Date Night Club (October 2019): Keeping All the Balls in the Air

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Let's start with an icebreaker question ...

What is the single most important financial goals in your life right now? Why?

MONTHLY BUDGET CHECK-IN

  • Did you stay on track this month?

  • Did any surprises come up - positive or negative?

  • Did the way you used your money align with your values?

  • If you got off track, what's 1-2 steps you can each take to get back on track again?

Feel like you're juggling multiple financial goals? Check out this video ...

Activity:

Ready to get your goals in order? Work through the steps below. Return to this activity any time a new financial goal comes into your life. Grab three sheets of blank paper – or three separate word documents – to work through the activity.

You’ll complete the first part of this activity on your own, on separate sheets of paper:

  1. List: Write down all of your financial goals – no need to worry about the order right now. Just try to get everything down. As you write them down, fill in any details you have such as how much money you’ll need and when.

  2. Rank your goals: Then put your goals in order of importance – how much do these matter to you right now and into the future. No cheating off your partner's page – be honest.

  3. Mark the urgent goals: Put a star next to any goal that is urgent.

  4. Step back – is it really urgent: Take a moment to step back. Use this week’s blog post to ensure the items you listed really are urgent. Modify your urgency rankings, crossing out the star for any goals you no longer deem as urgent, adding more stars for those goals that are really urgent.

  5. Reevaluate your rankings: Given the urgency of certain goals on your list, do your rankings need to change? If so, make any needed edits.


Now, come back together:

  1. Check the list: Do you have the same goals listed? Are there any that need to be added to your individual lists?

  2. Evaluate your rankings: Take a moment to walk through your rankings together – where were you the same, where were you different? Spend some extra time on the ones where you widely varied in your ratings. Listen intently to why your partner choose the ranking they selected – how might you come together, not just compromise.

  3. Create your priority list together: On a new sheet of paper, list out you’re the top 3-5 goals you want to focus on as a couple right now. Include as many details as possible about these goals. On the second half, list any other remaining goals in order. Focus on those on the top of the sheet, any time more money flows through your life channel them in toward those goals. Meet one? Cross it off and move one of the goals from the bottom up. Have a new goal? Go through the same evaluation process and it into the list in the right place.

See? That wasn't as hard as you thought!

Have other questions about balancing multiple priorities? Send me an email at: grace@classyfrugalist.com and let me know where you’re getting stuck.