It has been a really long time since I last blogged. Life and other things got in the way, but hopefully I’ll make this a regular habit again (maybe, sort of).
A recap of 2016:
- I bought my very first car (a 2016 Mazda3 Sport/hatchback) – in March
- I got a full-time permanent position, complete with benefits and pension – in June
- I moved out of my parents home for the very first time – in July
- I got better at budgeting (I’ve been using YNAB4 since 2015)
- I told my parents about Clay (loooooong overdue) – in November
- They seem to like him! – still accurate
Goals for 2017:
- Read more and craft more – I focused a lot on work/my career in 2016. It’s time to spend some time on me on my days off.
- Eat better – I’ve decided to cut out fast food for the most part. I tend to go through the drive thru on my way home from work at the end of a set of shifts. I’ve decided to eliminate that, as well as solo fast food eating. I’m hoping to cut my restaurant/eating out monthly budget/limit to $100/month. In 2016, I averaged $150-200/month in this category. I’m getting more into meal prepping/planning, so I’m hoping to continue this trend.
- Exercise??? The development that I moved into has great amenities – it includes a yoga studio and a fitness room with equipment. I’m hoping to utilize these amenities since I already contribute to it (via strata).
- Save with purpose – I have a trip planned for October this year that’s to NYC and will be quite expensive. I also have other vacation days booked off already, but I’m not 100% sure if I will be going anywhere or just enjoying time off work.
- Save more generally – my financial goals this year are to finish squirreling away money for my emergency fund (4-6 months of expenses) and to start saving for a future house down payment for down the line (most likely by 2019).
- Blog more – this goes for blogging here, as well as on BlytheLife.com and OneMoreSteep.com (my Blythe/doll blog, and my tea review blog).
Did you keep your relationship with Clay a secret from your parents? I did the same with Jax and I barely told my dad about him several months before I graduated from PT school – and at that point Jax and I were already engaged after dating 9+ years. XD
Congrats on the permanent job! 😀 Looks like we both entered the medical field. I just started my first permanent job just this year. YNAB is pretty nifty and I’m hoping I get to benefit from using it. I’m barely getting the hang of logging my expenses.
It sounds like we both have some of the same financial goals. I truly need to save money and pay off my credit card debt that I’ve attributed.