!

Monday was also a no-cash spend day for me. The Hubster did however make the downpayment on the windows which we'll be paying cash for! No payments, yeah!!

Over the weekend FrugalSon had to make a big car repair expense to his lil' truck, a whopping $2.17 for new fuses so his horn could beep once again.

Yesterday morning The Hubster was looking for his snackcakes (his one big requirement for a happy worklife) and so we trotted down to the basement to the freezer only to find that everything in there was thawing out! Glad we made the visit.

When I returned from my morning errand CashHappySon and I worked on throwing out what needed tossing ($$'s down the drain) and getting the rest into the cooler. Then upstairs to shuffle the refrigerator's freezer to fit in as much as we could.

Ended up cooking some of the meat in the crockpot for the dogs. Nice treats! ...and cooked about three packages of sausage links for the boys.

Those wouldn't fit into the upstairs freezer. They had a nice breakfast and lunch on them and still have some leftover. SIGH! Bad freezer!! We checked and no the breaker hadn't switched off or anything. Boo!

Later The Hubster calls and has me plug it into another socket. Ta-da it works! It is an older freezer that I got from my Mom when she replaced hers.

I'm thinking at this moment in time I'm just going to leave it empty and unplugged unless someone wants to gift me with a side of beef or a hog or something! Saving on electricity.

I just don't think I utilize it as much anymore w/just the four of us at home right now along w/the inconvenient trek to the basement to stock it or retrieve something. If it were upstairs maybe! It's TOO TOO TOO Ugly for upstairs though.

Along with that is the car maintenance that The Hubster had done yesterday. I sent him in to get his scheduled oil change only to discover that it is time to do the 30,000 mile maintenance in order to keep his warranty in place.

This little bit of sunshine cost us $534.00 on the CC!! Jeepers! November is looking slimmer and slimmer as we also had his $626 crown thingy earlier this month that went on the CC!

The E.F. is definitely taking a hit, as there is no way I can cover all that out of current income and still be able to eat and have utilities, much less have gasoline for work commute!!



Okay Lord, I need a lot less money going down the drain and much more money coming up out of the drains! Up Up I say! And again I say UP!!

Free Supper and Good News



Saturday night we went to our Sunday School Class's fall fellowship cookout where we had a lovely time and FREE food! Gotta love free food. We went at the last minute and because of that didn't have time to bake or even stop to add anything to contribute to the meal.

Not our norm.

However, I don't feel in the slightest guilty over it as for years we were the ones to host the entire dealy-who, footing the bill for the meat, buns, drinks and decorations.

The party made Saturday a no-spend day.

Great burgers and a good time. It was hosted by a couple who are nearing retirement like ourselves. They have been in their current home 29 years.

They recently went out house-hunting to see about downsizing, etc. However, prices in our area have risen so much so that they decided to stay put and do a remodel instead. She had a fabulous new kitchen!

I enjoyed showing The Hubster that new kitchen countertops wouldn't have to be all that more expensive than just replacing like for like our old laminate counters.

She said the expense was only about 500.00 more for what they got which looks much like granite. Very nice. We just aren't THERE yet in our decisions on our house.

Good news was the husband in this situation owns his own business and is giving CashHappySon a job that should start in two weeks.

This is a grown-up job that will give the kiddo a skill that he can always use in life and while maybe not lavishly - with it, he could support a family. We are thrilled!

Holy Taco Mole!!!

Found a steal yesterday afternoon. Before the movie CashHappySon and I were out and about letting him put his application in some places. He's ready to move on from burgercentral - he's stayed the year his Dad & I required from him. He's a bit of a flutter-bye and we're trying to discourage that in the job market.

We went out to the big salvage barn near here - they sell gas, groceries and hardware...it's about 20 minutes from nowhere. It's a kind of scratch and dent store. I shop there frequently and CashHappy knows the owner/manager from the drive-thru lane and our visits to shop. The guy wasn't there but we brought home the application to fill out. Anyway, while there I spent big money yesterday. A whole .26 cents!! Wee-ha!

