To say I have had a great, but busy, summer is an understatement. Starting way back in May it has been crazy around my house. The Wife, the boy and I went to Disney inviting our mothers with us. Then in June we had a trip to The Wife’s family in PA as well as a different weekend trip to Lancaster PA to see Dutch Wonderland. In July, we had my parents’ annual 4th of July party, and a week or so at the Jersey Shore (The Wife’s family rents a house every year)…and August has been even crazier.
I had work-ish trip to San Francisco for 4 days, 2 days in Mystic Ct. (for my parents’ joint 60th birthday celebration) and then a ridiculously amazing bachelor party in Vegas for 4 days. And Yes, I worked in between all that! Unfortunately, this site, my commitment to working out and a reasonable focus on personal finances took a back seat. How much of a back seat?
For the first time in years:
- I didn’t do a net worth update
- I didn’t do a dividend research post
- Have a good amount of Credit card debt (all on 0% of course) – that has been creeping up little by little for months
- Only posted on this site maybe 5 or so times in 2 months (I was doing 5 posts every week at one point)
- After The Wife goes to bed I have been just watching TV
Well with 3 months to go in 2014 it is time to reclaim control!
First and foremost, I am done watching mindless television when The Wife goes to bed. That bleeds into everything else I try to accomplish at night. Just a stupid waste of time! I am so pissed at myself for letting a relaxed summer attitude allow for this monumental waste of time. Beyond that in the next few weeks I have to get on top of:
- The Wife and I are in the midst of setting up a new cash flow plan. I have to make sure this is fully implemented as to avoid fees or additional annoyance.
- Create a debt snowball to take care of some of this debt. 90% of it is at 0%, but it has ballooned into the thousands little by little this year so I need to create a plan like i did in the past and eradicate all of it.
- Take a look at cash flow and determine what needs to be optimized. I haven’t tried for large wins in at least a year so it is time to take a look at fixed expenses.
- Have to step it back up with CrossFit. I loved going just haven’t been in a while and it is a lot of money to throw away.
- Need to finish my law office website. This is just pure laziness.
I also have some smaller daily goals I’d love to get through:
- My personal email box is a disaster. I have over 1,300 unread messages! I don’t just delete them because 95% of them have to do with an estate planning listserv I am on, so most of them should at least be glanced at. Going to try to be a net -25 email per day.
- I am way behind on my trade magazine readings. I am going to try and get through 2 a week starting in September.
With a daughter on her way (about a month out) not sure how realistic these daily goals are, but they are a damn good starting point.
