Comments on: Personal Finance And Momentum: Keep Moving Forward

By: ChristianPF

ChristianPF — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:16:15 +0000

Peter
yep – you are right on, we all fall off the wagon in some sense from time to time, but the key is to keep moving forward and like you said keep our eyes on the prize!!

ChristianPFs last blog post..Resa Design Giveaway

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By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:00:17 +0000

@ Matt – I know how things go when you have a new house. You always spend more than you think you’re going to.

My wife and I never did a budget until recently, and after we started – it was amazing how much money we had left over than we used to. I’d suggest starting one, you’ll be glad you did!

@ others above – good ideas on automating as much as you can to make sure you’re doing what you need to.

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:31:23 +0000

Yes definitely, right now we’re in a low point I think. We’ve been spending a lot on things for the house since we bought it a year ago (recently put in a patio, got new kitchen cabinets and counter tops, light fixtures, etc.) But our last CC payment nearly cleaned out the bank account (usually there is plenty of buffer cash even after putting a boatload into savings, we don’t keep an actual budget but just watch what we spend, seems to work for us most of the time).

So now we’ve cut off the spending for everything except essentials. We can still work on the house though, there are quite a few projects waiting to be done that require little or no additional expense (painting, actually installing light fixtures, etc). So the plan is to stop spending until all of these remaining projects are completed (maybe 3-4 months from now) and build buffer cash back up in the checking account.

Matts last blog post..Seminary Woods

By: PT

PT — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:01:29 +0000

Oh for sure. I’m constantly setting goals, making promises, and moving in and out of the next big idea for our finances. Two things seem to stand the test of time though…1. my desire to live below my means, and 2. my automated retirement savings. No matter how much I screw up at the register or with my financial organization, my retirement will be funded at the same percentage every pay check and on time. I have comfort in that. Also, no matter how bad our spending gets, I still desire to be doing better. I think if I were to ever lose that desire I’d be in trouble.

PTs last blog post..Our Financial Goals: Savings and Debt Reduction

By: otherdeb (Deb Wunder)

otherdeb (Deb Wunder) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:52:38 +0000

Heya Peter –

Believe me, I know the feeling. It seems as if every time I get myself back on track, the roommate does something stupid that blows my planning to smithereens. There are weeks when it feels like no matter how carefully I plan things I will never get ahead. But I try very hard to keep my eyes focused on where I want to be, and I’ve developed a decent network of friends for emotional support when it looks hopeless. And, while I’m not a Christian, I do believe that God doesn’t put us through things without having a purpose even though I might not understand that purpose, and that He never gives us more to carry than we are capable of. Small comfort sometimes, but very essential comfort at all times.

otherdeb (Deb Wunder)s last blog post..Are You a Tigger or an Eeyore?

By: John

John — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:49:35 +0000

This is the hard part to all of this – when you start out you are excited and motivated and it’s relatively easy to follow the plan. After some time, it gets harder and harder to stay focused – it just gets tiring. The best technique I’ve come up with thus far is to automate as much as possible…so even when you’re not paying attention, the right stuff happens. That works for some things, like investing and paying bills, but won’t help with preventing me from going out and buying something and busting the budget. If you figure out a good and easy way to handle that – please let me know!

By: Mo Money

Mo Money — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:26:00 +0000

I am glad to hear of others that have this problem. You must keep on top of things each and every month.