New Years financial resolution

[TheRatPack]

Mine is pretty simple too, just putting it in to action is going to be the hard part LOL I want to be 100% debt free (minus the mortgage) by 2012. We were debt free when we bought the house and then just went a little crazy with credit cards and a new (used) vehicle...etc. We had some medical expenses that came up and added to that...etc. We were so much happier as a debt free family, ate out more and did a lot more fun stuff. I want to be that way again, so we're buckling down now that Christmas is over and we have 12 months to make it happen

 

[Virgderon]

These are all so good. I may have to add a couple more to my list.

I'm thinking maybe double car payments so I can get the car paid off faster.

 

[Danibelle]

1. We are making our final payment for Vacation Club.
2. Pay off all credit cards.
3. Pay off a student loan.

Save after that!

 

[Cindy B]

This year we did the following:

paid off car
created brokerage account(s)
set up strong retirment accounts
set up college level accounts


Attempted:
maxing out 401K -didnt quite make it


Goal:

Would love to pay off student loan


We have no debt, except student loan and mortgage

 

[tikilyn]

1. Pay off our last credit card balance 4700.00 (will be paid off no later than April 30th)
2. Payoff DVC balance
3. start to payoff truck (won't get paid off until next year but it will be a start)

We are trying to straighten out our finances so we can purchase some land a build our dream house but that won't happen until aprox 2013. Thats when all debt should be paid off except the house we currently own.

 

[charming23]

For 2011 I want to be in a better place financially.

1. I will be paying off my car in July so I want to take that money and put it in a savings account to start saving for a second car.
2. Start saving up to do some small things around the house. We already have about 6 months worth of living expenses saved up so it is time to do some repairs.
3. Keep couponing and putting my savings into the savings account.

 

[StitchBuddy]

1. We are making our final payment for Vacation Club.
2. Pay off all credit cards.
3. Pay off a student loan.

Save after that!

Oh, I wish I had a DVC to pay off! That is my goal in 2012, to buy a DVC, once our house is paid off.

 

[dreamin_disney]

my goals will depend if dd needs braces or not. We wont find out until Feb. If she doesnt need braces then here's my plan for my paycheck

1. payoff Sam's club (couches) 0% due June 28th
2. save up $320 for car payment for July (i dont get paid this month)
3. save up $320 for car payment for August (new payroll instead of pd 2x a month it will go to once a month Hoping having the extra car payment saved will be easier to adjust
4. $50 a month toward x-mas account
5. $100 toward savings
6. $100 toward emergency acct.

#5 and #6 will depend if dd needs braces or not

After next payday I'll only have the Sam's creditcard 0% until June and
BEstbuy 0% until 2013

 

[minnie1928]

DH tried to use quicken early in our marriage and I was NOT ready for the budgeting! We both worked full time and we had a healthy income and I just didn't see the need, in fact, I felt he was being overly controlling.....so he quit doing it.

I am now on board with the whole thing, but the thought of quicken brings back some bad memories for me! hahahaha!

But, YNAB is more my speed and easier for me to work.

Dawn

I don't use Quicken's budget tool either, it's too cumbersome. I run reports periodically to see what our average expenditures are for the big categories, then I use that as my monthly budget. I created separate "accounts" in Quicken to house my budget/envelope money. I transfer the money in Quicken as needed to cover my expenses. It probably sounds confusing, but it works for me and that's what it's all about!

 

[minnie1928]

Oh, I wish I had a DVC to pay off! That is my goal in 2012, to buy a DVC, once our house is paid off.

I have a DVC paid off, but wish I had a house paid off!!

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

my goals will depend if dd needs braces or not. We wont find out until Feb. If she doesnt need braces then here's my plan for my paycheck

1. payoff Sam's club (couches) 0% due June 28th
2. save up $320 for car payment for July (i dont get paid this month)
3. save up $320 for car payment for August (new payroll instead of pd 2x a month it will go to once a month Hoping having the extra car payment saved will be easier to adjust
4. $50 a month toward x-mas account
5. $100 toward savings
6. $100 toward emergency acct.

#5 and #6 will depend if dd needs braces or not

After next payday I'll only have the Sam's creditcard 0% until June and
BEstbuy 0% until 2013

Good luck with the braces. We have one we have paid off, but her retainers need to be replaced ASAP. Hers were $5500 and the new retainers will be $400, plus she had her wisdom teeth out this summer, $500ish OOP. We are still paying on DD11's, hers were $7100, she needed 2 rounds. DD8 has started preliminary treatment but won't be officially starting treatment till January 2012 when DD111's are paid off and our flex pay resets, as of now hers are estimated at $5500. I do have to say, the transformation is amazing but . Good Luck in her not needing them!

 

[diznee25]

1. Start saving for an emergency fund. (Goal is to have between $3,000 - $5,000 by the end of the year.)

2. Pay off two major credit cards.

3. Track expenses weekly using Quicken.



diznee25

 

[dreamin_disney]

Good luck with the braces. We have one we have paid off, but her retainers need to be replaced ASAP. Hers were $5500 and the new retainers will be $400, plus she had her wisdom teeth out this summer, $500ish OOP. We are still paying on DD11's, hers were $7100, she needed 2 rounds. DD8 has started preliminary treatment but won't be officially starting treatment till January 2012 when DD111's are paid off and our flex pay resets, as of now hers are estimated at $5500. I do have to say, the transformation is amazing but . Good Luck in her not needing them!

i was so excited to start my new savings in 2011. I had it all planned out. I Even have a $350 fund from my yardsale that would be used for tile. Plus planned on selling all the junk we have , that $$ was to go for tile but being told dd might need braces just really stopped me dead in my tracks. I have no idea what braces here in So.cal go for. i started asking about braces so i can be prepared and I was stunned how expensive they are. I was thinking $3500 not over $5000! My inusrance will pay $1500 and I plan to use flex acct but not sure what the new limit is for 2011. We only have one child so I feel for those that have to pay for more than 1 child. What ever dd needs then we will take care of it so she doesnt have dental issues in the future.

