Campfrugal's Personal Finance Blog

So I really needed to get new tires for my Jeep. I called around today to get different quotes. One tire place gave a really awesome price for Wrangler P225 R75/16. Normally, the white lettering runs around $140 each. Most everyone I called gave me a discount of $125 to $129.99, until one of the tire places let me know that the black lettering was $69.99. Wow, what a difference. Not wanting to drive to far out of town to this particular tire place, I called back the tire place that gave me the lowest bid and told him the black lettering price. He said Okay. I got four tires, balancing, front-end alignment and taxes out the door of $339.20. I sure saved some money by calling around and negotiating my price first.

But, the kicker was that the guy at the tire place that actually did my tires was so impressed with my get-the-best-price tactics that he came to talk to me in the waiting room. He was wondering what I did for a living. I said "this". I actually have a couple degrees, but I stay home and raise my kids and treat my life like a business. I like to keep as much of my money as possible while getting the best price.

Most everything is negotiable. The only purchase I found not to be negotiable lately was Apple Mac Computer products. My son needed a new computer for recording. Apple knows they have the edge in that area, and were not willing to budge anywhere in price. The salesman tried by calling headquarters, but they wouldn't budge. They wouldn't even throw in a mouse. Well, what do you do. He needed to really upgrade his system due to how busy he is lately and the quality of his recording, so we bought it. My son is very satisfied with its performance; and if it goes on sale in the next 30 days, they will refund the difference.

Because I cannot get into the forums area again to ask this question, I will ask it here.

On another blog, a saver is getting up to 8.25% interest on her Australian money. Does anyone know how that converts to the U.S. Dollar. Here is the bank I am talking about

www.abetterdeal.com.au

I am just wondering if I should be utilizing this online banking for its interest rate, depending on how the interest rate converts.

I hope I didn't confuse you all. Anyone knowledgable in this area, please chime in, cause I am confused here. Thanks, and feel free to post this in the forums, cause I am unable to.

So, a while back, I closed my UPromise account because it grows so slowly. It was not something that I focused on. They sent me a check for what was in the account. Well, apparently, they forgot .04 cents, cause I received a check for .04 cents yesterday. I totally find that a waste. The paper they printed it out on had to cost more than four cents and it cost them .33 cents to mail it to me. Whey didn't they just keep it. I am not going to cash a check for .04 cents.

Also, received my stimulus payment in my account today. I will add that amount to my $20 Challenge.

Prev. Balance $1,363.96
Add Stimulus $1,200.00
New Balance $2,563.96

Yes, we have acquired a very old boat, but surprisingly in very good condition. It was given to us some time ago with the old motor that looks like it will still work. It still had all the chrome lights, mirrors, horn and Dorsett emblem on the side. We have taken out the old seats and carpet and re-fiberglassed the floor. We are ready to put carpet and seats back in it. The motor is missing the controls, so we need to search those out or buy a new motor with controls for it. I have looked on Craigs list and found some good deals.

While we were working on the boat, my husband was under the hull and found the original registration taped to the underside. What a find. So, yesterday, I went to Secretary of State to do a title search to make sure we can even use it. They really couldn't find any information on it, so they re-issued the title in my name with the same MC numbers and gave me my watercraft numbers for 2011. I am so excited. It only cost me $9.20 at Secretary of State.

I am off to get the carpet for the boat and order the seats. Can't wait to hit the water. I will take a couple before and after pictures and post them at a later date.

Got a rebate check from AT&T for $50.00. I will add that to the $20 challenge

Prev. Balance $1,313.96
Add Check $50.00
New Balance $1,363.96

My best friend moved to California and needed help getting her home here sold or rented. So I did all the showings, made copies of the rental agreement and got keys made for the new tenant.

She sent me a beautiful Thank You card with a $250 check inside.

I will add that to my challenge

Prev. Balance: $1,063.96
Add Check: $250
New Balance: $1,313.96

Wow, where did April go. I swear that was the fastest month ever.

*Groceries: $530.95 (my grocery total is still higher than normal. It must be that I am either not cutting enough coupons, or prices have just gone up that much)

*Eating Out: $52.07 (much lower this month that normal. Odd, normally when I eat out, I am paying for 3 to 5 people, so this is really good)

*Gas: $282.41 (Gas is more expensive due to the prices. I fill up my gas tank about once a week to every 8 or 9 days. That hasn't changed, but it is still about $60 to $80 more than a year ago)

*Still working on paying off debts.

*Still adding money to my EF and Freedom Account.

*Worked outside on the landscaping after taking down two trees last year. I needed to replant and replace the stones in the walkway and distribute the top soil around, rake leaves and weed other gardens. Done that and all Free.

