A Bug In My Margarita

Have you heard this song from Alan Jackson?  If not...here ya go, with lyrics:



My favorite verse:

He said the rain won't leave
And the pain won't ease
And the sun don't wanna shine
And there's something in the bottom of this drink I just got
And it don't look like a worm to me


*******
Yesterday.....we got a call from camp that Sassy got hit in the mouth with a swing (she was pushing another kid, and must have been standing too close).  And she broke off half her front tooth.  Her beautiful PERMANENT tooth.


Brought her to the dentist who said that it didn't break over the nerve, but it was close.  They were able to bond the tooth, and she looks good as new.  She said it didn't hurt too much, and she was very brave.


Of course, even with all our medical and dental bills, we are still $338 from our deductible.  Most of our bills are co-pays that don't count toward the deductible, and the stuff that does count is all Bossy.  The rest of us haven't racked up bills to hit the deductible.


So, we will now owe another $318 to the dentist.


I really do want to cry.  Say what you will about how we choose to spend our money....we really can't cut a break.  I am having one of those....We are never going to get out of this moments.


I said a long time ago that I wanted to be debt free, minus the house, by my 40th birthday.  That is roughly 3 yrs, 9 months.  Per this calculator, using rough numbers,

When will you be debt free?

Your plan summary
•	If you pay $1,595.26 a month, it will take you 3 years and 9 months to pay off your credit cards.
•	Based on your current combined balance of $64,520.00, you will pay a total of $7,306.57 in interest.
Here's what to do first
Credit card APR Current balance Month 1 payment Time to pay off cc1 15.99% $4,175.00 $319.26 10 months cc2 11.99% $12,100.00 $242.00 1 year, 10 months cc4 9.24% $8,972.00 $230.00 2 years, 3 months lending 7.88% $9,843.00 $425.00 2 years, 6 months student 3.75% $28,730.00 $229.00 3 years, 9 months medical 0.00% $700.00 $150.00 1 year, 1 month
Strategy: Pay as much as your budget allows to the credit card with the highest interest rate, and pay the minimum to your lower rate cards.

Laid out like that....it seems totally do-able.  However, that is assuming no new general debt.  And it doesn't account for the new medical debt.   And Murphy needs to leave!!!!!!!

Plus, we haven't gotten to the car saga yet....oh, and a few work drama things...because they didn't want to be left out. 

I read ALOT of blogs.  But there are few that I read that have THIS much happen.  We just can't cut a break. 

There's A Bug in my Margarita!!!!!

Beating away the financial blahs

I already know where and why these feelings are creeping in.  But there are here....so now I have to deal with them.  It is a combination of my meds being a little off, plus having a night out and spending money, and.....I am leaving for a few days to visit a friend.

I never claimed to be Gazelle intense.  And while I love to read about others who are....it does frustrate me that we can't/won't do that.  I just hate to adjust our current totals and have to adjust them UP.

I am frustrated that no matter what I do, the "master" plan doesn't work.  There is ALWAYS a repair that ends up being way higher than what we have set aside.  The cars...I question if we should have gotten rid of them awhile ago.  The order of doing things seems to be in a constant state of change.

This year has been rough.  But honestly...every year is rough.  2007 was the death of our twins, along with a huge oil leak.  2008 was my miscarriage and having to replace the roof.  2009 was the death of my father-in-law, car issues, and a myriad of other things.  2010...who knows.  And now....2011....marriage issues, the pool, car issues.....now having to fix Bossy's room.....

Apparently....I just suck at this getting out of debt thing.  G-man made a comment the other night that really upset me....."debt is just a way of life."  That spoke VOLUMES to me.  While he wants to be out of debt, and is participating more in the discussions....he isn't getting it yet that this noose around our neck is just weighing down our LIFE.

Now that our medical waiver is gone...my student loan is going up....we are unable to lower our interest rates without either opening another credit card, or maybe a new Lending Club loan....it is time to revisit the budget AGAIN...and figure this out. 

