Will 2009 be any different than 2008?

[Angie]

I don't know about anybody else, but I have BIG plans for 2009. My New Years Resolution is to simplify my life. I've finally gotten there in my life where I realize I don't really need "everything"? I have a wonderful family, a great job and a beautiful home. This year I plan on spending a lot of time with my family, enhancing my court reporting skills and cleaning out my beautiful home -- yes, cleaning out my beautiful home that's full of so much stuff and things we can't even move around in it. I have stuff everywhere, things that I just had to have. Do I really need a zillion household cleaners? No. I found out I just need two, my favorites, water and Lysol. That's it. So I'm cleaning out a closet full of cleaners of all sorts. Maybe I'll put them in a box on the curb where anybody can help themselves. How many candles, tea lights, holders, air freshners and anything else that said it would make my house "smell clean and fresh" do I really need? How many cake mixes, cans of tomatoes, soup, taco seasonings -- anything that's on sale for the week that I picked up because it's "good to have these in case I need them" mentality.

Well, do you see where I'm going with this? These are my hopes and apsirations this year -- really exciting isn't it? Yeah, I know. I know of one other person who will be truly happy about this: my husband. If I can accomplish this this year, I truly will have a beautiful home -- inside and out.

[Michelle]

The only way I can manage to put money away for taxes is to put it into a special savings account that you can't access without minimum of 30 days written notice, that stops all the "dipping into the savings" for me :)

[Kellie Zollars]

Hi, Kelli

The only way to do this is have the money automatically deducted from your checking account every month.
I send $200 a month to my retirement account so that I will at least have $2400 by the end of the year. If you're investing that money, you're also taking advantage of dollar cost averaging by not buying your shares all at the same time.

This year I'm going to try to get back to setting aside a certain percentage of each paycheck in a separate account to pay for my quarterly estimated taxes. This one's much more difficult to stick with because some unexpected expense always comes up.

Good luck,

Kellie