Lux Living Frugalis

Aligned and Up To The Minute


Last night was a bit of a bug a bear. We've had quite a few issues at the boys' job with Managers making inappropriate come-ons to them both. And last night another Manager can't seem to keep her hands to herself. They've both asked her to stop, and finally Mom got on the horn. She will not be happy to see them next time they work, but oh well, into each Mother's life comes a few times when she has to advocate for her kids! Next stop my attorney's office if need be. My kids are not to be trifled with. GRRRR!

Yesterday got FrugalSon's October budget aligned. Yes, aligned. I'm not sure of a better word for it. I wrestled all the money into it's proper spot. He's easy to work with as he can be completely satisfied with no cash to walk around with and is happy to let me massage his money for his future good.

Yes, he did give himself a $20.00 allowance this month plus 5.00 for a haircut. He gets to eat free at work, has gas money in the checkbook, so he's pretty good w/little to no dollars and even when he gets cash out he just sticks it in his wallet and there it generally stays.

He paid his 139.00 November truck payment (yes early) to Mom & Dad and had enough money that he could of made a second one, but I'm really wanting to ramp his Emergency Fund back up, so that got a flat 100.00 this month. And although they could be combined, at this juncture I've just started him a separate account called Money Market Savings. We use Jesse's budget software, "You Need A Budget", and hence are operating in October on the money earned in September.

I just dislike that all three of us - me and both boys' money sits in our checking for a month idle. We are all opening these MM savings accounts so we can get enough cash in a wad to each open ourselves a Money Market account to earn some interest on that money all month and then transfer it on the first in order to pay the bills.

I used to move their money the day it cleared the bank, but that was in the days before YNAB. Okay, I'm willing to operate a month behind on the paychecks but I still want that money to work and earn some interest. Anyway, FrugalSon's MM Savings got 13.45 in September and 26.49 for October.

I moved all his money yesterday to his various savings sub-accounts. All that is left for him this month is to go buy an I-bond. Yes, lousy interest right now, but he was able to buy a small CD this month and still there is enough to do the I-bond. It's a habit I'd like him to get into doing and thus we'll just keep plugging a little into that budget slot and pray that the interest rate will come back up soon.

He was also able to put 45.00 back in his Truck Battery Savings Account which fills up the need for that as he now has 50.00 in there and it can just sit earning money until he has to replace his battery. Next big push is to fill his Truck Tire Replacement Fund which is on the low side being $9.50. He puts back 35.00 a month & has roughly 250.00 currently put back in Truck Maintenance Fund and just got his oil changed last month. Needs to buy an air filter this week though.

Paid his room and board and tithe. Made his Roth IRA Contribution. He has a 403b taken out at one of his jobs. In addition various amounts got put away for Long Term Savings, Short Term Savings, Clothes, House Down Payment, Education, Vacation, Gifts, Truck Replacement, Truck Tag, Medical/Dental/Vision Co-Pay, and Miscellaneous.

Left in checking is enough for his gas purchases for the month of October plus his little buffer. Income from his October paychecks will go into checking and wait for November til they can go to work! Still have yet to check w/our local bank to see what the minimum for opening a MM account is and the minimum balance they require to keep from incurring a fee.

Put that on Mom's to-do list!

Another bear to wrestle. I'm up for it!!

Go Go Go Sale!!
Round Oak Table Sold



The lady from the antique store I sell at called and I sold my old round oak table yesterday that has been sitting there for a year! So glad that moved on to bless someone else.

What this means for me is I'll have to find something in the basement (never fear it's mounded up down there with Good Stuff) to take over there tomorrow to restock the booth. That table held a bunch of stuff!!

Think I'll take my Morris Chair and the old galvanized cowboy bathtub. I can put some of the tabletop stuff on the chair and loads of it in the tub. Will have to spend a little longer than normal over there reworking the display. CashHappySon is off in the mornings so he can help me haul stuff! YEAH!

