2012 Resolutions (Goals) Review

As we come to an end of 2012, I thought I would revisit the goals I set up in the beginning of the year.

It seems I need to do a lot of improvement.  I had the best of intentions, but now that the year is almost over, it seems like I don’t know how it went by so fast and why I didn’t get much completed!

Here’s what I started with and where I ended up:

Personal / Household Goals:

• Clean out my garage – Kind of started, but no real improvement.  This will be on my list next year.  It just seems like each time I get some items out, my bf always seems to bring more in!  Like he thinks I’m making room for him to bring home more junk!  Uggghhh!
  
• Clean out my closet – Again, haven’t even started, but I still might be able to get to this before the end of the year as there is going to be a donation pick up in my neighborhood on the 31st.  Perfect to use for a tax deduction.
• Deal with incoming papers right away – This I still kind of do, but it just seems like I get so many papers I’m not sure what to do with them.  I know I really don’t need them all, but it’s just so hard for me to toss them!  I’m going to work more on this next year.
• 15 minute pick up daily –  I’m much better at this.  I actually have reminder set on my phone to do this.
• Try a new recipe a week – This one I just pretty much gave up on.  Though I did try a couple of new recipes this month and last month!
• Start my Christmas shopping by October and be done before Thanksgiving (this year I didn’t even start until the week before Christmas – terrible) – I didn’t do.  I just didn’t even want to go anywhere for this, so I ended up doing most of my shopping online a couple of weeks before.  Let me tell you, it was the best way to shop!  It was nice to do from the comfort of home and not have to deal with crowds or trying to find a parking space!  I just hate that!  I also used Ebates.  If you haven’t tried them out yet, you should.  You get cash back for most purchases you make  at hundreds of different stores and when you sign up you get to choose a $10.00 gift card which you receive after you make your first purchase.  I’ve been using them for a little over a year now.

Financial Goals:

• Save $1000. – $1500. for Christmas & holiday (cookie) party. – This one I did, but didn’t quite get to my goal.  Kind of tapped into it early!  I’ll do better on this one next year!
  
• Start emergency savings account. – I did start this one, but really haven’t put much in it.  Again, something for the new year goals.
• Continue saving money by couponing and putting that savings into another account (for fun). – The couponing part is easy, they transferring the savings into the other account is the hard part!  I guess I don’t need to transfer it since when I have the extra I always use it for fun, so no need for the account (ha!).  That’s bad I know, but I figure you only live once, so might as well use it while you can.  I will do better on this.

A lot of these will be on my list for next year.  I’m trying out some new things to get more organized so hopefully I’ll get it together!  That’s what’s great about New Year’s.  It’s a whole new fresh start.  If you don’t get it right the first time, at least there’s another year to try!