2007 wrap-up

I'm a little late with my wrap up of 2007.

First, one of my goals was to earn an extra $5,000 outside of work, and not including wedding presents! I fell short, making $1,341.30. I'll keep the same goal for 2008.

I found $11.23 in change since June.

I made a To Do in 2007 list:
* Get married
* Eat at a celebrity chef's restaurant (Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, etc.)
* Attend the opera
* See a piano concert
* Continue my 2006 theme of Quality
* Live out my theme for 2007 Design: Make it pretty
* Have a craft design published again
* Do something at work worthy of adding to my resume
* Designate April as Career Readiness Month. Make a portfolio, update resume, etc.
* Save up and pay cash for my wedding.
* Get in shape for the wedding.

Looks like I didn't quite do everything I wanted.

And I always like to end the year with
Good Things of 2007
- getting married!
- winning an ASBPE award (an award for writing)
- having a craft design published
- meeting our wedding fund goal
- buying a house
- really learning and using Photoshop and InDesign
- making and designing my wedding as I wanted it
- honeymoon
- paying off my car loan early
- Puerto Rico in Feburary

Good things 2006
Good things 2005
Good things 2004

Finding change

Back in June I challenged my now-husband to a contest to see who could find the most change on the street.

He won that month but I continued to look for change and have recorded my takings.

Contest month: June 2007: Mike $2.12 Vicki: $1.68
July: $1.62
August: $1.02
September: $0.73
October:$2.55
November: $2.93 (dimes were everywhere!)
December:$0.70

Total change found: $11.23 (not including Mike's $2.12)

Total: $10.53

I lost

Even this penny with a heart in it couldn't help me win the Change Contest.


Final score
Mike $2.12
Vicki $1.68

Got any recipes for gravy and biscuits?

I am falling far behind in the change race. Mike is suggesting I start figuring out how to make biscuits and gravy because that’s what he wants when he wins. I think I’ll check if IHOP has a To-Go service. :)

6/20 Mike found nothing, I found a penny on the street by a parking meter
6/21 Mike found two cents at mcdonalds, I found 5 pennies around the parking meters
6/22 Mike found a dime at mcdonalds, and then 5 pennies and a nickel on our walk, I found one cent by the meters and one penny on our walk – it is shaped like a heart
6/23 Neither of us found money
6/24 no money. I guess weekends are duds for us.

Totals:
Mike: $2.10
Vicki $1.47

loose change update mid-month

Mike and I have been finding lots of change! Quarters!

(saturday)6/9: Mike found nothing; I found 2 pennies going through the pockets of suits going to Goodwill. They were stuck to some melted candy and sticky.
6/10: Mike found nothing; I found a dime outside of GameStop, then a penny next to the car.
6/11: Mike found 22cents at the mcdonalds drive through; I found two cents by the parking meters
6/12: Mike found 17 cents at the mcdonalds and wherever he went for lunch; I found one cent at the airport by the Cinnabon
(wed) 6/13: Neither of us found any money, (I was in NYC for work)
6/14: Mike found 37 at the drive-thrus: I saw at least 3 pennies at LaGuardia airport, but could only grab one
6/15: Mike found 12 cents at the drive thru, and one dime in front of Rite-aid; I found a quarter on the street in the morning, a penny in the subway parking lot, another penny a few feet away, and then a quarter in the middle of the road (If mike wasn't with me, he wouldn't have believed it, we randomly crossed the street and there it was!) and another penny under a bench. 54 cents for me in one day
6/16: Mike found two dimes at mcdonald's drive thru, although one was canadian, i let it count; I found two cents somewhere, i forget.
(sunday) 6/17: neither of us found change
6/18: Mike found a quarter at mcdonalds, and got an extra 25 cents from the vending machine; I found a penny in the dirt, and two at big boy on the ground in a dusty, crusty corner. I'm getting desperate.
6/19: Mike found nothing (skipped mcdonalds today); i found a quarter and 4 pennies by the parking meters at lunch.

Totals so far:
Mike: $1.88
Vicki:$1.39

If I can keep Mike out of McDonalds and keep finding change at lunch, I might make a comeback.

change updates

As of this moment Mike is at 20 cents, I'm at 34 cents.

Recap of the week:
Friday: i found a crusty old cent in a crack in the middle of the street, and one by the parking meters near work.
Thursday: I found a dime and then a penny by the parking meters, two more by some other meters, and a penny at the grocery store.
Wednesday:I found a penny by the street vendor, then a nickel and penny by the parking meters.
Tuesday: I found a penny in front of the hotel
Monday:We took a walk and I found a nickel and two pennies in front of the dollar store, a penny in front of rite aid, and a penny in front of max's deli

Mike:
Wed:Mike found a penny at work
Tues:Mike found a dime and two pennies in the drive through at burger king
Mon:on our walk mike found a penny in the parking lot, a nickel behind the salt container at rite aid, and another penny in the parking lot

change, changes

I bought projectvicki.com! And once I figure out how to do it, i'll be switching this blog over there.

Loose change contest status:
Mike and I took a walk last night. He found a nickel and two pennies. I found a nickel and four pennies.
Today I found one penny. Mike found a dime and two pennies.

Totals:
Mike: $.19
Vicki: $.11

Change on the street contest

I challenged Mike to a contest. See who can find the most change on the ground. You know, when you see a penny but don’t bother to pick it up? Well, now we will.

I was inspired by this blog I posted about a while ago. This guy has found over $500 in two years. On the ground.

Here’s how it goes:
Change on the street contest
How to play: Pick up change on the sidewalk, street, parking lots, stores, anywhere it has been dropped.
Rules:
1. Change that is lying around the apartment is off limits.
2. Change in your car doesn't count.
3. Keep track of the amount you find.
4. You get to keep the change and spend it anyway you want.
5. We're on the honor system.
The contest starts now and runs through June 30. Winner gets breakfast in bed.

Wanna join the contest? Leave a comment. Of course only Mike or I will win breakfast in bed, but if I know you maybe I’ll send you a prize.