Goal Setting for 2012

As I  look back at the last 12 months, I realize that my attempts at budgeting have failed miserably and we are now in worse financial shape.  I took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, set up a budget (didn't stick to it), set up my emergency fund (spent that too) and have turned my debt snowball into a debt boulder all while we lived in a relatively shopper friendly place.  Now I live in the land of no double coupons and sky high grocery prices with no stockpile (yup, wiped that out too).  So I am setting some goals for myself for the new year and sharing them with the world for accountability.

What went wrong in 2011 - Just a few highlights

1.  Eating out WAY TOO MUCH
2.  Poor planning made for very expensive shopping trips
3.  Not being organized in my life ( bills not paid on time - paying late fees etc.) 
4.  Not planning for expenses like car repairs, Christmas, birthdays, back to school and such.


New Goals for 2012

1.  Eat at home more!!!!
      Now I AM realistic!  I know we will not go from eating out 2-3 times a week to eating home all year,
      but I have been diligently working these last 12 days setting up a 12 month menu that includes at least
      350 meals.  We will see how it goes, I have the first few months planned and a lot of recipes selected. 
     Follow me each week and I will post our menus and some recipes, I will also try to add the shopping list
     if I get it completed.  I will also update on how we did the previous week.  One of the largest complaints
     that I hear from my family is that it seems like we eat the same foods over and over again.  So my goal is
     to have 350 different recipes to try.  To see some of the foods we will be trying, check out my
     Pinterest Board .
 
2.  Better planning for shopping to include buying in bulk, staples and myo mixes, shopping list and
      couponing.  Follow along to see my tips, hints and some cool ideas. 

3.  Work on my ORGANIZATION !!  I will share tips, ideas and hints.  I will also follow up with what
     worked and what challenges I faced. 

4.  Get back to budgeting and stick to it!

Meet me in the comments and let me know what your goals are.  I would love to share how we are doing together!