Layout:
Home > 2014 Future Accomplishments! Goal Setting.

2014 Future Accomplishments! Goal Setting.

December 21st, 2013 at 08:40 am

Goals have always been hard for me because I find it difficult to make plans when there are uncertain variables looming. But if everyone else can do it- I will as well.

In 2014 I will...

1) STICK TO the monthly budget I have already prepared.

2) Add $700/month to our income. Of that money; $200/month goes to baby future education & $500/month goes to horseback riding.

3)Start horseback riding when extra funding for it has been created.

4) Develop a plan to own a horse in 2015.

5) Add $100/month towards the monthly mortgage payment.

6) Finish 2014 with $3800 saved towards future car purchase.

7) Finish 2014 with $1300 saved in Emergency Fund.

8)Finish out the year at my goal weight of 120 lbs.

9) Tell my husband NO twice a month.

Of those goals, #4 (develop a plan to own a horse in 2015) is the biggest stretch. I have denied myself a horse up to this point saying it was unaffordable.

Right now we are the leanest we have ever been and I'm tired of denying myself this indulgence. If push came to shove- we really CAN afford afford a horse, but since they are such a huge financial drain I have never allowed myself to get a horse.

But 2013 was husbands year. Between his "repair sucking truck" purchase & his failed "spend everything we have in the bank to stay afloat in California" plan we ended up spending the money it would have taken to comfortably house a horse for 4 years. I'm tired of denying myself the luxury when husband does not do the same. I feel that the money will get spent by him if I don't jump in and claim it for myself.

And also don't freak out thinking we will only have $1300 in an emergency fund while I am out gallavanting on horses. We do have money tucked away in nooks and crannies that have no immediate future use that can be used in an emergency. But currently we have no dedicated emergency fund. Ok, we HAD one that I had been trying to fund on/off for a few years but it never got off the ground. Husband does not appreciate the concept/think we will ever encounter an emergency/thinks his impulse purchases ARE an emergency and is always demanding we use the money to fund his next idea. He can see the money sitting in the bank and the next time an unorthodox purchase comes up that is not in the budget he argues with me to use that money. I end up giving in (because I ALWAYS give in), and the account goes empty. Its like he sees the money in the bank account and thinks to himself "hmmm...we have $5200 sitting there...what can I buy?" NOT THIS YEAR! I am in recovery from California mode, I now realize it is never a one-time-purchase with him, I see that he actually has NO sense of risk/boundaries when it comes to spending money and if allowed he would spend every dollar we have in the bank (well- he did do that this year), so I'm feeling DEAD SET DETERMINED to tell him No.

You know what? That is going to be a goal. To tell my husband "No" on purchase requests. Goal #9. Tell my husband "NO" on 10...no..24! Purchase requests in 2014. That is 2 denials a month. Twice a month when my husband runs some idea by me to purchase an unnecessary TV (well he already did that. We have a 55 inch TV sitting in its box in the attic.) Ok when he wants to...I don't know...make an unnecessary improvement at a rental property or buy some electronic gadget...I will tell him "NO!", I will tell him "2014 is for SAVING NOT SPENDING!"

And he will argue that it is just a small amount of money compared to how much it will save us/make us money in the long run.

And I will have a gut feeling that it is not true. But he will have a rebuttal to every argument I put up.He will argue me until I can see no reason not to buy a TV set for an unfinished attic because one day it is going to be a man cave.

And he will huff and whine and get angry if I tell him the answer is no.

And I will feel guilty because he is disabled and in pain. More pain than I could tolerate for even a day. And all he can do is sit around and think of things to buy that will make him temporarily happy. And I know that while he is purchasing the item or using the item his pain becomes a little more tolerable and life is better for him. So I sigh and give in. I tell him to do whatever he wants.

But NOT THIS YEAR! Because I know that the purchased item will soon be forgotten and he will be on to the next want. And I will forever be staring at a repair sucking truck/trying to collect on money spent in California/an Apple TV remote that is NEVER USED/an air conditioner for the attic that has broken twice in the 1 month since we had it installed (AC guy is coming in the morning)and created HIDEOUS gutter pipes on the outside of our house.

THIS IS THE YEAR I will tell him "No". This is the year I will stop looking at crap I never would have purchased and had a bad feeling about but didn't know why until after he bought the item and it required $17k in repairs/cost 10x more than he anticipated/created ugly gutter pipes that run down the exterior of the house.

I now have come to realize that ALL of his plans cost more than he says they will, and cause additional purchases. I don't know if he purposely leaves out information when he explains his plan to me, or if he really is unaware of the extra required purchases...but this is the year I will not find out the hidden costs to his plans. Because I told him "No".

Seriously. I think goal #9 that will save us $30-50k this year.







6 Responses to “2014 Future Accomplishments! Goal Setting. ”

  1. creditcardfree Says:
    1387637276

    I think that "no" goal will be your hardest, but I think it is a wonderful opportunity for both of you to grow emotionally, AND of course, save money. You might consider counseling if this gets to be an issue.

  2. ironicone Says:
    1387638768

    I think instead of telling your husband flat out no, it might work better to have him run the numbers to determine a realistic budget for any project.
    I know that running

  3. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1387640854

    Can your husband lift and hold Charlotte as she grows? (His pain is in his back?) Give her floor time when you aren't there? Bend to tend to her as she becomes a crawler, then walker? Thinking about you going back to work, I fear you may need to have paid child care at least sometimes....Keep emphasizing the baby's future needs as a means of inspiring your husband to hold check on the the spending. Some men will really give their all when they know it is for their kids.

  4. SicilyYoder Says:
    1387659200

    Have fun horseback riding. I enjoyed when I rode.

  5. snafu Says:
    1387679388

    Good on you for writing financial desires for 2014. Next are details, steps to make them happen with timelines. What will bring DH onboard so that the two of you work as a team for common goals? What does he see for 2014 for Charlotte?

    SA poster 'tomhole' wrote about his experiences as a horse owner that you may find enlightening. You can find it by filling the SA 's 'search' box Horse. I think it's brilliant to prepare a detailed cost analysis of horse ownership costs for 1 - 5 years. Will you need a horse trailer? Can the truck pull it? I too enjoy riding but the time, details and emotional requirements keep me making arrangements to rent time and help other owners pay their horse's unending expenses.

  6. Looking Forward Says:
    1387784156

    You might find a horse you really like to lease. That can be a very good way to go.
    I love riding and wish I had the time... *sigh*

Leave a Reply

(Note: If you were logged in, we could automatically fill in these fields for you.)
*
Will not be published.
   

* Please spell out the number 4.  [ Why? ]

vB Code: You can use these tags: [b] [i] [u] [url] [email]