Tag Archives: The Five-Dollar Savings Plan

February 27, 2016 · 10:57 PM

Porch Glider and Table

I used my Five-Dollar Savings Plan again!!!!

Click here to read more about how it works in detail….the overview is that you save every $5 you come across, and save it to buy yourself something.

Now, here’s my new setup! I bought a glider and a table!

So, I started with $275. I thought of many things to spend this on. The only one I can remember right now is a new point-and-shoot camera (the one I have now is more than 10 years old). Anyway, I finally decided on furniture for my porch/patio!

Why? Because the sun sets riiiiiight there. Quite the view in the evenings.

Ok, so I had a $275 budget.

And I REALLY wanted a swing. For my porch. See? It needs something to keep the gnomes company.

But, after much measuring, I decided that a swing won’t work. Too small of an area. You see, it would FIT, but then I wouldn’t be able to get into my front door…so I was looking for chairs…so I went looking for chairs with my 2 awesome girls.

And I found a glider at Home Depot!

But I wasn’t sold. I tend to like dark furniture. That seat was so light.

Then Natalie found this set!

They didn’t have the glider in the store, but she saw it in the booklet!!!

So, I went home and looked at it online, measured my porch, and tried to decide…

website

It looks lighter in that picture, but the one at the store was darker…so I went with it! I did it!

Now, I had paid for it online, so I had to take my $5 bills and deposit them into the bank…

I chose to have it delivered to the store (shipping was free that way), and my friend and his Jeep helped me get it home.

Then it was time to assemble!

And I did it! And I felt great! It was beautiful!

And then I had sticky stuff on the metal from the stickers that they’d put on it….but I know how to deal with THAT!

After it was all cleaned off, I took it outside!

Then I realized I needed a table. I had $40 left, so I went searching…at Target.

And I found one!!!

Now, excuse the night picture, but check it out!

And hey, check it out! I’ve still got $15 to start me off for next time!

Now, go forth and save!

I’ll just be here enjoying my porch…

Click here if you want to learn more about the $5 savings plan.

Click below to see other things I have bought with my $5 savings plan:
A Kitchen Aid
Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection
A sitting apparatus…well, 2

3 Comments

Filed under Happenings

Tagged as glider, Home Depot, money, porch, saving, savings, spending, table, Target, The Five-Dollar Savings Plan

March 7, 2015 · 9:58 PM

A Sitting Apparatus or Two

When I moved into this apartment, I realized I needed a place to sit and eat. I didn’t want a table and chairs…no room for that in my apartment. I just wanted a sitting apparatus (actually, 2) to put up against the counter ledge that juts out a bit. But because I had just moved, I didn’t have a lot of money to buy them.

But then I saw the pile of things that were waiting to be hung on the bare walls, and I remembered my $5 savings plan!!! I couldn’t believe I had $240, since I had spent 4 months that year in Romania and Ireland (where I wasn’t adding to my $5 savings plan at all since I was using a different currency). Yet alas, here it was! And I had $240!

I wasn’t sure how much I would need, but I had it!

If you don’t know what the $5 savings plan is, click here to read about it.

Well, I set out with the Solises to Trader’s Village (a flea market here in Houston) to find some!

Natalie had fun counting my $5 bills on the way there…

I only found one that I semi-liked…

But here’s the thing…I wanted ones that spin. I had qualifications (1) must spin (2) must have a back (3) must have that leather(-like) seat, not fabric or wood.

So that wouldn’t do.

Kept looking, and found one!

I was glad that Aldo was with me, because he speaks Spanish and could barter for me…

The whole time, I was updating my friend Teo on my progress. When we found this one, this conversation ensued:

Aldo: I like them
Me: Me, too.
Aldo: I hope Teo likes them.
Me: I’ll send her a picture.
Aldo: You’re crazy.

So I sent her a picture, and she approved! Opinions matter.

Aldo talked down the price to $108 for both of the chairs that are there, since they are the display ones and had some imperfections from everyone sitting on them and moving them around. Or I could buy them new and get them next week and have to put them together, for $145.

SOOO I said I’d think about it.

We walked around and got some other stuff (I scored on some Christmas presents!) and then I decided to buy them new! I would have to put them together and wait a week, but I would have them without blemishes, and that was nice.

So I pulled out my $5 bills and paid! The guy was surprised, and I was proud. I love using my $5 savings plan!

I picked them up a week later, and Clara helped me put them together!

Here they are, in all their glory!

The best part! I only used $145 of my $240! I still had money left in my $5 savings plan, for the next time!

Click here if you want to learn more about the $5 savings plan!

Click below to see the other things I’ve bought with my $5 savings plan:
Kitchen Aid
Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection
Porch Glider and Table

2 Comments

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Tagged as $5, apartment, money, savings, sitting apparatus, The Five-Dollar Savings Plan, Trader's Village

December 1, 2013 · 8:45 PM

Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection

One day my friend asked me why I don’t own the Harry Potter movies if I love them so much. I told her it was because I was waiting for the ultimate special editions to come out, in a box set, with director’s commentary and more special features and all that jazz.

My friend Kristi overheard this, and last week she emailed me this…

20131126_155627

…and said…

It’s here. The definitive collector’s edition of Harry Potter. And it’s only $150!!

Apparently it’s really important to me that you see this. .. As I’m sending it in multiple forms. And possibly multiple times. 😉

So I responded with…

I AM SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW I CAN’T EVEN HANDLE IT!!!!!!!!!!

Wait, wait…..$150 from WHERE!? Amazon says it’s $277.60!

I WILL BUY IT.

FORGET ROMANIA. FORGET IRELAND. I WILL BUY IT.

And she said…

Is at Costco my love. Enjoy!