They have those neat little taco bowls in a large sleeve with 15 of the corn taco shell bowls in it for 25 cents each sleeve. With tax that is .0173333 cents each folks! Bet you can't guess what we're having for dinner tonight????



If they aren't stale I will go back and get some more and put them in the freezer!! This is how I feed my family cheaply. I look for deeeeeeeeep discounts and then when the item tastes good I heaviliy stock up.

Holy Taco Mole - Think I may have a SCORE!!!!

Also yesterday I spent even more money - GASP! Got two new stained glass candle stands for 50 cents each and a box of 4 blown glass ornaments for 12.5 cents each. These are all for Christmas giving. I'll add some candles from the dollar store to the holders.

For myself I bought a green blown glass money frog. I'm fung shuei-ing my money sector! (Wooo-ooooooo did you feel a newage breeze just then???) Really just a cute little frog that is going to sit on my entryway table. I paid 25 cents for him.

Gratuitous Mentions In Movieland



CashHappySon was feeling rather generous yesterday and took me out to the movies where we saw 'Employee of the Month'. Slacker finds redeeming benefits of work in the quest to get the girl (Jessica Simpson).

It was 'cute' but there were WAY TOO MANY references to ahemmm....'men's testicular area'.

Well!

The movie would have been much better in my opinion without all of that. I'm no prude and I would have probably not thought too much of it if the words had been used once or even twice in the script. But come on people, after about the 10th or 12th time already - ENOUGH!!!

Oh and don't forget the 'MUST HAVE' for teen movies - the ubiquitous fart joke!

Please.

Afterwards CashHappy wanted a maltie thing w/M&M's in it. We went to Carls Jr.'s and got in their drive thru line but he only had $6.00 left and was going to buy for the group. Their malts w/additions were $2.89 each so after careful calculations on his part we bolted out of line and moved on down the street. In the end he bought The Hubster, myself and himself .99 cent Frostys from Wendy's ("After all Mom, you guys deserve some stuff sometimes." - the boy's quite the orator, eh??)and we added our own M&M's from home!

Then he gave me .11 cents of the change to add to Piggy.

FrugalSon was working during all this and missed the day's entertainment. He's the 'word police' around here and wouldn't of enjoyed it anyway. We did save him some 'Smoked Piggies In A Blanket' for a late night snack.

Shhhhh! Don't tell Piggy we're eating his relatives.

$20 CHALLENGE
12.20 balance
+0.11 entertainment droppings
_____
12.31 Oct MTD

Cummulative Total $62.40

Bowling for Dollars


Jesus was a Bowler??

CashHappySon went bowling with his grandparents and brought me home change of $1.96 to add to Piggy. S.T.R.I.K.E.!

Jesus was a Bowler?? Who knew?

FrugalSon helped me scrub the stove today and get the house ready to receive the new reading chair I bought for myself!

It's one I've been searching for - for about two years now. Bought it from my Mom! Ha! They'd only had it about a year when they decided to build a new house and it didn't fit in the new, so had been in storage. When I went to visit Sunday/Monday they were having a garage sale.

I had thought it would cost me about $600 to buy what I wanted, but got this recliner that looks like a great comfy club chair for 200.00. I've been saving up so I'm good with the purchase as it was well within my budget.

It is my new domicile. When you can't find me? I'm in the sunroom, reading! Do Not Disturb!


$20 CHALLENGE

$08.40 balance
+01.96 bowling for dollars
______
$10.36 Oct MTD

Cummulative Total $60.50

OINK - Piggy Eats Roughage

To add to the $20 Challenge, CashHappySon brought me two dollar bills to feed Piggy. Piggy's happiest when he gets some folding money each month to eat! OINK!



$20 CHALLENGE
$5.80
+2.00 roughage
_____
$7.80 Oct MTD

Cummulative Total $57.94

Caulk Me Baby One More Time!!



