Lux Living Frugalis

Dentist Picked Himself Some Dollars

The Hubster lost a crown the other day and his teeth needed cleaning...all to the tune of $626 that went on a %^!$@ Credit Card. Now to decide where to come up with the dollars to pay for it!

OUCH that hurts - in more ways than one! More of our hard-earned assets kissed gooooo-bye!

There is a Dental/Vision Category in our budget, unfortunately not near enough funds in there to pay them in full.

Hurrrrummmmpppppphhhhhh!!! And triple dog spit! Spit! SPIT!!!

Bank Run Report 14 October 2006



Saturday, October 14, 2006 sees $2.52 added to the Bank Run Money! {read that as extra retirement savings.

OCTOBER BANK RUN
10/06/06 2.50
10/14/06 2.52
_____________
MTD 5.02

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

Man Robs Bank as Retirement Plan

12 Oct 2006

No Spend Today!

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

Taco Bell Leftovers



Leftovers. Don't you just love them? I do when they're this kind of leftovers.

No. Not the kind you're thinking...

To the $20 Challenge I'm adding $2.30 that I had left from the $4.00 from FrugalSon's short-term loan payoff. I spent the other at Taco Bell yesterday!

$20 CHALLENGE
$2.25 balance
+2.30 leftovers
_____
$4.55 October MTD

Cummulative Total $54.69

see
http://www.joesgoals.com

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This is not it...

Of Course It Would Happen Now



Just yesterday I decided for some strange reason ?? foreboding maybe ?? that we needed a Furnace/Plumbing Category in our Anticipatory Budget/Spending Plan. Don't know why I hadn't thought of it before. We had 3.69 left in our zero based (I just can't make myself believe I can go all the way to zero w/o freaking myself out) budget for the month of October. So I set up a little sub-account and moved $1.69 on over.

Late last night the handle on the toilet decided it would break! The Hubster (My HERO) fixed it today w/a $6.40 part. So I'm already down $4.71. Or should I say I'm ahead by $1.69?? At any rate there is money in the Rathole Money to pay for it, but of course it would happen now just as I decided I needed to start funding this new account!

Oh well.

Here's another friendly little reminder - something I had forgotten to account for...our driver's license renewals. Just happened to be thumbing thru an old check register when I spotted that one.

So, am off to fund another little subaccount (told you I can't get all the way to zero!) with 2.00. Mine isn't due until late 2007 and The Hubster's is next year too...so we've got time to fully fund the Driver's License Renewal Category.

NOW I am zeroed out for this month. If something else comes up - well it's off to the Rathole to find some MORE cheese!

Team Frugalis Scores Again


Photo Credit: Scott & VanAltena

Time to give a big THANK YOU to all of our Corporate Sponsors and our dear postman. In the mailbag so far this week:

From YOGI Tea comes three delightful smelling tea samples: Calming made w/Chammolmile, Peach DeTox made w/Organic Dandelion, and Raspberry Ginger made w/Organic ingredients. All three are Caffeine Free. Says right here that YOGI Tea of Eugene, OR is serving your Spirit! Also included was a nice coupon for 50 cents off on any box of YOGI Tea! Check them out at yogitea.com. As soon as I'm thru with this entry I'm off to have my spirit served some of that Raspberry Ginger tea!

Wellness from within as they say. Thanks Yogi! Ohhhh...they have some Morocco Orange Spice that sounds interesting.

Next is a sample of Olay's Definity - highly defined anti-aging intense hydrating cream. This was thru the Walmart sample program. Thanks Olay!

Up next is a very generous sized BIZ Stain-Activated Laundry Booster for colors and whites. They also provided us with a $1.00 off coupon on any size of Biz Stain-Activated Laundry Booster AND one for .50 cents off of any Mean Green or Pine Power product. Thank you BIZ. Check them out at bizisbetter.com.

The Frugalis mailman has been very busy this week! We received from our Corporate Sponsors Nescafe' Taster's Choice with a heaping bunch of coffee samples! 7 free samples of Nescafe Taster's Choice 100% Pure Instant Coffee, 3 free samples of their 100% Columbian, and 4 free samples of their Decaffeinated coffee. They considerately gave us 2 - $2.00 off coupons. Thank you Nescafe Taster's Choice! Visit them at tasterschoice.com.

