I Resolve...

...to make the best choices I can to save money to support my family in the New Year. It's been a great adventure, these past 11 months. We've discovered new ways for our family to save money, though there have been stumbles along the way. While I've always been frugal-minded, I've learned that to stay on track planning is KEY, so we aren't tempted to spend money we just don't have. And I've learned that in many cases we can live BETTER and have FUN without spending that money. 


I must admit it's scary, and I do hope that we will be blessed with regular employment soon. For my part, I resolve to make the best choices, learn, and be the best wife and mother that I can. My specific goals in the New Year are, in no particular order:

1. Plant a garden. I had a garden in 2007 and 2008, but this past year I lost that area to our cottage remodel. With the increased amount of scratch cooking I've been doing, I will attempt to grow the items we use the most and that will save us the most money.
   
2. Sew. While at Costco the other day, my eye caught some nice pillows. I was thinking how wonderful they would look on my couch. I did a doubletake. Wait a minute! I have the tools, materials and skill to make pillows. I need to do that! And that's only the beginning.
   
3. Declutter. We have too much stuff! Space is luxury, and we want more of it. In the past year, I have learned a lot about letting go of things, but this is still a challenge for me, especially when something has clear value or creates an emotional reaction (either positive and negative).
   
4. Exercise. I need to do this regularly for my health. Nuff said.
   
5. Pass the A+ exam. I finished the class in November but I have yet to take the exam. This is an area I really enjoy; plus having this certification could help us earn a little money. I need to buckle down, study, get it done in January.
   
6. Plan the Log House move. My husband and I want to build a Log House. We've been looking for property in the "country" for many years, but with all the remodeling and building going on around our Victorian house, it just hasn't happened. I know I need to facilitate this by working on the plan. Then we can make progress towards achieving that goal.
   
7. Support. Personal challenges have been taking a lot of my energy in the past couple years, and I wasn't always the best support I could be for my husband. I will do better this year! He deserves it.
8. and of course, Live Frugally and Have Fun! There are many ways we could be saving money that we haven't tried yet. I'll be exploring SOME of those this year, in addition to what I've mentioned above.
   

I hope that by writing these down I'll be that much closer to achieving them. 

What are your goals? How are you going to reach them? I wish you peace, happiness and success towards whatever goals you set for yourself in the New Year.