Looking back at 2023, it will be remembered as the year that unexpected expenses just kept coming. Hit after hit, one after another with little time in between, how we survived without taking on additional debt can only be attributed to God walking with us.
Looking at and planning our finances for 2024, I looked back
at 2023 to get a baseline and was shocked to see how much of our income went to
basic living expenses. We really do live
a frugal life but every single basic living expense we had in 2023 increased as well
as non-basic expenses and then of course as mentioned there were
several ‘financial surprises.’
Let me insert here, we are doing well, while our finances took
a beating in 2023, through frugal living, having a well-stocked pantry, doing
things ourselves, etc we survived. What we're doing now is strategizing and coming
up with a plan to hopefully regain some of what we lost in 2023 or at the very
least, finish off 2024, as we did this year without any additional debt. Sometimes maintaining is a win!
Hence, for 2024 we are going to be working hard to save everything we can in
every way we can! We’ll use …
intentionalism (Clue #3 … Tiptoe if you
must, always remembering that even tiptoeing is progress. Keep moving forward regardless of how small
the movement is.)
Stick-to-it-ive-ness (Clue #5
… See it Through) This is not going to be easy, but you will be so thankful
when your perseverance pays off!
The economic outlook for 2024 is questionable, consequently we strongly feel that we need to HUNKER DOWN, work harder at getting our remaining debt paid off and save as much as possible. We know this is not going to be easy, thus we enlist the aid of the GREAT I AM!
A Working Pantry’s new focus for 2024 will be on HUNKERING DOWN, I hope you will join us!
Update 12/28 ... the mail brought yet another reason we need to 'hunker down' in 2024! Long story short, I received notification today that my social security check will be $16 less each month next year than it was this year. Why? Didn't we get a cost-of-living raise? Yes, we got a raise, but Medicare also increased in price as did my drug plan. When it all was said and done, my check will be $16 less each month. Hmmm ....
I'd love to hear your thoughts...
mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry
~ sharing my home and my faith ~
She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27
Sharing 43 years' experience of frugal, prudent living and pantry building
My second blog: From This Heart of Mine, where I share my love for God and His Word through my personal Bibe study. Physical preparedness is important, but not near as important as spiritual preparedness. Ladies, join me over at From This Heart of Mine and study God's Word with me.
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