Now is usually the time people start to give up on their New Years resolutions. Not the fabulous people of SA!
In a personal bid to stay focused and on track, I'm tallying up the year's progress. So far, we've:
Knocked $1661.56 off the car loan balance. Very exciting. Hope to pay if off by the end of the year. We may get a tax refund, and if so, 50 percent will go to the car loan balance.
Knocked $2647.83 off the mortgage balance. Good, but I sure do wish it was more. I miss being mortgage free. Each monthly payment knocks about $800 off the principal, and while I'm focusing on eliminating the car loan, I am trying to send some tiny extra bits to the mortgage as well.
We've logged $1200 in credit card signing bonuses. $625 went to savings, and the rest to Amazon.com gift cards, and a Home Depot card we used to buy a chest freezer. Not too shabby!
We've saved $8450, although most of this was from an annual bonus, rather than thourgh tried and true effort. We are putting $150 per paycheck into savings, but lately money has been moving in and out of savings to cover big expenses. I'm trying to keep the balance going up, even if it's just by a small amount, it's just been hard! I think I have also been so zealous on debt repayment that I've made the checking account razor thin.
The kids 529 contributions are on auto pilot, $200 per month per kid. No changes there. It's slow and steady wins the race. I want to put away more for them, but with the giant childcare bills so I can work, it's been hard. BY next year, when DS1 starts kindergarten, we should have more to dedicate to college savings.
In other goals,
I've lost two pounds, put myself out there to new freelance clients (won 1, lost 1), and we've been socializing more. All that is good. A lot of areas still need work (like I need to try to shop smarter and keep a lid on everyday spending--and NEVER let hubby do the grocery shopping!). Overall though, not too bad for mid-March.
How are you guys doing??
2012 goals progress report
March 18th, 2012 at 02:48 pm
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My best (and most expensive) story... I sent him to get a pineapple. Rather than going to the closest store, he went to the natural food co-op across town and got an organic pumpkin. It was $8.99!!
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March 24th, 2012 at 05:18 pm 1332609527
He went to the closest store that was open, CVS, and decided that while he was there, he should get a FEW loaves of bread. Why he felt the need to stock up at 6 am, I'll never know! I was heading to the store that afternoon.
And each small (much smaller than the Costco loaves I usually get!!) loaf was a mere $5.49. I actually shrieked in pain when I saw that receipt!