Creditcardfree's Personal Finance Blog

My family started taking probiotics this summer. I first bought them at the local health food store. A package of 30 capsules was about $18. That is $0.60 per capsule. We all shared a couple packs with in a matter of weeks.

I decided if we wanted to continue to take them they needed to be less expensive. I found the brand we liked at Amazon.com! The packages were 90 capsules for $18.60! That is $0.21 per capsule. A savings of $0.39 per capsule.

I signed up for Amazon's Subscribe and Save plan which locks in the price for all future orders AND provides free shipping. I now get three packages of 90 capsules every 90 days. Originally, I signed up for four, but my husband keeps forgetting to take his...so I adjusted the order amount. I can change it later if needed.

To reduce the amount I pay every 90 days I use my swagbuck earnings towards Amazon gift cards. I earn them in $5 increments. Since the last order I earned $20 in gift cards!! I also had $2.60 left from another order.

Here's the breakdown of our current probiotic shipment:

3 90 capsule probiotic packages = $51.36
(price dropped to $17.12 per pkg)
Amazon gift certificates applied = $22.60
Total out of pocket = $28.76
Price per capsule = $0.11

The savings over local store for the three of us is $0.49 per capsule. Or $132.30 every 3 months. Or $529.20 per year!! Geez.

I'm going to keep earning swagbucks just to help keep the cost savings down. Works for me!

I recently inquired with our mortgage lender about handling our own escrow. Their answer: Yes!

The primary loan is for less than 80% of the homes value, so I'm not sure why I didn't think of this before!

So...should I do it?

I do our own escrow for things like auto insurance, registrations and life insurance, so I know how to save ahead. It works really well.

I would not need to escrow the same amount as the mortgage company because I have our own emergency fund to dip into should something increase drastically. Right now they need a cushion of 16.6% of my total escrow to cover increases. I would also be able to earn interest on this money!!

Any disadvantages that anyone can think of? Let me hear what you think.

My youngest daughter has been home since Friday with a cold virus. The fever is mild, but just won't go away. There is coughing, too. No aching, so I don't think its the flu. She's been up and around everyday, but feels low on energy. So...tomorrow we are going to the doctor.

I'm hoping for an antibiotic. I don't usually like them, but this thing is holding on too long. I guess I'm impatient! What me?

The good news: I have one bid on an ebay items and some watchers on a couple others. I priced low and with exact shipping, so my items are attactive for bids!!

I'm also glad the stock market had an UP day. Here's to more of those to come.

I finally listed some items on ebay. Eight items to be exact. Now I have my fingers crossed for 8 sales!

I've been away from ebay for awhile. I think my craigslist success brought back my motivation. That and the upcoming holidays!

While I'm here I will update my Ebay Challenge Sales:

Oct Total = $42 (so far!)
Sept Total = $110.00
June Total = $55.25
May Total = $197.75
April Total = $22.22
March Total = $83.13
February Total = $66.50
January Total = $4.95

A woman picked up a couple Barbie cars this morning for $5. That was a craigslist posting from last week. Nice to start the weekend with a sale.

My youngest daughter has decided to use a costume we already have or her dance costume from last year for Halloween. That means I don't need to buy anything!! Love it. (The older daughter is done with the trick or treating.)

I think I'm going to get some items up on ebay this weekend. Craigslist works, but it is slower.

My sister and her husband have debt. There is a loan for windows, a couple credit cards and student loans. My sister is a teacher and will get her Master's Degree this semester. Yipee!

There was a time where they felt out of control. They made less money. They didn't have an emergency fund. That time is no more!

They now have $2K in their emergency fund and have a plan to pay off all the debt. In about 2 years. I'm so proud of them.

My sister mentioned that she liked an online snowball calculator I sent her awhile back. I don't exactly use it myself, but it looked like a good one. It's called PowerPay. Here is the

Finally, we are under the $6K mark on our home equity loan! I made our regular payment and sent in additional funds.

Total Principal Payment: $339.17
New Balance: $5,923.19

It feels good. Last time we hit a big milestone like this was May of this year when we went under $7,000. I'm sad it has taken this long, but I know all the reasons why. You probably do, too!!

