New year Old Style resolutions...

Primula

What a good idea for a thread. And practically every single post I could identify with and see something of myself in there IYKWIM. I love Rosiben's idea of the A4 day by page diary, what a great idea. My main aims for 2010 are as follows:-

* Get more organised with my shopping/meal planning etc and make use of slow cooker/freezer/batch cooking etc.

* Keep the washing up to date every day - if I do this I can avoid using the tumble dryer.

* Generally keep a close eye on the money - I am much improved at this but still fall by the wayside on occasion.

* Stop "wasting" my own "pocket money" on stupid things and try and save it for a change - OMG I sound like a child don't I?!

* Stop using the car to go absolutely everywhere - I am soooooooo lazy.

* Get out walking with OH - we love it when we go but we just never go any more!

I'm sure there are loads more but that's all I can think of just now.

Thanks for this thread and good luck to all.

xx

Kimitatsu

Hiya Skipsmum

Can I suggest that you go and see a debt adviser at the CAB, two reasons, you have a mountain to climb and have done amazingly well to address the issues and tell your DH about it (honestly the amount of people that I see that dont is astounding!) and secondly because of your health issues they may well be able to get some of it written off for you or massively reduced payments made. I always find that if my clients ring then they get one answer but when I get on the phone they are willing to accept anything I offer :rolleyes:. Sometimes knowing when to delegate some of the stuff to others is the key to getting ahead (oh and it has taken me a looooooong time to understand that one!)

If you have been having chemo do you have a macmillan nurse or a mental health worker with your BP and PTSD? If you dont then can I suggest that you ask your doctor for one? They are there to support you in your own home and can access help and funding for specific cases, even if its just a friendly ear these guys are superstars and will help you make a plan that is reasonable and achievable and motivate you along the way.

Lastly ditch the guilt! You are doing a great job bringing up 3 kids (and you are because they are all at home, none have starved to death and they all have clean clothes to go out in :T) as well as looking after DH and dealing with everything on your plate. Guilt is a waste of emotion and as my sons rugby coach said to the team, you need to make mistakes to understand where you can improve, if you are perfect at everything then there is nothing to achieve.

Take care of yourself and congratulate yourself on the little things, eating breakfast in the morning, getting the kids to school on time, making an appointment, before you know it you will have done a big thing!

Take care
x

Penelope_Penguin

sunshine6650 wrote: »

As everyone says every year..or week in my house im going to get organised!!

skipsmum wrote: »

I'm going to come back to the OS board which I stopped looking at months ago cos I felt so guilty.

Welcome to you both :beer: As both of these threads has more than Old Style content, I'll add them both to the existing New Year Resolution thread.

Good luck to everyone for 2010 :A

Penny. x

Essex-girl_2

OK, here goes. Mine are very similar to last year - I did do them but not as good as I could have, 2009 has been a very hard year and I want to start 2010 with a positive mental attitude and turn things around. Today when I 'pop' into Paperchase I am going to treat myself to a small, pretty notebook for putting into my handbag to use as a spending diary everyday.

Before New Year I will complete the lovely recipe book I have been given and start a new meal planning notebook & I will meal plan each week (can't you just tell I love notebooks)

I am going to be much better at time management - I am guilty of trying to get everything done but in the end getting very little done - baby steps - I must stick to this.

De-clutter house. This is getting there - we had several very succesful boot sales last year which has spurned us on to look at getting rid of stuff we no longer use - we have boot sale boxes in the garage which we are using all the time - aim to make enough bootsale money to pay for a short break at Pontins.

Exercise more - use wii fit and walk the dog daily - also put a bit of oomph into the housework. I have lost a stone lately and want to keep it off, my clothes are so much more comfortable now.

Turn our business around - we are still making a profit (luckily) but we need to get more organised with this and look for extra work.

Become more crafty - I am not the most arty person in the world but there mus tbe something I can do :rotfl:I need it as a hobby as I don't relax easily, I can do it with DD and it may save me money next Christmas. I enjoy photography and have a decent camera so will look into this.

Think that is enough to be getting along with but I have a specific one for January which is to declutter, tidy and organise my office - this will help me with all the others so I will start this asap.

Right this is not an impossible list, I have already made a start on these last year so no excuses.

Best of luck for everyone and their resolutions.x

Oooh just thought of another important one - have more NSD's - I am going to try and get into a routine for housework and shopping - ie mondays washing, tuesday housework, wednesday - craft day, thursday - shopping. No more 'popping' out for a couple of bits then spending a fortune.

sammy_kaye18

Morning all

I managed to successfully tackle Ben's bedroom yesterday and have 3 bags of general old toys that are good nick but unplayed with to free cycle or give to local church playgroups I think so will pop in and see if they want anything first. If need be I'll look back through and find the Thomas the tank engines and such for them.

Also have a baby leap pad pad thingy that I might Ebay off cheaply and then have the big brother to it that helps kids write with a few books so may ebay them off and see if i can make a few pennies. Plus have cleared a box in his bedroom now which is nice. If anyone wants either of them - drop me a PM - always liek to offer to other MSErs first! x

Decided mid clean yesterday too that if.........no.......WHEN I redecorate Ben's bedroom I'm going to go for white walls, with possibly a Ben 10 border and curtains and then put some posters in those cheap frames (you know the ones with perspex on the front and those awkward clip things) so he can have what posters he likes and as he gets bigger i can just change them for him. Plus hoping that will be a relatively cheap redecorate with it being basic white paint and a few bits and pieces to add to it.

