The $100 Challenge Check-In

Yay! I have a blogger buddy doing the $100 challenge. Brandi at My Cup Runneth Over is taking up the challenge, too!

I started week two yesterday and I have no money left over to put into my FUNd account. So I guess I'll put up the yard sale signs today and have a quicky sale tomorrow morning. Why? Because I need some FUNd $$$ for something FUN I am planning with some other mom~friends and their sons. I have determined that the $$$ for this will not come out of our regular budget. And if my husband is reading this, he is scratching his head and mumbling, "We have a budget? When did that happen?"

My $100 Challenge begins on Thursday mornings with a trip to the ATM for $100 in cash. Prior to that trip I do my Publix weekly ad and coupon match up.
I made a technical error at Publix yesterday and went over my budget by $6.57.

The cashier, Penny, exclaimed, "You saved one hundred six dollars and thirty-five cents!"

That was right before she asked, "Orville Redenbacher's on sale?"

Not the microwave kind. I don't use a microwave. I don't have a microwave. I don't want a microwave.

So, no thrifting for me this week. And no CVS or Wags deals. That's ok. I have a stockpile of shampoo, toothpaste, body wash and laundry detergent. I'll save my "extra care bucks" for next week.

What about you? Find any good deals lately? Do you combine coupons with BOGO's?

And...in case Sarah from Publix is reading this, "You're a sweetheart! Thanks for the help yesterday!"

The $100 Challenge and Thrifty Finds

Please scroll down a bit for the Frugal Fashionista linkup!

Syracuse China coffee cup ~ .49



Syracuse China is made in the USA since 1871.

Breakfast

Honey Banana Muffin with a schmear served on a Syracuse China saucer. I got 10 of these in mint condition for $1.50.

These muffins have no sugar and no artificial sweetener. They are dense and filling. They have honey and applesauce in them.

Two years ago I bought this end table for $20.

Orange is in my top 3 of favorite colors.

Tommy Hilfiger with attached price tag from Macy's. I paid $2.25.

White House Black Market bias cut dress for $9.00. It's so pretty on. I think my husband and I need a fancy shmancy date night!

Or maybe I could "casualize" it for Costa's Greek Restaurant. I just purchased a certificate from Groupon for Costa's.

Do you "Groupon?"

I went to the White House Black Market website and most of their dresses are over $100.

I'm linking this to Beauty and Bedlam's Frugal Fashionista post.

I started my $100 Challenge Thursday (7/8). I withdrew $100 cash from the bank and am challenging myself to make all weekly grocery, drugstore (CVS, Walgreens) and thrift store purchases for no more than $100 cash. Any $$$ left over goes into my FUNd account!

I'll let you know next Friday how my first week of the $100 Challenge went.

I plan to utilize my best bargain techniques including coupons, CVS extra care bucks, Walgreen register rewards, and delayed gratification. I believe one of the things that separates children from grownups is the ability to delay one's gratification.

If you are interested in your trying your own $100 Challenge, please let me know. Maybe you have more little ones or more big ones around your table and $100 is not feasible for you. Or maybe you are an empty nester and can make it a $75 challenge. I'd like to turn this into a weekly feature with check-ins for participants.

What do you think? Are you up for a challenge?

One last thing: Today I purchased a custom domain name from GoDaddy. My new url is TheBellaMella.com. When the change was made, one glitch with Blogger is that I lost all of my comments. In reading the Blogger forums, it seems this is a common occurence that eventually rectifies itself. I hope. I would probably cry if I didn't have the opportunity to go back and reread some of the encouraging and uplifting comments so many of you left for me...especially during the trying days Andrew and our family went through. So...if the problem does not rectify on its own, I will attempt to give a live voice with Blogger. What a shame. Thankfully, I have many of your comments saved through my email.

Jesus saves. Sometimes I do, too. ; ^ )