2019 Goals

I've taken a few days to really think about what I want to achieve this year.  So here are my 2019 Goals:


1.  Keep decluttering my house.

I have 11 rooms in my house (living room, 3 bedrooms, kitchen, utility room, dining hall, 2 bathrooms, study and a family room/den) and I've only got 2 rooms left that are full of clutter.  And when I say 'full' I mean you can't see the floor or open any cupboards!! Once they're done I want to really clear out my garage as well.

2.  Keep decorating the house on a tight budget and re use as much stuff as possible.

I'll stick to the white paint (it's cheaper when you buy in bulk) and use colourful accessories to personalise it.  I'll shop from charity shops or re use stuff from family and friends.  The aim is still to make the house easy to sell.  My biggest cost is always going to be new carpets (see no 9 below)

3.  Grow more fruit and vegetables

I wasn't too successful last year so this year I'm going to make more of an effort.  The raised beds at the front need some TLC and topping up with nutrients.  My back garden is a mess (mainly chicken trashed!!) so I need to make it a lovely place again.  I'm setting myself a total garden budget of £150 so I'll see how much I can do with that!

4.  Keep eating sensibly.

I just need to watch my portion control!!  I also want to eat less meat and will try a vegan day once a week.

5.  Exercise.   

I need to prioritise exercise a bit more and make an effort when OH is away.  I still don't like going to the gym on my own (partly because of the dark walk from the car park to the actual gym.)  I also want to do a more regular yoga practice.

6.  Switch off from work.

I'm going to try not bringing any work home.  At all.  This means doing more during my lunch break and probably staying a bit later but I think it would be worth it.


7.  Craft more

I really enjoyed my summer challenge when I created something every day.  I have loads of craft materials so I'm going to use them up.  I've been thinking about my Etsy shop and wondering if I should re open it.  We'll see.

8.  Stick to my clothing budget.

This year's budget is £510.84 (£500 + £10.84 leftover from last year.)  I can't think of any major purchases I need so here's hoping it's a frugal clothes year.

9.  Save as much money as possible

My savings account is very low so I'll be trying to save as much as I can each month.  I need to pay someone to re render some outside walls and possibly replace my guttering.  I need to replace some old worn carpets and they're not cheap!!

Edited to add:

10.  Reduce my plastic use

I'm slowly replacing my plastic containers (when they're no use any more) with containers made from glass and other recycled/recyclable materials.  I will not buy single use plastic items unless there's absolutely no alternative.

Most of these goals I'm doing already but being more specific and writing them down keeps me accountable 😊

Today is my last holiday day.  I've already got a reduced turkey in the oven (OH got a large frozen one for £12.50 in Sainsbury's), I've got a load of chicken breasts to prep for freezer meals and I need to run a few errands now the shops/banks are all back to normal opening hours.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!