Today's Question:

What is your most important financial goal this year, and what is the most important step you can take toward achieving it?

Most important financial goal? MOST important?

To figure out a way to get me and my kids to England AND obtain a new-to-me vehicle.

Is that a financial goal or a shopping list? I can never tell. Which may be my problem.

Thus far I have always managed to live within my means - however with last year's "house improvements" and this year's wish list (noted above) -I may have to sell my spare kidney. Or my firstborn son.

Clint has asked me a number of times what my next step is, career wise. "Just hanging on to my job" is my answer and it does not impress him.

Drew is encouraging me to look for a full-time job that pays alot of money. I think he's worried he's going to have to support me in a few years. He would like to know I am self-sufficient. And that I'm leaving an estate worth inheriting.

What was the question again?

Oh yeah. Financial goal for this year.

Thinking.

Thinking.

Thinking.

Yes. It has occurred to me that I should read the question hours before I blog so that I don't waste your time thinking.

(Totally unrelated. A question for you. Now that we have a law in BC about "no talking on cell phones while driving", is there a way I can make my existing cell phone a hands free device? Do I need to buy an attachment or something? Because that law is killing me.

Seriously.)

OK Back to financial stuff.

Still thinking.

(Totally unrelated again. The Olympics. Are you going to watch them? Like, are you planning on staying home every evening to watch the coverage, or will your life go on as normal with your TV set to that channel that plays Simpsons and Futurama reruns all day long? Do you know who's competing and do you even care? I think I'll watch the opening ceremonies. And figger skating. And a whole lot of Bart Simpson being sassy.)

Yeah, I'm still mulling a financial goal over in my mind.

(Totally unrelated. I went to my book club meeting tonight and we talked about Africa and The Book of Negroes. Have you read that book? I don't think I'm a fighter like Meena was. I would have made a life for myself with that Jewish guy; keeping his books and writing his letters. And giving up on the "I have to get back to Africa and be free" dream. It would have been an average "good" life for an uneducated African slave, but she wasn't having none of that. She wanted more. It looked exhausting to me. I would not have lived the exceptional life she lived, because I would have taken the 'safer' route and stayed under Solomon Lindo's care.

Maybe that's what my life looks like now? Like someone quit following her passions half-way through her life and is making do with the circumstances she finds herself in. At my age (YES, I know she is a fictional character) she was still learning languages and working her way across America (and then across into Canada...and and and ...) not satisfied til she got "home" to her people.

She had that goal formed when she was 11 and stolen from her village in Sierra Leone. And despite life's circumstances and all the roadblocks in her way, she did whatever she could to get back to Africa.

My dream of getting married and living happily ever after ended when I was 38. Instead of taking chances, I settled into a comfortable life, surrounding myself with friends and family and NOT taking risks looking for another husband. Or not trying to make a name for myself, climbing a corporate ladder... I have a good life, a fabulous life even, but maybe I settled for 'average'?

And where does God factor in to all this? Am I saying that I'm not living God's best plan for my life? And if I am - shame on me for calling it 'average'. And if it's not... if He has better/other/different things in store for me, why am I hanging on to 'average'?

Oy.)

Yes, yes, yes. Financial goal for this year.

I haven't forgotten.

How's this?

I hope to increase my charitable giving by 5% over last year's giving.

My debt is going to increase. I hope it will not increase by more than 10%.

My RRSP's better increase. I hope they will increase by at least 5%.

I throw out too much food-gone-bad. I intend to decrease my grocery bill by 15%.

If my new vehicle is more efficient than my tank of a truck, my fuel bill better decrease by at least 10%.

OK. How was that? About as boring to read as it was to type?

Three things I'm thankful for:

1. Stimulating conversations

2. The house didn't burn down. I forgot to turn off the BBQ tonight. By the time I got home from my book club meeting, the propane tank was empty. The BBQ was still toasty. And my house is still standing.

3. Another beautifully warm, rain-free day in BC.

Shalom,