From one of my all-time favorites Jergens comes three free samples. One each of their Ultra-Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer; Skin Smoothing Cellular Renewal Moisturizer and a Shea Butter Skin Enriching Moisturizer. If you haven't tried Shea Butter you're missing out! Thank You very much Jergens! I look forward to trying these out but you'll be hard pressed to beat out my all time favorite Jergens product which is the original
cherry/almond scented lotion that Granny used to wear! YUMMERS!!

Whewwwweeeee - the poor postman!

Next comes a sample of each of Herbal Essences's Hello Hydration Moisturizing Shampoo and Hello Hydration Moisturizing Conditioner made with Orchid and Coconut Milk. Sounds delicious! Say hello to lush hydration and bring your hair back to silky, all the way to luscious. Thank you Herbal Essence! This was another Walmart sample so thanks Walmart! Drink up hair!! ...and live hydratedly ever after. They're located at herbalessences.com.

Did I tell you he was busy? BUSY BUSY!!

Last, but not least comes a very generously sized 3.0 oz. sample of Unilever's Dove Deep Moisture Hyrdration Profonde Nourishing Hand Wash. Nourishes while you cleanse with 3x more moisturizers than the leading moisturizing liquid soap. Check them out at dove.com. They also sent along a 75 cent off coupon. Thanks Unilever Dove!

Okay, I'm thinking I better plan on a nice tip for the postman this Christmas.

And The Cable Snaps!! Stop The Insanity



Okay, the cable bill came and really it was me who snapped! Right to attention. They upped my bill by $2.00 w/never a by-your-leave, kiss-my-patootie or nothing. No notice whatsover of anykind last month, and nothing here in the bill this month explaining the increase.

This would make my cable bill for cable tv and internet dsl or whatsit called for the computer to be 54.41 and I was already griping about the 52.41.

I have gotten The Hubster on board and we will be shopping for new service from someone else. This is ridiculous. I don't want to build their infastructure for them...I just want a little 'juice' to keep me up and running!

I guess the part I hate the most is the 'no notice' deal!

Phhhppffft on them! This craziness of raising my rates has got to stop!!

Even I Don't Believe This One!!



True story! Okay yesterday I took CashHappySon to the ortho and found a penny right under the door when I got out of the car. That's beleivable enough, but today I found .10 outside in the dog food bowl. REALLY? Really! How did that get there one has to ask? I dunno.

Last night while I was in my nightie I set their bowls outside as they were attracting bugs and so outside they went. There are no pockets on the nightgown.

Filled the dog dishes this morning while still in said nightie.

Today, the painters came with their powerwasher. They moved everything away from the house to powerwash so MAYBE the dime fell out of one of their pockets?

After they left I let the dogs out and was wandering around the yard looking at the powerwashing handiwork and happened to glance down to see if I needed to put out more dogfood.

What do I see?? Said dime.

I just laughed and thought - nobody on the blog is gonna believe this one!

The dog dish! Imagine.

FUNNY!! Going to the $20 Challenge.


$20 CHALLENGE
2.14
+.01 Ortho penny
+.10 dog food dime
____
2.25 MTD

Cummulative Total $52.34

This One Goes Out 4 Frugalelf-Blog PICs




Frugalelf asked me how to do the pictures on the blog. Or at least I think that was what she was asking. If this isn't what you're looking for frugalelf give me another shout and I'll take a shot at it!

Steps:

1)Write Title
2)Write Entry
3)Check Categories covered in entry
4)Click SAVE AND ADD IMAGES
5)under Images click BROWSE
6)Look around on your computer to wherever you have pictures stored then click the picture open or type in the location and name of picture
7)Save As Draft - Wait for it to do it's jobbie!
8)Copy tag that pops up to wherever in your text you want picture to appear.
9)Click Update Entry
10)Click Back To My Blog to see if the BlogGods have shined upon you today!

Hope this helps. If you need more technical help than this, then I'm definitely not your gal Friday and you'll need to contact someone else more fluent in geekspeak (maybe Broken Arrow) or Nate or Jeffrey.

Good luck and hope it works for you!

First National Bank of Frugalis



On Saturday I loaned FrugalSon 3.50 in quarters to wash and vacumn his truck. This morning he paid me back $4.00. When I asked him if he needed change back or would he like to contribute the .50 to the $20 Challenge he voted to feed Piggy today! YEAH FrugalSon.

