I bought my 3-year-old grandson a John Deer hoodie, a sweat shirt with Superman and other super heroes on it, and a plain white long sleeved knit shirt.
I thought he would like all of them, but instead he only liked the sweat shirt with the super heroes.
Of the others he said, "Nannie, I told you I didn't want these, just the superman shirt."
I buy almost all of his clothes at resale shops, and he always looks good!

Not anything very interesting to report today. Except we did save $4 with coupons when we did grocery shopping yesterday.
New total $15.78
FOTG (found on the ground) total = .15

WE have been trying, since the first of Jan., to use up food, cleaners, etc., that we have at the house instead of going to the store so often. Since I do most of the cooking/cleaning I guess it is really me doing it, but anyway, it is working.
I have always liked to buy things on sale and stock up, but our pantry has been just full to overflowing so much, I thought we really need to use what we have for awhile.
It has made me come up with meals using just what we have and it has really helped out the old food budget this month.
I definitely believe in buying sales and using coupons, but we were going to the store too often and thus spending too much. And some of our food was spoiling/getting too old before it could be used.
I made a chocolate cake from scratch tonight with a homemade frosting so we wouldn't be tempted to head to the store when we wanted something sweet later on.
DH was impressed and followed behind me cleaning up the kitchen.
What a team!

Anyone have a home treatment for laryngitis. (I know how to spell it 'cause I just looked it up on WebMd).
WebMd said if the laryngitis is with some cold symptoms (mine is) to take Ibuprofen or Aceteminophen and using hot steam from a bath or shower helps. Or a cool mist humidifier.
I am off work for the next three days, so that will help matters, but I have never had it this bad before. It is really frustrating to try to talk.
Anyone have some home treatment they swear by?

I went in to Walgreen's for envelopes yesterday. I spotted a box of 40 security, white envelopes and the label below the row read .99. I thought that a reasonable price, so I took it to the register, proud of myself for not looking around and spending more money. Just the necessities. Then I was charged $2.15 at the checkout. I paid, then went back to check the price again on the shelf. I found myself a manager-type and asked him which price was correct. He looked at the price on the shelf and said he would give me my money back on the difference. So I got back 1.08, that I will add to my challenge money.
This is not the first time this has happened to me at Walgreen's. So beware.

We are going to pay off a big chunk of debt in the coming weeks with a gift from DH's mom.
A car loan in the amount of $1630.00 and another payoff of $3800.00.
This will free-up monthly minimum payments of $275 and $200, for a total of $475.00. Wow! Almost $500 per month that can be thrown at the credit card debt.
I have had about six no spend days this month.
I have been thinking of my 2008 financial goals and I am ready to start recording them here.
1. My main financial goal is to be debt free by the end of the year. I think this is a realistic goal, IF, DH gets some good work in this year.
My other goals will be small to make this big year-end goal possible.

2. Don't acquire any more debt.
I listen to Dave Ramsey a lot and read a lot of financial advice here at savingsadvice.com. That keeps me from taking on any more debt. We have used the credit cards in a pinch but I'm not counting that.
Our Christmas was very frugal this year, and I am proud of the progress we have made.

I kind of abandoned my blog mid way through the year last year, and I was trying to lose weight.
I finally started weight watchers at the end of Oct. and I have lost 10 pounds. I still have three weeks of prepaid weeks with WW, but I don't think I want to spend the money on it right now.
I find it pretty expensive and I am at a good weight now.
I know what to do now, if I will just do it on my own without the knowledge that I will be going to weigh-in on Tuesdays.
And the leader and other members do offer good ideas and support.
I had never done weight watchers meetings before and it worked for me.
I did it online one time, but I didn't do very well at it.
I would really like to lose about 10 more pounds, but that would be it.

saved $1.50 at the store with coupons.
add that to previous balance and new total is $10.70.

Found on the ground total for 2008 is 15 cents.

I had a telephone call from Dial-America-Marketing on Saturday. They wanted me to renew my magazine subscription to Reader's Digest. The proceeds also benefit MD Anderson Cancer Center. I have ordered magazines through Dial-America several times, but this year, I am trying to be a lot more frugal, thus I told the salesman no on the phone. He went on to say how surprised he was by my declining the offer.
I told him that I since gasoline and groceries have gone up so much, I just did not feel like I could afford a magazine subscription at this time.
He again tried to "sell" me.
Then I said, "I am trying not to spend too much so that I can have some money some day and retire with dignity."
He just laughed and thanked me for my past support.
I thought it was funny that he started laughing. I don't guess anyone is ever that honest about it.
At least I didn't yell his head off.
Besides, my mother gave me a lot of her old magazines that will last me several weeks, and I'm sure I can get others for free as well. So yea me!

Went to shop at Kroger last night and saved $9.20 with grocery coupons and store coupons. The things I bought were on sale, plus I had coupons to back them up, so I felt really good about my savings. And naturally I want to start the new year off right and start adding to my $20 challenge.

2008 20 dollar challenge balance = 9.20

I am reading "The Tightwad Gazette II," by Amy Dacyczyn. She is known as the "Frugal Zealot." She wrote a popular newsletter in the 80s and 90s filled with frugal ideas.
I liked this quote from the book.

"People who put their surplus money into short-term extravagances rarely build the same wealth as those who put their money in things with lasting value."

To her, buying paper towels is a short-term extravagance. She uses cloth napkins. But she only decided to use cloth versus paper after she figured the detailed cost of using both.
She is an economist in that she does these in-depth price comparisons on everthing they use.
She doesn't write her newsletter anymore, and I wonder what she is doing now. I'm sure she made a lot of money from her books. She was raising, I think 6 children, while writing the newsletter.
Interesting ideas and I have already started using some of the ideas in the book.
A lot of it is time consuming, and things I could do even though I work full time.
I will try, because I do want to have some money some day.
I want to be able to retire in 10 years, and things must change in order to do that.
My good husband is outside digging the garden spot for spring as I type. Ummmm... fresh vegetables I can just taste them now.