Lux Living Frugalis

Freedom from Slavery


Quoths & Brilliance, Pt. 2

“Debt is the slavery of the free.” ~~Publilius Syrus


“To be controlled in our economic pursuits, means to be controlled in everything.” ~~Fredrich August von Hayek


“Bankers own the earth; take it away from them but leave them with the power to create credit; and, with a flick of a pen, they will create enough money to buy it back again... If you want to be slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let the bankers control money and control credit.” — Sir Josiah Stamp, Director, Bank of England, 1940.

The Universe Giveth!



Forgot to let you know that the free Visa calculator and educational books & CD came in the mail last week.

AND

I got the Always sample pack containing 2 sample pads, 2 liners, a bookmark, tattoos, and a little post-it note pad!

A Big Shout Out and Thank You's to my corporate sponsors!! A couple of these things will go into the gift box for future gifting ops!

"Nanny Nanny Boo Boo!"

Another NO SPEND Day!! YEAH!!!


We had a delish lunch of BBQ ribs that came out of the crockpot fork tender - ya gotta love what a crock can do to cheap meat!! The ribs were on sale earlier this weekend and I got about 15 lbs. for 10 smackos (that's .67 a pound folks) and we'll be eating pretty for the next week on these.

Ribs, potato salad, corn on the cob, pickles, chips and bread and butter, with - you guessed it - the THANK GOD last of the left over birthday cakes!

YUMMERS!!

Just DO IT!!

"THEY" say you can save a lot of money if you just fold it over and put it back in your pocket.

Not me man! I find money in my pocket and I'm gonna spend those suckers.

So to just get the month off to a pleasing start I just took a 10 spot and 40 cents out of my grocery money and put it right on over towards the $20 challenge.



What's challenging about that you ask? As well you should. The Challenge FOR ME is to leave it there all month!

We shall see - my pretties. Perhaps I'm a reformed spender and can really be a member of Keeper's Anonymous. This is a test. I repeat THIS IS A TEST. Only my pride will be hurt if I fail.

Any passing grade I get will go straight to paying off the mortgage!

Stay Tuned. Grade will be posted on 09/30.

What? I'm the teacher's pet? You bet your sweet patooty I am! Isn't she loverly?? I mean, aren't I loverly? Yeah well...Toots keep your stinking paws out of Piggy I don't care how cute yo'Momma thinks you are!! (who would dare to deflower Piggy?

}}}ahem{{{


...well, it's been known to happen - but always in the dark!)

$20 Challenge - September

$00.00 beginning balance
+10.40 Just Do It (grimace, grimace)
______
$10.40 balance forward

Bob Bob the Bankerman

Forgot to report on Saturday's Bank Run.

09/02/06 deposited $2.04.

I can see that it's going to be a little difficult to come up w/money for both the Bank Run and the $20 Challenge, but I'm still going to try and do both.

Bob the Bankerman is my Dad's old banker that lived in his town about an hour away. Bob recently moved to my town and can now be my banker. Hi Bob! Glad to have you in town. Thankfully my Dad is no slacker in the money department and has a good relationship w/Bob so there is no need for head-hanging-in-shame! Thanks Dad!

Ran into Bob at the bank on Saturday. Living High on the Hog! Now I'm not saying, but do you think Bob looks a bit too much like a typical fat cat???



Well, frankly my dear...

Bob, my man, we have a walking track here in town, did anybody show you where it's located? There is such a limited time to say such a thing to a newcomer, isn't there?

BANK RUN CHALLENGE - This is something I've been doing for a long time. The money on the bank run goes into my Me Myself and I personal femalish self's retirement money. It's private, ya know?

Thought I'd start myself a little quotation area that I'll be updating as I run across more that mean something to me.

And, dearest readers, I hope you'll get something out of them as well!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. —Deuteronomy 8:18


"Unlike art and sex, money always arouses interest." ~Mason Cooley


"When love and adventure are finished, it's nice to have getting and spending to fall back on." ~Mason Cooley


""Money talks" because money is a metaphor, a transfer, and a bridge. Like words and language, money is a storehouse of communally achieved work, skill, and experience. Money, however, is also a specialist technology like writing; and as writing intensifies the visual aspect of speech and order, and as the clock visually separates time from space, so money separates work from the other social functions. Even today money is a language for translating the work of the farmer into the work of the barber, doctor, engineer, or plumber. As a vast social metaphor, bridge, or translator, money—like writing—speeds up exchange and tightens the bonds of interdependence in any community. It gives great spatial expansion and control to political organizations, just as writing does, or the calendar." ~Marshall McLuhan

Baby Baby Baaaaaaaaaaby!!

