My 12 Goals for 2016 : Week 22 of 52

1. Pay Down the Mortgage

We were able to knock 5 payments off our contract in May {1 regular payment and 4 extra “principal” payments}.

2. Buy Nothing New for 1 Year. 

Just too busy this past week to want to buy anything other than food.

3. Track Spending and Figure Out New Ways to Cut Spending Even More.

This week’s trash pick: 2 frying pans and 1 small stock pot. SERIOUSLY! Who throws perfectly good pans in the trash? Lucy and I were out for a walk when I spotted a bunch of pots and pans sticking out of someone’s trash can on the road. I would have grabbed a few more but I could only carry so many and hold the leash at the same time.

4. Try 52 New Recipes.

The Cinnamon Sweet Potato Bread, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup, Strawberry Scones and Tabbouleh {recipes coming soon!} were all delicious and I am having a blast cooking with my finds from the farmer’s market each week.

5. Keep My Grocery Budget Under $100 a Month.

Bahahaha! So far in May I have spent $268.24 on groceries. I know it will all even out by the end of the year, but still. Whoa Nelly that’s a lot.

6. Go on 52 Dates with the Handsome Husband 

We won’t be going on any dates this month, but we’ll catch up in June.

The HH had his Mohs surgery last week and to quote my husband “It was more intense than I thought it was going to be.”  Although I asked Monkey Boy {who went with him} to take a picture of the ear so I could see how much had been cut… he didn’t.

Apparently the appointment lasted 5 hours and the doctor had to go back 3 times {!!} to cut all the skin cancer out. From what I was able to gather from the HH, about 2″ of his helix {the top part of the ear that curls over} was cut away {OUCH}. They then had to do a skin graft {double ouch} to add some skin back on to the top of his ear. HOLY CATS. They sent him home with some pain killers and basically told him to keep his ear bandaged up for the next two weeks.

The HH has had a pretty good attitude about the whole thing {because really, what can you do?} and he said he thinks they even gave him an ear tuck {sadly on only one ear}. Ahhh life. You never know what it’s going to throw at you.

7. Turn My Wool Stash into $5,000.

I won’t be adding any new inventory to my Etsy or Ebay “shops” for a few months {it’s a slow time of year for selling hooked rugs} but my hands are definitely busy hooking away on new projects that I’ll offer up for sale in the fall.

In April I sold $29.99
In March I sold $799.53
In February I sold $1077.27
In January I sold $1563.92

8. Get Rid of 1,000 Things. 

I have nothing to get rid of here. And it feels good!

9. Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.

I meant to go to the local library to get a card so I could check out some books but I’ve been so busy working on house projects I haven’t had the chance. Bad Mavis!

10. Track Hours Spent Working on My Vegetable Garden and do a Cost Analysis at the End of the Year. 

I picked up a set of sweet potato slips at the local greenhouse and transplanted them {they’ll bounce back, don’t worry} in the raised garden bed. This is my first time planting sweet potatoes and I figure if all I get is 3 pounds of sweet potatoes it will have been worth the trouble {but of course I’m hoping for MORE!}.

I also spent a lot of time weeding and pruning shrubs and will need to make a trip to the local landfill to drop off all my clippings because I think there is a burn ban going on. I am hoping to be finished up by the end of this week. We’ll see.

So far this year I have harvested 6 pound 13 ounces of fresh veggies from our backyard. I spent $23.90 at the greenhouse.

Time spent working on Vegetable Garden in 2016: 10 hours 45 minutes.

11. 52 House Projects in 52 Weeks.

This past week I finished painting the dining room table and chairs. Although I am still on the lookout for 1 more used chair {under $5!} I am really happy with the way this room is turning out. Even happier because everything in the room {with the exception of the rug I brought from our Washington house} was bought second hand. Paint is the cheapest decorating tool on the planet I tell you.

12. Make all Birthday and Christmas Gifts This Year or Acquire Them for Free.

Nothing new to report this week.

How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2016? How are they coming along?

~Mavis

Read About My 2016 Goals HERE.