New (Financial) Year Resolutions

If you’re a frequent reader of our blog, you might have picked up a minimalist vibe. Or at least a wanna-be-minimalist vibe.

I like plain, simple, effective. I don’t do lots of 'stuff'. In fact, my favourite part about cleaning the house is that I always find something I haven’t used in months that I can guiltlessly chuck.

Seeing as I’m so hopeless at keeping new year resolutions, I’ve decided I’ll make some new financial year resolutions and see if I’m any better at keeping those.

They relate to money and stuff, so I’m hoping they’ll be easier to keep than swearing off chocolate. Here is my short, hopefully doable, list of new financial year resolutions!

1. Do not purchase ANYTHING with the credit card. If I cannot afford it NOW, I cannot afford it at all.
2. Reassess my attitude towards and definition of key terms, including ‘need’ and ‘want’.
3. For my birthday, accept only phone calls, good company and good food.
4. Choose 4 months in the next 12 and set them aside as months to purchase consumables only. (Note to self: Make sure one of them is not September)
5. Before purchasing non-consumable products, make the item pass a 3 question test:
   
   a. Do I need this now?
   b. Will I use this in the future?
   c. Do I actually need this at all?

Birthday presents and immediate necessities (like gumboots, because mine leak and I need gumboots around the farm) are things which would fall into category a. A dress for an upcoming event is something that might fit into category b, but it must first pass the burning question of category c. A quick look through my closet will reveal that c is actually going to be a pretty hard question to satisfy. Which is fine. That’s why it’s there.

Will you join me in setting some new financial year resolutions? What will you do?

© Oz Baby Trends 2012