My baby boy (CashHappySon=freespender) turned 18 this past month. My next oldest (there are 5 altogether) who is still at home turned 20!

WELL OF ALL THE NERVE!!

I rushed to the mirror to check for grey hairs and there is only one crazy wild one in the front. Wheewwwww...twas afraid there would be more!! Where did The Hubster hide those tweezers????

Of happy note is that FrugalSon had an extra payperiod in August and made an extra truck payment to repay the family bank. Sept & October are covered for him. Only 8 more to go and the little truck is his, all his!!

In honor of CashHappy's 18th birthday we moved his money from his ING Long Term Retirement Savings Account to a Roth IRA account. He had enough put back to buy into two funds the Real Estate and Financial sectors. We got him set up on the Automatic Pay and so the last of my babies have been launched into adulthood.

Now to see if they will keep it up after Mom no longer has major oversight!

Wondering if any of the training we've been doing will bear any fruit. Both boys still at home have heard Mom and Dad in some pretty serious discussions about the effects losing Dad's pension has made on the household finances.

Hopefully they've heard enough to continue a lifetime retirement investing program of their own! Here's hoping!!

And yaaaaaaas, of course, I'll be right there nipping at their heels as long as it takes to see that they keep those monthly contributions up!

Whadddd'doIlookthateasy?? Not on your life - I'm gonna nag like you ain't neva seen a'fore nor likely to see agin'!! The stress of seeing a lifetime of plans go up in smoke was nigh on to devastating to The Hubster so I'll be sure and remind all of the children to keep their retirement plans in front of them as they go along!



This goes for YOU TOO!!! Are you putting back like you should??? ...please Please PLEASE make retirement savings a priority in your life!!

What? You thought I wasn't talking to YOU? Yagottabekidding!! Get on it Bubs & Bubbettes!! Talk to HR Tuesday morning! Call your Broker! Talk to your Banker. DO SOMETHING ABOUT RETIREMENT TODAY!!!! Stepping down now off of Mom's Rant Soapbox!

But neva fear I'll be back!!!


Sadly, my baby is no baby any more.

Never too late to start planning on that empty nest:
http://www.pgdc.com/usa/item/?itemID=29305

Now where was I?.... oh yeah, Tweezers!

"Honey, WWWWWHERE ARE THE TWEEEEEEEZERS!!!???!!!"

I met my August $20.00 Challenge which was to attempt to save/find/earn at least an additional $20.00 or more each month to apply to my mortgage pay down efforts.

I was able to come up with $22.05 that I am adding to my mortgage payment.

353.96 normal payment
+16.04 extra principal budgeted 4 prepay
______
370.00
+22.05 August $20 Challenge
______
392.05 Payment to Mortgage Company scheduled for tomorrow

When payment is credited tomorrow I'll update the new mortgage balance.

Beginning Mtg. $24,882.58 8/23/06
Cur Mtg.Balance=$24,630.49 9/1/06

Renewing the $20.00 Challenge for myself for September!

Wish me luck!

Tooling On Down to the Mailbox

So, I was tooling on down to the mailbox which for some goofy reason sits on the street to the side of my house instead of in front of my house and when I get there what did I find that made it worth my while to take a hike?

A refund from a train trip that didn't pan out in July! $175.00 smackos!!



I think instead of putting it back in my short term savings account (my own personal project fund) that I'm gonna haul it on over to the Gift fund which is looking kinda thin after the six (6) count them I said six August birthdays!!

Three of those birthdays which called for a specially cooked meal with of course the most expensive of all my recipes requested for their special Birthday Dinner. Three Birthday Dinners, Six Gifts, and Six Birthday Cakes! I am so not eating any cake for at least another 2 months!!

So not only did the Gift fund get a heavy hit, so did the Grocery fund. Anyway, Christmas is creeping nearer so off to the Gift fund it goes!

Ca-Ching! 175.00!! I feel so much better as the projected budgets for the rest of the year were looking pale pale pale in the Gift sector! YEAH REFUND!!

Happier Holidays Ahead!

Now if I could just get the post office to move my mailbox to my street!! It's really goofy and throws all the delivery folks. My house faces one street, but my address is for the street on the side of my house. I get lost coming home myself!! Luckily my refund didn't!