I know I am not getting a raise at work (state budget cuts).  I know that G-man is willing to work more overtime, when it is available....but if it isn't available....there isn't much we can do.  I know that we are saving for Christmas, car stuff, irregular expenses.....and we are doing the best we can.

I am just frustrated that others are pulling way ahead, and we are treading water.

So my two small things for the day to make me financially feel better are 1) continue to pack up yard sale leftovers to sell at consignment (we did a trial run on Friday, and we will probably get about what we were asking at the yard sale), and 2)  I bought some bulk coupons for shampoo, which with sales...will come out to about $1 a bottle. 

Pity party over.

Where do we go from here???

Excellent question, bloggy friends. I have some lofty goals....not sure if it will all work out, but I am gonna try!!!!

Debt Snowball.  The next victim on our list is G-man's car.  Actually, the end is near on that one.  Taking $2,000 from our refi money plus the regular payment for May only leaves a few hundred left on the loan.  With three paychecks in May, this is a no-brainer.  I am tenatively setting May 16 as the pay off, but depending on how things go, we might wait until the end of the May to make the official payoff. 

After the car....CC1.  That stupid card was paid off for a blink of an eye, and it needs to go back to that.  With the money freed up from paying off the car, we should be able to work through this one fairly quickly.  The catch to this....we only really have this money freed up for 4-5 months.

As of Sept 25, Student Loan #1's monthly payment will increase from $82 to $229.  We had always planned for the car to be paid off before that happened so the "car" money will become "student loan" money.  It will still leave $200 in play to snowball, so we have to take advantage of the full amount while we can.

Once we get to the fall, we will have to reexamine everything.  I am not sure where all the numbers will be by then.  As a general idea the snowball will go:  Car, CC1, CC2, CC4, Student Loan.

Notice I didn't put Lending Club in there.  That is because I "think" that will be paid off around the same time CC4 will be, so it really isn't getting any extra action.  But we will see.

My Car.  Alas....my car turned 150,000 miles this morning.  And while it is still chugging along, it won't last forever.  I would like to start saving for a new car, but haven't quite figured out how to pull that one off yet.

Insurance Stuff.  One of our goals for the year was to get more life insurance.  Since I will be 36 next week, and G-man will be 40 this fall....I would like to figure this out this summer.  I know we can't afford as much as I think we will really need, but I would like to at least get the ball rolling on this one.

So now...for the goal of the moment....

I would like to be under $60k in debt by my blog anniversary in August.  That is a little under $8,000 to pay off in 4 months.  The car will be about a third of it, so I think it possible.  We are sure gonna try!  G-man has been putting in for overtime, so as long as we stick to the plan, I think we should be ok!!!

Thoughts?  Would you do it differently?

Snowballing for savings?

Most of us subscribe to the "snowball" method for debt reduction.....you know, you throw all your extra money at one debt, then roll it into the next, and so forth and so forth.

But I started thinking about all my little piles of "savings."  Am I doing myself a disservice by trying to save for everything by putting a little here and a little there?  Or should I be taking that bulk amount and save for one thing at a time?  And as a spin off...what about "free" money....like Swagbucks (more on this in a minute).

So here are my piles of money, and their balances as of this week, how much we add bi-weekly, and when the money is need:

Camp - $190; $15; Needs to be funded at $950 by June 15
G-man's birthday party - $42; $40; Needs to be funded at $800 by November 1, but may need sooner
Christmas -  $32; $30;  Needs to be funded $800 by November 15
Computer Fund - $230; $30; No due date but probably needs to be about $700

Between the 4 areas, it is $115 bi-weekly.  What if I put $115 into ONE account, and once it was funded, then move on??  If I did this....here would be the dates the account would be "funded":


Camp - $190; Needs to be funded by June 15 -APRIL 18
G-man's birthday party - $42; Needs to be funded by November 1, but may need sooner - JULY 25
Christmas -  $32; Needs to be funded by November 15 - OCTOBER 17

Computer Fund - $230; No due date - DECEMBER 26

HOLY COW!!!  If I just concentrate my efforts, I will have everything funded well ahead of time, so the money will be waiting for me when I need it for each.  Plus, it gives me a little cushion room.  PLUS, I get to accomplish it ALL by the end of the year. 

