PRICEPLUS's Personal Finance Blog

I have been told that inflation is low. Given the prices in the grocery store you could really fool me. We look for sales and try to stock up as much as possible.

My gas and electric bill appear to keep increasing. I am amazed at the cost!

Looks like I need to stretch the dollars even more.

Well. my Christmas shopping is done and I have not gone overboard. I still have my head above water and just the one credit card which I pay off at the end of the month.
Still clipping coupons and living frugally. DD has three more semesters in college and will graduate, God willing, debt free.
I keep putting as much money as I can away for retirement. I just wish my investments were doing better.
The house and cars are paid for and I am grateful for that.
The taxes and the cost of utilities is getting out of hand. The grocery prices are going crazy as well. Gas for the car is also killer!
So I guess everything is on an even keel.
Merry Christmas everyone and may financial security come to you all!!!!

Well, I still am out of debt. I don't spend money most days and I sock away as much money as I can. It is a little disheartening getting such a pittance in returns. Still I keep saving.

My DD is in her Junior year at college and she will get through debt free. The wife wants to get her a car for graduation but I can't see that happening.

My car is 12 years old but I am going to run it till it falls apart. We are still clipping coupons and are surprised at the savings. I cannot believe the increases in the food prices! The gas is still pretty steep here as well.

So I am keeping mu head above water and I suppose that will have to be enough for now. We have no mortgage but the taxes are just ridiculous. Our utilities have gone up a good bit as well!

Just getting by but as I said I am doing better than a great many others!

Spent a little more for Christmas than I wanted. My budget is off already and the new year is not yet here!

I really hope to do some serious saving this year. I am worried about the economy though and I hope my investments don't take a dive!

Will pay the bills in full but I am now a bit tighter in the budget than I had hoped to be. I guess I'll just keepp on keeping on and hope nothing catastrophic happens.

Work is slowing down and the tax burden here is awful. I have enough to pay my daughter's college tuition for the last two years of her schooling. So DD will get out of school debt free.

Graduate or medical school is another ball of wax though. I have to get my retirement money in order. I am somewhat behind in this category.

I have about 5000 dollars together for a new car for my daughter when she graduates college. This will be a gift from my wife and I. What kind of car she gets depends upon how much I can scrimp and save. I was thinking about a low end Toyota Camry.

I only have 100,000 saved for retirement so I am behind the 8 ball. Who knows what the dollar will be worth when I retire. Who knows if Social Security will be around.

We have made some serious cuts in discretionary spending around here. I still walk around with less than 20 dollars in my pocket at any one time.

Well, I suppose we just do the best we can with what we've got. Just checking in for a reality check!

Well, I still have no credit card debt. I am putting as much money away as I can. Living as frugally as I can and that is pretty much the state of affairs I find myself in.

It is all good. It is stable at this point. Staying out of debt and paying as I go!

Well I have collected 175 dollars in Barnes and Nobles gift certificates. Folks gave me a bunch for my recent birthday.

I went to Barnes and Noble but I just did not find anything I needed or wanted. So I guess I will use it for birthdays and the upcoming Christmas Holiday.

It really will help with the gift giving budget.

Well, DD is off to college and seems to be doing well after some initial homesickness.

We have no major debt right now but my dear wife seems to want to change that! LOL!!!!

I have not posted here in quite a while. I still try to have as many "No Spend" days as possible. Still trying to book as many dollars as I can. No CC balance at this time thank goodness. I guess I am in a holding pattern.

We have a new car and we own it outright. Saving now for one for me and daughter. Wishful thinking but it is a goal.

We are still clipping coupons and a trip to the diner is a fancy date. Pretty funny when you think about it.

We would like to redo our bedroom, the upstairs bathroom and the basement. We also need to replace the basement windows.
Sigh! It just never stops!

All I can do is my best and I will continue to try! What else can a I do!

Ignition went on the car and had to be replaced and it was discovered that the exhaust systemm is going kaput.

The car is 11 years old and I have to start thinking about another new car. I am still thinking about getting it fixed and keeping it as daughters knock about car when she is back from college.

I forgot to mention that my DD is going to Notre Dame. An expense I saved for but I am sure their are other expenses I had not anticipated.

The money comes in and the money goes right back out. Blessed be the money....sheesh!!!!

Still saving as much as I can but the unexpected expenses such as my medical insurance are taking a toll on the budget.

I guess it could be worse. I could be living in a third world country starving. All things are relative I suppose.

Still trying to string together no spend days and I have been having some very good luck with that. I especially like filling my coffee thermos at home and drinking out of that. It is so much cheaper!

