I've been slacking with my challenge updates lately....
Last week I received 2 payouts for $10 from survey companies and today I received 2 survey checks worth $8.50.

Old Total = $1362
New Total = $1380.50

I've been spending more money than usual grocery shopping, and have been eating out more than normal. Just like with my first pregnancy, I am having terrible food aversions. I will make a perfectly good meal, then the thought of it will make me sick....it's even worse with leftovers.
Hopefully, these aversions are only temporary......

A few weeks ago DH's parents invited us down to their vacation house in Florida in June...turns out that it is going to be rented in June, so we are going in April instead. They offered to pay for one of our plane tickets and we have to chip in for the rental car. It will probably cost us $450 (plus food, etc.), which isn't bad for a week on a beautiful golf course in Florida. I am soooo excited!!!!

I got a $5 check from Pinecone today.

Old total = $1357
New total = $1362

DH sold another bike for $600 last night, and when I got to work today I found out that I won the numbers pool for $60. Its all going to the challenge.

Old total = $697
New total = $1357

Received $20 payment from Lightspeed today.

Old total = $677
New total = $697

Two more survey checks to add to the challenge.
$5 from Survey Spot
$5 from Your2Cents

Old Total = $667
New Total $677

I also received 2 coupons for a free item (up to $3.50) in the mail from Kraft/Nabisco because I sent them an email telling them about a package of Oreo cookies that I purchased were all broken. Not sure if I should all this to the challenge or not.

I've had a very hard time concentrating on anything for the past few days. My father is having bypass surgery on Wednesday...it is the last chance to save his leg, so we are all very worried about how it is going to turn out. This will be his 3rd bypass in 4 years. The last one was last November. I haven't seen him since DS's birtday in October because they live in MN. I really want to visit, but a crowded plane and a 16 month old who won't sit still for more than 5 minutes do not mix.

I don't know how other people travel with small children. A 30 minute car ride practically kills DS.

Another $5 check from Pinecone came in the mail yesterday. Adding it to the challenge.

Old Total = $662
New Total = $667

Wow, did I have a good mail day!!

Four products to test (soup, shampoo, conditioner and body wash). I will get paid $5 when I complete one of the test, but the others are unpaid (I get to keep the products, though).

There was also a $5 check from Pinecone to be added to the Challenge!

Old total = $657
New total = $662

DH's grandmother entered our DS in a 30 week lottery, and it turns out he won $200!

She took out the $30 for what she paid into it, and gave the rest to DS! As soon as she gives us the winnings I will put it in his Emigrant account.

I am going to add the $170 to my $20 Challenge.

Old total = $487
New total = $657

DH sold a dirtbike this weekend and 'gave me' $400 to put toward bills. I also have $11 in survey checks to add to the challenge.

Old total = $76
New Total = $487

I had $7 deposited into my Paypal account from MyView, so as LuxLiving says, "I'm taking it to the Challenge!"

Old Total = $69
New Total = $76

I got a $32 check from Survey Spot yesterday.

Old total = $37
New Total = $69

I got a $10 survey check from Mindfield today so I will add that to my $20 challenge.

Old total = $27
New total = $37

I got a $7 rebate from Scott's in the mail yesterday so that will go into my challenge.
New total = $27.00

Went grocery shopping last night, and walked away with a little over $10 worth of free items. Two cartons of Egg Creations (bzzagent coupons worth $2.99/each) and a Nestle Choclatier Baking Chocolate bar from a coupon I requested online (worth $4.29). All my groceries were paid for from a GC that my employer gave out as a Christmas bonus. YAY!

Friday morning DH called me from work to tell me that a coworker's brother is selling a 52" TV and stand for $1000. He is moving to South Carolina because he can no longer to afford to live in this area. We have wanted a big screen TV for a looong time so we came very close to buying it. Being the mature adults that we are, hehe, we decided we NEED a new refrigerator and we don't NEED a big screen TV. Hoping we don't regret it later.

Last night we went to look for a 'big boy' bed for DS. We found a really awesome bunk bed with a desk on one end, a bookshelf on the other and a cabinet in the front. AND it matches the rest of the furniture in his bedroom too. We took measurements in his room this morning, and there isn't anywhere in his room to put it and have access to both ends. His room is HUGE but with 3 closets, 3 windows and built in drawers there just isn't enough wall space for a bed like that. So we 'saved' another $1000 on the bed and a mattress.

While we were there, I decided to try out a Serta Perfect Day mattress...It was heaven. Sigh. Truly the most comfortable mattress I have ever laid on. Cost = $3100!!!! DH really wants it though, so I think we will probably buy it when the store offers 5 years with no intrest..they do that a few times a year. It will cost about $50/month that way. Our old mattress is only about 7 years old, but we both toss and turn all night on it.

I will start off the challenge with $20 that I received for Christmas.

While looking through my DVD collection this weekend for a movie to watch, I realized I have waaaay to many DVD's...most of which I will probably never watch again. I will use the $20 to pay for listing fees for eBay.

I also plan on adding any money that I receive for taking online surveys to the challenge, because that is above and beyond the income that I earn at my full time job.

I will not count any coupons that I use, because I already use them whenever I can. I will, however, count any mail in rebates, because I don't usually use those.

I will keep thinking of other ways to add money to the challenge.

Good luck to everyone participating in the 2007 $20 Challenge!
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Challenge total - $20