Financial Goals For 2009

Money Saving Mom is hosting a link up where you list your goals. If you would like to join in post your financial goals and join in. Each month you will check in and tell everyone how well you are doing in making progress.

• Pay the balance on orthodontic treatment of $3400.00. All that we could deduct into our Medical Flex Account for 2008 was $7500.00 so I paid for all our medicines (prescription and over the counter) and doctor co-pays and the balance I paid to the orthodontist.
• Save an additional $1000.00 into our emergency fund.
• Stock up six months worth of food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and beauty products. In addition stock our medicine box with all the basic medicines.
• Pay what we promised to our church building fund.
• Reduce electric and home gas bills to budgeted amount of an average of $200.00 a month. I will make some draft stoppers for the doors out of old stockings, turn the upstairs air down during the daytime and vice-versa at night.
• Keep water bill at $75.00 a month by continuing to fill large bowl when hand washing dishes. I will install rain barrels for watering the garden. Try to be more careful about the kids clothes- make sure they are not sending clean, still folded clothes down to wash. Am I the only one?
• Sticking to a meal plan and filling the oven with meals to freeze. Use the crock pot. Keep meals prepared and quick things on hand so that we do not eat out.
• Keep cooler in the trunk so I can catch cold sales when shopping. Keep snacks like water, granola bars, nuts, crackers in car to eat while out so we don't eat out.
• Put money into seperate account for school fees and books, extra curricular activities, Christmas gifts, auto tag fees, Home owner association fees.
• Continue with envelope system for clothing, gifts, food, allowances, garage sale spending.
• Lose weight so I can actually wear clothes that I have. It is also easier to find cute things at garage sales in smaller sizes.
• Use material from worn or stained clothing for craft projects. Look for items at garage sales like sheets and cheap clothing in cute patterns to use in crafting.
• Learn to bake bread, tortillas, and other items at home.
• Make gifts this year for different occasions.
• Order non-hybrid seeds. Grow plants/vegetables from seed. Save seeds for new starts.
• Buy a pressure canner and learn to can vegetables.
• Be careful to use leftovers. Quit watching them swosh down the disposal. Stop the science experiments in the frige.

I think our goal for this year is not so much financial gain but to stock up. With grocery prices so high and interest rates so low I feel it is a better investment to buy the food at deep discounts so I am not paying the high prices instead of putting money in the bank. I think we will come out ahead having the food bought over money that will not spend as far if we get in a bind and are struggling any. We set a high goal with our building fund- above what we see an ability on paper, but I also know God to provide and would rather give sacrificially to that over building our accounts. I hope that my garden and ability to get good deals will be my ministry this year- being able to offer hospitality in our home or help others in need.