Part 2 is always harder to write because these are my weaknesses. I struggle each month to accomplish several of these goals I set for myself back in January and it's not easy to admit it month after month. It would be much easier to avoid this and move onto a fun blog post, but the only way I'm going to accomplish these goals is by reminding myself daily of what I have set out to do.
((If you missed May Goals: Part 1, check that out before reading Part 2.))
OK, enough rambling here we go!
May Goals: Part 2
Spiritual Goals
Attend church weekly
I have believed this quote since I first read it and it applies 100% to this situation. We simply haven't made church a priority. My goal is to find a time that works for us and start to attend this service regularly.
Personal GrowthRead 2 new Leadership books a month (24 total in 2014)
This was me in May. I don't think I picked up a book the whole month! We were busy paying cash for our new driveway and finishing up other outdoor projects around the house. Guess I better step it up if I'm going to reach my goal of 24 books this year!
Volunteer once a month
Fail. I think the only thing I volunteered for this month was to host our 2nd Annual Day Before the Race Party.. (and I'm pretty sure that doesn't count) After volunteering in April for the Dave Ramsey Legacy Live Event, I slacked off in the month of May. My goal is to get back on the volunteering and commit to at least 2 hours a month. (Seems easy enough right?) I just need to hold myself accountable and be intentional with my time.
This goal is all about being intentional and positive, everyday. Whether you are in the best mood or the worst mood, making someones day will make your day.
4 Easy Ways to Make Someones Day Today:
- Saying "Hi" to everyone you see as you walk down the hallway at work
- Genuinely ask someone how they are and take interest in their life
- Call up a friend you haven't spoken to in awhile and catch up (CALL.. Don't TEXT)
- Spend time with a parent, grandparent, or child doing whatever they enjoy
Budget Goals:
1. Hit our budget/debt payment goal every month.
May was a tough balance of doing what we wanted and sticking to the budget. We upped our Costco category to cover the extra expenses of our Race Party...plus a little more, but we cut costs by getting free tickets to both the Grand Prix Race and the Indy 500! We also made the decision to save $200 by not staying downtown the night of Prom and $50 by forgoing the Jason Aldean concert. It wasn't a perfect month, but much better than it would have been if we weren't intentional about our money and budget. Paying cash for our driveway and kitchen remodel in April/May lowered what we put towards debt, but we still were able to throw an extra $1,000 on my student loans this month! One month closer to debt freedom!
2. Use envelope system to stay on track for all purchases
(expect gas and Costco.)
Our envelope system has been changed nearly every month as we continue to strive for the perfect balance of amount per category and number of categories.
Our 4 Envelopes currently consists of:
- Groceries
- Eating Out
- Miscellaneous
- Spending Cash for Barry and I
We just added the spending cash category or "blow money" as we found ourselves either A. not having any money to spend at all during the month or B. One person using the MISC category for something they wanted and the other person looking like this...
If you are just starting your budget or debt snowball, know that it will take 3-4 months to get it right. Because each month is different, no two months will look the same. Don't worry about it being perfect... because it won't be. We are still far from perfect but on our way to debt freedom... and it's worth every sacrifice we have made!
Our first BIG win is coming up very soon and we can't wait to share it with you all! We have lots of exciting things in the pipeline so look for lots of blogs this month! :)
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