- Start and stick to my daily planner as much as possible, and tweak where necessary - started with this. And tweaked where I could but didn't really stick to it. My challenge came when my things would change quickly.
- Write out (not necessarily here) and stick to as much as possible a daily to-do-list to help with achieving these goals, help with the planner and manage my time. This I did very well at for both November and December. I wrote down every day just before leaving work what I wanted to do when I got home. Some days I didn't do it and was just lazy ("lazy days" as I called them) but I found if I wrote a goal list for the night I found it easier to achieve. Its amazing how the little things help sometimes.
- Cut 20% from the food budget. We have stocked piled a lot of food stuff in our house, so we are going to cut back the grocery/food budget for the next month and eat some of the food we have in the cupboard. Trying to only purchase things like fresh food, items we need (re baking etc) and really good deals with coupons. The money save will go toward debt payment. For the most part I did this. I cut the 20% from the food budget for both months and put that money into debt repayment. We used out stock pile but twice me and the BF headed to the states for some shopping deals (right before thanksgiving and then two weeks before Christmas) we got some great deals on food and have out stock pile back
- Drop the phone bill debt at least 50% - this was done. In fact as of today the phone bill debt is completely paid off.. yeah
- Get back into crafting and start making stuff for accessories and friends - did that in November but stopped in December as I didn't really seem to have time. Going to start that again in the new year
- Put $20 from my allowance a week away to go towards my theatre stuff, whether costumes, resources or classes. - this except for the week of Christmas and New Year. AND I managed to have money handy when I had to make a costume for a show.. it was great cause I wasn't borrowing money from anywhere. So keeping this up in the new year.
- Put $10 my allowance a week away to go towards a class in December such as belly dancing, zumba or that self defence class or creative writing class I have been eying. And again did the same except for the week of Christmas and New Year. My BF going me a pass for Zumba for Christmas so I many save this money (and continue putting in) for next semester and take a creative writing class.
Before I get into my goal/resolutions for 2012 I wanted to recap on the goals I had in November, how I did and whether I continued on for the month of December. Remember December was a rough month for me so I didn't have any goals for December. Well not true. I just carried these on for the month and will start fresh for 2012. Anyway... So my goals for November are as follows
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Well time to get back at it. And since its the start of the month its time to get into my goals again. I didn't have many goals for September. In fact the only goal I had for September was to have fun on my Australia/China trip.. which I am happy to report I achieved hahaha.. October I didn't have any goals as I was coming back from my trip. Suffered from Jet lag and coming back from one holiday to go onto another trip I didn't really have time to plan ahead with my goals. So now its November and its time to get back to it with setting and completing my goals. Time to get organized, time to loose weight (through a lifestyle change not a diet) and time to pay as much of the debts as possible. So my goals for November are as follows
After the events of last weekend and my BF's stupid phone company i was sooo happy to get away with the girls for the weekend to attend a couple of conventions in Seattle.
This weekend had been planned for 8 months and thankfully i bought my ticket for one of the conventions back then as it only cost me $125 as opposed to $325 (gotta love early bird rates). Anyway one of the convention was for my theatre group and the other was a zombie convention (yes i am into Zombies) So i came to Seattle with a goal in mind. So spend as little as possible and stick to my budget. I came to Seattle with $300.00 in my pocket. This didn't include money for the hotel room as that came out seperately. Thankfully some other girls were very money conscious as well and we shared a hotel room which brought down costs to $111 for the three nights each.. (that's pretty good) Anyway as i said i walked into Seattle with $300.00 in my pocket. I walked out with $108.00. Not bad if you ask me. And i did this still managing to spend $60.00 at the other convention and food for the weekend. So how did i do it you may ask. I restrained myself from a lot of things. Drinking was the big one. I didn't drink at all over the weekend. When it came to food there was a Subway right across the hotel where we were staying and i bought a footlong each time, ate half there and saved the other half for the next meal. I also bought at the Safeway ont the way down some noodle packs and cookie lunch packs for snacks. Very good deal i got on them. I also stayed away from the vendor areas of the conventions.. which was hard to do cause i did notice they had some amazing stuff... but i kept thinking.. "debts debts debts" That comes first then i can by pretty things. So overall i didn't spend that much but still had a mega kick ass time. Thankfully my friends all understood where i was coming from so they didn't make fun of me or pitty me at all. They were very supportive the whole weekend. On the way home to Vancouver i did stop at Walmart to do some grocery shopping and pick up come cheap halloween supplies that were on say. So i came home to Vancouver with $50.00. Which all and all is pretty good. I didn't once use my credit card nor my debit and my budget remains intake. Yeah for thrifty holidays!!! First my apologies to my regular readers (and I know there is a few out there) for not writing regularly on my blog over the past couple of weeks. Its been an interesting couple of weeks.
