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One Hundred Dollars a Month

I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.

My 12 Goals for 2017 : Week 52 of 52

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My goals for 2017

Get 7- 8 Hours of Sleep Each Night Mission Accomplished {Kind sorta}

This morning I SLEPT in instead of getting up early {or staying up late} to work on this final goals post for 2017. I hope you’ll forgive me. 😉 And while wasn’t able to get many 8 hour stretches of sleep in this year, I was able to get in more sleep than any previous year so I am declaring this goal a big success.

Make Saving a Priority, Not an Idea Mission Accomplished

In just over three years of living at the HOA house, we were able to knock 18 + years off our mortgage. And you know what? I think that’s pretty darn skippy. The reason we decided to pay down the house rather than toss the money into savings was because putting the extra money towards the principal of our home really seemed like a forced savings plan. Once the money was in, it couldn’t be taken out until the house was sold. And, the interest we were paying each month went down BIG TIME during this process. It’s a decision we don’t regret one bit.

Live a little Mission Accomplished 

Looking back, I don’t think one thing in particular sticks out. Although that week on the east coast with my luggage handle holding husband was pretty rad.

Visit 52 REAL Bakeries 

This year I made it to 30 bakeries. I was hoping for 52 bakeries this year, but hey, 30 isn’t so bad either. Because of my love of pastries and local, small town bakeries, I will be continuing this goal next year. Because hey, I’m not quitter.

Have 1 “no spend” week each month

Well, I came close. 11 out of 12 isn’t too shabby if you ask me.

Start a Line of Rug Hooking Patterns Mission Accomplished

I’ve completed 13 patterns this year and currently have all of them listed on Etsy. This was such a fun goal for me and it was something I’ve been wanting to do for years. I’m glad I finally took the plunge.

Turn My Wool Stash into $2,500 Mission Accomplished

This week I sold $312.73 worth of goodness in my Etsy shop which brings my total sales to $13,460.18 for the year. The fact the I was able to sell so many of my hooked rugs and bundles of wool when I only set out to sell a few, still kind of blows my mind. My costs for the year {and I still need to do a final tally} came in at around 30%. Selling my finished wares on Etsy rather than Ebay has helped reduce costs {by about 7%} and I think going forward I may just stick to offering my rugs on Etsy. We’ll see.

Purge 250 Items  Mission Accomplished 

I was able to sell or donate over 400 items this year and let me tell you Bob…. It feels so good to have scaled down to just the basics. My house wasn’t all that cluttered to begin with, but getting rid of all the stuff you don’t use, or really care all that much about, feels so good when you finally do it.

Learn to Crochet Mission Accomplished {Kinda sorta}

My original goals was to master the granny square, and then make a blanket. I had a handmade blanket similar to the one above about 20 years ago and absolutely loved it {photo credit Fookiewooh}. Well, I did in fact fork out some good money on a 2 hour beginner crochet class. And about 2 minutes into the class I knew it wasn’t for me. But I stuck to it for a few months and even ended up making a set of pot holders.

But in the end, even though I really wanted to make a blanket, I happily walked away from the idea of ever making one for myself. Life is short, find what you LOVE doing, and do it. It’s as simple as that.

Dote on My Husband Even More Than I Do Now Mission Accomplished

Almost 52 weeks of breakfast in bed. I think he liked it. 😉

Lose the Muffin Top. {again} Mission Accomplished

Note to self: Cutting back on pastries… helped. Who knew?

Wear out {most of} the clothing I already own Mission Accomplished

I think I did a really good job this year of not buying a bunch of new clothing and being content with what I already had to wear. I’m just not into fashion. And let me tell you, I’m glad because it’s just one less thing to have to think about when I get up in the morning.

Try 52 New Recipes Mission Accomplished {Kinda sorta}

My original goal was to not only try 52 new recipes this year but to post those recipes on the blog. And well, even though I did try over 52 new recipes this past year, I don’t think even half of them made it on to the blog. Some of them were duds, some of them I just didn’t have time to post and others, well those did make it on to the blog, including my favorite recipe of the year, Mississippi Pot Roast. If you haven’t tried it yet, you really need to.

Read 52 Books Mission Accomplished

This past week I’ve been listing to The Magnolia Story on Hoopla. Our local library will be discontinuing their partnership with Hoopla at the end of the year and so I’ll soon be listing to audiobooks via Overdrive. I don’t think I’ve ever used Overdrive before so hopefully it’s not to hard to figure out. This year I ended up reading/listening to 68+ books and I’m pretty happy with that number.

