EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED?!?!

Hello blog world - its' been a long time and a LOT has changed.

Remember that happy interruption that I thought would occur, Oh, I don't know, NEXT YEAR??!??! Well, my sweetheart POPPED the question in front of all of my closest friends and family (and his closest friends and family) this past Saturday, August, 23, 2008!! Can you believe it?!?!

I'm so overwhelmed with happiness and love. He's literally made me the happiest woman in all of the earth.

And also the craziest woman b/c now I'm planning a wedding for 13 months from now (tentative date of Sept 26, 2009)

So EVERYTHING has changed - including my financial goals.

My fiance (how cool is that to write) and I are paying for majority of the wedding ourselves, so we're pushing the house to 2010 and focusing on the wedding for 2009. Our parents are helping, but approx. 65% of the cost is going to mostly fall on our shoulders.

We're planning a wedding of 250 people, outdoors on a lake, elegant brunch reception and a second reception for the "younger folks" ha ha ha ha.

So this blog will now focus on the new financial goals of my life. Planning this wedding for under $30,000 (I think we can do it for $25,000 or less!); a vigorous new budget for savings, sticking to the budget, and stripping on the weekends to make ends meet. My fiance also said he doesn't mind selling his body on 14th and K Street, Northwest DC, so I can have that chocolate fountain at the reception!!!!

I kid, I kid :)

So - the new goals are....

1. save approx. $800/month (collectively)


2. revive our home based business and collect MAJOR upfront money (which we will invest into our wedding)


3. keep great records to reap our WONDERFUL tax benefits from our home based business.


4. scout opportunities for extra windfall income


5. set savings goals through smartypig and have them deducted from our checks.


6. cut down on excessive spending


7. maintain great credit


8. if we do charge items, set aggressive goals to pay down within 1-3 months

I think we can do it and have something really great to be proud of in the end! I know God will bless our finances to do more than we ever could imagine. We're both smart, successful, young professionals and we're capable of living on a budget for 13 months to have a great wedding with little to no debt!

we can do it!!!!