I take out $20 a week for emergency purposes when I can...most of the money those goes to my soda ($1.00) and coffee (.70 cents) I buy at work...I bring coffee to work but sometimes its not enough so I buy more coffee...and I end up getting a bag of chips (.75 cents) or donuts ($1.00). So depending on my mood I end up spending $10 or more a week on junk and doesn't really get used for emergency . Now I could probably do without the coffee but not the soda..or the junk food. I used to just make sure I had $5 a week for soda...I no longer eat lunch because of personal reasons but that is going to change once I get my apt at the end of February.

My idea is to only spend $5 a week again, still take out $20 week and put the $15 towards my $20 Challenge. Because I can guarantee you if its in my account or my little black wallet I will spend it. But in this case I would keep it in my pink sock and I still keep adding $5 a week to my Savings when I get paid. And if I do have an Emergency I will still have the $15 and if I don't need it that week then add it to my Challenge.

My dad gave me an idea that even though its a little to start with, I should save $5 a week...so I started this week.

$50 Walmart GC
$50 Target GC
$50 JCPenney

$60 from bro (he owed me $40 and $20 for Gift)
$40 from Sis (Owed me)
$40 from Daddy as a Gift

I owe my mom $50 so I gave her $40 from that money which left me $100 which was my GOAL for December to SAVE

Now I have that money in a Dollar sock coin purse I received on Christmas away from my wallet and my purse so I do not spend it

Not sure what my Goal will be for January because my daughter for her off track care ($100 a week) and $50 a week towards my Cruise on January 22nd for spending money and Rent ($100 a week). Maybe I will try for $40 or $60?

I usually get $5,000.

$700 goes to State
$2000 will to buy car (long story)
$700 Pay off Credit Cards
Pay deposit for Apt
Savings

To Save $100. It is really difficult this month with all the Christmas shopping and all but I want to have something for December. I get paid weekly. I'll let you know by the end of the month. If I could do more I will.

Pay off my Debt (haven't
Savings & Emergency Fund (Have none
Make Money (Jewelry Parties - Goal 2 a week)

I no longer have a partner, she left me in July 2009 and I had to move back home till March 2010. So its just me and my daughter again.

I already found an apartment I will be moving to (1 bedroom): $688 a month (includes water, cat)

After school care for my daughter $185
My Cell ATT $110
Utilities $100
Credit Card $50
Goal for Groceries $40 a week for two (will coupon & stockpile)
Beauty $110 (nails, hair, tanning - I am a new high maintenance woman but I get my nails done at Walmart and my friend does my hair)
No car payment
Car insurance cut from paycheck
Comcast Internet & Cable $130 (I think it was)
$1348 Month

Now if I can cut my Comcast to start I will put that extra money in my $20 Challenge or anything else I can cut. I am also going to start Kmart Layaway for my items needed again for my apartment after Christmas.

If you have any suggestions let me know.

Thanks
Jackie

I have wanted to do this for YEARS. She is turning 5 in August and starting Kindergarten - so I thought its now or never. Plus she already receives $2 a week allowance for cleaning her room (which she does a good job at and we take her to the Dollar Store every two weeks) My parents never did it for me and I finally did it tonight. I put in $60 to start at ING @ 3% APR. As I get more money I will be depositing more. I AM VERY EXCITED!

That was also the last thing on my Financial List!

Covered:
401k (Work)
Savings (2 Savings Accounts)
Pay Off Debt (CareOne)
DD Savings (ING)
Own Stock (ShareBuilder)

I started Paying off my old DEBT!

Okay but I am slightly discouraged if you look at the numbers

I take home $457.50 a week

$325 goes towards shared bills (rent, groceries, utilities etc...)

$50 a week is towards CareOne ($181 a month)

$25 a week towards Savings

Which leaves me almost $60+ a week leftover.

Keep in mind - I still have to pay my CCs, Car Insurance and a couple of other things every month.

Am I doing okay and the right thing? I know any extra is going towards paying off my debt.

But honestly, I still like to buy things :P and would like to have things too.

Well, I am really annoyed about my financial decisions lately.