Guess my tile will have to wait( dh chipped a chunk right when you walk in the front door

 

[bennyrn12]

I have a few goals for 2011 hopefully we can meet them all

1. Pay whatever we owe in taxes (im self employed) in full well before April 15
2. Build a maternity leave fund
3. Become debt free by the end of the year!
4. Really step up my couponing

 

[My2BabiesLexis&Dill]

My goals are:

Start The Dave Ramsey plan

- $1,000.00 emergency fund
- Pay off all of our credit cards
4 cards totally $1200.00 (est)
- Pay off personal loan of $5000.00
- Pay off my husbands truck $10000.00
- And we have a trip planned for September that I would really like to go on. I finally talked my parents into going but now I think I'm going to have a problem coming up with the money. We are going in September with the free dining. But we have only paid the $200.00 deposit we haven't bought our train tix or anything. And the only reason why they agreed to go is b/c my youngest sister is graduating this year and this was her present.
- I would like to get a part time job to make all of this possible.

So if anyone has ANY advice...please let me know!!

 

[nunzia]

I kind of listed my goals in the no buy thread but...
Boost long term savings and emergency savings by 1/2 again as much
Maintain debt free status by paying off CC every month (and being wiser about what they are used for to begin with!)
Put $100 a month in a Christmas account (finally!)
Hustle on Ebay to pay off last DVC add on
Return to paying $300 extra a month on mortgage (mortgage is only $430 a month to start with so this is a good chunk to increase)
Cash out my paychecks from my second job for spending money on trips
Be better about using all that stuff in my pantry and freezer! I also intend to try a new recipe a week since I have zillions of cookbooks/cooking magazines and just read them and enjoy them and never use them!

 

[DaniB]

For 2010 I think we did pretty well. Our goals were actuallly minor though.

For 2011 I have major financial goals, perhaps too many for 1 year? Not necessary listed in order.
- start reading about this David Ramsey I keep hearing about
- ensure books to returned to library on time (you would NOT believe the overdue fines)
- stop eating out (resulting in saving $ and losing weight)
- pay off our Visa ($6,000)
- Save an emergency fund
- get hubby & bank set up with bi-weekly contributions to RRSP
- save enough for 2nd cheap car

By the way, at what age do most kids get braces? I know our daughter will need them, but she's just turning 12 this year. Her adult teeth have not finished growing in yet, so I imagine not this year at least. 14?

 

[ceecee]

By the way, at what age do most kids get braces? I know our daughter will need them, but she's just turning 12 this year. Her adult teeth have not finished growing in yet, so I imagine not this year at least. 14?

Take her in now for a consultation. She should have her 12 molars in soon. DD's incisors were horizonially impacted and we knew this from a panarex xray so I took her at 10 and had her baby incisors out and the permanent ones came down on their own, so we didn't have to do the chain thing...it took 2 years but that's okay!

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Yes, take her now. Our orthodontist likes to start watching them at age 7 to see how they naturally grow. There is no charge until treatment begins. My oldest was out of braces by age 12, she got her first tooth at 17 days and another at 19 days, (yes, rare but not unheard of.) But my DD11 is going to be getting hers off this fall and she too will be 12 when they come off. She had 2 phases of braces and had the first ones on at age 9. My youngest will be 9 in "13 days" (as she told me first thing this morning) and she is not ready, he said she should be ready by this summer/fall, but we are postponing treatment till January because we just can't financially pay for 2 kids in them at a time. But go now, find someone you like and I am sure they will not charge you either till she is ready but you may be surprised they often start treatment before all adult teeth are in (not necessarily braces, all 3 of mine need/needed Herbst which can be done with baby teeth still in.)

Good Luck!

 

[DaniB]

Take her in now for a consultation. She should have her 12 molars in soon. DD's incisors were horizonially impacted and we knew this from a panarex xray so I took her at 10 and had her baby incisors out and the permanent ones came down on their own, so we didn't have to do the chain thing...it took 2 years but that's okay!

Yes, take her now. Our orthodontist likes to start watching them at age 7 to see how they naturally grow. There is no charge until treatment begins. My oldest was out of braces by age 12, she got her first tooth at 17 days and another at 19 days, (yes, rare but not unheard of.) But my DD11 is going to be getting hers off this fall and she too will be 12 when they come off. She had 2 phases of braces and had the first ones on at age 9. My youngest will be 9 in "13 days" (as she told me first thing this morning) and she is not ready, he said she should be ready by this summer/fall, but we are postponing treatment till January because we just can't financially pay for 2 kids in them at a time. But go now, find someone you like and I am sure they will not charge you either till she is ready but you may be surprised they often start treatment before all adult teeth are in (not necessarily braces, all 3 of mine need/needed Herbst which can be done with baby teeth still in.)

Good Luck!

I'm surprised. I had no idea kids were getting braces so early! I do not recall seeing kids with braces until teen years growing up. I guess because of that I always thought dentists waited until adult teeth were in.

My daughter will be seeing her dentist around the end of the month so I'll talk to her dentist then.

Though... is it an issue if we want to wait until she is older? DD has gotten better, but still has too many issues. Although she has asked me about braces recently, I know darn well when the time finally comes it will be major drama!