So, I have updated my totals on my savings and debt areas. After paying all my bills and what I normally pay on the debts each month, here is my plan.

I am going to transfer $1000 from my ING account and $500 from my savings account to pay off CC1 next week before the 12 month interest kicks in and it costs me about $500 more out of my pocket.

Then I am going to use two of my beach checks (I have three left before my summer job is over), babysitting money and the rest of my savings account to pay my summer taxes on Friday, September 14. Hopefully, I will not need to use all of my savings after I total up two beach checks and the babysitting money.

I have enough money in my checking account to cover groceries, gas and other expenses until September's direct deposit.

And, then the other beach check is going to take me, my 15 yo daughter and 12 yo son shopping for some school supplies and my family camping and canoeing on Labor Day weekend.

Sounds like a good plan, lets hope it works the way I planned.

Our fun during the August month. My husband's birthday party this evening at the Club, a friend's anniversary party, a couple festivals, the Woodward Dream Cruise, the Club's corn roast, cookout with family in from the southern states and a family reunion. The rest is all working, swimming and garage saleing. Sounds like fun to me. Looks like I will be doing a lot of cooking and baking. Yee Haw.

For May, I have spent:

$446.40 on groceries
$204.13 on eating out
$216.26 on gas; and

Totaling $866.79/month or $216.69/week on just these three areas alone. These are some of the areas I am going to try to tweak.

It is hard, cause my kids are in sports and other functions which causes us to be on the road traveling, but I think I could lessen these areas through the summer. So June, July and August, we will see how far I can cut back without feeling deprived and sending me into a state of depression.

And, don't you know, I need to go to the grocery store and fill up my gas tank. I am going to see how well I can use coupons and plan some meals and see how little I can actualy drive. Maybe we can walk.

I am ending two of my Challenges and starting a new Challenge.

The old Challenges were:

$20 Challenge which ended up being $205.89 total since starting this blog in May; and

Beach Money $1045.99. This was a part-time job I worked this past summer '06 (June, July and August) to make some extra money.

Both of those Challenges are over and I put the money to good use.

My new Challenge is my Vacation Money. I have been selling stuff on Cheapcycle, Craigs List, Ebay and will be using Rebates for this Challenge. I just sold a twin size down comforter for $12.00, so that is what I am starting my new Challenge with.

Vacation Money $12.00. This is so we will have spending money for when we travel, which was outlined in "Living Our Dreams". These amounts are represented under Author Infor to the right.

Added $200 to my regular savings; and
$50.00 to my ING account.

Plus $48.03 check from my summer job, now over, waiting for last check.

Lost count in the Education Expenses area for my children. One in college (loan and FASFA), one in high school and taking two courses at home ($115.00 each), driver's training ($229.00) and Odyssey of the Mind Team ($50.00), and one in middle school and basketball ($105.00), all needing the never-ending school supplies. Overwhelming.

Now, if I can just get my taxes paid on time, things will be great.

Went to go get my check at the beach/club today and it wasn't there. Hmmm, why is that? So after a couple calls and running people down, I finally figured it out. Someone else grabbed my check. So both of our names start with "C", but could you read the whole name before you just grab any ole envelope.

So, I had to drive to this lady's house to get my check so it wouldn't be lost in the woodwork. Although, I should have made her bring it to me, but she was working with a child who had cerbral palsey, so I went to her.

It's not like I even need the money right now, it is just the principal of the matter and that I am having such a great time updating my totals and I wanted that check. It belong to me.

So, just to get it off my chest, I wanted to strangle her or smack her across the face. I didn't just want to hear "I'm Sorry", but that was all I got, so I will just have to open a bottle of wine and drown in my sorrows. Okay, I feel better know.

Anyways, I am adding $144.07, bringing my total to $851.39 for my little part-time job that I am clearly over-qualified for.

