When I was little, my mom made a cross-stitch piece for my bedroom with the inscription “Each new year’s a chance to see your dreams become reality.” That piece is packed away with the rest of my childhood decor, but what a wonderful phrase to bring back at the dawn of a new year. Everyone seemed to be strong out of the gate with their 2015 resolutions, but I needed extra time to collect my thoughts about the new year.
TRAVEL SOMEWHERE NEW
This is a perennial goal of mine and one I think should grace everyone’s list. Last year, we were fortunate enough to travel to Belgium and visit Brussels, Ghent, and Bruges. We made a stop in Amsterdam (a repeat for me, but new to Dave) and took a Memorial Day roadtrip to Louisville, a city we visited a couple of years prior. I love the balance of revisiting favorites and mixing in new destinations during the year. So far, we’re talking about an April trip somewhere warm, like Puerto Rico, Mexico, or Florida, and a December trip to Europe. Visiting Christmas markets in Europe is a major bucket list item for me. It’d be incredible to check that off the to-do list this year! (However, I’m a little worried about how much holiday decor I’ll end up bringing home!)
LOSE WEIGHT
Ugh, I don’t know how the pounds crept up over the last year. When we got back from Belgium, I was 20 pounds lighter than I am now! All of the beer fests, eating out, and ordering pizza really did me in–and it’s not like my slowing metabolism is helping anything! I need to get back in shape. I’m armed with my FitBit, a Weight Watchers membership, and Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. (Any other FitBit users want to be friends on the app? My cousin joined and I’m surprised at how motivating it is to see her daily steps add up.)
FIND FASHION FUN AGAIN
The last few years have been about curating a wardrobe of quality basics. It was a fantastic learning experience that taught me to value quality clothing and forgo shopping at fast fashion stores. However, it put the emphasis so much on basics that I ignored the things about fashion that make me happiest: unexpected fabrics, big prints, and color. I want to have fun with clothes again, while still adhering to the principles I worked so hard to incorporate: quality over quantity and no impulse buys.
MIND MY MONEY
I say this every year, but adhering to a budget and saving money is becoming more and more important as I get older. I spent time last weekend working on a realistic budget that allows me to tuck away and invest a decent amount of money each month, while still allowing myself $250 per month for clothing. I’m going to scrap the six-month clothing budget that I was trying (it would have continued through February) and start fresh this year with a monthly budget. The six-month allowance was too tempting to go overboard at the beginning and I’d like to keep all budget-related items to a calendar year. I’ll allow any unused portion to roll over to the next month and, as always, a portion of blog revenue and eBay sales will be added to the budget. I’m also starting a 2015 Pinterest board of all new wardrobe additions, both gifted and purchased. I’ll share more about this in January’s budget recap in a few weeks.
WILDCARD RESOLUTIONS
Stop letting dishes pile up.
Read more.
Take care of my wardrobe and put things away at night.
Be patient.
Let go of things that don’t make me happy or serve a purpose.
We are on the same boat my friend, I wish I used the fitbit but I’m being frugal and refuse to buy it. But I started hitting bootcamp hardcore and aiming for a cleaner diet. As for the money, I’m so with you I’m realizing that I may want to buy a house in the next couple of year and that I need to get my money in order. As for fashion, I have most of the basics so a few fun pieces here and there should do. I started the year with a shopping ban that I’m trying to extend til march – wish me luck. I hope you do amazing with your resolutions this year.
I’m with you in trying to lose the weight and get healthy, it’s been a struggle for me. Hopefully this is the year I do it. I’ve been slowly curating my closet to own quality classic pieces. Thanks for sharing, love your blog!
great resolutions!! i’m excited to see some more fashion posts from you this year! xo jillian – stop by! I’m hosting a giveaway on cornflake dreams
You still need to tell me your eBay user name so I can stalk your items!!! 😉
This is an excellent list!! My “budget” went way out the window the last 3 months of the year…it was horrible! I’m now saying whatever I return I can use for money to buy something new for the next 2 months. I’m doing a major closet overhaul as well and then I’ll see where I’m wanting to be at for my monthly budget. I think $250 is fair for sure!
and I’m 10 pounds heavier from October as well (what the @%$! was I thinking?) so I’m on it for my diet too!
Isn’t it crazy how fast the weight creeps on?!
I’ll share my eBay name the next time I post things. I think I was too embarrassed by my old crap to share it before! 😉
I should come up with some goals for myself, they’d be pretty similar to yours!
1. Travel – already have 2 trips planned
2. Budget/Save more (I have a budget but always seem to just break even because I buy things from categories I don’t budget in ha ha)
3. Healthier – been trying to drink 64 ounces of water a day and I should probably eat healthier/exercise a little bit….my body is no longer the same as it was when I did gymnastics
4. Be Brave – I need to get myself out there more and stop being so scared.
*phew*
My highest priority is to get my financial sh*t together, too! I’ve long said I want to be (mostly) debt free by 30 and it’s fast approaching with me nowhere near ready for it. I don’t believe in changing suddenly on Jan 1 so it’s something I’ve been slowly working on, getting more realistic and honed in with my budgeting, planning for savings, signing up for readyforzero.com to track my progress, using Mint to track my net worth, using Credit Karma to keep an eye on my credit score, and I set up an automatic deposit to my IRA to coincide with a raise. I also am kind of addicted to The Financial Diet, she’s the wake-up call I need when I almost do something stupid with my money!
I just started following The Financial Diet! Fortunately, I don’t have credit card debt, but I have student loans and a car loan that I’d love to pay off. My biggest priority, though, is to accumulate cash for a down payment on a home someday. It’s just such a big number to work toward!
Also, readyforzero.com looks awesome.
I love reading everyone’s resolutions for the new year. I really interested to hear about your monthly clothing budget. That kind of thing fascinates me and I like seeing how and why people spend money on certain things. Best of luck with all of your resolutions!
I love Puerto Rico. And would like to go back this year. I’m with you on the lbs. I just started back working out yesterday. Now, I have to slice those calories. But I’m ready. I need to get fit, happy and healthy.
Love your resolutions! Excited to read your future updates!
xo Tia | http://www.bigcitytyro.com
I love your resolutions! I too hope to travel to a new place and work on my monthly spending budget. I always do so well in the beginning of the year, but once spring/summer hits, my shopping gets a little out of hand!
http://www.MissKayElle.com
Very good resolutions Jessica. I absolutely must travel more this year. I would love plan a trip with Sean… somewhere that does not involve me having to drive.
The budget. It’s an unending struggle. And buying the right pieces! I don’t know what to do. I spent $70 on a pair of jeans I thought would be amazing, and after a few wears they’ve stretched out and are gross and baggy. I bought a pair of $80 boots under the same pretense and now I realized I don’t like them and can’t return them. Somehow I think I might be better off with my $20 old navy jeans and my TJMaxx boots…
Let go of things that don’t make me happy or serve a purpose! Oh yes. This one is the best resolution of all. We accumulate so many things. So damn many things. And most of them we don’t need, or even want. The time it would take to go though it all seems daunting. But it needs to be every day, even if it’s only one thing. Stuff needs to go. Life feels too cluttered as it is.
Chic on the Cheap