End of year shoutouts and wrap-up!
Savers, I decided to catch us all up on shoutouts, which are not as insightful as they have been in the past. Instead, I opted for fewer thought-provoking questions and more of a retrospective of your comments and posts over the past year.
Annie7, we're so glad you decided to join the Savers! Your first post was very introspective. It's natural to wait until there's some stability to your finances so you can get a handle on what is needed and what is possible. I like your thoughtful approach. I especially liked when you wrote that you would be spending most of the savings as you need to. That is what savings is all about, even retirement savings. You are so wise to have a goal for an expensive repair like a roof, years before it's needed. Nice job deciding to max the 401K. You should feel VERY proud of yourself! No more tuition or car payment = cause for celebration.
I'm glad you decided to join us.
azucena , you set an initial goal of $30,000, which you exceeded. You are in a unique situation with DH's spending and health driving a lot of your approach to finances and everyday life. Yay for bigger bonuses than expected, and income increases! And congratulations on reaching your milestone of $100K in savings as well as Roth contributions. Making improvements to the house and spending money on peace-of-mind services like a cleaning service is well worth it. Self-care is so important. And seeing a financial planner is a very grown-up thing to do, and
plugginaway22 even mentioned you inspired her to find a financial planner. The very generous contributions you made for your DD's classmates' field trips are amazing. You and
nidena set the bar higher for the rest of us in this regard. Stretch goals are wonderful, makes you feel super successful at the Savings game.
bobosensei , you started out with a goal of $27,950, a new job that paid more than you expected, and a plan to do a lot of work around the house ($8,000 to be saved for that). Landscape spending is so worth it. Going from bimonthly to every 2 weeks per pay period doesn't sound like much, but it is a challenge! You've had a lot to deal with in 12 months. I hope you decide to set new goals and join us on the 2022 thread.
debthaven , one of your first posts mentioned the sale of your wonky studio. Wow, real estate sales take forever in France, I guess. (14 months
Crazy!) But you finally got it sold! And it was a nice approach to split up your savings three ways: house, DH's savings, and your savings. Spending on family is a VERY good use of your savings. My wish for you is that you will start to slow down, work wise. Will you be the next Saver to retire
You are so encouraging to all the Savers with your comments and posts. Hugs to you for what I hope is your last year of work.
forwardwego , you started the year with a goal of $15,000. I liked your periodic expense category so much that I adopted it for myself. (The second strategy I've adopted from you, the first being your chart for weekly savings.) You've shared with me some of the things that have taken your time away from the Savers this year and I know those things are GOOD and EXCITING things. I can't wait for you to join us on the 2022 Savers thread so you can share them with everyone! Happy New Year to you, my friend and co-admin.
nidena , one of your first posts mentioned the "set it and forget it" Roth transfers. Good job setting that up. Slow and steady wins the race. I like how you set up your Roth to maximize eventual tax savings. You mentioned that a benefit to having some savings is being able to help out friends in need, what a lovely sentiment! Nice job tweaking your savings "buckets" even when you don't track those buckets. Does it help you to track in different categories? Because it seems to me you are tweaking those categories (flooring for desk) as the need arises. Which is fine, if it works for you. I've done it too. But if it doesn't work, you can just do an overall tag line. Your choice, whichever makes you a more efficient saver, because that's the bottom line!
nikiz628 , you started out with a goal of $7,750. It was great to see you make slow and steady progress. Wondering how you like Good Budget. Sounds like putting pencil to paper (or the online equivalent) to determine your monthly expenses was a useful exercise. You prompted a lot of discussion amongst the Savers with that move. Subbing, with a business too, must make you a very busy woman. You are amazing, slowly and quietly focusing on saving, never moving your eye from the prize. You made most of your goals, and you can roll the rest into your 2022 goals. Great job! I think this is the closest you've ever come to meeting your goals. Remember where you started? You are doing SO well. Never forget that!
nooccar , so glad you came to the Savers after racing your debt.You started off in September with a solid plan, and your perseverance shows. Getting the EF back to where it was before you borrowed from it is always a good idea! I'm excited to see you on the 2022 Savers thread! No doubt we can all learn a thing or two from you.
paynointerest , you started out with a goal of $58,200. You got your first
on January 27! Another
in February. In May you not only got another
but increased your goal to $69,000! And that was before your promotion (congratulations!). In July, another two
! And at the end of September, yet another
for a total of six. And what a raise you got! Were we surprised you increased your savings goal to $69,000? Not at all! And you even exceeded that. Amazing! Thank you for sharing your momentum with the group. Excellent work!
plugginaway22 , you had a lot of uncertainty this year with the sale of your employer and what that would bring to you. It was major motivation and support for you to save save save! I'm glad you found the group to be motivational. Being able to retire earlier than expected is HUGE! I love how you satisfied your unfulfilled travel bug with "nesting" purchases (outdoor furniture, flooring, plants, etc.). Continuing to stash money even though not keeping track of how much obviously served you well. I'm so glad the sale finally went through and you were able to retire. Sorry that this was your last year as a Saver, but if you reconsider we are always here! (And I agree, flexible time is a huge benefit of retirement.) Stop in at the 2022 Savers thread from time to time and say hi.
