The Holiday Season is behind us. I am and have been for many years glad to see it go. I have always been a fan of January 2nd. Fresh new year. Going to be so much better. I am going to do the right things. You know. Work hard. Be healthy. Behave. Not waste and save money. Just like everyone else. However this year I did not write down any resolutions. Why write them down? As they are pretty much the same every year. With the same success rate.
Everyone I have talked to recently are glad to see the Holidays over. Like if they would take a national referendum we would just cut them out. I think that the event of celebrating Christmas did not come about till the 1800's anyway. Many, many years ago people got things once a year. Christmas. Shoes, clothes and a lot of other basic and essential things. Who waits for anything now? If you want or need it you just get it.
The stores start filling up with cheap junk decorations that no one needs in October. The hype starts out. Then the retailers start to pound us with endless messages. Now stores are starting to open on Thanksgiving. Even Christmas Day. As time goes on holidays are getting to be only for less and less people. Before long the only people that will be off on holidays are the people that don't work anyway and government workers. Most all the other holidays are just another working day. Some folks still have off. Many more do not. Holidays and sporting events are just a hype to get you spend money and get exited about something that is really nothing. Major holidays should be everybody off or no one. Hospitals and emergency services are a tough call here as a lot of people get hurt on holidays. Rainy or other bad weather holidays are many times safer as people do not get out and do dumb things. Enough whining.
January is a good time to clean the inside of your living arrangement. As many people who live in a cold climate cannot do anything outside with ease. Clean your closets. Paint the inside. Organize and get things ready to donate to your favorite charity if you no longer use them. If it is just junk. Throw it away.
Take a look at your total debt. How are you going to deal with it. Are you paying as much as you can. Put at least $500 in a separate account. You can quickly create this from a tax refund if you are getting anything back this year. That is not much but it is better off then nothing. Which is what most of us have. If you have an automobile that will usually cover the deductible. Even though I ride a bicycle. I still have a car. If it were to wrecked or stolen I would be hard pressed to come up with $500. Think about it.
Look at the money you really need to spend in 2014. I need to spend about $700 for dental work (portion not covered by dental insurance). I get an eye examination in January. If I get the most basic pair of glasses it usually still takes about $150 to get out of the door. Again with vision insurance. I may be wiser to shift the eye thing to a want category than need as I have a couple pairs of glasses that still work. My eye doctor comes into the store that I work at and have not seen her for a while. If she is no longer at the store it will weigh in the decision.
Auto care used to be a big one with me. Last year I was lax at best. An oil change, top off fluids and tire rotation. I think I cleaned the inside once. I should likely devote more time to the car. Without being fanatical. I have a low maintenance ride but deserves a little better.
Looking forward again to be able to commute by bicycle. This saves about $200 a month in gas if one would have to use an automobile to get around. Living in an area with weak public transportation with the bus service closing at about six in the evening. and non existent over the weekends. Also stepping up on pleasure rides on off days. Adding a bid of adventure as I have found myself just wanting to be at home and doing basically nothing.
At work I am going to commit to doing a better job. Try not to miss any work. Be nice to customers and co workers. This can be accomplished by not getting so stressed out. For the first several years of my employment we had a surprisingly stable workforce. Especially considering the nature of the job. A lot had to do with the economy surely. In the last several months we have had a lot of turnover. When I returned from my five weeks off we had five new people. With a lot more turnover on the horizon as I see it. The camaraderie is gone. But the last situation was an anomaly in are situation and especially working for a large corporation. So it is. I really do not care to socialize or get to know anyone new anymore and that may be for the better. Kind of a cog in the wheel thing. I was originally interested in moving to management and being "successful" but could care less now.
I am definitely interested in improving this blog and taking it to the next level. I like The Simple dollar and Zen Habits which inspired me in the first place. I guess I need to write about things that people want to read.
As far as clothing expenses I should be able to keep them low. A couple of pairs of work shoes and work pants. Undergarments. A a few finds as treats from Goodwill. Everything else should be fine. I cut my own hair (and it looks like it!). Shave with a simple Gillette safety razor. Use basic soap. Good enough.
I like to cook at home. I do not go out to eat. I just have to eat. Sometimes skipping meals. Finding new thing to cook will be on the agenda. Maybe even cooking for others too.
That is about it. I have not written much lately spending all the time I can with my mother and father who has been in the hospital since the first of November. But he is looking up Hopefully 2014 is going to looking up too.
Look at the money you really need to spend in 2014. I need to spend about $700 for dental work (portion not covered by dental insurance). I get an eye examination in January. If I get the most basic pair of glasses it usually still takes about $150 to get out of the door. Again with vision insurance. I may be wiser to shift the eye thing to a want category than need as I have a couple pairs of glasses that still work. My eye doctor comes into the store that I work at and have not seen her for a while. If she is no longer at the store it will weigh in the decision.
Auto care used to be a big one with me. Last year I was lax at best. An oil change, top off fluids and tire rotation. I think I cleaned the inside once. I should likely devote more time to the car. Without being fanatical. I have a low maintenance ride but deserves a little better.
Looking forward again to be able to commute by bicycle. This saves about $200 a month in gas if one would have to use an automobile to get around. Living in an area with weak public transportation with the bus service closing at about six in the evening. and non existent over the weekends. Also stepping up on pleasure rides on off days. Adding a bid of adventure as I have found myself just wanting to be at home and doing basically nothing.
At work I am going to commit to doing a better job. Try not to miss any work. Be nice to customers and co workers. This can be accomplished by not getting so stressed out. For the first several years of my employment we had a surprisingly stable workforce. Especially considering the nature of the job. A lot had to do with the economy surely. In the last several months we have had a lot of turnover. When I returned from my five weeks off we had five new people. With a lot more turnover on the horizon as I see it. The camaraderie is gone. But the last situation was an anomaly in are situation and especially working for a large corporation. So it is. I really do not care to socialize or get to know anyone new anymore and that may be for the better. Kind of a cog in the wheel thing. I was originally interested in moving to management and being "successful" but could care less now.
I am definitely interested in improving this blog and taking it to the next level. I like The Simple dollar and Zen Habits which inspired me in the first place. I guess I need to write about things that people want to read.
As far as clothing expenses I should be able to keep them low. A couple of pairs of work shoes and work pants. Undergarments. A a few finds as treats from Goodwill. Everything else should be fine. I cut my own hair (and it looks like it!). Shave with a simple Gillette safety razor. Use basic soap. Good enough.
I like to cook at home. I do not go out to eat. I just have to eat. Sometimes skipping meals. Finding new thing to cook will be on the agenda. Maybe even cooking for others too.
That is about it. I have not written much lately spending all the time I can with my mother and father who has been in the hospital since the first of November. But he is looking up Hopefully 2014 is going to looking up too.
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