Well that is about it for now. I will keep on keeping on!

I recieved an e-mail telling me Flash had posted to my blog. I had forgotten that I have friends here who are very supportive of my efforts.

Things may be tough at present but folks have to believe that things will get better. We can succeed. We can do well. The motto must be "CAN DO"!

We all have our reasons for being here but the goal is the same. Financial success is doable! We can be control of that part of our lives. We must never give up and accept defeat no matter how hard the struggle.

Nothing can stop us save our own fears! Let us face them and conquer them! Success can and will be ours!

Keep the faith and you will be rewarded in the end!

Thank you folks for everything!

Well, work is getting really hard to come by. My investments are down a goodly amount. The weather is the pits and the money situation is tighter than ever. What can you do? It is what it is?

Don't have much time to sit in front of a computer these days! Sigh. It will be better tomorrow! It will be better tomorrow!

It is snowing again and my shovel broke. I came home early to shovel and I am hating this weather. 25 dollars for a new shovel!

I can't wait for spring! I can't wait for the warm weather! Sigh!

Took the 98 Sienna in for simple repairs. It never turns out that way. It needs two front tires and the right steering linkage needs to be repaired. All this in addition to the back door handle breaking.

The bill to do all this will be 875 if we decide to do this. It just never stops. I am leaning towards repair rather than buying a new car. I think we can get 1 or 2 more years out of the mini van. DW wants a new car plus one for the DD. I hate to spend the money!

All I can do is the best I can do!

Another day where I spent no money. Found some change cleaning out drawers and coats. In the notions jar it goes.

We still have not taken my wife's van in to get the back door handle fixed. We'll put it off as long as we can.

My friend who was in serious financial trouble is now operating with his head above water so I save that money now that I used to send him.

My budget is still out of whack so I have to eliminate some more expenses from my budget. Cutting into bone at this time!

NO clothes purchases this year. That is the goal and I have broken out the needle and thread. I am so glad my father insisted I learn basic needle and thread skills.

I volunteer with the town and I get a free family pool pass for the summer. That should save us upwards of $200. We used the pool extensively last year. I alos get the free use of a gym but have not used it yet!

Our local library is really great and you can get DVDs and CDs of really neat stuff. I am not renting anything ever again from the local Blockbuster!

Just hooked up the P3 4400 Kill A Watt Meter to my freezer in the basement. The wife and I will also check the fridge we have in the garage. This device measures kilowatt hour use by appliances. We can then see how much it is to run the appliance on a monthly basis. The results might make it worth it to buy a new freezer that is more efficient and cost effective. We will be checking out our large appliances first and then the smaller ones as we use them to see where we can cut electric usage!

What killed us this last bill was gas usage. We use gas to heat hot water, our house, the range top, and our clothes dryer! We have lowered the temp on the water heater again. We have lowered the heat as much as we can but MIL is 87 and cannot take the cold. Good thing we don't have a large house. I use the dryer to warm up the wet clothes and then hang them in the basement.I am also using cold water to wash everything except whites and under garments.Showers are being carefully watched to make sure they are as short as humanly possible.

I have ended several magazine subscriptions even though I enjoyed them.
I have a 25 dollar gift card to Barnes and Nobles but I will use this for a gift for someone thus saving more money!

I make most of my calls after 9 PM and on weekends with the cell phone. We got three cell phones for just a little over 100 dollars for extending for three years. Our phones were kind of beat up and so it was time. It really was a good deal.

I have given up driving for pleasure. I try to set a route out when I run errands in order to use as little gas as possible. The wife has been pretty good of late with this as well.

Wow! That was pretty long winded of me! Still saving as much as I can and spending as little as possible!

We use our 10 year old Toyota Sienna a lot. It is getting long in the tooth but I figure getting a few problems like the back hatch handle fixed is cheaper than new car payments.

We have to start getting a bit more money together for a new car. My car is 8 years old and I am shooting for 7 more years out of it. I figure if I do the maintenance regularly it will last me a goood long while.

I hate car payments so I will kepp saving till I have a goodly amount of the price of a car.

Well, in any case I have to get the handle fixed on the back door of the Sienna. The bills never stop!

Wow! I have been here a while! I have not gotten to the place I need to be yet but it sure ain't from lack of trying!

Another no spend day for me. I have to keep it up.

Money is slow coming in. We just lost my wife's medical insurance a couple of months ago and are now paying 1500 a month for it.

We did not exchange gifts at Christmas. We are clipping coupons, cutting back where we can, and remaining hopeful for the future to be better.

