Passed on the M&Ms today 75 cent savings.
Have not gone out for lunch for 4 more days X $4 = $16.
So I am adding $16.75 to the challenge.

Old total = $156
Plus $16.75
New total = $172.75

$172.75 new total for my "new furniture" savings account. All Right!

I am a little frustrated with trying to save money right now.
I tried to implement the envelope system with our food for one week.
I put $200 in the envelope and DH and I headed to Walmart. We buy all of our groceries there because it is cheaper than the other three grocery stores in town. Up to $1 or more cheaper on items that we buy all the time.
We do buy other things there as well. Diapers for our grandson, paper products, cleaners, persoanl hygiene items, things like that. hink $200 per week will be about right. Our total bill was $166. Then we went to another store and spent $25 more. For a total of $191. So we have $9 left until next Saturday for any other food items.
We have never tried this before and DH is not as gung ho about it as I am. He says he is, but then he bought a huge packagae of rib-eyes. $28 worth. I guess as long as we don't buy spend more than $9 before Saturday on food, then it will be a success.
I am learning here on the SA website and other bloggers that it doesn't have to be perfect.
Just the act of paying attention and trying to save is helpful.
We always spent whatever we wanted to on food. DH never wanted to spend too much money eating out. But buying groceries, he never griped about. But I always noticed that our biggest expenditures every month were at the grocery store.
The envelope method will probably help us not spend so much.
But then there is my son, who seems to be in la la land about money, and we are supporting him and his son, while our son finishes his education.
I will have to educate him about money, but he has so much going on right now with his X and trying to raise a 2-year old . . . that my finances are not the most important topic to him right now.
I gave him $100 cash in an envelope on Saturday and told him that was his money for the next week and to try to make it last. ( He has to drive an hour both ways to his school five days per week.)
I will be interested to know how long it lasts him.
He did get his part time job back this week, so maybe that will help.
DH is doing insurance adjusting and will have to go back to work soon as we are running out of money.
I hate for him to be gone for several months but we have to have an income.
I didn't spend .75 in the candy machine at work today on those M&Ms I was craving, so I will add that to my $20 challenge money. Good for my savings and good for my diet. Hoooorrrayyy!
Spent$3.50 on Sunday newspapers yesterday for the ads and coupons.
Spent $7.56 at the P.O. today for postage and to stock up on stamps.
Otherwise I have been sticking close to home and saving money.

Lunches brought from home $5 x 2 days = $10.
Did not buy coffee, savings $2.

$12 for challenge.
+ $144 old total

New total:
$156

I am continuing with the saving-ways.
Brought my lunch to work today and ate with my friend in the lounge

Went out of town this last weekend to see my parents. It was my dad's 85th birthday. We met my sister and her husband there and had a very nice visit.
I told my dad to keep having birthdays and we would keep coming to help him celebrate!

My sister and I split the cost of an inexpensive DVD player for him and got him some movies.
He loved it!

We are helping my son go to school and help him take care of our grandson. He is not working right now, so that is quite a drain on our finances, but it is so worth it for him to get the education. I am so proud of him. Sometimes he wants to quit so he can work and support his son, but we keep talking him out of it, so he will finish. He likes about another year.
He has to drive about an hour both ways to get to his school, so he is really tired of the driving.
The cost of the gasoline is a big thing,
but, "this too shall pass!"

My husband and I are continuing to save money where ever we can.
I haven't been spending any in the vending machine at work and he has not bought any more magazines. Ha!
I think this is probably where a lot of our money was going. That and eating out.

We have a budget now and we want to implement the envelope system. Or at least try it.

My new savings account is earmarked for new furniture. I am excited about that.

Turn the thermostat down a degree or two.

Make sure all unnecesary lights are turned off in the house.

Fewer trips to town in the car.

Packing a lunch for work.

All things I have been doing since I started my blog a few days ago.
It's just making myself aware of saving money and making it a focus that I am working on right now.

Another thing I have heard about for gas saving.
Make sure the car tires are at the right air pressure.

