Achieving My Goals In This Economy

It's been very challenging this month to find $300 to pay extra on my car note (with the goal of paying it off 1 year early).

But I did it!!

This morning I made the extra $300 payment!

Today my Program Manager (when I told him this), was perplexed about how, in this economy, I was able to do something like paying extra on a car loan. Considering that a lot of people are losing homes, struggling to make ends meet, etc.....yeah, it is pretty impressive.

However, I have to say, it hasn't been without a lot of self-discipline. This month I cut my grocery expenses in half. Yes.........in half. I usually spend about $600 a month on groceries (not including what Kwasi spends here and there). This month?? I've spent less than $300 so far! I've also cut back on eating out and ordering in. I've adopted the attitude about not being wasteful.

This month has been so freeing. During my previous crazy spending ways, there wasn't anything worse than going into a store and picking up tons of shit that I just didn't need to buy at that time. A dollar here.....$2.00 there....$8.00 here....$4.00 there.....before you know it, I was spending out of control. Cutting out those expenses and being more useful with the things I already have has afforded me the ability to pay extra on my car. And especially in this economy, that's a damn good effort.

There's something also empowering in knowing that I've got control over my money, that my money doesn't have control over me. I now think about where every dollar goes. I don't just go into a store and buy a cart full of food that I think we will eat for the week (of which 25% either gets wasted or sits, unused, in the cabinet or fridge). No........Now, I am stringent with each dollar, and if (like tonight) I say that I'm going into Target to buy bread, damnit, that better be all I come out with (it was).

Being able to say NO to myself feels wonderful.

I'm able to save a lot more money each month, too. My automatic savings plan for me and Kwabena will boost our savings accounts even further!

This audiobook that I'm listening to right now about setting and achieving goals, recommended writing down your goals every single day. Yes, you read right--every day: in the morning and at night before going to sleep. The author recommends making your list of goals each day, without looking at the prior day's goals. Some of the same goals will reappear time and again; others will make the list one day, and not the next. The idea is that repeating these goals each day will further reinforce your goals into your subconscious. Stating your goals in the positive, such as "I am 150 pounds" versus "My goal is to be 150 pounds" or "I want to be 150 pounds," will help you achieve and believe your goals sooner.

Ahhhh......gotta love goals. Makes me happy that I'm soooo focused on achieving them!

More updates later! It's past midnight!