I was in bed that night, and these were my thoughts…

I want it so badly….it’s only $150….that’s so cheap for what it includes! I have the money, I can totally do it…but no! Stop! Chloe! You’re saving money to go to Romania and Ireland! Stop! You can’t! But this is everything I wanted and more…I’m doing it. I might feel guilty, but I am doing it.

And then I saw my wall…

My five dollar savings plan!!! <–click to read more…you will love it, I promise.

And the next day….

I was in heaven. I cried tears of joy at Costco. It’s true, just ask my cousin. She was there.

I went home and reveled in the goodness. Happiness overcame my whole self. And anyone around me, because all I could do was smile.

I only had like 15 minutes to look at it when I got home…you think it’d be enough, but it wasn’t. I had to go to work…but after work, I took a long time to go through every bit of it. It was glorious.

I went to my mom’s house for Thanksgiving and I showed my family. Their favorite part was watching how excited I was. My brother’s girlfriend even got pictures….

First you open the top for movies…

Then the sides open…

And there’s drawers with more movies on either side…

And then there’s little drawers…this one has a scroll with the information about the digital copy of all the movies…

The other drawer houses the horcrux, which was already around my neck, of course…

Can you tell how happy I am?

There’s also a Label Collection book…

And a certificate of authenticity…I have number 22,924 f 63,000!

And there’s also a collection of scenes…one from each film…on very nice paper that I will be framing when I have my own place one day!

And there’s another book! A Catalog of Artifacts!

…and a blueprint poster of Hogwarts castle…

And there’s more that I don’t have pictures of…like all 31 discs…the cloth map of Hogwarts (which will be on my wall in my next abode…

I AM SO HAPPY.

Click here to read more about the Five Dollar Savings Plan…the reason why I could afford this!

Click below to see other things I have bought with my $5 savings plan:
Kitchen Aid
A sitting apparatus…well, 2

A porch glider and a table

6 Comments

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Tagged as $5, Costco, Harry Potter, money, saving, The Five-Dollar Savings Plan

March 27, 2013 · 8:52 PM

My New Kitchen Aid!!

I’ve been doing The Five-Dollar Savings Plan (learn more about that at this link) for over a year now…I’ve been saving up for a Classic Kitchen Aid! I love to bake, so it’s always been a dream of mine to own my own Kitchen Aid…

It basically felt like I was getting it for free…because the amount in my bank account stayed the same…it was all from the shadow box on my wall! That’s the beauty of The Five-Dollar Savings Plan. I can spend money on myself once a year without feeling bad about it!

Here’s the story:

About a month ago I was at Costco with my brother Ethan. We were on the appliances aisle because he was looking for a juicer, and I saw a Classic Kitchen Aid for only $199!!! I was super stoked, because I was up to $185 with my $5 savings plan, so I knew I could get it within the next couple months!

So I kept on saving and saving…well, mostly waiting…

And this weekend I got it!

Somehow I lost count, because it turns out there was only $205 in there…but that’s okay because what I was about to buy was only $200…and I can afford a bit of tax.

So I grabbed my 2 good friends Kelsey and Makenzie, and we went to Costco!

Come to find out…they don’t have it anymore. They only had the Professional Kitchen Aid for like $350. I even asked an employee…he checked the system and everything…nada.

I left feeling very depressed and rejected.

But then decided to call around….

Williams-Sonoma had a Classic Kitchen Aid for about $350, with a $30 mail-in rebate. NO THANK YOU.
I called 2 more Costco locations…and they didn’t have it either…LAME.
Then I called Wal-Mart…and they had a Classic Kitchen Aid for $199!

So naturally, we rushed there…

And I think the pictures can tell the next part of the story…

Chris was a very nice lady who was workin’ the lucky register today! (We avoided the self-checkout…I didn’t want to put 41 $5 bills into the cash receiver thing….headache!)

Chris could tell that I was in a VERY good mood, and I explained why…I explained the Five Dollar Savings Plan and that I’d been saving for about 14 months…and I finally got my dream! She thought it was one of the coolest things ever, and told the lady behind her about me. I felt pretty cool.

Me and Kelsey!

Me and Makenzie!

Then I dropped off those two wonderful ladies at school (UVU) and went home to play with my new toy!

I was SO HAPPY!!! Here’s what I made…

Want to know what kind of cupcakes those are? Well….you might want to sit down…it’s pretty weird. Ok, ready?

Brown Sugar Banana Cupcakes with Avocado Buttercream Icing

Curious? Go here to learn more…

Click below to see other things I have bought with my $5 savings plan:
Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection
A sitting apparatus…well, 2
A porch glider and table

4 Comments

Filed under Happenings

Tagged as avocado, Costco, cupcakes, Kitchen Aid, money, savings, The Five-Dollar Savings Plan, Wal-Mart

March 27, 2013 · 8:30 PM

The Five-Dollar Savings Plan

It’s very simple. Every time you get a $5 bill, you save it! At the end of the year, you buy yourself something!

I saw this idea on Pinterest last year, and decided to try it…it was so fun!

Here’s some more details…

Every time you get a $5 bill, you save it. I kept mine in a clip for a long time, until I finally found a shadow box at a thrift store! Then I stored it in the shadow box, simply up on my wall. I used a dry-erase marker to change the amount every time I added a $5.

At the end of 2012, I still didn’t have enough money for what I wanted…a Kitchen Aid. If you know me at all, you know that it’s one of my dreams – to own my own Kitchen Aid! So I continued to save, and this weekend I finally got enough!

Here’s a rule (at least for me): YOU CANNOT ACTIVELY SEEK $5 BILLS. What I mean by that is…you can’t ask for your change in $5’s…and you can’t just go withdraw money from the bank and get it in $5’s….that’s cheating!