I am now at a $443.66 balance in my $20 Challenge. But as always lets get that higher using my CVS deals!

June 22 Trip #1
3-Colgate Toothpaste $.49
I used 3-$1.50 coupons so this was a moneymaker of $1.01 each plus I am awarding myself a value of $2 per toothpaste
4- SoyJoy Bars for FREE I used a $1 coupon, DH likes these so I am giving myself a $.50 value each
2- Nature Bounty Evening Primrose Oil 60 ct Final cost for 120ct was $5.39 120 would have cost me approx $12 at wal-mart so I am taking $12-5.39 for a savings of $6.61
CVS facial Cleaner 2.5oz $1.49 used a $2 coupon for a profit of $.51 no value because I bought it for the profit.
$3.03
+ $6
+ $1
+ $2
+ $6.61
+ $.51
= $19.15 trip one


June 22 Trip #2
Colgate Toothpaste $.49
I used a $1.50 coupon so this was a moneymaker of $1.01 plus I am awarding myself a value of $2
4- SoyJoy Bars for FREE a $.50 value each
CVS After shave $2.59 Earn $1 ECB plus I used a $2 coupon so it was a profit of $.41 plus it has a value of $1.50
Brut Deoderant $.81 profit
$1.01
+ $2
+ $2
+ $.41
+$1.50
+ $.81
= $7.73 trip two


Prior balance $443.66
+$19.15
+$7.73
=$470.54

I am now at a $420.66 balance in my $20 Challenge. But as always lets get that higher using my CVS deals from yesterday!

CVS trip June 18th 2008
1 Oral B toothbrushs 2pk $4 Value
1 High Speed 4 port USB on Clearance for $10, that is a savings of atleast $10. Because I bought it at CVS and had I not started shopping at CVS I would never have found this deal. I am awarding myself the $10 saved.
$14.00


Prior balance $430.66
+$14.00
=$443.66

I am now at a $425.66 balance in my $20 Challenge. But lets get that higher using my CVS deals from yesterday!

CVS trip June 17th 2008
1 Oral B toothbrushs 2pk $4 Value
1- CVS 40ct bandaids $1 Value
$5.00


Prior balance $425.66
+$5.00
=$430.66

I am now at a $412.66 balance in my $20 Challenge.

CVS trip June 16th 2008
1 Oral B toothbrushs 2pk $4 Value
2-Smart Rinse $3 each
2- CVS 40ct bandaids $2 Value
$1.00 overage by using coupons on free monthly deals it would have been two but DS wanted candy.


Prior balance $412.66
+$13
=$425.66

I am now at a $380.32 balance in my $20 Challenge.

My Wal-Mart Free items;
Five packages of Kotex liners ($5)
Travel size red zone body wash ($.50 value)
Gillette 2 n 1 body wash ($.50 value plus $.21 overage)
$6.21

CVS trip #1
2-Oral B power toothbrushs $4 each
2-Smart Rinse $3 each
Colgate 360 toothbrush $1.50
$1.95 overage by using coupons on free monthly deals
$17.45

CVS trip #2
2-Oral B power toothbrush $4 each
$8.00

MAY 31st Monthly Interest on ING Orange Challenge Account
$.70

Prior balance $380.30
+$6.21
+$17.45
+$8.00
+$.70
=$412.66

I went to CVS; please see my CVS deals post for extended details!

I am now at a $372.40 balance in my $20 Challenge.

May 22nd CVS
I received FREE
3 boxes 5ct Allergy pills Wal-Mart Value $5.
Also this order after subtracting out my out of pocket cost generated a CVS store credit of $2.92

Prior balance $372.40
+$5.00
+$2.92
= 380.32

I am now at a $366.40 balance in my $20 Challenge.

May 14th
Free trial size because of coupons:
4 Mini cans of Gillette shave gel (men’s) Money saved $1
3 Mini tubes of kid’s toothpaste. Money Saved $1

May 20th CVS
I received FREE
1 Venus Razor (I already have a backup so the blade in side has a) Wal-Mart Value $1.
1 Deep conditioner Generic Wal-Mart Value $2.
1 Gel Generic Wal-mart Value $1

Prior balance $366.40
+$2.00
+$4.00
= $372.40

I am now at a $354.36 balance in my $20 Challenge.

May 12th CVS
I received FREE
1 Multi-vitamin Chews Wal-Mart Value $1.
1 Calcium Chews Wal-Mart Value $1.
$2.00

Bargain:
I received FREE
1 Color ink cartridge. It is the kind we use at home, it had an install by date of over a year ago, so the red/pink is dried up or blocked. But it is better than the one we had which was out of everything but red/pink. Because It is not 100% working I am going to reduce the value to $10.

Coupon Train:
I mailed it out this morning, I used four stamps. I bought them before the price increase, and am using them after the price increase. That is a $.04 savings. (The coupons pulled from the train made the postage cost a bargain, but the $.04 is a smart savings)


Prior balance $354.36
+$2.00
+$10.00
+$.04
= $366.40

I am now at a $327.17 balance in my $20 Challenge.

May 11th CVS
Trip #1 was a $2.32 profit
I received FREE
2 toothpastes Wal-Mart Value $2 each
2 Calcium Wal-Mart Value $2.00
$8.32

Trip #2
I received FREE
2 toothpastes Wal-Mart Value $2 each
1 Calcium Wal-Mart Value $1.00
$5.00

Trip #3 was an overall savings of $13.87 plus tax
$13.87

Prior balance
$327.17
+$8.32
+$5.00
+$13.87
= $354.36

I am now at $327.02 balance in my $20 Challenge account.

