1) Pay off debt & bank as much extra money as possible!

As the Great Dental Woes of 2011 have become the Bankrupting Dental Woes of the Two Thousands (or so its starting to seem as I guesstimated I’ve probably spent $10k out of pocket since having my own dental insurance policy in 2002!), I’m realistic in the fact I’m gonna probably end 2012 with a pitiful future house fund and a dentist that’ll be able to better clothe/feed his children at that expense. I do have every.single.intention. of being out of debt on the cc balance I have now (for spring 2012 tuition and a few dumb purchases in 2011) that’s locked in on a 0% BT through November 2012. I don’t plan to carry a balance on the other two cards that I use for daily purchases and gasoline and pay off at the end of each month (one nets me a decent cashback bonus of approx $100/year for using it & the other one nets me about $150/year towards paying off my student loan balance). My student loans will be paid in full by year’s end (they’re just over $2600 as of today). My car will be paid off by summer’s end; however, its falling apart slowly, out of warranty completely, and just surpassed 100k last month, so I plan to trade it in on something else that I hope won’t be falling apart before its paid off! … that’ll be sometime between September and December 2012. I am contemplating two weekend trips this year + possibly one longer trip in late spring that I need to save some money for … at least one of those I’ll have travel companions to split costs with, the other two I don’t know yet. Meanwhile I want to beef up my emergency savings, try to build back up my medical savings once I get past what has to be done this winter (its about 1/3 done now), and bank some biz income towards buying a 70-200mm lens for biz & personal usage. And maybe, just maybe, if the biz has a banner year beyond my expectations AND Canon finally releases a quirk free successor to the 5D Mark II, I’ll be able to afford to pay cash in hand for it late this year.

2) Get & stay healthier.

I’m gonna be open here but not to the point of TMI in hopes I’ll have some positive support in achieving this one this year. Family and some friends know about this, but I’m putting it out there for everyone else to help hold me accountable and be supportive (btw, if you don’t have anything positive to say, click the X in the corner now.)

I’ve been reading up on foods to help counter this pesky phenomenon known as Acid Reflux that I seem to have developed/inherited. I’d like to keep what teeth I have before it destroys them all. Having TMJ is bad enough, need to lower my stress and decrease the # of times I spend more than half an hour with my mouth being worked on so it will stop flaring up so often so I won’t have to take those pesky muscle relaxants that make me feel dingy. I’d also like to counter all these weight (30 lbs) that stress and PCOS have helped me pack on since 2007. I’ll be happy to lose 15 of it. My wardrobe budget would be glad too …

While this is a year-long goal, next month I’ll begin spelling out what small steps I’m working towards to achieve this. Right now I’m looking for the right workout regime and foods that’ll help both issues.

3) Focus on education/growth as a photographer.

Essentially, all those materials I didn’t finish last year? Gonna finish them if it kills me or means a little less sleep a couple evenings a week. Also I have two photo projects this year — a 52 week challenge (year three of shooting/blogging an image a week on my biz blog) + monthly self portraits inspired by a quote that speaks to me that month. Also going to invest in a few tools to challenge myself photographically (filters primarily).

4) Either make or buy American for part to all of every present I gift this year.

If you’ve seen the Made in America series that ABC News has broadcast about since last fall, then you know what I’m talking about … how many jobs we can help create/maintain if we buy American instead of cheap overseas crap. I bargain shop & buy gifts for people year-round as I come across things I know family and the friends I gift to will like, so usually they get twice as much as a result. This year I intend for at least one if not all of the items I gift them for birthdays/Christmas to be American made or made by me. I’d love to be able to do the same for baby and wedding shower gifts that come up during the year if possible … but I’m not going to hold myself to that one since those are usually purchased from registries!

Although I will counter the whole no buying used camera gear issue mentioned in the second article — there’s nothing wrong with buying used, but to be safe, buy from a reputable dealer who inspects/tests used gear (i.e. Adorama and B&H) or buy from someone you personally know — and know that they take super great care of their gear. My primary camera as well as my workhorse lens were both purchased from fellow photographers. I’ve owned both for well over a year now and haven’t had a problem with either one to date.

Yet another installment of the goals, goals, goals series. Granted, I can’t honestly recall what I wrote in the last entry, so if this is counter to it, forgive me, I’m female and tend to change plans periodically!

As for this week’s installment, its all about being ‘broke’ for the next seventeen or so months…

Financial plans for the next year and a half (biz and personal):

1) pay off camera #2 and lenses by end of December–$1,685 (biz)

2) 19″ LCD Flat Screen tv–$300–November preferably (February at latest)

3) Trip to Fredericksburg in December–$245 already in bank + $80 visa card rebate + gas reimb cks from work (from now until mid-November) to cover cost of gas, food, souvenirs, hotel

4) Deposit for trip (London or Scotland)–$400–December

5) Balance of trip/airfare/food money/souvenirs: $1600 to $2600 + $700 + $400 (either May or September 09)

6) A&M Grad Certificate Classes: $1700 each class/semester est. (tuition/fees, books, $ to pay for wi-fi at McAlisters to do online projects, gas)–summer 2009

7) Adobe Lightroom: $300–early 2009 (biz)

Student loans: knock balance to 4250 by end of 2009 …that’s supposed to be an eight, not a smiley guy in sunglasses!

