Year End Goals Check-In

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 (4 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. Seeing Through Photographs (Completed NOVEMBER 2016)
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. We haven't found time to stain the facing and drawer pulls, but it is still a great bedframe!

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
8. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
9. Another View
10. Alan-Grant - Nora Roberts (Alan Book)
11. Alan-Grant - Nora Roberts (Grant Book -25% complete)
12. Friday Night Lights (30% complete)
13. ~5 magazines/month (Want to get free magazines? Try out rewardsurvey to earn your favorite magazine as a reward

5. Visit London✔

1. We did it!!! We were able to spent a delightful three weeks in England. Talk about our thriftism lifestyle paying off. We were able to spend a week in London, a few days in Bath and Bristol, a week down in Cornwall/Devon area, visit the Peak Disctrict/Sheffield, and run down to the cliffs of Dover. Be sure to follow us on YouTube, Twitter, or Instagram for videos from the trip, pictures, and travel advice. We have quite a few videos giving you thrifty options of attractions while you're on vacation. While we did save a lot for our trip, we ended up spending less than half of what we planned. We tried to take advantage of any free attractions, cheap (but delicious) food, and cheaper accommodations. We were even able to stay in a few 4 star hotels and a B&B built in the 1300s for under $80/ night because we search for deals and tried to be flexible on the trip! Watch for more travel posts throughout the next year.

6.  Paint Office✔

1. Done! We also got the trim finished this past week, bookshelves assembled, and books unpacked. It's beginning to look like an office.

7. Workout 4 Days/Week

1. December wasn't great for working out. We tried to go walking a lot and did workouts here and there as we found time. Can shopping count as a workout? We did a fair amount of that for Christmas.

8. Save $10,000 Save 50% of our income✔

1. We were able to put away ~58% of our income. Hip Hip Hooray!!! We buckled down this last month and were able to exceed our savings goal. We incorporated handmade gifts into our Christmas giving to keep costs low and give truly unique (and much loved) gifts. We also kept our food budget down and used gift cards for purchases when possible. Another money saving trick--use apps like Ibotta or Mobisave.

9. Lose 10 Pounds

1. Down around 6.5 pounds to date. This isn't the 10 I was aiming for, but still a great achievement after losing focus earlier in the year.   

10. Knit/Crochet 10 Projects✔

1. Soap Saver, Will be creating a DIY post of this soon!
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. Soap Saver
6. Soap Saver
7. Soap Saver
8. Doggie Blankie - half way done
9. Soap Saver
10. Jellyfish Soap Saver
11. Jellyfish Soap Saver
12. Jellyfish Soap Saver
13. Soap Saver
14. Soap Saver
15. Soap Saver
16. Duck Slippers

11. Publish Blog Posts Twice a Week

1. December was horrible for posting content. I have no excuses besides the typical holiday hubbub. This will be a definite goal to improve on next year. In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to Thriftism's Channel to get the latest money saving tips/tricks, as well as some DIY projects, yummy recipes, and travel tips. 

12. Learn How to Can Vegetables✔

1. We have canned 12 quarts of green beans, 4 quarts tomatoes, 2 quarts salsa, 1 pint of jalapeños, and 12 quarts of pickles. See our video below on how to can green beans. We also blanched green beans and peas. 

 

We have accomplished 6 of our 12 goals and came close on many others. While 50% doesn't seem like a great number, it's a huge accomplishment when you look at the national statistics. According to statisticbrain.com, more than half of the population make resolutions, but only about half of those make it through the first week. We tried to follow up on our goals the entire year and were able to get a good chunk of them fully achieved and several others pretty close.

We didn't read, write, workout, or learn enough to completely achieve our goals, but 10 out of 12 books isn't too shabby. Looking on the bright side, we saved almost an extra 20% compared to what we aimed for, we went on the adventure of a lifetime (though hopefully it will be the adventure of the biennium for us), and we got a lot accomplished on our house. Now is the time to look forward to the coming year and decide what goals are important to us once again.

What will your goals be for 2017 and what did you accomplish in 2016?

If you need a refresher on how to set goals, check out our posts:
New Year, New You: Swap Resolutions for Goals Part 1 - Importance of Goals
New Year, New You: Swap Resolutions for Goals Part 2 - How to Set Goals
New Year, New You: Swap Resolutions for Goals Part 3 - Achieving Your Goals