I’m not even scheduling the appointment yet, but this is the time of year when I start to see those notices about 2008 tax forms, that I want to make sure I am thinking about everything I want to achieve before this tax year is up. Mainly, my stretch goal of maxing out the Roth. I am oh so envious of all you other pfb’s for whom this is not a stretch goal, but rather – the very first goal at the top of your lists! I realize this is THE personal finance no brainer, however, right now, given everything, I think my emergency fund is the most important expense. Also, I will admit to suffering from a little saver’s self-righteousness… I feel like I already do contribute hefty percentages of my income to my retirement savings, and when I’m only 24! Do I really need to max this out? Or so the small whiny voice in my head goes…
So until I file next month, I will start straightening myself out to see how much I will need to contribute to max it out. I do want to check back in on my charitable giving for 2008 and make sure I did everything I wanted to do. I definitely increased my giving over last year, which has been my unofficial goal when it comes to charitable giving. But I want to start thinking about more structured goals for 2009 – what are the right charities, etc? Thus far, it’s been more of whatever came along…
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
The Nitty Gritty Goals for 2009
I realized, after reading all of your goals over the past few weeks that I need to make some more substantive goals of my own to put some legs on my “almost-annual” 2009 goal. My best friend gave me a massage for Christmas, which I redeemed today…. And I developed all of these goals in that near-bliss catatonic state. Hopefully I’ll carry with me a little of that zen feeling every time I chip away at them each month.
2009 Annual Goal: Increase Net Worth to $46K ($7K increase)
Financial:
1 – Get to the full three-months of expenses in my emergency fund.
2 – Once we get a dog, transfer all automatic savings over to grad-school and wedding-funds, split evently – save $2000 in total towards these goals.
3 – Become a loan expert and secure a great loan package for grad school.
4 – Stretch: Max out 2008 Roth by April deadline
Non-Financial:
1 – Become more genuinely interested in others. (a la the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
2 – Finish one story this year. (I know this seems like a pretty lame goal, but I wanted to start small so I wouldn't be too intimidated to start. So, one story to conceive, draft, write, edit and complete!)
2009 Annual Goal: Increase Net Worth to $46K ($7K increase)
Financial:
1 – Get to the full three-months of expenses in my emergency fund.
2 – Once we get a dog, transfer all automatic savings over to grad-school and wedding-funds, split evently – save $2000 in total towards these goals.
3 – Become a loan expert and secure a great loan package for grad school.
4 – Stretch: Max out 2008 Roth by April deadline
Non-Financial:
1 – Become more genuinely interested in others. (a la the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
2 – Finish one story this year. (I know this seems like a pretty lame goal, but I wanted to start small so I wouldn't be too intimidated to start. So, one story to conceive, draft, write, edit and complete!)
Monday, January 5, 2009
A Few Recipes to Kick Off the New Year
I recently uncovered that the Mayo Clinic’s website actually has FANTASTIC, no-fuss recipes. And for those that had those types of new year’s resolutions, they’re all from the Mediterranean diet. Yum, heart health! Even better, there are quite a few that are plenty frugal. I found a lot of recipes where I had everything in my pantry beyond the main ingredient, as was the case with the three recipes below – what I’m having for dinner this week:
Entrée: Honey Crusted Chicken (4 ingredients!)
Side: Green Beans with Red Pepper and Garlic
Dessert: Grilled Pineapple
Entrée: Honey Crusted Chicken (4 ingredients!)
Side: Green Beans with Red Pepper and Garlic
Dessert: Grilled Pineapple
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Not so Extreme (but FREE!) Home Makeovers
When I got back home from all of the holiday traveling this year, I was so grateful to be back HOME, a home that felt like home. (Sadly, being in my parent’s house just feels strange at this point in my life.) And maybe I am subconsciously investing in my nest now that we’re in a recession, as the pundits claim, but I’d like to think I was just getting the ‘spring cleaning’ bug early this year.
Anyway, I made a couple of changes to how things are organized around here, and I have to say… it’s actually making me happier. So, I’ll list them here as idea-starters in case you get the bug too! I filed this post under time for money, because really, for a little bit of time spent organizing, you can ease yourself quite a bit of frustration and discontent, and save whatever money you would have spent self-soothing. If you have any other not-so-extreme-home-makeover-tips, please post them in the comments and I'll add them on later!
BATHROOM
1. Empty your mouthwash in a glass decanter instead of leaving it in the bottle. It’s pretty enough to set out by the sink and it reminds you to use it more often, in addition to the everyday glamour.
2. Remove everything from the bathroom counter that you don’t use daily – decluttering does wonders for my everyday happiness.
