My goals for 2017
Get 7- 8 Hours of Sleep Each Night
I did a horrible job at getting enough sleep this past week. Horrible. Basically the HH needed to work late several nights and I stayed up and waited for him instead of going to bed at my normal time. It happens.
Make Saving a Priority, Not an Idea
We were able to knock 6 additional principal payments off our mortage in March thanks to coming in under budget and not buying a bunch of stuff we didn’t need in February. The Girl and I were also able to score free airline tickets {thanks to milage points} so that was a nice surprise to the budget as well.
Live a little
I snitched leftover chocolate cheesecake from the freezer twice. And ate 1 1/2 bags of my birthday Dove chocolates. Does that count?
Visit 52 REAL Bakeries
We didn’t stop by any bakeries this past week {we are saving up our bakery dollars for our trip to the east coast} but we are looking to visit a bakery in Providence, Rhode Island. So if you know of a really good one, please let us know in the comments below.
Have 1 “no spend” week each month
I did this in January and February and plan to do it next week as well.
Start a Line of Rug Hooking Patterns
I’m up to 8 patterns and will list them for sale on Etsy as soon as get them all hooked up.
Turn My Wool Stash into $2,500.
I hardly have anything listed right now but I still managed to sell one item for $24.99 on my Etsy page this past week. That brings my total to $1499.39 for the year. I plan to add more items to both my Etsy and Ebay shops later today.
Purge 250 Items Including Selling Larger Items We No Longer Feel We Need
I cleaned out the junk drawer and decided to get rid of the organizers. Also headed for the garage sale pile: an old pair of sunglasses, a giant paint roller and a chess set no one has played in like 8 years. Seriously. If you’re not using it…. GET RID OF IT.
So far I’ve purged 61 items this year.
P.S. How much do you think I should ask for that jar of shells at the top of this post?
Learn to Crochet
I think I’m ready to start making granny squares for my blanket now. I just need to wait for a good deal on yarn and then snatch up enough to make a blanket.
Dote on My Husband Even More Than I Do Now.
Last night I was arm candy for the HH at a business dinner. I didn’t wear the pants and sweater I was planning on wearing but instead wore my sleeveless black dress with a sweater I borrowed from Mrs. HB and a funky silver necklace that came out of a Christmas cracker. 😉 I guess you could call it a date.
You know you’re getting old when more than 75% of the people in the room are younger than you and they use weird vocabulary. About the vocabulary people are using these days…. Have you noticed that too? Gag.
Also, I plucked my first GREY eyebrow hair. GOOD TIMES PEOPLE. Good times.
Lose the Muffin Top. {again}
OH PLEASE.
Wear out {most of} the clothing I already own.
I am rockin’ this goal this year.
Try 52 New Recipes
It was another great week in the kitchen for Mrs. HB and I. This week we tried out chicken tamales, mini meatloafs and beef bourguignon. I’ll post links to the recipes soon.
Read 52 Books
I finished up A Dog’s Purpose and then listened to The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands on audio book for free thanks to Hoopla. I like to read/listen to a Dr. Laura book every couple of years to make sure I’m not going crazy in my belief of the traditional roles in a marriage. And because I don’t want hater mail, that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Give Back to 12 Different Organizations in My Community
- January – Donated to Quilts from the Heart in Memory of my brother
- February – Donated to Empty Bowls Fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club
- March – Donated to my daughter’s mentor who was in a horrible car accident.
And then, there’s those top secret goals we’re not talking about yet.
- Secret Goal #1 Working on it!
- Secret Goal #2
- Secret Goal #3
- Secret Goal #4
How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2017? How are they coming along?
~Mavis
Read About My 2017 Goals HERE.
Eileen K. says
Me too on the Dr. Laura books. You aren’t alone.
Leanna Thompson says
I say start high on that jar of shells. $10
I’m pretty traditional.
Crystal says
I just put that Dr Laura book in my goodwill pile. I completely agree with traditional roles 🙂
Julie says
I hardly ever comment even though I read daily because like everyone else, my life is jam packed busy! I am a math teacher by day and a frugalista mom of 2 college boys by night and weekend. We are trying to cash flow their education and so far it is working. I owe that to things I have learned from frugal blogs like yours!
First of all, I want you to know that I love your blog. I have a suggestion about yarn. Maybe someone has some if you inquire on a local buy nothing facebook type group for at least some of the blanket. I remember a granny square blanket my grandma made when I was a kid and I just adored it. The center of each square was from various colors of scrap yarn, she then tied it together by making the next ring in cream and the outside in a beautiful coral. It was stunning! So whether the center was blue, purple, green, yellow, etc. she went around everyone of them in cream and then coral. I have seen many variations on the granny square over the years, but this was by far my favorite ever.
Secondly, when might we find out about some of your secret goals for the year? The suspense is just killing me! I am guessing that one them has to do with selling your house and moving – maybe to the east coast?
Mavis Butterfield says
As soon as I accomplish a secret goal…. I will post about it. 🙂
Ellee says
I don’t agree with the Dr. Laura part, BUT that’s the beauty of feminism- being able to choose what roles work best for you & your family. And that is something I totally respect! 🙂
Richelle says
So agree with Elle on this one!
Delores says
Mavis! What a great shirt. I think my mouth dropped when I saw you in something other than the black shirt (or jacket).
I am a big fan of traditional roles, though never read anything by Dr. Laura.
Lindsey says
Allies donuts in Kingston Rhode Island is a famous road side donut stand not too far from providence.
Jen says
Allies donuts are really good. You can also try LaSalle Bakery- they have a large assortment and it’s delicious.
Kerri says
Hope you get to Boston to try bakeries in the North End.
