Before we go into 2020 with finance goals, it’s important to know where you landed financially in 2019.
Step 1: Do a 2019 year-in-review. To know where you’re going you have to know where you’ve been.
- Brain dump where your money went in 2019. This is crucial to understanding where you spent your money this past year. There is no guilt and no shame! I don’t care where you’ve been… I care where you’re going! Remember to go big picture here, such as ‘bought a new couch’ (ignore the micro, such $5 on paper towels). This is likely to be an eye-opening experience!
- Write down what you saved over the year (what’s the amount in your savings today?).
- Write down what specific debt you paid off, and how much total over the year.
- Write down any investments you made, including retirement, etc.
- Add up the total you spent in all these areas as well as the total you saved. This will help you get a realistic view of where your...