A Sample Financial Planning Notebook and Diary

I Goals:

Short-term Goals (1 year or less)

1) To make it through the school year with a minimal amount of loans.
2) Minimize excessive spending.
3) Finance a car or truck after researching.

Medium-term Goals (2-10 years)
1) Pay off college debt.
2) Save for a down payment on a house.
3) Start solid retirement and college funds.

Long-term Goals (10-80 years)
1) Completely purchase a home.
2) To live modestly and comfortably. I do not need to own the fastest cars, but I do not want to have any serious financial burdens.
3) To retire happily.

Today’s college graduate leaves school with more than ,000 in student loan debt. That figure is just shy of the average price for a new car — ,500, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association. Unfortunately, the amount of debt people take on when buying a car or going to college turns out to be one of the few similarities between the way people finance their cars and the way they finance their college educations.

Understanding how the strategies you use when shopping for a car can also be applied to planning for your college degree can help keep you from getting chained down with ballooning debt from student loans that mushrooms from year to year.