WDW_fan_in_TX
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2015
- Messages
- 816
I've been thinking about my goals for 2026, and I really want to make them achievable. And specific. Not just pay off all debt. Or not just more exercise. But actual numbers. So after some thought, here goes.
Financial
- Stop the late fees!
I was paying all bills before their cutoff dates and not when they were actually due. I thought it was fine because I was paying before stuff was cut off (electric and internet). However, I was around $50-$60 in late fees every month. So my first goal is to everything on track, stop paying behind and quit paying late fees.
- Keep adding to my newly created Fidelity retirement plan!
I opened a Fidelity account in December, and I made my first contribution of $25. I would like to keep adding $20-$25 per paycheck (mine not DWs) to keep pushing the total up. As of right now, I'm 50, DW is 43 and we have less than $50k in our combined 401ks. Trying to convince DW that retirement needs to be a point of emphasis.
- Building our EF to $2k!
This seems simple enough, but when you're constantly paying behind and paying late fees, it's not possible. So after getting all bills up to date, I would like to add to an EF to get it to $2k. I open an account at Ally in December for this goal. We've been using an extra checking account, and we just transfer money back and forth as we need it. So hopefully having it at Ally will help not use it freely and whenever we need it.
- Set up sinking funds!
Would like to start sinking fund envelopes for car/auto (repairs, registrations, inspections, oil changes, routine maintenance, stuff like that), birthday/special (7 of the 8 members of my family have birthdays in July, plus we have Christmas stuff and that usually hits hard), medical (this is for when we need to go to urgent care or the doctor unexpectedly or when we need to go get prescriptions), hair/nails (DW gets her nails done the weekend after her paycheck on the 15th, and I get my haircut every 2 months, so want to start a sinking fund for those items).
Personal
- Continue to meal plan!
We've started doing meal plans on Sundays and then go to Walmart on Monday to buy groceries for the week. We seem to do better about not wasting food when we just buy one week at the time. We still need to try and find something we can get for grab-and-go breakfasts as that seems to still be our biggest time to eat out.
- Eat out less!
This has GOT to be an achieved goal. We spent nearly $10k eating out in 2025. I have to eat out 1-2 times a week at work. But we're going to try and cut back to just those couple of days then maybe Sunday after church with friends. That will help tremendously. Also, cutting out the little expenses (like buying a $3 tea at Chickfila for lunch, or a side of fries for $4 at Cane's cause I don't have chips or a $4 breakfast sandwich ... those littles add up quickly).
- Step, step, step!
Right now, my step goal is 4k steps per day. I'd like to push that to $5k or possibly even 6k per day. I don't have much help at home on my exercise goals, so this one will be harder. I have to basically hide it from DW because she thinks it's stupid.
- Attend more card shows and buy to flip.
Over November and December, I decided to start attending card shows to buy cards just to flip. And I was able to make money. Not much in November, but I made quite a bit in December. I've got that money set aside to buy more cards to flip. And I keep track of all buys and sales on a spreadsheet. Would like to start making enough to make it a side hustle.
- Read the Bible completely through!
I have a bible app, and I'd like to try and read the Bible completely through. I've never done that, and I think it would be a neat idea. So I've downloaded a 365 day plan to read the entire thing.
Home
- Purge items not used!
We opened a storage unit in July for $50. But they were up to $90 in December. So we canceled it. I've decided to start going through and getting rid of stuff. Would like to sell what I can and use the money to pay down debt. I'd like to donate what we can't sell. Just have to find the best way to sell since I'm not big on Marketplace (scared to meet people in public).
- Get the green thumb going!
I did a bucket garden last spring, and it didn't take. So I'd like to try again. Just minor stuff. Cucumbers, carrots, small things. I think it'll help our grocery budget (about $600-$700 per month). DW doesn't eat veggies, so I don't want to grow too much and end up wasting stuff. Also, I'd like to remove the rose bush in the front of the house and put a magnolia bush (this is what DW wants since her grandmother had them in her front yard). Also would like to freshen up the front yard (trim back a tree, week the flower bed, etc).
- Just do what we can!
