Are you looking to reduce debt? Well here is one way to do that!

Well..lmoe and I have discussed budgets many times in our tormentous past. Usually I would disagree...and she would push the importance.

We never came to an agreement and would usually pay off debts in a haphazard way.
Many times we would discuss a 'budget' (i hate the word..sounds so ... restrictive) and usually the discussion would get quite heated and really end up nowhere.

After many years and a good friend in Utah I came to the realization that it is beneficial to have a 'spending plan' ( i much prefer this wording). You keep yourself out of financial trouble because you 'plan' what you will spend.

Not only this but you are less likely to spontaneously spend (my worst habit).

Recently we actually make more money than we owe and now I don't feel so bad looking at our expenses each month, determining what extra we have and deciding where is best to put them.

Many of you have probably heard of 'snowball effect' regarding paying off debts. Well in doing some research I found a free Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that will allow you to put in your debts, interest rates, minimum payments and the total amount extra you have per month to put towards these debts...then it calculates based on your specifications how much to put on a given due date to knock them down systematically.

You can choose to go by biggest balance, highest interest etc. It will even show you which scenario will actually cost you more money, for as you choose the scenario it calculates the interest you might spend if you follow to completion the plan.

What I really like about this is that its totally configurable. If you month is tighter..just adjust the amount extra..if you have a windfall..adjust the extra up..the spreadsheet will calculate and adjust accordingly.

Now..not everyone has Microsoft Excel. You can install a free software called Open Office to accommodate your needs as it will open any Office document and even save into the Office formats. Let me know if this is your option as there a few extra steps to get the Excel macros to work in the debt reduction spreadsheet.

Please..if you like the spreadsheet donate to the website where you downloaded it. I love it when people contribute stuff for free and they should be compensated for there generosity. I tried several spreadsheets I found. I even paid $8 for one..and they all sucked. This one is clean, easy to follow and just very well put together.

If you don't know how much you have extra (if any) I will be posting a link at some point with a spreadsheet I have created that did it for us. You put in all your expenses (including loans etc) and the spreadsheet does the math for you. Yes I know this is really easy anyways..but what I LOVE about spreadsheets is they scalability. If you have five debts or twentyfive (like us), the formulae work the same. All you do is put in the numbers and get a answer immediately (instant gratification the framework of our American society).
I will post this sooner if I get lots of requests..otherwise I will most likely forget.

And please remember if you like either of these (or both) please donate as free software does take time and we want to keep this kind of development going. (both sites have donate links/buttons)

Critter chats with A.Toosure about here bday card.

The critter sometimes freaks me out with how old she acts at 5yrs old. I shouldn't be surprised since at that age I was going to the bus stop and spending most the day in school. If fact when we were about 7ish Lonnie and I would ride our bikes all over Spokane....crazy. Now I think about my kid doing some of the same stuff we did as kids I know why we were always getting in trouble.
This video I included is of the critter chatting with A.Toosure about a bday card she got (and it had a $1 bill..she was so freaking blown away!)
Anyways enjoy.

Hiedy Ho!!!

Ok...so its been even longer. Things have started to wind down now that training at work is over. We are very busy here...but now more time in front of our systems. So, I hope that means more frequent updates. Anyway, what I have to add to today was a request by DFV regarding a picture...well this is from http://maps'live.com/ (similiar to maps.google.com).

Notice every location marked in blue is a Microsoft building. They have more..these are just the ones that fit in the screenshot I took. I currently work in the group at the top of the map.

I prefer livemaps for 3D images cause you dont have to install software (like google earth) but maps.live.com doesnt have a 'street view'. maps.live.com doesnt work very well overseas. I typed uncle Pauls address in and maps.live.com was confused...although I could find it..but I had to actually peruse the map for street names like in the old fashioned days. In maps.google.com I was taken right to it. (this was not the case 2-3yrs ago though).

Well...back to the grind.