My Plans for 2009

I hate to call these resolutions, because those always get broken, don’t they?

1. Blog more frequently.
It is a good way to express myself creatively, and a healthy way to get out my crazy thoughts, frustrations, and nutty schemes and ideas.

2. Shop local stores more often.
This was my one resolution for 2007. I stuck to it pretty well in the beginning, but then our one and only local bookstore, Liberty Books, went out of business and I pretty much stopped that focus. I want to shop Huffman’s Market (http://huffmansmarket.com/) much more often. The owners are wonderful and very committed to giving back to Upper Arlington and being a huge part of our community. It may not be the best option for me to do my weekly shopping trip at Huffman’s for a few reasons - they don’t have the extensive selection that my Giant Eagle (http://www.gianteagle.com/) superstore has, and their prices on many boxed and frozen items (a lot of my list) are not competitive with Giant Eagle, either. Plus, we save a fortune on gasoline through Giant Eagle’s great Fuelperks program. However, for when we have quick trips to make, I think Huffman’s Market is where I need to stop. I love the store, its atmosphere, its history, and everything it stands for, so I will support the business much more in 2009.

3. Pamper myself more often with more personal time and occasional salon visits.
My husband will probably laugh at this one – and rightfully so - because I am a shopaholic and buy myself treats and work clothes fairly often. But I would like to treat myself a few times a year to a manicure, pedicure, a nice haircut at a real salon. Right now, I might get a pedicure once a year and all my haircuts are $6 or $7 at Great Clips. Also, when I read the Twilight series in November, I got such pleasure from getting wrapped up in a book again. The escapism was fun, and I really enjoyed doing something just for me, all alone, that didn’t involve the guilt of spending money. Reading is something I used to do very often when I was younger, but never do now.

4. Catch up on scrapbooking
I used to love scrapbooking and I have a scrapbooking table and area set up in our office. Miranda has shown an interest in helping me, so I want to include her in this hobby. I will start with the most recent holiday – Christmas 2008 – and work my way backward. It is much better to do it this way than to start with that box of photos from years ago and get overwhelmed by how much you have to catch up on. Plus the most recent memories are fresh, it keeps you motivated to document everything while it’s still new and exciting.

5. Wear my wedding ring again by June
This is a substitute for my annual “lose weight” resolution. My goal is to lose weight, yes, but with the specific objective of wearing my engagement and wedding rings again. I haven’t worn them in about 5 years, since I got pregnant with Roman. I don’t care as much about losing X number of pounds or getting into a size X outfit. What I do care about is wearing my engagement and wedding rings again, so that will be my motivator to eat healthier and exercise more. I will be visiting SparkPeople (http://sparkpeople.com/) regularly again to help me track my progress.

6. Get my finances under control
Notice I say "my" and not "our." Jason does a great job with our household budget and our financial management. He balances the checkbook, pays the bills, and develops very sophisticated spreadsheets showing how we could/should spend down our debt and reach financial goals. So here is how I can help:

1. In 2009, I want to meet with him at least monthly and take a look at our financial goals for the year, assess where we are with them, and be clear about how I can impact them. I’m the #1 roadblock to us meeting our financial goals, as I am a shopaholic and have a very hard time not buying things when I see them, especially when they are on sale or clearance.
2. I will continue to avidly use coupons, shop sales, play the Drugstore Games, and stock up on clearance items for gifts.
3. I will track my expenses by category and use this information to see where my downfalls are, where I need to be careful, and to help our monthly financial meetings.