Choose What You Want Most
Over What You Want Now

I told "Future" that I would post a copy of a slip of paper I carry in my wallet right where the dollarbills go. Here tis:



I made this up myself with a clipart of 'funnymunny'. Do not try to slip it past the clerk at Krogers. It won't work for that. But, it just might slow you down from an unplanned expenditure!

Feel free to copy it off and put it in your wallet. A gift from me, and...

Good luck!!

Let me know if it helps!!

Since I am down to the lint in the bottom of my pockets, you'll never guess what today was...

Oh, you guessed? Another NO SPEND DAY!!

HOORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!

Jumbo Jumbo aka The Bologna Wars

Okay who ate the last of the bologna and bread and didn't bother to tell me???? GRRRRRRRRRRR!!! Nor did you write it on the list???

Nothing like a hardworking husband trying to pack a lunch with no bread and no bologna at 6:30 a.m. saying sweetly, "Honey is there any bologna anywhere?".

Of course I was just at the grocery store yesterday picking up stuff for the last of the August birthday dinners and could have picked it up -- so back I trudge.

$.79 Loaf of bread
$.75 bologna on sale
____
1.54
.12 tax
____
1.66

Rounding up the total and writing a check for $2.00, leaving .34 to add to my $20 Challenge and try to catch up with Ima? PRICELESS!

I mean I MUST MUST MUST be compensated for feeling like a goof-ball writing a $2.00 check, can you imagine my chagrin if I'd of had to write one for 1.66. Couldn't be done!

$20 CHALLENGE
20.71 balance
+ .34 spoils of war
_____
21.05 balance forward

And yes, we managed to pack his lunch. Thank the Frugalista blood that runs thru my veins, you'll remember that poor hamsteak that I'd made into portions for 5 meals. Guess who got nice little ham steaks for lunch. Bread? We used the Hamburger Buns that were in the cabinet. Battle won. Now to the wars.

Can you people not see the grocery list on the refrigerator? Is it too much to ask that you PLEAAAAAAAAAAASE write down when you use the last of something?

!!!!!!!PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

AM I JUST PARANOID?


"The cowboys have a way of trussing up a steer or a pugnacious bronco which fixes the brute so that it can neither move nor think. This is the hog-tie, and it is what Euclid did to geometry." ~Eric Bell, The Search for Truth


Okay long story.

The Hubster is eldest of five sibs. Their father passed away last year, The Hubster is the Executor on the estate.

One sister has a b-i-l who keeps trying to insert himself into the equation and it's starting to really aggravate me.

We were getting bids for painters and unsolicited he came up with his and it was the lowest and we did award the contract to him. The painting seems to be going fine.



NOW - he is wanting to sell the house for us at 3% commission. That might be more than okay if he was a licensed realtor but he isn't. The Hubster is not comfortable with this situation and the guy and Hubster's sister & husband keep trying to talk him out of getting with our attorney to verify the next needful thing. ARRRGGHHHH!!!

The attorney we have is the one of the most reputable people I know and I should know I was his legal secretary & office manager for years.

I hate it when someone tries to put their hand in your pocket!! The sales methods he uses and the paperwork he would execute might be perfectly legal and I'm not trying to impugne his reputation but by cracky no one 'official' asked ya!!

Ahhhhhhhgggghhhhh!!

I hate this - they call you at 10 o'clock at night and want an answer to something the next minute when you've no time to consider nor consult. The Hubster is feeling cornered (hog-tied if you will).

Keep trying to tell The Hubster you'd better be careful, because 1)it's true you don't want to insult your family and/but 2)you signed on to protect the interests of ALL of your siblings, not this outsider who keeps trying to squeeze in!!

Get out of our life SlimShady!

It would be entirely different if he politely offered his services, left his number and then went on about his business. This isn't how it is happening though!

So what if we call the attorney for a $45 phone call - if it saves ALL OF US loads of heartache later, it is worth it!

Anyway, The Hubster is calling the attorney this a.m. and knowing him he'll tell him the same thing I've been trying to tell him. There are times to cut corners and this isn't one of them!!

It Just Ain't Happening Sweet Pea!


What do yu'uns think?

ZIPPITY DO DAW

Well never let it be said that there are no benefits to doing char woman work! I was cleaning out a bottom dresser drawer when I heard a little jingle.

FOUND: 19.66 I had stuck back there in April in a ziplock baggie. Now why? Can't remember!! Probably going to take it to the bank but must of forgotten it before it ever got there! I love when this happens!