KITCHEN
3. Reorganize the pantry by meal occasion – a shelf for breakfast, a shelf for lunch/dinner, a shelf for baking, a shelf for spices. It makes the whole operation more efficient and saves you time when you’re looking for the oatmeal at 6 AM.
4. Create a healthy snack bowl (in and outside the fridge) with low-calorie/low-fat snacks in little sandwich bags. They’re perfectly portionable and a time-saver when you need to grab something on the go and don’t want it to be a candy bar and a Red Bull.
5. Take on the junk drawer (or mail tray) and dispose of all the junk. Better yet, create a cleaner “to-file” system for the day that it inevitably clutters itself up again.
6. Pile “stuff” in a bowl or tall clear vase for an everyday centerpiece. “Stuff” suggestions: wine corks, matchbooks, plain ball Christmas ornaments, pasta shapes, fruit, extra buttons, etc. etc.
7. Take the orange juice out of the Tropicana carton and place in a pretty glass pitcher. Ditto on the everyday glamour thing.
BEDROOM/LIVING ROOM
8. Post a poem (something that makes you smile) on a vanity/inside a drawer you see every day
9. Find little baskets to put inside drawers for organizations for things like scarves, socks, etc. (These are really cheap at Walgreens!)
10. Create a template for planning out the week ahead’s outfits to prevent the morning-of-closet-whine. Post on a French memo board in the closet or in an accessible drawer.
11. Give your spare-change coin bank more prominence. I moved ours from a back shelf to our desk and changed it to a clear container, hoping it will attract more loose coins this way.
Anyway, I made a couple of changes to how things are organized around here, and I have to say… it’s actually making me happier. So, I’ll list them here as idea-starters in case you get the bug too! I filed this post under time for money, because really, for a little bit of time spent organizing, you can ease yourself quite a bit of frustration and discontent, and save whatever money you would have spent self-soothing. If you have any other not-so-extreme-home-makeover-tips, please post them in the comments and I'll add them on later!
BATHROOM
1. Empty your mouthwash in a glass decanter instead of leaving it in the bottle. It’s pretty enough to set out by the sink and it reminds you to use it more often, in addition to the everyday glamour.
2. Remove everything from the bathroom counter that you don’t use daily – decluttering does wonders for my everyday happiness.
KITCHEN
3. Reorganize the pantry by meal occasion – a shelf for breakfast, a shelf for lunch/dinner, a shelf for baking, a shelf for spices. It makes the whole operation more efficient and saves you time when you’re looking for the oatmeal at 6 AM.
4. Create a healthy snack bowl (in and outside the fridge) with low-calorie/low-fat snacks in little sandwich bags. They’re perfectly portionable and a time-saver when you need to grab something on the go and don’t want it to be a candy bar and a Red Bull.
5. Take on the junk drawer (or mail tray) and dispose of all the junk. Better yet, create a cleaner “to-file” system for the day that it inevitably clutters itself up again.
6. Pile “stuff” in a bowl or tall clear vase for an everyday centerpiece. “Stuff” suggestions: wine corks, matchbooks, plain ball Christmas ornaments, pasta shapes, fruit, extra buttons, etc. etc.
7. Take the orange juice out of the Tropicana carton and place in a pretty glass pitcher. Ditto on the everyday glamour thing.
BEDROOM/LIVING ROOM
8. Post a poem (something that makes you smile) on a vanity/inside a drawer you see every day
9. Find little baskets to put inside drawers for organizations for things like scarves, socks, etc. (These are really cheap at Walgreens!)
10. Create a template for planning out the week ahead’s outfits to prevent the morning-of-closet-whine. Post on a French memo board in the closet or in an accessible drawer.
11. Give your spare-change coin bank more prominence. I moved ours from a back shelf to our desk and changed it to a clear container, hoping it will attract more loose coins this way.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
The Mystique of Feminine Buying Power
After observing the crowds at the post-holiday sales, and doing a bit of scouring myself, I thought back to the fact I recently read in a Mintel report:
“Women represent 51% of the population but buy 80% of all products/services.”
The fact itself is certainly not all that shocking. All of the marketers and advertisers have certainly figured it out, and we see it reflected in commercials and malls all the time. The WHY behind this could be interesting. The reasons this statistic must be so are a mixture of ‘surface’ and ‘substance,’ as I see it. The surface reason is that women are - intentionally or unintentionally - often delegated the task of household management, and the majority of purchases (even in “men’s categories”) ultimately fall into the framework of keeping the household together and running smoothly. But I wonder if the reason of substance has something to do with psychological mindset.
