December Goals!

Working retail during the holidays is rough. The hours are insane, there are so many unhealthy temptations just lying around, and with tons of social commitments, sleep is definitely not a priority. I want to take this month to keep myself healthy, mostly so that I can make it to the end of the year without being deathly ill.

|| one ||

Christmas Shopping (and budgeting) done by mid-month.

There is no reason to leave Christmas shopping to the last minute, and I certainly have enough people to shop for. I have a rough list already made, so I just need to budget out the gifts and actually buy them.

|| two ||

S T A Y  H E A L T H Y

Pretty self-explanatory. I plan on pre-planning my meals at work, and am in the process of joining a gym. If I can combine that with getting somewhat regular sleep (no less than 6 hours/night), then I should make it to December 31st unscathed.

|| three ||

Get aggressive on the Half-Marathon training.

This is no joke. I have my flights booked, and I really can't look like an idiot (ha, in my tutu) with two of my best friends probably way more prepared than I am. Hopefully goal two (joining that gym) will motivate me more to move my butt than getting outside in these frigid temperatures.

|| four ||

Enjoy the holidays.

For the last 3 years, work has taken the fun out of taking a step back and actually enjoying the Christmas season. I'm determined to not be a Scrooge this year. I want to be excited about baking cookies, decorating the house, watching Elf incessantly, spending time with my family, and wrapping gifts.

My November goals weren't so bad. Here's how I did with those...

|| one ||

Establish a Routine.

Eh. I have different routines based on which shift I work, but I have definitely been better about getting to bed at the same time each night, and waking up around the same time each morning. 

|| two ||

Read 3 books.

CHECK!

I finished "How to Eat a Cupcake," read "Catching Fire" for a 2nd time, and just finished "Divergent," also for the 2nd time. 

|| three ||

Save half of each paycheck.

CHECK!

I have double in my savings account than I did at the beginning of the month! Yay for being a smarter shopper!

|| four ||

Christmas shop early.

Well, I have a list, but I keep checking it and checking it and checking it before I commit to buying anything. There are just so many fun presents that I want to buy, and I have to decide what makes the most sense.

How did you do on your goals?

What goals do you have for December?

No Spend September.

I spend entirely too much money.

I buy my $5 Starbucks drink more than necessary. I get bored with my homemade lunch and go on stretches buying $7 Au Bon Pain sandwiches. I use work as an excuse to buy entirely too many clothes. I go to Target and buy everything BUT what is on my list. It all adds up pretty quickly.

With a move from the 'rents house inevitable within the next 6 months, I need to get my life together. I mean, I'm 25 years old. I need to control my spending on unnecessary things. I bring to you, No Spend September.

I've seen other bloggers participating in "No Shop September" but I think that my food/coffee buying trumps my shopping habits for sure. If I'm going to go all out, I might as well limit all spending!

| the rules and exceptions |

|| Coffee from HOME || There is no need to buy Starbucks multiple times per week. If an emergency occurs (falling asleep at work), I'll use the change in my wallet to buy an iced coffee. No more $5 lattes.

|| ONE outfit every other week for work || I can't completely cut off spending on clothes because my job does depend on me wearing the latest and greatest. Limiting my budget to $75 per outfit. That is way less than what I'm currently spending on clothes.

|| Window shopping only || Working in a mall, it is oh so tempting to pop into a different store each day on my break to see what the new items are. Working in an upscale mall, it is unfortunate that such stores include Tory Burch, Kate Spade, Brooks Brothers... We're not talking Forever 21. I like to get out of the store on my break, so I'll be sure to leave my wallet in my bag and just look.

And most importantly...
|| No Unnecessary Spending || I can do my own nails -- I don't need a mani/pedi every other week. When I go to Target, I only need to buy the essentials. Those books, those flats, and all those sports bras are really excessive.

| The Reward |
I will be putting all of the money that I would normally spend in a month in my savings account. I am really anxious to see what I spend on essentials every month. With the money that I'm going to be saving, I'll be able to start purchasing things for the (future) new apartment!

So.
No Spend September.
Who is with me!?