*Bought a Laptop (Laptop interest over 25% I believe)
*Need to pay off CCs again (2 total $675 both with interest over 25%)

So what I am going to do is take out the $900 and pay $200 on each of the CCs ($300 CC and $375 CC) and put $400 towards the laptop and then pay the rest off in payments on both.

I already have $25 a week going into my Savings and I am sure I can come up with ways to make extra income.

Then after I will contact CareOne (they are already knocking the down the door and calling me and I will let him know I am interested and to give me a minute)

Anyway I was also reminded of the Suze Orman segment of "Can you Afford It" when the chick had BIG BUCKS in her Savings and still had ton of CC and Student Loan debt and she told her what is the point of having a BIG Savings if you have all this Debt??? So I agree. Plus I am sure Suze would have DENIED me getting this new Laptop Oopsy!

More later in as The Jackie Financial World Turns later :P

Well now I have two! I know some would say I should sell one or give my old one away but the first one I got for free and it still works and its mine, the second one is the new one I got from Dell.

Well, I tried to Cancel with Dell and it was too late.

I bought a $67 ($39 for the cord & the rest for the Fedex Next Day Shipping) Laptop cord to fix my Toshiba and it worked again, we had originally took it apart because we thought the pin was broken on it. It wasn't. The Laptop cord just was broken.

So I got my new Laptop and its Beautifully PINK (It cost me a total of $768)

I am going to make payments on it and I am still putting $25 a week in Savings. I am going to try to have it paid off in about 4 months. So I would almost have to pay $200 a month. Which doesn't seem to much and if I have any extra money I can go ahead and pay it towards it as well.

I think it will all be fine though.

I don't know about everyone else but the way the economy is going and the world right now I am anxious about putting more money in my Savings. Just contemplating when and how much...

Right now I technically have 3 Savings accounts. One is connected to my Checking account, I have another one COMPLETELY separate (no card or anything) on my second Savings and my third Savings account I have through ING.

Savings#1 has about $300 (supposed to be used for a Trip to Vegas)
Savings#2 has $1,005.17
Savings#3 has $394.70

For a Total of about $1699.87

I have a Savings Goal of $3,000.

Not sure when we will be actually going to Vegas because my Partner's Mom is sick and I still need to figure out where my dad is (He is technically homeless always and I want to help him so much and I just hope he is ok somewhere in Vegas. Plus we want to make sure that we can get a Good Deal.

I now make $14.70 but I am also getting another Raise on June 1st...so I think it will be easier to decide how much to Save then...

from two checks I received in the mail from Jerky and SFI. Its not a lot but it is helping rebuild my Savings & for the $20 Challenge.

I will be Marketing my Business more so I can pay off all of my Debt and finally work from home. Tonight we printed off some Business Cards.

I will also be paying myself $25 per paycheck into my Savings Account here soon.

My Money Goals I have done a couple of them.

I signed up for my 401K, which I am finally glad I did.

Well I did get PROMOTED to the Billing Dept at work. Today was the last day of Training, tomorrow I start in my new Dept. Still working on Business though.

I realized that I am adding Value to myself by signing up for my 401k NOW and not later, as well as getting Health Benefits and depositing money back into my Savings. Pleased with myself.

I also want to get my daughter a Savings. She is 4 and I want to get this for her really bad. Plus, I had added her as a Beneficiary everywhere, every time when I sign up for a new Financial Account.

I want to knock out a few big things too in the process:

Chase MC $246.41
National City CC $326.44
Car Insurance $360.39 Optional: $133.51

(I had some issues with them and now I have a HUGE Cancellation & Reinstatement fees from them)

Well playing around on MyPoints, I decided to get a Car Insurance Rate Quote from various Auto Insurance Companies. Well most of them were $60+ and to my Surprise one is actually $33. Right now I pay about $50+ a month for my Auto Insurance. So I am thinking of having that same company do another quote for me to make sure it is accurate with the Insurance I have now.

Since my Insurance I believe is $51 A MONTH, my SAVINGS would be $18 a month! Which I could put back into my Savings.

Speaking of Savings - After I go back to work, I would like to Deposit $30 a week into my Savings Account with Direct Deposit.