This should mean an additional $100.00 of income from the booth! Since it happened yesterday it will be on my September check which I can pick up tomorrow as well. Isn't that great how that all works out?

This is money that I use to stretch out my own personal income of which I have none! Ha! I collect this booth money, the grocery money, the room and board money, my allowance and the household cleaning products & papergoods money and any other money that comes along into my own checking.

I did have another source of income that has decreased over the last 2 years from $720 a month to $360 a month. Last month was the last of those checks, so that income stream has dried up. Sadly!

Anyway, these bits and pieces of money are those from which I fund part of my retirement and other savings and investment projects, plus some of my truck gas, and the groceries, cleaning supplies & papergoods.

August's Check from booth sales was $159.35. I haven't asked how my other sales for September have been going so whatever's above the table sale will be a surprise to me.

It should be fairly good because from the middle of August until the middle of September I held a 30% off Summer Clearance Sale and there were many gaps in what was on the shelves when I went there the other day.

So perhaps there will be an amount equal to August's if not more. Whatever it is as long as I make booth rent $50 & advertising cost $5.00 per month then I'm generally happy with anything over because it means something has left my possession for good and I did try to redeem it without just tossing it away or giving it away.

I do donate lots of stuff to my local women's shelter and the Goodwill, but I prefer to make a little money on the things I can. LOTS of antique stuff in the basement just waiting to GO, GO, GO!!!

Anyway, glad my table sold. I originally paid $125.00 for the table and 6 chairs about 15 years ago at a garage sale. I refinished it for about $5.00 in supplies. We used it for a good number of meals until it just wasn't 'us' anymore and moved on to another style of decor.

I freecycled the chairs last year when I bought a replacement dining set at the auction. The table worked well for my original display at my booth, but it's past time for it AND other things to leave these premises in the countdown towards downsizing for retirement!

Moving On!!

Triple Threat


Photo Credit: by Derbotti


Okay to catch up here -

Friday, Sept. 29th was a No Spend Day!

Saturday, Sept. 30th was also a No Spend Day!!

Sunday, October 1st, you guessed it, ANOTHER No Spend Day!!!

It was a triple threat!! No Spending Sprees - Ye-haaawwwwwwwww!!

Brownie Magic

Picture Credit: Palmer Cox

Does anyone besides me remember the neat Brownie pictures that were in the old Junior Great Books and The Book House? Neat illustrations of the Brownies by Palmer Cox. I enjoyed looking at those pictures for hours as a kid. So many details...similar to (but far better than) the Where's Waldo type pics. Those Brownies were such busy little creatures.

This morning I was counting Piggy's gluttony and ending the September books on the $20 Challenge. Looks like somebody mysteriously stuck .06 into piggy during the month of September!

Bookie did you sneak in here??? Bookie as a Brownie! Ha!

Anyway those six coppers boosted the September $20 Challenge to $28.04 total. Cummulative total for the $20 Challenge is now $50.09 and off we go towards October. Left .01 cent in Piggy for seed money!

So little Brownies feel free to feed Piggy every night! A Piggy gets awfully hungry long about midnight and four a.m., don't ya know?!!?

And Bookie while you're here, the silver sure could stand a good polishing!

Read The Brownies Canoeing here:
http://members.tripod.com/box_of_delights/canoe.html

!!!EXCITEMENT!!!New Amortization Feature



Well, that certainly isn't a very exciting title, but I can tell you what is exciting...IF you are a Countrywide mortgagee like myself and The Hubster.

While checking to make sure that our payment had posted correctly (yes, anal - so what!! You guys are too! That's why I love you so much!!) I noticed something I hadn't earlier.

Countrywide has recently (when??) added a new feature. Calculators that let you play around with the actual numbers to see what your results would be if you made additional payments on a one time basis, or on a monthly basis, etc. and it projects out your earlier payoff dates.

I LOVE THAT!!

Especially as The Hubster and I would love to enter our 'golden years' mortgage free and smiling!