There's not a lot we can do as we rent. But I'd like to do what I can in purging stuff, gardening, keeping the yard and flower beds up, stuff like that.
Financial
- Stop the late fees!
I was paying all bills before their cutoff dates and not when they were actually due. I thought it was fine because I was paying before stuff was cut off (electric and internet). However, I was around $50-$60 in late fees every month. So my first goal is to everything on track, stop paying behind and quit paying late fees.
- Keep adding to my newly created Fidelity retirement plan!
I opened a Fidelity account in December, and I made my first contribution of $25. I would like to keep adding $20-$25 per paycheck (mine not DWs) to keep pushing the total up. As of right now, I'm 50, DW is 43 and we have less than $50k in our combined 401ks. Trying to convince DW that retirement needs to be a point of emphasis.
- Building our EF to $2k!
This seems simple enough, but when you're constantly paying behind and paying late fees, it's not possible. So after getting all bills up to date, I would like to add to an EF to get it to $2k. I open an account at Ally in December for this goal. We've been using an extra checking account, and we just transfer money back and forth as we need it. So hopefully having it at Ally will help not use it freely and whenever we need it.
- Set up sinking funds!
Would like to start sinking fund envelopes for car/auto (repairs, registrations, inspections, oil changes, routine maintenance, stuff like that), birthday/special (7 of the 8 members of my family have birthdays in July, plus we have Christmas stuff and that usually hits hard), medical (this is for when we need to go to urgent care or the doctor unexpectedly or when we need to go get prescriptions), hair/nails (DW gets her nails done the weekend after her paycheck on the 15th, and I get my haircut every 2 months, so want to start a sinking fund for those items).
Personal
- Continue to meal plan!
We've started doing meal plans on Sundays and then go to Walmart on Monday to buy groceries for the week. We seem to do better about not wasting food when we just buy one week at the time. We still need to try and find something we can get for grab-and-go breakfasts as that seems to still be our biggest time to eat out.
- Eat out less!
This has GOT to be an achieved goal. We spent nearly $10k eating out in 2025. I have to eat out 1-2 times a week at work. But we're going to try and cut back to just those couple of days then maybe Sunday after church with friends. That will help tremendously. Also, cutting out the little expenses (like buying a $3 tea at Chickfila for lunch, or a side of fries for $4 at Cane's cause I don't have chips or a $4 breakfast sandwich ... those littles add up quickly).
- Step, step, step!
Right now, my step goal is 4k steps per day. I'd like to push that to $5k or possibly even 6k per day. I don't have much help at home on my exercise goals, so this one will be harder. I have to basically hide it from DW because she thinks it's stupid.
- Attend more card shows and buy to flip.
Over November and December, I decided to start attending card shows to buy cards just to flip. And I was able to make money. Not much in November, but I made quite a bit in December. I've got that money set aside to buy more cards to flip. And I keep track of all buys and sales on a spreadsheet. Would like to start making enough to make it a side hustle.
- Read the Bible completely through!
I have a bible app, and I'd like to try and read the Bible completely through. I've never done that, and I think it would be a neat idea. So I've downloaded a 365 day plan to read the entire thing.
Home
- Purge items not used!
We opened a storage unit in July for $50. But they were up to $90 in December. So we canceled it. I've decided to start going through and getting rid of stuff. Would like to sell what I can and use the money to pay down debt. I'd like to donate what we can't sell. Just have to find the best way to sell since I'm not big on Marketplace (scared to meet people in public).
- Get the green thumb going!
I did a bucket garden last spring, and it didn't take. So I'd like to try again. Just minor stuff. Cucumbers, carrots, small things. I think it'll help our grocery budget (about $600-$700 per month). DW doesn't eat veggies, so I don't want to grow too much and end up wasting stuff. Also, I'd like to remove the rose bush in the front of the house and put a magnolia bush (this is what DW wants since her grandmother had them in her front yard). Also would like to freshen up the front yard (trim back a tree, week the flower bed, etc).
- Just do what we can!
There's not a lot we can do as we rent. But I'd like to do what I can in purging stuff, gardening, keeping the yard and flower beds up, stuff like that.
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