Blogger was down for maintenance last night, so I didn't get to post the post I wanted to post. (How many times can you use 'post' in one sentence?)
I bought a 2006 notebook on Tuesday. I'd been meaning to do this ever since I wrote out (on post-its) a plan so I can start paying off things and getting my finances in order. I want to track things, and have a Plan. If you haven't noticed, I'm a big fan of Plans. :)
But notebooks are both friends and enemies to me. With the proper notebook (and this one's a DayMinder that has weekly and monthly options that look like they will be very useful) I can map out my life (finance-wise, at least) and keep things straight.
I'm a bit obsessive when I get a new notebook. After all, I never did post my New Year's Resolutions. And I know emergencies always crop up and I can't predict I'm going to be paying the same amount on my gas bill for the next year (but I'm budgeted for it, so that works out either way.) Heck, I could lose my job (unlikely, unless something far beyond my control happens) or die. (But if I died, I wouldn't care about my finances anymore, would I?)
I kind of see it as a game. It's a game of "Can I really do this?" vs. "This is impossible!"
But I have a track record. I moved back home and managed to whittle over $8,000 worth of debt down to under $1,800 in less than two years. And I managed to survive. (Quite nicely, I might add.)
So anyway, I got a little carried away. And I came up with something I'm going to call my "Nine Year Plan."
Tuesday I mapped out how to pay off all my debt on less than $1800/month in 9 years.
This includes my house and my car, by the way.
The first year I've already mapped out, of course. I have what needs to be paid and how much needs to go towards it until January of 07. I will definitely do my best to start with the "One Year Plan" and get rid of that extraneous debt. (And this includes personal loans, as well as credit card debt, by the way.)
Barring emergencies, and I have budgeted to put money into my savings account every pay and I have money to spend on gas, dog and cat food, Burlington, and trips to Goodwill budgeted as well, this should be a relatively simple task if I stick with it and don't buy any more sewing machines. (Just kidding. I really don't need any more sewing machines. I have no room for more sewing machines in my office.)
The "Three Year Plan" (By April 09) will have my car paid off one and a half years early.
And the "Nine Year Plan"--by 2015--has me paying my house off--19 years early.
I'm a bit amused by all of this. I mean, it's possible. Nothing I've written down is impossible in any way. I'm not pinching myself or my budget for normally budgeted and bought items. I'm not killing myself to try this. And the nice thing about it is that none of these plans rely on ebay or selling anything or any set amount for royalties or anything. Just my current salary (which will increase, since we're not under a freeze.)
Yikes. You really can't trust me with a notebook.
I bought a 2006 notebook on Tuesday. I'd been meaning to do this ever since I wrote out (on post-its) a plan so I can start paying off things and getting my finances in order. I want to track things, and have a Plan. If you haven't noticed, I'm a big fan of Plans. :)
But notebooks are both friends and enemies to me. With the proper notebook (and this one's a DayMinder that has weekly and monthly options that look like they will be very useful) I can map out my life (finance-wise, at least) and keep things straight.
I'm a bit obsessive when I get a new notebook. After all, I never did post my New Year's Resolutions. And I know emergencies always crop up and I can't predict I'm going to be paying the same amount on my gas bill for the next year (but I'm budgeted for it, so that works out either way.) Heck, I could lose my job (unlikely, unless something far beyond my control happens) or die. (But if I died, I wouldn't care about my finances anymore, would I?)
I kind of see it as a game. It's a game of "Can I really do this?" vs. "This is impossible!"
But I have a track record. I moved back home and managed to whittle over $8,000 worth of debt down to under $1,800 in less than two years. And I managed to survive. (Quite nicely, I might add.)
So anyway, I got a little carried away. And I came up with something I'm going to call my "Nine Year Plan."
Tuesday I mapped out how to pay off all my debt on less than $1800/month in 9 years.
This includes my house and my car, by the way.
The first year I've already mapped out, of course. I have what needs to be paid and how much needs to go towards it until January of 07. I will definitely do my best to start with the "One Year Plan" and get rid of that extraneous debt. (And this includes personal loans, as well as credit card debt, by the way.)
Barring emergencies, and I have budgeted to put money into my savings account every pay and I have money to spend on gas, dog and cat food, Burlington, and trips to Goodwill budgeted as well, this should be a relatively simple task if I stick with it and don't buy any more sewing machines. (Just kidding. I really don't need any more sewing machines. I have no room for more sewing machines in my office.)
The "Three Year Plan" (By April 09) will have my car paid off one and a half years early.
And the "Nine Year Plan"--by 2015--has me paying my house off--19 years early.
I'm a bit amused by all of this. I mean, it's possible. Nothing I've written down is impossible in any way. I'm not pinching myself or my budget for normally budgeted and bought items. I'm not killing myself to try this. And the nice thing about it is that none of these plans rely on ebay or selling anything or any set amount for royalties or anything. Just my current salary (which will increase, since we're not under a freeze.)
Yikes. You really can't trust me with a notebook.
Comments