An observant fellow might have noticed that Camp needs to be funded first, and by contributing $15 every 2 weeks, I would only be at $355.  That is way off from where it really needed to be  My plan for that was to use my third paycheck in March to make up the difference.  But that was sort of a risky idea.

I love this new plan.  Just by concentrating my efforts, I get where I need to be much faster, with less risk (aka, needing to make up for shortfall).  All of these are on auto transfer, so all I have to do reset what account gets what.

Now, I mentioned Swagbucks.  My plan has been to use my Swagbucks to buy a dining room set (which isn't needed per se....but I would like to have).  I have been exchanging my 700 Swagbucks for $5 via Paypal.  Would I be better off throwing these snowflakes at my other things....or just keep them separate (how freakin' cool would it be to buy a whole dining room set with "free" money!!!)

Has anyone done this method before?  Should I keep saving for it all at once, or concentrate my efforts?  Thoughts???  Do I just over think this stuff??????

Financial Goals 2011

I know that some of these are a stretch.  I also know that some of these are a little subjective.  But here we are!!!  We are set to kick some major butt this year.

In order to have some perspective, as of January 1 our current debt total is $68,685.37 broken down to:

• Credit Card -  $35,065.23
• Student Loan -$29,225.79
• Car-                 $4,156.35
• Medical -             $208.00

1)  Pay off car early.  It is scheduled to be paid off December 2011/January 2012.  I would like to have it paid off earlier.  I am not setting a deadline (but August is the one in my head!), but I just want it done ahead of schedule.  DONE!!!

2)  Pay off $10,000 in debt (not including the retirement loan).  OK....really, I want $12,000 which is about 30% more than we paid off in 2010. But I am setting the bar a little lower in the hopes of SMASHING this goal, and then motivating myself to get to the REAL goal of $12,000.

3)  Side Hustle $2000.  This will come from blogging money, selling items, odd jobs (including my new gig as a ChaCha guide!), etc. This will be a combined Mysti/G-man goal, but it also includes 1/3 of the hustle money to be "mad" money.  See the new tally on the side bar to help me keep track.  We aren't setting it up as $1000 each, but I am hoping that G-man gets motivated since he will get to keep 1/3 of it to "play" with.

4)  Open ING Christmas Account.  Let's not have a repeat of 2010.  *sigh* DONE!!!

5)  Continue to work on zero-based budget.  This is still hard for us!!  But we are getting there.

6)  Curb food spending.  Eating out has gotten out of hand.  Processed foods are too plentiful in the kids' diet.  Better food planning should help on both accounts.

7)  Get life insurance.  We have been irresponsible on this.  I know that we can't afford what we really should have.  But we have to start somewhere.  We can always modify the amount and type later...but right now, we just need to do it.

8)  Make will.  The biggest reason we haven't made a will....we really don't have a guardian for our kids.  No one is the right decision.  But we have to bite the bullet and just do this too.  Not planning on kicking the bucket, but need to make sure the wee folks are taken care of.

9) Resume retirement savings.  We stopped contributing so we could increase our cash flow.   I am hoping as the balances continue to go down on our debts, we can start contributing again.  At least to get the employer match of 5%.

10)  Find one "free" family thing to do per month.  It might be a picnic, a school event, or something I haven't thought of yet!  No one says you have to spend money to have family time.

Don't forget to check out my blogging and personal goals too!!!

