Sunday, June 29, 2008

Buying More PEI Shares!

June 29: Today, I sent a $100.00 check to the dividend reinvestment plan manager of the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust to purchase more shares. This will clear out all funds in the FMJ savings account and some from the jar. We'll do a jar count to update our June monthly stats. We won't receive our share purchase amounts until next month so I'll have to update that with another post.

This seems like a good time to buy as the stock market is at a low point for the year and real estate trust share prices, in general, having traded lower, as well. Hopefully, we'll get a good price.

FMJ - Day 820

June 28: While shopping at Camarillo Outlets, Ajay and I found a dime and 5 pennies. A stop at the Yosemite Shell station was quite beneficial to the FMJ -- we came across 13 pennies resting atop the gas pump.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.28
Bottles & Cans Collected: 9
Running Stats
This Month: $8.46
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $65.50
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $449.40 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $909.67 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 105 for the month.
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,189.67

Friday, June 27, 2008

June Dividend Report

On June 16th, we were paid a quarterly dividend by the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PEI) in the amount of $11.51 which was automatically reinvested for .47 fractional shares. We now hold 20.659 shares of PEI.

Dividend & Interest Income
This month: $11.51
Savings Interest 2007: 98 cents
Savings Interest 2006: $1.77
Dividends 2006: $34.30
Dividends 2007: $88.04
Dividends 2008: $66.33
Non-reinvested Dividends: $17.10
Total Dividends Received: $254.62 (Since 2003 merger of CWN & PEI)

FMJ - Day 819 $5.00 found!

June 27: As our stock market was crashing... we decided to take a day trip to the tennis courts at Rancho Simi Park. Afterwards, we drove to Moorpark and had lunch at the El Pollo Loco where I claimed a Five Dollar Bill that had been dropped on the counter as a customer grabbed their order. I asked around the restaurant... it didn't belong to anyone. So, I guess it aid on the counter for a while and no one else noticed it. Even the cashier didn't notice it... weird. Maybe it takes a well trained eye like mine to spot lost money.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $5.00
Bottles & Cans Collected: 0
Running Stats
This Month: $8.18
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $65.22
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $449.12 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $909.39 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 96 for the month.
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,189.67

FMJ - Day 818

June 26: We found a single dime after lunch at the Imperial Garden Chinese restaurant in Thousand Oaks, CA. We also made another stop at the Wood Ranch recycling center and collected $8.30 for the B&C Fund.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.10
Bottles & Cans Collected: 10
Running Stats
This Month: $3.18
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $60.22
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $444.12 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $904.39 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 96 for the month.
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,189.67

Thursday, June 26, 2008

FMJ - Day 817

June 25: No money found. No bottles or cans collected. Yeah, I know... it's weird. But, true... found nothing.

FMJ - Day 816

June 24: Taking our dry cleaning in to Joe's Cleaners in the Sycamore Village Center in Simi Valley, we found a dime, nickel and 2 pennies.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.17
Bottles & Cans Collected: 16
Running Stats
This Month: $3.08
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $60.12
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $444.02 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $904.29 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 86 for the month.
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,181.37

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

FMJ - Day 815

June 23: After recycling our cans & bottles at the Wood Ranch Recycling Center, we went into the Ralph's to collect on the cash slip. We made $6.60 for the B&C Fund. I found a dime outside the store and Ajay found 2 pennies inside.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.12
Bottles & Cans Collected: 14
Running Stats
This Month: $2.91
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $59.95
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $443.85 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $904.12 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 70 for the month.
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,181.37

FMJ - Day 814

June 22: We found two pennies while shopping at Cerritos Mall. Both pennies were found in the Palm Cafe food court. A stop on the way home from Cerritos at the 7-11 on Artesia Blvd. netted another 3 pennies for the fund.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $..05
Bottles & Cans Collected: 12
Running Stats
This Month: $2.79
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $59.83
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $443.73 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $904.00 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 56 for the month.
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,174.77

FMJ - Day 813

June 21: No Finds.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

FMJ - Day 812

June 20: Ajay and I went to the Regal Movie Theater on Tapo Canyon Rd. We saw GET SMART... good movie, a cute laugher. Ajay found a nickel near the box office then we scooped up 63 cents (4 nickels, 4 dimes & 3 pennies) from the floor at the concession stand. Someone dropped all the coins and was too lazy to pick them up. After the movie, we spotted a penny upon returning to our very hot car. So, that's a total of 69 cents found during our afternoon excursion.

