2013 Goals ~ Home

On to #3 Home!

source, I need this!

~Home

~Better my HMB

~Keep on eliminating clutter

~Try more homemade cleaning products and bath products

~Work on our stock pile

~Work on our emergency packs (leftover from last year..oops)

~So for the HMB my plan is to keep replacing all the handwritten with pretty printables. Use some of the many free printables around. Here is my pinboard FULL of ideas! I also need to move some folders around and organize the finance section a little more.

~Clutter is a pet peeve of mine. So to help eliminate it I have a few things I am doing. The first is to bring less stuff home! This will help with the clutter and financial goals. The other thing I am doing is taking care of 7 things every Friday. They need to either be put away in their place (and they BETTER have a place), donated or thrown out/recycled. 

~Homemade cleaning products are better for us and for our budget.  We already use Homemade Laundry Soap, and bathroom cleaner (equal parts warmed white vinegar and blue Dawn dish soap) but I am sure there are some others we can do. I want to try a couple more dishwasher soap recipes, we haven't found one that works well yet! I already have about 15 pinned to try, but hoping one of the first few is THE one. All kinds of homemade and DIY bath products! Post coming up on ones
 I have already tried and what I plan on trying!

~Stockpiling is not easy for us. We don't have a ton of extra room or money to just buy it all at once. We don't want to go all doomsday preppers or stock pile a bunch of processed stuff we won't use.

My plan is to make a spreadsheet or chart of the things that are shelf stable, best price and how many we have/need and spending a little each month to start our stock pile. I am getting that it can't be a 1 time thing and you are done, chances are we will use some, some will have to be used before it expires. I think it's a big task and even though I am trying to limit my Pinterest time, I will be heading there for a good list and ideas.

~Emergency Packs.. eek, there is just NO reason this is on my list AGAIN! I've got some ideas and Pinterest (see why it's SO hard to stop using lol) has some super lists and storage options. We have a little one with asthma and being out without an inhaler is just not a good idea, yet we do it ALL the time because we aren't as prepared as we should be. And still no doomsday prepping but I don't want to be totally unprepared either.

Sounds like I will have some lists to share soon, and if anyone has sources for any of these PLEASE share! 

Continue Reading ...

2013~Finances

How many of us hate talking about, or even thinking about finances?!

It's not a FUN thing for sure. And for a lot of us it's stressful! 

We are always trying to do our best and make the best choices financially 

but also give our kids fun experiences without spoiling them. Sometimes that is hard to juggle.

Our goals for this year 

Finances

~GIVE UP COFFEE! (well paying for it anyway)

~Keep chugging along on Dave Ramsey's Snowball Plan

~Look for a part time, temporary job that fits our schedule

~Keep up with meal planning (avoiding buying things we don't need, or are not on sale)

~STOP going to Target as often, cause I have NO willpower there!

~SEW more clothes!

~Love our library even more

Plan

~Giving up coffee has been a multi year struggle for me. Starbucks just makes it SO easy! I have been getting decaf when I have been getting it hoping I can cut ties easier. But I won't be giving it up entirely. If I have to go into town for grocery shopping I think 2 a month will be fine. But no more trips INTO town for coffee. I also started using my coffee maker instead.

~We have slowly been using Dave Ramsey's Financial Freedom plan and it feels like we will be on step 2 forever some days. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel! 

We haven't been good with the envelope system, going to re instate that this year, like now.

~ I am looking for a super part time job. One close to home for a few hours after hubby gets home and maybe a little weekends. Wish me luck!

~Meal planning is usually easy enough for me. I do 2 weeks worth after checking the ads and our stock. I don't want to spend more than we need to or do more work than I need to. And living out of town makes forgetting something or changing the meal plan expensive by either having to drive into town or paying way too much at our local market.

~Oh Target we have an unhealthy relationship! Not only is it kinda far away, there really are few times we actually NEED something from there. So just planning on avoiding unless we absolutely need to go and taking all the kids with me, that makes me want to rush a bit more and shop less!

 ~I have a sewing machine and all kinds of patterns just lacking confidence. I have to get over that. My plan is to make a dress or pants (for either my mini or I) when hubby is out of town. I have all kinds of free nights and NO reason not to, especially since I already have a bunch of fabric too!

~Library love.. well I started these goals BEFORE Christmas and my birthday, but hubby and the kids got me a nook, so while I probably won't be visiting the library as much, I will sure download all the free books I can. This will save us some money. I usually read a book or 2 a week, that can add up!

Continue Reading ...