Author: Cheryl
•2:35 PM

Last month of the year, and that means the last of my updates on my 2008 short term financial goals. I am looking forward to making new ones for 2009.

1.) Credit Cards The first two have been gone for a little while now. The third one was a little bigger and I paid half of it off already. Just sent another payment on Friday.

2.) To not use any more credit cards. They are all still cut up and still haven't touched once since then.

3.) Christmas kept under control. I finished up all my shopping on Friday (online of course). I spent less on my husband and all my friends and family together this year, than I spent on just my husband last year. Very in budget and the earliest I have ever gotten it done and all cash.

4.) Drastically cut eating out. Still doing well with this. We go on our Starbucks date every two weeks. We did have one night of takeout during our vacation but it was under $20 and it was only once. For the rest of the 10 days we were on vacation we made every breakfast, lunch and dinner at home. And we have 2 $25.00 GC's to restaurants we can use for free meals too.

Other changes I have made and updates on those:

1.) Grocery budget - Still sticking to the $50 a week budget. Some weeks I am $5.00 over. This week I was $10.00 under. I am getting real good at what to buy and what I need to stock up on and slow down on.

2.) Recipes using what we have on stock. Still doing this every night. Tonight is quesadillas. I am also making meatballs from scratch this week and freezing them for future meals. I've gotten into making both sweet and savory breakfast casseroles too. Still would do even better with a stand a lone freezer. But don't want to spend the money yet on that.

3.) Coffee Since I was on vacation for 10 days I just made myself a cup at home. Today, my first day back at work and I got my thermos with my home brewed coffee with me. Although I should be drinking more water.

4.) Pet food - Still buying the food in bigger bulk, and looking for good deals to stock up on the canned food.

Some of these goals I think I have down pretty well. So I am looking forward to next month and making new ones. In the next month and a half we are going to have a shift in my husband's income where we will probably lose around $300 a check. So I will have to keep my budget tight and work real hard to come up with those extra credit card payments. But Christmas shopping is all done, so that will help.
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