2011 Financial and Blog Goals: JANUARY UPDATE

On January 1, I set myself goals and resolutions that I would like to achieve this year. I know that this is something I want/ NEED to do this year. So each month I will review how I did that month and what improvements I can make for the following month.


FINANCIAL GOALS:

• Make a budget and stick to it.

Am doing this but need to improve! I budget our money for bills and fixed expenses but still do not budget for irregular expenses, such as groceries, etc.

• Continue to gain Mypoints, Rewards points through bank, Pinecone research money, and swagbucks to use toward gift cards to be used to buy gifts

Am doing this! I have become lax when doing the Swagbucks, need to get back into the habit!

• Save and KEEP $1000 in the emergency fund---we have had to dip into this a couple times this year and I would love to see it STAY at $1000.

I opened an ING account and made our $1000 deposit. I have not had to touch it this month! Yay!

• Continue to coupon and write letters for coupons (at least 5 a week)

I continue to coupon, but have not started writing companies for coupons.

• Have 2 no (low) spend months---January and June

I did okay with this. Not great but okay.

• Work on paying down the Discover Card bill

I had to add to the Discover card this month to pay the HUGE gas bill we got. Hope to not have to do that again.

• Figure out a way to bring in more money by working from home---ideas I am throwing around are tutoring, copying family home movies to dvd, making and selling simple cakes, being a part of the farmers markets to sell homebaked goods....

Not even thought about really.

BLOG GOALS:

• To write on the blog 4-5x a week.

I think I have finally made blogging a habit! :) Have achieved!

• Gain more readers--- I would like to have at least 80 readers by December 31, 201
• to do this, I want to join at least 1 blog hop a week

I am up to 60 WONDERFUL, AWESOME Followers! Thank you so much!

So, some ups, some downs....but I think it is a good start. I want to keep the momentum going for February!~ How are you doing on your New Year's Goals and Resolutions?