Looking for the silver lining

patanne

What is it with those fireworks? Until the millennium (sp?) we didn't get fireworks at new year. Some of my neighbours now even have them for their birthdays. They eventually become a meaningless noise designed to upset pets and small children. What bogeys are they trying to fight off with all that noise?

Happy New Year everyone & to go back to cards as they were a lot of years ago (which also sounds very MSE) A Prosperous New Yerar!

mummytogirls

Happy New Year SA xx

Sun_Addict

Happy New Year folks :beer:

New Year clean slate. Along with millions of others my resolutions are to lose weight, exercise more, drink less, spend less, save more.

However, goals are useless without a plan. So brief outline of plans:

1. Lose weight: thinking about re-joining Weightwatchers. Lost a stone with them 14 years ago, kept it off until about 2 years ago it started creeping back on. Not happy about this and have tried countless times to start a diet but been unsuccessful. I think I need the discipline/motivation of attending a class and being weighed in public. I used to really enjoy going and wish I'd kept it up. There's a class near me I could go to on a Wednesday night. Part of me thinks it would be daft to join next Wednesday as (a) it will be packed with like-minded folks and (b) I'm going on holiday in 2 weeks. Would it be better to join when I get back off holiday? I'm itching to get started though.

2. Exercise more As you all know I walk to work and back every day plus go for a walk at lunchtime. This should be enough but I think I need to do a bit more. My ideal would be to go to classes straight after work a couple of times a week then at the weekend, say 3 times in total. However, I can't find anywhere that does classes at about 4pm-ish unless I'm prepared to travel out of my way. I know once I got home I wouldn't want to go back out again. I've got a treadmill, exercise bike and cross trainer at home plus exercise apps so I think the best thing for me is to get back into these again. I do miss being part of a class though at times.

3. Drink less - got into bad habits during December. Want to get back to where I just drink at weekends, no alcohol 4 nights a week.

4. Spend less- really need to stick to a budget. Have got back into the bad habit of spending before I've got the money again and settling up the credit card when I get paid leaving nothing to spare for savings. Getting back on track now with this though and my spreadsheets are set up to track everything I spend.

5. Save more- should be saving something other than the bits in my VSP. Enough said. If I stick to my budget I should be able to save.

So there are my 5 areas for improvement and they are all areas I have control over. I'm going to strive towards them every day and record my progress. I used to look back on my achievements at the end of every month and set new goals for the coming month and I want to get back into the habit of doing this again.

Areas I have no control over are the uncertainty of my job - contract renewed until April and then I'm back to not knowing whether or not I've got a job all over again. Hate this and I'm getting fed up with it. Also Mr SA's health - he's been in remission for 2 years now, hopefully this will continue. At the moment it's his mobility and tiredness letting him down and we've been pretty housebound while I've been off work. If he doesn't get his licence back this year I will have to learn to drive or we'll never get anywhere. We're pretty stuck without transport, it wouldn't be so bad if he could walk further, but at the moment he's struggling just to walk to the bus stop.

Really need to catch up with other diaries now after that marathon post!

please-let-me-be-lucky

All goals seem sensible and achievable. Good luck and Happy New Year Xx

beanielou

Go to WW now while you are in the zone.
Learn to drive

Sun_Addict

Started as I mean to go on and did a short workout tonight - 16 minutes to be precise.

Forgot to say I actually managed to stay up to see the new year in last night. Mainly by drinking lots of iced water between glasses of champagne. No plans to stay up late tonight though. Was woken up at 4.30am by someone singing his way down our road.

Today could have been a no spending day as I went nowhere apart from walking the dog - but I bought some storage boxes from Wilkos online - much needed though and can't manage them on the bus! Slowly getting myself organised.

Sadly taking down the Christmas decorations at the weekend. Hairdressers tomorrow - desperate as hair is wild and frizzy at the moment. Being off work I've been letting it dry naturally plus not been wearing make up most days - I look a mess!!!!

amber03

Your goals are basically the same as mine. Just joined slimming world online (with some of my xmas money), just paying for the three months then stopping it as they have sent me all the books so I can hopefully slowly do it myself. Only got about a stone to lose.


To go back to the gym, since I paid for a year upfront which ends in july ,seems stupid not to. Did go yesterday and have plans for a visit tomorrow.


Want to stop spending stupid money, will have a little treat each month, just a little something not expensive and something I need.


do some serious saving, just going to transfer some money from my emergency fund to my ISA, wont touch it then and I will then start saving in my emergency fund again.


Happy new year to you and Mr SA, not long to your holidays and some decent weather I hope.xx

Sun_Addict

Amber your goals are very like mine and sound realistic too. I've spent far too much just lately, some on things that really were needed and some on things that weren't. I sometimes think I buy things to make up for my situation, to treat myself. But it's never too late to turn over a new leaf and a new year is an ideal starting point. Definitely a good idea to factor in a monthly treat. Budgeting is like dieting, if you're too strict with yourself you won't stick to it.

I am so looking forward to going to the hairdressers today, will be great to talk to someone "normal" and not talk about illness. Plus go for a coffee on my own and I'll get to go in Aldi - such excitement!

brizzledfw

Enjoy the coffee, SM trip and hairdressers (but maybe not in that order ) Great goals and we always love a plan!

X

brizzledfw

Ps Agree re driving..pricey tho but worth it I am sure

Xx