Looking Back - 2015

I had 9 goals for 2015 and before starting working towards my 2016 goals, I want to look back and reflect how I did in 2015.

Financial:

Networth: I aimed to increase same by 20%. Achieved this goal in October. And by the year end I (we) have managed to increase it by 26.6% annually. 
Score:1/9

Savings: I wanted to save 65% of total money we make (all salary + bonus + any other money). I (we) saved 69% of our total money.
Score:2/9

Retirement: I wanted to save 40% of net salary (in-hand + automated deduction) for retirement. Managed to save just shy of 67% there.
Score:3/9

Emergency Fund - Wanted to have 12x months of living expenses in EF. Achieved this within first half of the year. But by the end of year, had to dip in my EF many times. Ended up 10.5x months of living expenses saved as EF. 
Score:3/9

Save all of DH's salary - Done that. Finally, my household can survive on the lower salary of two. :)

Score:4/9

Personal:

Baby Schedule - I really worked very hard on work-life balance. This was a priority all through. A satisfying year on this front for sure.

Score:5/9

Reading related to Job - Another year of big failure. *Sob Sob* 

Score:5/9

Diary Writing - I actually picked it up in last quarter and had been writing on-off. Going to focus on writing more regularly this year but so far I count it as WIP/Partial Success.

Score:6/9

Love Myself - Well worked on/off in the year but having this as a goal for sure made me more conscious of importance of routines. WIP/Majorly a success.

Score:7/9

So that's how I did in 2015 - 7 out of 9. 

How about you?

Goals for 2016

2015 was year of *Continuing the Good Work* both in financial world and in Self-Love. However, within few days into the year bad news started pouring in. My household lost 2 family members in last year. Age and illness was of course well known but I never knew it is going to be this tough before actually facing it. My family was devastated at one point wouldn't be an understatement. My priority suddenly changed to just taking care of everyone around me than anything else. 

This new personal circumstances also resulted in noticeable increase in expenses of our household, but those were things I will never compromise on. 

Some of the key takeaways are:

1. Family is and will always be my number one priority, that’s how I am. 
2. Having money in bank gives you so much confidence and peace of mind and options when dealing with calamities. 
3. Baby's growth amazes me almost always. It makes me happy and sad at same time to see him grow so fast. Parenthood is unexplainable!
4. Though my expenses were high last year, I was able to meet most of savings goals.

I just hope 2016 brings some much needed good news in our household, please spare some prayers for us, if you can. :)

Over to goals for 2016.

  

Financial:

Hoping to have a solid year in terms of finances. And yes I continue to hope that Murphy decides not to visit us and we can pass this category.

1. Networth: Let’s keep it same as good old 20%. I can bet, if I will meet this goal in 2016, I would for sure have to lower my number next year or really increase my take-home money somehow. *Fingers-Crossed*. 
2. Savings: Save 67% of total money (all salary + bonus + any other money). I am trying to finally reach my dream equation - spend 1/3th on today and save 2/3rd for *consolidated fund of future everything*.
3. Retirement: Save 40% of net salary(inhand+automated) in retirement. 
4. Emergency Fund - 12X of monthly expenses as I otherwise believe in having risky portfolio at this age.
5. Save all of DH's salary - This means we get to live on my salary + reimbursements. Should be totally doable. 

Personal:

Continuing "Love Yourself".

1. Aim that I don't disturb baby's schedule on day to day basis, specifically when we have visitors.
2. Spend at least one hour on my new job related studying. Hope to succeed Must prepare myself to succeed in this category.
3. Love myself - Continuing same, follow my routine rigorously, esp. of Walk, Bath and Pray and diary writing.
4. Watch my spending -  All other goals that you see in above are mostly same as last year one or a slight modification of them. However, this is one of the area that I have recently realized as my weakness. I am frugal person by nature, making do without things comes so naturally to me, but when I am purchasing, I am not very good at getting the best value of my buck. This year I am trying to set some guidelines for every purchase and improve myself as more savvy spender.

9 goals for this year, please wish me best of luck and I promise to try and update regularly on my progress. 

Happy New Year - 2016

Wishing you all a very very Happy New Year 2016.

May this new year bring fulfillment of all desires and dreams.

I was almost gone for 6 months from this blog, a lot happened in my household, I needed a break. Though, I have been tracking all my finances and other goals offline, I just not felt like updating anything here. *Hibernation* is my way of dealing with calamities.

Will update about my life, my tracking of goals for 2015 and my goals for 2016 in separate blog posts.

For now, let’s cheers that 2015 is finally over and a new year is here that brings so many new hopes with it.

Indian Thoughts (IT).