My goals for 2017
Get 7- 8 Hours of Sleep Each Night
It was another good week for sleep at Casa de Butterfield. Yesterday especially. The HH had the day off and we slept in until 6:30. A treat for us since we usually get up around 4 am. Lucy decided to lounge around until around 9:30 which is a little unusual for her.
Make Saving a Priority, Not an Idea
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE getting my electric bill in the summertime. It makes we want to do a HAPPY DANCE because it’s so LOW. Especially since we have only turned on the A/C for about 9 hours this summer. If it were up to my husband he’d probably have it running 24/7 during the summer months. But this girl has a dream and the only way to achieve that dream is to cut down on spending where I can. Luckily fall is just around the corner {my favorite season} and that will mean lower temps and a cooler house.
Other things I’ve done this month to save money:
- The HH and I gave each other haircuts
- I used gift cards to buy groceries
- Paid an extra 4 {really, closer to 5} principal payments on the mortgage for August
- I called Comcast out on overcharging me on my internet bill and ended up getting my bill reduced by $15 a month.
- Ate yummy stuff out of the garden instead of buying produce at the grocery store.
- I redeemed 2200 Swagbucks for a $25 gift card to Amazon.
- Listened to audiobooks via the HooplaDigital app {free through my local library}
- I’ve been staying home more {lot’s more actually} and in turn have reduced the amount of money I spend on every day stuff, as well as gasoline and wear and tear on my good clothes and shoes.
Did you just read the “good clothes and shoes” comment and was like… is she serious? Ha! I remember reading a Linda Greenlaw book {I can’t remember which one} and she mentioned something about the only time people dressed up is when they went off the island. And that was how you knew they were going somewhere. Because really, when you stop to think about it, if you are a homebody like I seem to be these days {or live on a secluded island, or really just in your own little world}, why would/should I bother dressing up in my “good clothes” when all I’m going to do is work in the garden all day or work on hooked rugs in the privacy of my own home?
Maybe I should care more about my appearance. But I don’t. Maybe I’m just happy being who I am. Boring clothes, ponytail and all.
In other news… If you have a Verizon account, be sure and log in to see if you have enough Smart Rewards to score yourself a free gift card. The Smart Rewards program ends November 1st, so if you don’t use them, you’ll lose them.
Live a little
No clubbing or 8 seconds on the mechanical bull this week. Maybe next week?
Visit 52 REAL Bakeries
This past week The Girl and I checked out Happy Donuts in Puyallup, Washington. We went all out and bought a dozen donuts. We were not able to finish all of them and so we froze the old fashioned ones to enjoy later. Did you know you could do that? Yep. Pretty neat trick.
Have 1 “no spend” week each month
I did that last week when I used gift cards to buy all our groceries.
Start a Line of Rug Hooking Patterns
I was too busy this past week dying wool to work on my patterns. Although I have 8 rug hooking patterns listed in my Etsy shop, 5 more completed rugs that I need to get patterns printed up for so I can get them listed, and 3 more drawn out but not completed. I’ll get them done, sooner or later.
Turn My Wool Stash into $2,500 Mission Accomplished
It was another great week and I ended up I selling $347.48 worth of goodness in my Etsy shop and Ebay store which brings my total to $6380.32 for the year. Hobbies, they’re pretty cool. Especially ones you can make a little side money with.
Purge 250 Items Including Selling Larger Items We No Longer Feel We Need
The Girl donated 3 pairs of running shoes she no longer needed and I found 4 more books which brings our total to 240 items purged for the year. Yee-Haw, we’re almost there.
On a side note: The Girl ran a qualifying time for the 2018 Boston Marathon this summer. Qualifying well under the 3:35 time was one of her goals for this year, and we are so proud of her. It took a lot of dedication to achieve her goal and now we are all waiting for sign ups to begin in mid September. Just because you have a qualifying time doesn’t necessarily mean you make it in, it all depends on how many peeps sign up and how many of them have a better time than you do. I think she’ll be fine, but still, it’s nerve racking.
Learn to Crochet Mission Accomplished
Dote on My Husband Even More Than I Do Now.
After sleeping in with the HH yesterday, I made the most delicious bacon, onion and broccoli quiche for breakfast. I LOVE quiche. I especially love that I can freeze the extra slices and pack in his lunch throughout the month too. 😉
Lose the Muffin Top. {again} Mission Accomplished
Wear out {most of} the clothing I already own.
Working it. And dishtowels too apparently.
Try 52 New Recipes
I posted a recipe for zucchini scones and I have another scone recipe in the works. Stay tuned…
Read 52 Books
I stumbled upon How To Be a Tudor: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Tudor Life by Ruth Goodman the other day and I am HOOKED. It takes you though every inch of the Tudor life from what it was like to be a laborer to a royal. Everything from undergarments, what each class ate, what they slept on and how they lived and interacted. I’m only about half way though and I think it’s pretty fascinating.
Give Back to 12 Different Organizations in My Community
January – Donated to Quilts from the Heart in Memory of my brother.
February – Donated to Empty Bowls Fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club.
March – Donated to my daughter’s mentor who was in a horrible car accident.
April – Donated again to my daughter’s mentor who was in a horrible car accident.
May – $100 Tip to a waitress on Mother’s day.
June – Started collecting men’s shirts to donate this winter.
July – Chew Dog Rescue
And then, there’s those top secret goals we’re not talking about yet.
Secret Goal #1Sell East Coast House Mission AccomplishedSecret Goal #2Chickens! Mission Accomplished- Secret Goal #3
- Secret Goal #4
~Mavis
Read About My 2017 Goals HERE.