Unfortunately both my "lifestyle" change and my money management plan went right out the window. Nothing has seemed to go my way. It started off with me contracting the stomach flu. And let me tell you, it wasn't pretty. I hate the flu normally but the stomach flu is worse. I actually lost 5 pounds from it (which I admit is not the best way to loose weight) but I put it back on when I managed to start eating normal food again. Then the stomach flu turned into a regular cold.. again sick. And coupled with problems at home with the BF, which I wont go into right now, resulted in major depression. I turned into a huge emotional eater which didn't help my eating plan.. I just wanted to eat crap food and crap food was what I eat. So I didn't eat as well as I hoped and didn't exercise much if at all.. BUT I was lucky enough to only gain 2 pounds from the difference of last month. So can't be to worried about that.. However I am still having some trouble with my tummy of late. Not sure if its the after effects of the flu or my issues with no gall bladder. So keeping an eye on that and speaking to my doctor next week about it. Just in case... you know? Budget wise.. . Between friend's kids birthdays, the tired blowing on us, a emergency dentist trip for the BF and pre-paying for some stuff for Australia the budget was totally blown out of the water.. doh!!! So my budget is way off and I don't think I did any great dent in my debt. Actually I think I might actually owe more then I did when I first started this blog. I did however managed to save almost $1000 for the Aussie trip.. so didn't do to bad. And some of the money I spent on my credit card were things I need for the trip pre-paid such as car rental and the BF car racing day course he is doing so its not all for bad reasons. So having said all that about I really don't feel so bad about it. Everyone is allowed to have bad times right... So my plan is not to worry so much about it. After all stress causes wrinkles (well according to my mother teehee) and focus more on my upcoming trip.. Then after the trip I will get back on the plan to loose weight and pay off debts. No point getting stressed out over stuff that for the most part so under no control of mine. I plan on seeing a dietician/nutritionist when I get back from the trip just to give me a helping hand when it comes to foods and my non-existence gall bladder and digestion issues associated with it. And I am postponing my prevention walking plan for now and start up again after my trip. So here is a re-cap of my goals from last month and how I did.. - loose 10 pounds - Fail. Started the month off well but then all the crap above hit and it bombed. - stick to budget - Fail - same reasons as above - save $1000.00 in the travel fund for Oz/China - Almost complete. Managed to save little under 900 for the trip. So not quite a grand but pretty close. So I do consider this goal a success. - get my visa for China - DONE - Re-do my daily schedule which will include goals from my personal goal list and house goal list - Done. I did up a daily schedule BUT however I have yet to implement it. - Clean storage locker - DONE. We got rid of a lot of garbage and junk from the storage locker. We now have room to add more stuff into storage instead of sitting in the apartment. - work out at least 3 times a week - Fail. Again started well but the same reasons hit as the first 2 goals. So my goals for this month are plan and simple. So plan and simple in fact there is only one of them - have fun on my trip to Australia/China. No need for other goals at this moment in time. I