2013 Goals

I'm too scared to post some goals coz im always bound to failing it, but since everyone else is doing it, doesnt hurt to put one together too... i think.

so here goes:

25% goes to savings (emergency/downpayment money) - goal $20,000 by December 2013
10% hubby's ROTH IRA
10% my 401K and ROTH IRA split in half
$500/month to pay down credit cards (done by Nov)

stretch goal:
pay off one car - might be too impossible but well see


personal goals:
pilates 2x a week , yoga once a week
meditate at least once a day
short trips every other month - we just did a 3 week long vacation in January so for sure im done for this year or boss will kill me
update my wardrobe - this will cost but looking to budget about $100/month on this


so there you go, wish me luck!

Back in the Grind

Hello,
i have been away for 4 months, wow, 4 months just went by fast. we spent all the Holidays, and vacations, and now, its time to go back to reality, time to re focus and get serious.

I have set everything up to automatically pay all my credit cards every month with more in each of the cards every month, by November this year, everything will be paid off.

I have also set up all savings accounts to automatically transfer per paycheck:

Roth IRA - 5% of take home pay (401k 5%)
Hubby's ROTH IRA - 10% of take home pay
Emergency fund - $1700/month - this is huge but i will make sure it gets credited every month
Kids Savings - $35/month x 2
Mutual Funds (2) - $50/month x 2

Me and hubby's wants - $100/paycheck per month x 2


im setting everything up to be automatic, all bills automatic, credit cards, utilities, savings. Whatever's left, and hopefully there is, it will be fun money! Wish me luck!

Plan B here i come

So life has determined that i should take Plan B.

Fine.

So here come thrifty shopping,
borrowing money from savings for our trip


Life goes on, and we are on our way to vacation no matter what, life is too short to not enjoy it, borrow money, pay it back on a better day.

cool, Plan B is all set.

33 Days till 2013

SO i have paid off all of my credit cards, used half of it again, and now back to paying minimum on a couple till i pay it all off again, the bandwagon.  its OK, as long as i now have the drive to make sure to pay it all off i am in a better position than i was before.

6 credit cards paid off
3 all paid off
3 re -used
1 almost paid off again while the 2 others on minimum payment..


discipline....discipline....

Life never gets easy, we just get stronger

I came across this line and it struck me big time, all this time i have been looking forward for a better day, "when life gets easier.." starting line to every hopeful conversation, but as the years go by, i realized there is always a challenge ahead you are to face, and everytime, its does get tougher, but what's interesting is how i deal with it changed, i used to cry a lot over it, but now, i just shrug and say here it comes, bring it on.

Yeah, we get stronger overtime.

64 days till 2013

WOW. 64 Days. this means i have 64 days to:

- pay off my credit cards
- finish all my travel shopping
- invest $500
- save $4000 for January trip

Time has been flying too fast, and in 2 days, our fate will determine where we will be by next month.
If everything turns out good, i will be able to fulfill there goals easy. If not, what is my Plan B?

maybe:
-continue paying minimum on credit cards
-only buy necessary stuff for travel, no more goodies for friends
-hold investing
-borrow money from savings - (which i dont really want to do)

sigh, wish me luck. ill update soon.

Save, Pay it Off and make it AUTOMATIC

So i have $250/paycheck direct deposited into my other checking account, that is $500/month of money i use for whatever if i ran short from my paycheck, which was most of the time. Now that hubby will be hopefully going back to working full time since he's done with school, i have used this money to be my vehicle to fund my retirement, savings, and to pay off all my credit cards.

So here's what i have set up to be transferred per paycheck:

10th of the month:

$20 - USAA investment
$100 - ingdirect savings
$100 - pay off credit card
------
$220 - total

25th of the month:
$50 - USAA investment
$100 - Roth IRA
$100 - pay off credit card
-----
$250 - total

i have the following credit cards to pay off:
target - 200 - 2 paychecks
cc #1 - 500 - 5 paychecks
cc #2 - 500 - 5 paychecks
hubby cc #1 - 3 paychecks
hubby cc #2 - 7 paychecks


i am also looking for some money that i can move also into my p2p investment but as for right now, i think this is a good set up:
-I am funding my emergency fund 5% of paycheck, need $50 more,
-Retirement -- target will be 5% of my paycheck so i need to add $50 by next year,
-$200 a month to pay off my $2200 credit card balance.. which will be in about 11 months!

and the greatest thing is my paycheck will still be intact! i didnt touch it at all to pay off these credit cards.

now that this is set in stone, i will just let this drive on its own.