2008 Goals...for now

After much thought and procrastination, below are the things I will be able to say at the end of 2008/beginning of 2009:

-*-$10,000 of my pre-tax salary went into my 401k.

-*-My 401k portfolio is aligned and balanced towards my long-term goal of aggressive growth and diversity.

-*-I've evaluated carefully whether or not to keep my Roth IRA with my bank or move it to another broker like Vanguard or T. Rowe Price. In the end I made the best possible decision that aligned with my long-term goal of growth and keeping my overall retirement portfolio diverse.

-*-I contributed the full amount of $5,000 to my Roth IRA.

-*-I've stayed out of debt.

-*-I reached $10,000 in my unemployment fund, then put it in a CD-ladder.

-*-My health care/deductible fund reached $1,500. That's enough to cover my deductible for the year and one hospital copay. Let's hope I don't need it! I choose to save my money this way instead of going with an FSA because if the funds go unused by the end of the plan year, I would have to forfeit them. This way, if I don't use them, I can put them in a high-yield savings account to earn interest and will be the seed money for the following year's deductible. Makes sense in my head, anyway.

-*-I set aside $1,000 for travel this year. Just in case. The only thing that may come up would be an extended weekend to visit a friend. If that money doesn't get used this year, it will be seed money for next year's travel fund.

-*-I saved $7,000 towards the purchase of a new computer and kick-ass monitor.

-*-While I have more goals and dreams that I want to fulfill, I'm far better off this year than I was the year before.