$20 Challenge: I thought I would change around my $20 Challenge. I realize that my saving of certain money doesn't always come in the form or rebate checks or unexpected money, but also from taking control of debt (i.e., like cancelling subscriptions or saving at the grocery store by using sales and coupons). So, instead I will be adding those amounts to my $20 challenge. It will be kind of a ficticious amount because I won't always have the money in my hands, but not spending money is saving also.

Beach Money: This is money that I made working part-time up at the Beach through the summer. Some of it has went into my savings, checking, cash on hand and already spent towards specific purchases like piano tuning, clarinet, kids school clothes, etc.

So, both of these areas are money that I will keep track of to see how much I am saving or making and both of these areas are completely different from my Liquid Assets, which is actually money that I have by doing the above and more.

Today, I deposited my check for $120.06 from the beach job, which brings my total to $707.32.

While I was at the Bank, I also added an automatic transfer of $200 to take place from my checking to my savings account every month. With that I got a bonus of $25.00 deposited into my savings account as a thank you.

Also, for the last four months, the Bank has been charging my savings account a service fee of $4.00 every month. I asked why and he said that at one time my balance fell below $300. I mentioned that I thought it couldn't go below $250. The Bank guy said that amount changed with the change-over of one bank merging with a bigger bank. Hey, not my fault the banks merged. So, he compromised with me and gave me back half of that amount to the total of $8.00. So now I know not to let my savings account fall below $300.

The mail lady has been good to me this week and has brought me a lot of coupons and free samples from Walmart.

And, today is my Anniversary. My husband has made reservations for us somewhere tonight for dinner.

I am adding another $144.07 to my summer challenge. It is recorded in Beach Money under Author Info on the right.

Prev. Balance $443.19
Add $144.07
New Total $587.26

I set up a checking escrow where I deduct money from my checking, even though I leave the money in my checking to use for large bills. I use this money to pay my homeowners insurance, vehicle insurance and my property taxes when they come due.

I used part of that checking escrow money last month to open an ING account with the minimum deposit of $250, so I had to use the rest of my checking escrow, plus the $115.89 that was in my $20 Challenge to pay my vehicle insurance this month.

Now both of those accounts are back down to zero balances. I will start them all over again. This time, I think I am actually going to transfer them to my regular savings account and then transfer back when I need to use it. To easy to spend in my checking.

I was also supposed to use my beach money for paying bills and my children's education, but instead I was able to put most of it into my regular savings account from the past month. A total of $403.19.

Pay day is not until Friday, and I have a $20 in my wallet and $20 in my checking. Sure hope my husband comes home with some money or I am going to have to dip into my savings. Oh No, not the savings.

Got paid again today from my Beach job. Another $251.10 to add to my Summer Challenge and recorded under Beach Money in the Author Info section to the right.

Prev. Total $192.09
Add $251.10
New Total $443.19

At first, I thought I would pay off my furnace payment with my beach money.

Then, we thought, maybe use it for our vacations or buy a jet ski for the lake.

Now, I think I better use it for my children's education. The cost of instruments, classes, clothing, lunch money, books, etc. is really going to cost me.

So many choices, so little money. Hmm.

So I got my first check from the beach for $192.09. I am working through the summer months at the beach to pay off my new furnace bill. I am adding it to the Beach money under Author Info. I will add up all the checks and then pay the bill off at the end of the summer when it comes due.

So we're back from vacation. Wow, what a beautiful place and awesome hot weather. We did have a very active thunder storm on Saturday night. It went on all night long and then at 6:20 a.m., the biggest lightning bolt struck the pennisula the resort is on and set off the smoke detectors, took out the computers in the main lobby and the t.v. in our room. Woke everybody up in the resort.

Anyways, June is just a few days away and I am going to buckle down and be very frugal, sell some un-needed items in the shed, work my summer beach job, babysit my neighbors little girl and try to save all of my checks. I am going to use my Summer Challenge money to pay off some bills, buy my kids some fall clothes and other needed items. I get paid every other week from the beach.

I am going to post my Summer Challenge Money every time I sell something, get paid from the beach and the neighbor. We will see how much it adds up to.

Glad to be back home.