Now this is the kind of interest I like earning on my money!

$20 CHALLENGE

1.64 balance
+.50 loan interest
____
2.14 MTD

Cummulative Total $52.23

Let's try this picture thing again...

AND THE WINNER IS...



Can't get the good pic that shows the whole truck (and the bananas) to show up. Oh well, you get the idea! It has a cute little camper shell on it that you can't see from this shot. Read the last entry in my blog for more about the Car Show results.

Did I Mention...??

Nope. I didn't.

Why? Because I had to recharge the batteries for the camera. (and now I can't get the system here to take the picture and upload it! RATS!)

FrugalSon entered his little 1988 Chevrolet S-10 Extended Cab Tahoe Package pickup in the church car show yesterday. He won!! Yea!! It's only just now turned 70,000 original miles and it's a little gem.

He won 2 of the door prizes. One was a big bottle of driveway cleaner. The other was a big sack full of car cleaning stuff, wax pads, air freshener, sprayer for garden hose, wax, some extra high gleam hotrod stuff, etc.

Thank you to our corporate sponsors again - a big Hoo-HA thank you to Auto Zone for graciously donating the door prizes! Team Frugalis thanks you very much!

Then he won Best of Class for 75-Present Truck Division. Woo-hoo! Got the trophy. There were 5 or 6 other trucks entered in this class.

Mom here was especially tickled since some jerk at FrugalSon's 2nd job was giving him a hard time about entering his later model truck into a car show!

Welllllll...phhhtpppttttt and Double phhhppttt on parade rainers!

I hate when people do that!

This is an EXCEPTIONALY GREAT & Hardworking kid I have here and he deserves some good stuff. So Mom is tickled pink he won! No, not the tires, nor the rims, but still...

He had to leave the car show early to go in to work so I went back over and sat with the truck until they announced the winners and handed out the trophies.

Now ordinarily I stay away from their jobsite while they are working but on purpose because Mr. Snooty made the wisecracks I just HAD TO take the trophy in and let FrugalSon know that he won and let him show it off to everyone! Even baby brother CashHappySon was pea green. Other coworkers gave the big pat o'back and he ate it up!

TAKE THAT Mr. Snooty Snot!! Well, yes of course, I made absolutely certain that Snooty got a good long look at it!

Didn't let him touch it though! HA! :P

Chalk one up for the good guys!!

P.S. Over to the right in the pic is the stalk of bananas we got off of our banana tree today! Also, today was a No Spender! Yeppers!! $$'s still in my pocket.

Enticed Him With Those Cookies I Did!!



The Hubster is finally on board (at least temporarily) with the $20 Challenge and has made a very generous donation of .37 cents this afternoon! Must of been those cookies I made the other day! Soon I'm going to have to instigate Donor Levels.

Frugal-lite = donations under 50 cents
Frug Meister = donations 50 cents to 99,999.99
King Frugal = donations over 100,000.00

Oh well you get the picture. Those seeking to make a donation may write me privately off the board!

Today The Hunkster (I mean Hubster) even helped me clean out the hidey-hole room of the basement and set it up with tables so we can price some stuff for either a garage sale in the next week or so OR early next spring. This weekend we got 15+ (I stopped counting) bags of leaves & limbs bagged up {Ima - rethink that wooded property there is lots of upkeep on this kind of land too!}; rocks up against bases on one of the long fences; extra rocks and bricks stacked neatly; the banana trees taken up and stored away; holes they came out of filled in; the extension ladder put away for the winter, a siding tile down that was rotting so I can go try to find another before the painters come; the washer tubs put away and hoses coiled up (leaving them out til the painters get thru) and the outside is beginning to look 'winterized'. Phhheeewwweeee, we are tired now! What a man, What a MAN!! All that, good looks and money too!

He found and killed two snakes in all the leaf piles! MY HERO!

$20 CHALLENGE

1.27 balance
+.37 in-house donation
____
1.64 MTD

Cummulative Total $51.73

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

Hot Rod Fever - Forever Young!!



No, this is not about Rod Stewart!

