My 12 Goals for 2016 : Week 26 of 52

1. Pay Down the Mortgage

We were able to knock 4 payments off our contract in June {1 regular payment and 3 extra “principal” payments}. I highly doubt we will make an extra payments next month towards the principal on the house though. We are still waiting for one last bill from the HH’s Mohs surgery but so far to date the bills total close to $3,700 out of pocket {OUCH!}. We have a high deductible $4,000 per person $8,000 family and luckily this is the first big big we’ve ever had since we were married almost 22 years ago.

Once the last bill arrives I plan to call the provider and see if we can get a discount if we pay it all in one lump sum. We do have money in our “medical savings” but still, even 10% off would be nice.

2. Buy Nothing New for 1 Year. 

Ya. So I’m totally not even worried about this goal for the next month or two. Big medical bills will change your way of thinking real quick. 😉

3. Track Spending and Figure Out New Ways to Cut Spending Even More.

Sometimes I feel like this is the hardest task.

4. Try 52 New Recipes.

We spent the week stuffing or face with business dinners/buffets so I didn’t get to try and new recipes but JJ and Camille’s korean beef is on my radar for next week.

5. Keep My Grocery Budget Under $100 a Month.

Last week I spent over $113 stocking up from coming back from the east coast and getting ready to leave the kids home while we were away in San Francisco. I know it will all even out in the end so I’m not too worried.

This week I know I’ll be stocking up on cherries and I’m hoping to see some good deals on blueberries coming up as well. After those things I should have plenty of fruit in the freezer to enjoy this winter.

6. Go on 52 Dates with the Handsome Husband 

Sunday – Walked down Lombard Street, ate lunch at In-N-Out Burgers and dessert at Ghirardelli – {All free thanks to a “business lunch”}.

Monday – Toured Filoli Mansion, drove up the coast, stopped at the beach and went out to a business dinner with 18 peeps from work. {All free}

Tuesday – Walked through Chinatown, ate a pastry at Tout Sweet, visited the cable car museum, the Japanese tea garden and then had dinner at John Foley’s Irish Pub. {All free}

Wednesday – Drove to Napa Valley, had breakfast at Bouchon Bakery, Toured B Cellars Winery, ate lunch at Bottega, found a cool porta potty, visited the French Laundry Culinary Gardens, took a nap at the hotel and then went to a business dinner with 10 million peeps from work. $120 out of pocket for the winery tour {all the meals counted as a business expense!}

It was a good week for dates. 😉

So far this year we’ve gone on 18 dates and spent $311.60 out of pocket for our “dates.”

7. Turn My Wool Stash into $5,000.

I won’t be adding any new inventory to my Etsy or Ebay “shops” for a few months {it’s a slow time of year for selling hooked rugs} but my hands are definitely busy hooking away on new projects that I’ll offer up for sale in the fall.

In April I sold $29.99
In March I sold $799.53
In February I sold $1077.27
In January I sold $1563.92

8. Get Rid of 1,000 Things. 

So far this year I’ve  purged 849 items and this week The Girl and I will be going through the house one last time to find more stuff to get rid of before hauling everything into the front room and boxing it up for the big yard sale.

9. Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.

I am reading through The Market Gardener right now trying to glean some information about what crops are most profitable to sell at the farmer’s market. I also listened to The More of Less on audio book yesterday while working around the house and out in the garden.

10. Track Hours Spent Working on My Vegetable Garden and do a Cost Analysis at the End of the Year. 

I harvested over 4 pounds of lettuce and both sugar snap and shelling peas this week and brought the extra lettuce over the chickens. You can get all my latest gardening happenings over on Dig for Your Dinner.

So far this year I have harvested 12 pound 7 ounces of fresh veggies from our backyard. I spent $19.40 at the greenhouse and about $16 on mulch.

Time spent working on Vegetable Garden in 2016: 13 hours 20 minutes.

11. 52 House Projects in 52 Weeks.

Nothing major this week…. but adding another coat of paint the the window box and maybe re-staining the garden bench is on the radar for next week.

12. Make all Birthday and Christmas Gifts This Year or Acquire Them for Free.

Nothing new to report this week but I do think I’m going to make some funky vinegars to give as gifts with some of the herbs from my garden using the bottles my mom gave me last week. 😉

How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2016? How are they coming along?

~Mavis

Read About My 2016 Goals HERE.