{My brother and I hamming it up at my wedding}

Give Back to 12 Different Organizations in My Community Mission Accomplished 

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 – Collected men’s shirts to donate this winter.
July – Donated to the Chew Dog Rescue
August – Donated to the Houston Flood Relief Fund
September – $100 Tip to our amazing server at The Grey House and bought a tin of caramel corn from a Boy Scout
October – Donated to The Magic Yarn Project
November – I bought toys to donate to the Fire Department
December – I bought toys to donate to the Fire Department

And then, there’s those top secret goals we’re not talking about yet:

  • Secret Goal #1 Sell East Coast House Mission Accomplished
  • Secret Goal #2 Chickens! Mission Accomplished
  • Secret Goal #3 Sell HOA House Mission Accomplished 🙂 🙂 🙂
  • Secret Goal #4 Buy our forever home {Working on it}

Seriously. Can you believe it? We finally sold the HOA house. Now if that’s not a reason to celebrate… I don’t know what is. Even though a lot of you guessed what secret goals #3 and #4 were, keeping them under wraps {and all the prep work that goes into selling a house} was HARD.  I tried to toss out a few clues here and there but I AM SO GLAD to be done with goal #3. SO GLAD.

I have so many things to say, and so many stories to tell, it’s almost like I don’t know where to begin. So I think next week, we are going to start from the beginning. 😉

Wishing you the merriest Christmas.

~Mavis, Lucy, the HH, The Girl and Monkey Boy

Read About My 2017 Goals HERE.

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Comments

  1. CONGRATULATIONS Mavis!! A new beginning! Have a lovely holiday with your family and I look forward to hearing your stories about your new life!

    Reply

  2. Yay! I’m so excited for you! Merry Christmas to you and your family. Love the sweet picture of you and your brother! Thanks for ALL you do and taking the time to blog about it. You are such an encouragement to me!

    Reply

  4. Congratulations on completing your goals. As readers we are lucky to have you in our lives. Inspirational. Funny. Gifted in enjoying life. The best to you in 2018.

    Reply

  8. Yay!!! We are still years away from moving to east coast and getting out of our HOA house but so excited for you. We will have one kid on the west coast and one in the military so he’s all over the place. Happy holidays and I also love the pic of you and brother .

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  9. Mavis, I am just *thrilled* for you! And I can’t wait to hear all the details… Hope the forever home comes together just as you would like. Merry Christmas!

    Reply

  11. I had a suspicion when you replaced the dishwasher. . It was confirmed when the fir sale sign went up. I’m excited for you. I will miss seeing Lucy’s face looking at me from the front window while I’m on a walk.

    Sounds like you will end up in the place you truly want to be. ❤️

    Reply

  13. How exciting! Congratulations and Merry Christmas! Can’t wait to begin your new journey with you. I’m a long time reader and love all of your content.

    Reply

  17. Well done, so glad I found your blog have enjoyed nearly the full year and wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year

    Reply

  18. Congrats! I hope everything goes smoothly. Can’t wait to see where you end up on the East Coast and hope it’s near my zone, that you have a big garden, and I can time my garden, seed starting, etc., to yours. Lucy needs baby chicks! Thanks for letting me tag along.

    Reply

  19. I have a pic of my brother with his arm around me just like that from my high school graduation and it has become my most treasured picture. Your picture brought a smile to my face and a tear to my eye because I know the feeling and heartache and it isn’t a club you want anybody else to experience.

    Congrats on the sale of the HOA house! I could totally ask a ton of questions, but I will wait for your posts next week. Enjoy your last Christmas in your house and what a way to start the New Year!

    Reply

  20. First of all, I just want to say that I love how motivated you are and how persistently you stick to your goals! Your goal posts are my favorites and I look for them each week!

    Secondly, congratulations on all you accomplished this year! The patterns! and all of it!

    And then of course, congratulations on the sale of your house! I hope you find a wonderful house that will be perfect for you and your family!

    Reply

  22. I KNEW IT! I knew the secret #3 was to sell the HOA house. You dropped plenty of clues.

    Nite the big question is, where is the forever house. East coast or west?

    Reply

  23. I religiously read a few bloggers every day and yours is one of my favorites. Your goal updates, food budget and crazy antics with Mrs. HB give me something to look forward to on a stinky day. (And by the way, you and I are very different, my toiletry bag looks much more like Mrs. HB’s and. I thing like yours). So thanks for sharing your life with all of us and I’m looking forward to the next step in your journey.

    Reply

  24. My husband and I are hoping to move out of Washington State soon as well. I’m looking forward to some great ‘how to’ reports from you. Congratulations!

    Reply

  25. Congratulations on completing all your goals! Your tenacity is inspiring! I’m confused what HOA stands for… Home owner’s association? Here in SoCal, that’s the norm and pretty much unavoidable.

    Reply

    • Yes, that’s what HOA means. I think it depends on where you live. I live in So Cal (well, more central coast), and only a relatively small % of homes in my area have HOAs.

      Reply

  26. Hi Mavis,
    I had a hunch that something exciting was going on-now I know!! Congratulations!! A new adventure on the horizon will make 2018 a year to look forward to! I can’t wait to hear about it!!
    The picture of you and your brother is a precious memory for you to keep in your heart forever!
    Enjoy every moment this holiday brings to you and your family!