Now, on to May. I start my summer job Memorial weekend at the Beach. I am also now the head person there, so I got a raise of $50 more a week in my check. Sweet. I am really going to try to use that for a few different things.
--Paying down debt
--Christmas money
--Vacation money
I just need to figure out how to allocate it into those categories.

I am getting somewhere between $1200 and $1600 back. Can't quite figure it out.

But, here is where it is going:

*$250 to open an ING Account for my 23yo son as a Christmas Present. He will get a $25 bonus, I will get a $10 bonus and he will see how compounding interest works when I give him a printout of the account to him for Christmas. Hey, you can never start Christmas shopping to early.

*$300 to my husband, cause that is all he would get if he filed on his own with his income level. (And, he is really rotten with money) It could be $3.00 or $300, it all spends the same to him. "Save something, what's that."

$400-$500 for new tires for my Jeep. I said I would keep my Jeep for a few more years. The only thing I am wondering is: with interest rates being so low, maybe I could get a newer model and have it all average out to what I am paying for my Jeep now. My current Jeep is at a 7.5% interest rate and I owe around $7,500. I might check into seeing how much I would get for a trade-in and what a newer one would cost and the interest I would pay on a newer one before putting tires on.

The remaining amount will either go towards debt or go to my ING Savings Account. Can't decide. I will see how much we actually get and then decide.

I think that is a good plan. Okay, I'm ready for my direct deposit.

I have been unable to get to any of the forum areas or articles. Each time I click on the link, this is the error I get.

Warning: mysql_query() [function.mysql-query]: Unable to save result set in /www/savingadvice.com/debug.inc.php on line 17
Got error 127 from storage engine

I am not sure if it is me, or if it is the site.

Thanks for any help

Stimulus Payment Schedule for Tax Returns Processed by April 15

Economic stimulus payments will be issued according to the last two-digits of the main filer's Social Security number. People who use direct deposit also will be among the first to receive the payments starting May 2. Paper checks will be put in the mail starting May 16.

DIRECT DEPOSIT

Last two SSN digits: Payment will be transmitted:

00 through 20 May 2
21 through 75 May 9
76 through 99 May 16


PAPER CHECK

Last two SSN digits: Payments will be mailed by:

00 through 09 May 16
10 through 18 May 23
19 through 25 May 30
26 through 38 June 6
39 through 51 June 13
52 through 63 June 20
64 through 75 June 27
76 through 87 July 4
88 through 99 July 11

People who file a return after April 15 will receive their economic stimulus payment, but probably about two weeks later than the schedule shows. A return must be filed by October 15 in order to receive a stimulus payment this year. See the online calculator for an estimate of the amount you will receive.

A small percentage of tax returns will require additional time to process and to compute a stimulus payment amount. For these returns, stimulus payments may not be issued in accordance with the schedule above, even if the tax return was processed by April 15.

Just thought you'll would like to know.

And all went well for my daughter Alexis. We did end up taking out the extremely large cyst. Our surgeon believes it is beneign, but with our history, it went to pathology and I will probably have that answer as to what kind of cyst it is by Wednesday.

We are all doing well and Alexis is resting peacefully in her bed with her cat, Lucy.

Thirteen years ago, my daughter (when she was 3), was diagnosed with Cancer. It was four hard years fighting that battle. She is missing her kidney, ureter and the top lobe of her right lung.

Now we have a mass on her right ovary. Our Oncologist and surgeon don't believe it is cancer, but we are scheduled for surgery on Monday, April 21st to look at it. We are not sure what it is, so Monday's surgery could either reveal a benign cyst or ovarian cancer.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during that time.

Pinecone Research

Prev. Balance $1060.96
Add check $3.00
New Balance $1063.96

I have been trying really hard to get my debt paid off, but yet it is getting really depressing.

All my extra money is going to debt every month, which is leaving me to be extremely creative in entertaining my teenagers. They get costly as they get older. Along with always having enough to eat and maintaining our home.

So, I have been reading articles on the recession and the great depression to get an idea how families made it through with less in trying times. There have been some interesting articles. I thought I was being fairly frugal, but realized I am fairly laxed these days.

So to stay with the times and be frugal, I am trying to come up with a plan that keeps us feeling abundant, but to scale back without feeling deprived. Hard to do.

Like maybe I could bake more bread, instead of buying and definately do more gardening and canning this year. I would like to can more jams/jellies, tomato sauces, some fruits and try my hand at pickles.

Keeping lights turned off, heat and A/C lowered, combining errands and making a list of free/cheap entertainment.

