1. Walk at least 500 miles this year Accomplished!
This has probably been the goal that I am most proud of completing. After my back surgery three years ago, my doctor told me to try to walk 2-3 miles a day if I wanted to avoid future back issues (not a 100% guarantee, but it gives you better odds) So while I was walking more than I did before back surgery, I knew that many weeks I was falling way short on that goal. After following many blogs over the years, I was impressed by how successful the bloggers were in completing their goals if they had to post weekly about their successes and failures. (This was probably the number one reason I started this blog in the first place) This weekly accountability routine has helped me to log in over 500 miles this year, which has helped to improve my overall health and increased the strength in my back. So to make a long story short, if you have a lofty goal or even really basic ones for 2019….start a blog or post on a social media platform weekly to help keep yourself accountable…it really does work!
**Oh and thanks for holding me accountable in 2018:)
2. Read two nonfiction books each month Accomplished
I am so glad I picked this goal for myself as well. I tend to gravitate towards historical romance or contemporary fiction, so it was really nice to challenge myself and explore new horizons in the nonfiction genre. Of all the nonfiction books I read this year, the memoirs were probably my favorite. Getting to see the world through someone else’s eyes was really special for me and I think helped me to grow as a person this year.
3. Eat low carb every day Roughly 75% accomplished I would say
I have been eating low carb for three years now and this year probably was my worst when it came to higher carb days (otherwise known as cheat days!) Most of those days were not because I was weak, but mostly because I was experimenting with raising my carb numbers to see if I could restart my weight loss. I have been on a plateau for two years!! I have tried raising my carb limit, lowering my carb limit, lowering calories, and raising calories to no avail. My doctor told me to look on the bright side…at least I have not gained weight:)
So I talked to a dietitian recently and she said to keep on doing low carb, but try to vary up my exercise program a little. Apparently your body adjusts to whatever you throw at it and my body sees low carb and walking as its natural state. So I joined a gym and started to do things I have not done in many years like the elliptical and weight lifting (I can only lift up to 30lbs per my doctor’s orders) Another tweak that I am making to my diet is to try intermittent fasting and see if that will help to break my weight loss stall.
*I actually have seen some changes in my measurements since I started this new routine, so I plan to continue this into the New Year and hope to see more radical changes by the end of 2019….I will keep you posted!
4. Have two family game nights each month Accomplished
I really loved this goal! Family is the most important thing in my life, so making a point to share family time during the month really blessed our family this year. We added some really fun games to our collection at Christmas, so that helped to keep things interesting. This year for our family game gifts, we opened Rat-A-Tat-Cat and Long Cow
Both games were really fun. The Long Cow game was silly and slightly confusing at first, but it got more fun as we started to catch on to all of the rules. You basically have to grow as many cows as you can before all the cards are drawn. There are prizes for the longest cow, the first cow completed, and the most cows in a herd. You also tally up points at the end based on how many cows and awards you earned during the game.
Rat-A-Tat-Cat was really fun also. You get four cards dealt to you facedown, then you have to pick a card from the deck to replace one of yours each turn. As you replace your cards, you get to see what the original cards you had were (it is painful when you have to replace a good card!) Sometimes you get a peek card, which lets you peek at a card in your stack (Those are a blessing) and there are wild cards that let you steal a card from someone else (Those are fun!) The object of the game is to get the lowest amount of points in your hand and once you think you have the lowest you can knock on the table and end the game early (which makes the other players so mad)….unless you miscalculated and someone else has the lowest hand…then that just hurts:)
5. Have two date nights each month Accomplished
This was a great goal for me also. We had many date nights in and out of our home this year. Just being by ourselves (with no children) was really enjoyable to both of us, so we did not have to go somewhere fancy or new every time to have fun with this goal.
6. Buy nothing new this year Almost 100% accomplished…until November and December struck:)
This goal was really great for me and my finances. Having to only buy used items for the majority of the year, helped to keep clutter out of my house and more importantly money in my wallet:)
It also made me think twice about how much of a mark up things are brand new. For example, let’s take a look at books. I recently explained to my son that a brand new Captain Underpants book is around $5 at the book store. However, if we find it at the library book sale room or thrift store it is only 50 cents at most and if we just borrow it from the library it is free (Ben’s mind was blown with this logic)
We have found so many great items used this year, that we plan on continuing this goal for next year as well. You get so much more enjoyment out of a great deal than you get out of buying a brand new full-priced item…or at least we do!
7. Have one no spend week each month Accomplished
This was another goal that benefited my pocketbook. Forcing myself to not buy anything (besides food) one week each month, kept up the spirit of Frugal February year round.
**I highly recommend this goal if you need to reign in your monthly spending this upcoming year. It is relatively painless because it only lasts for a week and it is amazing how much mindless spending we have each week.
8. Add six new products to my Teachers pay Teachers store
This was my hardest goal this year! I only ended the year with four new products added to the store. I do plan on adding more resources to my store in 2019, but I think I will just add them as I have the time or inclination to do so. Trying to force myself to come up with new products on a monthly basis was really hard for some reason???
9. $5 Weekly Challenge Accomplished
This goal was another great one. I challenged myself to spend $5 a week on items that I could donate to local charities. It was surprisingly easy to add $5 to my budget each week and end up donating $260 worth of food and personal hygiene items to charities in North Alabama. Little things can add up to make a big difference in the end I guess:)
**I plan to reveal my new 2019 Goals on January 1st!
The Thrifty Educator 