2019 Goals
I did well on my 2018 goals so I have decided to continue with my weekly(ish) goal updates this year. I've spent a week thinking about what I want to accomplish this year and here it is! I still feel like I am missing something and if I can come up with that I will add it later. I split my goals into three categories: financial, home and garden, and lifestyle.
1. Make a monthly budget and check in regularly.
I started using Every Dollar in late October to make a monthly budget and track expenses. I have kept up with it in November and December so I decided I needed to make a real effort to budget every month for the next year. A big long term goal of my partner (referred to as G here) and I is to pay off our mortgage early. We are aiming at sending that last payment in November 2026. I turn 40 in 2026 so this will be a big birthday present for me! Making and sticking to a budget will help me reach this goal.
2. Save $1500 for car fund.
I will be purchasing a new car in about 4 years. I want to have a big down payment so my loan will be small. I had this same goal in 2018 and was able to exceed the amount I saved. I'm hoping I can do the same this year.
3. Save $2000 for house updates.
I had this same goal last year and saved more than planned. I am hoping to save more this year but this is my minimum. We have some big projects planned for our home including new attic and crawlspace insulation, maybe new windows and a new driveway and sidewalk. We also have some small projects like painting the living room and three bedrooms and redesigning the front yard garden. I will be taking money from my house fund and will need to replenish it - that is why I always save for home repairs.
4. Limit personal spending to $500 for the year.
In 2018 I listed the items I thought I would need to purchase throughout the year. I don't have a list this year but I do know I will stick with this limit to keep my saving and spending in check. My personal items will include clothes, shoes, cosmetics, haircuts and personal gadgets.
5. Build a new chicken coop.
Last year I had a goal to add 3 chicks to my flock. Now my coop is packed with 6 hens and on days where they stay inside (like during snow) they really don't have enough space to walk around and will spill the water and food dishes I put in there. I want my new coop to have a separate storage area for excess food and bedding, and have their food and water buckets inside the coop. I want to stick with 2 nest boxes and have 8 feet of roosting space.
6. Redesign front yard garden.
Half of our front yard has a very obnoxious weed that is everywhere and grows really fast. It is some kind of ornamental grass and it takes over two of my raised veggie beds and my flower bed. We are wanting to get rid of the weed and possibly try something different.
7. Paint trim, ceiling, walls and built-ins in living room.
This will be a big endeavor. It took us many days to paint our dining room last year. The living room has built-in cabinets and a fireplace so it is going to take more time.
8. Complete one large project.
We bought our home in 2015, had a new roof put on in 2016, painted our house in 2017 and did nothing in 2018 besides small projects so we are ready to do something big this year. We have many things we want to do to our home. Attic and crawlspace insulation, windows, driveway, or regrade backyard are some that come to mind.
9. Read/listen to 24 books.
I read/listened to 46 books in 2018. That is an astounding number to me! I am not sure where life will take me this year and if I'll have the amount of time to read that many books so I am keeping my goal low at 2 books a month or 24 for the year. I keep track of my progress on Good Reads.
10. Try weekly meal prepping for four weeks.
Life gets busy and some days I really struggle to put nutritious food in our bellies. I am hoping to try meal prepping for a week a few times this year and if I like it I will try and stick to a plan. I don't want to force myself to meal prep every week for a month and wanted this goal to be fun and more of a try and see if it works kind of goal.
11. 30 Days of Yoga.
I really like yoga. I also really like the YouTube channel Yoga with Adriene. But every year I go in and out of exercise routines, yoga included. The one thing I really like is practicing yoga for 30 days in a row along side my favorite youtuber.
12. Travel to a new place.
We don't have any big travel plans this year so the goal is just to go some place new. We have our favorite destinations so I want to branch out this year and go somewhere off our beaten path. I am sure we will still go to Boone and the NC beaches but I want our week long fall trip to be exciting without all the money that goes into cross country destinations.
Financial Goals
1. Make a monthly budget and check in regularly.
I started using Every Dollar in late October to make a monthly budget and track expenses. I have kept up with it in November and December so I decided I needed to make a real effort to budget every month for the next year. A big long term goal of my partner (referred to as G here) and I is to pay off our mortgage early. We are aiming at sending that last payment in November 2026. I turn 40 in 2026 so this will be a big birthday present for me! Making and sticking to a budget will help me reach this goal.
2. Save $1500 for car fund.
I will be purchasing a new car in about 4 years. I want to have a big down payment so my loan will be small. I had this same goal in 2018 and was able to exceed the amount I saved. I'm hoping I can do the same this year.
3. Save $2000 for house updates.
I had this same goal last year and saved more than planned. I am hoping to save more this year but this is my minimum. We have some big projects planned for our home including new attic and crawlspace insulation, maybe new windows and a new driveway and sidewalk. We also have some small projects like painting the living room and three bedrooms and redesigning the front yard garden. I will be taking money from my house fund and will need to replenish it - that is why I always save for home repairs.
 |
| June 2017 |
4. Limit personal spending to $500 for the year.
In 2018 I listed the items I thought I would need to purchase throughout the year. I don't have a list this year but I do know I will stick with this limit to keep my saving and spending in check. My personal items will include clothes, shoes, cosmetics, haircuts and personal gadgets.
Home and Garden Goals
5. Build a new chicken coop.
Last year I had a goal to add 3 chicks to my flock. Now my coop is packed with 6 hens and on days where they stay inside (like during snow) they really don't have enough space to walk around and will spill the water and food dishes I put in there. I want my new coop to have a separate storage area for excess food and bedding, and have their food and water buckets inside the coop. I want to stick with 2 nest boxes and have 8 feet of roosting space.
 |
| We built a new fence for a large chicken run in 2018. |
6. Redesign front yard garden.
Half of our front yard has a very obnoxious weed that is everywhere and grows really fast. It is some kind of ornamental grass and it takes over two of my raised veggie beds and my flower bed. We are wanting to get rid of the weed and possibly try something different.
 |
| Summer 2018 |
7. Paint trim, ceiling, walls and built-ins in living room.
This will be a big endeavor. It took us many days to paint our dining room last year. The living room has built-in cabinets and a fireplace so it is going to take more time.
8. Complete one large project.
We bought our home in 2015, had a new roof put on in 2016, painted our house in 2017 and did nothing in 2018 besides small projects so we are ready to do something big this year. We have many things we want to do to our home. Attic and crawlspace insulation, windows, driveway, or regrade backyard are some that come to mind.
Lifestyle Goals
9. Read/listen to 24 books.
I read/listened to 46 books in 2018. That is an astounding number to me! I am not sure where life will take me this year and if I'll have the amount of time to read that many books so I am keeping my goal low at 2 books a month or 24 for the year. I keep track of my progress on Good Reads.
10. Try weekly meal prepping for four weeks.
Life gets busy and some days I really struggle to put nutritious food in our bellies. I am hoping to try meal prepping for a week a few times this year and if I like it I will try and stick to a plan. I don't want to force myself to meal prep every week for a month and wanted this goal to be fun and more of a try and see if it works kind of goal.
11. 30 Days of Yoga.
I really like yoga. I also really like the YouTube channel Yoga with Adriene. But every year I go in and out of exercise routines, yoga included. The one thing I really like is practicing yoga for 30 days in a row along side my favorite youtuber.
12. Travel to a new place.
We don't have any big travel plans this year so the goal is just to go some place new. We have our favorite destinations so I want to branch out this year and go somewhere off our beaten path. I am sure we will still go to Boone and the NC beaches but I want our week long fall trip to be exciting without all the money that goes into cross country destinations.
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