I went to my mom's today since she had stuff to show me on her computer.
I was leaving her house and on her step, under some bushy flowers, laid a dime.
Now, I didn't say my lucky phrase, but something much more mean.
When I received my check from land, I knew I wouldn't be on easy street, but that it would help. Now that I have dug myself out of the hole, I am tottering on the edge.
I reached out to that dime and said "Dime, I found it, it's mine!"

That's a little different from usual. I realized that I do need every dime I can get and I will stop at nothing to save every found cent!

$82.25
+$.01
------
$82.35 $20 challenge total from June 2008

I have spent and/or saved all of my money that I got from selling my land. I didn't expect it to last long anyway. I am glad that I managed to pay off some bills and that I can worry a little less, but this really didn't help me with my money management skills any.
I did save half of the money. Maybe it was a little less than half, but it was a size-able chunk anyway.

I can't wait until I can post all of my interest from Smarty Pig. I have gotten over $2 on one account already. That is amazing. My mom told me to be careful though. All of these big name banks are going belly up and I need to watch it and get my money out in time.
She was telling me that Wachovia and Merrill Lynch is where her 401(k) is and that I will need this info when she dies so I know where to get it. I told her to have that stuff ready to go before she dies.
I am sorry to talk about that so lightly, but eventually, you, me, and everyone we know will die. I think that it doesn't affect me as much since I have dealt with death at a young age. I was 16 when my dad passed away and that really hurt, but I was never one to let my emotions get the best of me and I always try to joke my way around tough things. That is what helps me get around those feelings, just joking about it. Taking death lightly is what gets me through it. I don't mean to be rude about it, but I am sure that if someone over heard me, they may be offended. I would never say anything to purposely to offend, but like I said, that is just me.
You're welcome for the bring down, about death and me spending all of my money.

I have left the money alone for as long as I could. I couldn't take it any more. I had my Smarty Pig money sent back to my bank account, as Rent is coming up in 12 days. I earned $1.25 in interest. That is amazing. To make up for me taking money out of the system, I added an extra $25 on top of my monthly contribution of $26
I will be feeling better when I can put $1000.00 in that account and see that interest build up.

I am so excited that Friday is almost here. Wednesday has gotten it's own page. I am trying to track all of my spending on the Money in the bank page. This will make it easier for me to own up to my spending.
I am so excited that my cousin is moving in next door to me today. She signs the lease at 2:00pm
I have recently received my schedule for next quarter here at school. I am not looking forward to my fall classes. Accounting and Records Management&Security.
My computer class will be a breeze, but I don't know who the instructor will be.
I should be typing my Psychology research paper right now, but I am just so hyped about Friday and my lump sum of money.
Yahoo!

Saturday is a day for free fun.
I went to the fireworks downtown with my two lovely sons and my cousin. FREE
I also cooked some chops that had been in the freezer for almost a month. FREE
I love enjoying life for free.
Today, instead of taking the children to the park, which would have cost gas, I let them play with an old bag of flour in a plastic tub. FREE
I love it.

I thought I sold my land already. The closing is apparently not until September 5th. That date is not set in stone. I was told that the check would be written and sent out that very same day.
I could be swimming soon.
I will not blow this money!!!!!!!!
I will save most of it, as it is over $10,000.
I will have the will power to stop myself from spending it on things that I don't NEED!
My car has been needing some repair for some time. Of course I bought an obsolute car that no one carries parts for, that's its defining characteristic!
I will be pre-paying for my youngest's tuition at Kindergarden, but that is about it. I am sacking away a large portion in some form of savings, probably my Smarty Pig plan.
You can deposit up to $10,000 at one time. How convinent for me, HUH?
CAN I COUNT SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR THE $20 CHALLENGE?????

Add my money I found to the $20 challenge!
$3.62 found in change on the ground and
$7 found in the trash!
That's $10.62 closer to being financially stable.

I have counted change and added up what I spent this week and weekend, going over it with S2BH.
Let's go with what is fresh in my mind and go back from there.
Yesterday, since we worked all day long, we got to eat for free and our boss paid for the food. Save $5.00
I did buy a Mt. Dew for $1.00
After work I used a B1G1 cap and got two more Mt. Dews for $1.48
Saturday I did buy my dinner at Kid Rock/Lynard Skynard and spent $5.00
Friday night, on my way to work, there was an accident on the interstate and the police made us turn around. I got gas at the next exit spending $25.54
Thursday, I didn't spend much money on anything, but I did buy a pop at school out of the machine for $1.25
Also, to save a thousand dollars or so, I spent $30.00 to test out of a class so I won't take it next quarter.
I hope I did alright.
Finding money on the ground is helping me fund my children's piggy banks. I am also about to spend money on fundraiser items from their school. I hope I can find two cheap things that we can use and I am not just throwing my money away for the school.
I will prepare for tomorrow by preparing today!

