New Year

It's been a long time since I last blogged on this site. I started writing more on my knitting and running blog because that was really the BIG FOCUS of 2007! What a year. Because I made a very conscientious promise to myself with a New Years resolution -- look at the results that come! This has really become a big motivation for me and will probably be a habit I intend to keep year after year because of its huge success. Something about writing down your dreams and making that public declaration that makes things happen.



I am a little stumped about this year's resolution. I want to do a full-marathon someday, but not sure this is the year to do it. Although I've had months of physical therapy and have been released, my ankle still aches here and there, and have pains sometimes walking around barefoot. I dont' know what it is, but I just don't feel like this is the year to do the full... I want some rest.



I do have some issues with my eating habits and exercise in general. Part of me wants to make that a part of this year's resolution.



I also want to get a better handle of my finances. In the past few years, I've taken my eye off the ball, and things have gotten out of my own control when I was very much in control years ago. I found this fantastic article about budgets:



http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/08/04/three-reasons-most-budgets-dont-work-and-how-to-fix-them/



The part that I related to and realized what didn't help me in the past is #3: They don’t track the surplus money left over after all the categories are filled. For a budget to work, Peery says, you must track all of your money, even the stuff left over after you’ve budgeted for necessities.



That's what I want to employ for this year.



Resolution 1: Implement a zero-based budget.

My problem in budgetting was never creating one, or even estimating costs. I was an expert at that! It was that anything left over at the end of the month was me in my 12-year-old, allowance-receiving mentality to save, save, save! Save for what?!?!? It ended up usually being some spur of the moment impulse purchase that I really wanted... Which has served it's purpose, don't get me wrong. I love that something I coveted, a last-minute vacation, anything I needed immediately, I never had to wait to save up for... I always had the money on hand and got it if I wanted. What I need to do right now, and is allocate money. The way a business does things. Mentally, it was nice to see my savings go up (and sometimes down) from month to month, but that only gets you so far.