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Jon White continues this week in Part 2 of Setting Financial Goals in 2012.
From Part 1 of Setting Goals
In Episode 44 we discussed taking a look at where you are before you get started: How much do you have in debt, how much in savings, and how much income do you have coming in monthly to apply towards your household budget? After getting your debt paid off and having an emergency fund, now you get to enjoy your money!
What to do when you have no debt
What are some things you have wanted to do but could not because of monthly payments? Things such as vacations, home remodels, and buying newer cars fall into this category.
In addition, now is the time to start saving for Tree-tirement. But where do we save for retirement? The two most common ways are through 401(K)’s and IRA’s.
Finally, it is one thing to talk about your dreams and goals, but it is another to actually go out and do them. So how do we accomplish our dreams? You must do these things:
- Write them down so you can be reminded of them everyday
- Make them specific and measurable
- Figure out your “Why”. Why do you want to reach this goal?
- Create your MONEYPLAN and set some savings goals. How much do you need to cut from your budget to make this happen? How much do you need to save? How will you save the money?
- Look at the long-term reward, not the short-term pain. In other words, set your eyes on the goalposts and not the 350 lbs linebacker heading your way
Don’t let a tackle take you out of the game
When you get knocked down on the field, or even get pushed back behind the line of scrimmage, get back up and make another play. If you don’t set your eyes on the goal you could get spun around and start heading the wrong way. You could end up like Jim Marshall who took the football and ran it into his own end zone!
Don’t set resolutions, set goals that are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-framed. You will reach the end zone for as long as you don’t quit.
Jon White says
Hey Steve thanks for being a part of this. I really believe that if people sit down and set goals and find out how to achieve them, there finances will go to a whole other level in 2012!