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.
2. Buy Nothing New for 1 Year.
I need a new bra. Or maybe it’s that I want a new bra and I can’t decide if I should buy one or not. Even though both of the bras I have are still functional, it would be really nice to buy a new one. One with some firm elastic in the straps. Too much information… I know.
3. Track Spending and Figure Out New Ways to Cut Spending Even More.
With all this warm weather we’ve been having lately I’m curious how everyone else is handling dinner time meals? Although we ate a bunch of salads this past week, I’ve found that if I cook a week’s worth of meals and side dishes {like fried rice and roasted veggies} early in the morning and pop them in the fridge, not only does it save me a ton of time later in the week, but it also cuts down on having to run the air conditioner in the evening hours.
Also, having the windows open during the early morning hours and then closing the blinds/curtains later in the day seems to help as well.
4. Try 52 New Recipes.
I was going to tell you about the pulled pork sandwiches we made last week. But then I figured tossing a bunch seasonings on some pulled pork and putting it on a bun and topping it with some store bought coleslaw didn’t really count. 😉
5. Keep My Grocery Budget Under $100 a Month.
So far for the month of July we have spent $121.97 on groceries. I haven’t tallied up what we’ve spent for the entire year yet but I know we are way over budget for this time of year. I’m thinking I’ll do our “no spend” month in October to help get our budget down. I’d do it sooner but we typically still see good deals on produce in August and September {especially} and I don’t want to miss out on those.
6. Go on 52 Dates with the Handsome Husband
Mr Big Spender took me to Costco and spent a whopping $2.71 at the food court. It was a hot day and I had zero interest in a slice of greasy pizza or one of those giant Costco weenies so I had a churro instead.
A few days later I suggested we go out for a real lunch. The price? $38 with tip. Not only was there a big difference in price… but the food? It tasted much better. 🙂
So far this year we’ve gone on 22 dates and spent $370.52 out of pocket for our dates.
7. Turn My Wool Stash into $5,000.
I’ll start listing my hooked rugs around mid to late August so for now, I am happily hooking away on fall/harvest 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.
This week I was able to tuck away an additional 30 items for our next garage sale. This brings my total 967 “things” for the year. I’m almost there!
I always think it’s amazing how random things like fishing line, flashlights {it seems like we have a million of them!} and a pickle fork end up together in a garage sale box. We’re done with them, but I’m sure someone else will want them.
9. Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
I am on the last few pages of A Small Farm in Maine and have some books on hold I need to pick up at the library.
10. Track Hours Spent Working on My Vegetable Garden and do a Cost Analysis at the End of the Year.
This past week we harvested a few potatoes, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a boatload of onions {I plan to make pickles later this week} two heads of garlic and a few carrots and beets for roasting. You can read all about my latest gardening adventures over on Dig for Your Dinner.
So far this year I have harvested 39 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: 18 hours
11. 52 House Projects in 52 Weeks.
This week I tackled painting the trim in the hallway. And of course, Lucy was right by my side the whole time making sure I didn’t miss a spot. 😉
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.
Debbie says
Seriously you only have 2 bras? Your site frequently advertises great sales on bras. The time you would save by purchasing a few more bras might make it a good move. Less time doing laundry, energy saved and laundry products too. Hope I was convincing
Jennifer Meyer says
At first glance the last picture looks like you are painting Lucy green hehehe!
Amy says
I have spent a lot of money on bras over the years and only had 2-3 bras at a time because of the cost. I have to order them online, they aren’t carried in my sizes where we live. Half of what I ordered would not fit me right and I’d have to send it back to the store. Last November when it was time for my annual bra shopping I decided to ditch the bras. I thought it’d be uncomfortable, I wore a 32H and always thought I’d needed support. Turns out being bra free feels great to me. As an added bonus I haven’t had as many weirdos staring at my breasts as I did when I wore a bra. Now I have an extra $300 a year to put towards my massive student loan debt.
Pat from Clackamas says
Jennifer it does look like Mavis is painting Lucy!! Especially with that small little brush!! Mavis, i , like you , really use my crock pots and steamer on hot days. The only thing is, i put them on my back deck outside my kitchen on a small folding table. That way all the heat from the crocks are outside! It works really well! Last year i even did my jams out there on one of those 2 burner propane stoves. I put an umbrella over all and it worked real slick!
Mavis Butterfield says
Genius idea! I’ll have to plug the crock pots in outside next time!!
Helen in Meridian says
Will the snoopervisors come check to see what you are cooking?
Mavis Butterfield says
I have an excellent hiding spot on the back porch… 🙂
sharon says
Question are you using a little brush to paint the trim? If so any favorite types?
Also do you have a favorite large crock pot? I am in the market for a bigger one.
Rita says
How about a bra for your birthday? Not sure when it is or if it has already passed. Haven’t noticed any mention of it on your blog ever.
Caitie says
I have cut bra straps and sewed them down again tighter. That might help you make it another 4 months:)
Mavis Butterfield says
Clever idea Caitie!!
Leslie says
I was thinking maybe there is some extra elastic laying around to just replace the straps. But sewing them down sounds easier!
Julia says
I hate shopping for bras!! I currently have two that I rotate. My absolute favorite one bit the dust (began to fall apart!!) recently:(. I’m thinking this might be the time for you to use a gift card to get a new bra. Or maybe use some of you money from the yard sale? As for cooking in the summer, I use my crockpots and also try to cook several meals at once so I don’t have to cook for a few days. I’d rather be playing outside in the summer them inside cooking!!
Helen in Meridian says
Are you a 32B or what size? Maybe if you post your size, friends here with extras in your size will mail them to you. Any that don’t fit could decorate the pink girls.
Leslie says
RE meal prep on hot days: I use the crockpot or electric skillet either in the bathroom with the fan on, in the basement, or outside. If I use it outside, I usually drape a tea-towel overtop to keep flies away.