July 2018 Goals

It’s time to post my July 2018 goals. Put them up on my blog and hold myself accountable.

I thought I’d do a little something different this month and do a vlog. That’s me on my sundeck with some lovely cedar trees behind me.

Let’s start with my goal to fund my TFSA for 2019.

My goal is to save $500 each month to put towards next year’s TFSA contribution. No easy feat when I’m a single woman who lives in one of the most expensive rental markets in Canada and I’ve never held a high paying job. That’s right. I’ve never broke $20/hour in my lifetime of working and I’m a single income household.

Just for fun, check out this article about a woman who saved $100,00 in just over 3 years on a $54,000 salary.

Making that much money would be a dream for me. It’s an inspirational story.

I put $120 from each paycheque into my savings account for next year’s TFSA. I have dividend income from investments and for the most part that all goes into the same savings account. At month end, anything over and above the $500 saved for next year’s TFSA goes into my vacation fund.

As of the end of June I have $3000 saved towards my 2019 TFSA contribution. Woo hoo! And I’m on track for July.

My vacation fund as of the end of June is just a little under $2700. My vacation fund is a pessimistic goal on this blog at $100 a month, generally funded by how much excess over $500 I saved towards my TFSA. There’s no guarantee I’ll have much over my $500 TFSA savings each month to transfer into my vacation fund, but right now it’s doing good. It also got a little bit of a bump up a couple of months ago thanks to a tax refund and a stock sale, that I mentioned in June’s goals.

Where am I going on vacation? I’m pretty sure I’m going to Oregon. Road trips work best for me because I travel with my dogs. I’ve been to or through Oregon countless times. Generally speaking Oregon is just that state you drive through coming and going to California, but I have done a few weekend getaways to Portland and coastal towns. So far that’ll be a nice chunk of change towards an Oregon getaway.

One of my most important goals is to incur no further debt. I rarely use my credit card. Mostly it’s for emergencies, like an unexpected car bill, when I’m traveling and conserving cash, or buying things online. I don’t buy that much online, a couple of times a year something from Amazon and I buy supplements for myself and my animals from a shop in Edmonton. Every two or three months, whenever I’m getting low on supplements, I make a purchase. I pay off the credit card bill when it comes in. So far that’s not a problem. In June I did have some credit card charges, new eyeglasses, and a vet came out to the farm to see my horses. But those were expected charges and budgeted to pay the card off in full.

Another goal is always to get more exercise. Isn’t that everyone’s goal to live a healthier lifestyle, make better food choices, and get more exercise. My exercise plan is usually walking, horseback riding, and biking. Sometimes I go to the pool for a deep water aqua fitness class and sometimes I drag out my yoga mat and do yoga for equestrians. Here’s the Horsewoman’s Guide to Slimming Down. I should probably take more of this advice!

Some of my monthly goals will be recurring and I want to add some new ones into the mix. I want to use my camera more. I really love photography, and in late 2015 I bought a new camera that was just meant to be for me but hauling around the gear isn’t always convenient. For example, when I drive into town to walk my dogs, having a heavy camera bag around my neck isn’t fun. Or if I stop at the grocery store I’ll have to bring my camera gear in so it won’t get stolen. I have an over the shoulder camera bag that can also double as a purse. Albeit a heavy purse once my Canon Rebel t6s is inside! I also have to worry about personal safety even when I’m walking two big dogs. What’s to stop a mugger from knocking me down and stealing my camera bag, and if it’s doubling as a purse, my wallet, and maybe my Kindle and iPhone are in there too.

If you’re interested in the kind of camera I mentioned in the video, it’s a Canon Rebel t6s. I still have the non-digital Canon camera I inherited from my parents in the 1980s and when I upgraded my digital camera the Canon was a natural choice. When I put on my old camera strap and held it in my hands, it felt like I was coming home. When Canon created the digital cameras, they’re made to be interchangeable from the lenses of their old cameras before the digital days. It was just a good fit for me. Disclosure: if you click the affiliate link below it will take you to Amazon and if you purchase a camera, I’ll receive a small commission for the referral.

Here are my July 2018 Goals:

1. Save $500 towards my 2019 TFSA
2. Put at least $100 into my vacation fund
3. Incur no debt
4. Ride my bike to work at least 3 times a week
5. Take at least 2 scenic bike rides
6. Ride each horse twice a week
7. Cut my grocery bill
8. Eat down my pantry
9. Take my camera with me more often
10. Do more yoga

I’ll check back in a month with the July recap.