My Frugal Miser - 2016 Goals

Once again it's time to lay out the annual roadmap.  Publishing my goals keeps me accountable:  it's a constant reminder of what is important to me.

• Simplify

By the end of 2016 I will move to another personal finance program (something that can be managed online).  I like Quicken, but it is the last PC-only program I use.  I want to do away with my PC completely.  Quicken no longer automatically downloads many of my transactions, so they are helping me along by being broken.

Streamlining possessions is a never-ending task.  I want to do some serious culling of material things in 2016.

I want to spend less time on finances.  I'm not sure if this means consolidating more bank accounts, selling real estate or paying off debt.  It is probably some combination of those things.  Whatever the formula, my finances need to be on auto-pilot.

I also want to reduce the time I spend online.

• Debt:  Reduce outstanding debt to less than $210,000.

I am closing out 2015 with close to $260,000 in debt.  I'd like to reduce it by about $50,000.

• Spending:  Stretch my Vacation and Entertainment Dollar.

I want this to be a fun challenge.  We love to travel, and I like the game of finding a deal.  I want to focus 2016 on budget-friendly vacations.  This might mean finding a place with an IHG Pointbreak or HHonors Opportunity-level hotel, or booking a flight to a nearby city to save cash.  In 2015 we spent over $10,000 on vacations and entertainment; we spent nearly as much in 2014.  Since I want a way to quantify this goal, I will plan to reduce my 2016 Vacation and Entertainment spending to $5,000.