An evening out at the Topanga Promenade Mall to beat the heat... Ajay and I found a dime and 8 pennies walking the mall.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.87
Bottles & Cans Collected: 1
Running Stats
This Month: $2.74
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $59.78
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $443.68 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $903.95 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 44 for the month.
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,174.77

FMJ - Day 811

June 19: Nothing found... TOO HOT to go anywhere! 108 degrees! Ouch!

Friday, June 20, 2008

FMJ - Day 810

June 18: Very, Very HOT! TOO HOT! 108 degrees! We just stayed inside until the afternoon when I was to teach a tennis lesson. Lots of water was needed to stay on the courts... it's way too hot.

No finds.

FMJ - Day 809

June 17: My wife and I went to Mission Valley in San Diego for her business meeting. I drove... she slept. While she attended her meeting I perused the books at Border's. I found a penny upon leaving the store.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.01
Bottles & Cans Collected: 0
Running Stats
This Month: $1.87
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $58.91
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $442.81 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $903.08 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 43 for the month.
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,174.77

FMJ - Day 808

June 16: Nothing found... TOO HOT TO GO ANYWHERE!

Monday, June 16, 2008

FMJ - Day 807


June 15: We spent the night at Mayma's house in Cerritos, CA. Tooling around with the top down on the new Toyota Solara Convertible, we made way to Glendale, CA. There, we visited the new Americana shopping district and strolled Glendale Galleria. For lunch, Outback Steakhouse. (Buying a new car and shopping... I think we've done our part to stimulate Bush's suck-ass economy.) We found two dimes and a penny along our shopping journey.

** About the picture: It's a tornado about two miles off the coast in Bethany Beach, Del. The picture was taken by my mother a few weeks ago during the terrible storms along the East Coast that dumped so much rain. Neat Photo... we sent it to the Weather Channel for consideration.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.21
Bottles & Cans Collected: 3
Running Stats
This Month: $1.86
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $58.90
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $442.80 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $903.07 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 43 for the month.
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,174.77

FMJ - Day 806

June 14: An Afternoon shopping trip to Topanga Promenade Mall in Woodland Hills provided several opportunities for finding coins. We scooped 2 dimes and 5 pennies from the mall's cavernous corridors.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.25
Bottles & Cans Collected: 5
Running Stats
This Month: $1.65
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $58.69
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $442.59 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $902.86 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 40 for the month.
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,174.77

FMJ - Day 805

June 13: Last day of School! Yippee! Tennis and Swimming ALL SUMMER!

No Finds! Just a few bottles!

FMJ - Day 804

June 12: I found a penny while cleaning up after Maya's 6th grade Swimming BBQ that was held at Rancho Simi Park. Ajay found two pennies at the Target store in Simi Valley.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.03
Bottles & Cans Collected: 4
Running Stats
This Month: $1.40
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $58.44
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $442.34 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $902.61 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 31 for the month.
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,174.77

FMJ - Days 801 to 803!

June 9th, 10th, & 11th, 2008: We did not find anything during these days as the kids were winding down a long school year with school assemblies and awards ceremonies.

Monday, June 09, 2008

FMJ - Day 800

June 8: Our first joyride in the convertible was to Ojai, CA. We stopped for lunch at Brent's Deli in Westlake Village then drove to Emma Wood Beach in Ventura. In Ojai, we stopped for ice cream and played in Libbey Park. We found a penny on the street in Ojai. A stop at Vons' on the way home brought us a dime scooped from the floor at checkout.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.11
Bottles & Cans Collected: 0
Running Stats
This Month: $1.37
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $58.41
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $442.31 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $902.58 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 27 for the month.
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,174.77

FMJ - Day 799

June 7: We bought a NEW CAR! A Toyota Solara Convertible! Fun in the Sun! Spent about $34,000 to get it Fully Loaded! GPS and DVD! Found 2 pennies while negotiating the deal. Also, the salesman served us sodas... I kept the cans for the B&C Fund.

