Our Family Goals 2020

As each new year begins I like to reflect on the year gone.  Have we done our very best ?  What areas could we improve ?  These are the two main questions Darren and I ask ourselves.  2019 was an extremely difficult year for us emotionally,  physically ( tiredness ) and financially.  We had some systems in place to prevent buying takeaway when we were in the midst of a crisis.  But we are human and at times we failed.

2019 saw us living close to the poverty line at times.  While we don't feel poor,  we've had to be very careful about our spending.  We did have a few small holidays which we booked before our incomes dropped.  

Looking forward for the new year,  we try to be wise or wiser with what we have. Ways we can improve are -

*  Looking at ways to increase our incomes.  We have already made a start on this and praying about new opportunities.. .

*  Reopening my blog shop with handmade crafts. I made quite a few sales in 2018 with greeting cards,  decorated hand towels and Christmas decorations being my biggest sellers.  Please consider supporting my shop and sharing it with your friends and family.

*  Growing more vegetables  Supermarket prices are almost out of reach for us and prices are set to increase even more with droughts and fires affecting supply.  We will endeavour to grow silverbeet all year round as our green vegetable.  This is quite a productive vegetable and saves us lots of money.  Seeds of broccoli and cauliflower will be sown earlier than we usually do so we can pick more to freeze.  I don't like buying leafy lettuce so I'll be growing more.

*  Pruning and feeding our fruit trees to help them produce more.

*  I'm seriously considering a ' Buy Nothing New ' year.  I have plenty of clothes and if I really need something then the op shop is my first port of call.  Our home is nicely furnished and unless something breaks,  we don't need anything.  Craft supplies must run out or wear out before I replace them.  I'll keep you informed of my progress.

*  Taking time to enjoy a cuppa and biscuit on our deck / pergola instead of going out to eat.

*  Eliminating food waste. Since it's just been Darren and I at home ( since Dec ),  we've been pretty good at this.  There's always room for improvement and having less in the fridge does help.  I still cook for 3 - 6 people at least a few nights a week.  The leftovers are carefully portioned out and frozen.

*  Sourcing better meat prices.  We've been living off our freezer stockpile but now that's getting low.  Meat prices have skyrocketed so being on the ball for sales will be really helpful to our budget.

*  Last but not least - refining our family budget.  I do this at the start of every year by reassessing all expenses and trying to cut out waste.  So far I've cut out gift budget to the bare bones.  I've changed to a cheaper plan for my mobile and Darren is hoping to do the same shortly.  Utilities are proving to be a challenge but we are being mindful of all usage.  The milder weather so far is helping.

Growing more

Making the dollars stretch until they scream.

Have you written down your family goals for 2020 ?

How will you achieve them ?      

Goals For 2017

Over the month of January I've had time to think and plan our goals for 2017.  I always feel more at peace when I know where we are heading for the year.  Planning ahead gives me a better chance of succeeding and prolongs the enjoyment of reaching our family's goals.

Garden goals -

*  Plant the grape plants when the time is right.  We'll need to nurture the plants with the hope we can pick grapes next year.

*  Prune and nurture our mandarin tree.  It's been in the ground for 5 - 6 years and just doesn't seem to grow.  We feed it when we are meant to but to no avail.  Thankfully we have a few mandarins that look like they've set ( for the first time ).

*  Grow a few more veggies and plan succession planting.

*  Get the front garden into order.  It tends to be left for most of the year because we don't look at it as often as the back garden.  Plants need to be pruned and new plants need to be bought or struck to fill in the gaps.

*  Plant out the boysenberry bush in front of Darren's garden shed and put up a trellis of some description.

House goals -

*  Install canvas awnings on a few windows before next Summer

*  Paint all the timber door trims to match the new skirting boards.

*  Continue decluttering.  My goal is 500 items by the end of the year.

Budget goals -

*  Save for the canvas awnings

*  Continue saving for a new car.  Mine will need replacing in the next 5 - 7 years.  I'd like to pay cash when the time comes to buy.

*  Save for our next holiday.

*  Reducing our spending in a few areas without feeling deprived.  For example - finding ways to have free outings instead of spending money.

*  Investigate ways of increasing our income.

Craft goals -

 *  Research new craft items to make and sell in my Etsy shop.  These items need to be fairly light and flat so that postage is kept to a minimum for the customers.

*  Make new greeting cards to sell in my Etsy shop.  I'd like a wide variety that appeals to everyone.  Maybe I'll concentrate on more children's / teen cards.

*  Dedicate  X amount of hours per week to crafting.

Would you like to share your goals for the year ?

   

2016 Goals

As I mentioned last week, a new year means new goals and a new budget.  It's time to start afresh.  Have you had the chance to think about what you'd like to achieve this year ?

Here are my goals for this year -

*  Learn how to crochet.  If I can't find anyone to teach me,  I'll be looking up youtube.  I'd like to be able to crochet beautiful edges around face washers,  towels and tea towels etc.  Annabel's beautiful handiwork has really inspired me to learn.

*  I'd like to give more handmade presents.  If I learn to crochet,  this will help me achieve the goal.

*  To grow more veggies in succession.  For example,  to plant more lettuce seeds while I'm still picking from the plants in the veggie patch.

*  To find ways of increasing my income.  This year will see me losing most of my cleaning jobs.  Although I don't want to be cleaning for too much longer due to wear and tear on my body, I do like contributing the the household income.  Increasing my income might come through selling some of my crafts,  public speaking,  holding workshops or speaking at workshops.  I might even set up a shop  here on the blog.

*  Finish writing my book.  This is a big one but I will have more spare time this year.  No excuses !!

*  Set up some exciting new challenges for you to participate in.  Maybe even hold a Christmas present exchange later in the year.

* Continue to find ways to trim the family budget,  yet still live well.  I might need to do more research on frugal living.  There's always more to learn.

Making more

Growing more

Cooking more

What goals would you like to achieve this year ?