Today FrugalSon is entering his truck in our church's block party Car Show! By joining in he will be entered in a drawing for a free set of tires. Hope the boy wins as he currently only has $9.50 saved for replacement tires. Plans to put more in savings but just isn't there yet. Doesn't need tires right away, but a FREE set would be great! Wish us luck - kid has been polishing & buffing like mad!

We are off early this morning to do a final wash, vacumn & polish before the Big Event! He doesn't ask to do much so even though sitting around a car show isn't MY idea of a good time we're doing it! Tickled that he is showing an interest in just doing something really! All the poor kid does is work, work, work!!

Because of this I made my Bank Run yesterday depositing $2.50 for my additional retirement savings.

OCTOBER BANK RUNS
10/07/06 $2.50
10/14/06
10/21/06
10/28/06

Four O'Clock and All is Wellllllllllll!!


Four O'Clocks

Well actually it's a little closer to half a hair past later in the day than that! But I've been out collecting four o'clock seeds for next year's flower display! The little seeds look like tiny little grenades - really. They are called four o'clocks because it is about that time of day when the blooms open up.

Also finally got SOME of the iris (some call them flags) that I claimed from my mother-in-law's garden into the ground back next to the little Asian bridge by my creek. Still more to go. They are rhizomes and can go in the ground just about anytime. Just been too busy to get them stuck in the dirt! Did get the peonies planted that came from her yard. Hope they make it!

What does all that have to do with finances? Have you priced flowers at your local garden center lately? OUCH! FREE flowers and planting next year's flowers from this years seeds will save me mucho dollars! I've got 2 1/2 acres of yard with lots of spots to fill with flora if I can. It would cost me major money to do it from store-bought. I even passed on buying a flat of pansies (johnny jump ups) this year. I did plant some seed earlier so maybe they'll be coming on soon if they're going to make it! Wish I had some of that ornamental cabbage to line my sidewalk with!!

The bouganvillea are still blooming here but will soon have to come inside where I'll try again not to kill it! It likes it hot and the only place I have that is big enough to hold them both is my utility room with the family's main entryway (the backdoor) which goes whoosh to let the cold air in quite frequently during the winter time. All I can do is try to keep them alive. I love seeing the hot pink flowers (really the leaves/brackets) in bloom during December!

Tomorrow the banana trees have to be dug up and put into the basement for the winter. We are in a zone that they won't last outside in. However, I did get a nice stalk of bananas this year! Cool-i-o!!

Next week it looks like the morning glory seeds will be ready to harvest.

The all is well part? Today was a No-Spender!

Double Fudge Chocolate Chip Toffee Almond Cookies

Good, good, good.

Trying to be frugal and use up some things that have been hanging around the pantry. Don't ask for a recipe, because I don't have one. I just tossed dry ingredients, additions, margarine, vanilla and water. Baked at 350 degrees for 13 minutes.

YUMMY lovin' from the oven!!

Bottom's Up!



Turned the purse inside out and upside down and found .31 cents for the $20 Challenge!

$20 CHALLENGE
0.69 total
+.31 Bottom's Up
____
1.00 Oct MTD

Cummulative Total $51.09

Is It Time To Cash In Your Old CD?



Will you make or lose money if you cash in an old Certificate of Deposit? Will the new higher interest rate really compensate for the hit you take on the early out penalty? Check here for the calculator that can help you decide!

Short and Sweet



This will be short and sweet. Today was a No-Spend Day. Although I did leave FrugalSon's lights on in his truck and ran the battery down...so it'll cost me some electricity tonight when The Hubster puts it on the charger!

Better Coupon Savings



Just a quick note to log some better coupon savings than my last go which was an 11.50 savings.

Yesterday I bought $68.48 worth of groceries before coupons.

Final cost was 33.98 plus tax 4.55, total of $38.53.

Manufacturer's Coupons was 16.50
Bonus Coupons of 10.95
and Store Card Savings 7.15

Meaning a savings of 34.60.

I can live with that! It took me about an hour in the store and I already had the coupons out I wanted to use.

Part of the length of time was because this is not the store I usually shop at and I have to acquaint myself with where things are located at in the store so I can line the coupons up in the order they fall throughout the store.

I used to do a bit better with coupons, but it's been a number of years since I used them regularly and I don't have a very good supply yet. BUT, I'm working on it!