Toyota... 34 Grand. FMJ/B&C Fund.... 17 cents.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.02
Bottles & Cans Collected: 3
Running Stats
This Month: $1.26
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $58.30
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $442.20 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $902.47 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 27 for the month.
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,174.77

Saturday, June 07, 2008

FMJ - Day 798

June 6: Int the evening, I picked up a single penny at the Simi Valley Town Center in the front of the Macy's Men's and Home Store.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.01
Bottles & Cans Collected: 5
Running Stats
This Month: $1.24
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $58.28
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $442.18 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $902.45 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 24 for the month
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,174.77

Thursday, June 05, 2008

FMJ - Day 797

June 5: This morning, I found a penny at McDonald's on Yosemite Ave. For Lunch, Ajay and I went to the Jack in the Box on L.A. Ave. There, we found a dime. Topper's Pizza restaurant for dinner, a dollar coin was found by Ajay in the video arcade.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $1.11
Bottles & Cans Collected: 4
Running Stats
This Month: $1.23
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $58.27
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $442.17 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $902.44 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 19 for the month
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,174.77

FMJ - Day 796

June 4: No Finds, again.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

FMJ - Day 795

June 3: No coins were found. I did collect 7 bottles and cans.

FMJ - Day 794

June 2: We found 12 cents... a dime and 2 pennies. All found while bike riding around our neighborhood.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.12
Bottles & Cans Collected: 4
Running Stats
This Month: $.12
Last Month: $1.88
2008 Finds: $57.16
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $441.06 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $901.33 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 8 for the month
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,174.77

FMJ - Day 793

June 1: No finds... but, we did collect 4 bottles.

End of the Month Stats - May 2008

End of Month Stats:
Total found - May 2008: $1.88
Average Amount Found per Day: 6 cents

Stock Holdings
FMJ and B&C Fund - Stock Held:
20.189 Shares/PEI Worth: $519.20
22.247 Shares/GRT Worth: $288.10
40.996 Shares/UDR Worth: $1,014.25

Total Stocks Held Value: $1,821.55
Value last month: $1,790.24
Stock purchase cost: $1,798.29
Gain in Value from Stock Cost: $23.26

Other Funds Owned:
Non-deposited FMJ Funds(still in the jar): $73.85
FMJ Savings Account: $71.91
Note: a jar count on November 1, 2007 was done and $200.00 deposited in the savings account to cover the purchase of more shares in PEI. On October 24, $147.00 was used for the purchase of 3.991 shares of PEI.

Dividend & Interest Income
This month: $0.00
Savings Interest 2007: 98 cents
Savings Interest 2006: $1.77
Dividends 2006: $34.30
Dividends 2007: $88.04
Dividends 2008: $54.82
Non-reinvested Dividends: $17.10
Total Dividends Received: $243.11 (Since 2003 merger of CWN & PEI)

Total Asset Value of FMJ Fund: $953.06

Bottles and Cans Fund
Running Balance: $1,174.77
Cash used to purchase stock: $1,013.17
Cash Account Balance: $161.60
Sept. 30, 2007: $999.18
B&C Stocks/cash value: $1,175.85
Gain in B&C Fund: $.08

Total Value of Both Funds:
May 31, 2008: $2,128.91
April 30, 2008: $2,060.43
March 31, 2008: $1,950.76
February 29, 2008: $1,830.87
December 31: 2007: $1,817.99
November 30, 2007: $2,075.57
October 31, 2007: $2,230.89
September 07: $2,327.61
August 07: $2,217.07
July 07: $2178.49
*Increase from Prior Month: $68.48

* Increase due to better current share prices, recycling, & money finds that offset prior unfavorable share prices for REITs which had been in a period of decline during the second half of 2007.

Monday, June 02, 2008

FMJ - Day 792

May 31: Cruising the "10" freeway, I stopped in Montclair to shop. I don't know the name of the shopping plaza but it had an El Pollo Loco, Ross and Sports Authority -- three places on my favorites list. I found two penny strolling the plaza.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.02
Bottles & Cans Collected: 6
Running Stats
This Month: $1.88
Last Month: $34.93
2008 Finds: $57.04
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $440.92 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $901.21 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 195 for the month
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,174.77

FMJ - Day 791 "Recycling Update"

May 30: On a stop for gas at the Shell station down the hill from our house, Ajay and I found a 2 dimes and a penny. One dime was found in an area of uncovered dirt... the coin was corroded and "dirt brown." Must have been laying there for a long time.

At lunch, I stopped by the recycling center to return our month's worth stash of bottles and cans... collected $19.59 for our efforts.

Today's Stats
Money Finds: $.21
Bottles & Cans Collected: 5
Running Stats
This Month: $1.86
Last Month: $34.93
2008 Finds: $57.02
Since FMJ Blog Inception: $440.90 (March 28, 2006)
Total Found for FMJ Fund: $901.19 (since 1-1-2000)
Bottles and Cans Collected: 189 for the month
Bottles & Cans Return Fund: $1,174.77