A Fresh Start...

So today is the First day of 2009!! Wow how the time just flies by faster and faster every year...

so in accordance with the NaBloPoMo I am going to post about Changes I'd like to make this year. One thing I've come to realize with CDR's new job in the Frozen Tundra.....is wow....Navy Pay is WAY better than I thought....all those people who think military pay is crappy compared to civilian??? I don't know...maybe it's a lot different on the Enlisted side? ..but as an Officer....CDR was bringing home WAY more money in the Navy than with this new job in the civilian world....and the yearly salary is almost the same....but the TAXES....OYE( actually that's something he needs to check into as he thinks they might be takling way more taxes out than necessary).....I guess we don't realize how nice it is to have so much of your salary UNtaxed.....anyway....there's a point to all this......and that is that the amount being deposited into our bank every two weeks is WAY WAY WAY less than I expected!! like barely more than HALF of what he was making before......which means we are going to have to tighten the purse strings a little from now on......now granted with over 28 years of Military service under his wings.....we'll have a sizable retirement check coming in each month as well, that I'm hoping will make up the difference. We'll see in February when we get the first check.

Now don't get me wrong even with the new MUCH smaller paycheck we'll be doing ok financially...it will still be more than what most of America brings home each month...and if they can make it on less so can we....and we may not even realy HAVE to if the retirement makes up the diff......but......I'd still like to be a better steward of our money and downsize our lifestyle a little.....I'm not talking Extreme Frugalism or anything.....I'd like to be more conscious of our spending though....and more purposeful.

I'd also like CDR to be able to retire for good whenever he wants....and the more we save now the quicker he'll be able to realize that dream. I've been wanting to live a greener more sustainable lifestyle for the last few years and have taken a few small steps toward that end...I'm hoping our move to WI will be a jumpstart into that as well.....and I'd really like to make that my focus this year. Like I said I'm not going to go EXTREME or anything....at least not right away....I've come to like this lifestyle we have now....and I do like to have nice things.....I want to find a way to mesh the two lifestyles. I used to read a blog called Sustainable Style which is now closed. She had a really great take on things. Living a stylish life, and enjoying the good things in life but doing it simply and sustainably. There were certain things she wouldn't skimp on ...and she made up for it in other places. Kind of a Quality vs Quantity thing. That is what I'm after.