Not sure though yet, how I will do it.

I got my Taxes back and I put $1300 in Savings and paid something that I cannot remember LOL. $1,000 of it is to fix my daughter's teeth once I find a Pediatric Dentist.

Plus I went to Wendover, Nevada (I live in Utah) and won a total of $1,000 on the $1 Slot Machines with the tip from my new Beau

My Norton 2006 Anti-Virus was just telling me how my 2006 had Expired...I had just purchased a bunch of $5 TVs from Office Depot.com, you know Stockpiling and so I decided to check out a Friend's site because I missed the Game! LO and BEHOLD! There is a Overage of $7 and Rebate CC for Norton Anti-Virus! So I made sure I purchased it tonight before the deadline which is tomorrow 12/09/06...and now I am sitting here filling out my Rebate form, wondering where my 2007 software is so I can submit my form with the UPC Code LOLOL!

I also had deposited those Checks which brought my total up to $268 and I got a Jerky Check for $15 that I need to Deposit and have some more Pinecone Checks coming in...

*Get myself out of the Financial Blunder I had put myself in.

*Pay off my Parents in 4 weeks because they helped me get my all weather tires.

*Pay off my CC again.

*Pay ALL my Bills before anything else.

*The BIGGEST OATH OF ALL is do not sign the list to go home early anymore.

Jacquelyn Butler 11/28/2006

All the Checks I get in the mail for doing little things like Surveys, Jerky and Rebates etc...all go in my $20 Challenge Savings account.

Right now I will be Depositing:

$12.00 Rebate Check for Gillette Razor
$9.30 Cash Crate Check
$5.00 Pinecone Check
$1.50 Jerky Check
TOTAL $27.80

Which will bring my Challenge up to:
$257.77

I will be looking for more ways to get Checks in the mail

Jacquelyn

$9.30 CashCrate (Unexpected)
$5.00 Pinecone
$1.50 Jerky (I need to get busy with this one, they subtracted the $12 a month Autoship fee)
TOTAL: $15.80

Going into my $20 Challenge Pot that I need to work on again, brings my Total to:

$245.77

I need to do more with My Challenge. I need to get back into Couponing and such.

and I ended up Spending $14.47 but keep in mind, everything was an Investment. Like 4x6 Index Card Box to hold all my Coupons and My Envelopes to process my Rebates. I also got my Daughter some more Water Colors because I know how much she Loves them. My Calculator to add and subtract my Finances and Rebates and Invitations for my Housewarming Party. Nothing useless except maybe the Laffy Taffy LOL.

I forgot to add I owe Myself:

$91.42 for Comcast Discount
$49 for getting a Dining set half of what I set out to Pay
Total: $140.42 to $20 Challenge

PLUS REBATES:

$12 Gillette Vibrance Razor
$3 for Batteries
$15 Total

$100 Rent.com
$5 Pinecone Survey

$20 Challenge: $464.03 (I AM CLOSE TO MY GOAL!)

There was this Dining set from Walmart I have wanted for THREE weeks and has not been available nor the Sales Clerks very Helpful. So I spoke to someone and they are going to give me their's for $50 BUCKS! MY PLAN to spend on that previous Dining set was $99 which MEANS I can put the DIFFERENCE in my $20 Challenge!

Bringing it up to: $372.21

I cannot wait to do REBATES!

I need to Buy a Printer LOL, now I REALLY do in order to Print Rebate Forms...I have no clue on how to hook up a Printer...I am going to buy The Gillette Razor and I already purchased the Rayovak batteries so those will be my first two Rebates...I will probably do the Colgate Total also...I also have a Coupon for the toothpaste I think. Then when I receive them I am going to add them to my new Savings account.

I HAVE NO EXTRA COUPONS! I am so mad! I did not get any Stockpile Coupons! But at least I know My Bill will not be that much BUT STILL! I guess I will need to get some as soon as the Ad comes out. DUH!

I decided the $40 from my Daughter's School that I do not need to pay anymore is going to go into her Savings Account.

I OPENED up a Savings and PHYSICALLY put my $20 Challenge Money into my Savings today!!!

ITS SO AWESOME!!