I have routinely added extra to our mortgage from day one. Yes, literally day one. Immediately upon closing I made out a check and gave it to the closer to be applied! They hated me on sight!

Well, actually they respected me, but still...the envy / confused / hate looks were there. Why not just add extra to the down payment? Read John Avanzini (sp?) book on debt reduction.

Anyway...back to today, we've always added a bit extra on each payment which wasn't always easy, but we've done it.

Usually it's only been in the $12-25 range as that was truly all we could afford (back then there was too much car & CC debt) but it has helped.

If we continue w/my minimum current extra principal buydown rate we'll have the mortgage paid off by May 2013.

If I double that (may be relatively easy with my still-new $20 Challenge money) it will payoff in December of 2012.

BUT IF I can continue paying the same amount of interest money thrown off by the Money Market account, plus my challenge money, plus the extra we've always done it should fall away in Sept of 2011. Eleven months before our projected retirement date of August 2012. YEAH TEAM FRUGALIS!!!

But I think all of you, like us, who've paid off our credit card debt will agree that as you see that light broadening at the end of the tunnel, that things ramp up and somehow money comes from out of the blue and it just MIGHT go quicker than that! Here's hoping!!

Crossing my fingers! Because the more months ahead of retirement we pay it off -- the more we'll have to stick back for those early transition days from paycheck income to retirement income.

Anywho...if you're a Countrywide customer run on over online and check out their new calculators right there w/your own account information. I think you might get happy if you can find some extra dollars to throw at the mortgage!

Bank Run Week 39




Bank Run on 9/30/06 was for a deposit of $3.66. This is extra for retirement saved out of weekly allowance.

10.02 balance forward
+3.66 9/30/06
_____
13.68 September Bank Runs

Polka Everybody!!



Updating the mortage balance over on the right as October's payment has now posted.

On the 29th of September I was able to apply $253.04 extra to my principal in addition to my regular payment of 353.96. Part of this extra - $22.04 came from the August $20 Challenge Money and part from some of August & September's interest on the Money Market account.

August balance 24,882.58
September balance 24,630.49
October balance now 24,162.04! OH YEAH!!

Belly up to the bar folks, as it's time to roll back that balance!! Root beer for everyone!!

Cool, Dry and Increasing my Financial IQ


Photo Credit: by Arron

My gratitude goes out to my Corporate Sponsors, Dove/Unilever for the sample of their Ultimate Clear Cool Essentials anti-perspirant deodorant and The Federal Reserve Bank of New York for the comic books, 'Once Upon A Dime', 'The Story of Money', The Story of Banks', 'A Penny Saved', The Story of Inflation', The Story of Foreign Trade and Exchange', 'The Story of Monetary Policy' and 'The Story of the Federal Reserve System'. Count 'em, 8 free comics!

I'm going to enjoy reading these comics myself and then passing them along to my two sons to read!!! Just think I'll be cool & dry while I increase my financial IQ!

Also a big thanks to Wilson Grissom & Associates for the Free 'Helping You Avoid IRA Distribution Mistakes' booklet! Thanks Jim! I'm reading thru it as well and marking my favorite passages with the new 3M Post-It Notes that came as free samples this week as well! If I find out I've made any mistakes in our IRA accounts I'll be all set with some free Advil PM tablets to send me off to snooze-land and cool my throbbing temples!

Also in this week's mailbag was a nice little package of FREE Hewlett-Packard Bright White Inkjet Paper. They have a buyer's reward program called PurchasEdge where you can earn free HP products. See purchasedge.com.

FREE - what an exciting concept! I feel myself blooming out all over! Thank you Sponsors!! Team Frugalis really appreciates your contributions.

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

Some Books for Potential Investors To Read





Reminiscences of a Stock Operator (revised 1993)
by Edwin Lefevre - an oldie but goodie


How to Make Money in Stocks (revised 2002)
by William J. O'Neil


The Intelligent Investor (revised 2003)
by Benjamin Graham


One Up on Wall Street (1989)
by Peter Lynch


The Essays of Warren Buffett (2001)
by Lawrence A. Cunningham

Safety Issue?