Keeper's Anonymous - Thanks Bookie for going first. My name is LuxLivingFrugalis. I'm a keeper too! I stick money back in interesting places. Hard times aren't going to catch me totally unprepared it seems. I am a Keeper! You're a Keeper Too!!

Yes, I do use ziplocks, but you can see that I put them to good use!!

$20 Challenge

$1.00 Balance
.05 from son who found it in his floor
_____
$1.05
19.66 ziplock Charwoman's Reward
_____
20.71 Balance Forward

WOO-LEE-WOO-LE-WOOOOO-HOOOOO!!!!!

So there --- August Challenge met and August $20 Challenge Conquered!!!

27 August 2006 - Sunday


(No Dollar image by Cliv Savage)

Sunday was another No Spend Day!! !! Think we should start a Keeper's Anonymous??

Oh Rosemarie!!!

Saturday the 26 day of August, in the year 2006 was a no spend day!!



These kind of days just make me happy dance.

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. ‘Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,’ says the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 3:10, 11)

YEESSSSSSS - we happily do!

No, that's not us!

Sarah blogged on (which is nothing AT ALL like blabbing on) in my comment section under Bank Runs at 'Saturday Night & I Ain't Got No Money' saying that she also gave herself an allowance, but that it went for food, clothing, and gas. She wanted to know what mine covered.

My allowance used to work as hard as Sarah's, but not any more. I just have those items budgeted out elsewhere in either the family books or my own.



Nowdays, my allowance is just walking around money - gum, candy bar, pop, the weekly lunch splurge. This little drive thru lunch is my only vice at the moment but as a busy Mom it's the one thing I consistently do FOR ME and me alone. Even so, I've limited the amount for that to $2.50 and no more!

I do cover personal care items from the allowance at times - others not. Let's say makeup or vitamins. Sometimes those go in under the food budget when it's fat and happy and other times when I just want somethinnnnngggggggg (whine) and the money's not elsewhere I'll take it from my allowance.

Lots of times these days the budget doesn't allow much of anything for me to have an allowance even (OUCH!!), but we are in transition right now from one stream of income that is drying up and another stream beginning.

It'll pass.

Our two main priorities at the moment are investing for 1)The Hubster's retirement and 2)paying mortgage off early.

We could cut back on those ret. investments if we wanted to allow more blow money, but we need to make up for the pension that disappeared and IN A HURRY, so tight it shall remain for now.

We have little room for error and a small window of opportunity. Those with a longer time line can afford a small amount of elasticity that we can't.

I think Sarah's system works if you work it right.

I used to do it similarly. With one pot for so many items I'd often overspend on items such as food and gas and then would come up short in gifts and clothing which is the Big Four that I used to cover under allowance.

My gasoline budget is 'iffy' right now. Sometimes my truck stays parked for long periods of time. I am going places it's just that I tag along with the boys in one of their vehichles and on their gas dollars to get my little errands done.

Some months there is more in the gas budget than others. Those gasoline prices really squeezed it for us recently.

The Hubster gets a larger allowance than me of $20 a week. This covers his blow money and ciggies. Working in an office he often needs the blow portion for the occasional office party, etc. His clothes, gasoline and lunches are covered elsewhere in the family budget.

This way smooths things out for me and it works for us. YMMV!

Well at least that's what I'll happily be singing tonight anyways.

On Saturday mornings I make my bank run depositing anything leftover from my Allowance Money for the week. So in that pot there is 1.39! Inotherwords, I stayed under Spending/Allowance budget by 1.39 this week. YEAH ME!!



Next week's allowance is paid out by the banker (me) from money I got out in cash on the 1st of the month. Monday mornings I'll be starting fresh with 5.00 in my pocket to last the week for 'blow' money. $2.50 or less of that will likely go somewhere at a place where I'll unwrap my food in the drivethru for my splurge lunch. Not always but most weeks I do treat myself to a takeout lunch. Woo-hoo, big spender!!

Not everyone would be happy with this scenario because they like to carry cash and they like to go out shopping on Saturday. Or they like to let alot of money slip away unaccounted for. I don't. Any of those things. Sunday's money is always for tithe and it's written out of checkbook and if we have PLANNED and BUDGETED to eat out on Sunday then the money is either available in cash or w/a debit card.

But today's Bank Run Deposit is 1.39! Meaning 1.39 is going today to ING to be put out at hard labor earning me some buckos!!

YEAH BANK RUN!!

