2017 goals-- March progress reports?

[whoisjohngalt]

Dec 14, 2016 9:31:20 GMT -5 azucena said:

Dec 12, 2016 23:07:47 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

I think two of my biggest problems are:  I don't use all the food that I buy and I don't make anyone finish whatever on their plates if they are not hungry.  So, I think it's a shopping problem and consumption problem!

How do I create a "check a box" for that?

My kids are 8 and 4, and we let them serve themselves at the dinner table but only one tablespoon scoop at a time. They will then brag about having 4 helpings of something like it's a big achievement but in total it's really just a typical serving.  This also works well with cereal when they use ramekin sized bowls; it really cuts down on wasting so much milk.  I've gotten some crazy looks when people hear them say I had 7 bowls of cereal for breakfast.

Sore, sore subject for me right now!  My 6yr old just helped himself to a second bowl and after taking a few spoons I was told that "I overeaten and done".  I would have finished it, but I don't like their cereal at all!

[vetswife]

One of my goals is to do better with spending. We do okay, but I've done better in the past and would like to get back to that.


Also, cook more, have some meals made ahead.  I'd like to do some sewing, and make an afghan for great grandchild number 2, coming in August.


I' d like to do better with my garden.


Should be enough to keep me out of trouble.

[snapdragon]

I keep thinking about this and I am struggling with what I want to do. I just don't have any concrete thoughts yet. 

[jeep108]

 Get this medical trip to Houston done, and try and put most of the bills on automatic bill pay while I'm gone. Hoping I can recover quickly and come home do PT and try and find a new normal. Not freak out every three months when my scans are due.

[debthaven]

Two financial goals:
- earn more
I'm not sure I will accomplish this. I took on a third job, but then left my second job. But, I was offered 2 more classes for next semester. So I SHOULD earn more but I'm not sure yet. I also have a possible short-term May / June class. If that pans out, I will definitely earn more this year.
- Sell one of the two studios that won't sell
Ideally, I want to sell the one we WANT to sell rather than the one we don't.

One other goal:
- I've lost 7 kilos (15 pounds) since July. I'd like to lose another 7 kilos (15 pounds).

[Blonde Granny]

Skipping church this past Sunday due to temps and 1" of sleet on the ground, I took advantage of the leisure time and did a new YNAB budget for 2017 (I even named it that, I'm so smart).

I increased spending in a few categories to account for inflation, but also managed to decrease a couple too. I am happy to say that I still have money leftover at the end of the month even if I stray slightly from my plan.

I then decided that I needed to update my 2016 escrow account for large 1 time per year bills. I increased car/home/umbrella amounts, my yearly travel amount went from $4,000 to $5,000, I increased my quarterly tax payments also. Upped the dentist slightly, but otherwise I anticipate that the remaining bills will be close to 2016.

It feels good to have the new budget and escrow account taken care of now, so I can make an easy transition into 2017.

[CCL]

Dec 19, 2016 15:46:09 GMT -5 jeep108 said:

 Get this medical trip to Houston done, and try and put most of the bills on automatic bill pay while I'm gone. Hoping I can recover quickly and come home do PT and try and find a new normal. Not freak out every three months when my scans are due.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

2017:

...to watch us run the table and win a seventh ring.
...or to root for the Pats to prevent the Boys from winning a 6th.
...to watch our spending (as in, make more frugal choices, not just watch us spend it). 
...to participate more in the forum; it's been awhile (lost a laptop, left a beloved job, lost my patience, well, almost).

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Practical: 
~~Return to and maintain bullet journaling as my primary organization system. 
~~Read 20 books
~~Sell my house | use money from the sale wisely toward debt
~~increase charitable donations to 
~~go on a glamping trip once per month
~~lose 20 pounds by the end of the year
~~double the amount of charitable donations we made in 2016

Philosophical:
~~don't be an ass when people are being dumb
~~Be supportive of DD's job search without alienating her
~~increase word choice
~~find a new way each month to show DH that I'm gosh darn fond of him
~~have at least six dates with each daughter over the course of the year 

[cronewitch]

My goal is to be generous to someone I don't know. I have a very hard time with this and I can afford to be generous and I don't mean giving them cast offs. I attempted this Christmas to help a family with two girls but the mother turned down the help. I hate begging so today I saw someone asking for gifts for two little kids but then I think she should help them or I don't know her it could be a scam. I was going to offer to take her toy shopping tomorrow but lost her post. Next year I will start sooner or do more non Christmas when the needs are greater.

[resolution]

I am starting a masters degree program in January. I would like to be halfway through the course work by the end of 2017.

