About 7 years ago I wrote down some long-term savings goals that totaled up to be over $50,000. Today I revisited them, with strength gained from reading MMM, and made these changes (totals don't add up to 50k because I've already hit some of my older goals, like some major travel, installing a fence, buying a couple of pieces of furniture for certain rooms):
Eliminated the following former "goals" as non-mustachian:
$3,000 to to fill my lot with more dirt (live with it as-is).
$3,000 asphalt driveway (live with dirt/clay driveway as-is).
$3,000 professional landscaping (continue our DIY landscaping and gardening, planting edibles instead of pretty flowery things to imagine it impresses driversby)
$1,200 to install professional shelving in master bedroom closet (we’re used to our closets by now, plus I have gained carpentry skills this year and could knock some decent shelves together for under $100)
And eliminate the targeted savings of $3,000 for our next cruise. This would be our second one (typed with shame). We had one five years ago, and it was very nice. Well, one and done! New cruise budget is $0.
New, much shorter, more mustachian list:
What remains are non-optional things (I think…):
$10,000 for next car replacement.
$7,000 for new roof – it has 20-year shingles and they are about 17 yrs old.
$3,000 for master bedroom suite (whoo boy that one is a luxury; I have steeled my jaw for punches).
$400 for professional repainting of some interior spaces as a DIY project revised from $1,500 for professional outsourcing.
$10,000 major restorative dental work (this will replace a very old removable bridge).