3-Week Challenge Update

Well, we're on our way. I picked up 2 extra hours last Saturday and 4 extra hours yesterday. Plus $15 in returnables (bottles and cans)

Goal Amount = $540
Amount Remaining to Reach Our Goal = $210.83
(-) $17 in tips made last Saturday
(-) $80 in tips made yesterday
(-) $15 in returned deposits
Amount Needed to Reach Our Goal = $98.83

So, despite the fact that we are still shy of almost $100 to pay the bill, I will be sending the check today. My goal was to find unconventional ways to pay this bill (picking up extra hours at work, using rebate checks, cashing in our coins, recycling our cans & bottles) and I think I did a pretty good job. But, I'm pretty sure we are close to our 3-Week time limit and I would like to get the bill paid. Work has been VERY busy for my husband and he has been making enough extra money during his normally scheduled shifts so that we can afford to use that money to get the bill paid.

I'm glad we didn't have to turn to our savings account to pay it.

3-Week Challenge Update

My husband typically works 5 days a week, but will often pick up a 6th day if someone asks him to work for them. So, yesterday would have put him at the 6 day mark and as a result I am going to be counting that as additional income... although I would usually just add that money into our "regular" mix.

So, I will be adding $120 into our 3-Week Challenge (he makes cash tips) and probably around an additional $40 that will be added to his pay check (although I will be waiting to add that exact amount because I can't remember how much he makes hourly and how much will be taken out for taxes, etc)

So as it stands...

3-Week Goal = $540
Amount that remains to reach our goal = $330.83
(-) $120 in additional tips my husband made yesterday
New Amount = $210.83

As soon as we get our paychecks I will figure out how much to add for his hourly pay. Plus, I will be picking up 2 additional hours at work on Saturday. Not a ton, but every little bit counts. So, as soon as I figure out how much I make I will be adding that in as well.

Getting there!

Finding more money for the 3-Week Challenge

So, today I managed to find $59 more dollars to put towards our 3-Week $540 Challenge.

Mike's Grandma, a very generous woman, sends us $200 each month. Generally, all $200 is used to pay our car payment, although we technically only owe $161.00 each month. I just always pay the extra $39 to get ahead a little bit. So, I used the extra $39 to instead put towards our $540 Challenge.

Also, I randomly found $20 underneath the basement stairs! Gotta love it! I was TOTALLY tempted to use that money for more groceries, but I held strong and forced myself to find something to make from what we already have on hand... and dinner turned out just fine and more of all, Alex loved it.

So there. $59 more dollars!

Total Goal Amount = $540
(-) $146.17 in found change
(-) $4.00 SCR from Rite Aid
(-) $39 from Mike's Grandmother
(-) $20 found in the basement
New Total after all deductions= $330.83

My 3-Week Challenge - Updated

A few months back, my husband took a trip to the emergency room and yesterday we received a bill for the portion that was not covered by our insurance... $540, yikes! Now, I could just write a check and take the money out of our savings account, but I have decided to challenge myself to come up with more creative ways rather than just taking it right out of savings. I figure 3 weeks is a good amount. The bill doesn't have a due date but I would like to pay it in a timely manner... treat it like a utility.

Some ideas I've come up with already:
-Cash in on our various piles of change around the house. I estimate this will be around $80
-Cash the Rite Aid rebate checks that have been sitting around the house - $14
-Return our bottles and cans - Estimated $7
-Ebay. We have a few giftcards we are unable to use, AMC and TGIFridays because we don't have any locations near us. Plus I might look into selling some of Alex's old baby stuff.
-Have a Pantry Challenge where I stay out of the grocery store for a week and instead put that $60 into this challenge
-Ideas? Obviously this isn't going to cut it but I hope to come up with new ideas as we go along.

Amount = $540.00

(-) Change collected around the house $146.17
(-) Rite Aid rebate check (could only find one) $4.00

Amount left til we reach our goal = $389.83