A 5 part series
After writing this blog post, editing it and then re-editing it, I have decided to make it into a series of posts. There is just so much beneficial information to cover. I don’t want to lose you in an extremely long post
Yes, it’s that time again; time to think about my New Year’s resolutions. I searched my computer for last year’s – re-read them and I decided to rewrite and condense the list to 5 major New Year’s resolutions (last year, there were many more than that) and stick to the list.
My 5 New Year’s Resolutions
- Random acts of kindness
- Healthy lifestyle
- Save more
- Recycle – up cycle
- Shop smarter
Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) (Here’s one great explanation of RAK)
RAKs come in many shapes and forms. It is being polite to a stranger, smiling to the old lady sitting across from you on the bus, letting the mother with two crying children ahead of you in the line at the grocery store.
My favorite, just hug somebody!
Healthy Lifestyle
Wow! This is a big one. It means I should be cooking healthier meals for my family, cutting down on sugar, white flour, and food additives. I need a better fitness regime for the whole family, starting with myself. Being a good role model is important! A good start would be taking walks with the family on those beautiful weekend mornings or walking our little one to school instead of just jumping into the car.
Save more
Is the economy going to get better in 2012? That’s a good question. I know that I can improve on my family’s’ economics by just saving more, Living a frugal life is now trendy! First, I am finally going to write down all of our expenses that come off the top of our income every month; mortgage, utilities, education and car expenses… Then, I’ll write down our expected costs for food, clothing, entertainment and my personal favorite, miscellaneous. I will track everything that we spend money on for one month, and at the end of the month, we will have a true picture of where we can trim the fat and save some cash for a rainy day (or a sunny day family vacation).
Recycle – Upcycle
I must make more of an effort to save tomorrow’s environment. True, I won’t be around forever but my children and their children and grandchildren will be!
I will:
- Be more careful about separating our garbage!
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- Buy products in eco-friendly packaging
- Make sure that my eco-friendly shopping bags are always in the car! (no plastic bags)
- Recycling also means giving outgrown clothing to friends for their children to use and being grateful when I receive clothing from others.
Now I am thinking more and more about upcycling - Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value. Yes! It’s trending and it’s so much fun with kids!
Shop Smarter
This probably should be a separate blog post (and it will be. Here are a few ways to shop smarter:
- Shop with a list. (If it’s not on your list, keep moving.)
- Look for coupons
- Look for sales (flyers, newsletters, email specials)
- Investigate; search the internet, use price comparison websites prior to shopping. (Don’t forget to read the store reviews!)
- Read recommendations from strangers, but also from your friends!
- Stock up on stuff that doesn’t go bad!
I think that the common denominator for all of my New Year’s resolutions is discipline. I think that I can do it! Can you?
I would love to hear about your New Year’s Resolutions! Please share your tips with us, too!
