1. Pay Down the Mortgage
We were able to squeeze one extra “principal” payment out of our budget towards paying down our mortgage in July. Had we not had all those bills from the HH’s surgery we would have been able to pay down more. But one is better than none.
2. Buy Nothing New for 1 Year.
It was a good week! No temptations.
3. Track Spending and Figure Out New Ways to Cut Spending Even More.
I hopped a “free” flight to the east coast using our airline points {well, technically I did have to pay $26 in taxes out of pocket} and I didn’t spend a dime on any personal expenses so that was exciting {to me atleast}. I also did a little barter with Mrs. HB for Power Cakes waffle mix and some junk food for the boys.
4. Try 52 New Recipes.
The Girl has been trying out some new fresh fruit smoothie combinations and I tried a new cookie recipe last week. I’ll try and get those posted soon.
5. Keep My Grocery Budget Under $100 a Month.
This is harder than I thought it would be for some reason this summer but I’m hoping to get back on track once the fall rolls around and things settle down.
6. Go on 52 Dates with the Handsome Husband
The HH and I have seriously been slacking off on this goal lately. He’s been super busy with work and I’ve got a few things going on behind the scenes that are taking up a bunch of my time. We totally need to make “date day” a priority.
So far this year we’ve gone on 19 dates and spent $323.60 out of pocket for our dates.
7. Turn My Wool Stash into $5,000.
I spent some time earlier this week organizing the rugs I made and set aside this spring/summer and holy cow man, I’ve been busier than I thought! There are still a few more I want to finish before I start listing again in late August {mostly holiday pieces}.
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 have gotten rid of 922 “things.”
After making nearly $600 at the yard sale a few weeks ago I was inspired to continue my purging of things there is really no reason to hang on to anymore. Things we won’t be taking with us the next time we move. Granted, I should have done this before the yard sale… but I really do think getting rid of stuff takes time. And if I have to have another garage sale… no biggie.
I haven’t counted up the stuff currently sitting on the dining room table yet, but I’m hoping to hit my goal of getting rid of $1,000 things by the end of the month.
9. Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
A Small Farm in Maine, The Shoemaker’s Wife, the latest copy of Old Port Magazine and Seinfeldia on Audiobook. Please tell me I’m not the only person who reads multiple items at once. 😉
10. Track Hours Spent Working on My Vegetable Garden and do a Cost Analysis at the End of the Year.
We trimmed hedges, pulled weeds and harvested a few onions, carrots and raspberries on the west coast this past week. I also harvested tomatoes, onions, fresh basil and sweet peppers on the east coast {I’ll do a proper picture post tomorrow on our garden over there}.
So far this year I have harvested 23 pounds 7 ounces of fresh veggies from our backyards. I spent $19.40 at the greenhouse and about $16 on mulch.
Time spent working on Vegetable Garden in 2016: 16.5 hours
11. 52 House Projects in 52 Weeks.
On the east coast I clean carpets, patched and painted a wall, did a few other odds and ends.
12. Make all Birthday and Christmas Gifts This Year or Acquire Them for Free.
Nothing new to report this week in the gift department.
How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2016? How are they coming along?
~Mavis
Read About My 2016 Goals HERE.
Heather says
I am admiring you zucchini plants. Mine have beautiful green leaves and then they get yellowing and die off, but new green leaves keep coming. What am I doing wrong?
Amy S says
I get one of three problems with my squash.
1.) Squash Vine Borers – holes on the vine near base of plant. Leaves yellow, but it continues growing for a while. Leaves wilt and eventually plant kicks the bucket
2.) Powdery Mildew – leaves get a powdery material on the leaves. It spreads. Plant dies.
3.) Bacterial Wilt – leaves wilt during the day but bounce back when the sun goes away. Repeat daily. Plant dies.
I’m guessing you have squash vine borers. Some people gently cut the stem and kill the caterpillar. Certain varieties are more susceptible than others, so don’t put all you eggs in the same basket. I usually plant fordhook zucchini and it gets but #1 and #2, but this year I tried italian striped zucchini and so far so good. My spaghetti squash has borers though. 🙁