Prior balance
302.02
+$25.00 (ING Orange bonus posted)
= 327.02

I also received deposits from ING to verify the linked account, of $.09 and $.04 into my checking account, so those deposits will go to the challenge.

$327.02
+ $.15
= $327.17

PS my ticker will be updated when I transfer the money over to savings. I do not want to be transfering small amounts, I am thinking weekly amounts would be a good goal.

I went to CVS; please see my CVS deals post for extended details.

I earned $9.56 after deducting my Out of Pocket expenses and ECB’s from prior purchases.

I received FREE
2 toothbrushes Wal-Mart Value $2 each
1 Toothpaste Wal-Mart Value $2.00
1 deodorant Wal-Mart Value $4.00

I also went to Wal-mart, used a $1 off coupon to pickup a FREE lotion. $1 value.

Total to add to Challenge
$9.56
+$4.00
+2.00
+$4.00
=$20.55
+ $281.47 Prior Challenge Balance
= 302.02 NEW Challenge Amount

I went to CVS; please see my CVS deals post for extended details.

I earned $10.43 after deducting my Out of Pocket expenses and ECB’s from prior purchases.

I received FREE
2 tubes of toothpaste Wal-Mart Value $2 each
1 deodorant Wal-Mart Value $4
I also got two boxes of Tums quiktabs; My DH has bad heartburn due to medication he is on so I got these for him. I would not have purchased them if they were not free and just stuck with the Zantac but because they were free I grabbed them. So I am not counting them in my challenge, see second key point in my Challenge rules.

Total to add to Challenge
$16.43
+ $265.04
= 281.47

I realize that with the challenge you are suppose to have a $20 start of fund, kind of like a grant to start up a business, and you are suppose to use this $20 to create money. I need to do things a little different.

1st My startup $20 in not going to be a free-be, I feel I have to have earned it or at least be entitled to it. Thus my reason for taking ¼ of what I would have gotten as MAD MONEY had I not just left the money in savings to be used for whatever. I feel ¼ of what my DH has gotten so far this year is fair because I am a saver not a spender so this money is going to get very large very quickly. Also about 3 days after my DH gets his money it is spent because he has to buy the latest and greatest. So I feel guilty having money unless I can show it was mine far and square, thus the ¼ MAD MONEY start up.

2nd I use coupons regularly, but like others this is often to allow me to buy a better product. Example store brand Hamburger/Tuna/Chicken Helper is $.99 a box but very limited in flavors. The name brand is $1.25-$1.50 with my coupon I can get it for store brand price but get a bigger variety of flavors. So that is not a savings in my mind that is an improvement. That coupon amount would not go to the challenge.

Mostly free coupons will be used to increase my challenge account. I say most because not all free are going in. Example I buy a lot of Johnsons Buddy’s soaps when I have a $1 off coupon because it makes it free. If I did not have the coupon I would not buy them, I would buy the 3pack of Johnson’s KIDS soaps for $1.50, so if I bought 3 Johnson’s Buddies for FREE technically I could only take $1.50 to put toward my challenge, because of complicated math I probably will not do that.

CVS FREE & Overage:
CVS tends to overprice their items then put it on sell to prices comparable to Wal-Mart’s regular prices, so whenever I get a free item at CVS I will be calculating a VALUE based on what I would have spent at Wal-Mart. Then placing that calculated amount into my Challenge. Overage at CVS is when you use a coupon on an item that is free after they give you the store credit (Extra Care Bucks) to use on your next trip. You have reduced you original out of pocket amount because you have to pay for these free items then use the store credit to buy something else, but when all is done and you used the ECB’s you have made a store credit by the amount of the coupon. I plan on applying all my overage to the $20 challenge because I use overage to buy items that are really on sale. Such as the dawn soap that CVS puts on sale every 3 months or so at $.88. It is regularly $.99 at Wal-Mart, but I hardly ever see it on sale at Wal-Mart. My DH is Brand loyal when it comes to dish soap so it is a waste to buy anything else.

Key points:
• My $20 startup needs to be earned not a freebee
• My savings will be calculated for FREE items for products I would normally have purchased
• I will calculate savings on free CVS products based on product value at Wal-Mart
• I will place Overage (store credit) amounts in my challenge

Well for a while I have been reading about the challenge and now I am ready.

$20 to start, well I guess I can do that.

My DH gets $200 per month Mad Money, up to this point I have NEVER taken any mad money. He just received his $100 (paid on the first and the 15th). So year to date he has received nine payments or $900.

So if I go back to January first and gave myself $25 twice a month for a total of $50 monthly, That is 1/4 of what my DH gets, I am frugal so that should be fair. I would have $225, which is my startup and another $205.

I want $250 so I could open an ING Orange account and get a $25 bonus and a very easy way of watching my $20 challenge.

Here comes in the CVS savings. I bought 4 FREE after ECB tubes of Toothpaste and used $2.00 in coupons on them, that is profit of $2.00 and 4 tubes of toothpaste would have cost $2 each at Wal-mart. That is $10.

Total
$235

One FREE after ECB toothbrush which would have cost me $2 at Wal-Mart after me subtracting from the cost any coupon I would have used. One FREE after ECB Deodorant $4 would have been spent buying my DH's normal brand. The three Free boxes of Chocolate honey bunches of Oats from Wal-Mart on April 17, 2008 because of my $2 off coupons = $6. Alavert I got 60ct for $1.96 it would have cost close to $20 after taking off the coupon at Wal-Mart, so that is $18.04.

Total
+$2
+$4
+$6
+$18.04
= 265.04 That amount I will start my ING Account with.