YEAH - the guy came early this morning and started doing the caulking pre-paint style. So far it isn't too bad, only one window trim board is rotted out and needs to be replaced that we didn't know about. There is one other one we already knew about. Not too bad for a 1942 house, heh?

We may experience rain at the beginning of next week so I'm tickled to at least have this portion started. I had to pay the paint contractor $940.00 last week - 1/2 of the estimated price.

It makes me nervous to pay someone money when they don't exactly start work that day...so to see the power-washing and caulking done I'm feeling some better after handing over the dollars!

We made the decision to have them do all of the work. We are just exhausted with what painting I've done on the house and what The Hubster has had to do at his Dad's house this year!

Also of note is that the Federalist style corner cabinet that came from F-I-L's house back in July and has been laying in my living room floor has finally found a place in the basement this morning. It's too tall to fit in the upstairs! BooHiss! That's how it is when you live in a house that isn't built to current standard building codes! Well, it isn't too tall - my ceilings are just too low!!

It required a corner of the basement to be cleaned out which required the hideyhole (storm) room to be cleared out first...we did that last weekend. Then it required enough strongmen (The Hubster, FrugalSon and CashHappySon) here to lift, tote and carry. DONE! I can walk thru my living room again! YEAH TEAM FRUGALIS!!

I see progress! While digging out the corner I was able to pull enough boxes of stuff out to start pricing for a basement/estate sale!

THREE DIGITS

CashHappySon brought me home 3 quarters, 2 dimes and a nickle for Piggy and the $20 Challenge.



$20 CHALLENGE
$4.80
+1.00 three digits
_____
$5.80

Cummulative Total $55.94

CashHappySon & Mystery Man Donate



There is a dime laying here on my keyboard that ???SOMEONE??? had hidden under a water bottle cap. The Man of Mystery has struck again!

Then CashHappySon just woke up kissed me on the forehead and told me that he fed Piggy last night with fifteen cents.

Ta-da - Up goes the $20 Challenge!

$20 CHALLENGE
4.55 balance
+.10 mysteryman
____
4.65
+.15 night-feeder
____
4.80 October MTD

Cummulative Total $54.94

One Fourth of a Dollar



CashHappySon just donated .25 towards feeding Piggy. This is my Challenge money.

$20 CHALLENGE

1.02 balance
+.25 fourth of a dollar
____
1.27 MTD

Cummulative Total
$51.36

Bubble Up! FREEDOM



While FrugalSon and I were at the Car Wash yesterday morning before the Car Show I found two pennies. Adding them to the $20 Challenge.

Also found while there a punch card for a FREE hot dog at the local Coney place which already has some punches on it! I think it's 10 purchases for a FREE hotdog and it's a place I already spend at but no one's ever offered me a punchcard there, so future FREE food, gotta love it.

CashHappySon gave me a gamepiece for an Instant Win FREE Breakfast Sandwich at his place of employment!

Had forgotten that the Block Party would have FREE food. So the four of us had FREE hotdogs, nachos and pop yesterday while there.

I did spend yesterday - $2.61 at Taco Bueno for myself a supper. Fixed everybody else french bread pizzas.

$20 CHALLENGE

1.00 balance forward
+.02 car wash
____
1.02 Oct MTD

Cummulative Total $51.11

More Ground Pickin's


CashHappySon gave me .58 cents to feed Piggy for the challenge. Also from ground pickin's!! Did you hear Piggy squeal? It's been a day or two since we fed him anything!!

$20.00 Challenge

0.01 seed money
+.58 ground pickin's
____
0.59 Oct MTD

Nifty Fifty PLUS!!



Take a good look at that picture and tell me why you wouldn't want to keep up with it? Some people think change is useless. Well, I beg to differ with them!

So, who would think that they could come up with more than fifty dollars in two months time just from loose change that floats by?? Not me! But it's happened.

I mean, I knew that little bits of change add up, but $50 smackers?

CashHappySon handed me .68 cents last night from his 'drive-thru' change found on the ground collections. That put me over the $50 mark. Well, I'm happy to be the recipient!! Thank ye! Thank ye!!! Wheee-doggies, I like FREE money! Don't you???