No, my cash was safe today! No Spend again!

HELP WANTED OR UNWANTED?

Don't you just love when you get unwanted help?? And then need more help to get out from under the unwanted help???



Got a call this morning from Emigrant Direct where I had just recently sent a voided check from The Hubster & mine's joint checking to be added to the other one that is already on there being my personal checking account.

A lady called to verify the account number which I had printed on the check as they requested. It was kind of weird and I wondered out loud to her why couldn't she just match up the initials or the addresses if the number was off??

Anyway...it was a weird call and I'm just barely hanging in there telling her the last digit of my account number as I'm too wigged out talking about my accounts over the phone with someone who calls up seemingly out of the blue...How did I know it wasn't someone who had intercepted the check??

So, after the call is over and we've matched up my account number from the one or two digits I was willing to come forth with to what she's seeing on screen I decide that I will log on a bit later this afternoon to check this all out. I was heading out the door as the phone rang to begin with! Sigh!

About an hour or so passed before I could get back to the screen. So I go in to my accounts and see that isn't she lovely??? ...she has taken my old checking account off and put the joint checking on instead of just adding it to the linked accounts.

ARRRRRRRRGGGHHHHH!

Off to make a call and of course I'm connected to yet another foreign person whom I can barely understand and I feel can barely understand me!

I just want both accounts linked there so that if I want to contribute to them I can. If WE want to contribute from the joint accounts we'd be able to as well. Just like it said in the nice little letter I enclosed w/the voided check.

So - we'll see if the little fellow got it straight as I will have to log back in tomorrow and see if all is right with the world because I have to log on again anyway to verify the deposits.

Major pain in the watusi!

Doesn't help that I just spent a major amount of time yesterday on the phone w/3 folks trying to explain their convoluted accounting methods at my mortgage company! I hate doing phone 'business'.

...and I just HATE it when someone helps me when I didn't want their brand of help to begin with.

Have a nice day now - ya hear!! YEAH, and may the bird of paradise fly up your nose as well Kabobblemeister!!

Ppphhthttttt!! Pfft! Pft! and Double Phhffpptt!!

Keep your eyeballs crossed and your breath held praying that all will turn rightside when I log on tomorrow!

Laundry Room Confessional


Okay - this seems to be the appropriate time and place - does anyone besides me iron their money??

Time to 'fess up!

Mystery Money


Allrighty who put this 3 cents on the ironing board??? Anyone? Nobody knows where it came from??? Really???? You're joshing me right? Going Going GONE! Sold to the Lady with the Piggybank!

I've asked all three of the gentlemen that I live with and none of them claims to being the culprit. Pretty sure the dogs didn't do it.

Must of been The Hubster. I keep asking him if he wants to contribute any of his change to Piggy to fuel the $20 Challenge for accelerated mortgage payoff. So far he has been unwilling to part with any of his change. We are both on a pretty tight allowance so I can understand his reluctance.

BUT-I think he put the change there but doesn't want to be 'SEEN' contributing as I would want him to do it again!!! Ha! He knows me so well.

Okay, I asked and nobody else claimed it so off to Piggy it goes.

$20 CHALLENGE
27.27 balance
+0.03 Mystery Contribution
_____
27.30 Sept MTD

Cummulative total $49.35

I think I'll just artfully arrange Piggy a place to sit on the ironing board, just in case anyone else feels like mysteriously slipping in some gold coins or folding money!!

Or just maybe I should plant some ideas with seed bills on the inside laundry line?? Marked bills of course, just in case somebody got the wrong idea!

Tallyho! Happy Days Are Here Again!



Upping the tally...another no spender here!

Never fret my pretties, I've been doing no-spenders for about 4 years now, so I'm used to it. It does take some adjustments and every now and then I have to fight myself to stay out of the scratch & dent groceries.

