February: goal check-in

March 3, 2011 at 6:19 pm (goals, paying debt)

My big goal this year is to pay $10K towards debt, which at the start of the year I thought might be a real challenge. (Not including my upcoming windfall of course!). So how’m I doing so far, now that February’s budget is about over?

Well, in short: I rocked it! I immediately paid $600 once I deposited my second paycheck. Then, at the end of the month, I realized I had enough extra to put in another $250, bringing my monthly total to $850!!!

My initial goal was to pay $750 per month. Now that I’ve gotten my tax return, let’s see if that was realistic:

$10,000 for 2011, minus my $880 tax return = $9120. Divide that by 12 months = $760/month needed to reach my goal!

So my goal is to pay an average of $760/month.

Tax Return – $880
January – $1004
February – $850 paid
———————
2011 total – $2734
Compare Goal-to-date: $2400
Above goal by $334!!!

Wow. I’m awesome. Cue the teacher bestowing a gold star upon me.

Despite my goal-meeting awesomeness, I do have to aknowledge that it may be a little challenging in March. February was a SHORT, tiny-paycheck month. The paycheck that I’m about to get at the beginning of March will subsequently be smaller than usual. So I think March will be a tough month. I’m also looking towards some upcoming expenses that I recently referenced (in my windfall post). I really really need to get my passport renewed, since it takes so long to get it back! I need to get my bicycle ready to roll (ha ha ha, sorry) with some tlc and new parts, PLUS get a new pair of sneakers. All this in March? That may be a little expensive all at once.

As long as I stick to my not eating out much, going to the gym 5+ days a week (which doesn’t allow for time to do anything else, go anywhere else, or spend anywhere else!!!), prepare all my lunches, then I should be relatively ok. I just went thriftstore shopping last weekend and I got a new pair of jeans ($10!!!). I still need 1 more, but other than that, I’m relatively good. Maybe it won’t be so bad!