How Do You Celebrate Financial Accomplishments?

[RickLee]

The problem with financial goals, big or small, is they are accomplished by financial transactions with no emotional trigger or fanfare. When we reach a goal, we do it using day-to-day actions: write a cheque, make a deposit, swipe a debit card, look up a balance on-line.

When we paid off our mortgage, nothing happened. I wish the bank sent us a home-related gift to celebrate the moment, for all the interest they collected. So, instead, we threw a party with friends and the event is memorable to us and to those closest to us.

When we opened our Education Savings Plan, nothing happened. I wish the bank sent us a school combination locker with a sticker on the back that said "thanks for choosing us to secure your child's education". So instead, I will get a poster of a graduation cap and gown and draw a thermometer on the side as the balance in the Savings Plan grows.

Don't let your personal accomplishments in the Financial arena go unnoticed, especially by you. Every finish line that you cross, get yourself something to medallionize the moment, spellchecker be damned.

RICKLEE

[amyschiff]

Financial accomplishments sometimes seem like the toughest ones to celebrate, because celebrations often involve money themselves. It almost makes you feel guilty spending money to commemorate the occasion.

I like to "bundle" celebrations into one, so maybe celebrate an anniversary, pay raise, and financial accomplishment all at once.

[tomew]

So far we have not celebrated any of our financial milestones. Our next big milestone coming up is paying off our home equity line of credit. Once we pay that off, we will use our line of credit to go on a Disney cruise!

Well ok, just kidding. We will build up the cash, then go on the Disney Cruise. Not so much to celebrate our financial goal really, but more to do something with the family when we are in a better position to do it.

Tom

[GeeZee]

We're still on our way to achieving our financial goals, but I'd like to think that we have some fun along the way

[MNfrugal]

I celebrate financial milestones by revising our family budget! It's fun to make decisions about where the extra money from a pay raise or paying off a car loan will go. Often a good chunk of it goes to savings, or vacation savings. And my husband and I will share some of that good news with our sons... so they learn about the benefits of being financially responsible.

[hermione]

We haven't had that many financial accomplishments, but my sister and I celebrate everything by "having a party." What most people would call, "hanging out," "watching some TV online/a movie on DVD" or "having dinner or something eat," we combine it all and call it a "party."

We have a party when we:

• complete and ship out an order for our business
• mail out our tax returns
• finish a DIY project
• or simply finish whatever needs to be done on any given day (we therefore "have a party" almost every day. )

So if we were to accomplish some financial milestone, at least these days when we're being extra careful with money, we'd probably do the same or something similar.

As I mentioned above, we haven't had that many major financial accomplishments yet, but what we have had:

• When we paid off our car (after 13 months), we didn't really celebrate because our 16-year old cat had just passed away and we weren't really in the celebrating mood.
• When we bought our house, the day of closing, we went to see "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" at the theater, one of the the few movies we went to that year. We attended a matinee, of course.

[flipchick1127]

We usually celebrate by going out to eat or going shopping for something we normally wouldn't go shopping for. It's a way to say, "Good job not doing those things for such a long time!"

[starshard0]

I think the financial accomplishment is often reward enough.

[AlmostFrugal]

It wasn't exactly a financial accomplishment, but I just got a big chunk of change from leaving a job that I absolutely hated. So I celebrated by paying down some debt and then sending an even bigger amount to savings. And boy did that feel good!

[moon02]

I have never celebrated a any financial milestones. I do however plan on having a emancipation party when I reach financial Independence. To me most the smaller ones will no biggie, but the day I work only because I want to will be sweet.