New Years Resolutions: Tips & Tools
Every year, I sit down & make up a list of New Years Resolutions with great intentions but never any information on HOW to achieve my goals. This year, I decided to do it a little differently. For each goal I chose, I researched tools I can utilize to make things easier for me. Here are some of tools I found, along with tips I learned along the way.
Weight Loss
I want to lose 50 lbs this year. I lost 10 lbs between Thanksgiving & December 22nd, so this is completely doable for me but will require a LOT of planning & dedication.
- Meal Planning – plan out your menu for at least week, including healthy snacks. I will be posting new recipes and our weekly menu with printable shopping list every week
- Curves, 24 Hour Fitness, and other clubs often offer free consultations, waived join/key fees, or even a free trial!
- Not able to join a gym? There are many great workout programs for DVD, Blu-ray, Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360!
Financial Freedom
This year, I am going to finish paying off my old medical bills and double my savings. I'd love to be able to go on a REAL vacation this year too!
- Create & follow a budget! Get a free 30-day trial at MyTotalMoneyMakover.com. This is the site I use & love. Don't forget to print off the “useful forms”!
- Monitor your credit! Credit Sesame is FREE service that lets you view your Experian credit score for free – no CC required!
- LearnVest is one of my favorite financial sites. They have an online budget creator as well, but my favorite is their daily email!
- Another way I'm going to help is by increasing our income with surveys, reward programs, and rebates.
- SavingStar is a great way to get back cash for your grocery purchases.
- Global Test Market Panel, Harris Poll Online, Opinion Outpost, and Survey Savvy are just a few of the survey companies I've worked with before & will really utilize this year.
- Make sure to check with your grocery stores & drug stores for any reward programs they offer. I've been racking up some great savings with Walgreens Balance Rewards card & Hy-Vee now has a gas rewards program that works with Savingstar!
Get Organized
I hate clutter & being disorganized, yet my house has WAY too much stuff & I'm constantly forgetting appointments. This year, I'm going to use some of the tools below to get back on track.
- Flylady breaks it down into simple babysteps to help you get your house under control.
- Cozi is a scheduler that works for the entire family. They have apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android. When I'm out of the house, I just add the appointments to my phone.
- Out of Milk is the app I use for my grocery list. Â I can scan items onto the list when they get low and keep track of my “stock up” prices. I have the pro version and love the sync feature. I type in my list on the computer & have access to it on my phone while in the store.
- More Time Moms is my favorite calendar! Â It has huge spaces to write in our plans for each day & lets me keep track of Dr. appointments, space for the boys' chores, and notes. The boys love helping put the birthday stickers on, too.
- Take a picture of the calendar after you make changes! Â I snap a pic on my phone, just in case. Â Make sure to write down events from Cozi onto your calendar every night so everyone can easily see what's going on.
What are your New Year's Resolutions?