I've worked out almost every day this week, plus John and I have spent the last two days working on the Barn, so I'm sore. Again. Thank goodness for naproxen sodium!

I had two "no-drive" days this week, and saved $9.19 with my shopping rewards card at the grocery store, so that's $15.09 to the Pennsic fund. Yay!

Previous Pennsic Balance: $249.78
Contribution: $15.09
New Pennsic Balance: $264.87

I don't think I have ever been so happy to see a Friday in a long, long while. We have an event in Apex tomorrow, so here's hoping we do well.

Saved $3.39 with my Lowes Foods card yesterday. With Pennsic fast approaching, I'm worried we won't have enough money saved up for much more than gas.

Previous Pennsic Balance: $246.39
Contribution: $3.39
New Pennsic Balance: $249.78

Also, John took his lunch to work today. . .and I didn't have to make it for him. He made it himself while I was asleep! Ladies and gents, they CAN be taught! *huge grin*

Previous Challenge Balance: $60.24
Contribution: $1.00
New Challenge Balance: $61.24

Pennsic preperations are going dismally. However, I have money to contribute to it. Half of the yard sale money is going in, and I've had two no-driving days, so that's another $5.70. We might just have enough money to get to Pennsylvania. Hopefully we'll have enough money to eat while we're there, too.


Previous Pennsic Balance: $230.69
Contribution: $15.70
New Pennsic Balance: $246.39

Chrissy and I will be having yet another yard sale tomorrow at the flea market in Raleigh. Not sure how we'll do this time, but I'm confident that we shall do MUCH better than last time.

Tomorrow we plan on arriving at the flea market around 7 a.m. and be up and running by 7:45, tops. Last time we didn't get there until 9 a.m., so we missed the early bird rush and didn't make much money as a result. But this time will be different. (I hope.)

I packed lunch for John today, and I made both dinner Friday and breakfast today from scratch. I also combined 5 errands into one car trip AND resisted the urge buy a new video game even though it was at a reduced price. GO ME!

That's $5 to the Challenge.

Previous Challenge Balance: $45.24
Contribution: $5.00
New Challenge Balance: $50.24

I also didn't go anywhere yesterday, so I'll put a gallon's worth of gas money into the Pennsic fund.

Previous Pennsic Balance: $227.84
Contribution: $2.85
New Pennsic Balance: $230.69

Time to load up the Suburban. Wish us luck!

Went to the store yesterday to pick up finger food ingredients for a small get together we had last night. I saved $4.98 with my Rewards card. At this rate, we'll have a nicely padded budget for our vacation. Yay!

I don't plan on spending willy-nilly while on vacation, mind you. When one is camping, however, you need to have money set aside for emergencies that will hopefully never occur. For example, a year and a half ago, John and I were camping in Mississippi and due to a faulty propane lantern we wound up being rushed to the ER in Lumberton with propane poisoning. That was NOT planned (obviously), and it cost us dearly. Since then, I've been slowly replacing our propane lanterns with LED lanterns or with better-made propane equipment that comes with more saftey features, such as CO2 censors or catalytic-sensing automatic shut off valves.

This costs money, folks. But I think its worth it to NEVER experience that emergency again. Ever.

Previous Pennsic Balance: $222.86
Contribution: $4.98
New Pennsic Balance: $227.84

*cheesy grin*

I only have a handful of goals this year concerning Pennsic War. The first is moving out of the Duplex before war starts, but that isn't exactly a Pennsic-related goal. At least, I don't think it is, but the other goals certainly are.

90% of Scadians I know have the same problem when it comes to preparing for war: Leaving the house looking like a warhead was dropped on it. In the whirlwind of preperations and "making good time" on the drive to Pennsylvania, a monumental mess is usually left in one's wake. So, Pennsic Goal #1 is leaving behind a (reasonably) clean house when we depart for our vacation.

Another issue most folks I know have with going to war is constantly having to make "town runs". This translates as "Oh-good-grief-I-forgot-X-item-and-I-can't-live-without-it!" panic trips to Wal-Mart or Home Depot once you make it to the campsite. Its a minimum 30-minute drive one way to get to either of those stores, and its a pain in the butt to leave the campsite and then get back in again. First you have to go up Metal Mountain to find your vehicle. Then you have to go through site checkpoints (these are to ensure people coming into the campsite have actually paid to be there) to go off site. Then there's the drive itself, and the time and money spent at the store. After the return drive, you have to go back through the checkpoints again and then its a trip back up Metal Mountain to drop off your vehicle at parking after you drop off items and passengers at your camp.

A MAJOR hassle and a gargantuan waste of time. Therefore, Pennsic Goal #2 is only having to make one store run during all of War Week.

Now for a more personal problem. In the last few years, I have become a procrastinator extraordinaire. Even with a well-formulated plan of attack, things fall through the cracks or are left half-finished due to the "I'll do it later," attitude. I have no idea how I fell into this trap, but I hate it and I don't want to be in it anymore. So, Pennsic Goal #3 is actually a two-part goal. Goal #3A is to have all our gear that is being used by the camp-at-large cleaned, repaired and ready to be packed no less than 4 days prior to the start of Pennsic.

Goal #3B is to have mine and John's personal gear cleaned, repaired, and packed in my car the night before we leave for War Week. (The actual date of our departure is still up in the air due to the sporadicness of working in retail, so I'll figure out the specifics later.)

Those are the only goals I have at this particular point in time. If I come up with any more than that, I'll update the list in another entry.