I have:

$150 (Loan was Paid back to me)
$8.61 (Jerky Business check)
$20 (For the initial $20 Challenge)
$40 for my daughters Daycare that was reduced by $40 a month for turning 3!
--------
= $218.61

and I opened it up at My Credit Union and told the Bank NOT to link it to my Checking account and I want NO ATMs or any kind of Card. That Account is ONLY for DEPOSITS.

PLUS I am EXPECTING $100 from Rent.com and
$5 Pinecone Check.

Which will bring my TOTAL up to: $323.61

I LOVE THIS CHALLENGE!

Rent.com emailed me back to Verify my Lease Address for my Apartment. They are going to send me $100 for using their Service for finding an Apartment through them! So I should get that money in a few weeks. I will add that money to my $20 Challenge! Which will bring me up to TOTAL CHALLENGE = $318.61.

I am making an attempt to cut back on my Spending & I am using Coupons. My Challenge Money is going to be used to build my Emergency Fund account since I do not have one. Which I guess should be about $1500.

I figure between Child Care ($40 a month) and Couponing (Saving the difference from Grocery Budget when I use from Coupons) it shouldn't take too long to build an Emergency Fund.

I still want to Live a Raise Behind also.

Ok so get this! I had just got the deal I wanted from Comcast (see previous Post) then I go to get $5 LC Pizza and there is a Coupon for a Free Movie on Basic Cable for New Customers for COMCAST! (REBATE)

ALSO I got a Check in the mail from my Jerky Business! I REALLY need to work this Business! I don't but if I am consistent I am sure I can do real well with it! I decided I am going to put that in one of my Savings accounts. It was $8.61. (Difference from Monthly Shipment of $12)

Plus I have $150 Post dated Check which I cash on Friday from someone I gave a Loan to.

I think I am ready to do my $20 Challenge!

$60 ($20 for $20 Challenge +$40 Child Care)
$150 (Loan I let someone borrow)
$8.61 (Jerky Check)
TOTAL CHALLENGE = $218.61

My Daughter turned 3 today so when I made my advanced payment for her Preschool I only had to Pay $90 for this week instead of $100. (I get Paid Weekly).

She had a Birthday Party in class, I did take her some places this weekend to make up for her Birthday.

I will add that money into my $20 Challenge

Jacquelyn

ok so far I have Overtime, I will start signing up for it next week. Although they had already given me a Mandatory hour for next week LOL.

Ok Ima Saver had given me some brilliant ideas for my $20 Challenge. I do not buy lunch anymore PERIOD, which would probably cost me $20 bucks a week, I could then add that to my $20 Challenge starting Monday.

So lets say I have $20, now $20 = $40 for $20 Challenge. Add $20 each week I do not buy Lunch YIPPEE!

I also can figure each time I want to buy something from the machine I could add that $1 or .75 cents as well.

I ate out today so I cannot add that to my Challenge (almost $10)

I am unsure about the whole Coupon thing. But I guess I could do a Cost and Compare.

I also shop at Smith's and use their Savings Card so whenever I Save Money I can add that as well. But since I will be moving my local Grocery store will be Harmons so I will have to see if they have a Savings Card.

I have a Coin Jar. That will be added as well.

Hmmmm I figure I could keep this all on a Spread Sheet.

Now as far as Making Money, I want to Promote My Business which I am going to have a Very Focused, Inexpensive Detailed Marketing Plan.

I also want to Save $50 a week like I was at my previous Job.

As is to what to do! I know, EBAY...I am really sick of that word. LOL.

I want to do something creative, out of the box kind of thing.

This Challenge as no limits right? Well I need to look at my old Posts and maybe check out some ideas of others to their $20 Challenge.

Jacquelyn

I am still trying to figure out what to do with the $20 Challenge. IF anyone has any ideas PLEASE let me know. I am trying to think outside the box.

Ok I seriously want to do this Challenge this year...the problem is I am not sure as is to what to do with my initial $20. So what I decided to do was go and read up on the other Challenges and then decide to go from there. But, I want to take it seriously this time...kind of frustrating. I think this is the coolest idea ever and I can always use an extra $5,000!

Jacquelyn