Saving Money

So I don't usually get my bank statement and check it out or even balance my account.  I know how much I have and just roll with it.  Well today is a new day and I deceided to write down my personal monthly bills and when they come out of account.  Boy Oh Boy was I shocked.  Now remember this is my personal account NOT our household or Mr. C's account.  Which is a blessing because my way would drive Mr. C. crazy.  He knows to the penny how much is in his accounts.  He also is the one who does our household finances for each month.  That is how I like it and it works for us.  Yes every two weeks we sat down at the dining room table and discuss the bills as he writes the checks for them.  I don't write checks as I have everything come out of my account automatically each month.  So you see we have very different ideals in how to handle our bills. 
  Anyways I am paying on five small insurance premiums.  So I deceided I didn't need that many so I cancelled 2 of them today. Which will save me $26.80 a month or looking at it for a year that savings is $312.60!  I am going to cancel another one of the small insurance premiums that runs me $56.40 a month. That savings over a year will be $676.80.  Then I called T~Mobile and cancelled a phone line that wasn't in use as well as internet on a phone line that is hardly ever used.  Thus saving $40.00 a month.  I really wanted to cancel two of the phone lines but I couldn't unless I wanted to pay $200.00 termination fee.  So these few small savings is adding up to $123.20 a month! Over the course of the year that is a whopping $1478.40 a year!! This is just from looking at finding a few places I could cut corners.  Am I done with looking? No not at all!  I may cause a small war at our house but am fixing to cut down on our dish network bill as well! Am going to try to bring it down from $103.25 a month to around $90.00 or less. 
  Now back to the insurance topic I wasn't even sure what I was actually paying for I knew I needed to drop Trevor's accidental policy as he has a better policy now.  I knew I was paying for accidental policy for me that was small then I had a policy that was $30.00 a month, had no clue what that was for.  When I called she was telling me (because that was the one I wanted to cancel) it was accidental as well as sickness.  I had just went to the emergency room June 19th and that I would get a small check for that.  What? I couldn't believe it!  Okay so let me insert here I am totally ignorant on insurance policys and such.  So when I fax in the paper work from the ER room I will get a few dollars from that!  The insurance lady also told me she would send out papers for me to fill out on Trevor's policy and I might qualify for a small rebate on his policy.  Which says to me that if you take some time looking over bills or calling and talking to someone you might end up with some extra money in your pocket.  It sure made me a believer today. What are you waiting for go get some bills out and double check them and line your pockets with some of your own hard earned cash!
I hope I haven't bored you to tears today!  I am super excited about saving some money and it was painless!

52 weeks of mail

This so sounds like something I can do and enjoy doing as well.  I am going to send 1 piece of mail every week to a extended family member or close friend.  If I run out of family and friends then I will find new pen pals.  I have seen other bloggers telling about their great mail day.  With me being a member of swap bot I send off more than one piece of fun mail every week.   I want this to be more about reconnecting with family members that I don't see very often.  I do like writing letters and sending cards so this should be easy for me to do!  If your looking for a new pen pal please don't hesitate to let me know and I will get a letter out to you asap!!

This is not my picture I used it from fuzzimo.com

Have I been frugal today? Yes I have! I put $27.00 dollars in gas in my car this morning.  I also had to go to Dollar Store and get a few items.  Ended up spending  $7.97.  So at this point I still have $12.03 left to spend or put up in my savings. I cleaned out my purse and found $24.00 that I put in my savings jar.So that made me very happy. Remember that I am not counting my gas money or  necessities as spending money.  I already collect all my loose change and save it.  I try not to spend change ever.  My youngest son Trevor was like what are we saving for mom? I told him I don't know yet but when I figured it out I would let him know.  When we went to Washington DC back July 4th 2008 I took all my change and ended up with about $400.00 worth.  That was Trevor's spending money.  So I have been saving change this time since July 2008 and have no ideal how much I have saved.  I may get some paper rollers and start rolling some of it up when I have nothing else to do.  I may surprise myself and have a good amout of change.  I am not counting that in with my savings goal for this year.  But will start counting my change and bills at this point forward. 
  

So tell me what are some of your goals for 2012? I have only listed 2 of mine.

* Save $1000.00 for 2012

* Write a letter ever week to a extended family member or friend.

Had to take Trevor to Dr. this morning.  He cracked his finger.  Really? I can't believe my boy sometimes.  I asked him  why he keeps breaking him self and his reply was he was trying to catch up with Blake (his 20 year old brother) Sheesh...Trevor is such a character sometimes. Then come Friday Trevor goes back to his surgeon to see about getting released.  Which would be great but guess what??? His other foot that also has the exta bone is starting to swell and bother him.  Which means he will have to get that bone sawed off as well.  I told Trevor we might as well get him fixed now instead of waiting like we did on his right foot.Although in his eyes he doesn't want another year out of sports...I would think now would be better than when he gets to high school..Guess we will see what Dr. Lewis tells us Friday.

Everyone have a great week!!