For Example:
*Skateboarding and Biking at free outdoor parks for my youngest
*Going on Bike rides
*Playing baseball and tennis at outdoor parks.
*Free Saturday/Sunday Matinee movies.
*Taking the paddle boat out when the lake thaws and looking for nature.
*Playing on the trampoline.
*Get a State Park Pass ($24.00), pack lunches and hit the beach and nature trails.
*Let my teenagers have cookouts with their friends (I'll do the grilling)
*Playing basketball at the club and swimming.
*Tubing on the Lake when it warms up.
*Going to all the festivals going on around the area.

Well, that is just a few. What is everybody else doing to be more frugal and conscience in our trying times.

March was quite the expensive month. I thought January and February were challenging, but March gave me a run for my money, literally.

Anyhow, here it goes. It seems the month went by much quicker than January and February and here it is April.

*Groceries: $563.60 ($100 more than I usually spend. Why, I don't know)
*Eating Out: $220.79 ($100 more than I usually spend. Why, Again, I don't know)
*Gas: $261.95 ($80.00 more than I usually spend. Why, who knows)

*Paid off two debts.
*Signed my youngest boy up for Baseball and had to buy all new stuff - $200.00.
*Got a lot more done on my cottage - like ripping out walls and some drywalling.
*Had to buy a new CPU unit and also broke down and bought a digital camera.

Now, on to April. It is only April 3rd and I am already broke after paying all the bills and funding my savings and ING accounts. Another challenging month ahead, but it is a little warmer. Good things come with sunshine.

Adding a Pinecone check to the challenge

Prev. Balance $1,063.96
Pinecone Check $ 3.00
New Total $1,066.96

Okay, so I am really getting cabin fever here. I live in Michigan and we have had so much snow. I mean, come on, enough is enough when it comes to snow. I am not a skier, so that is out of the question.

Well, I would like to take my two youngest children somewhere in the near future for some fun. Possibly within a day's driving range.

I need some ideas. What I do like is free resources for places to visit that are either free or cheap like museums, historical places, factory tours, festivals, etc., hotel discount codes, coupons for eating out or any great ideas that you'all have been keeping to yourself.

Time to give us all of your great ideas for places to visit on the cheap, or if better suited, frugally.

Thanks for all of your anticipated input.

I have always told my oldest child that he was a test. Well, just the other day we had lunch together. So he says to me "Mom, you know that I just found out that not everyone has a song"

I was confused. Jonthan, what are you talking about. He said "it came up with friends the other day when I asked them what their song was" and they said "we don't have a song". Jon said "You don't have a song, everybody has a song, just like a birthstone". So that said, what is yours. Jon said "Forever Young".

Well, of course he was just teasing, but it was pretty funny. I keep reminding him that he was a test model and he shouldn't take everything I say so literally. I mean, afterall, I was in the hospital 3 days wondering what I should name him.

So I paid off the attorney bill and the Lowes CC.

But, I had to add to my Chase Visa CC for a new CPU unit. Mine died again for the third time in two months. And, of course, there was a sale on a CPU unit this week, before I get my income tax return next week. Go figure.

Working on snowballing the previous paid off credit cards, debts and loans to the next in line.

I am three months in to my "Two years until debt free plan" and so far I have

Paid off/for:
Two of my kids schooling
Triad International
POH Doctor bill
Property Taxes (the rest of the summer and all of the winter)
Got income taxes done
Attorney bill
Lowes Credit Card
Baseball registration
Purchased 1/4 cow/beef
Paid our State taxes

All regular bills and other debts have been paid and I have added money back to my EF and Freedom Acct. Talk about Gazelle Intensity. Yee Haw.

So here are my January totals

*1/4 Organic Beef $228.00
Processing fee for Beef $56.52
*Gas Usage $235.02
*Groceries and all household items (other than 1/4 cow) $397.11
*Eating Out $106.71

All bills were paid and paid off Triad Vacation and POH Doctor bill.


February Totals

Gas Usage $188.56
Groceries and all household items $453.89
Eating Out $117.56

All bills were paid and paid off Comcast and paid for Baseball registration, getting taxes done and Property taxes ($871.39)

Now I am working on March

Got another check for $25.00 in the mail for turning in my Visa Points. Adding that to the challenge.

Prev. Balance $1038.96
Check $25.00
New Balance $1063.96

Adding three small checks to the challenge
Pinecone $3.00, Jury Duty $16.50 and Ipod Shuffle sale $10.00, totalling $29.50.

Prev. Total $1,009.46
Adding Checks $29.50
New Total $1038.96

http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/

Pretty interesting reading.

