A look back at 2011

We’re stuck in limbo as far as the trip is concerned, so I need to set some concrete goals for 2012. Before I do that, I want to revisit some of my 2011 goals and how I did with them. I wasn’t blogging at this time last year, so hopefully I remember everything!

• The Purchase Project: I’ll call this a half-success. The project was my attempt at breaking myself away from habitual bargain shopping. I vowed to purchase only 1 item for myself per month for the entire year. I lasted until about July, which is pretty good in my opinion. More importantly, it has changed the way I think and act as a consumer. I no longer go to stores to look around, I no longer scour the bargain racks, and I no longer buy things that I just don’t need. The first and second months, I don’t even remember what I bought. What I do remember is that I purchased toward the beginning of the month and regretted it later on when I found something I wanted more. After that, I put a lot of thought into what my purchase would be for the month and was a lot more careful about my spending. I got away from the one item per month mid-summer when I bought a pair of running shoes, work shoes, and work pants in the same month. Even though I stopped following the original plan, it built good habits and I am more happy with myself as a consumer.
• Join a running club: Success. I joined Glen Ellyn Runners in April. I have met some great people and really enjoyed running with the group. I have been consistently running with them every other Sunday (alternating with my weekends at work) since I joined. I love it, and wish i would have done this sooner! It also helped me accomplish my next goal…
• Run a marathon, half marathon, and 5k: Check, check, and check! I ran the Columbus Marathon (4:04:25), Schaumburg Turkey Trot half marathon (1:55:31), and Halloween Hustle 5k (23:21)… and PR’s at all 3! All of my training really paid off this year. You can follow my racing on athlinks.
• Finish paying off student loans: Completed in March. We’re now debt free, with the exception of our mortgage.
• Finish saving for the trip: Done! Woohoo! We reached our savings target in November. We utilized automatic bank transfers from our checking account into a separate ING account to keep us on track. Paying yourself first is definitely the way to go when it comes to reaching a lofty savings goal.

Other notable things from 2011 include joining a local CSA, getting rid of all nonessential “stuff”, taking a photography class, losing 20 pounds, putting our house on the market (twice), getting travel vaccines and an IUD, living off of 27% of our post-tax income, and watching entirely too many Gordon Ramsay reality shows on hulu.

Farewell 2011!

On Goals

I’m not a fan of resolutions, they feel like an excuse for why something wasn’t changed previously. A resolution to me is just a promise with myself, waiting to be broken. That said, I’m a big fan of goals and the end of the year is a great time to look back at what you’ve accomplished, what you’re working towards, and finding new goals. It is imperative that I begin working towards these goals immediately, today if possible. This isn’t a promise for something that starts tomorrow, it is an action plan that I begin working on today.

2011 Completed Accomplishments

1. Finished paying off school loans
2. Finished saving for the trip
3. Finished saving for the trip’s recovery fund

2011 Incomplete Goals (keep after these in 2012)

1. Sell the house (again for the trip)

2012 New goals

1. Quit job (after selling house)
2. Leave for trip (after quitting job)
3. Save more - Already increased monthly transfers to savings account by $500. First transfer will be January 2nd when the banks open.
4. Read the Investor’s Manifesto again.
5. Fully fund our IRA again.

[BONUS POINTS] Make it to the trip without my car dying and needing to be replaced.

Should be an eventful year.

Christmas

Christmas this year was a bit different than in years past. We’ve spent the better part of 2011 actively downsizing our lives, and didn’t want to undo our efforts over the holiday. I had to reel myself in and resist the urge to shop on black friday. We made an amazon and rei “wish list” at the request of the in-laws, and pleaded our case to our loved ones NOT to get us “stuff”. We set a $50 budget for exchanging gifts with each other. We didn’t decorate, hang lights, or put up a tree.

The holiday weekend started on Friday for me, as I was fortunate enough to get a four day weekend from work. We decided to head to Ohio and spend the holiday with our families. The hubs had to work until 5, so I spent the morning packing the car, tidying the house, and running last minute errands. I ran a few miles to my running club’s Christmas tree to put my ornament on it. I had been meaning to do it for a few weeks… better late than never!

I picked the husband up at work, we grabbed some subway, and hit the road. The drive was pretty uneventful. The most exciting part is always going past the wind farm in Indiana along I-65. I’ve seen the windmills dozens of times, but this was my first time seeing them at night. Each mill had a slow blinking light on top, and it looked like an eerie scene from a movie. I wish I had snapped a picture… maybe next time. By the time we got home, it was 1am and we were both exhausted.

Christmas eve we headed to the in-laws’ flower shop to visit the fam for a bit. Afterward, we went to my grandpa’s house to open gifts with my family. The highlight was my brother’s excitement over the ikea silverware and spatula. Apparently, he only had one fork and had to wash it every time he wanted to eat up to that point. I scored some new running shoes, and the H got gift cards.

Christmas morning we went back to the in laws’ house and had a delicious breakfast of crepes, fruit, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, and croissants. Everyone exchanged gifts, and we got a lot of great travel gear. I excused myself to go for a run mid afternoon, and made it back in plenty of time for dinner. Afterward, we engaged in some family warfare monopoly. Of course, despite my best efforts, you-know-who won. As always.

The next morning, we took off early and made it back to Illinois by 4. All in all, it was a wonderful Christmas. We got to relax, spend time with loved ones, and eat some great food. Our families did an excellent job of honoring our wishes and not going overboard with buying us things. The gifts we got are mostly things we plan to take with us on the trip or will use immediately (running tights for me!) Back to the daily grind for now. Merry Christmas!