I wrote this back in July of 2005, and the chart that I mention I started in April of that year.
There is truth in the cheesy phrase, "We all gotta have goals." Whether it be buying a home, going to school, learning to cook, or getting a high score on a video game - goals help keep us working hard.
My goal for a couple of years has been to move to the Black Hills. However, I found inertia is very hard to overcome. In theory, such a move should be easy - I am single w/o kids and don't own land. Quite easy to 'pick up stakes' right? This turned out not to be the case as the 'right' time never came:
"Well, one more year then I'll be fully vested in my 401(k)."
"Gotta wait a year for follow-up appointments for my LASIK"
"I should probably stick around 'til my brother graduates ..."
and so on and so on ... as you can imagine, these reasons could continue indefinitely.
I remembered something from school about goal-setting, and thanks to the net I re-learned the acronym of S.M.A.R.T. It's a method for clearly defining your goals:
S- specific
M- measurable
A- attainable
R- realistic
T- timely (you'll also see 'tangible', but I like timely better since I think deadlines are more motivating. Also, tangible seems too close to specific, which is already covered)
I decided the easiest way to make moving fit that goal worksheet was to tie it to money. I calculated a dollar amount based on what would make me feel comfortable in a move of this sort. This money would cover moving expenses, set-up costs in the new town, and also provide a cushion for the shock of a lifestyle change (i.e. I'll be making less money in the new town).
A dollar target is specific, obviously. It's measurable - just look at your bank statement. It's attainable - based on my finances, I can continue to save for this and still meet my other investment goals (IRA, etc.). It's realistic because my current savings account could be used as a headstart on the total. I set the deadline for late 2006, thus making it timely.
Being a dollar goal, it made me think of church fundraisers where they've got the big poster up front and fill it in with marker as the donations come in. A company I used to work for kept a similar poster to measure our progress towards a yearly vacation - if we were going to Hawaii that year, there'd be pictures of fish and palm trees all over it.
So I made my own!
It's fun to fill it in as I save. Plus now it's exciting to be close to the goal.
Having the poster in a visible place makes it easier to resist spending money on random things, because I'm reminded that they can be better spent.
At the end of March of 2006 I reached that goal, and May 10th I arrived in Wyoming with all my belongings.I remember hearing some vauge stirrings about the Free State Project several years ago, but nothing that really spoke to me. Looking back, my biased hindsight tells me it's because I never would have considered living on the east coast.
Then an online friend mentioned Molon Labe in the Winter of '04 and I was transfixed by the idea! It was right before it was published and I was like a kid waiting for Christmas as I kept checking the mail for it to arrive. I read it several times, joined the Yahoo group, and scheduled a road trip for that summer with a buddy of mine.
We did the I-90 route, over to Mt. Rushmore and then back through Cody and Yellowstone. I had an awesome time! I was basically already hooked on the idea and the trip in person was just to officially "see it" before committing 100%. My buddy liked Montana better but he just mainly wants to get out of the city and is less concerned with the idea of a free State. But he might still come around.
Then the excuses set in, as you read above.
But, I made that plan and stuck to it and now here I am!
There were definite setbacks along the way - soon after I made that July post about the chart I broke my leg quite badly and had to pay about $4000 in medical bills. Still, avoiding frivolous expenses can really add up. I started logging my finances in Quicken as another subtle reminder to keep a close eye on my outlays. It took just over a year to reach my goal once I buckled down.
I kept that chart on my bedroom door, and towards the end of each month I would start getting excited to be able to fill up another section.
I wanted to keep the money very liquid since I am planning on using it to buy my own place once I arrive, and so I just kept it in CD's. No the interest wasn't great but for the short term I figured it was better than just a savings account.
In the bigger picture,
I probably could have gotten here a lot sooner. But in my particular case this is what it took to kick me in the ass. And that's what counts, IMNSHO.
