A New Year ramble

I love this time of year. I really do enjoy the process of looking back over the year that’s gone and figuring out what I want to do differently and achieve in the next. I’m in a good place right now. This year I got married, I graduated and I’m working full time. I’m grateful for all of these things but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. I like my job but it isn’t what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. Whilst I’m grateful to have a job at all in the current economic climate I’m nervous of getting complacent. If I don’t move on I’ll get stuck in a rut and I’ll never find the courage to really have a go at my dream career. 

Anyone who has gotten married or done a degree knows that neither of these things come cheap! 2010 was the year of the debt for me. Between ill pets (damn you non paying insurance companies!), the honeymoon and the wedding we have accumulated more debt than I feel comfortable with (and that’s without even thinking about the mortgage!) We’ve made a good start at paying everything off but there is a lot left to do.

So here are my new years resolutions:

* End the year with no debt (apart from student loan and Mortgage, both of which I’ll be paying off until the end of time) and savings in the bank.

* Get my foot on the ladder of my chosen career.

You may have noticed down the page a little ticker with a countdown to Jan 1^st. That’s because I was on a no buy and do you know what? I stuck to it! I didn’t buy one single makeup item during the month of December! I received a few things for Christmas but not one penny of our money was spent. It was hard at first but by the third week I wasn’t even contemplating purchasing anything. My wish list could wall paper my flat but I’m in no hurry to buy anything from it. It’s worked so well that I’m continuing it for January! I will be allowed three items (two pencils from Cham Pale and the Sleek Molton Metals) but nothing else. Anyone care to join me and start 2011 off on the right foot? 

What are your new year’s resolutions? Do you ever keep to them or are you (like me) guilty of making the same ones every year with little success? Let me know/ link to your posts in the comments! Have a happy and safe new year to everyone. I hope 2011 brings you everything you wish for.