Financial Planning: Pay Yourself First

It's the start of a new year, and for most of us that's a new fiscal year as well as a chronological one.  Without getting into fancy software options, tax strategies, or estate planning, let's consider this single change:

Pay Yourself First.

What does this mean? You know you've heard it before, it's not quite a bumper sticker yet (though it could be, I suppose).

When you're simplifying your life, it's easy to get caught up in paying off debt and focusing on the outlay.  Pay yourself first is just a reminder to save -- save something now, save something first.  Saving money is a new concept for lots of people in our American culture today -- and it can be hard to do. 

That's why you pay yourself first.  Stash the savings each month, or pay period, first and just don't look at it.  Auto-deduct it.  Stash it.  Find the method that works best for you, but put your future (and your family's) at the top of the budget.  And, don't be a snob about the amount.  Even the tiny amounts add up over time. 

It's important and you're worth it.

How to Painlessly Declutter Your Home - Reba's 10 Steps to Declutter Success and Downsizing the Stuff Your Life

Awhile back, I provided my system of streamlining stuff - aka declutter, downsize -- and I've had lots of nice feedback on how this system really works for others.  So, I'm providing the info again, in its own streamlined form:

Reba's 10 Step Declutter System for Stripping Away the Excess Stuff in Your Life That Really Works

Preliminary Advice:  Be patient with yourself. Task by task, step by step, you'll get it all done.  The Queen of England is NOT visiting this weekend. 

1.  Buy four large laundry baskets (different colors is great, but not absolutely necessary) - the bigger the better, I found some huge ones at Dollar Tree back in 2005 that I'm still using.  Baskets? Yes.  Their handles can be very useful, so I don't recommend boxes or bags here. 

2.  Take your laundry baskets and label them (yep, somehow this is important) KEEP, TOSS, GIVE, and PUT-AWAY.   I find masking tape wrapped around the basket handles with Sharpie marker labelling works just fine.  No matter how full the basket, you can see its label on the handles. 


3.  Give yourself a time limit. You can be sentimental later, you're just sorting right now.  And if you only have ten minutes today, that's okay.  Sort for ten minutes then. 

4. Start with a room, or a section of a room.

I Love My Public Library

I love books.  I love to read.  I love to write.  So, maybe I'm a bit biased in my perspective of my local public library.  Okay, fine.  I admit it.  I am totally, totally prejudiced about my library.  Deal with it, dear reader. 

I love the San Antonio Public Libary System, particularly the Central Library downtown (nicknamed "the Red Enchilada" because its facade is painted the exact hue of red enchilada sauce).  I've included a photo of it here - those big red concrete balls never move, they're perpetually cascading down that cement wall. There's a lot of art around the place.

You know, thinking about it, love isn't a big enough word.  I ADORE the Big Red Library we have here.  Why?

It's Convenient.

When I drive down to the Central Library, I get covered parking that's free for the first hour.  I never have far to walk to reach the front door (which is great when I'm lugging a load into the return desk). 

Holds are found on the first floor, near the exit.  Go there, and search the stacks for your last name and voila! Anything that you requested online be pulled for you sits there. Waiting for you.  Nice.