August New Year's Goals Check In

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It's that time of the month... time to check in on goals you know? :) Have you been sticking with it or have your goals fallen by the wayside? Here's where we at Thriftism stand:

  1. Take 6 Courses Online (3 of 6)
    1. Teach English: Foundational Principals (Completed FEB 2016)
    2. Teach English: Theories of Second Language Acquisition (Completed MARCH 2016)
    3. Teach English: Lesson Design & Assessment (Completed MARCH 2016)
    4. I started an algebra and Happiness course, but didn't keep up with the coursework. I will try again this month.
    5. Check out Coursera for a wide variety of free courses or Duolingo for language learning.
  2. Install Kitchen Backsplash and Cabinet Pulls
    1. INSTALLED!!! We finally put our backsplash up in May. We have to grout one more section, but it looks pretty sweet. See the how-to videos below if you're looking to put up backsplash in your home.  We also put in all the cabinet pulls. It sure is nice to have a handle on the drawers. :)


     


      
  3. Construct Captains Bedframe 
    1. The main frame and drawers have been constructed. Now we just have to add the facing and get drawer pulls. I'd say about 60% done. This is the same as in April, but now we are using the bedframe and use it as our dresser. Still no facing so have to be careful not to snag clothes on the rough outer surfacing.
  4. Read 12 Books
    1. Down by the River - Robyn Carr 
    2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
    4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
    5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
    6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
    7. Happy Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Just starting)
    8. Friday Night Lights (30% complete)
    9. ~10 magazines/month (want to get free magazines? Try out rewardsurvey to earn your favorite magazine as a reward)
  5. Visit London
    1. TICKETS ARE BOOKED! We saved over $1500 by watching the tickets and buying one day when they went half price. Guess that pays for Mexico this year right? Also used ebates to get an extra 10.5% back. Itinerary planning is in progress. We have narrowed down to visiting the southern coast and possibly taking a train to Manchester. If there's time we will rent a car and try to visit the locations where Pride and Prejudice was filmed. :)
  6. Paint Office
    1. Office is painted. Still need to paint the closet and finish trim.
  7. Workout 4 Days/Week
    1. I have been walking 45-60 minutes a day ( lunch breaks and coffee breaks). Working out has been difficult as I have been in physical therapy for my shoulder for the last couple months. Even yoga hurts sometimes, but we have been trying to ride our bikes a couple days a week. Volleyball once a week has definitely helped me to workout more. I have been getting my 10,000 steps
  8. Save $10,000 Save 50% of our income
    1. We have been putting in some overtime and really cutting back on our spending. The garden really helps reduce food costs. This has helped us get back on track with our saving and we're sitting at ~21% of our annual income saved. Almost halfway to our goal. While we may not make 50%, we are still saving big time making our future goals more achievable. A garage sale is planned for this month which should help us out a bit too.
  9. Lose 10 Pounds
    1. I made it down 5 pounds, but have bounced back to only being down 3 pounds. My self-control is waning when is comes to cake and ice cream. Now that the veggies are coming in strong, I am getting back on track eating healthier.
  10. Knit/Crochet 10 Projects
    1. Soap Saver, Will be creating a DIY post of this in the coming weeks!
    2. Owl Bib, Pattern taken from Lions Brand Yarn website
    3. Frog Bib, Pattern taken from Lions Brand Yarn website
    4. Shamrock Headband, Instructions on how to make on our blog!
    5. Sheep Backpack, Just started hoping to finish this month to give as a birthday present when my niece turns one next month.
    6. Another soap saver
  11. Publish Blog Posts Twice a Week
    1. July was a little better with a few weeks of twice weekly posts. We will continue to work harder to get posts out on time. Be sure to subscribe to Thriftism's Channel to stay up to date with more money saving tips/tricks as well as some DIY projects and yummy recipes.
  12. Learn How to Can Vegetables
    1. We now have both a pressure cooker and a canning system (boiling type). The beans are coming like crazy and we will hopefully be canning within the week. Tomatoes will follow later this fall.
How are your goals coming along? What are you doing to stay motivated?

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