This Year's Goals!

This year, my husband and I have sat down and discussed some of the goals in which we want to achieve. Some of them, are fairly simple, get the house better organized, take more time together as a family etc. Some, are a little more difficult...

Below, are the things we want to begin, or work harder at this year:

1) Dave Ramsey's Total Money Make Over

• Get everything caught up, current, and a payment system established (this is just about finished up)
• Save $1000.00 Fast
• Debt Snowball
• 3 Month Emergency Fund
• Retirement Fund
• College Fund
• Pay off Mortgage

2) Get the house better organized

• Remove Clutter (I have a whole room of stuff I never use! Outside, buildings that haven't been used in a few years, and junk in cabinets that I'm sure I have long forgotten was even there.)
• Maximize space by eliminating the Excess. (Some things, we use, but don't need. Extra tables, a desk we don't use, kitchen appliances that are never used, etc.)
• Establish a system for cleaning routines, chores, papers, artwork, etc.

3) The Yard

• This year, we want to get our new back yard patio built. (We have several grills, and smokers and the like that is cluttering up space on my deck that we would like to move down to the patio since they are not used every time we sit outside.)
• Landscaping (My husband would really like to get the yard landscaped. This has been a time consuming thing for us, when we moved into our house, it was a new lot with no grass or plants. This year, the yard is well established and he wants to begin the fun part!)
• Dog Pens. (We have 3 wonderful dogs that live outdoors. Two Boxers and a German Shepard. The dog pens that we have had for them over the years have been nearly destroyed by the dogs. This year, we want to re-do them in a nicer and longer lasting method. They will be rebuilt with Sturdy posts and goat fencing with a nice roof and feed/water system. The German Shepard will have a doorway that she can come and go from separate from the Boxers {since the don't get along with the inside dogs} I also want to get them a cooling system of some sort before summer.
• Horse Barn (We built the structure a small barn in 2012. At the time, our priority was shade and shelter from the rain. This year, we want to raise the floor by filling in more dirt, and closing in 3 sides to protect from the rain. We think the horses would really enjoy that this upcoming winter.

4) The House

• Paint (the house is in need of an update. The walls are beginning to look dingy as dirt and oils get rubbed along the walls from small hands and the dogs. A coat of paint will freshen it up and make a cheap update that the same time!)
• Counters (a few of my counter tops have begun to come apart. The house was not built well, and the laminate on the face side of 3 of my counters have pealed completely off. I plan to find a way to either fix or replace this problem)
• Linens (I do not have a linen closet or cabinet. At the moment, I am using an old dresser that I have put in my walk in closet to hold my linens, and the under the bed drawers of my new bed for bedding  I have 2 cabinets in my laundry room that are full of JUNK that I intend to clean out and store linens in. I also want to take the hanging rod between them out and put in either shelves or more cabinets for more linen storage.

This is a lot to get done in one year. I am hoping that we can get it all accomplished!!! I will be updating my status on each of my hopeful tasks on my Improvements page!!

Wish me luck!