Week 18 Update Debt Snowflake Challenge

Its week 18 already? WOW, 2012 is zipping right along! This week is all about "slow and steady" that's our pace and I have made peace with it. I was able to pay off another small debt for April. Very exciting indeed!


I had a small balance on a store credit card that I have decided needs to go. So $120.61 went to wipe it out. I really want to close it but the hubby is too worried about the negative impact on our credit score so I will just shred it. I will never understand why you are penalized for closing accounts. Not paying or slow paying I understand.....slave to debt.


I think that we are going back to the cash envelope system. It really helps with the grocery budget and spending money. So starting Monday be are back to cash. the only category I wont be able to do cash for is household items. I am using the Target REDcard for that but it's not a category I overspend in anyway so for now it works.

This week I added $16.86 to our snowball giving us a balance of $66.99 plus a .02 interest deposit. Its sad to see the amount going down for some reason. Its not like I blew it. We are successfully paying off debt that is hanging around and slowing us down! I think my brain is weird!


I Hope everyone has had a wonderful week and a even better weekend!!! Cant wait to see everyones progress!
                                                            Frugally Yours, Deb!

Debt Snowflake Challenge Update Week 15

Hello all! Happy Friday! This week has just flown by for sure. Time seems to get away from me lately. Whats up with that? I hope everyone has had a successful week of snowflaking and general frugalness. I am working on a few new prospects for the baking business. Fingers crossed!

I was able to snowflake a total of $31.24, that is the small raise the hubby received earlier this year. Not much but it is a worthy snowflake. I made a $48 profit from the baking gig but I was out of packaging supplies so I applied that back into the business.

It is really hard keeping positive about being in a new place. I catch myself thinking of what I lost, my gardens, animals, participating in my local farmer's market, blah blah... But I gained a happier husband who is home at least 3 more hours a day, $$$ in fuel and wear and tear costs on our car, a much much better middle and high school for the kids, all in all it's positive progress.

I just have to remember that I have to make some sacrifices for now. Goodness knows the hubby did for years! I'm so darn lucky! My contribution to the family now is to keep the budget on track and get the last part of our consumer debt paid down. Also I'm going to see if I can get the grocery budget trimmed a bit now that I have more shopping options.


Have a wonderful weekend, enjoy your springy weather! I am linking up with Melissa at Moms Plans for Debt Snowflaking Challenge. Hop on over and see how everyone is progressing!

Debt Snowflake Challenge Week 5

Happy Friday! Another week just flew by. I am happy to report I had another successful week. I still haven't found other ways to snowflake but I am always reading all your great posts and brainstorming our budget and  remain optimistic!

Our total snowflakes for the week are $93.76, a pretty good week. This is how they broke down baking, $75.00 and hubby's raise $18.76. I am really very thankful of this money and I am trying to feel encouraged. This is about the time I get into that (expect overnight miracles phase) but I am learning now to ignore that  negative attitude.

Here is why. In the past 3 years that I have baking, NEVER have I made more than $50 a month in January and February. Business is growing and I see room for more growth. Secondly the hubby got a raise, yes it was very tiny but it wasn't expected so that's a plus! Being lazy and unmotivated about our money is not a option so NO MORE WHINING!

I saved $9.75 in coupons this week. The sad thing to report is that I am totally over budget on groceries this week! The damage was $64.62 OVER! For the life of me I cannot understand why this is out of control. I shop my freezer and pantry first, then check the sales flyer's and coupons. Next I whip out my menu planning notebook and calender and set our meals accordingly. I don't buy frozen meals or treats, all breads, granola bars, snacks are from scratch.

One problem may be my budget. I have set aside $130.00 a week for a family of 4, which includes hubby and kids lunches, and all of our cleaning and health and beauty needs. I see these blogs where $40-$60 is spent. I really do not know how they do it. Am I being unrealistic? I have only two places to shop, Aldi and Walmart. Maybe when we make the big move in a few weeks I can scout out better options. I am not complaining about Aldi at all it has really saved my budget. Its great for all my pantry staples and most fruit and produce.

So in the coming weeks I will be reevaluating my budget. If anyone has any tips or feedback I would love to hear. Maybe I am missing something here. Have a wonderful weekend! May the financial snowflakes blanket you this week!!!! Don't forget to stop in and check out Melissa's blog Mom's Plans to see how everyone is doing, make sure you leave her a comment to thank her for hosting!

                                                                 Hugs, Deb!

Debt Snowflake Challenge Week 4 The Month In Review

Happy Friday! Glad you are stopping in for another weekly check in. I hope everyone was busy gathering snowflakes this week. Not real ones, I know this is January which snowflakes would be plentiful but not here in central Missouri, not a flake yet! But that's a different post.

The financial flakes were very good for this week. Our best week so far! The grand total for week 4 was $195.32, wwwhhhooo! They broke down like this, $75.00 for the side baking gig, $17.32 for hubby's raise and $103 for our state tax refund. That was fast, filing time and direct deposit, less than one week. We usually have two pay in a few hundred dollars, so it was nice to see a refund. My tweaking is complete, I will leave it where it is.