$20 CHALLENGE

27.30 balance
+0.68 ground pickin's
_____
27.98 Sept MTD

$50.03 Cummulative Total

SOMEONE IS MAKING A PENNY



CashHappySon gave me two cents to go in the $20 Challenge Fund! Didn't I tell you he loves to get rid of the money in his pocket?? ...it's like he is money repellent. Okay, I'll do it. I'll be his money magnet. Pick me - pick me!!!

He GETS money all the time, but he won't hang on to it! Oh well, I WILL!!

"Ever notice how it's a penny for your thoughts, yet you put in your two-cents? Someone is making a penny on the deal!" ~Steven Wright

$20 CHALLENGE
26.86 balance
+0.02 repelled
_____
26.88 Sept MTD

41 Hut Hut HUUUUTTTTTT



Yesterday evening CashHappySon donated 41 cents to keep Piggy fat and sassy! This is money for the $20 Challenge. Ahhh, yes, stretching the ol' pigskin!!

$20 CHALLENGE
26.45 balance
+0.41 HUT
_____
26.86 Sept MTD

SCRATCH & DENT

Went on a scratch and dent grocery shop today. Paid 16.63.

Purchased:

6 pkgs. Lil' Debbie snack cakes - regular size packages at 50 cents apiece (now in the freezer)

2 LARGE pkgs. Lil' Debbie snack cakes at .99 each (now in the freezer)

4 pkgs. of granola bars at 50 cents each w/discount 1.78

4 pkgs. of spaghetti seasoning mix
4/$1.00 w/ discount .26

2 extra long rolls Owens sausage @ 2.50 each

4 bottles of shampoo/conditioner combo @ .50 each

2 large bottles of mouthwash @.89 each

tax .83
--------
16.63 LOVE MY SCRATCH & DENT stores! This is one of two close enough to my house to visit rather regularly!

This was budgeted grocery money, so I do consider this an unofficial no-spend day as I spent no other money besides my budgeted funds.

I never know what the discounted items will be. Sometimes when I get to the car I'll send the boys back in for more, but today I didn't have time.

The boys were supposed to go to a company party/seminar/pep rally type deally-who this afternoon and I took them and no sooner got home than they called for me to pick them back up as it had been postponed. Uaghhhh!!!

I hung up and headed towards the door and then decided why not give a shot at getting a freebie out of this deal? I hit redial and told CashHappySon to get me an ice-cream out of the deal since they had failed to call and let them know not to show up today on their normal day off.

When I got there...free ice-cream!! Ta-da!! I made a vow when I started blogging here not to BUY any ice-cream until 2007, but I never said I wouldn't eat any of the free stuff!

PENNY BADUNKADUNK

Welll....this is embarassing, but I'm telling it anyway. Too funny not to tell....Last night I was in the bed, rolled over, reached around to pull up the sheet and found a penny stuck to the rumpus!

Hahahahaa...

how did this get there???

All I can come up with is that it was on the couch from when the husband was sitting there earlier in the day and I was laying there before going to bed.

Maybe it had fallen out of his pocket?

Hilarious! I rolled and The Hubster wanted to know what I was snortling & snorkling about!!! heheheeee

Well, ya'll said I was lucky at finding money...it was dark and I was hoping it was a quarter, but alas, when I turned on the light it was only a penny.

Now, I've taken some measurements and based on my calc-u-mu-lations - the girth x length (omgaudddddddd - when did that thing fall to gravity???) divided by the hip ratio, I oughta be picking up more than a penny back there!!



If I can't laugh at myself who can I laugh at?

So, my friends, if you're looking for MORE money...might I suggest that you look behind you!!



Adding it to the $20 Challenge!

HOOT!

CashHappySon just contributed .36 to Piggy from off of his entertainment center.

$20 CHALLENGE
25.15
+0.01 badunkadunk find
_____
25.16
+0.36 entertaining
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25.52 Sept. MTD