Well, I don't get to blog as much. I have been pretty busy here at my home. Like I have stated before, I have been restoring a 1930's cottage in a great area of Michigan.

I have completely re-painted my kitchen, which was no easy task, due to my large free-standing antique kitchen cupboards and China Cabinet, but all was moved out of the way, so that I could paint every wall. The color is kind of like melted vanilla and butter pecan ice cream mixed together. It is a great color, but makes me hungry for ice cream. I hope I don't gain weight just standing in that kitchen.

Now, I am on to my living room and foyer. I recently built a brand new large foyer that opens up into my living room. We did get that insulated and wired this past weekend and I am working on re-painting the livingroom while the drywall is being hung in the foyer. We haven't opened the wall between the foyer and the livingroom yet, so I am not getting any construction dust.

Also, I had to drain my accounts to pay my mortgage. I used my mortgage money at the beginning of the month to pay up all of my property taxes to the tune of $875.00. I am on the "Gazelle Intensity" that Dave Ramsey talks about. Yeah, I have skipped a couple of Dave's steps, but it is working for me to do it my way. But, hey all of my bills are paid, I am working on my house. My kids school is paid and it only gets cheaper from here on out, with spring coming and my bills getting cheaper with each warming month and my debt is getting paid off.

I am filing my income taxes next Wednesday. My husband will get his portion and my portion will be used to put new tires on my car and pay down my debt.

Then, when the government check gets here, $300 will go to my husband and the rest is mine to pay down debt. I can't wait to see where my debt is at in June. I am thinking I will have made a big dent in it by then. It is pretty exciting.

Well, enough from me, I need to get moving on painting the livingroom ceiling, which is now cathedraled and I am not one for heights. Yikes.

I wrote a little while back in regards to what happened to my Upromise Account. Well, because I really don't use it enough to have any funds add up in it, I closed it.

Well, I received my check in the mail from that account in the amount of $37.56.

I am going to add that to my $20 Challenge.

Prev. Balance $971.90
Upromise Check $37.56
New Balance $1,009.46

I see a lot of people have been talking about vacationing, saving money for vacations, taking vacations, not wanting to spend money on vacations, etc.

Well, here is a story of Bob and Mel Blanchard who visited an island in the Caribbean, only to find that they wanted to live there.

http://www.ereader.com/product/detail/4336?book=A_Trip_to_the_Beach:_Living_on_Island_Time_in_the_Caribbean

and;

http://www.livewhatyoulove.com/

I have both of these books; and they are truly inspirational for how I want to live my life and how to work my money so that I am living my life.

Take some time to read them. They are simple easy reading, but perfect for this time of year and can probably be found at the library. I bought both of them, because I enjoy them that much.

and in bed all weekend long. He got up and went to work today, so I have stripped the bedding and have been washing and bleaching everything.

I will need to go to the laundry mat in a little while to wash my comforter, cause it won't fit in my washing machine. That will cost me about $6.00

We had a SuperBowl Party to go to last night, which I went to by myself. I had fun. My whole family was there. It is always good to see them.

I was just realizing that there are about 3 different areas where I am getting great bonus points and free stuff.

Mypoints.com. I have been using these points acquired for gas cards. These points add up fairly quickly. I normally just do the e-mail click throughs.

Mary Kay Visa Card earns points. Right now I more than enough points to get either $25.00 cash; or should I get it in a $25.00 gas card. Hmmmm.

And Visa Extras Points. This is from my debit card, which I use for putting gas in my car. But, I am thinking if I call in my bills and pay with the debit card, instead of doing it off my account, it would rack up points real quickly. Right now I have enough points for a $5.00 Panera Bread card. They don't offer cash back like the others do, but they do offer a gas card. But Panera Bread would be a way to offer myself a treat.

We are headed to the airport to put my oldest son on a plane to Colorado. In early December his girlfriend drove out there for a job. It took her three days. Her car completely died half way there. She ended up trading it in for a new one. Then she had to load all of her stuff from her car to her new car and drove the rest of the way in to Vail.

We also have family out there who own a Million Dollar company that my kids are the beneficiaries to.

This will be fun for Jonathan. I know he misses her, actually we all do. While they are out there, they are going to a concert and our favorite restaurant, Casa Bonita.

He will be home on February 10th, unless he finds a job and stays until his girlfriend drives home. You just never know with young adults.

I am going on Friday to pay all of my taxes. The rest of the Summer taxes and the Winter taxes, which are actually due on the 14th of February. So a total of around $870 will pay off that debt on Friday. That gives me 7 months to save for the Summer 2008 taxes.

Then I am paying off the attorney and Lowes the beginning of March.

On my way to being debt free.