Classes start on September 5th and I'm definately looking forward to a change of pace! Am still working on saving enough money for a bed. Some day I will be free of the air mattress! Although, I must sing the praises of the aerobed that my friend loaned me. I highly recommend it. I think it's even an older model, so they've probably improved on it.

Am a bit frustrated with husband right now as he will be getting his profit sharing in a couple of weeks and if he had his way he'd spend over $1000 of it on various toys, like a new X-box 360 and give me just enough money for a bed and couch. I know it's his money from working, but I wish he'd spend it at least to pay off the car and then use the extra money he'd have every month from not having to make the car payment for his fun stuff. I don't want him to be deprived, but I want him to be resposible!

He does usually end up doing the right thing in the end, but resents it. (Part of the reason things are not working out for us.) My husband and I both have degrees; he majored in Electrical Engineering and I'll be teaching in a couple of years, which gives us plenty of money for a three-person family, so I never thought money would be such a big issue in our marriage, but it really has been. In the beginning my husband even suggested we each get a percentage of our salaries for spending, even though he will most likely always be making about twice as much as I do. He couldn't see how unfair that would be.

I've been thinking a lot about what I hope to get out of this blog. What do you get out of yours?

And so it begins! Sadly, I may have to start it with no money, so really it is my $0 challenge, but I am not discouraged!

Here are my ideas for saving:
1. I am big "couponer", so the money from those
2. Money from rebates
3. Money from online surveys
4. I occasionally do taste tests and focus groups, always interesting, and they pay at least $30 a pop, sometimes a couple hundred
5. Money that I choose not to spend on an impulse buy or meals out.
6. The famous change jar!

These are my initial ideas. I'm starting school, so I may resort to paying myself for studying!

Any tips/ideas on saving for the challenge would be great!

And by that I mean, entry number two. Thanks to those who welcomed me!

In all the news that's fit to blog, I am finally shopping for a mattress and boxspring today! So sad, so sad. When I think of all those years that I spent in school, you'd think I would be able to get a job that would pay the bills! A couple of weeks ago I applied to Sam's Club and they didn't call me back. Or McDonalds. So sad. And this is when they clearly post that they are hiring.

Fortunately my classes start on September 5th, so that should distract me a bit!

Sophie (My 2-yr-old daughter) has finally completed enough days on her toothbrushing and bedtime story log to earn a free Sponge Bob toothbrush, so I'm sending off for that today. For everyone who's interested, there's a post about it in the freebies section.

I added some links. Couldn't resist adding my celebrity gossip sites--my major weakness! But, I also added my favorite coupon train if you want to check that out and one of my favorite survey sites. I've received money from them with no problem, but the surveys that pay are few and far between and it does take the full six weeks to receive any checks you request.

Well, I ended up looking for "freebies" as a hobby as a SAHM. Now that I'm recently single and my income has been literally cut in half--and then some--I'm having to do some serious budgeting, so here I am.

It all began when I start "couponing". Ha. It's funny using that as a verb. But, I did sign up at two different sites that have coupon trains. And I took complete control of the food budget of our house and started saving DH and I lots of money each month.

Then, I discovered the wealth of free items--and scams--on the web. It didn't take me long to figure out which offers were legit and which offers were too good to be true; I've been hooked every since.

So, now that I've separated from my husband, I going about this more seriously and tracking my savings more stringently. I've even saved enough in the last six weeks to buy most of the furniture I need for my new apartment, just with coupons and rebates on items I was already planning on buying.

My goal after paying for the divorce is to somehow start saving some money. I'll be done with school in 24 months, so I'm not going to have a real salary until then, but I know I should be able to start saving something!!!