Courtesy: Essential Life Skills
This is my motto for the new year. I have the potential to accomplish so much with this simple two- word declaration. It’s on my monthly task calendar, my daily to-do list and a sticky note reminder at my desk. I can’t fail. I can use this mantra to apply to any area of my life I would like to improve. To be successful, all I need to do is take “baby steps.”
A website I visit quite often that inspires me is www.clutterdiet.com.The website’s creator, Lorie Marrero, is an Austin-based clutter guru who provides countless ideas to achieve a more organized life which is helpful even for those with no clutter habit (I confess: I have one!) Even if you’re not a full-fledged member, you can benefit from her site. She provides weekly email newsletters with new ideas, a delightful blog and a wonderful library of YouTube videos to educate and motivate you to get organized. The following video encouraged me to make my own motto for this year:
Lorie Marrero’s Video: 5 Questions for Setting New Year’s Resolutions
Each month, I will explore areas needing self-improvement, but for the month of January, I am focusing on finances – budget control in particular. It is a formidable task, but I am up to the challenge!
I am among the ranks of those who spent way too much during the holidays, and I am now bemoaning my depleted money backup fund. With college tuition for two kids, property taxes and yearly insurance premiums all due this month, coupled with the general cost-of-living increase, it’s time to take better control of my spending habits. Luckily, my husband is all for this and willing to help out!
The first baby step towards budget control starts with our monthly “household” allowance. We have been using our debit cards, credit cards and checks for every trip to the grocery store, meals out, gasoline and other spur of the moment purchases. I typically reconcile expenses only once a week and this has led to over spending – not to mention the hassle of documenting all those pesky receipts.
We have gone back to the “weekly” allowance system, which worked well in the past. Each Sunday, we set a cash allowance to use for grocery shopping, gasoline and meals out. To better control the grocery shopping trips, I set up a monthly rotation dinner menu plan. I use my planner for dinner menus to save me the time and trouble of trying to decide what to make for dinner each day. Clutter Diet offers a monthly menu planner, which you can edit to suit your own meal preferences. Click on this Clutter Diet link, and scroll down to the bottom of the list of free forms on the left side of the web page.
After checking my pantry, freezer and fridge for items I have on hand, I shop for the foods I need and other household items I’m running low on. I’m still tweaking the system, but the goal is to make only one trip a week to the grocery store to avoid impulse shopping. So far, I have managed to stick to my shopping list pretty closely and stay within my budget. I have even had money left over, which is a miracle for me!
Next month I’ll focus on another area in need of self-improvement – clutter control. Do you have a motto or theme for your New Year resolutions?
LOVE your motto – and will admit that I might have to “steal it.” What a great way to move forward in this new year. And thanks for pointing out taking baby steps because it is so easy to try to eat the elephant whole instead of one bite at a time!
Thanks, Grace! I am more than happy to share the motto! (Can I interest you in some extra clutter, I’ll throw it in for free!
) I feel like if I can get the “household” spending under control, the rest of my budget will fall in place very easily. So far, so good. I’m on week #3 and managing to have mad money left over, and no extra trips to the grocery store!
Tina, thank you for your post! I agree with Grace, thanks for reminding us that we need to take baby steps. We needs to set short-term goals in order to accomplish the long-term goals. I need the inspiration to declutter!!! I will be checking out the website. I did start back on Visalus today so I’ve taken my first baby step towards weight loss!! Thanks Tina!
Thanks, Tina! I’m on Week #4, and I have managed to stick to one grocery store trip a week, aside from the extra jug of milk my husband has picked up for me. I can’t remember when I have done this well sticking to a budget AND actually sticking to a dinner menu plan. It has been so nice not to have to wonder what I’m fixing for supper or whether I have the ingredients on hand. It’s just about time to fix my menu plan for the next 4 weeks. I think I’ll make up a new planner since there are a lot of meals I didn’t even figure into the current plan. That will give me 2 full months of menus with no or very little duplication. Talk about variety! Keep up the good work towards your weight loss goals. That’s still something I’m needing to seriously work on. I just haven’t fully committed myself to it yet. But I’m thinking about it!