am one week away (8 more sleeps to go) and all my focus is on my trip and having fun. Not worrying about money or diet (although I do admit I wont go overboard) and start the plans again when I get back. Its really the only things I can do at the moment. It might be all the cold/flu drugs talking or perhaps the excitement of my trip but I really feel ok with it. No point banging myself up about it when I am so close to the plane trip. Might even take some material on weight loss and money management on the plane with me do read over and start preparing.. after all I a spending 19 hours total on a plane.. might as well have something to do. So in the mean time I am going to update my stats and continue to write about weight loss, money management and life. Here is my July Goal recap
- loose 10 pounds - DONE. I lost 12 pounds this month - stick to Budget - FAIL. I was doing so well at the beginning of the month. Then we had some things pop up like the fire place cleaning and change of oil in the car (which both needed to be done) then of course my BF's emergency of no beer in the house... that was annoying - save in travel fund $600.00 - DONE.. in fact with the little budget problems as mentioned above i managed to save $1,200.00. Twice as much as my goal - Do Kitchen/Freezer inventory - FAIL. I started but never finished - De-clutter my wardrobe and bathroom - FAIL. moved to my house goal list - Create and stick to a meal plan based on my weight loss goals and schedule - FAIL - Have a regular bed time. In bed by 10.30 every night. Excluding weekends. - Somewhat FAIL. I did have a regular bed time for most of the month. It wasn't 10.30. Some nights it was earlier some it was later, but for the most part the latest i ever went to be was 11.30. And i never had a late night during the week. So it is better then before - try two new recipes - FAIL - read one book - FAIL (read half a book) - do two different fitness activities that are free or cheap. This includes hiking/place at a new place - DONE. I found a new walking root home from the station and when for a long walk around a local park near home and discovered some nice walking trails August Goals - loose 10 pounds - stick to budget - save $1000.00 in the travel fund for Oz/China - get my visa for China - Re-do my daily schedule which will include goals from my personal goal list and house goal list - Clean storage locker (i think this will help kick start the house goal list, as i will know once it is cleaned up how much room i have to store things) - work out at least 3 times a week Finally posting my June Goal recap and my goals for July. Sorry for the lateness on this one.
Here is my June Goal recap - Do my 6 month budget - July to December - Completed.. - Get all my stats - Completed. Just need to update the site with them. Will do tonight - Book my flight to Australia - Booked July Goals - loose 10 pounds - stick to Budget - save in travel fund $600.00 - Do Kitchen/Freezer inventory - De-clutter my wardrobe and bathroom - Create and stick to a meal plan based on my weight loss goals and schedule - Have a regular bed time. In bed by 10.30 every night. Excluding weekends. - try two new recipes - read one book - do two different fitness activities that are free or cheap. This includes hiking/place at a new place :) So last night was researching ways to help me lose weight. I came across this article "10 incrediable ways to lose wieght". It got me thinking. Thinking of what i need to do to help me with the wieght loss. Not only with diet and exercise but little things i wouldn't think would make a difference..
