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Whoaaa…we’re Halfway There

October 5, 2022 Whoa-OH, livin on a prayer. I can’t believe we’re halfway through Project Money already! Time flies when you’re having fun.Since we’re halfway through, I figured now would be a good time to look back and reflect on the goals that I had set for myself in the beginning of the program and see how they’re coming along.Short-term Goals
  • Spend less on takeout: This has gone a lot better, more or less! I used to grab takeout after a long day purely out of habit. Now, I take a minute before deciding and think through a few different factors – do I have food at home? What’s my takeout budget look like so far this month? Can I get a quick snack at the store instead to hold me over while I cook?
  • Cut back on impulsive spending: I feel really good about this. My day-to-day impulse spending has gone way down. I focus instead on either noting something I want and rewarding myself after meeting a goal or I’ll decide I can live without it.
  • Replenish my dogs’ savings: We’re almost there! Setting up an automatic deposit and paying myself first every payday without having to think about it has been incredibly beneficial. In only three short months, I’ve almost met my savings goal.
  • Save for fall vacations: Same as above. Automatic transfers are a lifesaver and require little to no thought on my part!
Long-term Goals:
  • Buy a house: I met with my financial coach and a mortgage loan officer who were able to walk me through the financials of where I stand as a first-time homebuyer. The market isn’t doing me any favors, but I feel confident moving forward with a plan that works for me. Hopefully I’ll be able to call myself a homeowner by the end of next year!
  • Another dog: First house, then dog. This will also come out of my dogs’ savings account so I can save for my future pup or any other dog-related emergencies with that money.
  • Retirement/Investing: My financial coach has set me up with great options for building up my investments and we’re working on retirement in the future. Since I’m still young, I want to be as aggressive as possible while I still can.
Day to day, it can be hard to see progress. I want to rush, rush, rush and see results immediately. But looking back over the last few months, I can feel a shift in my habits and my thought process of how I make financial decisions, whether that’s day to day or long term. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the program will bring! You might also be interested in What a ride it’s been! 2022 has been full of adventure and trying new things and I’m so excited by all the progress Project Money has given me financially... As the end of Project Money draws near, I can’t believe how far I’ve come since we started. Day to day, I always felt like I could be doing something more... How many times did my dad tell me this as a kid when I really wanted McDonald’s? How many times do I tell myself this in a week when I don’t want to cook... It’s that time of the year again when you reminisce and look back over the year and start thinking ahead to next year. Every year, I try to make a personal... Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! This year didn’t really feel like anything special since my goal was to keep it low key. I was able to make a nice dinner... One of the things, or problems, I knew about myself coming into Project Money was that I had a loose budget but I never let that stop me from doing the... I can’t believe we’re halfway through November! I feel like this entire year has just been me saying I can’t believe how time is flying. How is Thanksgiving... One of the biggest things I’ve always been interested in is investing but since I struggle with crunching numbers and finances generally overwhelm me... This week was a busy, chaotic week but a good one and we hit some big goals in this house! First, I finally paid off my last private student loan. It wasn’t...
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