by Hope
I mentioned how I was spending a lot of my road trip time just reviewing ideas for expand my business. I’m capped with the hours that I can actually produce work. As I let my mind go down whatever rabbit hole came to mind, I realized that I need to set some goals (outside of my financial ones) for my life now.
2026 is going to be here before you know it. Before I know it.
Q4 Plans
This is the list I’ve come up with for this last quarter of the year to set me up for success going into 2026:
- Decide what I’m going to do about my state of residence.
- Research health insurance options for Gymnast and I going into 2026 – this is tied to #1. I have to make that decision first. Two sidenotes one this: 1) Gymnast is going back to school in January – woot! 2) All of my oldest children are now employed full time with full benefits – woot, woot! Proud mama!
- Identify a black friday and new year offer to “sell”.
- Health (weight loss oriented) plan.
- Implement a new CRM for my various websites.
These do not include my focused financial goals of:
- Saving $10K in my high interest account.
- Paying off my student loans.
There are no changes to those plans.
Other Items
There are lots of other personal to dos that my dad and I have discussed that need to get addressed specifically with his end of life planning. He and my mom set everything up when my mom was diagnosed 8 years ago. But things have changed.
And he’s made some decisions for him and his health now that we need to 1) discuss and make sure everything is aware of his wishes, and 2) get things lined out with the VA to make sure we are able to facilitate those decisions when the time comes.
We have definitely learned the hard way that working with the VA for him to receive his benefits and care can be very challenging. We want to prioritize navigating those now while he can answer the required questions and knows where all his discharge papers, etc. can be found.
And I need to set up some end of life plans and a will as well. Really want to get these items addressed over the next quarter.
Do you have some end of 2025 goals you want to achieve?
Hope is a resourceful and solutions-driven business manager who has spent nearly two decades helping clients streamline their operations and grow their businesses through project management, digital marketing, and tech expertise. Recently transitioning from her role as a single mom of five foster/adoptive children to an empty nester, Hope is navigating the emotional and practical challenges of redefining her life while maintaining her determination to regain financial control and eliminate debt.
Living in a cozy small town in northeast Georgia with her three dogs, Hope cherishes the serenity of the mountains over the bustle of the beach. Though her kids are now finding their footing in the world—pursuing education, careers, and independence—she remains deeply committed to supporting them in this next chapter, even as she faces the bittersweet tug of letting go.
Since joining the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015, Hope has candidly shared her journey of financial ups and downs. Now, with a renewed focus and a clear path ahead, she’s ready to tackle her finances with the same passion and perseverance that she’s brought to her life and career. Through her writing, she continues to inspire others to confront their own financial challenges and strive for a brighter future.
The wording “I’m capped with the hours that I can actually produce work.” could mean two different things:
a) I am working all the hours I possibly can, I am at my limit, and I can’t take on more work if it means more hours.
b) My current clients have limited the hours I can work, and cannot afford to increase my hours and pay. So while I have available hours to work, I will need to find new clients to increase my hours and income.
Presumably it’s the latter?
Can Gymnast get insurance through the school?
Interested to hear how the hearing aids and paying cash ended up working out? What was the overall cost out of pocket for wedding related activities and vacation for you? How’s your progress towards your first 10k saved? Have you checked in on your normal budgets and spend lately? Lots of stuff going on in your life.
Typically when you’ve been quiet for this long you come back with lots of updates and big decisions made and paid. I’m hoping everything (other than the wedding of course) has been boring so you can make some progress!