So i have the list of 10 things and added what it is i need to do this. I have filed this under goals as well as i will need to refer to this when making my July goals. Hopefully by taking small steps i will see results and change my lifestyle for the better. 1. Get a Goal Well i think i have done that. I have set my ultimate goal to lose weight and regain my financial freedom. This whole site/blog is to help me achieve that, by taking little steps at a time :) 2. Clear the Clutter. The article talks about the clutter in the kitchen. Mainly they are a distraction for food prep.. which i agree. but i was also thinking about my cupboards and how cluttered they are. Have the time i have no idea what is in there or what to make with it. Goal: clearing out the cupboards, including the freezer and fridge and also write an inventory of what i do have there so i can organize my meals accordingly. 3. Eat at home more often. I have already started to do this. Me and the BF dont eat out as much anymore. Not so much for our diets but for the fact we can't afford it. hahaha. Two birds with one stone here. But what i need to do more often is bring my lunch to work. I find myself slipping sometimes and buying my lunch either because i forgot to make it the night before or was, and i admit it, lazy about it. Soon it adds up. Not only on the waist line but in the wallet Goal: to get my meal plan back into place so i know exactly what i am planning for lunch for work 4. Increase Sleep This one i know have to do. I go to bed around midnight every night and get up a 7ish. Which is still 7 hours but i always feel tired. And almost every day i say "i will go to bed earlier" This i think need more attention to. Basically i think i have to be nerdy in a sense and write down each night i plan to go to be.. AND stick to it Goal: to print out weekly my bedtime routine 5. Vary your fitness routine. This one should be easy.. well in theroy. After all i don't really have a routine to start off with. Mainly right now its walking but that will change. The problem will come when i want to vary my routine and find something that will come into my budget Goal: look up fitness thing to do that are free or cheap. 6. Eat more breakfast and less dinner This steams from point 4. Because i am usually so tired in the morning i press the snooze button a few times and then get up, get ready for work and leave.. without breakfast. And more often then not i will come to work, forget i missed breakfast and remember only when its lunch time. I have been eating more breakfast lately as i am forcing myself to remember but it still seems to happen. Gotta get into gear and have a good healthy breakfast in the mornings Goal: Steaming from point 4, need to include wake up times that include time for breakfast. Have a meal plan that incorporates breakfast AND stick to it. 7. rethink what is delicious This is a huge problem for me. I know this because all the foods i really really love are really really not that good for you.. hahaha.. This is going to be the challenge for me. But i think if i make a goal and plan it out i should be able to change my eating habits for the better. Also i admit i am lazy sometimes. If i dont' want to cook i will pick the easiest thing to make.. which is more often then not bad.. I am not afraid of trying new things in relation to food. I guess i will have to look into this more Goal: try new foods and new reciepes. By doing this i can work out which is so so and which is really good. 8. Don't skip meals or snacks This one also steams from point 4 and 6. Steaming from fatigue and general laziness i forget to have breakfast. But then there are times i am sooo busy either at work or socializing that i totally forget or are just to dam busy to eat. This needs to stop. I need to put myself first. Even with things are really busy i just need a couple of minutes to eat. And/or plan ahead when i know i am going to be busy out and about and have the meal planned ahead accordingly. Goal: make a weekly meal plan and if necessary plan it around my life for that week. 9. Get Support I have a lot of support from my family and friends on my weight loss. My BF is even planning walking trips for us. I know a lot of people were very supportive when i lost 20 pounds last year.. so i know i have it again. This site is also my support system for myself. 10: Stop dieting The article talks about not going on fad diets. I have never gone on a fad diet.. frankly i know they are a lot of BS and a complete waste of my time. But also i think i need to stop calling this a diet. Last year i told people i was on a lifestyle change not a diet cause diets don't work. I lost 20 pounds. Now that i have called it a diet again i have lost nothing. So i am going back to calling it a lifestyle change. Afterall its what it is. I know i am overweight but i do love who i am.. so i am not dieting i am changing some habits and my lifestyle to keep my lifestyle. Goal: remove the word diet from your vocabulary So thats it in a nutshell. When i formulate my goals and challenges for July. This will help me get it in order and set my lifestyle change in motion Well what can i say. Except Hello and welcome. I guess the best way to start is at the beginning. The only thing i can say at this point is NO more excuses.. Last year when i started my diet i lost 22 pounds in 2 1/2 months. Then after Christmas i slacked off a bit and put most of it on again. I can do anything if i put my mind to it, so i created this site to
help me . Anyway i have written my goals for both long term and for 2011 on a seperate page but for month goals i will keep them in the blog. This is so i can keep track of them. So for this month, since its nearly the end of the month i only have a few goals, which are - Do my 6 month budget - July to December - Get all my stats - Book my flight to Australia So this is it. My motivation tool and online journal.. so i will do it. |
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