January 5th, 2013. It is a new year. A fresh start. Nothing changes from the end of one year to the beginning of the next aside from the day and date… but everyone decides to try and change themselves. We as humans look at a new year as a new starting point, and I don’t think that’s wrong.
I, myself have a few changes in the making. My most active one is to begin saving money. I have never been able to save, and that is an awful trait to have. I always pay my bills and have a little extra to have what I want, but I never have anything set aside in case I need it. So, I started a new plan for saving money.
I have set up a spreadsheet in Excel to help determine EXACTLY what I need to put aside, and when. I get paid every Friday. From each check, 10% will go into a checking account at a different institution than my regular bank. For my savings, I will put an exponentially increased factor of $2 in weekly. For example, yesterday, (1/4/13) I put $2 into my savings account. Next Friday, I will put in $4, for a balance of $6. The week after that, $6 for a balance of $12. Then $8 for a balance of $20, and so on and so forth. I am very excited and anxious about this plan, and I truly hope that I can stick with it. I am going to try and make saving my first and foremost goal, and everything else, financially, will come behind it. If I don’t have enough to pay a certain bill, it will have to wait until the next week, as I am not going to cancel my savings deposit. You can see my spreadsheet at the following link. https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2GRLGF189XDeGNOTklBU1FRZHc
Aside from all that, I also would like to begin reading more books. I am going to try and get a Kindle Paperwhite, which will hopefully prompt me to read even more, and faster. I have a few books right now that I need to get through before I can start that project. I have heard goals of 50 books a year, but I think that is just too high for me as I am just starting out. I will put forth a goal of 15 books this year, which is just over one a month. This goal is much more attainable for me, and is still a number I can be proud of.
I also have a goal for my puppy. He has a bad habit of chewing things, and I can’t really leave him alone in the house or I will find something chewed up. When I go to work, he goes in his crate and my fiance lets him out when he gets home. I am going to enroll him in puppy training classes. I just found out that aside from all the other benefits that come with puppy classes, they can also help with the chewing. That made it even more valuable to me. Classes start on Saturday, January 26th. I am very excited.
I hope that everyone had a great holiday season, and has a wonderful New Year. We can all be successful with our goals as long as they are honestly what we want to do, and they are attainable. If you set the bar too high for yourself, you will eventually fail and give up. I’m not telling you to lower your standards, but just be sure that what you’re trying to do is what YOU WANT to do.
Good luck and happy findings.