My Focus in 2014

Hi again! Sorry for the delay in posting. Life happened.

Remember when I posted about where to focus my New Year's Resolution energy? Two days before returning to work from maternity leave, I decided. Our family's finances are going to be my top priority for 2014.

I've said it before. We've worked the plan before. We've succeeded and failed before.

So what's different this year? Who knows. But I have high hopes and that's the best you can ask of a girl at the end of January, stuck in the "polar vortex" world of Minnesota.

Although we have used Dave Ramsey's method in the past, I have opted to try YNAB's method this year. Very similar with just a few strategic differences. And when I say "I have opted," I truly mean "I" and not "we." Tony is definitely on-board with budgeting and being smart with our finances, but he is more of the free spirit, as Dave would say. I am the budget nerd. As in, I've created a whole set of excel worksheets, merged into one giant document and titled it "Ultimate Financial Workbook." So I'll be driving this bus and I'm just hoping to stay motivated enough myself that Tony doesn't tuck and roll out the sliding doors or emergency hatch!

How have the first few weeks been going? Hmm... eye-opening would be the best term to describe it. More on this next time.

Personal finances have always been a taboo topic. My parents have very different views about money (probably one of the reasons they divorced) and I've always felt that talking about money is difficult with either of them. Then you have your friends... now that most of us have "real jobs" with real salaries, it's like a little tap dance around the nitty-gritty stuff. You don't want to step on anyone's toes and ask the big question, and often make over-exaggerated assumptions about what people are making and what they are spending their money (or credit cards, loans, etc.) on.

People say to avoid talking about politics. And money. Screw it... I'm talking this year!