Anyways...Happy New Year!
If you read yesterday's post, you know that I have the same bazillion New Year's resolutions each year that I pretty much never accomplish. But this year is going to be different because I am making SMART goals and only biting off a small chunk of my list each month.
JANUARY
Old Goal: study scriptures every dayWhy I did not do well with this goal:
- I have a rotating schedule working both days and nights, so I cannot have a set time every day to do this (or anything else)
- I keep forgetting to do this
- When I tried to make this a bedtime habit I would fall asleep reading
New Goal: Study scriptures every day for at least 10 minutes or 1 Chapter when I wake up.
How I am going to accomplish this:
- Utilize a calendar to mark off days that I have read (especially important since sometimes I wake up in the morning and sometimes I wake up at night, depending on work)
- Keep my scriptures on my night stand so I see them when I wake up
- Use the timer on my phone to keep track of how long I read
Old Goal: Save money
Why I did not do well with this goal:
- I did not use a budget very often
- I tried to use a computer budget (excel spreadsheet)
- I did not keep track of every transaction in my bank account
- I spent money I didn't have or didn't need to i.e.buying things because they were on sale even though I did not need them
- I was in charge of the bills/budget and did not involve my hubby enough.
- I used my credit cards for groceries and gas (to get points) but did not keep track of spending and went over budget, then had to use what savings I had to pay off the credit cards
New Goal: Create a budget and use it with every paycheck to make sure every $ has a place (including at least $5 for savings).
How I am going to accomplish this:
- Create a financial binder with a paper budget that is easy to access every day
- Involve my hubby with paying bills and budgeting with each paycheck.
- Stop spending money on unnecessary things!
- Have a specific plan for saving money
- Utilize an envelope system for gas and groceries so I do not spend over budget.
Good news for you! I am focusing my January blog entries (for the most part) on the useful tips I have listed above for accomplishing my financial goal. I have searched through Pinterest and the internet for budgeting and money saving tips and found that most of them give the same old advice-I am going to give you some new advice! Check back often to see how you, too, can get a financial jump start to your year.
Craftnanigans & Snazzysauce
