Manufactured home Flickr Image from Afroswede

Paying Extra toward the Principal on my Mortgage and I’m So Excited!

plan of action
Only a personal finance blogger would react the way I did today when I opened the payment booklet from my mortgage company and saw that our mortgage payment had gone down to $508.85 from $534.02.  I whooped and said, “Finally!  I'm catching a break!  This extra is going straight to the principal!”  It seems like all around me our bills are going up, as they tend to do, and this made me very happy. I usually receive a notification letter… Read the rest
9 Drawer Dresser Made from Real Wood

My New 9 Drawer Dresser Made from Real Wood

Free Is Good
If you've been reading my blog for any length of time you know I'm much too frugal to buy a brand new real wood dresser.   I did some checking at Amazon and Overstock.com and found that real wood dressers are selling in the $500 to $1000 range.  This gorgeous dresser was sitting in one of Mr. A's customer's yard, on its way into a dumpster!  Mr. A asked his customer if it was going to be thrown away and the… Read the rest
Glass of Water on a Pretty Tablecloth

Drink Water – It’s Cheap and Frugal

saving money
It's getting to be that of the year again here in Arizona.  It's hot, hot, hot.  My water consumption always increases as it should. The air is so dry you can feel the moisture just sucking out of your pores. What is your drink of choice?  How much does it cost? How much could you save if you started drinking only water?  Are you a soda drinker?  Bottled water?  Coffee made at home, or some designer brand which costs $5… Read the rest
Bank of America Credit Card

My Credit Union Sold My Credit Card Debt to Bank of America

credit cards
A credit card arrived in the mail a few weeks ago from Bank of America.  Mr. A asked me, “Since when are we banking with Bank of America?” I told him I must have an account with them, but I don't use the account at all so I would be shredding the card. I didn't quite get around to that, and I was glad because of what happened next. Last weekend I was reconciling my checking account and I noticed… Read the rest