Budget

So...I have put us on a budget. It is not really as bad as it all sounds....i just view this as a challenge...how can we use our money in the wisest ways. Everything...or nearly everything in this world is overpriced, and if I just do a little research, and work it is easy to get things more cheaply. For example: I am exploiting the rewards option on my credit card. I use it to buy nearly everything and then pay it off that month. I have no finance charges, and am able to earn gift cards to places....like just now, I got a $50 card to chili's.

I also got a lot of "free" coupons for my birthday. Most of them to places that I don't want to go...places like Shorty Smalls...but I did get a free burger to Red Robin which I let expire.:( and a free meal up to $10 at Fridays which expires this weekend....Steve doesn't like Fridays though..and so I don't want to waste money on buying a meal that he isn't going to enjoy...so we will have to think about that one.
Of course my fear with this one is that they will SING to me if I use the coupon. I am sure that is one of their reasons for handing it out. Maybe all those who have people sing to them at restaurants aren't really the losers that I credited them to be, but rather just were trying to take the man for a free burger.....or maybe that is just as much of a loser as the other.....

Another thing I have been offered is a mastercard through my education association which will give me $75 credit after my first purchase. I know that having too many credit cards is a bad thing not a good one...and if I use it stupidly...it can be a very bad thing. But I only have one credit card right now, and the interest rate on this card is 8.75%. That is amazingly low, and there is no annual fee or anything. So I am seriously considering this one...at least for the $75.

Thirdly, right now my bank is offering a deal to people who haven't paid bills eletronically through them before. Pay three bills online through the bank before August 15th, and get $75. I have been thinking about doing this anyway...so why not?

I have been finding online coupons....considering going to homeland at least for some of my purchases because they give double coupons. Albertsons was bought out by homeland recently btw (or so I heard) and now gives the double coupons as well.

I have been doing some research on finance and have found one blog that is paticularly entertaining, and informative.

It is called "Give me Back my Five Bucks"

We are really doing fine. Like i said we have made beaucoups more money in the last year than we are used to and have some savings. However, doesn't hurt to live smartly, and this is becoming my new summer obsession.

Hope you are doing well too!
love,
-t