Fall Renewal of Spirit

I used to think that Winter was my favorite season.  I love bare trees and the calm.  I love glistening white snow.  I love the sound of sleet on a window and the feel of fleece.  We got married in the winter and we have pictures outside of us kissing as the snow fell.

But as I am getting older, I am finding that Fall is really where I gain my energy and my vibe.

Part of it may be my upbringing.  I was raised Jewish, although I am no longer practicing.  Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashannah is typically in Late September.  New Year = Fresh Start.  And Yom Kippur follows about 10 days later....the Day of Atonement.  You ask forgiveness for your past year transgressions, in hopes of having your name written in The Book of Life for another year.  Again....put the past behind you, and start fresh.

Part of it is the new school year.  As an educator, the fall is really when things BEGAN.  New pencils with perfect points.  Fresh notebooks.  Unscuffed shoes.  C'mon....nothing says renewal like a new pencil!!!

I love to decorate for fall.  I have been into Scarecrows for years, but this year I am all about Pumpkins.  I am scrolling through Etsy and DIY sites for ideas.  I am itching to bring my fall items out and drink in the serenity I find in wooden bowls filled with apple spiced potpourri.

As I pulled weeds in my garden, I took stock of my plants.  While they are still in bloom, many are starting to fade.  Even though they appear to be "dying off," they really are getting ready to start anew. Regain their strength by going dormant.  Recharge their batteries and come out fighting next spring. 

Fall is when I clean out and reboost.  And this will be true of our finances as well.  The damage of the month is done, and nothing I can do but learn from it and move forward.  I am ready to hit is all with gusto and fresh eyes.  I am really hoping that my cleaning out will produce a little extra cash to throw towards debt and get back on track. 

So, here I am....new pencils in hand, ready to get to work.  Who else is with me??

Today's entry is brought to you by the letter "C"

Funny thing about kids with Autism....they get stuck at a stage and it is hard to get them to graduate.  At almost 8 years old, Bossy has discovered Sesame Street.  We watch alot of Sesame Street......*sigh*

Anyway....

Credit Cards - It was nice paying off CC1 with the Lending Club loan.  Now, I am not naive.  The debt isn't gone....it is just called something else now.  But at least I am not a slave to the interest rate now.  I set up an ING account to put that money aside...unfortunately the monthly payment cannot be debitted from there, so it is a bit of back and forth, but that is ok with me.

Cutting Ties - My smaller student loan is the LAST of the loans that is in my father's name from my undergraduate degree.  We are working hard to knock that one out in the next 2 months and that will officially cut the very last string that financially binds me to my parents.  Even though I have been married for 12 years, and out on my own for 15, that little tiny thing still tied me up.  Almost gone!  Once that is gone, then we are snowballing by interest rate on the credit cards.

Christmas - did you know we are at just over 4 months until Christmas???  No panicking.  You still have time....but you better get saving!!!

So, I have these CC points.  Now, I can't even tell you how many have expired over the years.  A sick amount.  The original thought was saving them for airline tickets....but since that trip is not coming anytime soon....forget that.  Then we were going to get this camera....and then my parents got us a different one as a gift.  After much thought...we decided.....

that Santa will be bringing a Wii for wee people (hee hee...I said Wii wee).   We were able to get a Wii console, extra motion plus remote, and recharging station, and still have some points left over.  Plus...free shipping!

We have also decided that the kids will be getting more "practical" gifts from us this year.  They are each getting a hand painted by Mommy cereal bowl (from my favorite paint your own pottery place....I get a girls night out, and tackle a gift too!), some decor for their rooms, and mix CDs of their favorite tunes that they listen to in the car with us (which is actually KISS, Lady Gaga, Train, Bon Jovi, and other 80's hair metal).  We already have these songs on our MP3 players, so it is just a matter of burning the CDs for them.

Camp - The kids love camp.  We love sending them to camp.  And for less than $1000 for 7 weeks of camp, 5 days a week, for 2 kids....it is a good deal.  Mother in Law ultimately paid for Camp this year.  We weren't expecting that when she said she wanted to help.  But we also don't expect this to be a yearly thing either.  So, I opened another ING account to start saving for Camp for NEXT year. 

