2012 frugal resolutions?

[MRAHoffman]

I've been mia for a while, but have been thinking of everyone here. It's December 1 and I'm trying to get a plan in order to do better "frugally"...what are YOU resolving to be more frugal about in 2012?

[many houseapes]

I'm going to try not to purchase anymore craft supplies & use up what I have now. If I run out of sewing supplies for the family's clothing, I will use any craft store gift cards....if I get any for Christmas

[brennasmom]

I am going to *try* to stick to my grocery budget. I want to be accountable.

[oheoh's momma]

I have no savings and want to pay cash for a new used car this year would like to achieve 1 or both. so that is my goal........

[Debbie-cat]

I want to get super organized financially in 2012. I have already put together binders, plastic folders (for reciepts), spreadsheets ect together and plan on beginning January 1st.

My Dh is THE worst with money, so I'M taking control!!!

[dcompton]

I want to continue to try to keep a lid on hobby spending and books. I'm sure there will be outbreaks and splurges now and then, but I have enough and need to work through more of the stash.

I would like to build up more on hand savings again, but it will be hard. I'm not willing to reduce my retirement contributions which are substantial, and my expenses have gone up a fair amount from about the middle of this year, but with no more money coming in, it's a squeeze. I'm sure all of you know all about that. So I'll just try to control costs as much as I can across the board.

I've started using the You Need a Budget budgeting program and I'm finding it an efficient, easy to use management tool. Working with that I hope to be more conscious of spending in some areas than I sometimes have been in the past. I've used it for two months now - by Jan 1, I should have my setup refined enough to really work for me.

[fernykins]

I want to take one day at a time and try to find something to smile about
Fern

[jacqueline]

im with debbie-cat. i need to get control of my finances and be organized. i haven't prepared like she has yet, but definitely on my december to-do list. i used to keep all my bills in binders and am going to do that again (so much better than them laying in piles)

[Momto5RN]

make no new debt
pay off 5000 of current debt ( over and beyond regular payments due)

declutter basement and attic area .

planning out ways to do next years christmas with less out of pocket expenses while still having what we see as our families norm for the holiiday ( continue earning GC year round - sell some stuff as i fid it in basement ad attic put money into christmas fund etc )

lose 10 lbs

[nuisance26]

~For the first time ever I don't have any specific financial goals for 2012 besides what we're already doing.
We're most likely moving to Colorado in July so my goals all seem to be about simplifying and being organized.
I'll have to get back to this thread when I think of some specific $ goals.~

[Rhiamon]

My goal is to stick to my budget 99% of the time, and to figure out ways to get a little extra money.

[peanut]

There will be a lot of financial goals for us in 2012. I just have to knuckle down and figure them out. I'd like to do what one poster suggested in a thread of mine and cut our expenses in half. I don't know how we can do that though. But I'm going to try. I desperately want a new kitchen. We need a new fence. And we have a wedding on the other side of the country to go to. There's got to be a way to do it all. Thankfully the wedding is in summer. I'm thinking camping across the country might not be a bad idea. Except we'd need to fork over for a tent. But that's not a bad idea. It's a lot cheaper than hotels for four nights there and four nights back!

[frugal.lass]

*thread hijack*

Peanut, don't fork over money for a tent until you're sure there's nobody you can borrow one from! I've become very good at "putting the word out" when I'm going to need something for a short period of time or when I need a replacement for something. My friends and family have a habit of replacing something with a newer version but hanging onto the old one "just in case" and as far as borrowing, I've been pretty lucky so far that the people in my life have no issues lending things to me (but I'm very careful with their possessions so that the lending relationship doesn't sour!)

Let family members, friends, coworkers and fellow church members (if you're a church-goer that is) know and someone's likely to have one they can lend you for the trip. You could even check at local equipment outfitting shops and see if they rent tents, it might be a better option if you can't find one to borrow and aren't likely to need one on a regular basis.

*thread hijack over*

[krbshappy71]

~For the first time ever I don't have any specific financial goals for 2012 besides what we're already doing.
We're most likely moving to Colorado in July so my goals all seem to be about simplifying and being organized.
I'll have to get back to this thread when I think of some specific $ goals.~

Hey Nuisance we are switching areas, I'm in CO and moving to Delaware in June! ha! People in, people out.

First goal will be to stick to this snowball that is supposed to get rid of another credit card by May. I am determined to have one less credit card before I move. Then I will be down to 1 left out of 4, yay! It is possible according to my budget spreadsheet, just can't stray from that.

Second goal, not to ring up more credit card debt due to the excitement of moving: eating out, buying stuff on credit for new house, going out to the movies and dating stuff due to excitement of being local finally, basically I want to enjoy the move but not use that as an excuse to dig a huge hole again in my finances.

Third goal: To resist bailing out the younger daughter that I am leaving behind. She is 18 yrs and still be living in the old house. I'm paying the mortgage and HOA but it will be very difficult for me not to send her money if she calls up saying the power got shut off, ha! She has got to learn, whether she is at the old house or if she moved like most teens do to her own apartment she has got to learn to pay bills.

Wish me luck!

[Ponderer]

I will be planting my first full vegetable garden with canning, freezing, storing etc. in mind.

I will be canceling my Visa card as soon as it is paid off (which might still happen in 2011).

I will create no new debt and will be debt free, other than the house, by 12/12/12!!!!