Too Much Debt Thursday has come. I have faced up to the fact that I made some stupid purchases on my credit cards and was dumb to max them out so soon.
I have learned from my mistake and am now crawling out of the hole that I dug myself.
I no longer go to the salon and get my nails done.
I haven't dyed my hair in a few months, so that saved me $10.
I don't buy junk at the store, but real food that has to be cooked.
I don't go to the dollar store and browse.
I have tried real hard to control my spending habits and listen to advice given to me.
Dave Ramsey said it best when he said:You can read all the books and learn all about how to do it, but until you do, you're gonna get no where.
That isn't an exact quote but you get the jist of it.
I was reading every book the library had on credit repair, debt management, and how to save money when you have none, but nothing was happening. I was learning how but not following through.
Saving with Smarty Pig has made me feel that I can do it. I have gotten 55% of my goal on there now and it feels great. Watching my interest go up and up is a good feeling instead of focusing on bad interest that I wasn't paying back.
People say, it costs you more to save and not pay on your credit cards, but it makes me feel good to have something to fall back on, even if it is $250.
I will focus on paying $5 to every credit card I have today. Seven total bills of $5 is only $35 total. I can handle that. I will also pay off my water bill that is OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!!!
Majorly overdue is taking back the equipment that the cable company wants back. I need to take it to the other side of town.
We are thinking about having just regular cable coming out of the wall.
Right now, we don't need anything, but come February, we will need digital.
Off to make my payments!
P.S. Add three cents to my $20 challenge for money found on the ground. One at work, one outside my Mom's house, and one at the gas station as I was walking in to pay. Woo Hoo!

TODAY IS MONEY MONDAY!
I have already paid $15 to one credit card, $30 to another card, and tried to set up paying off my cable bill, but the lady was uncoopertive so I will call back later today and see who I get on the other line.
Also, I will be focusing on my budget on Mondays. I have called the bank and checked out what checks have cleared and what has not.
I wrote a check for my son's tuition that is due every week. Lunch $ has been sent in. Drinks have been bought for the week.
I hadn't planned for a lot of money this month, so when I get my check in three or four weeks that has all these hours on it, I will be really happy.
I am working 7 days this week, going to school for four of those and getting the little ones off to school and being there for them when they get home for five. I guess money is needed and I can survive.
If I don't post for more than two weeks, then it did kill me.

I am trying not to think about it.
It has slipped my mind for more than a minute, but I can't think of anything else somedays.
I sold some land that I own. I didn't sell it all. After all, you never know what is down the road. There may be a time that I have no where else to go and I will have to buy a trailer and live on my land in the south.
I would prefer to build a house and be financially stable enough to move there and not be forced.
I just want my nest egg to come in.
In school, I have been learning that compound interest works better the longer it is in place.
Therefore, if I place $10,000 in an account now, by the time I am fifty, 24 years from now, I should have a pretty big hunk of change.
Now, I need the money now more than I ever have, but I want to save a large sum for later in life and for my children, should they need it.
How do I get this off my mind? The worse part is not knowing when or how I will receive the money. Does it all come in one check that me and my aunts have to divide? Will they divide it for me, bringing the question of if they stiff me, how do I get my money?
I don't want to think about it. I have been working and that money is helping. But I want to have NO credit card debt and buy a house within the next 5 years.
Is that too much to ask?

I love saving money!

I have recently earned .65 cents in interest from my two accounts and have earned another .65 cents that is to be paid at the end of the quarter.
Since I am working more, I am saving more.
I didn't have the money in the last six months, so why should I get used to having it now?
I will keep pretending that I am so broke and I will trick myself into thinking I have no money.
I can't spend what I don't have!

Start filling up a little piggy yourself.

Add $1.73 to my challenge money.
I have been working a lot lately and I found some change on the ground last night.
It helps that I tell everyone to empty their pockets right in front of me too.
I would not pick up money that someone dropped in front of me that wanted it.
I would help them pick it up and give it to them.
I pick up the change that no one else has grabbed when there are no people and I am not busy.