Myrtle's Money

Hip Hip Hooray for Me! I just sent $16.25 to my $20.00 challenge account. I had budgeted $87.00 for my electric bill, but September's bill is just $71.56.

$20.00 Challenge

9/1/2008 $1.00 Balance

Deposit 16.25

9/4/2008 $17.25 Balance

I have a silly question! How many ING Direct savings account can you have ?

I would really like to have about 3-4 for different savings things. I want one for my emergency fund, one for my $20.00 challenge, one for my bills that I pay yearly. I also have one for each of my grandchildren. (I use their SS# for their savings but I am the custodian).

Is this okay to have this many ING accounts?

I received another $50.00 check from my Chase Mastercard to day. I started charging all my groceries and gasoline to get the 3% rebate. I can't beleive how fast it adds up. I always pay my credit card in full every month, so I never pay any interest.

Hey, I can deal with free money!!!

If you will remember, at the first of the week I mentioned I finally opened a separate savings account (earning 3%) for a my $20. challenge account. I didn't have much hope for adding much to it because I already have my budget trimmed down pretty good. Guess what? I got my electric bill. I budget $87.00 per month for it. My bill was $71.56! So I can add $15.44 to my $20 challenge account!! I was practically jumping for joy!!!

I finally did it. I open a seperate savings account through my ING DIRECT accounts. I gave the account it's very own nickname. I named it 20 DOLLAR CHALLENGE.

My goal will be to put in any left over money from the actual budget money. I opened the account and made a $1.00 deposit to get me started.

Let me explain what took me so long!! I love working with my family budget, I also love not spending money. I am already frugal. I kept thinking about the $20. Challenge but thought to myself, no sense in this because I have my monthly budget down to almost a science. I wondered how I could save any more then what I already do.

ING offers a no minimum no penality account, so I though, okay maybe I can save a little bit more. Let's try squeezing those pennies a little harder. I realize my $20. Challenge won't see all the great deposits that one of my favorite bloggers (I'ma Saver) sees, but why not try just a bitter harder!!!

So, Starting September 1, I will add any extra money left over from my household budget. That would include utilities, food, gasoline, and such. Truefully I am getting excited about this. Even if it's only $5.00 or so a month....look out September budget...here comes Myrtle!!

My kitchen floor was pretty disguesting! It is 21 year old vinyl. It was dirty to say the least. We were going to try and get it replaced in the next few months. But, you know me, I like to save $$$$. So I took a gallon jug of "Simple Green" and poured it straight on the flooring. I let it set 10-20 minutes and then took a mop to it. I almost couldn't beleive my eyes. I was able to mop the dirt up really easy, without scrubbing. It only came up when I used the Simple Green full strength. It took a lot of rinsing to get it all up. I then did a final rinse with vinegar water. Then I used clear "Future" floor finish. It looks almost new!! My floor is 12'X 22' so I saved myself almost $1500, if not more by not buying a new floor.

So far, I have found one of the electric hogs in my home. As you may remember, I bought a new Kill-A-Watt on ebay for $14.25. I have been testing electric items in our home to see what we are using that is hogging the electric meter. I found my first culprit!! The high efficient dehumidifier!! If it runs all day, it costs about $37.27 per month to run!!!! Needless to say, we have decided it does not need to run 24 hours a day.

I am so thrilled! I opened a ING Direct savings account for myself and each of my grandchildren. I opened mine then could refer each of the grandkids and got a bonus $10.00 in my account for them. They each got a bonus $25.00 when I opened their accounts!! If anyone else is interested in opening a savings account from ING let me know! You would get a bonus of $25.00 when you open with just $250. and I would get $10.00!! I was getting .10% in my local bank savings account, now I am earning 3% ! No fees.

If someone is interested, I need your email address and name, then I send you a special link. I opened the accounts yesterday and the bonus money is already there today!!

Over the process of the last few years I have came to the conclusion that many times I was buying "stuff" because it was a good deal. I made an effort this year to stop that! Basically I buy groceries and household needs like laundry supplies, pet food, and the likes. Other then that I have not been bring other things into my home. I have actually been cleaning out things in my home that I don't need. I have sold about $300. worth on eBay this week. Guess what? It is such a good feeling. I am not adding stuff to my home that we don't really need. I have noticed that my savings accounts are quickly adding up too!!

It's been a great year for fruit. My apple trees are producing better then ever. So far I have done 18 quarts of homemade applesauce,12 apple pies, 1 peach pie, 2 raspberry pies, and 4 blueberry pies. They are all in the freezer. Our watermelons are also starting to ripen.

Do you ever price match when you go grocery shopping? Well, I did today. CVS had Palmolive Dish Soap on sale for $.50 each!! I was going to Meijer's grocery store. They will match a local competitors price. I put two in my cart and went to pay. I showed my CVS ad to the cashier. She said ," Oh wow, that's a good deal". Meijer price was $1.58. So, she rang them up for the matched price of $.50 each. I then handed her two $.25 coupon. Meijer's doubled them, do I paid zero for two bottles of Palmolive Dish Soap!!

It's so much better doing dishes with free soap!!!

I checked the electric usuage of my computer using my new Kill A Watt monitor. I figured it up and if I turn my computer off at night I save about $70.00 per year verses not turning the computer off. I think that's a pretty good reason to turn it off at night!

Good morning everyone! I just wanted to let anyone that was interested in sewing or quilting and was looking for a bargain that I am selling most of my fabrics from my business. I have listed several auctions already and will have more listed in just a little bit. I am selling it by the lot, not the yard. I am starting all auctions at $.99 with no reserves. Brands include Michael Miller, Avyln, Paris Bebe, and many more. If you are looking for premium cotton fabric and a bargain check the auctions out.

My id is rosaliesruffles

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZrosaliesrufflesQQfrppZ50QQfsopZ32QQfsooZ2QQrdZ0

Last week I noticed that Meijer's had Michum deodorant on sale for $2.00 each. I was out of Mitchum so off I went with my two $.75 coupons. I bought two packages @ $2.00 each ($4.00 total). I gave the cashier my two $.75 coupons which were each doubled. The cash register then produced two $1.00 cash coupons and a $2.00 off another Mitchum deodorant. So I spent $.50 for each package but still have $2.00 in cash off my next order and a $2.00 coupon to get another pacakge free!! Hey..I like free!!

I was wondering what others do to be frugal when it may not be necessary??? For instance, when my children and their families come over for a picnic, I use plastic disposable cups and plates. The thing is, I don't throw them away, I wash them and use them again. They just seem way too nice to just use once and throw away. In case someone does throws their plate away or something happens to it, it's no big deal, I don't dig through the trash pulling them out. I just wondered what others did about the "small things".

I went to the grocery store today. I have a few general rules I try to stick by. I try NEVER to pay regular price on anything. I also try to use a coupon if I have it. Today I saved $36.26 using coupons. I also don't buy something "just because I have a coupon" if I won't use it (unless I am giving it away or donating it.) My husband and I very seldom eat out so my grocery bill it still fairly large because I cook and prepare all meals from "scratch".

I bought a new "Kill A Watt" monitor today. I got a good deal for a brand new one on eBay. I am first going to check my refrigerator to see how much electric it is costing me to run it. I was a little surprised to see how much my electric company charges me for a kilowatt of electric!! I pay about 12.5 cents per kilowatt. We use about 750 KWH per month. We are a family of two adults. What does everyone else use? Anyone else use the Kill-A-Watt monitor?