Also if I'm going to pursue couponing again then I need to buy myself another rubbermaid type check box w/ a handle or a nice binder w/a handle.

September Sales Report In



Went Monday and picked up my check for September's sales from my antique booth.

392.78 Total Sept sales
-39.27 10% fee
-50.00 rent
-05.00 advertising
______
298.51 check

I'm thrilled with it! This is one of the largest checks I've gotten from it - maybe even the biggest, can't recall without looking.

My booth is filled with lots of small things priced -- ohhhh lots under 10.00, and the majority under 25.00, so to come up with a big total is sometimes hard to do.

Once all these small things go that were in my house at one time then I can restock first with the things from my in-laws house - that's what's in the basement now and then move on to bigger items that I pick up at auctions.

Took over the cowboy bathtub and Morris chair this week.

I like having a mix of bigger and smaller items. Because sometimes the larger items sit there a long time before they move. And I don't want to pay rent month after month for things to just set!

Using Jesse's You Need A Budget software, this money earned in September, but paid in October, will not be used to live on until November. It is certainly a nice feeling not to be living paycheck to paycheck!

Dime Dime Do-diddy De-Dime Dime!


Change leftover from a burger run AFTER son's employee discount left me with a dime to add to the $20 Challenge.


Photo Credit: Bee

$20 CHALLENGE

00.59 balance
+0.10 Do-diddy Dime
_____
$0.69 Oct MTD

Cummulative Total $50.78

Estimate for Painting - Done!


We have been having a really hard time finding someone in our small town to come and paint the second story of our house.

We have a walkout basement in the back and thus have ground slopes on two sides. Seems not many want to tackle the highwire act it would be to get to the second story roofline at the same time transgessing a ladder that sits atop those slopes!

Finally got a guy out yesterday who has given me a decent estimate and we are going with him. Never fear - I didn't tell him how hard it was to find anyone! Next stop was going to have to go to the Metro area to find someone who would be willing to do not only the job, but also to drive out here to the burbs!

The boys and I have painted all the house that we can reach on a regular ladder and I'm not about to try and tackle the extension ladder and I don't want The Hubster to do it.

He just turned 60, we don't have disability insurance and I need him to keep working for at least the next six years! I myself fell off the ladder onto the fence (ouch it, that made a big hole in my side!!), so really, this is the last house I will ever paint. That little fall was early in the springtime but it did slow me down a bit.

The ole gray mare just ain't what she used to be!! No longer invincible. BUT, if you tell anyone THAT I will hunt you down and kick you right in the keester. I can't climb worth spit, but I'm still a pretty high stepper!

Really, I'm not a total clutz, we just have really sandy soil, and all of a sudden as I was leaning in to paint barn #3 (The Clubhouse) there was just a definite lean to the left out of the clear blue and splash went the paint and poke went the hole in my side. Need a sign - Beware Sinking Sand!

To paint the three sides will be $1280.00. If we have painter also give the front side a second coat it will cost us $1880.00 for the total job. The extra 600.00 seems cheap to me as our house is pretty good sized. Anyway, I've booked him to do at least the 3 sides and his crew will be here in 1 1/2 weeks. YES!! YES!! Y.E.S.!!! I am so excited at finding someone and that this will get done before the snow flies this year.

WEEEE-DEEEE-WOOOOOOOOOO-HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Will I go whole hog and give them another 600.00?? I'm not sure, but I sure am tired of painting. There is this big house and five barns here. FIVE, I tell ya!!! The barns I've gotten all done. Let me just back up and say the boys have helped me - but only a little. They've been busy working and usually I paint a bit each day that I feel like it. Seems like I've been painting forever!!

Anyway, excited about the prospect of having it all done may make me turn loose of the extra money. Sure I could do it myself next spring, but really I'm absolutely sick of painting! We'll see. I may get good and rested up and take on finishing it up myself!

But, no more ladders, No - definitely no more ladder jobs for me! I had a dickens of a time getting myself down off the sunroom roof when I climbed atop it to do the ridge line on the front of the house! Twas comical, but still my equilibrium just isn't the same anymore. Mind is willing, but the bod is weak!

Next house I buy will either be 1)a condo where someone else does these kind of maintenance jobs; 2)a brick house; or 3)one with siding! Never again will I paint one of these jobbies!

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