Here's to continued progress!

Good news!

I received $10 in the mail today from mysurvey.com. I'm popping that money in the second checking account. It needs a little cushion.

The DOW ended up over 10,000 for the first time in over a year. Experts don't seem to think it will stick in the long term. It was fun to watch. I was working in the mutual fund industry back in 1999 when it reached 10,000 for the first time ever. Pretty cool!

Tomorrow is payday...so I'll have a few financial updates!

I made two lists today. One was things I needed to do today. Turns out I did everything!! The second list is things I need to pay on payday. These aren't usual bills. Here's the list:

Auto Registration
Out of State Gym Membership*
Maintenance agreement for flute
Extra money towards mortgage escrow
Extra payment to home equity loan

Yipee! Did you see that last one?

*we are have a 24 Hour Fitness membership which costs us $52/year each! We do occasionally work out when we visit relatives, but when we move again we hope to be all set up!

Well, those craigslist postings are beginning to work!!

I sold all of the girls Polly Pockets for $10 around 9:15 this morning. I left for the gym right after.

Another woman was scheduled to arrive at 1pm, but showed up in the driveway as I pulled in from the gym. I sold her a pair of ballet shoes for $7!

Quick and easy. That's how it should work. I hope I get a couple more sales today.

I just spent over an hour listing a few more items on craigslist. It is kind of tedius. The pictures took awhile to upload. I finally changed the settings on the camera!!

I didn't sell anything since the halloween costume last week. A woman said she would buy one this weekend, but I didn't hear from her. Yet.

I have some nice things to sell...just not enough for a garage sale. And it seems to be too cold for those now!

Um...it's snowing here today. Well, it's not sticking to the roads and the green grass is still visible. But the flakes are still flying.

Yesterday, we ran to Home Depot and purchased a blanket for our hot water heater. Our basement, where it's located, isn't heated. We also bought some insulation for the basement. There was 6 foot section where the frames meets the foundation that didn't have ANY insulation. We didn't notice it until this summer and we lived here nearly 3 years!!

I also bought some caulk and sealed up a few areas on the outside of the house. I did this last year, but found a few more areas that need sealing. I will also use some clear caulk inside to seal where our windows meet the window frame. There are a few gaps.

We also picked up some more energy saving bulbs and a new outdoor light fixture. Our total cost at Home Depot was about $75. I think the light fixture and bulbs were the most expensive! Best thing is we completed most of those projects yesterday when it was warmer. Yipee!

P.S. I made to the gym on a Saturday. That is a miracle!

DH is off work for the next four days due to the Columbus Day holiday. The kids still have school, so I get extra time with my honey.

These longer weekends often result in extra spending. I think we may skip a sit down lunch and hit fast food instead. We want to window shop a bit.

We also need to do a little winter weatherizing. Caulk and a little insulation shouldn't set us back too much.

I think the local orchard needs a visit from us for their yummy cider and a couple pumpkins.

Happy Fall!

I received a $3 Pinecone Research check today! I always love cash in the mail.

I bought groceries to the tune of $146! Yikes. Yes, a little high, but it does include wine, kleenex, toilet paper, soap and hair products. I expect the food to last through payday on the 15th!

I had two no spend days on Monday and Tuesday. I didn't realize it until I was entering transactions in the checkbook today. It is good to have those!

Our weather is getting very cold. We are expecting our first hard freeze Saturday night. I actually turned the heat on last Saturday. It was 63 degress in here! Luckily it isn't running all the time yet!!

I have more items to list on craigslist. I just need to get my act together and take pictures!

I've been getting exercise in everyday since Sunday. I feel pretty good. I just wish I didn't buy those M & M's at the grocery store today! Ugh.

That's the news from here!

The good news is our monthly billing for our electric and gas is going down by $5/month. They dropped it by $17 a month ago and now another $5! Of course, they are overbilling us...right now we have nearly a $300 credit.

The bad news is about a friend. A friend I've known for over 20 years. She and her husband are taking out a 401k loan. No! Say it isn't so. But it is.

