(As a side comment this picture is supposed to look like I am thinking...how ever it looks like I am trying to hard to be sexy or something! This was my attempt at being funny!!! However I look like a lame-o)I haven't been on here in a bit. We have all had a chest cold and we are finally coming out of it. We have been home a lot and just getting things around here done.
Josh and I have been setting goals together as couples and we have made some super decision money and for family temporal and spiritual needs. We are actually getting more focused. We have dreams of getting into a house but we have to be debt free first.
Setting up a goal and achieving it are by far, two different things. How ever we have been making big changes on how we spend an look at our income. That helps a lot! We don't eat out often and we do not shop for things unless they are needs. We are also trying to pay off anything that is accruing interest quickly. Less money in there pockets and more in ours. We are also starting a savings! We haven't gotten to the saving part yet but, this goal we will get to! As we get things paid off more money will be moving to pay off other bills and into savings. I hoping that by March of next yr we will have all but the cars and student loans paid off. that would be a Major accomplishment.
Our marriage started off with very little money. I think we got use to spending when it was there. Now it is time to save and be thrifty as much as possible. I don't feel that our kids are hurting for anything. I feel that my husband does a great job of taking care of us! I feel that we are content and we just need to get a bigger place to live.
I also have to start thinking about schools. Ella could start school next school year. (EEK)! I want to get us into the school zone of one of the better schools around here. It is important to me for her to go where I know that she isn't going to be held back by teachers having to teach other kids English at the same time. We live in a area that has such I diverse group of nationalities. It is really neat to have so many different types of people. But I don't want Ella held back because of it. I do like that she will grow up with such a diverse group so that she will learn that we are all equal and on the same playing field here. I am hoping by January to get her into a preschool here. I want to get her in for 2-3 days a week but it is expensive! So I have to prioritize!!!
We have just been trying to get our life into focus. I think we both feel that we are making enough money that we shouldn't have to live pay check to pay check. Don't get me wrong we are in no way Rich, not even close. BUT we want to be able to plan trips and not have to opt out because we can afford it. It would be nice to have money saved that we can choose to use on a vacation!!
So we have also made a plan with our tax returns... Yep those are not excluded from my money pinching goals. We need a new bed and we are looking in the king size department. So as part of our goals we have decided that we will purchase one Huge need and the rest has to go to bills and savings....To play another day!!!! We know that we will have to buy everything for the bed including sheets and blankets so it will be a large purchase. We need it! Our kids like to lay with us in bed at night before going to bed. There is not enough room for us all in a queen! We have decided to purchase from Costco or Sam's they have great mattresses and for a great price!!! I am so excited our bed is 15+ years old! It isn't so friendly on the back any more!
So there you have it...Our goals in Black and white...Any one have tips?
3 comments:
Sounds like you guys have a good plan. The only way to get anywhere in life is to set goals.
I love that your setting goals in October...not January like the rest of the world. ;)
One thing that Chris and I did when we first got married was kept track of our finances in Quicken. It took a little while to set up, but holy crow, it made it black and white where we were spending our money and where we could do better. I really recommend doing that. Now, (not 8 years ago) most credit card companies and banks will allow you to update their records directly into your Quicken account, so reconciling is a breeze.
A book I recommend is called "Smart couples finish rich." We follwed all the instructions in there and I learned what a bond was, a mutual fund, a money market account, etc. Foreign words before.
Don't be afraid to move your savings (when you start to build that up) into something that earns more interest. ( we moved our house savings into a money market account in a bank from Utah called Zions, since they offered the highest interest rates instead of our regular savings account) That made a difference of about 100-200 dollars a month more that we earned just for having the money sit there instead of our old savings account.
Those are my tips, of course I could do better in my "hobby" spending, but that is the core of what we have been sticking too.
You can do it!!! Slow and steady wins the .... HOUSE!
AND THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for the stinkin cute rockin kitchen that you gave the kids. They are IN LOVE with it.
I thought you were thinking. :o)
Great goals, and priorities. Well done you two.
Goals are so important, and definately the way to achieving our dreams - one step at a time. :o)
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