I try and put together no spend days on the top of my list of things to do! I keep socking as much money away as possible.

I was shoveling snow last week and developed some sort of heart arrythmia. I went to the cardiologist and he does not think it serious but I am going for a nuclear stress test this Tuesday.

We had a cold spell and I found myself stuffing newspaper around the doors in order to stop heat loss.

I pay cash for most everything these days. I throw the loose change in a jar in order to save. When I fill the jar up I'll put the money in the bank.

I wish everyone a good year and the best of health!

The proverbial sky is falling. Several thousands of dollars in my investments value have disappeared. Credit is harder to come by. 31 States will soon be unable to meet their financial obligations.

Cash is now king. We may be headed, some say, towards deflation.

Here is my take on it.

Invest in companies that employ Americans and make goods here. Cut back on your use of foreign made goods.

Use your car less and keep the heat low. Now is the time to face this chrisis head on! Enough of sending our jobs and money overseas.

We must not give in to fear. We must save and invest now more than ever. We must not give into panic and fear as that will be our downfall!

Hold Republicans and Democrats responsible for this mess they allowed to happen! Throw all the bums out!

We can get through all this if we do not panic and give in to fear. Tighten your belts and keep moving ahead! It will get better.

We can do it gang!!!

Well I am an automatic long term investor who has watched several thousand dollars in value just evaporate.

I suppose I could panic and get upset but what would be the point. I will continue to invest on a regular basis and thus buy shares of Mutual Funds, ETFs, and Stocks at a lower price.

If the economy were to collapse I fear it would take the rest of the world economy with it. Worrying is moot! Whatever happens happens and there is little I can do to change it.

The politicians on both sides of the aisle are already fingerpointing. Just what we need!

I hope others are doing well!

567 dollars to fix car and 253 for computer and school supplies. Arrgghhhh!

We have cut back on soda and junk. We have continued to clip coupons and comparison shop and stock up when there are sales.

I am trying to be a minimalist and not purchase anything. It is amazing that I have walked around for two weeks with the same eight dollars in my wallet.

I keep putting money away and am constantly looking for ways to save more and squeeze more out of my budget.

It never stops this money saving thing....

In any case I am still in the black for now and I am trying to stay that way!

I feel like Knute commanding the tide back. More unexpected bills coming in. Work is slowing down and oddjobs are getting harder to find so as to make extra money.

My wife is stillgoing through her occassional spending spree. I used to get upset but now I have built this in as a feature of my life. The wife has no access to the funds I am putting away.

C'est la vie.........

The water bill that came in was 62 dollars higher than the last. It is funny how I look forward to rain now! I cut some more stuff from my budget so as to keep things in balance. Hard to say when I have saved enough as my mutual funds show a net loss as opposed to what I put into them. Pretty funny stuff. The ETFs are doing better and the savings are the savings.

I like the line from " I Remember Momma"; "we do not have to go to the bank!" I try to string no spend days together as much as I can. I have my coffee home and we buy bread products at a discount and freeze them for later use.

We had work done on the house and thatcost us a pretty penny. We had to have trees taken down and we fixed the landscaping. I believe we have added to the value of the house. We have two bathrooms and an upstairs bedroom to do.

It wa good we had work done outside. When the old front steps were taken down we found termites in the early stages. It is interesting how some exterminators will rip you off if they can. We found someone for a quarter of the price of the first quote who did the same thing.

We will soon need to replace my wife's car as well as get a car for my daughter.
I don't know where I am getting all this money. I am still a bit short of the 100,000 number for my daughter's college education. I am working on it.

Sometimes I wish my ship would come in but soon realize I am the builder of the boat I am in. So it goes.

I keep struggling not to slip back into debt but it is so hard these days to keep your head above water. Food, gas, electric, etc.....are getting more expensive everyday.

I am fortunate in that the mortgage is paid and the cars we own are bought and paid for. I will just keep hitting it and hope for the best!

I am still out of debt and I am saving every penny that I possibly can. It just seems that no matter how much I save or scrimp or work I never get too far ahead in the finances.

It feels that I am carrying a weight on my shoulders. Work is slowing down and boy are prices going up! The prices on some things stay the same while the amount you get shrinks! It sure takes the wind out of your sales when you work so hard to accumulate some wealth!

Gas through the rough....groceries through the roof.....taxes through the roof.....clothes, medical care, etc......everything going through the roof.

I am still chugging after all this time but I feel one heck of an undertow trying to drag me down!

A friend of mine who is in poor health has no money coming in due to certain terrible circumstances.Although we are not rich the wife and I felt we had to help.