She asked me very briefly on Monday what I thought about it. I don't know any numbers...except they have a lot of credit card debts and they are getting hard to manage. I guess I have one number: they are pulling from their line of credit every month to the tune of $500-$700 per month. I guess they pay this back each month.

About 3-4 years ago they took out a home equity loan to pay off all their bills. She was thrilled at the time since they would all be paid off in 5 years. She feels the same way about the 401K loan. It will all be paid off in 5 years. True, but at what cost. At what risk? And what lesson is learned when you move debt around?

I did a little reading after talking to her. Loans from a 401K loan are paid back with after tax dollars...and then when you pull the money out in retirement you are taxed again! Yep, double taxation. Ugh.

I was honest in my conversation that it would be important to get spending under control...so they don't end up at this same spot 3 years from now. She completely agreed and mentioned a credit card cutting party. She might even put them in a jar as a reminder. I hope so. I so very hope so!

Ready to happy dance again, today? I am!!

Since the travel money is now in our account I moved the remaining $791 back to our emergency fund. Those braces are paid in full.

Since you probably weren't keeping track, I'll let you know that it took us 39 days to return that money to our account. Honestly, those 39 days were a little stressful. In the end...completely worth it.

We saved $185 by paying in full. We also don't have a monthly obligation to the orthodontist!! I feel so free.

I listed 4 Halloween costumes on craigslist on Saturday. I'm only asking $5 each, since they are used and only bought at Target and Walmart.

I sold the first one tonight!! That's another $5 in our pocket. Thanks sale fairy. It would be nice to have a few more of those sell this week.

Yipee! We have be notified that my husband's travel voucher is being paid today.

Guess what that means?

I will be able to finish paying back the emergency fund for those braces tomorrow!!

I can't decide to happy dance today, tomorrow or both. Okay...BOTH!

I've noticed that I really need to exercise daily to help my stress levels. It makes a HUGE difference.

I usually try to get to the gym on the days the girls are in school. I'm hit and miss on the weekends. I didn't do anything yesterday because my husband was working. He is working again today and i really needed a workout. So what to do?

We made our own workout here at home. We had six stations which we hit for a minute each. Every minute we changed stations for 30 minutes. Our stations included: sit ups, push ups, trampoline, jumping jacks, stairs and a hand weight station. We worked up a sweat and I feel much better! Some stations needed revision as we went along...because I can't do push ups for a minute!! I did try, but as a result I can barely type this.

I'm thrilled to have exercised and involved the kids. Even better it was free!

Borrowed books at the library.

Six hour sale at the local grocery store. Stocked up on quite a few things. Only spent $32.

Found 10 things to sell. Listed them on craigslist. With pictures. Hoping for some quick sales.

Crockpot smells of something good to eat for dinner. Will throw together a salad. Easy!

Funny. No mail for us today. No bills, no junk. No complaints here!

Yesterday, we received our Verizon rebate of $50 in the form of a Visa debit card. I guess I'll have to incorporate this to be used as part of our spending money. More money in our pocket is always a good thing!

I was hoping for the Army to pay my husband's travel voucher today. I checked and it is not there. It may be delayed because the travel was for last fiscal year and now we are in new fiscal year. My fingers crossed for Monday!

It's getting to be a bit comical, how many sales can I make on craiglist this week? Today makes 3!

First the ugly couch sold on Sunday for $100. Then Monday night, I sold a wall shelf for $10. Today, I sold a pair of tap shoes for $10!

The interesting thing about the tap shoes is that I gave them away to my neighbor last year. I even thought her daughter was wearing them last season. No. Last year they were too big for her daughter. This year they are too small. So, she returned them to me! Her daughter IS wearing the ballet shoes I gave her.

This week I heart craigslist. Hmm...I wonder if I will sell any more. Right now, there is only one item left.

I made a nice big payment to our emergency fund today. Those braces are almost paid off and she's only had them on for 4 weeks!!

I made a payment in the amount of $1,224.00. Yipee!

This money comes from the sale of our couch, refund from the orthodontist, extra money from last pay period, sale of a wood shelf, and our current paycheck that arrived today.

As soon as the Army makes our travel payment this debt will be gone!! Yipee!

I'm still waiting on the airline refund, but I did receive the refund from the orthodontist in the mail today.