9) Get emergency account w/ ING to $2000

10) Maintain $2000 balance on local savings account

Oh yeah, finding a place I can afford on my own (without human roommates anyway) factors in here somewhere, but will be left out to avoid writing a novel today…

If any of these have to be postponed or eliminated, this is the order:

6) I’m choosing to do this program as it could boost my resume when it comes to looking for teaching positions, but isn’t necessary. Could save until I start teaching full time to have the ability to use hours to earn professional growth credit requirements as their course acronyms aren’t in either of the two areas my graduate education is in.

2) No cable or satellite means my (at least) ten year old 13″ tv will be useless beyond watching dvds and vhs tapes (I have a combo player) after next February. I’m hoping to find a 19″ screen for somewhat less than $300 right after Thanksgiving, but that’s how much one was on sale for in the Best Buy ad this week. I could buy the convertor, but the two per address limit meant my personal tv was #3, so forget that idea. And the two other convertors, they aren’t working like advertised. Apparently you need more than just ‘the box’ when you have an antenna! Rather than dealing with that hassel, I’ll spend a bit more and get a digital television and figure out what to do with my 13″ when the time comes.

7) I’m sure I can figure out ways to uninstall and reinstall the trial software if necessary until the biz funds cover this purchase rather than using income from my day job.

4/5) I really prefer the trip next September to London I’ve been eyeing, but the family is debating the May trip to Scotland. $1000 more and four months sooner. I really would prefer to only pay payments on a balance of food/souvenirs upon return, not still be paying for the trip/airfare as well when I return. When I went to Vienna, I managed to pay off the airline ticket before I left and got $300 on a travel funds card (rather than cash advances at the atms). Unfortunately, AMEX no longer sells the travel funds cards/has the program, so my card is useless.

I know the last three items should be listed first, but they already are in progress rather than new items to save/pay off during the period. The student loans, at the current rate, will be there by December 31, 2009. #10 is simply to maintain. #9 requires me to set up a second ING account as my current one is about to be dubbed the travel funds account (where my money for #3 is sitting).

The good news is that beyond the 0% financed camera and lenses (no financing fees either), I have no other credit balances (excluding student and car loan). Anything sitting on a credit card currently (biz and personal) is paid off monthly…so I can reap the rewards (for example, I have $11.34 to redeem on my next statement on my Exxon Mobil Mastercard, less than $12 away from another cashback bonus on Discover).

As for my biz, I have a few ideas in development for late summer and fall I hope will be successful despite the economic outlook. I’m getting the details nailed down and hopefully debuting a contest at the end of this month as well. Hopefully income generated from all of that will assist in wiping out the camera balances and the purchase of #7. If I’m lucky, that’ll free up the day job income to stockpile the funds in the emergency and travel savings at ING, purchase the tv, and speed up the student loan repayment a tad faster than my double payments already are. I’d love to generate enough income from the biz to break even in 2009 so I can spend my day job income on wiping out both the student and car loans and beefing up the emergency savings.

I will still keep the local savings for now, as pitifully as it pays because of the convenience for quick access versus the wait to move funds from ING (as I’ve not done so yet to know how long that takes). I’d consider a money market account for it, but I’m not impressed enough with my advisor currently (actually, to be entirely honest, never) to entrust him with that money too. In fact, I’ve researched brokerage firms off and on since my undergrad days to move the money to, but either didn’t have enough money (back then) or not a local office to meet with the advisors. While I know I have the background to handle it, I like knowing there is someone trained and certified if I need them. Granted, I’m not one of their favorite customers, as my money isn’t split across the realm in different areas and they don’t generate income from me. Its in two stocks and until January, was doing fabulously without my assistance. The dividends reinvest quarterly automatically. I’ve toyed with the idea of moving it into a retirement account rather than a regular investment account, but I like the idea its there to cash out with no penalties if something catastrophic happens to me and medical bills (or at worst, funeral expenses) are piling up–its a joint account with my father as the #2 on it. They really love the idea of mutual funds, and while I know most of the personal finance world seems to as well (hello, commissions and bonuses for pushing them!), I adhere to the philosophy of my investments professor–mutual funds are for wimps. Take a chance, buy stocks. Bonds only if you are really wimpy or the economy sucks. I told the advisor that several years ago. I think its why the rest of my family (who also have accounts there) get birthday and Christmas cards and why I was shoved off on the newbie in the office to deal with!

