Just checking in with an update on my Month Ahead. I'm up to $525.50, meaning in less than a month I've saved up $125. It's good but not great; however, I don't regret it.
See, a good portion of the money I could have used for Step 2 has gone into Emergency Preparedness, specifically my 3 month food storage. There was a case lot/10 for $10 sale at a local grocery, and my roommate and I bought a decent amount of food. For the 3 month supply, it's supposed to be food you use every day, not long-term storage. It's for brief emergencies, such as being short on cash and the like. With this and a different grocery run at Winco, I'd say I've spent around $150 on food.
Yes it's a bit much for one person at once, but now I'm set for 3 months. Similar to how it was more important to get out of credit card debt first, it's more important for me to have food to live off of in case of an emergency. I'll have to keep refilling it as I go, but now I can focus more on Step 2.
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Monday, September 12, 2016
A Second Blog
So this idea has been festering in my brain for months now, and the time is finally right to put it into effect. I'm going to write another blog! Not a personal one like this (but I won't abandon this one so don't worry my nonexistent readers) but an informational one. A blog created partly for the purpose of making money, partly to help others, and then myself.
The topic will be about self-discipline, self-reliance, and emergency preparedness for single adults. So far the working title is "Single Reliance."
When I first got the idea to write a blog, it was going to be about how to build your own small business. Since I'm going to eventually open an Etsy shop, I thought I could kill two birds with one stone by blogging about what it takes while motivating myself to actually do it. But I don't know enough about the topic nor would I enjoy writing about it since it's not a strong enough passion of mine.
Then I decided to write one geared toward being productive. It's something I've researched on my own multiple times, and by crafting a blog around it I would be better able to implement these ideas myself. It still didn't feel quite right though, but it was my best option.
Finally, I came up with the perfect topic. Last Monday my roommate and I got serious about Emergency Preparedness. With what's happening around the world, particularly in Flint and Louisiana, and the sheer fact that Utah is overdue for a major earthquake, being prepared is high on our priority list. Since then we've been doing a lot of research and brainstorming. Not only that, but we decided to request a calling to serve on the Emergency Preparedness Committee in our YSA church ward. This way we can fulfill a church calling AND get prepared at the same time. Plus, through our efforts we can ensure our ward is prepared for a disaster and we can band together for safety.
And now by writing a blog on the topic, I'll be killing three birds with one stone! A rather impressive management of time if I do say so myself. You learn better by teaching and I'll be teaching through two methods, in person and online. And while I don't expect to make a substantial amount of money from it, I'll at least make something. Actually, it's more like killing five birds with one stone now that I think about it. I'll be earning money + fulfilling a church calling + getting prepared myself + getting out to interact socially + providing service for those who read my blog! Also, the great thing about this topic is that I can include posts about how to be productive.
So yeah, I'm thrilled about this idea. I've finally whittled it down to perfection to be as efficient in as many areas as I possibly can. There's still a lot of work ahead of me to get this thing underway, but it will be worth it.
The topic will be about self-discipline, self-reliance, and emergency preparedness for single adults. So far the working title is "Single Reliance."
When I first got the idea to write a blog, it was going to be about how to build your own small business. Since I'm going to eventually open an Etsy shop, I thought I could kill two birds with one stone by blogging about what it takes while motivating myself to actually do it. But I don't know enough about the topic nor would I enjoy writing about it since it's not a strong enough passion of mine.
Then I decided to write one geared toward being productive. It's something I've researched on my own multiple times, and by crafting a blog around it I would be better able to implement these ideas myself. It still didn't feel quite right though, but it was my best option.
Finally, I came up with the perfect topic. Last Monday my roommate and I got serious about Emergency Preparedness. With what's happening around the world, particularly in Flint and Louisiana, and the sheer fact that Utah is overdue for a major earthquake, being prepared is high on our priority list. Since then we've been doing a lot of research and brainstorming. Not only that, but we decided to request a calling to serve on the Emergency Preparedness Committee in our YSA church ward. This way we can fulfill a church calling AND get prepared at the same time. Plus, through our efforts we can ensure our ward is prepared for a disaster and we can band together for safety.
And now by writing a blog on the topic, I'll be killing three birds with one stone! A rather impressive management of time if I do say so myself. You learn better by teaching and I'll be teaching through two methods, in person and online. And while I don't expect to make a substantial amount of money from it, I'll at least make something. Actually, it's more like killing five birds with one stone now that I think about it. I'll be earning money + fulfilling a church calling + getting prepared myself + getting out to interact socially + providing service for those who read my blog! Also, the great thing about this topic is that I can include posts about how to be productive.
So yeah, I'm thrilled about this idea. I've finally whittled it down to perfection to be as efficient in as many areas as I possibly can. There's still a lot of work ahead of me to get this thing underway, but it will be worth it.
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Future Perspective
In the interest of motivation and obtaining a realistic view, I used this site to calculate how early I'll pay off my student loans.
I'm utilizing Dave Ramsey's Snowball Method, where I focus on the smallest loan first. I pay the minimum on all others except the lowest balance. Then once that loan is paid off, I still pay that loan's monthly fee but put it toward the second smallest one. It's perfect to keep you motivated because the little victories help you feel accomplished.
My contracted end date is December 2024. With just the Snowball Method, I should finish in December 2022. That's 2 years early! Impressive, but I'll be able to pay it off even sooner by saving and using extra income. My ultimate goal is to pay it off in 5 years or less, chiefly to save money but also to avoid having to raise a family while being in debt.
We'll see how that turns out!
I'm utilizing Dave Ramsey's Snowball Method, where I focus on the smallest loan first. I pay the minimum on all others except the lowest balance. Then once that loan is paid off, I still pay that loan's monthly fee but put it toward the second smallest one. It's perfect to keep you motivated because the little victories help you feel accomplished.
My contracted end date is December 2024. With just the Snowball Method, I should finish in December 2022. That's 2 years early! Impressive, but I'll be able to pay it off even sooner by saving and using extra income. My ultimate goal is to pay it off in 5 years or less, chiefly to save money but also to avoid having to raise a family while being in debt.
We'll see how that turns out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)