To flake or not to flake?

Avatar for sohappilyme
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
To flake or not to flake?
15
Sat, 07-11-2009 - 3:23pm

The snowflaking reports always seem to dwindle as the year goes on - understandably so - but I'm wondering if you're flaking or not, and if not, why? I know of at least one person who flakes like a madwoman but doesn't post the numbers (hiya, you!) and on the flip side I know money is beyond tight for others and they just aren't there. Do you think every little bit helps, or are your bits too little to bother posting?

So if you don't mind sharing, I'm curious as to why you aren't flaking or what struggles you face trying to catch those flakes before they melt. Do you think it just doesn't work or that it's not worth the trouble, or are you dreaming of snow and stuck in a sauna?

Flakers, share a few words about how even flurries make a huge difference. Let the inspiring stories help us all - heck, I've rolled pennies for flakes, and I can't be the only one, LOL!

Sarah


sahm, wahm, homeschooling mom to

Sarah

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2007
Sat, 07-11-2009 - 8:47pm

I personally snowflake so many different ways it even confuses me sometimes. I think that it doesn't matter if it is a 5.00 or 500.00 it is worth sending to a bill. I flake on the week if I have 5.00 or 10.00 left on my living money and always on the 1st of the next month.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-09-2000
Sat, 07-11-2009 - 9:27pm
Great ticker!
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-12-2007
Sun, 07-12-2009 - 1:15am

"But many of you new guys are snowflaking such big amounts my 5.00 and 10.00

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2007
Sun, 07-12-2009 - 7:28am

The thing is I just had credit cards. So when I put extra money to them the payments went down making more snowflake. You guys that have car payments and such the only thing that goes down is the balance. Your flakes don't make

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-12-2007
Sun, 07-12-2009 - 7:42am

Well, just remember that on my ticker it's my car that's under $5k.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2005
Sun, 07-12-2009 - 8:39am

I'm flaking right now but not towards debt reduction.

Avatar for colomom99
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Sun, 07-12-2009 - 9:20am

I'm not really sure how flaking works and if I'm doing it. I always pay more on every account than the minimum. I have read books that say you should pay the minimum and then take the extra and target one bill at a time but when bills come I just can't bring myself to pay only the minimum. For some reason I feel better paying more on everything, even if it's only $5 or $10. Is that snowfllaking? My immediate goal is to get all our monthly minimums down so our monthly CC payments are at a more manageable level. Not sure the best way to approach that.

Part of my problem is our income is so erratic. It's almost impossible to plan. Lately every month is a scramble to make the bills so there's not really a lot of "extra" throughout the month to put towards bills. If there is ever extra or "found" money I tend to spend it on stuff I have put off, like car expenses (I finally got my broken windshield fixed and bought new tires for my husband's car -- both with cash) or house repairs or maybe something fun for the family like baseball tickets.

How do you get those tickers? It would be nice to watch some balances go down. There used to be this debt reduction thing from Quicken online that you could print out and see your progress each month but that is no longer available. If I could watch our total indebtedness go down I think I would feel like I was making progress.
Jenny

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-09-2000
Sun, 07-12-2009 - 10:59am
If you click on one of the tickers, it will take you to the site for making your own (I think you choose "create" or something like that)
Avatar for sohappilyme
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 07-12-2009 - 11:40am

Girlfriend, you rock! Don't think for a moment that the little flakes don't count! You're doing everything on a fixed income to boot, while we sell trucks and DH works big ticket side jobs for ours. I would be SO proud to make it work the way you have! I'm not the first to say it and I won't be the last - you are a huge inspiration to us all, Mary Ann!

Frankly, I'm a little envious of the shrinking CC payments some of you have. I almost wish I had CC debt, LOL. As much as we need breathing room in our budget, we just can't get it until we pay something off. Right now, the lowest account balance we have is $4500 and that will clear up $216 a month when it's paid. The next lowest just dropped below 7k ($246), while another is a touch over 7k ($260). The other one is about 24k and $420/mo, and that one is a killer! The rest of my debt isn't even on the monthly payment plan right now, sigh.

Mary Ann, the fact that you're disciplined enough to turn those reduced CC payments into increased flakes on such a tight budget speaks volume about you! It all makes a difference. I know you know that, but it's worth saying again and again!

Sarah


sahm, wahm, homeschooling mom to

Sarah
Avatar for sohappilyme
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 07-12-2009 - 11:43am

I hear you on that one! Most of our tax return went for repairs and upgrades. They were badly needed and probably wouldn't happen over the course of the year otherwise.

I bet even $5 a month toward the mortgage will make a huge difference over the years! And if you're dealing with college/tuition at the same time, it's doubly admirable!

Sarah


sahm, wahm, homeschooling mom to

Sarah

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