Mavis says
The only Bakery I’ve been to in Boston is mikes pastries. Any suggestions?
Martha Harris says
I lived in Providence for 2 years. Pastiche in The Federal Hill neighborhood can’t be missed. (Www.pastichefinedesserts.com) It’s world famous! And Federal Hill is the Italian district with so many good restaurants. Also, don’t miss College Hill and visit Brown University! My alma mater and a beautiful campus with so much quirky history.
Elise Martin says
Hello Mavis…I’m excited you asked about goals for 2017, because I have some exciting ones for myself this year! I’m starting my own blog this year! After an internal injury that caused kidney failure and left me with severe chronic pain and autoimmune disease, I did years of research on severe chronic pain and supportive therapies and helped myself back to health using a combination of medicine, alternative healing modalities, and changing my diet to maximize anti inflammatory foods. When I was very ill with flaring Ankylosing Spondylitis, it was very difficult to find trustworthy guidance and I received conflicting advice and was greatly misunderstood and even told it “was all in my mind” or that my emotions were “causing my pain” by medical practitioners who rarely understand autoimmune disease and chronic pain. Through medical research, I gained a great deal of knowledge and was able to graduate from the pain clinic and help myself back to health using self empowerment, mindfulness meditation, physical therapy, supplements, diet, exercise, and more. Now I want to use my hard earned expertise to help others in the untenable situation of suffering with severe chronic pain and autoimmune disease. I learned of a woman with my diagnosis who took her own life after years of suffering and I understood how a person could get to that point. Now I have valuable knowledge and I feel determined to help others who might feel alone and desperate. I’ve been there…I know what it’s like. My blog is in the planning stages, but I’m super excited to put my research to use to help others understand pain and how they can be empowered to find solutions and improve their quality of life! I’m also giving up plastic bags forever! Yippee!
Margaret @ Live Like No One Else says
I’ve been wanting to read that book for a while now. We haven’t renewed our library membership yet as it costs over $200, but when we do, It’ll be one of the first books I get. I love properly feeding and caring for my husband. A happy husband = a happy wife! 🙂
Sheri says
I remember when Libraries were free 🙁 ..unless you had an overdue book. And the Bookmobile.. we lived in a small town and the bookmobile was the highlight of the week when we were kids.
Marcia says
So…Dr. Laura actually lives in my town (I used to see her riding her bicycle around.) For several years at least, you could get her radio show on public radio (until she feuded with someone and went private radio only).
So I’d listen to her on my commute from work to pick up my son from daycare. Believe me, the irony is not lost on me on that one.
Like anyone though, you have to pick your battles. She always had several good things to say about responsibility, and how to make good choices. I mean, a lot of people do things without thinking.
Naturally, I completely disagree with her on many marriage and family-related issues (homosexuality, unless she’s changed her tune, working mothers/ parents, divorce). But she did always have *some* good info about dating again after divorce. (Like: don’t do it.) I never did agree with the idea of “moving back home” but whatever.
Now I just listen to music when driving to pick up my (2nd kid) from daycare and my (1st kid) from elementary school. I’m very content in my “non-traditional” marriage, but hey, it’s what works for you that matters. As long as someone else doesn’t try to put me in their box, I won’t try to put them in mine!
Jenny says
I am still working on my Master’s degree. I decided to accelerate the program and finished a semester of work in three months. Starting the next semester. I did get a special recognition for the quality of the work I turned in my last class. This in my 2017 goal to finish this program.
Pamela says
How did you knock 6 additional principal payments off your mortgage? Do you take the money that you’ve saved and just send it to the mortgage company? Do you have to include some sort of correspondence to indicate that you want the funds applied to the principal? I need to investigate this further so any advice would be appreciated.
Mavis Butterfield says
Linda left this comment a few months ago and I think it explains the process very well.
There seems to be a lot of confusion over what Mavis is doing with her principal payment. Let me attempt to explain:
Your mortgage payment is made up of several things: the principal payment, which is the part that actually is decreasing your balance; the interest payment, which is what you are paying the bank for using their money to purchase your house; and, depending how you set things up, other things like escrow payments to cover your homeowner’s insurance and taxes, or PMI payments to cover a special kind of Mortgage Insurance the bank requires if you haven’t paid over 20% of the principal. There are therefore ways you can save money, both short term and long term. First, the short term. If you are paying PMI, your bank should cease having those payments taken once you are paid over the 20% mark. However, frequently they do not automatically stop. So it’s a good idea to know when you’ll hit 20% and then call the bank . Immediate savings once those payments stop.
Long term you can do what Mavis is doing – making principal payments. In the early years of a loan, the principal payment is the smallest part of what you pay (interest is the largest part) so you can often make more than one additional principal payment if you have the extra cash. Late in the loan, the principal payment is larger, the interest payment smaller. By paying extra on the principal, you are reducing the term of the loan (how long you’ll owe the bank money.) Not only will the term decrease, but you’ll save all the interest you would have paid during the part you paid off early. So, if you paid 12 extra principal payments over the term of the loan, your loan term will b one year shorter, and you’ll save one year’s interest, which is substantial. Right now, with interest rates on savings so low, you may be better off paying down your mortgage. Essentially you’re then saving at whatever the interest rate of your mortgage is. But remember, though you’ll save by paying down a mortgage, this is not like a savings account- you cannot get that money out if you need to later. You can set an amount you can afford, and add that to the regular payment each month, but don’t forget to save money in an accessible account for emergencies.
Emily says
Mavis you must visit Pastiche in Providence, but please also go to Allies Donuts, they are outside of Providence but are by far the best donuts I’ve ver eaten. I don’t live in RI anymore, Allies is one of the things I miss the most!
Mavis says
Putting it on my list!! Thanks!