Howdy, Money Buddies!!!!
Sure hope Y’all had a wonderful Christmas.
We had a nice time with all the kids on the 16th and we’re waiting for the Daughter and her Husband to arrive.
Gonna be a few fun days, so while I’m waiting I figured I’d work on the next Terrific 10.
So, 2018 is sneaking up on us.
If you’re like me and Selena, you need something to help you make it a better year than 2017. Better than 2016, too.
I’m going to be looking for inspiration and here’s where we’ll be looking at the money aspect. Well not just money, as there’s more to life.
So, here’s the next Terrific 10!!!
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Don’t Just Sit There… DO SOMETHING! (Route to Retire) – I’ve been guilty of just sitting for the past couple of years and this post really rings to me.
2018 is going to be a different year and I’m going to focus on the 4 elements featured in this post.
It’s a win-win, as it will help get me out of the rut that I’ve been in.
Talking with Selena earlier, we are ready to make some changes so 2018, you gonna be our Bitch.
Thanks Route to Retirement!!!!!
Tentative Goals for 2018 (The $76K Project) – Goals are good to have. I’ve had them in many aspects of my life, but not really money-wise, until a few years ago.
Having had some recent hardships, losing Selena’s Mom and my Sister, we’ve decided that we’re going to make some changes in 2018.
We’re not going to focus so much on the gotta do’s, but also the “Wanna Do’s.”
We’ll keep financial focus, but we decided that the kids are not going to get as much as they were going to.
Finding Focus in Chaos (The Wealthy Accountant) – I had the pleasure of haning with Keith and his wife, Kathy, at FinCon 2017, and what a hoot they are.
Thing is, Keith’s more than a hoot, as he offers some great insight.
Finding Focus in Chaos. That sounds like me in my life.
Check this post out for some great info on life and goal setting.
You can bet that I’m going to dive deeply into the post and see where it might lead me in life.
Goodness knows I need a little direction right now.
The Cure for Your Meal Planning Blues (Kitchen Table Finances) – We don’t have much in the way of Meal Planning Blues, in fact, Selena and I make TOO MANY good meals. We could actually stand to not eat so good.
Well, that’s a plan for 2018; eating less. Although we don’t have any meal planning issues, others might, so here’s a great post to help you set up your “Feed Trough” for each day.
Liz offers some DIY suggestions as well as commercial options. Anyway about it, you shouldn’t have any excuses for not eating better, or even saving some grocery budget money.
Why a Brand New Car Isn’t Such a Good Investment (Lovely Life Cents)- Oh, I love this one. I bought my LAST brand new vehicle in 2009, a motorcycle. Paid it off early, but not after wasting a bunch of money.
Nope, I hadn’t even begun to get our finances to gether then, but things are better now.
Our newest vehicles, other than the 2009 motorcycle are a 2004 Saturn wagon and 2004 Ford F-250. We financed the wagon new in 2004 and bought the truck in 2008, paying for it in cash.
Reasons why I like this post? You’ll have to check it out to see. It’s definitely worth the read.
Why Aren’t You Saving Money? ($aving George) – I remember the days when I/We didn’t save money, even when we could.
It was TOO easy to just spend it. SO glad I finally realized how much money I was throwing away on things that didn’t/wouldn’t make me money.
There’s some great info in this piece, so I suggest that you check it out. It’s not going to waste your time, for shore!
11 Tools To Help You Pay Off Debt & Build Wealth (Financial Gusto) – I LOVE tools. Have been using them as far back as my Dad would let me borrow his. Luckily, I learned that “Financial Tools” are even better than my Craftsmen, DeWalts, and such.
Although those tools did help me make money, the haven’ really helped me MAKE money.
In this piece, Jamie offers some great online, printed, and DIY tools. You want to get your finances in a little better order? Check this post out. You’ll get some great ideas from it.
12 Financial Goals to Consider (Rachel at Young Adult Money) – Here’s another great piece by my blogging buddy Rachel Slifka, via David Carlson’s Young Adult Money. Yep, David’s a blogging buddy also and I can ALWAYS find great stuff at YAM.
Had to offer this one up, as I’m looking at my 2018 goals and figured that Rachel would “Cough Up” a few. I was NOT disappointed.
My favorites? Automate your finances and increase your retirement investments. Those aren’t the only two good ones, though. Nope! Every point that Rachel has offered is positively financially sound.
Check her piece out and see for yourself!
3 Advantages of Online Banking (Sarah Williams at My Family on a Budget) – Steven Goodwin, Stevie G, as I like to call him, has a great site and brings on some great writers. Sarah is one of those and has shared this awesome piece on Online Banking.
When I was there age, we didn’t have such a think, but I’ve come to embrace it. I have brick and mortar banks as well as my “Online Stash.”
I really like having money in separate locations, as it’s easier to save/invest by doing so. If everything is at one location, then it’s easy to draw from your immediate sources.
Sarah shares even more good stuff than I just did, so check out her piece and get the really good stuff.
8 Ways to Increase Your Financial Health (Debt Free Wanna Be) – At 57, almost 58, health is a big issue for me. I’m closer to the end than the beginning, but I plan to be around for several more years and want to ensure that Selena and I don’t run out of money in retirement.
Now, we’ve done pretty good over the years, but if we’d have had this kind of info in our 20’s we’d be even better off. Check this quote out:
“Paying yourself first is a sure way to increase your wealth. Even if you can only afford to contribute 2% of your pay in the beginning into a retirement account, you will already be ahead of most people.”
Yeppers, that’s just one great tidbit that you’ll find in this post. There’s even more, so I highly recommend that you dive deep into this one.
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There you have the final Terrific 10 of 2017 and I’m SO ready for 2018. 2017 hasn’t been a great year with my wife losing her Mom and me losing my only Sister. There were other things that we’d liked to have not experienced, but as a few friends have said the positives have outweighed the negatives. They are so right.
So, in closing, I’ll wish each of you a Happy New Year! May you be blessed with an outstanding 2018.
Speaking of outstanding, Courtney of Your Average Dough has another great piece in the works for Money is not Taboo. It should be up on the first or a bit after. Girl’s gotta celebrate with her Hubby, so I hope she’ll take some time and toss it up in the middle of the week.
Until next time, Peace! Shin
