2012 Goals

Well since I'm on the blog ranting and raving I should do this post as well.

I'm not one for setting New Year Goals. But I'm looking at 2012 as a new start. 2011 was pretty brutal to us. Not so much as we trying hard to stay on our feet and some very hard decisions were made. Glad they were made and glad we stuck to our guns, but things are tough.

So for 2012 we are hoping to stay on our feet. That things become easier. We have a family reunion coming up we need to save for. My biggest goal of the year will hit coming right out of the box. Pay off the van. We owe 4297. something. We will be doing our tax return in about 2-3 weeks give or take some time (I lack time) After we pay the school, what ever is left is going to pay off the van in hopes it's enough. If it's not enough we will be tighten our belts even more and paying off the van. Getting rid of this monthly payment will help our bottom line. It's seriously killing us.

I'm hoping to play catch up on some past dues. The TV, Phone and Energy are running about a month beyond. I'm hoping to play catch up there this year. So that would get rid of late payments I pay every month.

Putting in the new garden, we will be doubling if not tripling our space. I am getting at least 5 new fruit trees and maybe some nut trees. Our front yard is getting a bit of a make over as two beds will be removed, too shady to grow anything. I planted them full of beets and nothing grow. How depressing is that? But there is so much to do. From building a fence, to building beds 10-20 new beds. 8-10 feet by 4 feet. Plus lots of smaller beds to hold herbs. I'm thinking of adding in more grapes. Maybe some new blueberry bushes. We are hoping that 75-80% of our food will come from the garden. In hopes we just have to buy flour and meat. That would help our budget a lot.

With that there will be much more canning, drying and freezing. Oh joy.

That and just trying to stay away from the bank, hoping to save a few pennies this year. I was thinking I could just start burying coffee cans in the back yard, but that won't work. We have three dogs that would dig them up. The goats would play kick the can so that won't work either. IDK. We have some financial goals to meet this year. It would be nice to make them. But I don't have high hopes, I figure if we can stay on our feet and be OK, then we will be OK. Worry about saving another day. Be grateful hubby has a job. Be grateful we are slowly saving for retirement now. Slowly it's not a lot, but it's something verses nothing now.

We are hoping we will be able to save to expand out the house, I don't think it should be a 2012 goal. But it's on our radar and if we are able to set aside some money to do so. Like when we have 500 saved call the contractor and get plans made for expanding. When we can afford the permits go and get permits. As we can afford things, get things done. It will be slow, but we are doing cash only. On top of trying to pay down the Mortgage in hopes one day sooner then later to be Mortgage free. Once we are Mortgage free that will free up money to save for retirement. Because right now we can retire when we are 97 years old.

Hoping to continue cupcake of the month. Really hoping to expand out my baking some. I love baking allergy free, it really takes some thinking some days. But yeah it can be fun. I love how my items are gum free. I love how I have been able to stick to my guns and keep the kids safe from food allergies, I don't understand why some people don't understand. My child is allergic it means he really can't eat this. My mother called me the other day, can the boys have corn syrup. Seriously? I'm grateful no new allergies have popped up. I love how I do all the baking for the boys lunches. I don't buy anything from the store for their lunches. It's all hand made. Yes, a lot of work but in the end you save a lot of money and for me that is worth it. I know what is in my kid's food and what is not in the food.

Just hoping to keep up with life. I have fallen behind so many times this year. There are days I'm on my feet until I fall into bed around midnight or later, and then back up at the crack of dawn to do it all again. Someday's I wonder if I should scrap everything and home school the kids. But they love their school so much and honestly I need to get out of the house. So I just hope I can keep up.

Marcie