Fiscal Friday: Short and Long Term Financial Goals

It's Fiscal Friday!

As I mentioned before, I tend to to get the "wants" more that I care to admit. However, I have found one way to keep me on track to be fiscally responsible. Like many people, I love to make lists. This particular list is of my short and long term financial goals. My hope is that I can divert my desire to shop for things I don't need by thinking of the goals I want to meet.

Short Term

October 2013 vacation
Pay off last credit card (8 more payments!)
Make Christmas shopping list for family including a budget

Long Term

Save for my kid's school (pre-school then college)
Go to Italy for J's 40th birthday

Looking over this list, I know I need to add things like grow an independent retirement fund. I do contribute to my company's 401k plus we have a pension plan, however it isn't enough.

So when I look longingly at a new handbag or shoes, I hope this list will continue to keep my on track.

Do you have short and long term financial goals?

Just what does #fiscalresponsibility mean?

If you follow me on Twitter, you may see me use #fiscalresponsibility on some of my tweets. What does that mean? I suppose each person I tweet with has their own specific definition. Here is mine:

Fiscal Responsibility - Practicing sound and purposeful spending. Paying down debts.

I started using this hashtag when tweeting with others about not shopping. Then it evolved to tweets on "smart shopping". Then we started tweeting about paying off debts (student loans, car, credit cards). 

It had become a support group!

But why?

Let me backtrack. I've always loved shopping. I loved the thrill of the hunt. However, my case of "the wants" really went nuts when I started reading more blogs and tweeting. I was seeing daily posts of the newest Lilly Pulitzer dress, Tory Burch shoes, Kendra Scott earrings...and I WANTED IT ALL. Deep down, I wanted to feel the excitement that I saw in the dozens of comments from other people on these purchases.

Then I had a crazy month where I had no clue what I was really buying.

So enough was enough. This group of tweeps provides positive reinforcement when I meet fiscal milestones. They can talk me off the ledge of buying a ridiculous want. Really--it is the same excitement I would get more buying something new.

Let me be clear. This is not to say that shopping is bad. Or that we should be judging people who shop a lot. Everyone has the right to spend their money as they see fit. But I've found a group that helps to encourage me to make sound fiscal decisions for me and my family.

So feel free to join in on Twitter when you want to chat on #fiscalresponsibility !