Rukh O'Rorke , you started out with goal #1 of $43,600 and goal #2 (multiyear) of $20,000. Throughout the year you made slow and steady progress. At one point you said you were "just slogging along." And what's wrong with that? HUGE kudos for growing RI. Your posts contain a lot of introspection, and I bet I was not the only one who benefitted from them. Interesting to see how your balances increased or decreased based on the market. (Fun but maddening!) The market is the "best of times, worst of times" depending on the day. Bonuses are good, even small ones! And you were blessed with the bonus of kitties this year. Very expensive ones, at that! But you have a lot of fluff to love. I wholeheartedly endorsed your plot to quit! But, oh well ... at least they rewarded you with a promotion. We just have to roll with the punches. Here's to a fantastic 2022 for RI!
Saving4Norway , your first post of the year was about saving up enough money to retire from teaching in
3 years. I like the way you do quarterly goals, very motivational to all of us. I imagine you like to reach smaller goals quickly, vs. having one goal for the year. I can see how that works splendidly for you. Ha, about using the tax accountant, sounds like it was an expense that paid for itself. You win the award for most
in 2021! And getting back to your plan to retire in 3 years, good for you for moving up the date to
June 2022! A trip to Norway seems quite apropos.
sealy , paying off debt vs. savings is always a juggling match, but as you found, they are two sides of the same hand. Palm up = collecting savings, palm down = lowering debt. Savings is future spending, either for your general comfort level or for a specific purpose. With no income in August, it's critical to have that savings to fall back on. Savings goals are a work in progress, and many people have mentioned how painful it is to take money from savings to pay down debt. But it's not "sliding down the ladder," your net worth doesn't change. Keep at it and nurture your inner Saver in 2022.
shanendoah , you started 2021 with a new job that pays more. Congratulations! It was good to see your quarterly goals and have you share the challenges of tweaking your budget for paychecks every two weeks when you've been paid monthly for so long. (Doesn't sound like much of a change, but it's actually HUGE!) Nice transition! I hope you were able to decide on a reasonable landscaping project. Your Poptart turned 18... where does the time go? Please join us again in 2022.
snapdragon , you started out with a goal of $5,000. Slow and steady saving is your mode. You did a great job while enduring the ordeal of settling a couple of estates. Very time consuming, emotional, and requires a lot of thought. Glad you got the kitchen reno out of the way and you're doing so well paying it off. I hope your eyes settle down and Lasik surgery is sooner rather than later. And I REALLY hope you let us know what you decide to do, where to live, etc., when you make those decisions. Best of luck to you as you navigate those waters. Will you join the Savers in 2022? Please say yes.
speechchick71 , great starting goal of $20,000. 2021 started out as a very tough year for you with your BF's health and having to say goodbye to your beloved kitty. Losing a pet hurts so much more than we expect. He had been there for you for all those years and adventures. I hope you are doing well. 2022 is a new year, and I hope you come hang out with your friends on the 2022 Savers thread.
steph08 , your goal for 2021 was set at $42,684. You made nice progress for most of the year, and then moved into your new house, ending your savings with a huge BANG at $63,907! Good job! Wow, a lot of expenses crop up when you build a house but you ended the year with a really amazing job on savings. Hating to spend saved money is a common complaint, not just in the Savers thread but on other threads. It must be universal. You win the award for the highest "% saved to goal." Excellent job!
teachermom , you started out with goals to lose weight, eat healthier, pay off your student loans, and fix your house to sell in 2021. You put a dollar value on the work to be done on your house and proceeded accordingly. Your goals to save for car expenses and gifts is something we can all relate to. Your house looks amazing!!! Please join us for whatever comes next in your life. 2022 Savers awaits!
minnesotapaintlady , we've missed you this year. Please consider joining us over at the 2022 Savers thread.
Blonde Granny , thank you for stopping by and posting occasionally. You have great tidbits of wisdom. I hope you continue to stop by from time to time and share a few words in our 2022 Savers thread.
chicg , we miss you. Please join us and post more regularly in 2022. We're here for you, and want you to be here for us.
Savers, thank you all for your support for each other during a year when it was a very stressful "more of the same" with COVID. Here's to great health for you and yours in 2022, and let's kick this COVID thing to the curb. Please!