    Reply

  27. Hooray! I suspect your forever home comes with acreage, 4 seasons, and chickens. I sure hope so. The wait to find out what happens next will kill me. Have a great Christmas with your family. 🙂

    Reply

  28. Congratulations and Merry Christmas! I wondered if #3 was sell the HOA house, but I thought it would be a few years. Please start at the beginning – are you going to live on the east or west coast, etc.

    Reply

  30. Congratulations Mavis! I’m sure you’ll end up back East and I can’t wait to hear the story. Us Left Coasters will miss you and I’m not thrilled that you are moving out of my gardening zone! 🙂

    I love the photo of you with your brother.

    I’m looking forward to your next year’s goals. I’ve been working on mine for 2018.

    Merry Christmas to you and yours.

    Reply

  31. Congratulations and Merry Christmas! Very excited to hear all about it this week! I have been working on my goals list for next year and looking forward to a fresh start.

    Reply

  32. Woohoo! You are free! That is wonderful. Happy house hunting but it can be stressful when it requires an airplane to do it

    Best of luck and thanks for making me reach higher in life! Love Hoopla. So many great books.

    Reply

  33. Yep! I have been following you so long I can read between the lines. So happy for you and wishing you and family, Lucy to, a big Merry Christmas. Relax now for a bit.

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  34. Merry Christmas and congratulations!!! May I humbly recommend Vermont- gonna get 4-8 inches of the good stuff tomorrow 😉

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  35. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Wishing you God’s peace and blessings this Christmas, and in the New Year as you begin your new adventures! I can’t wait to follow along!

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  36. Congratulations Mavis! I am so positively thrilled you managed to free yourself from the HOA house! HUZZAH! May you and your family find your way to a wonderful forever home wherever you choose!

    Reply

  39. Merry Christmas and congratulations! What a great way to start the New Year. I can’t help but feel sad for Mrs. HB unless she is moving with you.

    Reply

  40. We are in an HOA. The rules were 1 1/2 pages long when we moved here- now they fill a notebook. We are tired of the petty stuff and long to be free of it. Though we love our home and its location, we are looking. So sad. I;m so happy for you! And being from Maine, I know New England would be a good place for you, although I’ve had enough of Maine winters. You go, girl! God bless you and your family, and Merry Christmas!

    Reply

  41. Yay, Mavis!! You certainly left enough breadcrumbs all year for us to figure this out! What tipped me off was when you bought that dining room table to stage your house. I am so happy for you and can’t wait to hear about your next chapter!!

    Reply

  43. How exciting! I really enjoy following along on your adventures, and I am looking forward to what comes next. Enjoy!

    Reply

  44. Congratulations on selling your home – although I will miss all your escapades against the HOA!

    I purchased your whale rug last week and love it. We are on the east coast NJ and have a boat – there have been whales hanging around where my husband fishes so it was a neat gift for him.

    Can’t wait to see your 2018 goals!!

    Reply

  45. Congratulations Mavis. You are an inspiration to me, you are so focussed and you achieve great things. I wish I was half as disciplined as you, but I’m trying! I wish you great happiness in your new home and I look forward to reading about it and following your new goals for 2018. I love your goals posts and I’ve decided to do some goals myself this year. I hope you and your family had a lovely Christmas day. Thank you for your inspiration all year long. x

    Reply

  48. Overdrive is super easy 🙂 – It’s what I use through king county library system
    Congrats on the house! Sad you won’t likely end up in my local area anymore 🙁 – I like hearing your local bakery recs and deal posts for stores around here and the other local stuff that makes it feel SORTA like I know you lol
    Curious what your kids think? You seem very close, to them and your parents – do you think they will end up relocating to the east coast too? CAn’t wait to hear details soon 🙂

    Reply

  49. I have had the flu so I just saw this post. Congratulations on selling the house! I figured that was coming. I can only imagine what Monkey Boy, your parents, and Mrs HB are going to do without you since I presume you will be moving to the east coast. I am guessing The Girl is going to move with you guys. I will miss your and Mrs HB’s friendship. It has been a wonderful source of laughter and genuine warmth to me. Those types of friends are very hard to come by.

    Merry late Christmas! Best of luck in the coming year. As a long time follower I cannot wait to see where 2018 takes you. 🙂

    Reply

  52. How did I miss this post? I guess I was too busy with Christmas and sending a child off to Kenya! 🙂 Congratulations on the sale of your house! Absolutely can’t wait to see what’s next on the horizon for you and your family. And that pic of you with your brother…what a treasure. Happy new year, Mavis!

    Reply

    • I’m enjoying the Kenya adventure unfold via Instagram Kathy!!!! 🙂 I love that he is over there and helping to make a difference. 🙂

      Reply

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