Since I've begun my journey back towards saving, I've been spotting (and picking up!) found change again. While I still have my changepot jar tucked away from our New York finds years ago - my family and I have found a total of $5.21 in the past two weeks. Hubby and I found a local running trail nearby and found a very folded up five dollar bill and I found $0.15 in the parking lot at the college where I work. My daughter's school yielded the other $0.06.

I definitely believe saving attracts money- or maybe it could be that I am looking on the ground more often and paying attention to every little coin I find? Regardless I feel so much better now that I am able to balance out my budget so quickly and am able to save up a few dollars in the process.

Happy Friday

On October 9th, my found money jar celebrated its first birthday. The total amount of money we found and redeemed came out to exactly $365.50. During our inspection of coins we found a few valuable coins that proved to be of some value. Their face values were added into the 365.50 but the profit we'd received in exchange came out to exactly 14.00 (five silver half dollars: $17.50- $3.50 (face value) : $14.00)- making our grand total to $379.50.

I am quite happy because these change hunts have also helped my entire family slim down at least five pounds apiece. My daughter Bri is the most enthusiastic of all because she has discovered a new hobby- Numismatics! (aka coin collecting)

In the past week my family has found $20.05 (just enough to start the $20 challenge ). This money marks a new fiscal year for the changepot- we hope to have more or less the same amount at this time next year... is it possible? Stay tuned here and on my blog for updates!

Hello fellow frugal fans!

I've been vacationing from this blog-home for a while but I've not forgotten what brought me here in the first place!

While I've not had enough time to sort out a solid financial plan, I have continued collecting found change and documenting it. Next month marks a one-year anniversary and as of right now there is $338.27 in there. It's hard to believe that this is all money I've found in less than one year. I am suprised by my own willpower since I haven't spent a dime!

Starting October I'll be coming back here and re-starting my financial crunch until we get back on track. I have accumulated new credit card debt but I know how I got out of it the first time around... I hope to repeat the formula once again.

Toodles for now!
B

Hubby and I walked close to 7 miles yesterday. We boarded the Staten Island ferry at 8am and mapped out our game plan accordingly. Our traveling took us from the whitehall station (Ferry terminal) all the way to Chinatown and back (2.12 miles one way). Once we made it back to S.I, we headed to the mall to shop for new sneakers. We walked the full length of BOTH FLOORS in the mall. THEN we decided to go to Target to buy some treats for great grandma.

I am surprised I still have feet!!!!

I sit here now with foot massager set to maximum WITH HEAT since I can barely feel my tootsies. I think I may have pulled something in the tendon/ankle region as well.

On the upside, Hubby found a five dollar bill at the food court. We were just as happy as if we'd have won lotto. I know that five bucks is nothing nowadays but the rush of finding cash makes our change hunting all the more worthwhile!

"Who let minnie mouse out in this weather?" Here is my daughter showing off her Disney world paraphernalia: ears (14.00), umbrella (12.00), wide grin of appreciation for going on vacation during Easter break (priceless).

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"Re-thinking"
Budget base for May '06:
One can learn soo much about life by reading other people's blogs. After reading a few pfblogs this morning, I feel fiscally ready to map out the upcoming spend budget for this month. I've got several occasions to shop for and I need to establish an acceptable spend amount BEFORE I hit the stores (much like food shopping- never go to the store hungry or armed with a heavy wallet!!). It'll be a toughie considering the events specified:

Mother's Day:
Mom, Grandma, MIL

Birthday:
Mom (turns 65 this year), Dad

Communion:
Daughter

Retirement:
Professor K. (41 years of service)

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Had this been 2004 or earlier, my credit card debt would immediately swell up under multiple, overly generous spends as these are all noteworthy occasions (justified expense). SavingAdvice helped me kick this habit early last year to stop the madness in its tracks and save CASH for splurges. Cash is alot harder to part with- ESPECIALLY when you start accruing a nice stack of twenties.

I am considering creating a few care packages for Mom's Day and gift cards for birthdays. My mom isn't into big parties so I am considering signing her up for craft membership at our local A.C. Moore. Hmmm...

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"Saving"
Tips from the maid:

My maid-neighbor has serviced homes of several rich New Yorkers and known celebrities like Steve Martin and Amy Irving. I like to invite her over for coffee so I can wrestle some decor tips and cleaning product scoop. Her latest set of tips includes a warning on the Dyson Vacuum/Roomba product lines and plugs on the following housecleaning necessities: microfiber cloths, vinegar, and Fantastic with Bleach.

Vacuums- The Dyson vacuum will rip your carpet fibers to shreds as the suction is too strong for non-commercial flooring. One of her clients bought the purple dyson and is now trying to sell it on Ebay after it destroyed her persian rugs. I'll stick with my dirt devil then!

Microfiber cloths- These cloths will pick up dust without having to use any cleaning solutions. Her tip- after cleaning the surfaces (mirrors, counters etc.), dab a little chamomile or lavender water onto the cloth and wipe down one last time. Wiping down light bulbs with the scented cloth will warm the scent enough to fill the room whenever the light is turned on.

Vinegar- She swears by this as the only alternative to clean tile floors. Instead of using beaucoup amounts of clorox clean-up or pine-sol, Miss Maid uses vinegar and water to combat dirt and grime. She then uses diluted lavender scented cleansers to finish the job (yes, she loves lavender!).

