Ready to see the BIG goal of the year?  It’s one that when accomplished will take me closer to some of our other long term goals, and implies great things for me personally with my business…so, it’s like a doubled down goal.

Remember – I’m a goal getter, and a planner when it comes to this money stuff, and I’m feeling good about this.  Actually, I’m super stoked.  Turning dreams into reality is my jam.

The goal is to cash flow our tiny home purchase this year.

Over the last year, we’ve saved $26k towards our tiny home.  Which is nothing to be ashamed of by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn’t quite to goal our goal of $35k which was half of the tiny home price of $70k.  So, the plan is to make up for that remainder this year, while still cash flowing a couple of other big ticket items – a few house update projects and a family trip to Isla Mujeres in November.

Official goal statement.

Finish funding the tiny home savings account from $26k to $70k by 12/31/20.  Steps to help us get there will include the launch and contribution of Journey to Influence’s coaching business, and intentional family budget meetings.  We’re going to track our progress visually on the chalkboard calendar in the kitchen.  We’ll celebrate by spending our first night there.

It has all of the ‘elements’ of making it a good goal; I doubly checked. 

• Specific – Well, I think it’s pretty darn specific.
• Measurable – Money stuffs from point a to point b makes it easy to measure.  What’s in the savings account now, and what’s in the savings account then.
• Attainable – I have worked out the math on this.  I know what we can expect to spend on our other projects/vacations.  I have a good estimate of bonus potential, and how much discretionary funds we have monthly. I also have some reasonable projected income for my coaching business to add to the mix.
• Relevant – This goal is really relevant to our lives right now, and impact our entire family – truly a full on family goal, as it will take all of us working together.  When the family fun cash runs out for the month, we’ll stay in.  When the grocery envelope has run dry – we’ll eat what’s in the pantry.  You all ever have cereal Sunday for dinner?  It’s a thing.  That’s where the family budget meeting comes in handy in particular – it’ll help keep us all shooting for our goal, and be aware of the expenses we have in the coming months.
• Time Bound – We have a due date there!  When we get to the 2/3 mark, about $47k we’ll begin the process of working with the builder and put all of these dreams on paper, and then into production!

This tiny home means a lot to our family for several reasons.  Let me take you through them.

Family time!  The tiny home will be semi permanently place at our campsite at Lake Merwin Camper’s Hideaway.  Right now we use our site with a tent, you know the kind – it has zippers, no bathroom and is not suitable to sleep in October – April?

Nearly ALL of our camp neighbors have a trailer or motorhome or just all-around warming dwelling than we do – and that means that the get to take advantage of the beauty, relaxation and family fun that is the Hideaway all year round.  We want that too!   Sledding and hot cocoa – you bet.  New Year’s with friends at camp, yes please!  Date night with a campfire, and a warm bed – sounds like the perfect Valentine’s Day to me. Peace and quiet away from the busy suburbs even in January, mmhmm.

Snow bird status in retirement.  James and I would love to do more traveling now, and certainly when we retire.  We have several camp neighbors once again, that spend much of their winter times down south, their summers up at the lake, and vacation in between.  So, for us this tiny will be like a second home, and one we plan to be in quite often when we own our grays.  In our minds, this venture is part investment in our future retirement.  And having this part of our future already paid for gives us both (but especially James) a bit more peace of mind…to perhaps pursue other dreams.

Um, Mexico!  Remember the big original dream of mine to move to a little island in a couple of years – well this is part of the plan.  We’d plan to be out of country during the school year, September/October – April/May, when the weather is perfection on the island and we’d need a home away from home during the summer(s) because our current home would be leased out.  Insert tiny home.  It would be like practicing for retirement.  And the kids can be outside living up camp life, we could cook and shower and pound the keyboards of our laptops.

I’m planning on keeping you up to date with this big goal this year.  You can expect a social media post, and maybe an email or video on our progress each month.  I want to be real with you, and share not only what the dollar amount progress looks like, but also when we get side tracked and have to flex the plan a bit – and what that looks like when tackling a goal.

I’ll admit it feels pretty vulnerable to put our big money goal out there to you all.  But, here’s the deal.  I’m here to help you create goals around your dreams…I best go before you, and show you how’s its done.  AND it’s hella good for accountability, let me tell you.

Thank you for joining me on my journey to influence.