As I mentioned in my last post, this year I'm fully intending to create monthly goals and post them here on the blog. Since it's already the 4th of the month, I think it's time to start rolling, right?
My January goals are pretty simple and can be summed up as "coming back". Coming back from "stork mode" to frugal living and pinching our pennies again:
1. Pay off all the medical bills. Hopefully, we can be done with it finally!
2. Create a budget and actually use it. We never actually stopped budgeting, even during the very first weeks after the babies were born. But somehow by mid-month we would completely forget about it. By posting here, I hope, I'll start being more accountable yet again :)
3. Make at least $100. Yep, I'm back to work already. What can I say, formula is expensive! Luckily my job is extremely flexible and I can do what works for us. I think, $100 is pretty doable under the circumstances (I made $140 in January) but I'm not going to push myself too much just yet.
4. Start meal planning and tracking food waste again. Yet another thing that I've been slacking on for obvious reasons. We've been extremely blessed with so many friends, neighbors, Church members who brought us delicious dinners. You might remember that I also filled our freezer with yummy meals and we actually still have a few left. We will be finishing them up in the next few weeks. But all of that lead to some food waste, mostly leftovers that we just couldn't finish before it went bad. Now that our fridge is pretty bare, food waste shouldn't be much of a problem :)
5. Check our credit scores. No explanation needed, I guess :)
6. Start working on "for sale" list. As part of my decluttering goal, I also want to sell a few things. I will wait for a little bit to start listing because time is still very unpredictable but it's not going to hurt to start planning.
7. Buy a couch!
And these are our boring but necessary frugal goals and attempts (minus the couch :). Here's for a good January, my friends!!
Are you working on any special goals this month?
Hey - I never got to bring you a meal. So let me know when a crazy week is coming so I can bring you a meal. Or when you have empty freezer space that needs to be filled. I know the craziness of brand-new newborns has probably subsided some and the meals have probably slowed, but that doesn't mean that life automatically got easier. Message, email, call - whatever.
ReplyDeleteThank you, my friend! And thank you for coupons for diapers :)
DeleteSmart goals because you took into account that you now have a family of six with two of them being very small infants. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteUh, way to go! Not proudly I must admit that it took me a full year to leave "stork mode." And that was with only one babe and no older kiddos to attend to :)
ReplyDeleteHappy 2015!
It might take me a year too, we'll see :) I guess, it's a little easier with more kids because you know what to expect (not because you get any more sleep, lol)
DeleteStart small Lena and gradually increase your "work" effort!! Working at home must be such a blessing - good luck with your January goals!
ReplyDeleteI know. I love my job!
DeleteThe only advice I would offer you with new babies plus two others is to enjoy this time and not get too bound to the "legalities" of your plan. Though you have only doubled( I can't believe I just used the word only) the number of children in the household, the time it takes to mother them all has increased exponentially. Accept your best as your best! If you make all your goals, great. If you don't that's great also, after all you are a mom of 4!
ReplyDeleteI think that you will do just fine! You have had some major changes and even though you may have felt out of control, you always do the right thing and make it look easy. Things may feel out of control but you are way ahead of where most people would be. I believe in you and your frugal abilities, don't let self doubt make you feel insecure.
ReplyDeleteThose sound like good goals! I'm sure you'll achieve them!
ReplyDeleteVery achievable goals Lena! I love that people brought you meals. It's a big help! When I had surgery, I had a couple of meals given to us and it meant so much. I would love to start a ministry of organizing meals for families in need.
ReplyDeleteI need to start selling stuff around here too. I'll be interested to see how you do!
By the way, I NEED more pics of those sweet cuties! :)
We JUST paid off our medical bills .... the decluttering is an ongoing issues .... LOTS of bags to Goodwill in the last few weeks .... LOTS more to go .... and I just joined a gym, so hopefully getting a bit healthier is in my future :)
ReplyDeleteOh .... and we bought a couch right before Christmas LOL ... we have a lot in common!
Haha, yes we do :)
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