Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Goals

This year I made a few goals for myself. They were personal goals that I don't think I've even mentioned them to Mario. They aren't really new years resolutions, however, they happen to have come to fruition around that time. Over all I wanted to waste less. This isn't some big "green" decision, it's more about saving money and actually using all the things that I buy.

My first goal was to not buy books for a year. The goal was to save money and read the million books I already own. This was quitting a hard addiction cold turkey. It started out rough. I've always read and read a lot. I feel like if I'm going to have an addiction, it might as well be reading. At least I am using my brain. However, I had a habit of going to target for toilet paper and coming home with four or five new books. It doesn't matter how many unread books I had, I'd keep buying more. I was wasting money. Second, I have lots of books sitting around taking up a lot of space in a very small apartment. Third, I have a beautiful library two blocks away that I have never stepped foot in. I know you book readers out there are thinking I'm either crazy or brave for trying. But don't make me a hero yet...my whole family are book readers. I knew that even if I don't buy books, when I visit them I'll come home with a bunch more. So while it was hard not to buy the band new book, I knew I could still score some books. I miss buying brand new books, but not too much. I've rediscovered books that I've had for a while and never read. I know that when this year is up that I'll continue with this goal for a while. I still have quite a few books to get through and I still haven't stepped foot in that library. I do know that when I actually do start buying new books again they will be fewer and farther between, and maybe a bit more special and exciting...at least that's what I tell myself.

My second goal was along the same lines. I have collected products. Under my sinks and in cabinets are cluttered with cleaning products, hair products, beauty products and lotions. I'm not sure when this happened. Maybe it's moving to such a small apartment, when it all was squished in here, I finally saw the amount of unused things I had. Well, I decided that before I can buy more, I need to use all these products I already have. This part of my goal has been more satisfying than I would have guessed. I have been making due with what I have and I'm actually seeing a decline in the amount of crap product around. Cleaning product I'm not into will surely be used up quick...I'm forever trying to make our shower look half good. The only problem is with more of the beauty things. You know when you decided to try some new little lotion or hair product, and when you get it home you realize it's shit. Well, under my new goal, I don't want to just throw these things away. Lotion too thin or thick, I can mix together and get a decent lotion. If I'm going to spend the money on this crap I'm going to have to use it. It definitely makes me think first about buying. I have also found the husband kind of useful in this, some things I can pawn off on him. Conditioner that I don't like...he'll use.

The last year that I have used these new goals has gone really well. The only problem I have really run into is when I ran out of shower gel. I got some for one of those deals at target where you get two bottles for a cheaper price. It smelled good and were a good price. Perfect. They were big bottles so I knew they'd last a while. I put one in the shower and one under the sink for later. The next day I got in the shower, squirted some in my hand and started reading on the bottle about the scrubbing beads in it. As I rubbed it on myself, I realized that I hate those scrubbing beads. Really really hate those damn beads. Why I had never realized this before I don't know. I mean I must have had some inkling or it was just dumb luck that I had avoided those little beads for so long, but now I have two huge bottles of this crap. After my shower I tried pawning it off on Mario...no he likes bar soap. Whatever, I'm pretty sure he'd been using my other shower gels! Of course I'm not just going to throw this stuff away. Damn my new goals! Now every time I use that shower gel, I think about how much I hate the beads and even worse, I know there's another bottle of it waiting for me under the sink.

2 comments:

  1. That is certainly a pickle you've gotten yourself in. Can you use it on Bob? I too try to use everything and only buy what's needed, but it's really difficult when my memory is totally shot. I've tried making lists, but ALWAYS leave them at home.

    My friends and I will trade stuff if it doesn't work out for us.

    I applaud you. I really do.

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  2. I can sympathize on the under the sink stuff. Ours in under the sink, in the medicine cabinet and in the hall closet. I have organized all of it into bins and thrown away stuff we don't or will never use. I have to go through it ever few months as it gets messed up.

    Great goals. Good job on keeping them up.

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