*Sigh*

Has it really been a month since I posted? Wow! I've been busy working, playing and shopping.

Unfortunately it seems that I've been shopping a bit too much! I haven't saved what my goal was, November only totaled just over $700. Not enough.

Also, this month I have not saved ANY money! I've been shopping a lot, but will get myself back on track. All my Christmas shopping is done.

I also got hit with a case of Strep Throat last week! Ouch!! I had to pay $70 to cover that bill which really isn't much, but who wants to pay to be sick? The pain was incredibly awful too :(

Must try to not be so hard on myself and just let this one go. I do have some money coming in from October and November housesitting/caretaking, but who knows when it will arrive.

Free Money

Feeling a bit behind since I have only deposited about $200 into my AMEX savings account this month so far. I know I'll have more to put in as the month goes on, but it just doesn't seem like much. The good thing is, I have some money from other irregular sources coming in.

I have been a Upromise.com member for some years now and a couple of weeks ago I requested a check for the balance of about $65.00. Their site said it would take up to 8 weeks to reach me, but it arrived this week and went right to savings. :)

Also, I'm a member of ebates.com and so I can get some extra money back when I shop online. I just logged into my account and they are sending me a check for about $15.00 with another $30.00 pending for the next round of checks!

I love free money!

Beautiful Weekend

Last weekend I spent some time with friends and relatives going on a walk to see the leaves. Some time ago, one of them showed interest in Dave Ramsey and getting out of debt so I loaned her my "Total Money Makeover" book. I wish I could say she's been working on her financial situation, but she hasn't. However, she did ask me again today what station Dave Ramsey was on, on the radio.

I had a little talk with another of my cousins and told him that if I had started saving when I was his age (20), I could have a paid for house right now. Hopefully that got him to think a little because he is at the age where he just wants a fun and fast car. He told me that he pays about $800 a month on the car payment and insurance!! Yikes!

I really want friends and family to realize what they can have if they don't accumulate debt, such as less stress, security (savings), and the ability to do things for others.

Oh, and there weren't many leaves left on the trees, but it was beautiful!

First Month of Amex Savings

Just about a month ago I opened a High Yield Savings Account with American Express where the interest is 1.30%. I opened the account with $5,130 and now have just over $6,600 in it. Of course I've been waiting for a month to go by so I could see what the interest earned would be, and it showed up today! A whopping $6.52!

I know this isn't a lot of money, but it is exciting because it's free money! So much more than if I had kept my cash at my local credit union where I was earning .25%.

The other option is to open a CD where the interest rate would be around 2.75% if I keep the money there for 5 years. I am thinking of doing this, but only with $1,000 or so. I hate the idea of keeping money tied up for 5 years when I don't have that much, just in case I need it.

One option I thought of was to set up a 2 year CD, 3 year, 4 year and then the 5 year. This way I would have access to my cash sooner, and then continue to set up 5 year CD's so that I will have a 5 year CD closing yearly and get the higher rates. This is all unless/until I decide to put money in a mutual fund where I would (hopefully) earn more interest.

Seems I have a lot to learn.

Still on track...

Two things I'm on track with...savings and going to the gym.

The month of October I was able to transfer $1,630.00 to my savings account! Yipee!!

Also, I've gone to the gym as planned, three times a week for a total of 10 times now! This is my fourth week of going and I do feel like it's becoming a habit.

This month I don't think I'll be able to save as much, but should still be able to reach my monthly goal of $1,000.00.

Did I make it to the gym?

I did make it to the gym last Friday! Yay! I've also been twice this week and plan to go tomorrow (Friday). So far, so good. If I can make this a habit I'll be happy ;)

To be, or not to be...healthy

Not long ago, a wealthy someone I know passed away due to complications caused by diabetes. He still had another good 30 years or so to live, if he had only taken care of himself. This, to me, was a wake-up call...but I have just started to act on my feeling.

I don't want to be that person. I don't want to be wealthy and unhealthy, unable to enjoy what I've worked hard for. Therefore, I have decided to exercise on a regular basis. The goal is not to change my body, I don't think I need to lose weight...just want to be fit.

Last week was the first time I went to the gym in several months...since Zumba, which I quit going to. I went twice, Tuesday and Thursday. This week I went Monday and Wednesday, and plan on going tomorrow. The goal which is reasonable, is to go three times a week. I know this isn't much, but it's better than the non-exercise life I've been living! Oh, and now I'm actually using the gym membership I've been paying on month after month, even when I didn't use it!

Exercise, it makes me feel good ;)

Thrift Store Shopping

Yesterday I decided to go to ditch the gym and visit a local thrift store. Reason being, the night before, I was up reading blogs about people's finds that they either keep for themselves or sell on eBay...that was my inspiration.

Upon arriving, I looked at the stuff they keep in cases to avoid theft, then off to the furniture, dish ware, shoes, and then clothes. What I found was a pair of shoes for myself and two to sell, two down vests for winter, a cashmere knee length coat for my mom $15, three great Kirkland (Calphalon style) pans w/lids in super condition for "my guy" who was just telling me he needed some, and best of all..............a gold "road runner" pin weighing 8 grams with a ruby for an eye!! This pin cost me a whopping $3.00 and is worth $200-$300. I researched it online and found an identical one! I feel the store was calling my name for this reason alone ;)

Score!

Now I just need to get these shoes listed so I can feel good about spending $80 there to cover everything else I bought, although $15 was for the pans which my guy will reimburse and the rest I am confident will come from the sale of the pair of $20 shoes I purchased.

I think I will be visiting the thrift store a bit more often.

UPDATE: My guy was really happy with the pans :) and I was reimbursed. Not that he wouldn't pay me, because he agreed before I purchased.

Savings goal

Now that I'm debt free, I want to save money and have decided on an achievable monthly savings goal. The target is to save at least $1,000 per month.

So far this month, already $850 has gone into savings! The breakdown is:

$250: Paycheck overage

$550: Caretaking in September (just got the check today)

$ 50: eBay

Currently I'm waiting on a check for $160 for transportation services in September which will bump the total to $1,010! Plus, two more paychecks this month and more eBay which means at least $1,500 in savings this month...that's the plan. Really though, every month will be different and this month seems unusually high.

Besides that, I can't think of any other income I could possibly throw at the savings. Honestly, I never thought I would be able to save that much money.

I feel blessed.

Loose change

Just dumped some change into my big ol' pot and thought I would snap a pic. This is what it looks like inside...

I wonder how long it will take me to fill it up! Actually, I don't think I'll wait that long before taking it to the bank. Better to earn interest than just let it sit there :)