[Deleted]

Dec 24, 2016 0:13:15 GMT -5 cronewitch said:

My goal is to be generous to someone I don't know. I have a very hard time with this and I can afford to be generous and I don't mean giving them cast offs. I attempted this Christmas to help a family with two girls but the mother turned down the help. I hate begging so today I saw someone asking for gifts for two little kids but then I think she should help them or I don't know her it could be a scam. I was going to offer to take her toy shopping tomorrow but lost her post. Next year I will start sooner or do more non Christmas when the needs are greater.

Have you thought about being a layaway good fairy?  Today's Christmas Eve so anyone who still has a layaway of mostly toys is cutting it very close.  Yesterday was probably payday for many.

It's just a thought.  You can keep it reasonable both for them and you.  Ask the clerk to find you 2 or 3 or 4 or however much you want to spend in the less than $75 range.  You won't be buying any Ipads and playstations, but you could really make a difference.

[tallguy]

My goal is to be generous to someone I don't know.

I'm SURE we've never met....

[tcu2003]

Dec 24, 2016 13:16:55 GMT -5 @bamafan1954 said:

Dec 24, 2016 0:13:15 GMT -5 cronewitch said:

My goal is to be generous to someone I don't know. I have a very hard time with this and I can afford to be generous and I don't mean giving them cast offs. I attempted this Christmas to help a family with two girls but the mother turned down the help. I hate begging so today I saw someone asking for gifts for two little kids but then I think she should help them or I don't know her it could be a scam. I was going to offer to take her toy shopping tomorrow but lost her post. Next year I will start sooner or do more non Christmas when the needs are greater.

Have you thought about being a layaway good fairy?  Today's Christmas Eve so anyone who still has a layaway of mostly toys is cutting it very close.  Yesterday was probably payday for many.

It's just a thought.  You can keep it reasonable both for them and you.  Ask the clerk to find you 2 or 3 or 4 or however much you want to spend in the less than $75 range.  You won't be buying any Ipads and playstations, but you could really make a difference.

Love this idea! I may need to try this next year!

[Iggy aka IG]

From the SS thread I started earlier this year, my 2016 goals:

• Begin CIC courses
• Open an IRA, and max out that mo fo
  
• Start the vacation fund already
  
• Start saving up for a new vehicle. My truck is 15 years old with 160K+ miles last I looked.
  
• Walk 4+ times a week
  
• Surpass the home office annual sales "objective"

[/ul]
The only one I completed was the last one.  The savings goals should be a lot easier in 2017 because I'll be making an extra $1,000 a month due to some new responsibilities.

To the above, I'll add:

• Move into our new home.  We have a contract on it, and need to sell our current home.
  

Happy New Year, everyone. 

[thyme4change]

After this thread, I started thinking that I really needed some goals this year. Annual goals feel a little overwhelming. So I installed a counter app on my phone. I have put two counters on there.

One is to stretch my neck. I am very stiff and the best I ever felt was when I was doing a significant amount of stretching. I put my goal to stretch 40 times per month. It really should be 60x (twice a day) but let's start for 40 and see how that goes.

My second is to work out 15 times per month. That is 4x per week.

The only other thing I have right now is to re-do my office before the super bowl.

[Opti]

Dec 24, 2016 14:10:36 GMT -5 tallguy said:

My goal is to be generous to someone I don't know.

I'm SURE we've never met....

Me too. I have real needs unlike TG.  Currently ranging from tire replacement before it snows again to clothing.

I probably should make some goals. Might finally become FT at work this year if things keep moving forward.

[countrygirl2]

Finish the last 2 houses here and get them rented.

Will help hubby when he gets to a certain point, he has

maybe 2 more months on one. I need to clean afterwards.

Sell Conroe property and Frisco, Tx property

Finish out the rest of the basement, its about half done, doubt

that happens this year

Take a couple of trips

Have a good garden that I can make easier to maintain, find

some kind of weed barrier, its getting hard for me to do it

otherwise and I still want a garden so I can preserve foods

Start using my exercise equipment to stretch and work out

on some, exercycle and weight equipment, might help my

hurting if I strengthen my muscles getting ready for spring

too.

[zibazinski]

Try raised beds. That's what my aunt and uncle did.

[tcu2003]

Good luck with selling your properties, countrygirl! I don't know the Conroe area, but the Frisco one should do well. We lived there for several years until we moved back to our home state about 2.5 years ago. We still go down fairly frequently to visit friends - that area is booming, especially with all of the new business growth at the border of Frisco and Plano.

[snapdragon]

Dec 19, 2016 12:12:10 GMT -5 snapdragon said:

I keep thinking about this and I am struggling with what I want to do. I just don't have any concrete thoughts yet. 

I still am up in the air. But there is one thing I am doing for sure.

I am going away for vacation this year. Somewhere, someplace different without anyone else. Feeling really ready to hide away.

