Most people give up on their New Year’s resolutions before the month of January comes to an end, but in this coming year I’m committing to breaking the bad habit of being wasteful. When I think about it, I am wasteful in practically every area in my life so this will be a real challenge for me.
I Resolve To Drastically Reduce My Food Bill
I will only cook as much as the two of us can eat. I no longer have teenage boys at home so I don’t need to make gargantuan meals any more.
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If I do prepare a large meal, I will eat the leftovers in a timely manner instead of letting them become science projects in the fridge. I will use up the food in the freezer before buying more, especially meat which always becomes freezer burned if left too long no matter what type of packaging I use.
I will get back to my monthly meal plan and make a thoughtful, detailed list of food I need before going grocery shopping. No more impulse buying.
I Resolve To Be More Conscientious With My Utility Usage
There’s no big mystery here, we’ve all heard it before – turn out the lights, don’t leave water running unnecessarily, turn down the thermostat a few degrees and put on a sweater, and buy more energy efficient appliances if you can. It’s so simple but so easy to forget.
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I Resolve To Rid My Home Of Clutter
We have way too much clutter. I tend to keep the old item I’m replacing with new for some reason. Why? If it’s still of some use or I can get it repaired, I don’t need something new.
If something is no longer of any use to me, for whatever reason, I need to get rid of it – donate it, sell it or throw it out. I will have a use for everything I buy. No more purchases that still have their price tags attached because I haven’t used them.
I will be on a mission to remove everything except for what I use and/or love, and I’ll be very selective about what I buy and what I accept from other people who are trying to unload their clutter on to me.
I Resolve To Get Organized
I especially need to clear out my desk area, my closets, my kitchen and my sewing room. In the past I have purchased items that I knew I had, but could not for the life of me find when I needed them. Duplicates and triplicates of things I don’t use very often wastes money, not to mention the time wasted trying to find something.
I Resolve To Work On My Bad Habit Of Wasting Time
Unfortunately, I am a huge procrastinator. While I have not let it get me into trouble – I pay my bills on time and meet other deadlines, I tend to put off small chores until they become a burden and then I’m even less inclined to tackle them.
My paid dividends languish in my account until I get around to re-investing them, and I neglect to update my spreadsheets on a timely basis and then it seems too time consuming. I commit to the principles of “do it now” and “chunk it down.”
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I know this will be a lot of work for me, but I resolve to take it one day at a time and, if I forget once in a while, I won’t beat myself up. I’ll just begin again until I get it.
