Rubbing Nickel’s Resolutions

January 1, 2010

With each New Year comes a feeling that we have opportunities to make positive changes in our lives. This year, we want to go deeper than the usual resolutions like “lose weight, drink less or exercise more,” and make some adjustments that affect our lives instead of our waistlines. To do this, we’ve put our heads together with Ms. Nickel to come up with the basic resolutions that will help us get back to simpler living, be appreciative for what we have and work together to make our lives better and less stressful. Here are some of our ideas:

Get your family finances in line. Take a realistic look at what you spend. When I feel like my spending is out of control, sometimes a cash budget is just what I need to keep me in line. Try to go to Nordstrom with only cash in your pocket and see if you end up spending on something you don’t need.
Commit to family cooking for your health and welfare. If you still “Hate to Cook”, take some baby steps like trying out a few of our simple recipes or dive right in with our Two-Week Meal Plan to get yourself organized. It will make you both healthier and richer!

Save a little. For smaller items, our Wish Jar Tips can help you collect cash. I’m currently saving for the pink leather handbag I’m going to want in the spring that will set me back at least $250 (no, I haven’t been able to downsize that habit).
Do it yourself. My husband is a computer science Ph.D. which means that he usually only fixes code, but lately, I’ve been giving him little tasks around that house that I normally would have called a professional for. This holiday break, we painted the bedroom together and he managed to re-caulk the bathtub with only a few choice swearwords and three trips to Henry’s Hardware store.