I stopped my car on the way to work to chase down another Mountain Dew bottle in the street. It's another nickel but am I nuts??????
LOL

Maybe it is the Iowa weather. Maybe it is just being old and realizing that I will never have the money to really have a good retirement. Maybe it is the winter blues. Even the 93 cents my ING account has earned for me this month hasn't made me smile. I did throw in five dollars today but it did nothing for my spirit.

Can someone show me mathmatically what I would earn on $800.00 at 4.5% compounded annually. I know ING is supposed to pay interest monthly but I have never learned quite how to do it. It's not that I can't multiply but am not sure of my results. Thanks a bunch....

Today at work we were all offered the opportunity to order daffodils to support the American Cancer Society. One of my co-workers who knows my budgeting struggle and I talked it over and we both decided not to participate. The daffodils are cut flowers and only last two or three days and they were $8.00 a bunch. Any other year I would have and did buy them and I am feeling funny that I did not support this excellent cause. What do the rest of you think?
My cause is the Christian Children's Fund; I feel good about that, but.............................

I have just earned 30 cents this month on my new ING account. That's just like finding a nickel and a quarter in the gutter. Of course I would pick that up and be very pleased!!

I spent $19.00 online to buy a budget planner that has all the bells and whistles anyone could ask for. In fairness to me I had made spreadsheets for the same budget but this is so much fun. I immediately paid Visa back for my purchase out of my checkbook so it did not really go on "the card" as such. Probably a little silly......

Can you tell me how to link to a certain category? I have been looking around but haven't figured it out yet.
Thank you!

I thought you might be interested in knowing what brought about the class action suit against my insurance company. It seems that they and other insurance companies were found guilty of not informing their customers ahead of time when their rates were going to be raised because of changes in their credit reports. This was car and homeowners insurance. I am assuming that if one's credit score goes down their insurance rates go up.....and without customers being told about it in advance. The first time the suit was put forth it was dismissed by the judge, but that judgement was appealed........thus, the victory for the consumer. In my case, medical bills being paid over a period of time were probably the culprit.
I'd like to see American consumers being treated fairly by insurance companies of all kinds.

A good thing happened to me today. I had been told sometime last year that I could be a part of a class action suit against my insurance company because of one of their practices. Since I did not remove my name from the suit I was automatically included.........and forgot about it.
Today a check arrived for $207.24 as the suit was settled. What a nice treat! Now to use it properly.
I have about $600.00 in Step 1, an emergency fund and as my income is $20,000 I could consider that step complete or aim for the $1000 suggested for most Step 1 emergency funds. Or I could use it for the "debt snowball."
Any suggestions? And by the way, I received Dave Ramsey's workbook in the mail today and I can't wait to get into it.

I heard a doctor say on television today that a person can gauge the amount of water s/he needs by the following formula: divide your weight by two and this would equal the number of ounces you need to drink. So if you weigh 160 pounds divide it by two which equals 80 ounces. Eight ounces in a cup makes ten cups. Wonder if I did that right? I think so............please don't send nasty letters............LOLOLOL.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007!!!!!
I've enjoyed reading your excited posts and goals for the upcoming year. I've just paid the bills this morning and have knocked off about $700 in debt bills.
As to credit cards, this is something I read or heard and I do use it. When you get the unwanted cards (they must be plastic, not cardboard) in your mail use them in your kitchen on your counters when you work with breadcrumbs, crackers or tiny bits like coffee to scoop these little crumby thingies into your hand to dispose of. Use the wet washrag after you have used your "scooper" and everything seems much cleaner.
I knew that plastic had to be good for something!
Best wishes to all!!