Happy New Year Reader’s!!
Yummy!
How did you ring in the new year? I was half asleep when 2014 came knocking. We stayed in and made surf and turf for dinner. It was very yummy and I totally went off the diet. I did however write in all down on my My Fitness Pal. We watched the last two Grimm episodes and drank some Iron Horse sparkling wine. I bought some “sparkling wine” (grape juice) for The Boy to drink. It came in a bottle that look just like a bottle of the real stuff.
All for him.
Wonderful!
Needless to say, he loved the stuff. He drank the whole bottle and was bouncing off the walls all night. He is also obsessed with this game on Minecraft based off the Hunger Games movie. He played it all day yesterday on his iPad mini. He didn’t watch any TV (other than Grimm but he was also playing the game). He also found a site where he can program his own little games/movies. So I guess that is educational. Right?
BE
My second BE for 2014 is Be Smart.
For me, Be Smart, has to do with money. I am a financial planner, so I think about money a lot. I think about my clients money, my money, The Boy’s money. Actually The Boy doesn’t really have any money but he will need money for a car and college. We set up a 529 plan for him as soon as I got his SS number. All the money he has been given to him over the years has gone into that fund along with a monthly SPO we have set up. Last year I set up a UGMA account for him for the sole propose to save money for him to buy a car when he is 16. I have a small SPO going into it and his Christmas gift from his Aunt Robin and Uncle Joe went into it too. Thanks guys! Zoom! Zoom!
Not planning on it.
But really, Be Smart is about My Man and I’s future. Because, The Boy can get a job for money for a car and scholarships or financial aid for college. There is no financial aid for when you retire and SS is not something I am planning on or even thinking will be there when we retire. Last year I raised my deferred comp to 10% and am keeping it there for this year. I am also going to contribute to my SRA (a 401K for 1099 folks). My Man just raised his 401K contribution and hope to do it again later this year so I feel good about our retirement savings.
What I plan to work on, is our monthly spending. We love to eat out at nice restaurants and I am not giving that up. But we also eat at so/so restaurants when we don’t feel like cooking or cleaning up the mess. This is just throwing away money and I am going to Be Smart and put an end to it! This will also help me with my Be Healthy resolution by cooking more of the food I eat thus knowing what I am putting in my mouth. I am also going to try to put a cap on my impulse spending. How will I do this? Fewer trips to Target and staying off the computer after I have had a glass of wine, or two, or three….
Do you have a financial resolutions for 2014?
I love Grimm
I little Buffy the vampire slayer in it.
Didn’t see you on the 11 o’clock news so I guess you behaved yourself.
Very Buffy! In fact, the new prince on Grimm, was on Buffy and Angel.
I like your Be business. Gonna forward this to my friend Robin who will love that for many reasons, one is that she is now a beekeeper.
I spent the evening sick on the couch and asleep at 10 p.m. Not very eventful but exactly what I needed.
What is a SPO?
Opps! Work talk. SPO means systamtic payout. But I must admit, I wrote the wrong thing. He has a BA, bank authorization. I hope you are feeling better! I loved the 366 video.
I like your plans, the Be Smart Financially is something we all need even if you are retired. We still invest money and try not to go over the top. I understand the Target, for me it is like a dime store (when I was young). I try not to go there very often because you go for a couple of things but other things jump into your cart and they won’t get out. I returned some things that I bought for Christmas because two blocks away decided that it was a not smart move. “2014” is going to be the best year. Love you lots,lots,lots Momee
BE consistent with sending money to Frank for the future and also to the savings account for emergencies, possible vacation and miscellaneous wants and needs
I’m not saving, I’m GIVING away $$. We boomers have shamelessly stolen too much from our descendants. I congrat all the savers though. You’ll surely need it! Maybe Aidan will be driving one of my old Jeeps, eh?