What are your OS New Years Resolutions

p00

Naughty habits to Ive started for the last few months I need to change:

going to Home Bargains for something I probably dont need and spending twenty quid.

same with the 99p shop and £1 shop

keep spending the same amount food shopping every week even though the freezers are full.

starting hobbies ie tapestry - then buying loads of wool from ebay etc when I havent even started a project yet. Just checked my bank statement and theres loads of small amounts paid out over the last 2 months and I cant even remember what I was buying the stuff for.

same with learning to paint and various other intended hobbies - I dont know why I go OTT stocking up on things when I fancy doing something, I havent even got time for all the intended hobbies I'd like to do.

These are my main issues in life...... waste without thinking

Sod it I wont wait till New Year. Now Ive written them down Im going to start tomorrow and have a good clear out and stop going to the shops:A. If I wait till New Year it will be like the diet next week syndrome

xxp00

sonastin

I want to get better at meal-planning, shopping accordingly and sticking to it.

I mastered it for a wee while in the summer but OH was away for 6 weeks of the autumn which threw the system out of whack and I've never quite recovered. Haven't stopped cooking from scratch and haven't thrown much food away but there are still savings to be made by being more organised. And I can make sure that we have more of the low-cost meals on the plan and less of the expensive "treats" (read too lazy to bother!)

lucy_lemon

I have a few I want to try to stick to! My main one is to save as much money as I can. I also want to carry on collecting £2 coins throughout the year (I have £320 to put in my savings from 2012). I also pay a pound a day into a tin for Christmas and anything that's left from that will be paid into my savings account. I also really, really want to learn to use my sewing machine properly. Shamefully, I have had it lurking in the cupboard for months and have only used it once since I bought it. Oops.

Fruball

I have a few but the main ones are:

1. To make packed lunches for the kids as I can make them healthy and cheaper than school meals.

2. To stop getting takeaway when I cba to cook :eek:

3. To clear the clutter!

4. To pay off half of all my debts (excl mortgage)

5. To use my TD less - at the moment I use it for every wash :eek: so I want to cut my usage by half.

Goldiegirl

Firstly, I'd like to say how pleased I am to have found MSE, and in particular the OS area of the board.

Over the last few years I've definately been moving more towards an OS type of life, so I'm delighted to have found a like minded group of people. It's fun to be able to share thoughts with people who feel the same way as you do.

So my resolutions are

1) Continue my de-cluttering programme

2) Continue to watch my expenditure, and to take advantage of vouchers, offers, loyalty club points, sales etc.

3) I love cruise holidays - so any 'cruise frocks' to be bought on eBay

4) On the subject of Ebay - visit boot fairs, collectors fairs etc for fun and recreation to buy things for selling on eBay. I want to start a very small eBay business. (these things are not to be kept in the loft for ever, see point 1 !! )

5) Health - make sure I go for a walk as often as possible on days I'm not working. I was really good at this in 2011, but the weather was so bad in 2012, I sort of stopped this

That's the main things, but if I think of more I'll post them !

Skint_yet_Again

Some great ideas...

One to add to my list along with

slowlyfading wrote: »

- Continue trying to eat more healthily and incorporate more exercise into my weekly routine

tatabubbly wrote: »

5. Living better and reducing my weight so I can eventually start a family!

and

Goldiegirl wrote: »

5) Health - make sure I go for a walk as often as possible on days I'm not working.

I need to lose weight and do more walking too. I'm going to sign up to the OS Weight Loss new year challenge in January. With all the festive food and drink I will probably need it more than ever !

good luck everyone.x

sillyinthepast

I love this thread:T

I have quite a few this year. We are moving into our new home just after Christmas and am completely changing our lifestyle finance wise.

1- meal plan - also have a freezer cooking day every few weeks so when I can't be bothered to cook we have 'microwave meals'

2- save as much money as possible

3- make all of my own cleaners

4- make all of our own snacks

5- not bother with weight watchers, gym etc and just walk the dog more, eat 3 square meals a day and just be more active

6- spend more time with the family - the Internet will still be there tomorrow:rotfl:

7- just enjoy life more - no one else is going to make me happy I have to do that for myself

Ches

On paper (spreadsheet) my expenditure works out very well and holidays are possible and 2013s are already booked. In reality I spend without thinking, buying and paying for things that are not strictly needed such as lunches out and clothes. So therefore my NYR are to spend only what my budget says I am allowed to spend and to shop, cook and wear with that in mind.

katep23

To enjoy a simpler life:

* cook from scratch more (already do a lot but started to rely on processed out-of-a-packet sauces)
* bake more (just discovering this!)
* find free and healthy activities like going for a cycle ride round the local nature reserve place (did this once this year, took a picnic and had a lovely afternoon)
* grow more of my own food which tastes so much better

**** Save up for our own small-holding (one day!)

Tiglath

- Continue with the spending diary because it's kept me on track the past 5 months;
- Pay off 65% of my debt by the end of 2013 and build up an emergency fund for car maintenance;
- Continue with Lidl and Farmfoods as my fave food shops;
- Continue to take work lunches from home because it's saving me an absolute fortune;
- Stay within budget and don't be seduced by yellow stickers because that was the one month I went overbudget;
- Stick to shopping with weekly cash in my purse rather than debit card;
- Finish decluttering the house;
- Have a little dabble at growing veg again, depending on my health and how much of the garden we can reclaim, even if it's only a few French beans and tomato plants. Used to be an avid fruit & veg gardener with an allotment but had to give it up a few years ago when my back went.
- Not work silly hours again; if I can't get it done in a 10-hour day, they can employ someone extra.