Summer in Review

I love summertime. I love that we don’t have to wake early for school and that things just seem slower during these months. I love hot weather, going to the swimming pool, and having picnics with friends. Each day, my prayer is that time slows down and that the days get longer so that we can enjoy each minute.

The slower rhythm of the summer can also provide us with time to reflect on the first half of the year and determine if there is any adjusting, recalibrating if you will, for the second half of the year. As your budget and finance blogger, I encourage you to take a look at how you have done financially so far this year. Consider things such as:
* Am I consistently taking time each month to develop a budget?
* Am I sticking to the budget I made?
* What were the financial objectives I set earlier this year and am I progressing towards them?
* Did I establish an emergency fund? If not, what is one thing I can do right now to make that possible?
* Based on an overall review of where I am financially, are there any changes I need to implement to set myself up better for the second half of the year?

Your midyear review should not take very long, maybe an hour or two. If you are married, please sit down with your spouse one night and review your finances. And, most importantly, have fun with it! If you are reviewing with your spouse, make a date night out of it. Use colorful pens and highlighters. This does not have to be a boring and tedious process.

Let me know how it goes. Kevin and I will be walking through our financial review very soon as we recently sold our house and are downsizing for a while. I’m looking forward to seeing how we are progressing on our goals.

Have a fantastic summer!