[Apple]

Any progress/success with goals?

My goals and progress:


Continue to budget.  -- doing well with this.  I keep YNAB updated, if not every day, aim for at least every week.

Save an average of $1k/month to help DS with college.-- So far, so good.  I've been loading up on this as I work overtime, since I only have $500/month budgeted from my base income.  I am ahead of the $1k/month goal by $2800.  Since I do this for September to September, I only need $200 more above a $500 month and will have made my goal for the "year".  

Make more stuff. -- I started on my blankets for the NICU.  I've finished one quilt top for a friend (baby quilts) and will do another soon.  I have almost all the pieces cut out to make three different "castle and dragon" quilts that I designed.  I still need to learn to knit socks, but that will come.

Save at least $6k to go toward building the new house.-- on track to make this happen, but now I want to save even more so I can start construction sooner.  I designed my "perfect house" and it is very simple, just need a builder who could implement it.

Continue to contribute 15% to my retirement. Every now and then I reevaluate this to see if it would make more sense to raise or lower the amount...-- well, I reevaluated and decided to lower.  I had upped it to 17%, but now I've lowered it to 6%.  This should help me get the house built sooner, which would save more money long-term.

Exercise more, even if it's just getting up and walking more.-- Um, big fail, lol.  I am spending less time on the couch on my days off at least.

[vetswife]

1. exercise more regularly

2.  watch spending; we generally do ok, but as well as we used to, especially since DH's diagnosis

3.  go to DGD1's baby shower in Dallas area, just a 4 hour drive for us, and visit old friends and DS1 while we're there

4.  try to get in a day trip occasionally when DH feels up to it

5.  another trip to see DGGS2 when he is born

[Iggy aka IG]

Dec 29, 2016 12:35:39 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

From the SS thread I started earlier this year, my 2016 goals:

• Begin CIC courses
• Open an IRA, and max out that mo fo
  
• Start the vacation fund already
  
• Start saving up for a new vehicle. My truck is 15 years old with 160K+ miles last I looked.
  
• Walk 4+ times a week
  
• Surpass the home office annual sales "objective"

[/ul]
The only one I completed was the last one.  The savings goals should be a lot easier in 2017 because I'll be making an extra $1,000 a month due to some new responsibilities.

To the above, I'll add:

• Move into our new home.  We have a contract on it, and need to sell our current home.
  

Happy New Year, everyone. 
[/quote]I finally opened a Roth last month automatically transferring $1,000 a month.  I have a small savings account which $25 gets rolled into monthly.  I've not touched it for a month, so it's up to $25. 

I've managed to rack up a balance on my business CC, which I'm focusing on paying down.  I'm still using coupons, ecoupons, shopping food sales, and looking for deals.  These included buying much needed boots at 50% off a few months ago, and being extremely frugal when I went to my BFF's wedding last month.

Our home hasn't sold yet, and I learned today the one we want went under contract today.  I'm ignoring it because I'm busy here at the office.  Whatevs.

That's it.  That's all I've accomplished thus far, though I did restart low carb, "clean eating" this week.  This includes no booze, so if I start cranky posting, you'll know why. 

[Blonde Granny]

I need to start 2017 all over again. I finished the taxes today, and the outcome was not what I had hoped. It truly hurts tax wise to have to file single rather than married. But, since I am single, I am certainly paying the price.

I need to rework my personal escrow account for a large increase that I have to put away in order to make the quarterly tax payments for the Fed. and the State. Since all that money comes from my monthly income, it means I need to rethink my spending plan in YNAB4. I will hang on and keep from taking money from investments, but this is going to hurt.

[Apple]

I bought a fat people razor scooter to ride during some rounds at work (for inspectios-- long distances, various levels). There are random stairs, so you can't use a cart, and not enough room to turn a bike around easy (plus, the bikes are a bitch to try to move to and down even the small flights of steps). It just got delivered today, looking forward to being able to use it this weekend! Will cut my time to less than half, lol. It folds up and is pretty light, so I can carry it up/down all the stairs easily.

This will also help with my "more exercise" goal.

[Apple]

Mar 7, 2017 18:58:26 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

I need to start 2017 all over again. I finished the taxes today, and the outcome was not what I had hoped. It truly hurts tax wise to have to file single rather than married. But, since I am single, I am certainly paying the price.

I need to rework my personal escrow account for a large increase that I have to put away in order to make the quarterly tax payments for the Fed. and the State. Since all that money comes from my monthly income, it means I need to rethink my spending plan in YNAB4. I will hang on and keep from taking money from investments, but this is going to hurt.

For a different reason (DS getting too old), I will also have to make the change to filing single in just a couple short years (I file "head of household" now).  I'm trying to slowly prepare myself for that hit, but I'm not looking forward to it at all.