AUGUST BANK RUN TOTALS
3.34 last week
1.39 +
____
4.73 MONTHLY BANK RUN $'s to date
(I'll have to check later and see what amounts went earlier in the month pre-blog)

26 Aug 2006 -- Ohhhh yeah - I'm adding that .19 from CashHappySon's car repair fiasco the other day to my $20 Challenge money.

.81
.19+
____
1.00 Balance Forward

Advocating for your children really pays - huh? Maybe not in cash, but in the long run he'll learn to stand up for himself. Wish I'd taken a picture of the giant hole that mysteriously appeared in his oil pan.

!!!Merry Christmas Everybody!!!

I feel so like Tiny Tim!!

Am over here laughing while 'listening' to Boomeyers and Baselle blog about the Christmas Creep and the Hype Factory.

What if we went ahead and did our frugal shopping ahead of time like I'm sure lots of us already do, but just don't shop in the 'Christmas' aisle???

Anyone care to mention a date to target our return to the official Christmas type items?

To that end I picked up at the dollar store a week or two ago these (see pic below) gingerbread-girl little cuties for the great-niece and granddaughter.

These were found in the lotions and potions aisle. This is a gingerbread bottle with a hanger that is filled with bubble bath and a washcloth.

For sale were the same thing only instead of hearts on them they had ones with Christmas holly.

I went with the hearts as I felt it would be more universal in use then.

The bottle has a little screw top w/a bail on it so that it can be hung on a ribbon or tree for an ornament. Hard to see in picture.

NiftyNeat!

1) Yes, the price stickers will come off.

2)No, my family doesn't know I blog here. So I'm not letting the cat out of the bag.

They're sweet little girls and will enjoy them! At two dollars a pop + tax I haven't broken my very small and meager Holiday budget allocation either!

The baby corn cans are for a Christmas gift for my nephew-in-law. He takes very good care of my niece and even my sister, his m-i-l.

He does lots of repair, maintenance and upkeep for her. He soooo deserves more than this for a gift, having come from frugal beginnings himself is so very appreciative of even the smallest you do for him and understands we are 'On The Tight' right now.

He loves to eat these and they are sometimes hard to locate at our general grocery stores. Price $1.00 each + tax.





For a little gingerbread levity try watching here with your sound turned up...

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=51ea67e00c484b4fbb6cb0...

To catch Boomeyers and Baselle's comments
check here:


http://boomeyers.savingadvice.com/2006/08/25/christmas-cre...

Find A Penny Pick It Up



26 August 2006 - I found a penny laying upon the carpet in my bedroom. And to think I could of sacrificed it unknowingly to the Vacuum God! EGADS!!

Adding it to the $20 Challenge

.80
+.01
____
.81 Balance Forward


"The things I was pursuing were vanity, and that vacuum—the eternity in my heart—was beginning to rise up to question them." -Some guy in Pennsylvania

Neat entry here about the wisdom of picking them up:

http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1720171&lastnode_id=0

Went looking for the origin of the line of poetry in my head and found here:
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1465169

Who knew? {that's rhetorical folks!

Bring out the guns...

...for a 21 gun salute that is.

Found on the side table up under the edge of the coaster 21 cents. Here we go adding it to the $20 Challenge.

.59
+.21 Ta-da!!!
____
.80 I'm gaining on you Ima Saver!! The cash is piling up over here!

I bet you can relate...

We recently changed insurance agents after a bazillion years with the old guy.

Yesterday The Hubster got a postcard from our new agent for his birthday.

Now this may sound petty, but the old agent at least used to send a real birthday card.

We just paid both our house and car policies for the entire year this month. Well over a thousand dollars and closer to two thousand. OUCH!! I told The Hubster, "For the price you pay I want you to receive a gold plated birthday card w/one of those fancy gold foil inserts inside the envelope!!"

Oh well, I suppose this is one of those cost cutting things that made the new agent's policies less expensive to begin with - low overhead!!

Okay, no gold plating, but please a real card would of been nice. AND...it had the name printed out on a label. Come on, not even a hand addressed postcard? Nor was there any handwritten signature either.

Hummpphhhh.....WELL I do declare!

It's supper time and I'm not especialy hungry for anything here and there's nobody home but me. The pizza delivery number was looking interesting but all ya'll tough nuts were peeping over my shoulder so I went on a pantry dive.

What to fix cheap for myself and The Hubster when he gets home???

I wanted to make pancakes and have link sausage, but the pancakes always make my smoke alarm go off. So no, to that. I think okay I'll make muffins then. So I go to my pantry to see what kind of muffin mixes are in there. There are three kinds that I can see.




