I had a great 2010 and am very blessed in life. But I won't lie and put up a false front. Many parts of last year sucked. It was an emotional roller coaster and I would have loved to scream from the rooftops, "Good riddance 2010 and all of the stupid emotional baggage you dumped on my doorstep." Moving on to a fresh year seemed reason enough to celebrate...you know, balloons, silly hat, a blower thingy, some confetti, and champagne!!
I had to work New Year's Eve and New Year's Day so I wasn't going to make the annual NYE bonfire in eastern Colorado. Brent was planning on ditching me but the whole event was canceled. This made me happy. Not because Brent can't have any fun without but he would have ditched me on New Years Eve. I was grumpy about that because I wouldn't be working AT midnight, which is the whole point of NYE.
Anywho, he stayed home and NYE became just any other, non-eventful day. He started constructing a radio he got for Christmas, using my new coffee table as a workbench (yes, I'm still cringing at seeing the soldering iron and various metals anywhere near it). That was his day. I left for work and he was working on it. At some point he left for a while. Ten hours later I came home, and he was still working on it. I figured there was no point competing with it and didn't really care to watch and went to bed...at 9:30. So much for making wonderful fond memories while ringing in the new year together. Happy Bleepin' New Year! I should have known better than to expect any level of holiday sentimentality from a man who has had no holiday traditions, of any kind.
Besides the craptastically lame NYE, I'm still happy to see a new year begin. While working yesterday I saw a lot of people out walking and running. And all of the gym parking lots were overflowing. I'm not making some grand plan to lose weight and become fitter than ever before. I know better. That is one quick way for me to become utterly disappointed in myself. I am, however, taking on a list of more productive and "doable" resolutions. I'm sure my four readers are buckled over with laughter right now....I mean, have I accomplished any of the "challenges" that I've given myself?? A girl can dream. Sigh.
In 2011, my main resolution is to live frugally. In 2010, with a new job to give me cushion, I purchased the following "big ticket" items... large flat screen tv, a new cruiser bicycle, a recumbent exercise bike, a new couch, an end table, a coffee table, a ten-day fabulous road trip, new glasses, two cavity fillings, application for refinancing, and a second round of braces. Oh, and don't forget the $1,000 (I'm estimating, but I'm probably close) spent on coffee shop stops. And that's just what I can think of off the top of my head.
My resolution to live frugally is motivated largely by the fact that I will never be able to move out of this place and get a house with elbow room and a yard for Brinkley Miles and some goats until I'm no longer upside down with my home loan. Thank you, crappy housing market! The sooner I get right side up again, the sooner I'll be sitting in a rocking chair on a back porch watching Brinkley chase chickens around. And if the market turns around before that happens and I luck out and turn a profit on this place, all the better.
So, living frugally will entail leaving my debit card at home. If I don't have it on me, I can't spend money on frivolous things of temporary enjoyment, such as $5 lattes. Any money I do spend, I'll try to stretch as far as I can. I'm going to try my hand at extreme couponing, so my necessities are cheaper than they normally would be. It may take some work and practice, but scoring us some free and super cheap items would add more cash to the coffer over the course of the year.
My dream goal for the year would be to pay off my second mortgage. That would not only put me right side up but save me a TON of interest over the long haul. It's also the highest interest loan I have so I'll be glad to wish it good riddance! Giving less of my money to the evil bank empire is an added bonus!
In line with living frugally and preparing to someday move, is a year of purging. I did well at this last year so hopefully my streak will continue. The garage is a scary place to enter right now. I said I did well last year, but I'm not a miracle worker. I did make the garage messier in the process of uncluttering. It will be organized and purged by the end of this year or I will take a match to it! I'm even going to add a picture, just so you know what I'm up against.
Isn't that scary? It looks like a hoarder's living room, minus the dead cats and three-year old pizza boxes. The one small path on the ground goes to the small chest freezer. Oh yes, much work is to be done.
I have more resolutions, but for now I am done rambling. This year will wish it never met me! Mwa ha ha! I shall kick its ass. And mark your calendars, friends. I'm throwing a NYE bash next year. My place. Bring your own silly hats, blowy things, and confetti!
**Totally random after note...this fine blog post is my 100th on A Break From Modern Living. Feel free to click print and post it on your fridge.**
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