Think today when I venture into town I shall pick up a big diary :j oh and if i can find them a set of cheap saucepans ( I currently have 1 pan!!!) and some baking tins! because I cant find any of mine! :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Also at some point want to sit down and try and write out a 'what's in my cupboard' list as im sure the 3 bags of flour in there are past their sell by date! I haven't baked in.................easily 5 months! but have plenty of cook books so will go recipe hunting too plus boyfriend brought me the cooking guide DS game thing which i haven't used yet but might start trying. Plus I need to visit Mr T and make a basic shopping list to see if my £140 is do-able. Im lucky to work in a coop so i get discounted veg/meat/fruit on my night shifts but will still need other bits round them. I did pick up 6 packs of 2 chicken breasts (so 12 breasts in all) for 60p the other day though and then on the weekend just gone I had 3 packs of 450g mince for £1 so all the chicken is now in the freezer, along with 2 packs on mince and I took one out last night for use to have shepherds pie which will be filled with veggies and Ill be munching for the next few days!

Also decided I need a hobby. I love cross stitch so was thinking I might do that but this Christmas I decorated a cheap photo album and diary for my nan (both £1 in £1-land and she loved them - I spent about £2 on decorating bits and now she's stolen my idea and is going to make/sell them in her local church craft fair and the profits go towards the church and youth group so I might send a few on to her and possibly make a few of my own and see if i can find a little local craft fair/boot sale to take them too - was thinking nice little sets with a diary/phone book and notepad holder might be quite a cute little set.

So to do list today
*pay rent
*put in cheque to boyfriends bank
*buy diary
*buy set of saucepans or at least price hunt
*buy baking tins - 2 tins and a cupcake tin as instructed by Benjamin. (might also see if i can stretch to a cheap baking tray too as mine are too well used!



SKIPSMUM - chin up flower - you are already doing well, admitting a problem is part way to solving it and you have a supportive other half by the sounds of who is helping. I agree with speaking to the CAB my boyfriend had £10K+ debt and his advisor managed to get it down to just over £4K for him which he should have paid off by this time next year now. Wishing you and your family all the luck and hugs in the world. x x x x x

Right b est be off. Little one is demanding I play a game with him and give him some cereal so off i go for tea and coffee. x x

sammy_kaye18

Oh SKIPSMUM - I forgot to add - as far as dog walking is concerned back in august when I had my rough patch the last thing I wanted to do was leave the house and see people because then I'd get questions etc but I knew I needed to walk him (basically cos we are in a 2 bed flat with a communal garden and no other person would) so I woke up early at 6am (which in itself took some doing!) , got dressed, made a cup of tea in a lidded mug/cup thing I had from the £1 shop and off out I trundled with him. Hair was a mess but I was hatted and booted so didn't care - and quite frankly if anyone else was mad enough to walk their dog freezing at 6am I expected them to look as glamourous! but it got me out, woke me up and I found it peaceful and stress free as the walk we go on is enclosed but hedges so i left him to terrier through the bushes etc and meandered at my own pace so look at pooch as your little buddy not as another job. Bruno is my best friend now and pays no attention to his fathers commands but what mum says goes :T

oneeyedandgreen

I always make some resolutions in my mind but maybe writing them down will help me stick to them

1. Like many people, lose some weight. Not by dieting but by eating better and sticking to my next resolution
2. Cut down on alcohol. I'm a student and I spend far too much on the pub etc. This is bad for my wallet and my waistline
3. Stick to my grocery challenge and try meal planning, cake baking etc. Put money saved towards overdrafts and then saving for my trip to Africa in August

Kitchenbunny

It's that time again to make some New Year's Resolutions then. OK, here goes with some for me:

Be healthier. In other words, get fitter and improve our diets a bit more. A long term goal but one that works as a NYR as well.

Declutter the house. I don't use all of the stuff I have, and most of it doesn't have even sentimental value. Time to streamline out a bit, I think. I'll be selling some of it, giving it to charity, etc.

Save money wherever I can. A penny saved is a penny earnt, so hopefully it'll be a kind of a payrise

Fit into my bike leathers!

Kitchenbunny xx

bubblybee

So here are my resolutions - some are continuations on what I have been doing this year and some are brand new:

• Do not throw out food - put it to good use
• Plan Meals
• Take lunch to work at least 4 times a week
• Loose weight
• Walk more and use the car less
• Make all greetings cards
• Reduce energy bills

These are very much the same as many other peoples lists but this is all with a view to saving for a deposit for a house and then saving to take maternity leave.

jc2703

Hi All

Mine are

1. to organise myself and my time better
2. to not be suprised by birthdays and be rushing to buy cards...they are the same day every year after all
3. De-clutter ; start with paperwork; then toys ; then clothes
4. to continue to and to improve further the control of our finances.
5. to continue to meal plan and shop consciously.
6. to save money for Christmas 2010

If I manage to stick to these and finish 2010 a bit lighter than I started it then all the better :-D

Good luck to everyone!

J x

Edited to add : I have just written this in the first page of my 2010 diary to keep me focused!