It’s really convenient that New Years follows Christmas. During the Christmas season, generally-speaking people are just in a better mood. While that mood gets tested heavily in airports, people overall are kinder. They hold doors open for each other. They tip waiters. They say “hello” and are filled with “holiday cheer”. It’s like they’re showing their best sides–like a month-long first-date.
New Years, on the other hand, forces us to analyze our own faults. To realize that we have room for improvement. To hold ourselves accountable. And even if resolutions don’t last longer than a few weeks, for at least a few weeks of your life you actively try to be a better self.
On that, though…it’s a bit challenging to come up with “a” resolution when you already have a 30-before-30 list, and are working on a 40-before-40 list. That’s basically a set of 70 resolutions. So, for my 2019 resolution…definitely have pushed boundaries (to the point where I haven’t actually figured out if this is mathematically possible). My goal?
Save $10,000 by June 30.
Go big or go home, right? Again, I have no clue if this is actually possible–it may actually not be possible (which means it’s gonna be a BLAST watching me try).
Still, to accomplish this goal, I’ll actually have to attempt quite a few “typical” New Years resolutions. I’ve briefly mentioned my budget last year in Pittsburgh–living in a cheap place, which expensively forced me to eat out daily. Now I’m in a slightly more expensive place, but I can at least eat in.
The only thing is I need to actually do that more often.
Realistically, I treat myself 3-4 times a week to the coffee shop on campus (which is $2.50-5.50 a visit, depending upon whether or not I also get food). I like to unwind with alcohol, which is typically what leads me to eat out for dinner (Pennsylvania does not sell even beer or wine in grocery stores…something my European colleagues have mentioned is beyond insane. The only other place besides a restaurant to get alcohol is a state-run liquor store–ka-ching.). So even though I don’t have to eat out, I still do about 2 times a week.
Last is my addiction for fiction. Every time I have a break coming up, I order 3-6 books and I honestly get to 3-4 of them at best. The upside is that my parents and I now have our own private lending library, and it’s kinda cool that we can talk about books we’ve collectively read recently. But still…books are going up in price. Majorly. I got two books yesterday as a belated Christmas gift from my guy: the prices stamped on the backs were $26 and $17. So then I think about how between now and June I typically would buy myself 6-10 books, and how technically I have those “leftover” 0-3 books from all my previous breaks. I probably have enough on my own bookshelves right now to keep me entertained for the next six months.
Just with these three cutbacks of coffee, eating out, and buying books I’m saving at least $1200.
So again in this possibly unrealistic goal of saving $10,000 in six months I will also be forced to:
- Eat more breakfast/coffee at home
- Drink less
- Eat out less
- Read the books I already have instead of buying more
Not too shabby, right?
So as some unsolicited advice, I think we should all “go for it” in terms of making our New Years resolutions. To end with a cheesy quote of Norman Vincent Peale:
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it, you’ll land among the stars.
The Truly Educated Never Graduate 