And A Happy New Year

A new year, a new start. Most consider this the 2nd, but for me it is still the first, considering I haven't gone to bed yet. As it is a time of resolutions, I thought I would outline my goals for this year.

My first goal is to lose weight. As it has been for many previous years. And as the last two, I have started this year weighing less than when it started, just not as less as I would have liked. A progress, none the less. I have two things encouraging me this year: NKOTBSB concert in July, where I will actually get my photo taken with the Backstreet Boys. I would like to be able to see myself standing alone side them without cringing. From losing weight in the past, I know 20 pounds will be enough to make me happy. I will look curvier and smaller from the front and I will not hate myself in the photo. That gives me six months. And with shift change two weeks away and me going to days, I see a lot of dog walking in my future.

When I get to my goal weight, I am going to reward myself with an experience (apparently fat people shouldn't reward themselves with food). I don't know what my goal weight is, but considering I'm a twin and she's doing Weight Watchers, I figure whatever they say her goal weight is, mine is probably the same. I am going to reward myself with a trip to the local wild animal sanctuary...to be more specific, the experience with elephants. To play, wash, and touch elephants is on my bucket list (I have said if I was given the opportunity to work with them full time, I'd be extremely tempted to quit my job now, but that won't happen since I have no experience with them). To know that chance is within my grasp is all the more motivating. And I know it may not happen this year, but the idea is to work towards that.

My second goal is to get myself financially secure. I hate money. I know it makes the world go round, but sometimes I long for the easier days of the Regency or Little House on the Prairie eras. Not so much materialism, craft skills more admired (I wouldn't be called Grandma for knowing how to crochet and sew), and time isn't eaten up by mindless internet time. I do love modern conveniences, such as the toilet and my DVD collection, but shopping is too easy to do.

I have written myself up a budget. For the third time in the past year. And this time I am determined to stick with it. I have written out three month goals and been more explicit about it in my written journal, so I really don't want to repeat myself. Suffice to say, my main goal is to get myself out of "bad" debt this year and pay my car insurance in full when it comes (okay, 6 months at a time, but I usually have to break that into two payments). By the end of the year I hope to only have my two student loans (that won't get paid off for years, I came to terms with that when I saw how much I paid the first time and how little goes toward the principal) and reduce what I owe on my car. Oh, and increase my savings.

That said, I've restricted myself to $100 pocket change every check (I get paid twice a week) to devote more money to getting those paid off. In order to do that, there are several things I have come up with that I can do as opposed to shopping. I have to admit, I've already thought about where that money is going. I am in need of Season 2 of Little House on the Prairie and very soon will be needing Season 3 of Dexter, but I will be good and hold off until those go on sale (I am firm on how much I will pay because I've seen it go that low before). And I can see myself blowing the $100 at second hand shops on their books. So I really need to stay away from second hand shops...

Anyway. On to the list of how I plan on spending my time instead of shopping:
1. Walking the dogs. I am going to days in two weeks for an entire year, so I will no longer be getting my shift differential and I will be getting paid around $200 less each month. A good chunk, but if I am good, I will not miss it. And since I am going on days, I will have actual sunlight to walk the dogs in.

2. Read the books I own. I have hundreds of books. I accumulate them faster than I read them. Last year I read 81 books (not including the 3 I am in the middle of). I have enough books that I can do the same this year without purchasing a single one, though that won't stop me. After all, I have an elephant book collection to build upon.

3. My sister told me "there's a story in that" when I told her what I would do if I owned an elephant. I figure I need to get more books on elephant: people who have owned elephants, circus elephants, elephant anatomy books, elephant behavior books...research and writing can be done instead of shopping.

4. Sew. I have so much fabric and I have a love of making aprons, that I want to start making them again and sell them on Etsy. I got so much joy out of doing that last year. I have a good, simple pattern to stick with and I'd like to expand that to three or four. I have a good price, and I know I can build the store to where I can get them to pay for the postings and maybe even put a tiny dent in my debt.

5. Paint. I need to create a place to paint. A place where I can leave the paint out if I want to finish it tomorrow. Right now I don't have much space fixed up and I don't feel comfortable painting anywhere because I'm too stressed about dripping on the carpet or bedspread (a lot has to be said about making your own bedspread and not having to worry about messing it up).

6. Catch up on my TV shows. I have several shows I love to watch on DVD. I need to watch them, which I love to while sewing. I plan on buying the next season in the series after I've finished the season before (such as I need Dexter 3, but I won't buy it until I'm done with 2). I may end up paying more than I want to for a season, but buying one season at a time from Amazon (for free shipping) or from Target would save me from buying three other seasons with it that I won't watch yet.

7. Write. I own way too many empty journals and notebooks. I can fill those up with thoughts, day events, or stories. I just need to write again.

I think that's a good start.