Wish me luck. This is gonna be tough. :P

Still raining here in North Carolina. I won't complain, though. Most of the state has been experiencing drought conditions for nearly 18 months, so the more rain the better in my not-so-humble opinion.

John took his lunch to work today, so that's more money for the Challenge.

Previous Challenge Balance: $43.24
Contribution: $1.00
New Challenge Balance: $44.24

I also had a No Driving Day yesterday, so that's $2.85 for the Pennsic 35 Beer Fund. Not a bad day, if you ask me.

Previous Pennsic Balance: $220.01
Contribution: $2.85
New Pennsic Balance: $222.86

I also have to get some trash and recycling hauled today. I have some things to return to Wal-Mart, too. Baby Bro bought some dog food for Luna, the new pup, but got the wrong kind. Since its unopened, I'm going to see if I can get a GC by returning it. All three dogs need food, and the two larger dogs need some new chew toys. Luna rumaged through the house two nights ago and tore up a newspaper, a roll of paper towels, and a maxi pad. She's part German Shepherd, and they are notorious for being "chewers". She's destroyed no less than three rope bones in as many weeks. If I don't buy her some more chew toys, though, I fear the house will be chewed to death. *sigh* Not much a choice there. Not until she grows out of the chewing stage, anyway.

Oh, well. Better than being eaten out of house and home. (Yes, I know. Horrible jokes abound.)

Cripes! Is it really that close?!? Good grief, I'd better get off my duff and get to work!

Saved $12 with my Lowes Food rewards card yesterday. For the first time in FOREVER I caved in to a craving and went searching for donuts. I was going to get the "fresh" ones from the bakery, because after 7 p.m., the unsold baked goods are clearanced up to 1/2 price in order to make room for the next day's batch.

When I arrived at the bakery section, however, there wasn't a single donut or bagel left to be found! I had to settle for eclairs and cream horns, instead. I also bought a Boston Cream Pie since it was almost 1/2 price, as well. That will definitely last a while if I hide it from the boys. Bought some cheese "bricks", since store brand was on sale $3 per 1 pound brick. WAY cheaper than regular price on brand-name OR store-brand.

Last but not least, 12 packs of Coke products were on sale 4 packs for $10. (I felt the need to replace what we used up at Jeff's place Wednesday night, since it isn't nice to go over to someone else's house and use up all their stuff!) That soda aisle looked like someone had hit it with a bomb! The shelves were practically empty. Luckily, I found four packs of sodas everyone drinks, so I think it will do.

Previous Pennsic Balance: $208.01
Contribution: $12
New Pennsic Balance: $220.01

I think I'll run by the credit union today and deposit the money in the Pennsic Jar. Safer that way.

Saved $5.19 with my Lowes Food Rewards card today.

Previous Balance: $202.82
Contribution: $5.19
New Balance: $208.01

I didn't drive anywhere yesterday, so I saved some gasoline. Normally, this would go in the Challenge Jar, but since gas will be required for driving to Pennsic I think I will put the money there instead.

Previous Balance:$199.97
Contribution: $2.85 (cost of a gallon of gas)
New Balance: $202.82

When you camp at Pennsic, you go all out. For us, that includes having throw rugs on the floor of our yurt. It makes for softer sitting and walking inside the tent.

I vacuumed and steam cleaned our camping rugs on Wednesday, and I remembered to fold them up and put them in my car before the rain started today. That's $2 for the Pennsic Fund.

Previous Balance: $197.97
Contribution: $2.00
New Balance: $199.97

Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely cannot stand eating fresh fruit. I only eat fruit in dried or juice form. (Well, I'll eat almost anything in bread form. Banana bread, orange-currant bread, apple-cinnamon bread. I just like bread. *shrugs*) However, these are not as good for me as the fresh form is. I'm not completely unintelligent. I know the facts.

Its just a texture thing. For whatever reason (though I'm pretty sure it has something to do with kids in the sandbox talking about how bugs squish when you eat them *shudders and gags*), I just don't like biting into something and having juice gush into my mouth. It makes me want to hurl.

But, I'm an adult, and sometimes adults have to do things they don't particularly like because they are the right things to do. *pouts* So, I've decided to start trying to eat more fresh fruit, and I'll be starting with bananas.

Why bananas, you ask? Because even though they are soft, they aren't exactly "squishy". I figure that means I won't want to wrech every time I bite into one. Its a theory, anyway. We'll just have to see if its a good one.

To better motivate myself to do this, I will put $0.25 into the Pennsic Fund every time I eat a banana. Even if its just cutting up half a banana and putting it on my cereal, it still counts in my mind, so contribute to the jar I shall. Here's hoping it works.

I saved $4.19 at Lowes Food with my shopping rewards card, so into the Pennsic 35 Beer Fund it goes. (That's what we're calling the Pennsic Savings Jar. Let's just say that a LOT of parties happen at Pennsic War, and everyone should contribute. *grin*)

Previous Balance: $193.78
Contribution: $4.19
New Balance: $197.97

I've come to a bit of an impasse when it comes to my saving money. We have a vacation coming up in six weeks or so, and we only have $190 saved up for the expenses of that trip.

I can tell you that going to Pennsic War isn't cheap, but it doesn't have to be extravagant, either. I'm not sure how little we can do the trip on, but I plan to find out. However, it makes me wonder how I'll manage the Challenge AND save enough money for Pennsic.

So, rather than ruin my chances of saving big with the $20 Challenge, I'm going to slightly change where I'm putting my savings. I have decided to put whatever I save using my shoper rewards card at various stores into the Pennsic 35 Fund and put what I save in coupons into the $20 Challenge fund. Hopefully, there will be good results all around.