Fantastic with Bleach- Though a little more expensive than I care to admit, this stuff makes for easy cleaning without that choking clorox smell. She uses this to disinfect the bathrooms and kitchen sink. I managed to buy two bottles for five bucks at Stop and Shop (my new favorite grocery store)

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"Totals"
It's officially been one year and a few months since I started my envelope methods to save money by quitting bad habits and saving on bills by cutting down. From March to November 2005, I managed to save $4000 which I put into a short term CD. The CD has since matured and I have some more money in envelopes to add along for my next 7 month deposit. How much have I accumulated from March to March alone?

$8,763.12

That is more than half of my student loans. That is enough to take my kids on a posh vacation in the Caribbean. 8 grand. I am a happy camper. The irony about this cash is- 100% of this is money I gave freely to the following companies:

Phillip Morris, Con Edison, Visa, Brooklyn Union Gas, Cablevision, several Atlantic City casinos, New York Times subscription service AND... the nail salon.

How's that for a refund?

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CHANGEPOT UPDATE:

Here is yesterday's entry at my blog,

The Changepot 2006 ]. I am officially over $70.00!!! YAYYY!! Thanks to all the folks who graciously drop coins- know that your coinage is safe with me heheh.

....
Friday, Cinco De Mayo, 06':

A couple of days ago, I posted that I had reached close to $70.00 in found money. Last night, I realized I was way off ($1.17) and felt a bit bummed. What I'd failed to realize is that I had amassed a collection of recyclable cans ($1.10 worth). That-along with today's totals has put me into the first of several changepot goals ($70, $100, $150.00+). The reason I chose $70.00 is because when I started the change questing, I had just spent that amount on one book for school. I paid it with my own hard earned cash (mannn it stung!)

BUT IT'S HERE.

And the sun is shining today.

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CHANGEPOT UPDATE:
Today we found $1.35 in the form of two quarters, five dimes, two nickels and twenty five pennies. We also cashed in twenty two recyclable cans for a total of $1.10 (One dollar and one dime) . Altogether our total for the day was $2.45- taking our totals well over $70.00! There is nothing sweeter than seeing progress in effect!!!!

The best find was in the middle of an INSANE intersection here on the Island. Hubby parked the vehicle on the side and retrieved forty cents without batting an eyelash. I love this race. That's all for today as I have a BIG DAY tomorrow. I'll be sure to post about it
Mucho luvvvv
Change Statistics:

Dollars: Tens (1) = 10.00
Ones (13) = 13.00

Quarters: (85) = 21.25
Dimes: (166) = 16.60
Nickels: ( 72) = 3.60
Pennies: (683) = 6.83
________________________

Total units: (1020) = $71.28


Total Cash found and redeemed today: $2.45
Total Since Blog Inception: $71.28

The past couple of days have been absolutely wonderful! Spring is finally here- my flowers survived the freak april snowstorm and all is well in this little corner of Staten Island!

After reading some self-help/ motivational books over winter break, I've decided to pay more attention to HOW I spend money- what triggers me, etc. I know now that 99% of my impulsive spending happens because I want to buy things for my kids- things I secretly wanted but couldn't have when I was young. I decided to make it a complete experiment (notebook et al!)
here is what I did for two weeks:

-Created a shopping chart/log for two weeks (March 25-April 8)

- Checked off when I made purchases that
weren't on the budget and wrote down the amount (pretax) on a separate column. Wrote down who it was for and why I thought it was "justified".

After the two weeks were up, I tallied the amount spent and the results were shocking. While I exercised some restraint because of the physical hassle of whipping out my chart in public every time I bought something, I managed to spend $317 on my family (dog included). Some of that hard earned dough bought PSP video games, wicker style purses, bratz accessories, and enough jellybeans to feed the state of Vermont! The oddest purchase was two packs of cherry air freshener for $1.39 each at 2:10am at the local gas station and the reason: "Hubby's boots.". Well, at least it wasn't cigarettes!

So..the lesson I learned here is that despite my frugal attempts to save save save (envelope systems, conserve energy etc), old habits are hard to break. I hadn't set up a "spending account" prior to my little investigation and the truth is sometimes you just WANT to spend on something trivial (the American marketing industry wouldn't survive if we wouldn't shop impulsively!). Since I spent over 300 bucks in two weeks, I have now added this new category to my monthly budgeting cycle.

So ask yourself this... when you went shopping last time, how many items did YOU buy that were absolutely unneccesary (price has nothing to do with it! It would be an interesting thing to tally up, wouldn't it?

***CHANGEPOT UPDATE***

I'm not sure if I've posted it here but here's a quick summary of the infamous Changepot:

In early October I started collecting all the money I find in the street and putting it in a cute little jar I call the Changepot. I've acumulated over fifty dollars in this pot so far... it's even outgrown its original container!

Here is a pic of my little changepot

Today I found a shiny new penny in the school parking lot. It's a rare find considering how many people complain about being broke and unable to afford tuition lol. When I got to class, my wise beyond his years English professor asked me why I was smiling and I told him about the penny. He looked at me quizzically and told me how I didn't look like the 'pinching type'. I informed him that in addition to the penny, I've found approximately 27 dollars around campus since January. This caught the ears of a few classmates and one asked why I haven't reported it to which I replied:
"It's not like you guys want it. You throw it around campus and the lawns. I simply pick it up."
I was referring to the abundance of recyclable cans I find all over the place. I have a bag in my car complete with gloves and I go to town around campus when I get the chance. It spruces up the campus AND gives me some additional cans to cash in at the end of the month. There's no shame in it... most people go out of their way to ignore the cans but when I see a can on the floor, I think to myself "Oooh.. I found a nickel!"

So in short.. I laugh all the way to the bank

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