If a grandparent decides they want to help us out in this area, then so be it.  Mother in Law in particular feels guilty that she buys more for the other kids than ours, so she tends to do infrequent BIGGER things.  If she doesn't, at least we will have the money ready to go.  If she does, the money we have saved will be a nice fat payment towards debt.  Camp is roughly $1000, so we aren't talking chump change.

Closure - This will actually be a separate post next week, but wanted to mention it since it falls under the "c" category.  We have been saving up for something, and with a surprise bonus today for G-man, we are able to purchase our items.  This has been 3 years in the making, and it is a HUGE emotional victory for us.

Happy Blog Birthday to Me!

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

Today marks my 1 year birthday of my blog.  One year ago I decided that I needed to take control of our situation, and spurred on by success stories I had read out here on the net....I started my own blog.  I didn't know anything about blogging.  I didn't know much about a website.  But I did know that even if no one read my blog, I was doing it for me....not for them.  The "them" part....that just helped continue the motivation.


What Have I Learned...LOTS! 

1)  I am a complete novice.  While I thought I had a pseudo handle on things, I discovered through Yakezie that I know nothing.  Yeah, I can post a basic entry and a picture.  I can change a few things around.  But after learning the POWER of a blog....I have found that I am a baby in this arena (ok, I confirmed I was a baby....I already knew that!)

2)  This blog holds me accountable.  I know I should be accountable all on my own, but knowing that I report back to you, and knowing that every time I open the home page and see those numbers staring at me....I keeps me in check.

3)  The tools available out there.  I discovered Mint.com, and Lending Club via blogging.  I read other blogs who sang their praises, and explored it on my own.  These have been so helpful to me, and I don't know if I would have known about them if I wasn't blogging.

Victory and Defeat

By far, the greatest victory was paying off the hospital bill!!  Go Us!  The second victory for us, was the A-HA moment....when we realized that weren't doing all we could.  That while we thought we were working the program, and then discovered we weren't.  This was a victory because it wasn't until that time point where the balances started to drop.

But we also used our credit cards some (grrr) and weren't paying as close attention to it at the time.  We also have made a few purchases (granted, small ones) that maybe could have waited, but we did it anyway.

No body is perfect!


What Does The Future Hold

Good question.  Right now the goal is to be debt free (minus the house) by August 2013.  I would really love to shave some time off of that....maybe by May 2013, or if I am really shooting for the stars, by December 31, 2012.  I think there are several factors that will impact that, so the best I can do is give it 200% and keep on plugging away.

I would like to improve my site, which was one of my New Year's Blogging goals.  I have made some changes, that I like, but after reading more and more blogs, I am learning what works and what doesn't.  Not quite ready to make some of the bigger changes, but over the next year, the research will hopefully continue to shape the form.

I never set out to make this a blog where that gives you advice on investing, how to get out of debt, etc.  My blog always was, and will continue to be our personal journey.  So don't hold your breath on informational posts....unless you consider our screw ups to be informational!

So....that is it.  In one year we have paid off about 8% of the debt we started with.  But we also managed to charge more to our cards (mostly this past Fall), and pay that off.  I haven't pulled all the numbers yet (see future post), but I am almost scared to see what we actually have paid in one year.

For my blog birthday.....ok, it just so happened to collide....G-man and I are taking his precious boat out on the lake while the kids are at camp.  We haven't done that in about 10 years.  So I will catch ya all later!!!

35 yrs old....

Today is my 35th birthday.  Happy Birthday to me.  My day actually started 2 hours early, when at 10pm last night, G-man was pulled into a work situation.  He has worked 29.5 hours since Sunday morning....and has no idea when he will be home.  Missing my birthday.  Kids are upset that we aren't going to dinner, as promised.  I have a meeting at school that I have to deal with alone.

