New Years -- making any resolutions?
Yep, for any of you out there that make resolutions, it's time to think about how you're going to make changes for the new year. I've been thinking for the past few weeks of what I want to accomplish this coming new year. In a nutshell, I have it narrowed down to three, and they're likely the most common of all.
Resolution #1 is that I'd like to kick the smoking habit at some point in the next year. I'm phyching myself up to deal with the cravings. They say a craving lasts about three minutes, so I've been thinking of ways to occupy my mind for those three minute bouts of hell when they'll come. I thought perhaps I could just do some exercises, which will help with resolution #2 as well, but that may be a hard thing to do when I'm at work and serving a customer. "Yes, you want to deposit this cheque? Just give me 3 minutes here first while I do some jumping jacks!" Those are going to be the hard to deal with craving periods, so if anyone has any tips, please let me know.
Resolution #2 is to lose about 30 pounds. I'm not looking to be a runway model in the near future, so I don't want to lose gobs of weight, but 30 pounds or so less would be a healthier and leaner looking me. I've watched every episode of "The Biggest Loser", and I know I have to adapt a healthier way of eating. I know it's a lifestyle change, and is a combination of a healthy diet, aerobic exercise and strength training. It's all do-able really. It's just having the willpower to give up the pop and chips. If you think the quitting smoking cravings are going to be hard for me, wait until I have the soda cravings!! Not that I don't like to drink water, but it sure to hell isn't soda pop!
Resolution #3 is to lessen my debt. I'd really like to be able to clear it all up completely within the year, but I just don't know if it's possible. I currently owe a total of about $24,000., which I know really isn't a lot comparatively. However, when you're a one income family (my husband is unable to work and is in the process of fighting for disability) it's very hard to keep your head above water, let alone pay anything extra on debts. My debts are old debts and were not incurred by charging up designer clothing and handbags like that Save Karyn shopaholic chick that begged for money on her website. No, my debts are from every day life over the past few years. Times when we needed prescription medicines with no cash flow, or when our dog had to have emergency vet care. Times when we needed groceries and payday wasn't for a week yet, or when the car that gets me to work needed a new exhaust system to pass the emissions safety test. I did have to put a flight back home on my charge card in two incidences, which were when my father passed away 3 years ago, and again last April when my brother was killed in a horrific motorcyle accident. These debts have been with me for about 3 years now, and I get totally freaked out when I think of how much interest I've paid, and how the principal amount is going down so slowly because I can only make minimum payments.
So what can I do to end this never ending misery? Of course I could plead and beg until 24,000 people reading this send me a dollar each like that Karyn chick. But I can't do that, although amazingly enough, people did send her money and gifts too, and be damned if her $20K shopaholic debt wasn't cleared up in 5 freaking months at that! Cripes, she even has a few books out too and is now making gobs of money. Her first book titled the same as her website, Save Karyn
Here's my plan that will hopefully be able to pan out throughout the new year.
- I will continue making my regular payments that I make each payday. I am hoping to bring in a certain amount of money each month from my online shop, The Funky Olive, which I'll be constantly growing by adding new designs as much as I can.
- I will continue with my sponsored blogging posts, because hey, every $5 helps! I am also awaiting approval from another paid to blog site, so hopefully that will bring in more $5 bills.
- I plan on selling off some things on eBay, but mind you, nothing is designer this or designer that, but I do have a good stash of low priced stuff that I plan on selling off. (I will be posting my eBay sellables here as well)
- A few years ago I sold quite a few auction templates on eBay, and although that market is fairly saturated now, I plan on making up some more and selling those again too.
- I also plan on dusting off my sewing machine and whipping up some cute kiddy clothes to sell, as well as digging out my paint brushes and offering some of my abstract art in hopes of generating some income.
- I'm hoping that my adsense ads will start generating some income soon. At the rate they are doing at present, it's going to be years before they generate enough for me to get the minimum payment of $100.
- I have affiliate links up to Amazon and will be opening my own Amazon shop as well, in hopes of getting some sales through for the affiliate income.
With that I say Happy New Year to you, and I hope all your resolutions hold true! :-)
Olivia
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