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Eileen says
Just put the book by Ruth Goodman on my library list-it looks interesting. Thank you! I noticed she also wrote one on how to be a Victorian.
Carrie says
We also have home and town/school clothing at our house. My boys closets are section off to make it easier for my husband. I even dress for preschool drop off then come home and change. My nice jeans just got worn through in one knee after five years and I’m very sad. $100 jeans I got new for $18. I think that is what makes it so hard because I haven’t been able to find them so cheap again.
I am also a believer in looking presentable when we’re out and about. So no flip flops for the kids or yoga pants for me for example. They also wear shirts with collars to school.
I’ve read How to be a Victorian and found it very interesting. I’ll have to add this new one to my list.
Kathy Ferski says
Thanks Mavis I really enjoy your blog. You are inspiring me to set goals .
Courtney B says
I love your goal update posts! What will you do when you wear all your clothes out? Will that be on next years goal list?
Lynne says
I read How to be a Tudor a while back and thought it was fascinating. Definitely made me glad to live in this day and age, however!
Sherry says
Summer is the worst time for my electric bill here in Connecticut. Especially when running the A/C. The “delivery services” charges on our utilities is disgusting! For example, our electric bill from last month: we used $65.15 worth of electricity and our delivery services charges are $94.01, for a grand total of $159.16. And that is “low” for us for a summer month, we used the A/C as little as we could. Our natural gas bill, which we use only for hot water in the warmer months (heat in the winter when not using the wood stove) was ridiculous for last month: we used $17.94 worth of gas with $42.48 for delivery services, so $60.42 total. UGH! Anyway, NICE to see your low bill!
Gail says
I’ve never heard of “DELIVERY SERVICE CHARGES”! Why would they charge you more to deliver than the actual amount of the utility used? Can you imagine if the mailman charged you more to deliver your mail to your mailbox than all your bills combined?!!
Sherry says
Yep, looking at the break down on our utility bills here just makes me mad, lol. And with the natural gas they have a flat rate “customer service charge” that is currently $15.00 so even if we shut it off in our house and literally did not use it, we still incur that charge.
Julie says
We have a service charge here too, it’s 25.5 pence per day with my provider which is ridiculously high as last year I was paying 16p per day. I would change supplier but the rates are very good with this supplier, its swings and roundabouts I think. Power is expensive. We have solar panels but haven’t had a huge amount of sunshine this summer so we have been using about £9 per week or more by comparison to last year when we were using about £4/£5 per week it all adds up. My utility bills and my food bills have gone up by about 30% on comparison with last year.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yikes Julie, that is a huge increase for utilities and food. 🙁
Marcia says
Ha, I can relate to the “good clothes”. I wear workout clothes for my runs and walks. Today, I got home and eventually showered and changed into … my pjs. Which are shorts, a camisole, and my 11 year old’s old baseball jersey, that was his when he was 9 and was too big (obv). I’m rocking that look
Nineandahalffingers says
I love your goals, I get inspired by you to create my own, though I might pinch the sleep goal and wear my clothes out goal if you don’t mind? I won’t achieve number two because I own so many, but it’s something to aspire to. Sleep goal- easier.
MEM says
Hello Mavis,
Have you written a post on how to reduce your electric bill? I cannot believe how low your bill is! I live in the Boston area and live in a two-family, new construction, with every energy-saving feature except for solar panels. Our electric bill is nearly $300 a month! We do laundry once a week and hang our clothes on racks to dry. Sheets, towels and undies go in the dryer. We have gas appliances and keep the house at 75 degrees in the Summer. We use lights sparingly and have only two TVs. I am a fanatic about unplugging things. Thanks for any insight.
Mavis Butterfield says
I’ll work on a post for you. 🙂
Sandy says
MEM, I live south of Mavis in Oregon but our weather is similar. We don’t have the humidity that you have back East. I’m originally from Chicago and when I moved here I marveled at the fact that the weather was so temperate. Plus here in OR the electricity is no where near as expensive as it was when I lived back East.
Having said all of that I take nothing away from Mavis’ Rockstar Ability to Save Money. Her electric bill is much lower than mine! But I do think we have a head start out here…
Mel says
I’ve sort of been diving deeper into goals I’ve found I like and setting others aside. I set goals to learn how to knit and sew, and I learned to knit and did a few small projects, but it wasn’t my favorite. I learned to sew earlier this summer, and I really like it, so I’ve been following that more. Lately I’ve been experimenting with making my own patterns. Next up is to make some clothes for work, and then I think I’ll try my hand at sewing Christmas presents. I was originally going to knit socks for gifts, but I think I might make some “scoodies” (scarves with hoods) instead.
Christine says
Have you watched any of the BBC series with Ruth Goodman? (Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm, Wartime Farm, Secrets of the Castle, Tales from the Green Valley). I’ve watched many of them via YouTube- I think they’d be right up your alley!
Mavis Butterfield says
Not yet. Thanks though, I will check it out.
Deborah says
We live in East Texas and it is HOT here. Highs in the 90’s so far this summer. It’s also very humid. We do run the AC all summer. Although, we do use the attic fan in the mornings if it’s cool enough. 75 or so. It gets fresh air in the house. I’d love to be able to just use the attic fan, but since we are considered elderly LOL in our mid 60’s, I guess we’d better use the AC.
Oh, and I’ve been doing some sewing. Monograming towel sets, and making Memory pillows from shirts.