Resolutions, reminders, and library book fines

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2012, hopefully you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and, if you’re anything like me it feels like we’re halfway though January and the Christmas decorations are still sitting on the landing waiting to go back up into the loft.

Have you had a chance to review your seasonal spending yet? If you participated in the Family Budgeting Survey I’d be really interested in hearing how your January budget has been affected and whether your budgeting tips helped. Of course I’d also be happy to hear from you even if you didn’t take the survey!

I’m an ardent avoider of New Year’s resolutions. All of those promises to get fit, lose weight, give up chocolate/alcohol/cheese never last long so instead I try and set myself a few goals that are sensible and will enhance my life. Here’s my recommendations:

1/ The weekly shop
In the last year I have moved increasingly to shopping daily and randomly. This means that I never have anything in and also that I seem to spend a fortune. I’m going to attempt to get back to shopping weekly, writing a list – and keeping to it!

2/ Hitting the shops!
Not to spend more, obviously! This is traditionally the time of year where I look at the pile of presents that need to be returned for one reason or another and decide that I can’t face fighting with the sales shoppers. But not this year! I shall be sharpening my elbows and taking it all back.

3/ Getting back into the old routine
It’s far too easy to let January disappear in a post-Christmas haze and before you know it you’re knee-deep in February and your home admin is a mess again. Grit your teeth and get on with it – my personal Achilles heel is library books. We regularly visit the library to save on cash, and because it’s a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning, but I’m always the woman at the desk emptying out her purse to pay off the fines. Not this year!

4/ Stock up
If you decide that you really can’t face the sales shoppers then put away the presents that you haven’t returned in a present drawer. It’ll set you up for a year of saving cash and it means there’s always an emergency present for one of those birthdays that creep up unawares.

5/ Resolve to worry less about money.
It’s so easy for money worries to consume you, and I’m in no way advocating putting your head in the sand, but there are things you can solve immediately and others that require a long-term strategy. Once you’ve put that strategy in place resolve to worry less and smile more. Worrying never solved anything, whereas a smile can make a big difference…
 

Tuesday, 10th January 2012

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