I got up early so I could have some quiet time....and the kids heard me and got up too.  So much for that idea.  Anyway....beyond my mini pity party .....

At 35, I am married to a great guy who drives me nuts.  Two kids.  A job I like.  Some incredible friends. I have a Master's Degree.  A house.  A mini van.   Finally got past that teenage and 20's crap with my parents to realize that maybe just once in a while, they know something.  Sounds pretty good so far....if you push the $72K in debt aside for just a minute!

Death.....more of it in my life than I would have liked.  I have dealt with the death of my father-in-law....ushering in a new stage of life, one where our parents aren't there "just in case."  I have dealt with my mother's cancer and my dad's debilitating illness.  I have dealt with the premature birth, and almost death of Bossy and Sassy.  I have dealt with the death of my twin daughters, and my miscarriage of another baby.

I almost died myself.  Wow....talk about being a Debbie Downer!  But....wait....what have I learned. 


35 has bugged me for awhile.   The gray hair.  The new demographic (and if you are reading this and were born when I was in high school....please don't tell me).  I am now rounded up to "almost 40."  And I thought that all of this was major.

Now that 35 is here.....it really isn't so major.  Taking the bull (hee hee....I am a Taurus...hee hee) by the horns and experiencing those 8 seconds is what it is all about.  I learned that life is going to happen.  It is all in how you choose to deal with it.  You can let it wash over you, and consume you, or you can embrace the challenges, and be sooooo incredibly proud when you arrive on the other side, victorious (even if you are a little beat up).

So as I now am officially in my mid-to-late 30's....it is about taking a stand.  Having conviction.

I briefly mentioned this before....but I am going to declare this officially now......

I WILL BE OUT OF DEBT BEFORE 40.

I can't wait to start this next phase of life.  Really.  (but a piece of birthday cake would be nice to have first).

Do You Tackle Too Much At Once?

Guilty as charged.  I get gung ho on things....not just one, but several, and I try and do full speed ahead on all of it....just to frustrate myself (and G-man!).

Case in point....finance, weight loss, exercise, reorganization....the list goes on and on.  I can't do it all at once. 

Let me modify that....I can't go full speed on all of them at once.

I have learned that I can only do full speed one one thing TO START WITH.  It is sort of a snowball method of sorts.  You go gazelle intensity on one thing, and the minimal on the others.  Once you tackle the first one, you take that energy into the next.

I needed to get the finances some what better.  I didn't have the energy/mental capacity to do it all.  I like to think I did.  But seriously....I can't.  So I needed to get the finances under control.  While they aren't great, they are better.  We are making small gains.  But more importantly, I am not feeling as desperate as I was a few months ago.

Now that I figured out step one, I am ready to add in something else:  weight loss.  Now that I feel more in control of the finance, I can devote more time to my weight management.  It is easier for me to eat better.   It is easier for me to take the time to budget this in for ME.  The next one will be the exercise.

I am a total type A personality....all the way.  I just can't "A it all at once...at least not if I want sustainable results.

It is a big puzzle that is just starting to come together.  I think I have the frame done.  Maybe some obvious part of the picture...like the big orange sun.  Now I am adding in the blue sky.  The picture isn't clear yet...but we are getting there.

Here we are....another month gone

Let me first say, February is a joke.  28 days?  What is that all about?  The first of the month sneaks up on ya.

On my list TO DO today (other than fold the laundry in the dryer, clean the bathroom, feed small children....):

1)  Pay mortgage.  This one is a no brainer. 

2)  Look at budget for March.  Today I feel like we are doing better....I might disagree with myself when I look at the budget (hello...can anyone say Sybill?  If you don't get the reference....don't tell me I am getting old, ok?)

3)  Clip and sort the PILE of coupons I have.  GRRR.  I love the feeling of saving money.  I HATE the clipping and sorting of them.