So, to wrap this up, the plan for the next seventeen-ish months:

1) Pretend I’m broke. Guess that means everyone’s getting homemade gifts for awhile And cutting back on my etsy addiction!

2) Hoard money like its acorns and I’m a squirrel.

3) Make business break even so I can stop ‘investing’ my money into it and possibly ‘pay myself back’ the $500 account minimum sitting in the biz checking currently.

4) Travel and accumulate more digital images and memories than souvenirs to clutter home with (excluding postcards for my massive collection/addiction).

5) Knock out debt.

6) Be able to watch tv that’s digital so I’m not downloading stuff off itunes because I lack the tv to see it when it airs.

Probably ‘plans, plans, plans’ would be a better title for this entry than the one actually given, but its part of a series, so I’m leaving it.

One of the things I am trying to do this year, while leaving me somewhat broke, is to upgrade my photography equipment. Here’s where I’m at on purchases:

–Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Standard Zoom Lens — February

–Canon EOS 30D camera body — April (along with flash cards, extra battery, raingear, and a few other photog related purchases)

–Canon 85mm f/1.8 USM Autofocus Lens — June

–Canon 70-200mm f/4.0L USM Autofocus Lens — June

–Bogen/Manfrotto 676 Monopod — June

If all goes to according to plan–after I photograph Steph’s wedding this weekend–my now backup camera, its kit lens, and my tamron macro-telephoto lens will then be purchased by my mother so that my parents will have a DSLR and lenses to use without going out and spending nearly as much as I have. She’s agreed that me or the bro can still use it if I need a second shooter or as backup gear until I purchase another camera.

Which would be this baby: Canon EOS 40D. Its come down significantly in price since last August, and until July 19th, B&H has it with a $200 instant rebate. Granted, after the grief I’ve had with Brown in the past week, I’m paying the extra $10 to get the Fedex delivery if I do. I’ll have the April purchases paid off by the end of this month (0% for 6 months financing with BML), and I have until January 1st to get the lenses paid off (same financing). Considering that I’ve paid off my lasek (with a little assistance from Uncle Sammy) last month and was used to not having that money to do anything else with for the past year (I paid it off eleven months and two days after having the lasek done!!!), I am seriously seriously considering going ahead and getting the 40D now and having it all paid off by the end of the year–or shortly thereafter.

Then I’d have two really good pro level cameras, a lower end fixed lens (the 50mm), and the three above. I could then focus on phase two of the business expansion: software and computer hardware.

After the wedding and senior session I have this weekend, I’m planning on installing a 30 day trial of Adobe Lightroom to see how well I like it. If I do, I may buy it sometime after the first of the year.

Granted, Phase II on the hardware is where I’d like to get a desktop system…but honestly, I want a Mac to use for my photo editing. I can do everything else I’d need on the PC systems I have now. So buying Lightroom would mean I’d have to decide whether to stick with PC or jump to the Mac side. For what a Mac would cost me (and getting one with enough RAM in it to run Photoshop and itunes at the same time without it taking forever and a day to run an action on a photo), I could get Lightroom, a PC desktop system, and another laptop easily. Going with a Mac, however, means purchasing the Mac version of not only Lightroom, but also Photoshop. I already have the entire CS2 package for the PC…

Decisions, decisions…

Returned home, sick to boot, and discovered a flat tire with a nail in it. Lovely.

Was at the trusty tire repair shop first thing Monday morning, then went to work where we were ‘slammed’…which has been the case for the rest of this week.

Went out and toured the home/met the fuzzy critters I’ll be housesitting later this month and possibly at the end of July as well.

Received a deadline to make an important decision. One that, based on the time I have to fully research the information provided, isn’t going to be what several people want at this point.

Wrapped up with spilling a third of my one-a-day Dr Pepper’s on the floor, my lunch, keys, and the sleeve of my new white cardigan this morning, and I’m ready to take another vacation far far away.

With that, here are a few linkages I came across this week (or earlier) in my limited free time that are worth sharing…

Found via google search: Cost of Living Wizard @ salary.com

Found via several top photographers: Totally Rad Actions. Try out their free sample set w/ three actions. I got these last month while I was starting the editing of a maternity session and used two of the three sample actions a lot. Whenever funds are more sufficient, I plan to invest in the entire set…granted, they’re about to come out with a second set, so I’m hoping they’ll put out a sample set to try before I plunk down money on one set and wish I’d gotten the second set!

Found via a personal finance blog (forgot which one!): Poorer Than You. Stephanie’s a college student who’s learned the hard way about credit cards and personal finance. She’s got some great information for anyone, regardless if you’re a college student or not. Having gotten a finance degree myself, I wish much of what today’s PF bloggers discuss was taught in the personal finance class I took.

Odds are that the people that look as poor as churchmice or are frugal are the ones that are much wealthier (both financial and emotionally) than those that flaunt their wealth daily.  I should know, several are related to me   And, hopefully, one day I’ll be able to join their ranks as well.