Structure, structure, structure

I know I acheive more with it but I fight it at every step.

Today I was reading Laura's post updating her achievement of goals for the year.

I did goals at the beginning of the year How am I doing? No idea, cant even remember what they were. I am going to dig them out now and take a look but the fact that I cant remember them means they are evidently not been used a life guidelines.

Lets take a look

2011 is just around the corner. By summer we want to have enough in savings to build on a our 'Faheds Pension' piece of land, ready to sell and hopefully repeat. Things are going to be tight. Syria declined into civil unrest and we are selling the land and apartment for 1/3 of its previous value - which is what can happen when you invest your hard earned cash in somewhere a little risky

One son is still at college and the other is self unemployed at the moment. There was no work at the boat yard but he has fallen out of the love with the idea of working with hands but not brain. He is looking for temp work to keep him going but hopes to get into uni in September of 2011 or 2012 if he cant talk them into it without an access course. In short no contributions to housekeeping from either of them for a while. Both are now studying, one is also working and the other is helping his Dad to renovate our house as he tries very hard to get a sponsership for university. This is better tham I had hoped but not as much money coming in as would be useful.

I have two current accounts but we only really use one. My plan is to move all of the directs debits and standing orders to the other account. There will then be a monthly transfer to the account to cover those bills. All sensible for now. I didnt do this but I am so strict with the budgets that it not really a problem

Secondly I am finally going to admit that I know the car needs taxing, the kitchen needs tiling, Christmas is going to happen in December and actually set money aside for these events. No more trying to finance it all in the month it occurs and spending money meant for other things. Yep, I did that. Brilliant idea.

Thirdly. A friend of mine at work was saying he and his wife stick to their food budget by drawing out the cash and when its gone its gone. I know lots of people do this but I have been a bit of a snob about it. I don't need jars of £10 notes to manage my money. Well maybe I don't need jars but lets give it a go. This is a friend and colleague on approximately my salary. Very good with money (ten years younger than me and he has investments worth more than the value of his mortgage - I would pay off so maybe we don't have so much in common)so perhaps for once I will listen and learn. I didnt go for cash in jars but I do use an app on my phone called spendometer which keeps a note of my virtual jar contents. Brilliant stuff.

Fourth and last. Pocket money for each of us. When its gone its gone. We do this now and it works fine. I especially like the way that Fahed spends it on me!

I have run through my master plan with Fahed as obviously this needs buy in to work. He approves. He wont complain (yeah, I'm sure) and he even came up with some stats to me to work with.I have even budgetted for the weekly lottery ticket.

I want to feel in control. I think this could just do it.

So it was plan rather than goals but considering I didnt check we did pretty well. It must have been hard wired into me by the time the new year had actually started.

This year there will be plans but also goals.