New year Old Style resolutions...

Ches

I have been giving this a lot of thought recently and so far I have decided to:-

Manage portion sizes better both for economy and weight loss

Start a new yearly budget and spending diary for 2009 even though the current one should run to April but the spending shown on it looks so horrendous I would rather start again.

Pay off the small debt that I will have post Christmas and set up a DD to transfer money into my saving account every month.

Continue to watch electric and gas consumption and especially the use of the TD.

Continue with only buying groceries that are on my basic storecupboard list and to stock up on them when they are on offer.

Do an online shop once a month and only shop for perishables once a week.

Stop buying magazines.

Stop buying clothes/shoes. Replace items only when needed.

Get some of the material/cross stitch kits/cardmaking stuff used up.

OH and I must stop going out for a ride in the car and stopping somewhere to have tea and cakes because its costing a fortune.

Have a baking day.

Batch cook and freeze.

I can't think of anything else at the moment and to be honest these arn't new they are all things I have been trying to achieve since finding this site.

Boodle

Mine are as follows:

Continue meal planning, but put more effort into researching the costs of each meal to keep within a £25 weekly budget without jeapordising nutrition.

Try to develop more of a housekeeping routine. This is so that when baby 2 comes along, I might feel a bit more organised. Plus when any family members offer to help, this time I am determined to take them up on it with "there's some ironing over there" or "I usually hoover upstairs and wash the windows on a Monday" Insincere offers of help this time round will be seriously regretted :rotfl:

Hubby and I determined to sit down and sort out a proper budget with the 4k a year idea as inspiration (but done OS, obviously .) We think we might be able to do if we sort everything out properly, and so will be able to pay off a bit of the mortgage at the end of the year, as well as put some extra savings away for 2 children and into our pension ISA.

To make more time for my friends, particularly my sister (well, that is kinda OS philosophy, right? )

To not eat for two people during the remaininder of this pregnancy - just for one person and a growing baby in my tummy as I should! Otherwise the resolution should read OS weight loss as from May

rosieben

kippers wrote: »

I think i need to have a 'to do' diary so i'm a bit more organised. I could write a list in it at the beginning of each day and try and stick to it! I could also write in the beginning of each month a list of birthday cards i need as i always forget these until the last minute and end of buying expensive ones from the local shops! ...

I'm using a day to a page desk diary and I've made pockets inside the front and back covers by just sticking in a strong plastic sheet or you could just stick in a plastic pocket? I find it really useful to have things that I use regularly close to hand

2cats1kid

I'll play!

Mine are :

* learn how to use my combi oven/microwave for more than just reheating stuff. DH vetoed a Remoska because we had the combi, so I'd best learn how to use it after having it in the house about 5 years!

* knit up all the yarn I have in the house (scraps for a blanket). I have several garments worth, and I could use the space, quite apart from anything else

* stick to the meal plan I have. I set out with the best of intentions, follow it for a few weeks, end up with tons of leftovers in the freezer, deviate from plan to use them up and then don't go back to it. I need to be better at working the leftovers in so I can stick to the plan

* expand my veggie growing. Tomatoes did brilliantly last year, and had some success with beetroot, runner beans and carrots. I've put in two fruit beds this autumn, and have two more veggie beds to put in place for the spring - then it's full speed ahead on the fruit and veg production!

* get my rare records on ebay - they are just gathering dust at the moment and might as well make me a few £

* get back to Flylady - I know it works as it worked for me for a couple of years and then I let it slip

ADDED
* use a ring binder to keep all instructions, warranties etc. Our phone went wrong yesterday and we couldn't find the instruction book anywhere (wasn't in the drawer I thought it was in!), so all must be in one place so we can find them quickly

oreo7504

I'm new to this so I have a few, my resolutions are:

1. Meal plan
2. Keep a spending diary
3. home baking
4. start using the bread maker again & stop buying shop bread
5. learn to use my remoska (when it arrives)
6. become more organised (I'm hoping the diary will help)
7. & my favourite lose some weight as my clothes are becoming tight

Skint_Catt

I will continue my spending diary
I will reduce my portions
I will stop procrastinting about the Flylady and start doing it EVERY day!
I will get rid of all the junk that I haven't even looked at in years let alone read, watched or worn!

:T

C xx

The_Dragon

A quick comment for those hoping to keep chickens - make sure you are allowed to! I know Jamie Oliver stated that "everyone with a garden can keep chickens" but local byelaws where we are ban the keeping of them!

Oh and I plan to use up a load of my stitching stash and plan menus better!

apple_mint

What a great thread

This year we plan:

1. To have two wall planners - our ususal one showing when our bills are due and a second one to show when our savings payments are made and when fixed rate savings come to an end. This will encourage me to save more money from OS living and put it into our retirement savings. I'll use a different colour pen when I find 'additional savings'.

2. To be even more organised. I've bought a day per page diary (from the Pound shop) to pop down details of when I've made special purchases (e.g. electrical goods), changed the tyres on the car (and at what mileage) etc. OH keeps our receipts in monthly bundles so if an item breaks down I'll be able to check back in the diary the date when an item was purchased and then go back to the right receipt bundle. I think I may have to think of a colour code system for filling in the diary :rolleyes:

3. To continue cooking from scratch and having a well stocked pantry.

4. To make more use of free food. I didn't make enough time to go and pick more blackberries, hips and elderberries this year - I need to make more use of the 'free garden' I do have a good stock of jam, but my HM wine varieties are getting a little low.

5. To grow more herbs and perhaps some tomatoes and cucumbers this year.

6. To really appreciate the fact we'll be debt free by the middle of this next year and not to forget that it is because we have been living OS that we have achieved this (... so not to slip back into old habits!)

7. To try and contribute to MSE OS a little more ... rather than being a serial reader

Lalaladybird

Yippee, yippee:j:j:j This is Martin's old style thread of the week thread! That's like an early Christmas pressie to be on his email:j:j:j

Beccatje

I intend to keep better track of our spending.

Write everything that's spent down so I get a better overview and see where I can cut costs.

Saving!!.. that's a big one for me this coming year. I want to build a financial buffer.