Today was payday! WOOT! The first payday of the new year. And, it was a grandtotal of $103! This is double what I usually get ... they pay us 8 hours on Christmas, even though we are closed.

I also stopped at the bank today and cashed in my change. I only go inside th credit union once a month or so, to cash in my change, and one of the ladies had passed away. I was so shocked. She was there last month and took care of me. She loved that I rubberband my ones. They had a memorial on her counter, and I am still in shock that she's gone.

$119.27 - challenge
103.00 - paycheck
+031.00 - change jar total
--------
$253.27 - Challenge total 1/3/07

I have had one no spend day this month so far, and have written one check, but I am not going to add that to the challenge until I deposit the money next week at the credit union. Just writing it down for my reference.

My grandfather always "slips" me money for Christmas. Ever since having my daughter, my grandmother refuses to get me anything, let alone wish me a merry Christmas.

This year, my grandfather slipped a card into his back pocket and waited until my grandmother left the room to make herself a plate for dinner, when he thrust it into my hand. It tickles me that he does this on the sly, and saddens me so much that he has to do this. She has no idea that he does this. I don't know where he gets the money from, I know he has some since he still rises before the sun to go to yard sales and such ... so it's "his" money.

$69.27 - $20 Challenge
+50.00 - Wonderful Gramps
- - - -
$119.27 - 12/25 total!

The money will go into the "$20 challenge" and this month my brakes will get fixed! WOOT! I also may get an oil change with the money, and POSSIBLY new tires if I can stretch the budget.

Gosh, I am still tired from last night. So tired! Next year, I will wrap BEFORE Christmas Eve. I swear.

$20.00 - beginning balance
+49.27 - paycheck 2/20
_ _ _ _
$69.27 - $20 challange


Most of my paychecks go straight into my 401k, however two weeks ago I realized I am making the same amount of money as new servers. At Cracker Barrel, you get a .05 raise for every "par level" you reach. When we got bumped up the the new server min. wage, they never bumped up my raises. I really wish I had noticed this ... I don't know, a year ago. However, my paycheck went up like $15.

Sweet!

On an interesting note, I have somehow managed to make even numbers in tips the past two nights. Weird.

I would REALLY love to get out of debt. This is something that is most definately in the foreseeable future, and I know I have to take a good long look at my expenses to be able to accomplish this. SO, I decided to slightly twist the $20 challenge a lot of you all do to fit my needs.

I know a lot of people are going to start on Jan 1st, but ... I am taking a leaping head start of a week and a half. From now until Jan 3rd, I'm booked. Completely booked. Since this is my last day off for about two weeks, I picked today to sit down wit myhandy dandy budget and work everything out.

My second savings account is where I am going to be keeping all of this money. It is at a local credit union, and it really won't be hard at all to make a weekly pit stop here to donate funds.

I know this money is supposed to "grow" but lets be honest, the amount I am being charged in interest on my debt will make any grown man cry. These debts need to be tackled as quickly as possible. So, my take on the challenge will be that every month, I will withdraw this money from said savings account and pay extra to my creditors. I am going to start throwing money at the so quickly there silly little heads will spend. YAY!

My rules of the challenge are:
$1 will be put into the challenge:
* I have a no spend day
* Whenever I write a check
* I bring my lunch to work
* When I hit 10,000 steps on the pedometer
* When I loose one pound.

Each week, when I go to the local credit union, a check will be written out to hit these totals. I will keep track of this in my little calendar I bring with me everywhere. I figure if I do this weekly, the money will seem less to me, than if I did it once a month.

Also included in the challenge are:
*all change collected over the course of a month
*any "extra" dollars. This might not make sense to some, but what I do with my tips is round them down to the nearest tenth, so any "extra" dollar is shoved into my change jar. This money adds up QUICK.
*any grocery savings. I know this is debated by some people as actual savings, but when I see what I "saved" after coupons and special deals, it's usually a bit of money. I am going to pay myelf back with it.
*any rebates
*all survery money and any mney from paid sites
*anything that I sell on ebay, or in garage sales or at the consinment shop
* and the BIG one ... all of my paychecks from Cracker Barrel are going to be funneled into this account. I pick up my check every Thursday (they don't have direct deposit) So every Thursday I will be making a nice hefty deposit into my credit union.

Can it be done?!!? I think so. I really hope it can be done. I need for it to happen. So, I am going to make it happen.