1. Pay Down the Mortgage
We were able to make 7 additional principal payments towards the mortage for October.
Reader Lindsey left this comment last week for those of you wondering how this works:
“The principal portion is not the same as the mortgage payment. For example if your payment is 2000 your principal portion may be 400. So 7 extra payments would be an additional 2800.”
Home Sweet Home pillow can be found HERE.
2. Buy Nothing New for 1 Year.
I cannot find my slippers. I repeat. I cannot find my slippers. And I need them. Keeping your feet warm while inside is a necessity, right? I may have to break down and buy a pair.
3. Track Spending and Figure Out New Ways to Cut Spending Even More.
The Girl is determined to keep her holiday spending under $25 this year {7 people} and I think we are all going to get hats. 😉 She stalks the Michael’s coupon page every Sunday for a new coupon. I think it’s hilarious.
4. Try 52 New Recipes.
Squash pie. I’ll share the recipe later this week.
5. Keep My Grocery Budget Under $100 a Month.
My new goal is to make it to the end of the year spending an average of $150 a month. Although with my recent trip to Costco…. I may be pushing it. We’ll see.
6. Go on 52 Dates with the Handsome Husband
No time for dates this past week. We’ve had a lot of family things going on lately and pretty much put this goal on hold for the last six weeks. Plus, the HH has been crazy busy with work and so by the end of the week the both of us have been pretty drained. I will say that the fact that we have gone on 27 dates this year… is a hugh improvement over last year. Last year we maybe went of 5.
So far this year we’ve gone on 27 dates and spent $416.22 out of pocket for our dates.
7. Turn My Wool Stash into $5,000.
I’m back on Etsy and Ebay and this past week I sold $194.98 worth of my hooked rugs. So far this year I have sold $6073.03 worth of arts & crafts. Which is probably the equivalent of most people’s annual grocery budget. So hey, not too shabby if you ask me. Making money in your spare time is pretty rad.
So far in October I’ve sold $1014.05
In September I sold $1259.27
In August I sold $329
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.
While hanging up laundry I pulled 3 shirts from the HH’s side of the closet I haven’t seen him wear in the past 3 years. The bottom two shirts made their way to the donation bag and the blue one went to next year’s yard sale box.
So far this year I’ve gotten rid of 1103+ things.
9. Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Mud Season. Have you read it? I started it last night and I’m now about halfway through.
10. Track Hours Spent Working on My Vegetable Garden and do a Cost Analysis at the End of the Year.
I haven’t really had a chance to spend much time in the garden over the past 6 weeks. But now that the rain has finally stopped I think I’ll take Lucy out there today and get the garden beds cleaned up and try and harvest a few things.
So far this year I have harvested 109 pounds 6 ounces of fresh veggies from our backyards. I spent $19.40 at the greenhouse, $10.40 at Wilco and about $16 on mulch. You can read all about my gardening adventures at Dig for Your Dinner.
Time spent working on Vegetable Garden in 2016: 21 hours 10 minutes.
11. 52 House Projects in 52 Weeks.
I swept all the leaves and pinecones off my driveway yesterday. It took me a good hour and not one person stopped to ask why I wasn’t using a blower. It. Was. Awesome. Sweeping. It’s a lost art. It’s also therapeutic.
12. Make all Birthday and Christmas Gifts This Year or Acquire Them for Free.
Fred Meyer Friday Freebies. Gotta love ’em! The Airheads will go in Monkey Boy’s stocking and the Belvita breakfast cookies will go at the bottom of the wine and cheese basket we give my parents every year for Christmas. Fillers. Wahooo!
How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2016? How are they coming along?
~Mavis
Read About My 2016 Goals HERE.
Kathy G says
I sweep the sidewalk each morning in front of the shop where I work. It is therapeutic for me. And many people have told me it gives them nostalgic comfort also to see me sweeping with my apron on.
Simple pleasures.
Joanna says
Tell your daughter to look up the Michaels coupons every day… I always tought they were only releasing new coupons on sunday for the whole week but recently when I was shopping next door I decided to come into Michaels even though I didn’t need anything and of course I found something that I really wanted… I went on the website to check for coupons before I decided if I can afford to buy it at the time and they had a coupon valid for this day only, it was for 30% off whole purchase including sale and clearance… I went right back to the clearance racks to see if Ican find something interesting… I don’t remember if it was Thursdsy or Friday but the coupon was for one day only
Emma says
I can’t live without my slippers. I know how you feel
Gail says
Today (Sunday) the Michael’s website has a 20% off entire purchase coupon that is good today only.
There is also a coupon for 50% off one regular priced item that is good for the week.
Patty P says
I haven’t read Mud Season yet, but it looks good! I just put it on hold through my library, so I look forward to it coming in so I can read it! Thanks for the great book suggestions…I always enjoy the books you recommend!
Christie says
I would suggest the girl download the Michael’s app – she won’t miss a coupon and she’ll get all those random one day specials as well. 🙂
Jen says
Also Michaels takes joanns coupons- and they often have 60% off (including today). You do have to hit it right though 🙂
Emily says
Just to be a devil’s advocate and support you in your goals. Could you or the girl make some slippers from your wool stash? I LOVE my felted wool slippers (mine are knit then shrunk in the wash), so much so that I made them new soles when they got thin. I’m thinking you could probably sew some from your wool or use the strips like chunky yarn and felt them down. No judgement if you buy some instead; warm feet are important.
Mavis Butterfield says
I suppose she could…. but I love the Haflinger slippers too much.
Marcia says
You always make me feel like a slug. Yes your hooked rug total is really close to my grocery bill. I’ll probably come out a little under $7000.
Still 7 principal payments is great.
I went on a date with my husband! We usually only get about three a year. We are probably up to ten.
Costco kills my grocery budget.
I need to stalk the Michael’s ads.
Connie says
My haflinger slippers are a neccesity. Just got a new pair as mine were completely worn out
Mavis Butterfield says
My last pair lasted 2 years. They were worn pretty much everyday. 🙂
Tracie H says
Yay for sweeping! I detest the sound of a leaf blower and one or another of my neighbors uses theirs on a daily basis. It has been very windy here for the last few days and my husband and I were laughing because a teenage boy had a blower downtown and as he was blowing, the leaves were literally swirling down the street toward him. Total act of futility!
CaroleZoom says
Thanks for the Michaels tip. One present off the list at 50% off. Shipping is high tho!