We sent 2000 dollars whch is a chunk of change for us. The good Lord blessed us with the ability to help and so we did. I am not looking for a pat on the back or any recognition.

He is a nice man but totally clueless about money. He has lived on the edge for many years. Worked hard but could never get his finances in order.

I told my friend to forget about paying me back. I think sometimes it is good to help when you can. I suppose it means that some luxury things are not going to be there for us now. In the end what is important in life?

I think I have done the right thing. I believe I am obligated to help if I can do so. He is a very good friend and a decent man. My wife and I think the world of him.

MAybe I am looking for someone to say that I did the right thing. In the end I suppose that does not really matter.

I know in my heart I did the right thing and at the end of the day that is all that matters! Someday I might find myself in my friends position. There is a certain karma in the universe that repays in way or another. I guess I'll be content with that thought.

Just musing about this. Just musing.

My heart monitor that I use when when running and my digial watch needed new batteries. I went out and found them at a good price in the local grocery store and replaced them myself. I saved a couple of bucks there.

I am keeping car usage to a minimum as the price of gas is starting to hurt. I expect closee to 4 dollars a gallon in the not too distant future.

The thermostat is as low as comfort will allow. Throws and fleece blakets are in the living room. Sweaters are "de rigeur" for this home.

The light near the street is shot and rotted through near the elctric outlet on it. My brother and a buddy will be helping me replace it when I get the money together. The price of having someone do it is prohibitive!

Trying to string together "no spend" days but I am not always successful. I am also trying to get the Emergency Fund back up to a decently high number again. It is really hard at times due to things that just pop up out of nowhere.

Well, I guess I'll just keep on keeping on!

My wife had surgery on her laeg a few days ago. She has been bed ridden and I am trying to help out as much as possible.

I think though that I am driving my wife insane with the way I do things around the house that she usually does. Oh well!

I had to run her over to the Docs aas she thought there might be some post operative infection. He told her to stay off her feet and keep the leg elevated. He might just as well have been talking to the wall. Arrggghhhhh!!!!

I spent nothing today but a few bills did come in but they are in the budget. I hate days when I have to worry about health issues. It is very stressful. That is why it has been a beast of a day for me.

Tomorrow is another day and so is the day after that and so on. It will get better!

Catalytic converter went on my car and my wife had engine troubles with hers. All told the cost was over 4200 dollars for everything that needed to be done.

Wife ran up some bills but I will not be payin ghtem nor will I get upset by them. Our finances are now seperate and we split the bills. I think she is less than truthful about what is going on but there you have it. I guess some things will never change.

I kust keep keeping on and put one foot in front of the other.

I am still debt free. I have had some good fortune and now I don't have to worry about retirement so much. I was left a sizeable amount of money. So along with the house and our current savings plan the wife and I are set.

The house is free and clear as are our cars at the present time. Debt free is good! Very good! I am enjoying being debt free! Woo! Hoo!!!!

Best of luck and good health to everyone!

No new credit card bills! We have been paying cash for the most part.

The Emergency fund is back up to nearly 7000 dollars and we are aiming for 10000 with a 100 a month additon when we get there.

I have been keeping busy trying to make money wherever and whenever I can. We have some home repairs to make soon. I hope to keep the amounts spent to a minimum.

The water heater and some of the pipes in the basement had to be replaced. The total bill for everything came to 1138.00.
Sheesh! I should have been a plumber.

Thankfully the EF was available and we paid cash! Thank God no need to use the CC's.

Don't get around to the computer much these days. Maybe when I get a little more time but I work when the work is there in order to fatten up our retirement accounts.

Sometimes I wish I'd hit the lottery as I am not as young as I used ot be.

I hope eveyone here is doing well. I will stop in again soon.

Hey gang! Been losing weight, Saving money, and having a grand old time. I just replaced the water heater and the pipes leading to and fro. $1137 with the tax and everything. I paid cash! I love what this place has taught me!

I already have a couple of hundred miles in on my bicycle already and I am loving it. I have not had time to sit on the computer as I would like. Work and exercise are filling up more of my time than ever before.

I have no debt as of this entry and I am hoping to keep it that way! I hope you are all doing well! God Bless!

The bills come in and get paid. I work as much as I can and try to squirrel away as much money as possible.

I am down to 328 and still heaqding south in the weight department.

The wife is still watching the spending and things are humming along.

The snow is all gone and things are just moving along. I like autopilot asit means nothing is amiss that I know of anyway!

That is all there is to report. Autopilot!