I would say that our first month snowflaking has been a success. It just floors me that we have never tried this before. I have read endless articles on it and never committed to it. When I found Melissa's blog Moms Plans and read of her challenge I was ready. It has been so wonderful to have accountability and encouragement from Melissa and the other participants. I get SO excited for Fridays!

So for January we were able to snowflake a total of $474.98! Just amazing! This would have just absorbed into our checking account never to be seen or served any benefit to us. I hope if you are a reader of my blog and you have not yet joined this challenge,  give it a try. Even if you don't have debt or just want to save for a vacation or beef up the kids college fund. You owe it to yourself and family to corral this loose change and put it to work! I hope I am not sounding preachy. I am just so excited for my progress and want everyone to know how it can help you too!

Drop in and see what its all about over at Moms Plans. Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Snowflaking! I will be back this weekend for a round up of the month. I will be tallying up the grocery budget and counting up the no spend days for my Year of Zero participation. See you then!

                                                                     Hugs, Deb!

Debt Snowflake Challenge Week 3 Update

Welcome and Happy Friday to everyone! TGIF, right? I hope everyone had a successful week of snowflakes. If you haven't joined yet I suggest you hop on over to Moms Plans and see what our host Melissa and other participants are up to. It is never to late to start!

It was a pretty decent week for me here in the country. Hubby received a small raise in his pay that was unexpected and we decided to just keep on budgeting like it wasn't there. So my total snowflakes for the 3rd week of the challenge is $ 93.20. It breaks down to $26.20 from the raise and $67.00 profit from baking. Not bad at all! I'm getting very excited to find more ways to snowflake as we go.

I love checking in with everyone participating to congratulate or encourage each week. It is wonderful knowing that the same is there for me when needed. Melissa, your hard work in hosting is SO APPRECIATED! YOU ROCK!!!!

Tomorrow I will update my progress in 2012 The Year of Zero. Frugal in Florida is chronicling her year of zero. Go HERE to check it out! I'm going to make those facial wipes just as soon as I use up my stash! What a great idea!

Have a great weekend! Hugs, Deb!

Debt Snowflake Challenge Week Two Still Plugging Along

Hello everyone, HAPPY FRIDAY! It's time to link up with Melissa at Moms Plans for the Debt Snowflake Challenge. Participating has been really motivating for me. If you haven't been by to check it out I suggest you scoot on over there ASAP. I am staying accountable and learning new ideas too. Much love Melissa!!!!!!

I am slowly plugging along in my second week. The death of the fridge is still stinging in the area where our Emergency Fund once lived. All the more reason to eliminate debt, right? RIGHT! Build old EF back up to its former glory and LARGER!

The snowflake total for this week is $80.97. It breaks down to baking profit, $67.00, Rounding hubby's pay to nearest ten $8.97 and a $5.00 deposit from my bank for a customer satisfaction survey. They are tiny but rolled together they are mighty!

I'm hoping to get that grocery budget tamed too. There are some really great deals this week so I'm hoping for a under budget trip this week!

How are your snowflaking efforts going this week? Cant wait to stop by and visit everyone! Have a wonderful weekend! HUGS! Deb

Debt Snowflake Challenge Week One and Having Fun!

Happy Friday fellow bloggers and followers. It has been a great week for snowflaking. It's so motivating to collect up my little "flakes" and package them for debt repayment!

Why I have never tried this, I will never know! For several years I have read lots of blogs which practiced this method. Everyone had wonderful success too, but did that motivate me? Nope!

Recently I stumbled upon this wonderful blog. Melissa will be updating every Friday. She had had some great luck this week with a unexpected deposit fee. Stop by and see what all the buzz is about!

The hubby and I have decided that all of our snowflakes will be tucked away in our new ING Electric Orange account.Then once monthly they will be assigned to the smallest debt to quickly clear up according to Dave Ramsey. I know its not the popular method over paying off high interest debts first but I like Dave's ideas. He the the "go to" guy in my book.

Here is the breakdown for this weeks "flakes".

Profit from my little baking gig $94.00

Rounding off my hubby's paycheck to the nearest ten dollar increment $8.65

A check for $2.84 from old insurance company

This makes a grand total of $105.49! In the old days this would have floated away somewhere on the weekend. What a waste! But no more, every dollar is going to work as hard as we do!

I am kind of still in limbo on what to do about my coupon savings $ and the balance in my grocery envelope. Currently they are hanging out together. The plan for now is to build a stockpile of no more than 3 each items of all our toiletry and household supplies. We have only two choices for grocery shopping in a 40 mile radius Walmart and Aldi. Not as great as I would like but I am determined so save regardless.

I welcome any input on this. I would love to hear how you all do it. You just gotta love feedback from the pros! Have a wonderful weekend and happy snowflaking. I am off to see how everyone else did with their first week.
Hugs, Deb!!!