This statistic actually contradicts the pop-psych principle that “men like to fix things” (i.e. just buy something to take care of it as quickly as possible), whereas “women like to maximize their solution” (i.e. not just “buy something,” but utilize all resources available to create the best possible solution, or buying the "best something.")
But perhaps, women are simply more likely to use shopping as therapy – and not just in the sense of buying some new shoes after a bad day at work – but as a salve to that urge to make things better. Even purchasing a service like an oil change is a disguised check for the to-do list of an accomplished modern-woman multi-tasker. What do you think? I feel a bit like Larry Summers toeing the waters here, so I would invite other perspectives. Are women more likely than men to rely on money to “smooth the edges of things” and create self-worth and comfort? Or should I gather my things and resign my post at a top university? :)
“Women represent 51% of the population but buy 80% of all products/services.”
The fact itself is certainly not all that shocking. All of the marketers and advertisers have certainly figured it out, and we see it reflected in commercials and malls all the time. The WHY behind this could be interesting. The reasons this statistic must be so are a mixture of ‘surface’ and ‘substance,’ as I see it. The surface reason is that women are - intentionally or unintentionally - often delegated the task of household management, and the majority of purchases (even in “men’s categories”) ultimately fall into the framework of keeping the household together and running smoothly. But I wonder if the reason of substance has something to do with psychological mindset.
This statistic actually contradicts the pop-psych principle that “men like to fix things” (i.e. just buy something to take care of it as quickly as possible), whereas “women like to maximize their solution” (i.e. not just “buy something,” but utilize all resources available to create the best possible solution, or buying the "best something.")
But perhaps, women are simply more likely to use shopping as therapy – and not just in the sense of buying some new shoes after a bad day at work – but as a salve to that urge to make things better. Even purchasing a service like an oil change is a disguised check for the to-do list of an accomplished modern-woman multi-tasker. What do you think? I feel a bit like Larry Summers toeing the waters here, so I would invite other perspectives. Are women more likely than men to rely on money to “smooth the edges of things” and create self-worth and comfort? Or should I gather my things and resign my post at a top university? :)
Friday, January 2, 2009
January Goals
I really do love the new year. Nothing makes you feel more hopeful than a fresh start, whether genuine or conjured.
My January Goals are caught up in this spirit of optimism, so let’s see if they fare better than my 2008 goals. The first two are tied in to me and the Guy’s new year’s resolution(s)…His: lose 8 pounds, Mine: lose 5 pounds and clean up my nails. (Really I should take a picture and upload it... it's downright disgusting. When I quit smoking, I replaced the oral fixation with my hands. I guess there are worse habits, but it's time for my hands to look like an adult's, not a teenager's.) Our before & after deadline is March 1st. Wish us luck!
Otherwise, I want to actually read my book club book, plus one more from the library. And since our doggie deadline of April 1st is nearing closer, I want to make sure I put the right amount in for January, with only three months left! (And finally, still trying to make up for the damage done in Argentina, by reducing my expenses to build back up my overall accounts.)
The last one is aggressive… we’ll call it the stretch goal.
__ Work out 5 days a week
__ Clean up my nails – plan for at least 3 manicures in my expenses!
__ Finish reading 2 books
__ Add $250 to Doggie Fund
__ Reduce Jan. Expenses by $150
My January Goals are caught up in this spirit of optimism, so let’s see if they fare better than my 2008 goals. The first two are tied in to me and the Guy’s new year’s resolution(s)…His: lose 8 pounds, Mine: lose 5 pounds and clean up my nails. (Really I should take a picture and upload it... it's downright disgusting. When I quit smoking, I replaced the oral fixation with my hands. I guess there are worse habits, but it's time for my hands to look like an adult's, not a teenager's.) Our before & after deadline is March 1st. Wish us luck!
Otherwise, I want to actually read my book club book, plus one more from the library. And since our doggie deadline of April 1st is nearing closer, I want to make sure I put the right amount in for January, with only three months left! (And finally, still trying to make up for the damage done in Argentina, by reducing my expenses to build back up my overall accounts.)
The last one is aggressive… we’ll call it the stretch goal.
__ Work out 5 days a week
__ Clean up my nails – plan for at least 3 manicures in my expenses!
__ Finish reading 2 books
__ Add $250 to Doggie Fund
__ Reduce Jan. Expenses by $150
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Yes, at last, at last.
Wow is it ever good to have a fresh start… thus commences year 2 of personal finance blogging.
A New Year’s toast for 2009: for more wellbeing of all kinds, more optimism, more champagne, and more reunions with old and new friends.
A New Year’s toast for 2009: for more wellbeing of all kinds, more optimism, more champagne, and more reunions with old and new friends.
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