One uses Milk and Eggs, one uses just Milk and one just uses water. I opted for the water as being the least expensive to prepare.

Note each was inexpensive to begin with. I thought The Hubster would prefer a glass of milk to go with instead of hidden inside the muffins.

And the winners were:



Cinnamon Biscuit Mix .59 (I used a tablespoon more water than called for and baked it in the mini-muffin tin.

Owens link sausage .50

1 cup milk each .40 (milk was on sale this week

mandarin oranges .13

powdered sugar icing .10
_______
Total 1.72 + tax

Eating 1 adult male + 1 adult female

Leftovers 4 mini-muffins and 1 serving of mandarin oranges (can was .25 on sale)

Meet the Queens

These are the beloved animules that guard my couch and see that no one else gets on there! They are experts at the job.



Although I am with them all day they love The Hubster more than me. I am deeply saddened at their disloyalty. Deeply!!


Toffee - Head Queen

She came from the pound when my husband was laid off and following me around like a sick kitten to a hot rock. He needed something, anything to get him out from in front of my hearth as I domesticated about. So, we made a pound run and here she is. My little fur ball. Yes, we SAY she is his, but really she's mine all mine. Come here baby!

Why is it that we humans compete for animals' affections??

Her favorite time of day is nighttime when we girls go get on 'The BIG Girl's Bed.'


Next is Carmel. Queen in Waiting.

Miss Carmel Corn. That's her OFFICIAL name, but she runs the gamut from Carmie, to MizzCarmelitaJones, to Carmie-duggie.

She wandered up as a puppy. I was outside cleaning up the yard in January of last year when I heard this little yip from behind the fence. She was such a little cutie and soft as soft could be. She is a beauty. So, you can see that she just somehow wormed her way into the household.

She has 'sticks' and balls that she plays with and you can play sneak up on her and she has the best time growling at you.

She's such a pretty dog. A smiler. Her vice? She's a goat girl and will eat most anything.

CashHappySon would not believe me when I told him that she was a she and not a he - you know a boychild dog and it took some serious convincing from the vet that CashHappy needed to rethink his naming her Old Yeller. CashHappy thinks Carmel belongs to him. I let him pay her vet bills and buy every other bag of dog food. Shhhh...don't tell him, but really, she's mine! All mine. Come here babydoll!! Bring Momma your stick.


Oh, and Toffee's real name is Sweet Black Toffee. And she's often known as The Toftster, or The Tofferoni, The Great Toffereenie - others as the Tofferweinnie. Or just plain Toff.


She has an aversion to my kitchen timer and it sets her off into barking outerspace. Her vice? She tries to outsnore The Hubster.

The Toffereenie does not deign to play with anything. And yes the sign does mean her.

BEWARE of Dog!

Attack Weinie!


Come here sweetie and talk to Momma!! You sweet darlin' you!! I've got a little treat for ya.

How does this relate to finances you ask? hmmm...then obviously you've never owned a pet that's one of the family!! It can get shall I say, Rather Pricey. Here under 'The Pupsters' Category we will occasionally post about their antics and upkeep.

Found under the keyboard to add to my $20 Challenge money.

.34 on hand
+.25
_____
.59 Balance forward

Piggy has been prominently placed and decorated with a sign soliciting donations!



I was thinking of carrying him with me to the grocery store to see if I could hustle some cash from my loving community neighbors, BUT, as he was a gift from my Dadio he's too precious to me to do that with. However, Piggy & I shall put our heads together and come up with something!!

We shall overcome!!

Reporting here spare change that has been run to the local bank to be put out to work at interest. I run it to the bank and then I run myself home and move it online to somewhere like INGdirect.com or Emigrantdirect.com and put it to work earning interest. Yeah, in my truck, like I'm really running! You have got to be kidding!!


19 August 2006 {last Saturday

$3.34



I only WISH it were this much!

Another no spend day! YOWZA!!

Okay, get ready, I'm gonna make a happy face again!!





It's a gem alright!

Yo Quiero Tostadas $2.18 plus tax

Tostada Shells .25
Refried Beans - canned .33
Meat - .00 -free from Dad
spices - .05
tomato - .50
onion - .30
sour cream - .35
cheese - .40
salsa - .00 -free from takeout leftovers


No lettuce - we were out of it and an unexpected appointment kept me from hitting the grocery as planned. Iced tea. Leftover birthday cake.

Eating - 3 males age 17+above, 1 female