I have been a frivolous spender most of my life concerning many of these things.
My DH always wanted me to be more conservative in these ways, now that I am I know he likes it.
My father was such a tight wad. He was really a sweetheart but very saving, grew up in the depression.
So I really grew tired of that growing up.
Always said, when I get married, I'm going to have "fresh bread whenever I want it." And I have too.

It will be back to work for me tomorrow at noon. They think ice will be melted enough to drive around at that time.
I'm ready. It's been a VERY long weekend.

This four day weekend of reading these blogs and spending more time thinking about money has helped me get focused on saving on everyday things.

I have been eating too much fast food for lunch and knew I was spending too much on that junk.
I used to never eat out at lunch.
Tomorrow I am taking part of the stew I cooked for supper tonight, along with some of the cornbread.
Well, I guess I will take it on Thursday since I don't go to work until noon tommorow.
It has been a good saver not to be driving the vehicles for a few days.
Son made it home safely tonight after spending last night in hotel.
Thank you God!
I bought my makeup on Ebay today.
Started splurging and buying the bare minerals makeup a few months ago.
Really do like it, and found it cheaper on Ebay.
Savings??
About $8.

Noticed others have what I call their anti shopping lists. Here is mine:

1. Dog toys (she always tears up everyone I buy)

2. Magazines I don't do this too much anyway, but they are so expensive. You read it once and then it lays around the house.

3. Stuff for grandson, clothes, toys, books . . . stuff. He has everything he needs right now. He is just so much fun to buy for.

4. garage sales, estate sales. I love estate sales, but I really don't even have time for them right now.

I have a list of things I need. For example, wiper blades for my car and mats for my car.
So when I think about spending on things that are fun, I try to think about things that I need.
That way I have money for things that I need. But so boring.

I am starting out my $20 challenge with the money I rolled from our coin jars.
Then the $30 saving at Walmart.
$111.00 coin jar.
$30.00 Walmart savings
$3.00 talked hubby out of going to Walmart just for deoderant
Total
$144.00
Woohoo! Adds up!

Also, I started using cold water for the washing machine, for everything except the towels and sheets.
I hadn't even notice that I was using warm water for the rinse until I read it on here. So now using cold water rinse when washing in hot water now too.
Was washing most clothes in warm water with cold water rinse.
Now using cold/cold for clothes.
Have no idea what to say that saves me per load.

Wanted to go to Penney's yesterday to look for a jacket for work on the clearance sales, but talked myself out of it.
So. . . really haven't been out since Sunday to spend any money.
Son had to get a motel roon last night though, so that was an unfortunate expense. Oh well, at least he wasn't driving on the ice and snow!

In a way we saved $30 at Walmart last night as a result of using this website and finally starting to pay close attention to our everyday spending habits!
I found a blanket on the clearance isle marked down to $20 from $36 that I put in my basket. Hubby was kind enough to talk me out of it reminding me we have lots of blankets at home and since we live in South Texas how much do we really need blankets anyway!!!!
He talked himself out of two magazines (his absolute downfall) at a tune of $10. So we really came home $30 richer because normally we would have let each other have our "indulgences" just so we could get what we thought we wanted.
I am getting the hang of this now. Scary thought!
Hubby wanted to make a trip to Walmart Sat. night just for deoderant! Reminded him he could just wait until we went the next day and save the gas money.
Bought gas at Walmart saving 3 cents per gallon after putting money on the card and paying for it with the chase card and earning rewards that way too!
Very, very good.
Rolled the rest of the coins for a grand total of $111.00 more or less.
Will have the actual total when I take it to the bank and open a savings account.

Finally found what I have been looking for, praying for, help I need to get started saving money. Need this sort of daily reminder for trying to save and why I'm trying to save and actually saving some money.
Been too long a spender and wondered why we never had any money left over. Always spent everything we had. Wanted to live like the rich people live. HA!

Fianlly got around to rolling the coins we have had in the jars for so many years now.
Will take it to the bank and open a savings account on Tuesday after Martin Luther King holiday.