I use a couple of online sites to earn money back or points.

mypoints.com
ebates.com
mrrebates.com
Pinecone

Just yesterday, I joined a new one. Cashbaq.com. I was able to get the Entertainment Book for my area at the 7.99 price on 2009 books. Shipping is just $1.99, total cost $9.98. I get back $8.00, plus $5.00 for signing up, a total of $13.00.

If anyone is interested, here is the link for that:

http://www.cashbaq.com/?refer=492996

Sorry for the mix-up, here is another link. I hope this one works.

http://www.pineconeresearch.com/signup/ds552Referral1.asp

PineCone Research is growing. They are offering select members the opportunity to recommend membership to a friend or relative who is NOT a member of their household, so I thought I would see if anyone is interested here.

Below is a link to signing up.

https://www.pineconeresearch.com/Signup/Signup_Form.asp

A month or so ago, I refinanced my home from a 30 year to a 15 year. Well, I just did some calculating and if I make $1200 a month payment, I will have it paid off in 10 years, which is my goal.

Now, I need to figure out how to live off the remaining amount. Of course, when I am totally debt free from CC debt (which will be within 6 months to a year), it will be a lot easier.

So, here is off to figure out how much to make per month/year to cover my other expenses and save a little. Of course, this amount will change throughout the years as things in my life change, like kids growing up, moving out, technology changes, and cutting/adding other costs, etc.

So, I have enough in my ING account to transfer back to my checking account to pay off the MK Visa. I still have two other accounts with money in them for emergencies. So, should I or shouldn't I. I think I should, it just makes me nervous. But, I know I will feel better having one more debt paid off.

I owed $23,596.10 in September 2008 (not including my mortgage). I am down to $12,305.71, which would be down to $10,127.33 if I payoff the above CC. I have come a long way in 10 months.

So yesterday morning I went and picked Strawberries. It was a beautiful morning.

I got 9 jars of strawberry jam, a one gallon bag of frozen strawberries and had a large container left over just to enjoy.

This year I planted a garden. I have corn, two kinds of potatoes, 6 different kinds of tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, carrots and pumpkins. I also have a mama deer hanging around that wants to eat my plants. It is a daily event to keep chasing her away.

Everything is growing really well, but we will see what I end up with, seeings how I have a pet deer that thinks I planted the gardens for her.

Next on my list for canning and freezing are raspberries and blueberries.

So, our bill came in the mail from when we got sick a few weeks ago. For both my daughter and I, it was almost $2,200. On the letter it states that if you can pay the bill in full within 21 days to take off 50%, which brings the bill down to $1,100. Still more than I wanted to pay.

Anyhow, over the Holiday, I was talking with my SIL, who works at this certain Emergency Center and told her about my bill.

She told me that that is the main Hospital's amount and that the clinic I went to has other billing practices and to call that clinic's specific billing lady and let her know about my bill.

Well, I did and sure enough, she reduced it down to $492.50 for the both of us. We only had to pay $100 for each of us and half of our ancilaries.

Well, that is a relief and I wrote out the check and will drop it off today to her.

But, if I wouldn't of said anything to my SIL, I probably would have paid the $1,100. It pays to make phone calls and to talk to other people about your debt.

So, I have been working on my retirement plan. I am 48 years old and really need one.

I re-financed my home from a 30 year fixed loan at 6.75% interest to a 15 year fixed loan at 4.5% interest. This saves me a whole lot of interest, plus my goal is to add extra to each payment to have it paid off in 10 - 12 years.

I have been paying off all of my debt to get back to being debt free. I am down to three credit cards left. I had nine debts and since September 2008, I have paid off 6 of them totalling $11,165.43.

I have different savings accounts.

*Long Term Account - ING. I have money automatically deposited into this account every month.

*Freedom Account - this is for property taxes and schooling costs that come up twice a year; along with $1000 extra for emergencies. Money is direct deposited into this account every month to cover what that cost would be.

*Secondary checking account at a different banking institution. I put all of my checks from my second job, rebates and such into this account. This account covers Christmas, vacations, birthdays, weddings. What is in this account is what I have to budget for.

*Need to open a different savings account to be able to pay cash for my next vehicle. I will drive mine into the ground right now. I figure I can get at least another 5 years out of it.

*My goal is to keep working as long as I can, pay off the rest of my debt, including my mortgage within the next 10 years while saving as much as I can.

I am going to stay on track for not buying things I don't need (which I am pretty good at anyway);

Keep my grocery costs down. I would actually like to be like the woman whose grocery budget is $800 year by using rebate cards, ECB's and such. Grow more of my own food, do some canning and freezing.

Save for my next vehicle.

And, just live Life to it's fullest, while on a budget.