How do you keep focused and motivated for your long term financial goals?

[Starfish]

I have signed up with a budget management company. They have created a budget for me that I can stick to (mostly) and pay all my bills for me, so I don't have to worry about it. For me, I am useless with money (DH is even worse), so we figured that outsourcing was the best way to go.

[Astrid]

I could not do that Starfish, I like having control, plus I love any excuse to do stuff in a spreadsheet

Amy - One card is now paid off so I know should not be feeling as bad about how far away the light at the end of the tunnel is.

[Starfish]

I could not do that Starfish, I like having control, plus I love any excuse to do stuff in a spreadsheet

If you CAN control your spending, then I think you're halfway there. Good Luck.

[lady_neon]

Wish I knew the answer Astrid!

I guess I just focus on one debt at a time instead of looking too far ahead, and once one debt goes, the money that was budgeted to go to that can go to hammering the next debt. I thought I had the credit card (it was paid off completely!) under control until some car troubles last weekend. So, back to cracking that one. DH's HECS I would say should be gone in about 18 months, his car loan still has 3 years if we keep paying the minimum amount. Then there's the mortgage :| and we just got a tax bill

[LimeSlice]

There is a mortgage payment projection thingo somewhere, that out finance guy showed to us, that showed how paying an extra $4 a week on our mortgage extrapolated out to saving $50k in interest by the end of the mortgage. That was pretty motivational I think....Everytime I wanted to buy a coffee or the girls an icecream, I thought about how those gold coins could better be used and that made me think.

Google: mortgage repayment calculator extra and click on the Mortgage Choice link. An extra $200 a month from your $300k mortgage = $79k and 5 years saved.

I am pretty hopeless with money, but I made sure that DH knew what was going on and what I had bought or paid off while he was away at work, so I felt accountable to someone and that helped too.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Just done this myself - or rather, am doing this.

Get a credit card with 0% for 12-15 months. Transfer your current balance. Cancel old cards. Pay off debt without paying interest. This shortens the time needed to pay off the debt.
Pack-up lunches for work.
When cooking, make an extra portion (or serve an extra portion) to freeze. Costs next to nothing, looks after your waistline and you have a freezer full of meals for when you don't have time/motivation to cook and fancy an easy meal. As good as a takeout!

Also, don't write off your car. That would be a top tip I wish I'd followed.

[Nai]

I have run a lean budget for over 7 years now so that we could pay our mortgage while on maternity leave initially but then so that I could go back to work part time, then have another baby etc. we've just kept it going.