This is a very good program to listen to on Financial Provident Living from the Mormon Channel here - I recommend listening to it. Great Advice.
2013 Financial Goals.
I made up a binder last night and am going to log every expenditure I pay out this year. I'd truly love to be debt free this year - everything except my house (which I hope to be able to focus on paying down when all the other debt from my life is gone).
I decided instead of paying for a notebook or journal, I'd make up my own spreadsheets and put them in a binder I already have on hand.
Here are the spreadsheets I made for each month:
Because I am self employed as a household cleaning service, I have an income ledger that tracks the money I earn each day through the month. My schedule is set each week, so I sat down and put down what I will earn each day on the ledger for the month and totaled it to know what I will be earning. Then I can budget what I will be spending this month.
You can see that I don't have any car payments or smart phone bills. My cars are paid for (we purchase a new car with cash 1 1/2 years ago. My cell phone is a tracfone that I pay $100 per year and it is all I need in a cell phone. Since I am self employed, I have to pay 100% for my health insurance with a huge deductible of $5000 to get the payment low. I figure I can work my way out of $5000 instead of what health care really costs if you do get sick (insurance). I pay for regular doctor bills as I go.
Last is the House account ledger. I will put in everything I spend. Even when I go grocery shopping, I think I will itemize each item - making me truly think about what I spend my hard earned money on. I hope this helps me become more mindful of what I spend each month and help me keep track of really what I want - to be debt free.
Last year I gave up my land line for a Magic Jack.
The total cost per year is $19.95 for a year of phone service. I hooked up a telephone with 2 other sets that are connected with the main unit. I have a phone in my kitchen, TV room and my bedroom - basically how I had with a land line. I love not getting a phone bill each month!
I also gave up my Direct TV. My Century link bill was $170 a month and now it is $35 for my Internet service.
This year for Christmas Jason and Sharon gave me an Apple TV!
Oh my goodness I am in love with this little box. It is ran by the wireless Internet and I can watch Netflix, Hulu and YouTube on my big screen TV. It has a remote which is awesome!! I love this and wish I would have dropped paying for TV a long time ago - just like Jason and Sharon had been telling me to do.
I love that I can watch what I want on my own time - just like a DVR. I love that I can watch older TV shows and all the series they had (TV shows that are G and PG rated - not the types of R rated shows in TV now days). I love that I can still watch Lifetime type movies and am VERY careful that I don't watch any R rated type shows.
It's been wonderful to save so much money by switching to Majic Jack and Apple TV - Woo Hoo!
This savings has gotten me to think about what other costs I can do without. The less I spend the more I have to meet my financial goals. I've been more frugal with water, and power - however I like a warm house so I use the gas bill normally - I won't freeze in my own home. I keep my house at a warm 72 degrees.
2013 is going to be the year that I am determined to make all my financial dreams come true!!
I also gave up my Direct TV. My Century link bill was $170 a month and now it is $35 for my Internet service.
This year for Christmas Jason and Sharon gave me an Apple TV!
Oh my goodness I am in love with this little box. It is ran by the wireless Internet and I can watch Netflix, Hulu and YouTube on my big screen TV. It has a remote which is awesome!! I love this and wish I would have dropped paying for TV a long time ago - just like Jason and Sharon had been telling me to do.
I love that I can watch what I want on my own time - just like a DVR. I love that I can watch older TV shows and all the series they had (TV shows that are G and PG rated - not the types of R rated shows in TV now days). I love that I can still watch Lifetime type movies and am VERY careful that I don't watch any R rated type shows.
It's been wonderful to save so much money by switching to Majic Jack and Apple TV - Woo Hoo!
This savings has gotten me to think about what other costs I can do without. The less I spend the more I have to meet my financial goals. I've been more frugal with water, and power - however I like a warm house so I use the gas bill normally - I won't freeze in my own home. I keep my house at a warm 72 degrees.
2013 is going to be the year that I am determined to make all my financial dreams come true!!
4 comments:
Love it!!! Have you 'liked' Dave Ramsey on Facebook yet? He is doing a daily tip all year that is really helping me stay on track. He has a couple of forms that we LOVE to use!!! Good luck! I know you can do it!
Also, Brandon and I bought the Apple TV for my parents for Christmas! I think that they like theirs too! I think you can even do Pandora on there too!
I think this is harder for a self-employed. You can only depend on yourself to handle everything. The upside, on the other hand, is you can decide your salary deductions, like those for your health insurance. On another note, I think what you want is what everyone wants – to be debt-free! If you consistently and strictly monitor your budget and allot money for savings, you’ll surely get there. -->Jaden Allred
What you failed to mention about the Apple TV is that most of the stuff you watch, you have to have a subscription to.. "netflix, hulu, HBO, etc...no savings there.. the device is 100 bucks then top that with the minimum subscriptions..netflix $8.99 a month, HBO $70 a month, hulu $7.99...etc... heck my landline phone/dsl/dishtv/ is $130.a month.. the apple tv is waaay more with the need for more "subscriptions" to be able to view more shows.. I will pass on the Apple TV and keep what i got.
I don't watch HBO and yes, I pay for Hulu and Netflix which I DO show in my budget above. $51 dollars a month ($35 internet, $8 Hulu, $8 Netflix)is so much better then paying for landline, I have NOT missed having regular TV, in fact - I enjoy it so much more being able to watch an entire series of a show and keeping up on regular series on Hulu. Plus I have free PBS on Apple TV. But, I guess it's what we each find more important in our lives. I'm saving $120 a month with apple TV (which more then pays for the original purchase of the unit in one month - although I got it for free as a gift). That is a yearly savings of $1440 which goes to help me get out of debt. Please explain to me how I'd be much better off paying for all that you mentioned with the savings I get? I also LOVE my MagicJack phone for $20 a year - Plus my tracfone (cell phone) at $100 per year. I love having all that extra money and it's been a blessing to me and I've made a significant dent in what I owe since I watch every penny that comes out of my pocket.
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