4)  Take more pics of "stuff" to sell.  Remember when I thought I could sell $350 per month (look ahead to #6 on my list)?  While I am proud of our progress, it isn't anywhere close to what I was hoping for.  I think everyone is trying to cut back.  And although I still have a pile of stuff, the reality is that it isn't worth much.

5)  Stop thinking about the alcove project I can't do right now.   Is it bad that I am secretly hoping that the fence estimate will be way better than I thought, so I can cash in MyPoints for Home Depot cards to pay for the paint?????  I know in my heart that we will end up doing the fence ourselves.  Bye project.  And this is REALLY bad....G-man leaves in a week for his trip, and I am soooo wanting to "surprise" him.

6)  Resign myself that my goals tend to be lofty and way out of whack.  Let's see...goals that were set in January that have fallen by the wayside:  Exercise, mopping the floor once a week, typing 1 recipe per day.  I know there are more.

I need to stop beating myself up.  I am really doing the best I can.  We didn't get into a mess overnight....the fix won't be overnight either.

I am working on my blog makeover.  Again, that was one of my goals, and I have learned a ton!  But the perfectionist in me is working things over and over.  I finally found the "right" banner background...now trying to overlay the picture to my satisfaction. 

I better run.....only 12.75 hrs left in the month!

Blogging Goals 2010

Really, these aren't GOALS. They aren't measurable, per se. But I do want to work on it.

1) I have lots of ideas of how to set up my blog. No idea how to do it.....gotta learn how.

2) Instead of posting 5 blog entries at once...do it as they happen!

3) Increase followers to 30 (which is double where I am now).

4) Continue to be whole heartedly honest with you all.....I will tell you when I screwed it up....when I succeeded....when I need help. We all get through life with a little help from our friends, right???


Click to see my Personal and Financial Goals!

Financial Goals 2010

Obviously this blog is about our finances...so financial goals would make sense.

1) Become a better team member of Team Mysti/G-man Financial Debt Relief by actually INCLUDING G-man in my plans! I am still struggling with this. I can't do this alone. We have to be a team. Trying to fix it all myself isn't going to work, and letting him keep his head in the sand isn't going to work. Therefore:

A) TOGETHER, find a minimum of $150 of expenses to cut per month.
B) TOGETHER, pay the bills, so he can have a better sense of where our month goes, and what it FEELS like to do it.
C) Remember we both deserve to have a small amount of money that we don't have to account for to each other; therefore, TOGETHER decide what is appropriate and budget that in.

2) Pay off G-man's retirement loan. I outlined the plan for this here.

3) Pay off $5,000 worth of debt, outside of the retirement loan. While I am soooo impressed at those of you who have paid off tens of thousands in one year....I don't foresee that happening. This goal averages out to roughly $417 per month, which is really a stretch for us.

4) Track expenses as they happen...not after! I am famous for entering all the numbers at once and discovering that we spent a gazillion dollars on something, after the fact. Groceries, personal care, clothing....all need to be tracked as we go. No way of sticking to a budget without knowing what you are spending.

And as a subcategory to this:

A) Work toward a Zero Balance Budget
B) Finalize usable spreadsheets (Excel and I are intimate friends ;) )
C) Keep track of our coupon usage, to help spur us on!

5) Open ING accounts for A) Christmas and B) Long term saving goals. Continue to fund as we go.

6) Find one thing each day to be proud of that I did or didn't do, related to finances.

7) Keep coupons organized in new binder, allowing maximum usage, and minimal waste!

8) Send in rebate offers within 1 week of purchase of said product, before I can lose the receipt, forget, or some other lame excuse.

9) Start teaching Sassy and Bossy about money!!!! This will include starting a weekly allowance for each, and teaching them how to save for later, give to charity, and how to responsibly spend!!!

10) Respond to 75% of MyPoints and Paid Email entries....gotta save for those free gift cards!


If you would like to read my Personal or Blogging goals, scroll around, or click the links!