If I've learned anything from last year it is that you need to expect the unexpected! So many things happened that my head is just spinning. The other day I found this post with my 2013 goals and it just made me chuckle. Some stuff that was important back then seems just silly now - really, I cared about reading a certain amount of books in a year? Pinterest challenges? Haha... Our whole life was a challenge, and unfortunately, it had nothing to do with crafting or trying new recipes...
As we are about three weeks away from the beginning of the new year (now that's a scary thought), it was time for me - or my hubby and I - to think of some new goals. I have to be honest with you, I'm a little hesitant to create goals. Almost terrified even. There were just so many things we wanted to achieve that simply never happened for reasons that were beyond our control. I'm really not sure what the future holds...
But one thing I've learned even more this year is that it's important to be prepared. Yes, for both the expected and unexpected. We were talking about our financial goals mostly (even though there are many other ways how we need to be prepared). I really want to bif up our savings. My husband's new salary is a little higher than it used to be and we want to save most of the difference if not more. Actually we want to try and save $10000. It's a very optimistic goal (with an accent on VERY) and it's quite a bit more than that salary difference! But I think, with planning and a frugal lifestyle it can be done.
We don't want to save for anything specific. It might happen that a big chunk of it could go towards my Mom's treatment or my trip back home to be with her. If that's the case than we will be happy to have that money saved - so far she's been getting a lot of necessary drugs for free which is such a blessing. And we need to start thinking of a new car because Hubby's has 135000 miles on it and he uses it every day for work. But at the moment we just want to have enough savings for life's big and small happenings or to have a bit of piece of mind (and no, I don't rely on money in life but I believe that we need to do our part to help ourselves too and not just sit on the couch and expect blessings in life).
We still have smaller goals/desires/wants that we want to save for (like a new mattress or a small family vacation) but these are short-term plans and we will save as we go depending on where we are in life throughout the year. I would love to try to track our spending and savings even more than I do right now to keep us on track.
Did you start working on your goals for next year?
Good for you both for starting out the New Year with an Optimistic outlook, after the Year you have just had, Lena. I am always rooting for you. Our Taxis get tons of miles on them every week; we get an oil change every 5000 km = 3100 miles (I googled that btw). If you can keep up with the maintenance it sure keeps them running longer, but of course we have the issue with the salted winter roads causing the salt to eat the metal away, but oil undercoating helps some with that. Our New Year ahead? I pray we get ahead this Year, as we got so far behind by the time we realized an employee had been stealing from us for months, then followed by huge vehicle repairs, also our son needed financial help ... so we are finding ourselves not in the best of shape right now. I have much hope for the New Year, and faith we will be seen through. Wishing you always the best for you and yours, Lena. x
ReplyDeleteGood for you that during this busy holiday season that you are taking time during to start planning for next year. We have talked in general about short term and long term goals, but have not yet put the pen to the paper. That's because we're not sure exactly what direction we want to go.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your plans.
You are WAY ahead of me on this one!! I will be waiting until after the first this year to get the finacial goals lined up. Most extra saving will be for more work to be done around the house and saving for a big family vacation.
ReplyDeleteThis is the 3rd time I have tried to make a comment - my computer is driving me crazy. Anyway, we haven't made any new financial goals per se for next year, but we did review all of our savings plans - for the boys, retirement, emergency fund, health care flexible spending accounts, etc. We are still on track.
ReplyDeleteI have started to think of our goals but really don't have any definite ones laid out yet. Mainly I just want to be debt free!
ReplyDeleteNext Year?
ReplyDeletePlease!.....I am just trying to get through THIS year! lolz
I'll get to a plan for next year after Dec. 25th.
Best of luck working your plan out and good for you for not letting Lifestyle Inflation take all that extra income from Hub's new job. Most people succumb to LI....
I find thinking about goals a bit (a lot!) scary too. I am entering my final 6 months of teaching and after that - a pension worth less than half what I'm making now. Happily we live on that amount now and I bank the rest but it's still a scary prospect!
ReplyDeleteI've thought about next year but don't have anything concrete yet.
ReplyDeleteI really think that you will accomplish it. Not so much because of the extra money but more so the attitude that you and your husband have. You will do it!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Lena! I'm already trying to figure out next years budget and how we can save some extra money... we currently have $10K in savings, but i'd LOVE to add another $5K to that next year, although I honestly don't see how with our income/budget, but i'm hoping to save as much as we can anyways. I plan on having a no-low spend month to kick in the new year, so hopefully that will put us on the right track!!
ReplyDeleteWe have been thinking about this a lot too. I need to find some time to be still and be quite and really think through this. I am like you--I am not relying on the money---but I want to be prepared for anything.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about goals but appreciate your honesty and transparency. =) Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteDanielle
It's great that you're starting to early! I've looked back at goals from the past when we've had rough times and laughed too. I guess it's nice to take easy for granted!!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how life events change our view points on what's really important to us. There is a silver lining to what you went through this year, and just this epiphany may have been the gift.
ReplyDeleteI hope to save at least $10,000 this year as well. I'm scrambling to make the numbers work. Like you, it's not for anything specific, just for emergencies!