I by no means want to imply that we have it all figured out because we do not…however, we have learned that planning ahead and making a list of priorities can help soften your financial implications and can help put a positive spin on the confidence and control you feel about your money.
In our marriage we set up goals. I’m talking weekly, monthly, yearly, 3 year, 5 year, and even 10 year goals. We frequently bring back up the list to discuss and make sure a) we are still on the same page as far as what our goals are b) we are doing what we can to save to be able to accomplish the goal by the time it gets here.
For example when we first got married our goals were:
weekly: be able to pay our rent and determine what kind of budget we needed to have to live life the way we wanted to be able to live, tithe at least 10%, etc.
monthly: be able to afford to go out on dates with each other
one year goal: start looking at the option of purchasing a house
five year goal: start thinking about having a baby
With these goals in mind we had to make sacrifices and decisions to ensure we would be able to accomplish the stated goals. Yes, maybe it meant turning down a weekend getaway with friends in order to have a little more money to put in savings towards a down payment on a future home but those decisions were much easier to make having the goal in mind.
Now three years into our marriage we feel confident that setting these goals has helped to allow us to already meet many of our goals such as purchasing our first home, purchasing a new vehicle, painting the exterior of our home, completing a backyard renovation project, and having a baby. Setting goals really helps us stick to a budget, save, yet still enjoy and do the things we want to do. That does not mean we don’t make sacrifices but when when we make those sacrifices we realize it is because we are working towards our future goals such as a going over seas on a 5th year anniversary trip together!
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