Lexi is so, so proud to clumsily sprint ahead now, and my heart does these fancy little somersaults, all twisted-like, every time she turns to peek slightly over her shoulder. To check. To know that I am close, to grasp onto.

My days are now full of her laughter and her exquisite shenanigans, and it is such a cozy place to be.

On the financial front, M. and I are discussing various goals—a conversation which was ignited by our beloved, fatally-wounded MacBook yesterday, as it decided to shit the bed on us—and we have decided to implement some type of envelope system for our savings. Just, right now our wish list is so long and varied and somehow we must begin to organize our thoughts and prioritize all of these wants, in order to focus more and make a bit of progress toward each of them.

Last night we curled up with chilly fingers and hot tea to quietly murmur over these things: what percentage for long-term savings (with the principal never to be touched—we decided on 20%), and what percentage to stash into tiny vanilla envelopes, with each of our goals scrawled across in spotty ink. It is hard to believe that at some point in the future these envelopes will all brim with crumpled tens and twenties. There are excited whispers of introducing strict “no spending days” as we eagerly anticipate contributing to each of our financial goals.

Progress is exciting. Stagnation = boo!

More soon,

me.

It is Monday. (Again.)

Some PF link crushin’ to get you through the rubbish of Monday.

Here are some personal finance reads floating around the blogosphere, for your distinct perusing pleasure:

LBee and the Money Tree – Broken Heart, Broken Wallet-Part 1.

My Money Design – My Money Design For Achieving Financial Freedom

Modest Money – What Happens to Debt When You Die?

Canadian Budget Binder – How To Have The Wedding of Your Dreams and Still Be Frugal

So Over This – My Credit Cards Are Plotting Against Me

Money Life and More – How Much A Cheap Cruise Really Costs

Club Thrifty – Top 5 Finance Apps to Keep Your Finances in Check

Simple Debt Free Finance – The Worst Things For Your Credit Score

Frugal Rules – Are Rich People Really That Different From the Rest of Us?

Reach Financial Independence – Little House in Guatemala, Week 1 (with lots of pics!)

Monster Piggy Bank – 6 Simple Money Saving Tips

Pelican on Money – The Thank-You Letter That Landed A Job

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It is also time for another Broke-Ass Monday! Enjoy some of this fun free stuff circulating around the web.

…it’s another Broke-Ass Monday!

• Broke-Ass Mommy is helping to sponsor a $100 Cash Giveaway through Paypal or Amazon gift card (winner’s choice) in our ‘the importance of emergency fund’ giveaway. Don’t miss your chance to win, you cheeky muff.
• WorkSaveLive is celebrating their one-year blogoversary by giving away an iPad Mini, $100 Amazon Gift Card, and $50 Paypal Cash to three lucky winners! Hurry over to enter.

Good luck to all participants. See you folks for the next Broke-Ass Monday!

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Enter below to win a chance at five $5 Paypal Cash prizes or one prize of $25 Paypal Cash!!

What is the snowflake savings method?

The snowflake savings method illustrates the importance of saving small amounts of money and the impact it can have on one’s financial journey.

When initially starting out, building a solid amount of savings can feel tedious and overwhelming, which is why I am a huge fan of the snowflake savings mentality. This model basically highlights how every spare amount of change is like a unique snowflake. Scrounging up a few cents here and there to throw into savings doesn’t seem very powerful at first, and yet suddenly those numerous snowflakes merge together to become a mighty snowball of goal-orientated fury.

Itty bitty amounts of savings do eventually add up, and do matter!

To further illustrate:

I grew up in a family where we never really took vacations and money was pretty tight. Nearly every evening my Mom would take my older brother and I (then four and five years old) for strolls along the river after dinner. During these walks she would scout leisurely for discarded bottles and cans along the riverbank and gather them in order to return to the local market for a small deposit. She did this for months and then used those accumulated profits to purchase us weekly musical lessons and instruments. Any leftover surplus after that was used for small, delicious treats for us all at the local ice cream counter.

Today, due to having piano and guitar training at such an early age, my talented brother—who is deeply musically-inclined—is preparing to embark on his second successful band tour, this time throughout Europe.

Every page in an elaborate novel is written word by word.
And every financial fortune is built one cent at a time.

Using creative methods, those bitty amounts of savings compile together and pack a financial wallop!

Now you can join in on the fun for the third installation of the Snowflake Method Giveaway, with our Save Small Amounts Edition!

To celebrate this concept, Jeffrey at SavingAdvice.com is hosting a ‘Save Small Amounts Through Snowflaking’ giveaway by giving $5.00 in cash through Paypal or Amazon gift card to five lucky readers and one prize of $25.00 in cash through Paypal or Amazon gift card.

Here is how you may enter for your chance to win:

Enjoy your Broke-Ass Monday and good luck to all participants!
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(If you are a blogger and interested in participating in future Snowflaking financial giveaways for your readers, you may learn more here: Snowflake Project.)

Broke-Ass Monday

Don’t miss out on your chance to win the following items:

• Hurry coffee freaks, this ends tomorrow!! Galtime is giving away some free coffee goodies: two bags of coffee from Eight O’Clock Coffee and a travel coffee mug. (US only; ends September 18)
• Knit Babies is giving away a $100 restaurant gift plus $25 Paypal cash, wired right to your Paypal account. (ends September 22)
• Crystal from Budgeting in the Fun Stuff is giving away a 2012 Financial Conference Swag Bag. Who can resist white-chocolate covered Oreos!! (US only, ends September 30)

Good luck to all participants. See you for the next Broke-Ass Monday!

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Broke-Ass Mommy participated in the following carnivals from around the web:
(a colossal thank you to all carnival hosts)

Wealth Artisan’s FinCarn at Wealth Artisan
Yakezie Carnival at Finance Product Reviews
Carnival of Retirement at Making Sense Of Cents
Carnival of MoneyPros at My University Money
Y and T’s Weekend Ramblings at Young and Thrifty

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Broke-Ass Monday

Don’t miss out on your chance to win the following items:

• Musings From a Stay at Home Mom is sponsoring an Extreme Cash $500 Paypal Giveaway (open worldwide; ends August 20)
• Are back to school expenses getting you down? Win a $60 Amazon gift card at About a Mom (open worldwide; ends August 24)
• Win a Kindle Fire or $200 cash from Infographics Archive (open wordwide; ends August 31)
• Coupon Cup is offering a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card (US only; ends August 28)
• Jacob from My Personal Finance Journey is kick starting his August Community & Charity Giveback — one lucky reader will win $60 as well as an additional $59.13 to a charity of choice (ends August 31)

Good luck to all participants. See you for the next Broke-Ass Monday!

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•  Win a Kindle Touch from Love Home Swap (US & Canada, ends July 9)
• For fellow drifters and vagabonds, win the NY Times ’36 Hours Travel’ book from Addicted2Etsy (US, ends July 4)

Credit: The Persuasive Pineapple

• Weee, our favorite dancing banana! Win a $100 Banana Republic Gift Card at the Persuasive Pineapple (US & Canada, ends July 14)
• Shutterbugs, you can win a Nikon D3100 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera, valued at $749.99 from Cuckoo For Coupon Deals (worldwide, ends July 11)
• Share your favorite lyric with MUSICDosage and one lucky follower will win a $50 iTunes email gift certificate (ends August 1)
• John Cave Osborne has an opportunity to win a free large Big Green Egg Grill ($800 retail), which he will give to one lucky reader who shares a grilling tip with him! (ends July 8)

Good luck to all participants. See you for the next Broke-Ass Monday!

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