I am not sure if I typed out my goals so here goes. Keeping here for future tweaking.

**Save $10k in cash. Achieve this by saving $35/month+raise(raise is still unknown), saving budget underages, saving extra income, earning interest, saving cash gifts, and saving bonuses. If we have a really good year (little unforeseen on the expense side) I think we can maybe pull it off, but I am definitely aiming HIGH.
(If it is a good year will reconsider allocating some to ROTHs by April 2008. I like the hindsight 20/20 aspect of this aim. Regardless of us, retirement gets a $13k+ bump so it takes a backseat in 2007. If I can save this money, going forward I know I Can save our full ROTH contributions every year. It is a small piece of a bigger goal).

**Actively manage investments. 10%+ returns, but depends on market.

**Resist the urge to prepay mortgage. This is just silly until ROTHs are fully funded and savings is where I want it. Remind myself if not for prepayment would have more cash today. Still have YEARS to prepay it and meet early payoff goal. & this is NOT the year.

**Resist the urge to prepay personal loan. Silly silly silly. I extended my goal for payoff to December 2007. The balance should be $1k or so then. Once I pay it off I can save $250/month. For now I can only save $35. You see why I want to pay it off. *sigh* I know I know, leave it alone, let the interest compound on my savings!!

**Set up allowance system for dh and I. will open new high-yield savings for this.

**I also set a monetary goal to have $150k in our retirement by age 35. Or in 5 years. I know this is a pretty lofty goal, but I knew $100k would be too easy and so I rather aim high and fall short, than aim low. Plus I think it is just entirely possible...

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In other news, looks like we sold the jumperoo for $35. We'll see if they show today. woohoo. I knew as I posted these for more than I expected to get, that a lot of people would not haggle. BUT it still amazes me. I am not the finest haggler myself, but believe me, I am buying something easy to find used off of Craigslist, I am haggling it down.

& I do know the basic rules. Never tell someone your lowest price. Or haggle the price because you can't afford it even though you "know it is worth more." THat was the e-mail I got on the playwall. lOL. Well if you know it is worth more, whatever, I am not a charity case - hehe. I Would have respected his haggling a little more if he hadn't of thrown the sentence "I know it is worth more."

Unfortunately me e-mail is not working right now so I don't know where I stand with that guy either or the status on my freecycle. LAdy never arranged pickup, so I offered to someone else. Funny thing is this was for "charity" - for a needy family. The few times I have tried to give things away for charity through craigslist and freecycle, the people didn't follow through. I guess when it is for personal gain they are quick, and when not they really drag their feet. So this is the 2nd time ever I didn't have someone show up right away, 2nd time for a needy family. So I offered to someone else. Hopefully it will be gone today!!!!

Oh yes, but haggling. We haggle almost everything. It is amazing how much you can save if you just ask. The worst is they say no. But even then, walking away from things, you will be amazed how low people will go sometimes. Though I overall do not recommend walking away unless you really want to walk away - hehe.
For example, as we walked out of a timeshare presentation with our free goodies, the salesman bowing to the floor and grabbing our knees so we don't walk out (okay exaggerating, but just a tad) they lowered the price on this timeshare from $15k to $5k. Frankly I wouldn't have bought it for a pennie. But just proved to me how worthless those things were. So we were at a liquidation sale for furniture and saw these beautiful leather theatre chairs. & score because they had some imperfections. The guy will not budge on price for nothing. This is a frigging liquidation sale with a flawed product. So we just walked away. There was no way we would pay that much. OF course he groveled as we start to walk out and lowered the price. & we talked him down even more. Try it sometime. But even ordering some electronic equipment online dh always calls and haggles the price. HE can usually at least get free shipping. We have never paid asking price on a car or a piece of furniture. & rarely for a service. Next time you get a quote on something, ask if you can pay less. Haggle haggle haggle. most of these people are EXPECTING you to haggle so they price high. Take advantage and give it a try...

On the flip side, I just sold 2 items for full price without a haggle. I didn't ask more than they were worth, just more than I expected to get. & I got full price, that is pretty nice for me I guess.