I called the orthodontist's office just yesterday to explain that the insurance is paying more than they originally calculated. Remember, I had paid in full for a 5% discount after the insurance money was applied. They were more than happy to refund my $76!

The made the check out to my husband. I guess it is only fair...he carries the insurance and makes the money! I just need him to sign the check and it will be in the bank!!

I'm always a little antsy the last day of the month. For one, it is the day before payday. I can actually see the pay pending in our checking account on this day! I occasionaly see that large sum of cash for its possibilities. Yet it has responsibilites, too.

On this day I look forward to seeing the interest we've earned in our savings account. Although in the last year or more, that isn't much to talk about! It does add up and it is exciting to see our balance rise to new heights.

Sometimes, I'm antsy because the spending money is gone and I can't wait to get my hands on more cash! I don't feel prosperous with nickels in my checking account. It's like being told 'no' by a very harsh voice.

My feelings are mixed. I don't know whether I'm rich or poor. Sure, we all have feelings concerning money when we find an unexpected gift. A penny on the ground or a rebate in the mail. We are devasted when the car repair bill wasn't in the budget this month or our health insurance premiums rise.

My feelings about money seem to also cycle with paydays and calendars. Have you noticed the same thing? Is it just us financial types? Does everyone feel this way? I wonder if they felt the same in the days of bartering?

Just something to munch on over lunch...

Last night I received final numbers from my husband regarding his recent trip spending. Originally, I thought we'd get $300. Then I lowered my estimate based on his spending to $110. The actual number we will receive appears to be $271.68!

We are just waiting for the travel vouchers to be approved. Within a day or two we should have the cash! At the same time, we will receive the money we paid for that incorrect airline ticket. That amount is $644.00.

Here's the cash update:

$100 couch sale
$10 wood shelf sale
$150 excess funds from current paycheck
$888 excess funds Oct 1 paycheck
$644 army to refund an airline ticket
$271 per diem excess
Total $2,063

You might have noticed that the amount above is MORE than what we need to pay back our emergency fund for those braces. This could be completed this week...depending on that travel money payment!!

What a relief to see the end in sight!

I put three items up for sale on craiglists on Saturday after we purchased our new sofa. As you know, I sold the couch yesterday for $100.

This evening a woman paid $10 cash for an oak wood wall shelf. Yipee! I love cash in my pocket.

Two items down, one more to go. The final one, I'm actually torn about selling. I have it listed a little high. If and when I get an inquiry, I'll make the call about whether to sell it. I have it listed for $150. The cash would be nice. We still like the item. It just doesn't really match anything any longer, so I suspect it will end up in the basement pretty soon.

I'm expecting lots of cash to flow into our lives the next two weeks. I'm making the list primarily for myself...buy I know my readers and lurkers wouldn't mind a peek!

$100 couch sale
$150 excess funds from current paycheck
$888 excess funds Oct 1 paycheck
$644 army to refund an airline ticket
$110 per diem excess
Total $1,892

I have the couch money. The excess in the checking account right now won't be known until after Wednesday. The per diem amount is an estimate (DH spent more than I thought).

All of the above cash will go to paying back the emergency fund for the braces. We are getting VERY close to the goal!

Guess what? There's more money coming, too. In addition to future paychecks, I expect the following in the month of October:

$50 verizon phone refund
$76 refund from orthodontist
$10 my survey check
$50 global test marketing survey check
Total $186

Umm...I think someone is on my side today. I sold the ugly couch!! For $100. The cool thing is it is going to a college kid who is colorblind...he doesn't care that the colors are outdated! Perfect.

Turns out Wii game systems are on sale this week. I bought ours at Target. They dropped their price by $50! Since this is the only thing the girls want for Christmas, I jumped on it.

So a very spendy weekend in some respects. However, our spending money for the remainder of September sits at $200, which is awesome for us. I think I can use the most of this toward paying back the EF for the braces later this week.

It's all working out...even if the plan has changed a bit along the way!

Yes, Yes I did buy the sofa today!! I also bought a coordinating round ottoman.

Here's what has been in our living room:


To see what I'm getting in a couple weeks go