New Year Resolutions That Work

The best New Year Resolutions are ones that can be followed through on.  For this reason, the resolutions that work have an element of support built in.  In keeping with the theme of this blog, investment in self is the ultimate New Year resolution.

This means to learn a new skill.  How much money could you save over the course of a single week if you learned how to cook?  Browsing the web, it appears that the average cost per person of a home made meal is less than $3.  You can't even get a meal at McDonald's for that price.

You can teach yourself how to cook by reading.  Take a trip to the library or download cookbooks onto your e-reader.  Set a goal of learning how to make 1 new thing each week.  Cooking is little more than following directions!

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The people who work at the grocery store can help you identify things, from cuts of meat to produce.  Ask someone you know to help you learn to cook, or take a professional cooking class if you need assistance.  It will give you a chance to find out if other people like your creations as much as you do!

Another class you might want to resolve to sign up for is sewing.  If there is not already a sewing machine in your house, they are inexpensive to purchase and last a long, long time.  My first sewing machine is almost 30 years old and still going strong.

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How many pieces of clothing have you ended up throwing out due to a split seam or missing button?  Save on the costs of buying new by mending things yourself!  Get involved in the upcycle craze of taking thrift store finds and turning them into something brand new!

Another skill you can add is gardening.  No matter where you live, there is a way to grow your own food.  From fresh herbs and spices to apple orchards to potatoes, there is an incredible amount of information on the web and in books to learn from.

Simon Howden

True story:  We lived in an apartment that had a skylight over the refrigerator.  We both loved green peppers, but they were quite expensive.  My husband hefted a large planter on the top of the refrigerator in which we had thrown some dried seeds from a green pepper.  Someone told us to throw egg shells in the pot, which we did as we used eggs.  We made sure the planter got water, and ended up with a plant that reached to the skylight.  It produced about 2 peppers a week year round!

Other skills you may want to learn are auto maintenance or carpentry.  Why spend $40 or so on an oil change when you can do it yourself for less than half that amount?  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the U.S., carpenters start at $11.96/hour and go up from there!

The trick to learning a new skill is to have an interest in it.  The "how hard can it be?" attitude needs to be replaced with an "I can do this" one.  Short on cash?  Ask a friend or family member who knows how to do what you want to learn for help. Go to your local library for books and to see what your local community offers.  There are no shortage of resources for personal education. Resolve to spend an hour a week learning something new.