What will you do different next year?

angelflower_2

my biggest thing I want to focus on is watching what i spend in the supermarket. I waste SO much money in this area. I will only use cash from now on in th supermarket (unless am doing a tesco shop online through quidco or pigsback etc)

2nd thing I will focus on this year is using the internet to work for me so at the moment am starting my daily clicks, bingo (using the free start ups) and surveys.

Bellie_2

In 2008 I will

*Give up smoking!!!
*Become debt free:j
*Save for christmas 2008 using the sealed pot challenge
*Try and do clicks every sunday
*Be organised about my university work
*Work hard at university and get good grades
*Get some proper savings built up
*Try and get a summer internship/job
*Keep my spending down to an absolute minimum!!
*Make sure I cook every night and not order take away
*Take care of my health better

Probablya lot more but I think I will leave at that for now

Dumb_Blonde_3

esthomizzy wrote: »

Ooooh congratulations for Friday!!!! Fabulous. You must be so proud of yourself.

Thank you esthomizzy - I am proud but a little annoyed with myself that I got into debt again this year - this was my second time of being in debt - the first time was back in 2003 (when we got married) we spent like we were millionaires/billionaires and walked away with 20k worth of debt even though our parents paid for most things - it took 2 tough years to become debt free and we managed that just 2 weeks before my son was born - the day we became debt free was the day I started maternity leave and at 8 and a half months pregnant I was well and truly ready for it.

We spent about a year and a half out of debt and started saving and then well this year hasn't personally been my greatest year - I've spent to make myself 'feel' better - only it wasn't the odd top here and there it was the odd holiday here and there - still I've wised up and given myself a good talking to and its NOT going to happen again.

I've started saving my child benefit in a high interest savings account and that will be towards any holiday we go on next year - I'm also going to Ebay and car boot whatever I can to add towards the 'fund' as well as looking for a part time job.

Also during the 18 months we were debt free I didn't visit this site once I don't think and that was a big mistake - because if I had then I think things would have been different - I would have had my lightbulb moment a lot earlier.

painted_lady

Good thread. I have only skim read the answers, but what we all need to bear in mind is our targets have to be achieveable and we have to identify how we are going to get there in order to be a success. I have worked in teaching and lecturing and we were told our targets for students must be SMART (small, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound). So, target might be "I will take sandwiches everyday", if you are currently spending £5 a day on dinner everyday and are pushed for time, this might be hard. Instead, say "I will take sandwiches 3 days a week instead of 5" You are still working towards it, but it is more realistic and achievable. When you can successfully do that, say after a month, change it to everyday. You also need to identify time to make the sandwiches - bulk make them sunday and freeze them? Make extra portions of dinner and take it in a sandwich box to microwave?
Also, things like "save more money" are targets people fail on, to be successful, we need to identify how much money to save, where it is going to come from and which is the best account to put it in. Its better to save £10 a week we can afford, then £50 and draw it all out at end of month becuase of bad planning.
I aim to (long er term aims of course)
- return to employment in April (after maternity leave)
- continue developing my part time business
- build my savings back up after using them to fund maternity leave
- continue to ebay
- pay off last £900 of personal debt

GreenNinja

In 2007 I,

Cleared around 2K from my credit card
Paid £3000 off my mortgage
Started meal planning
Allowed myself a budget every week for food, fuel, going out etc with anything over being saved in a jam jar.

In 2008 I aim to,
Pay the remaining £350 off my credit card and stop using the thing!
Pay another £3000 off my credit card
Finish decluttering my house and sell anything that I can find on ebay
Save £25 a month in my sainsburys account for Christmas 2008
Continue watching the pennies!

buxtonrabbitgreen

not use a credit card, work any overtime offered

chloebelle

Great thread, in the new year I will:

• stop spending so much in the supermarket on bloody rubbish!
• Do my clicks, I am so lazy I just keep forgetting.
• Aim to make minimum of £5 a day on AQA (would be £1825 over the year!!!).
• Keep up the £10 a day challenges.
• Through blood, sweat and tears, I will get accepted for funding to do my PhD, am not prepared to take out another loan.
• Turn the money I am saving into chunks of debt repayment, I've only been here since august but that debt total is the one thing in my sig that has yet to change!!

redmel1621

Great thread....

My aims for 2008
1 - clear credit card
2 - clear overdrafts
3 - make a 'proper' all inclusive budget
4 - start saving in isa
5 - Lose 2 stone
6 - grade to green belt in karate

Mel x

newyorkcitybride

My sole aims for 2008 are :

Become Debt Free
Get married

I dont ask for much do I?! LOL

notanothergreyhair

Bellie wrote: »

In 2008 I will

*Give up smoking!!!
*Become debt free:j
*Save for christmas 2008 using the sealed pot challenge
*Try and do clicks every sunday
*Be organised about my university work
*Work hard at university and get good grades
*Get some proper savings built up
*Try and get a summer internship/job
*Keep my spending down to an absolute minimum!!
*Make sure I cook every night and not order take away
*Take care of my health better

Probablya lot more but I think I will leave at that for now

All the ones in red ought to be targets for me too Debt free by the end of 2008 is currently a 100-1 outsider with me...lol

Good luck with ditching the fags - was damn hard for me, but possibly the best thing I have ever done. [STRIKE]Apart from this guy[/STRIKE]...hang on, I won't talk about that!