It is Sunday night and time to write my blog for the week! I must say that after a long 10 hour work day and a hot humid weekend I'll try not to bore you with my words, and do apologize in advance!  :)

I feel that I may have overspent a bit at the grocery store this week and did enjoy a fun Friday night out with friends. But I just cannot pass up fresh fruits and veggies, and a night out with the girls was too tempting to pass up as well! So for the upcoming week, I will be managing my money wisely to make up for any shortfalls of last week. 

I have placed a few items on Craigslist from the attic which will help with gas money for the month. Craigslist sure is a handy and quick way to make an extra dollar! I continue to focus on building my savings and checking accounts. This can be tough! I build it up in four weeks only to watch it get smaller on the 15th as I pay the mortgage payment. The house is a sound investment but a draining one, too! Well, a roof over one's head is very nice to have. Some aren't so fortunate.

I am itching for a nice vacation, but not this year! I am starting a vacation fund starting July 1, so next year I can pay cash for a much needed trip! Instead, for now, I will venture home to St Louis again to visit my family before too long.

Mary continues to help by asking herself whether items are a want or a need. I think it is becoming easier for her to say that things are a want. She is eating ice cream from home and has given up Cold Stone stops this summer. I did get a coupon this weekend in the paper, so that may be a tasty treat for her later on this week.

Okay all, have a great week! Talk to you later.

As I strolled in to QT last week, I saw a sign for $.49 summer special on the 32oz fountain drinks. Could I be dreaming? After pinching myself silly I realized it was true. OMW!!! Could this mean I can get four sodas a week rather than my two for the same price? Hmmmm, would that be cheating or just a great bargain? What do you all think?

As for other summer bargains, I have purchased a few items for myself and Mary. Nothing elaborate or pricey, but much needed. One item in particular was purchased with a coupon and placed on my Macys card. Then I paid it off with my debit card right on the spot! Yes, I love saving like this!

I continue to work daily on identifying wants vs. needs and it is always a bit of a struggle with the warm summer days and nights. Ice cream and iced coffees sound so good, but are probably not a necessity. I find myself wanting to purchase lots of fresh fruit while grocery shopping, so I always look for bargains and price matching when I can.

I sat down with my financial coaches Tim and Erin this week and have established new monthly goals. With my newly learned financial skills, I know I can do it. I feel much more comfortable now that I have a clear direction on what to do with my money.

I continue to use CommunityAmerica’s amazing online bill pay and hope to win the $5,000.00 from the summer contest they are having right now. You are entered automatically for a chance to win every time you pay a bill using @ccountLink!

My dogs needed their shots, so I took them to Petco’s walk-in clinic for great savings, rather than taking them to a vet where this would have been much more expensive. Again, I was quite proud of the money I saved.

Mary continues to babysit, and next week she is cat-sitting for extra funds to help out with her personal expenses. She is the best Financial Makeover teammate I could ever ask for.

Okay, I wish you all a great week!