Hello everyone! Have you given up on me? We finally made our move out of state. We are closer to our life and work now. I miss the country house a bit, but we are all adjusting. Its great to see my husband with four extra hours in his day!!!
Now the bad news, We wiped out the savings and EF and haven't snowflaked for 9 weeks! YIKES! I have to start over and find new customers. I have faith that I will, It just takes time. The farmers market season is upon us and meeting new people and potential customers is very exciting.
I have been doing some couponing, mostly for household and health and beauty items. I do not have space to stockpile much so a new method for shopping is in the works. I cook from scratch so most food coupons are lost on me anyway.
On Friday I will link back up with Melissa at Moms Plans for the Debt Snowflake Challenge. I can't wait to catch up with everyone. Hopefully everyone is "flaking " away with success! See you soon!!!!
One mom's baking ,tablescaping and gardening adventures with a frugal flair.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
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!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
January Progress Update, How We Got Here Edition
The first month of 2012 has flown by! It has been a month of changes. They have been exciting for us as a family trying to live frugally and make our money serve us well. Something we never really committed to in the past.
What changed for us? I suppose it was like most couples. Being sick and tired of the fear of the unknown financially. What if hubby's job disappeared? What if the engine blew in the car? What is one of us God forbid became ill? What would we do?
The reality finally set into our heads. We control the "what if?" We have one and only one choice. BE PREPARED! Have a fully funded Emergency Fund, pay off debt, live within our means. Sounds easy hunh? We have tried several times over the last 5 years. Even succeeding for a while. We just would get bored, feel to deprived, have a mini emergency and have to wipe out our fund and get discouraged.
We would tell ourselves, "Why save, every time we get ahead something breaks, or someone gets ill (usually I'm the culprit here) and we are back to ZERO! Well, DUH! It finally sunk in, that's why they call in the Emergency Fund! They were Emergencies! What would have happened if the funds weren't there? We just had to suck it up and quit making excuses. There it was, stop making excuses!
Just like many couples nowadays, sick and tired of being sick and tired! Plain and not so simple! It takes hard work, just as hard as you worked to earn it. Wise spending, frugal living and financial security have to be your second job!
So when everyone else was ringing in the new year, we were sitting down with all of our bills and making our realistic budget and setting goals for 2012. We discussed our strengths and weaknesses, made sure we understood the others wants and needs and made sure we were going to attack this as a team.
OUR PLAN OF ACTION
Opened a Ing Direct account (right then and there, savers since December, 31 2011!)
Move closer to hubby's work (he drives 180 miles day round trip multiply that by 12 years!)
Set and stick to a grocery and household budget. Menu plan and clip coupons!
Snowflake, Snowflake, Snowflake!!! Make all that extra money and my little baking side gig work for us, while finding other ways to earn money.
Dust off this blog! I love to blog but got lazy about it. Now I will be accountable by posting our efforts here. Who knows maybe make some money at it someday (stranger things have happened)
We are very excited and motivated. I personally am treating it like a game. It works for me to have fun and stay interested or I get distracted. Posting here and joining some really wonderful blog challenges are working for me.
Debt Snowflake Challenge hosted by Melissa at Mom's Plans.
The Year of Zero with Frugal In Florida.
This is how we did so far.
Snowflakes for January- $494.98
Grocery budget -$ 10.35 under for the month (miracles never cease)
No spend days: 14 (still a few days left in the month but we are stocked up and should be safe)
Coupon savings- $33.44
Hopefully I can add more categories to snowflake. We are giving ourselves leeway in the budget for groceries and being realistic that our budget is a ever changing process. We are not going to make excuses and feel like we deserve rewards we haven't earned.
So, that's how it happened for us. I would love to hear about your moment. What got you on your path to freedom? Thank you all so much for stopping by. I am so encouraged by all you other bloggers out there and its so wonderful that you share your journey with the rest of us! Happy Weekend! Bring on February!
HUGS, Deb!
Friday, January 27, 2012
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!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Menu Plan Week 3, Better Late Than Never
Welcome all! I hope everyone had a wonderful and warm weekend. I'm running late getting the menu plan posted. I was organized with all my meals and shopping, a lazy streak developed this morning and slowed the rest of the day down. Thank goodness that's over!
Just a typical week around here again, no outings or meetings to take us away. Here is whats cookin' around here this week
Homemade Chili and buns with grilled beef franks a little fruit salad on the side
Sticky Chicken Legs, oven roasted potatoes and green beans
Butternut Squash Soup with 3 cheese grilled sandwiches on homemade white bread
Brinner(breakfast for dinner) Buttermilk pancakes, grilled sausages(turkey) and applesauce
Leftovers (anyone for a chicken leg pancake combo? Yikes!)
Chicken and rice with steamed veggies
Kids choice( They will try to get breakfast AGAIN!)
I have been in a uninspired mood this week. I guess it will do me good to stop by Susie's to see what she and the other participants are cooking! I know there will be plenty of great ideas. Have a great week of wonderful meals with your family! Hugs, Deb!
Friday, January 20, 2012
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!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
First Tablescape Thursday in Ages
Welcome and Happy Thursday to you! It has been SO LONG since I posted a tablescape or linked up with Susan at Between Naps On The Porch , if you are new to tablescaping hop on over there and see what you are missing! Prepare to fall in love!
My oldest daughter who is recently out of the Army and living in Colorado Springs was passing through last week on here way to see a friend in Tennessee and decided to stop in for a quick over night visit.
So I scurried around and set a very simple and frugal table for us all to enjoy a rare meal together. We had Cranberry Cherry pork tenderloin, mashed buttermilk potatoes with rolls and salad. For dessert I made Snicker doodle sandwich cookies and ice cream.
So here it is, a little table for a cold weary traveler.
Enjoy all the tablescapes today and don't forget to tell Susan thanks for hosting! Hugs, Deb!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)