So 8 days in to the new year and guess what? I broke my arm! How you ask….well I was swinging from a chandelier during wild and passionate baby making with my husband because why have 5 kids, when you could have 6, and who knew chandeliers needed reinforcing before you swung on them…no not really!!
I skidded and fell on one of the many toys that have littered my house since we officially became santas toy shop on Christmas Day. The bone in my elbow has chipped off and rather than pinning it back together they reckon it will just get better without needing surgery or a cast as it was a clean break. I’m back in 4 weeks to re x ray and check on it. In the mean time I have a cuff and sling and have to keep it as still as possible (Impossible with five small people following me around and creating hazards left right and centre)
Anyway, 2013, the year of big change for the Clevs. We moved country, we had a baby, we finally addressed our finances.
So what are we aiming for in 2014?
Well last year we made a 5 year plan, I highly recommend everyone doing this at some point. Especially if you are feeling a bit lost and can’t see the wood for the trees. It has helped me immensely to have a written down aim so that if ever I feel a bit overwhelmed by the house, the kids, money, my marriage I can look at it and just refocus.
Our five year plan looks like this…
By 2018 the Clevs will be totally debt free (not including mortgage, but including paying off our car) buy and move into our forever house, travel and educate. (Parents if you are reading this I know you are shaking your heads, so here is a picture for you)
So with that in mind, our 2014 goals are broken down into categories which will help us achieve points in our five year plan. As I’m writing this I’m sensing my talents are wasted in the home and I need to be organising the world or something…
Financial
1) finish paying one last small debt (by March)
2) pay off half of the one remaining large debt (by the end of September)
3) double our savings (by the end of the year)
To do this I have decided that I need to become more productive with computer time, ie less Facebook and reading and pinteresting. More admin, more financial budgeting. I’m pretty proud of what I accomplished in 2013 but for us to step it up a notch a half an hour here and there isn’t going to cut it. I need a good hour once or maybe twice a week in which to be child free in the office and knuckle down and work. During this time I also hope to write and blog more!
House
1) get all our paperwork in order, including our past years bank statements and records and put into separate files and folders. Same for computer files and folders too.
2) see a financial adviser regarding mortgages and building.
We have found our forever house, or at least the wreck that we would love to make into our forever house. It’s going for a steal but we need extra funds to do it up and extend it. We just need to finally work out what we are going to do about this and then get on and make it happen instead of sitting around doing nothing.
Travel and educate
1) get all the kids of preschool/school age swimming confidently.
2) explore Ireland more, visiting Cork and maybe Belfast.
3) start a separate savings account for a big trip.
Luis is not at all confident in the water, he has chickened out of two lots of swimming lessons and point blank refused the school ones meaning he stays behind at school while his friends go swimming. This just about breaks my heart. Mr Clev is going to start late night swimming with him on Friday nights. He might not get underway until my arm heals up so I can do bedtime with the others, but this is a major priority for us now.
Travel wise we have been saving our supervalu points and hope to use some to get down to Cork for a few days this summer. I would love to go to the titanic museum in Belfast too but that might be a trip for me and the boys as they are older. That should do us for the summer, as well as lots of day trips and local lake swimming! While I vowed last year to go abroad this year I just think it’s not the best idea with 5 kids under 8. Everywhere is super expensive and looks super un relaxing. We have decided on a big trip maybe next year or 2016 instead, roadtrip Europe, America or somewhere really random (I vote a religious trip to the holy land). Right now anywhere abroad is just a waste of time and money and housing is our top priority. Saving has already started in the form of a money jar, the contents of which will go into a big trip savings account.
So that’s what we are hoping for 2014. It’s a big year events wise for us, the girls are being baptised in 2 weeks, we head back to the uk for a break at Easter, Luis makes his first communion in May, we are off to One Direction (whoop whoop), a birthday trip away for me, and plans are in motion for a Clev side family Christmas here!! Happy new year all, here’s to a fab 2014!
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