There is almost always a good deal to be had in these stores, but sometimes I just don't really NEED anything and I've already spent my grocery budget for the week/month.

Keep the faith, it does get easier!

I'm High Stepping Now!!



Just now got on the phone with my mortgage company and got a little booboo on their part straightened out (it only took 3 of them to figure out their loverly accounting and be able to explain it to my satisfaction -- and they wonder why I'm confused!! HA!!!) and while there I finally made the extra principal payment from our money market interest that The Hubster finally agreed to release all to the tune of 253.04 extra to principal. YEAH TEAM FRUGALIS!!

This includes August's 22.05 - 22.04 = .01 left in piggy as seed money from the $20 Challenge. It won't post until the 29th when I'll get back online and update the totals over at the side.

The sound of wonderful.

"WOOPEEDEE!!!"


And before you ask -- the answer is...

Nope. Definitely not. Although that does kind of look like the reform school (I mean jr. high) I busted out of!

Check, Check and Double-check!

The personal checkbook balanced this a.m. Check, check and Double-check! I just love it when it balances! When it matches what my budgeting software says I'm supposed to have? - a THRILL! I'm such a geek as I get way too much excitement out of this simple process!

Saturday Luncheon Score



Forgot to record that I scored big the other day on Corned Beef at a discount store (I may want more so I'm not giving up my source just yet! ) it was 1.30 a can.

The last time I had bought some was at Save-A-Lot for $1.79 a can. I can normally find it around 1.89-2.29 in the normal grocery stores around here. So, I'm going with the 1.89 as the more 'normal' amount and say I saved 7.08 by buying by the case of 12 with a .59 cent a can savings.

12 x 1.89 = 22.68
12 x 1.30 = 15.60
_________________
savings 7.08 per case!

What do I use Corned Beef for? With two teen boys here the usual Saturday lunch is BBQ Sandwiches. I'll add 1/2 bottle of the Kraft BBQ sauce I got in June for .67 a bottle (pre July Fourth sale). So lunch w/a bag of .99 chips and pickles .50.

1.49 chips/pickles
1.30 meat
.69 HB buns
.33 sauce
.34 porkn'beans
_______________
4.15 quick lunch for four + tax

Some time I might add the 7.08 per case to a challenge or something but this time I'm leaving it in the grocery budget for next month because it is still a bit too tight for my tastes.

Try this BBQ sometime. It's not for everybody, BUT, it's what Hillbilly Brand BBQ sauce used to sell in the grocery stores when I was a kid. Mom would buy these great sandwiches and bring them home...we all thought it a treat.

Now it's just the normal out of the pantry Saturday lunch here.

All I have to do is remember to buy the HB buns & chips and we're usually good to go by picking the canned goods off the pantry shelves.

Come October 1st with the new grocery budget allocation I'm going back in for probably 2 more cases! Just LOVE a good food score, don't you????

Lockbox Gives Up


Found .39 cents in the lockbox. Who put change in there?? Moving it to the $20 Challenge!

26.88 balance
+0.39 lockbox
_____
27.27 Sept. MTD

Total $20 Challenge $49.32

Off To A Good Start

This week is off to a good start as yesterday was a NO SPENDER!!

EVERY DAY COUNTS!


Today? Great Jumping Geehozafat!!

A NO-SPENDER!!

BLEW ME AWAY!!


The realtor called me Friday morning and told me to sit down as she had a rather insulting offer. I should say so!!

We have listed FIL's little house for $65,000.00. The offer was for $37,000.00. I guffawed. Really! Right out loud! Waa-Waa-Waa!

You've got to be kidding me? When most houses in the metro area sell for over 130,000.00 and closer to a couple of million she wants to offer 37,000.00???? Funny! I've heard of low-balling before but by that big of a margin? You gotta admit the lady's got nerve.

When I told The Hubster he said "tell her I don't want to sell the garage separate." Funny man! We counter-offered w/a thousand off the asking price. This lady wasn't even in the ball-park and nowhere near the bandstand!! The realtor told her she would tell us the offer, but wouldn't insult us with a contract.

