Wow the summer is flying by quickly, as is the financial makeover competition! It is hard to believe we are already two thirds through this makeover.

I have fallen somewhat behind this week on the goals that I set for myself. This month was THE month for all the extra bills … water, sewer, car insurance. School tuition has started also, so that added to the "bills gone wild" this month.

I am not sure if I am the only one in the makeover that this happens to... I’ll feel like all is getting better and then the mailman arrives with those bills. Sometimes I want to hide in the bushes and cast stones at him so that he avoids my mailbox. Darned bills!

However, last week I got great news from Erin and Tim; my credit score has seen a handsome increase since the CommunityAmerica Makeover began! I'm so excited. The fruits of my labor are beginning to show! They also recommended that I obtain a CommunityAmerica credit card with a 9.99% interest rate and use it for gas only to build my score even higher. Erin was kind enough to assist me greatly in obtaining the credit card, which I received in the mail yesterday. This card will be paid off monthly and will further assist to raise my credit score even higher. I am excited about this, but at the same time a bit nervous about putting anything on a charge card. I trust what Erin and Tim are telling me, so I'm happy to use this financial tool. But having a zero balance on my credit cards is a great feeling.

Last week I told you all that I was going to look at my weekly spending at the grocery store and Walmart and price match to see how much I really spend on food. OMW, I really don't spend as much as I thought on food at all. At Walmart, I do one stop shopping and buy most everything at the trusty supercenter. When I took all my receipts and tallied them up, 60% was actually spent on food and the remaining on toiletries, cleaning supplies and pet supplies. That is great news for me, because I always felt I was spending too much on food.

This week is exciting for Mary as we are moving her savings account to CommunityAmerica. She is doing great building her account up and watching her money. Babysitting throughout the summer is providing her a nice income. She is VERY conservative, so her savings account does grow quickly!

Until next week ...