Looking ahead - One year from now.

**Russ** · 08-09-2010, 07:26 AM

Thank you for responding and voting in the thread "ONE YEAR AGO, if you did so.

Now lets use our crystal ball and get a glimpse of what the future holds.

Do you see a brighter future? Uncertainty? Or, it's going to get worse before it gets better?

The poll is private so nobody will see how you vote.

**Russ** · 08-09-2010, 07:30 AM

We expect things to get better at our house because we are in full debt reduction mode. So less debt, in my mind, means we will be doing better.

**nodmicks** · 08-09-2010, 08:17 AM

I'm predicting better because in 13 month dh hits his company's full scale. According to his contract that is over a $8 raise.

I also see us still putting at least 100 a week in savings so it has to keep adding up

**Ceashels** · 08-09-2010, 08:20 AM

Financially, I expect things to be better as well. Everything is going to investment/retirement and Greebo has been bitten by the "pay off the mortgage early" bug.

**frugalwarrior2** · 08-09-2010, 08:26 AM

1 year from now
-all our consumer debt will be gone
-DS will be graduated and starting Comm Coll in Aug/sept.
-DD should have or be close to her 2 yr. degree(less college loomimg to pay for)
-We will have saved 3-6 months savings and be working that 15% and mortgage paydown.
-we will be considerably skinnier ( am going for 50-60 more #'s,have lost 22#.
-hopefully pet attrition will occur and some of the older ones will lighten our load (love them all but we have WAY too many and expenses are killing me)
-have a new furnace and air conditioner,new dishwasher,hot water heater.(already budgeting)
-have paid back DS's college money we owe him (from DH's accident)
Wow,I'm going to write this down to read in a year. I know a lot will be true as we are paying off consumer debt asap by cashing in a whole life policy.

**greekislandgirl** · 08-09-2010, 08:27 AM

My husband's pay might get reduced further (because of austerity measures) but it might also go up as he moves up the pay scale (he should bump up one level in December, which should increase his take-home pay a bit). Taxes are going up 12% on food and medicine a few months from now so that will strain our household expenses. We really don't know what the future holds here.

However... I MIGHT find a job. My summer job ends in a few days and I can start looking for a new job after we move in September. IF I find something... any little bit I bring home will help.

Also, we're planning to have far fewer expenses this year than last year. I have health insurance now, (my hospital bill was our biggest expense last year) and also we were traveling a LOT last year, and this year expect to do so very little. We're also going to try to find a place much closer to my husband's work so we can cut down on gasoline usage. I've also made TONS of progress in learning to save money and cook from scratch and build a stockpile; and I'm going to investigate distilling sea water so that we don't have to spend so much money on water.

Time will tell whether we will come out ahead on this one, tread water the whole year, or fall behind further. At least, at this time next year, we will be one year further along in paying off our only debt (husband's car).

**Russ** · 08-09-2010, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by frugalwarrior2

1 year from now

Wow,I'm going to write this down to read in a year. .

I like this idea.

**monkeywrangler71** · 08-09-2010, 08:37 AM

I think things will get much worse, but then again they've been really good leading up to now. I don't know how long dh will continue at this salary, I doubt he will get his incentive pay this winter, we are in an area with a drastically higher cost of living, our new house cost $50K more than the one we sold, and I expect to spend a pile of money fixing it up.

But, we expected and planned for this.

**billyboy** · 08-09-2010, 09:08 AM

I think things are looking up. My husband is in home construction and he is finally getting some plans to draw. I work in retail and am seeing more money coming through the registers than I have in a long time. Everyone still seems cautious though, but I think that's to be expected for a while longer. We set a goal of paying off our $46,700 mortgage in 2 years and working hard to achieve that goal. It is the only debt we have left. Also working at setting aside more for emergencies and investments. Read the book You're Broke Because You Want to Be. What an eye opener for me. I corrected a lot of problem areas in my thinking and now we are really going full steam ahead toward financial freedom.

**sunshine** · 08-09-2010, 07:09 PM

It could go either way -- I'm an RN, so a lot depends on the interpretation and implementation of the new health care reform laws. . . "they" are anticipating cutting 40-50% of bedside nurses. . . which will leave me unemployed.

**ShadowMom** · 08-09-2010, 07:37 PM

I expect things to get worse before they get better. Hubby has been unemployed for 5 months now with no prospects in sight. There are just not a lot of jobs around here, and the ones that are, are going to the twenty-somethings. I read an article on MSN a few weeks ago that if you are over 50, the prospects of finding a job are almost impossible. They interviewed people who had been out of work for 2 years or more.

(Now that I've said that, he will probably get a job and make me look silly)

**Russ** · 08-09-2010, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by ShadowMom

(Now that I've said that, he will probably get a job and make me look silly)

Wouldn't that be great?

**NikoSan999** · 08-09-2010, 08:03 PM

Could go either way. There are more businesses closing, still no home building, a few new business buildings ( which make no sense ), more homes going up for sale. You can't recycle if there's nothing to recycle.
Plumbers aren't plumbing, electricians are working, AC guys are only doing the necessary work people can afford. And on and on. We're staying afloat after the bankruptcy took away most of the debt. So now it's a waiting game, day by day.

On the other hand, some people depend on us...scrapping cans they find along with a little of this to pay their water bill or buy food etc. So it's a catch 22. If we sink so do alot of other people that depend on what little they get recycling to survive.

My fingers are crossed and I know we had alot of prayers answered over the last 6 months. I hope our prayers continue to be answered and I know I don't give up anything without a fight. If plan A dosen't work, go to plan B.

Biggest fear right now is hubbys health. It isn't getting better it's slowly getting worse. And THAT scares me.

Good note. My unemployment should have ran out when it was turned down last first vote. But it's somehow still going. Prayers ARE answered

**Momto5RN** · 08-09-2010, 08:18 PM

. "they" are anticipating cutting 40-50% of bedside nurses. . . which will leave me unemployed. >>

doing home care i hear alot of how busy the nurses were when my cts were in the hospital - not in a complaining they didnt do enough way, but knowing they are doing the best they can and the pts still having to wait for things they never would have had to waited for 20 years ago.

i hope the new reform figures in money to reimburse people whose family members die from not being monitored well enough if they cut 50% of nursing staff . It already looks short staffed to the pts and families as it is !

i am crazy busy on my end - they keep asking me to do more and i just cant- the insurances want them out of the hospitals rehabs etc ASAP_ just this week 2 of the pts i admitted would have never been allowed to go home 10 years ago in the state they were in - they live alone with some intermiitant help - crazy and scary .

to answer the question ... i am hoping it will be better for us as the money the past year or so that has gone to vehicles issues can be put to debt - dhs work seems to be picking up - oldest ds is working so can pay his own bills now he is out of college .
but i am being careful as one never knows what will happen - i could end up with my fibro becoming too bad for me to work again -
so i will continue to work toward paying off the debt like it could be worse.

**jasper** · 08-09-2010, 09:22 PM

We are looking for things to be much better.We paid our home off this year.This was hard every dime we had extra went to the house.
I guess we kinda did the Dave plan backwards after we paid off the big credit we then took all the money and applied it to the house.We paid it off 6 years early.
After that we still have 2 small bills under $700.00
that we will be paying off.We have not done it as of yet due to I had to have a home fund so I put most of that money to that due to tax home insurance and just the daily things that break down.Example this year so far things around the home that has broke
hot water heater
washer
dryer
work on the furnace
but due that we did have the home fund we are not in debt.
So this year we will be paying off the small debt and I know life will be better.
I am determind
Sorry for the long post to a short question.Sorry Russ