Uh...no but thanks for thinking of us. The deallywho is this lady's brother lives next door and she wants to move nearby. Well, I think about six or seven neighborhoods over she could find something in her price-range. Even her sister-in-law who lives next door admits that her house is not nearly as nice and has no dining room in it, and they paid about 55,000 for it six or seven years ago and it has no garage, and no covered parking, no back covered patio, no fenced garden area, etc. that comes with the FIL house. I would buy this house myself if it were in my town.

I think we'll just wait. The realtor is planning to hold another open-house next weekend. Worse comes to worst, we'll find a leasing manager and lease that bad-boy out.

There are similar houses on the street, one of which is The Hubster's uncle's house and they are asking 69,500 for it and it is ramshackle as can be and FIL's house is move in ready with fresh paint, new carpet and has been babied all thru the years. We should have no problem moving it at or near the price we're asking. This house is no dog.

Still laughing!

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

Look Mom - No Cavities!!



Wanted to take just a moment and thank one of my corporate sponsors CREST for sending me a free full size sample of their new Pro-Health toothpaste! Thanks buddies!!

I feel more health-ful, fresh and minty already!

Why Am I Dragging My Feet?


Photo Credit: Little Taylor

I have a victory to report!! It's a major concession by The Hubster. He's finally given me permission to take the monthly interest money from our Money Market 4.57% and use it to pay extra on our mortgage 6.75% principal! YEAH Hubster.

Now I've got to figure out why I'm the one dragging my feet. I've been 'cussin & discussin' with him about this for months now and suddenly he said yes about 2 weeks ago and I have yet to move on the deal.

Why is that?

Perhaps it's the idea of those dollars not compounding with the rest of them although I KNOW it is costing us 2.18% difference in the amount we have going out vs. what's coming in. I'm being silly and first thing tomorrow I'm getting online and making the extra principal payment.

Gotta move off of dead center here!!

Unless you guys can offer me good reasons why leaving it growing in the Money Market is a better plan. We are planning to retire in about 6 years so of course I would like to go into retirement with no house payment, but we might move before then.

What say ye, O Wise Ones???

Kisses for my Pretty!!



Oh I could just kiss him all over! The little accounting guy at our attorney's law office finally got all the federal estate taxes done on the FIL's estate and got us the number we need to get the stock transfers done!

Silly information and identity theft age that we are living in requires that it's all complicated and multi-layered. We have to transfer the stocks from FIL's name to the estate and then to The Hubster and myself. Had to go to the bank to get a certified signature which is different than a notarized one. Who knew??

His siblings do not wish to own any stocks so we are purchasing them from the estate. The sibs will get a one time check only. I don't understand these people. But hey, we'll be happy to own the entire block of it at what will be in a way at a discounted 20% off rate!

The stocks give off nice fat little dividend checks but once purchased and transferred these dividends and capital gains will be reinvested for now.

...and might just make us a nice little income stream during retirement. Happy thought.

We've been waiting since January for this part to be over!

Hohummm...patience is not my long suit.

WHAT'S IN MY WALLET?



Are we all brainwashed or what??? What is in my wallet is cash my little pupcake! Why? Because I didn't spend any today!

Chalk up another day for NO SPENDING!! Oh Happy Day!!!

Bank Run Week 38



This is week 38 of this years bank runs. On Saturdays I take my change leftover from the week's allowance and put it into my bank to be moved to Emigrant Direct in my own separate little retirement fund. From there it, upon occasion, goes out into the larger investment world to bring my dreams of a sunny beach retirement closer to reality.

This bank run money is over and above my automatic monthly contribution to my Spousal IRA.

BANK RUN CHALLENGE
$7.37 Sept MTD
+2.65 9/23/06
_____
10.02 balance forward

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

!!FRIDAY FUN!!

Friday was fun!

It was a NO SPEND DAY!



yeah! Yeah!!! YEAH!!!!!!!