Morning everyone. I'm curled up in a hotel, waiting for DS1 Sleeping Beauty to wake up. We are away at sports camp and our first ice time is in the afternoon so I let him sleep in a bit here.
Before my trip, my budget/finances were causing me stress, I think, because I am doing too much too fast OR I'm doing it in the wrong way. I kept re-doing numbers over hoping to get different answers or finish a debt sooner.
My goals at that point were:
a) Pay off Loan #1 early, by end of June 2010 (it matures in March 2011)
b) Take the money I was using to pay Loan #1 and double pay off my vehicle loan
This made me feel stressed because I didn't know how I would meet my goals of xmas money each year, RRSP money, and other goals like the new laptap I am going to need as the one I am typing on is three years old and, growing weary *pets her current laptop and reassures it that it's a wonderful and valued member of her family and to please not die this year*.
The premise of my aquiring $ for these sorts of goals were lump sum amounts that appear every now and again in my life. Well that is not a realistic way of making these goals part of my daily life and budget and THAT is what I need to do. Then it is little bits coming out regularly and not me panicking hoping the large amounts don't disappear.
So while I tinker with the actual amounts, here are my current important yet not as stressful goals for the fall. There is no $ attached to this or deadline, as I find that if I do NOT attach those things, the goal is met faster.
a) Pay off the MC/Visa for this summer, the T trip and this current (and costly) week away in hotel for sports camp
b) Pay off all the back to school bills such as supplies, a few new clothes, school fees, and start up costs for their extra curricular activities.
~~For the above two goals, (not counting the T trip) the estimated costs are close to $3000.~~
c) Max out my first ever RRSP, which is small, but a start.
d) Make the equivalent of one month's lump sum payment to Loan #1.
e) Put some money in each of the new target bars (which I will discuss another day)
f) If there is anything left 'extra' by the end of December then put it towards more lump sum payments.
A through D I want to make happen before Dec 31st. After that, whatever else I can do in that time period, is bonus. I have other plans for January.
Now I don't have tons of $ free so these are giant goals to be sure. What helps is that as of this paycheck (I think), I have maxed out my auto contributions on my paycheck for Pension and..........lordy the other one escapes me at the moment. I will get that extra money (about $300 a month) to play with along with a bit of a raise ($100ish) a month.
We shall see if this works. I have accepted plans and goals do and sometimes Must change and that is not necessarily a bad thing.
Well sleeping beauty is waking up here so time to get him moving and to the fitness center and get his hiney on the treadmill. Happy Day all!!
Tuesday, Nice weekend!
1 day ago
2 comments:
Sometimes you have to re-work goals and plans, which is completely okay! I just did the same thing!
I look forward to seeing you through achieving these new goals!!
I hate the part where you have to keep fiddling with your budget and change your plans! That drives me to endless frustrations, but they, too, pass and I focus a little more calmly on the "NEED to pay" and a little less on the "WANT to pay." I often have to stop and tell myself to relax, you're doing great, and it's not going to happen as quickly as you'd like, but I'm so much further ahead than I was even 6 months ago, so the motivation continues.
You're doing great, MT! And having the blog really does help, doesn't it? Keeps you accountable, keeps your morale and motivation going because EVERYONE has gone through the same thing once or twice...or more! :)
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