GG step 5

**Sara Noel** · 01-02-2004, 09:46 PM

Create a start and deadline for your goals. This will prevent procrastination and will help you stay committed and to help others to support your goals. You are starting something and working toward something.

I'm starting now and have a deadline of spring to see the utility bill decrease. I will be holding my self accountable monthly on many of my goals.

My deadline on my veggie garden is having it started early spring to late summer. Mini deadline of February and no later than early March for seeds.

Canning deadline when food is harvested. Deadline to get canning supplies by April to be prepared.

Savings deadline by Halloween this year with mini monthly deadlines to see where I am at.

Loan paid off before Halloween. Monthly accountability on progress on either saving or paying extra.

Pantry increase by Halloween. Accountability each time I shop to stay aware of adding extra for the pantry/freezer. Stockpile when I can.

Grocery savings deadline each month doing better than the last, so I'll do a monthly deadline.

Mini objectives....read read read on topics that support my goals.
Share information with others that have similar goals.

No deadline for decreasing negativity. I just would like to say this time next year that I had accomplished my own personal goals of not getting trapped or sucked into doom and gloom or getting worked up over small stuff.

**Guest1** · 01-02-2004, 09:59 PM

~ declutter & organize ~ starting tomorrow! (no end date...)
~ spending issues ~ also starting tomorrow! (no end date...)
~ sewing/quilting ~ will have supplies restocked by mid-January...
....will have projects in the works by March for Christmas '04 gift-giving...
~ will pray & reflect tomorrow about which day of the week should be my "Keeping in Touch" day...
~ starting immediately with doing things that I enjoy!

**KKCondrey** · 01-02-2004, 10:03 PM

Eating healthy....today. Well tomorrow since I had Chinese for lunch and seafood for dinner (but the waitress gave me a free salad trip since we watied forever to get services.)

Saving Change....Start after vacation next week and TRY to do it for a year (or until I REALLY REALLY need it)

Stocking up....Everytime I am at the store and something is BOGO with the discount card I try (most are limit one, but the specials usually go for a week so that should be enough to stock up.)

Workout/get in better shape...ASAP the girls at work said they would walk with me, even if all we did was go inside the mall (since our store is connected to it) and walk around it for 20 minutes).

**homesteadmamma** · 01-02-2004, 10:05 PM

~work at getting our debt (van & tax bill down as low as I can go in 2004) = this won't get fully done in 2004, but the more done, the quicker in 2005

~plant a veggie garden (I didn't do one last year and really missed it) = have seeds ordered by Feb. 15th to get my 20% discount. Can't say what date the garden will be planted, that goes according to weather. All finished by end of Sept.

~work at OAMC in order to get my grocery bill even lower hoping to have this started by Feb. 1st and be ongoing throughout the year in fine tuning it for our family

~finish quilting the quilt tops I have rather than continuing to make more want to have first quilt finished by Feb. 15th and then one each month following.

~finish the BOM 2004 quilt this is ongoing for 12 months

~learn to discern more what is truly important ongoing throughout 2004.

~write letters rather than short e-mails will be starting this Jan. 4th and ongoing each Sun. in 2004

~help make others feel good about themselves and show them I care by sending little notes, cards, etc. ongoing throughout the year

~lose 50 lbs. this was started Jan.01. Each week, want to have lost 1 lb. By Dec. 30th want to see 50 lbs. off

~work on excersising everyday. I just feel so much better when I do this will be started on Jan. 5th and ongoing through the year

~work at getting my b/p lower I'm hoping by April 1st, my b/p pills can be lowered. By June 30th, completely off them with doctor's approval

~decorate my home. Still haven't gotten it done since insulating it started Jan 2nd. Again, this will be ongoing at money allows. Would like to have my home completely finished by Sept. 30th

~work on negativity in my life too. this is an ongoing process. I too want to look back at the end of the year and say that I've changed in this area.

~keep positive in all areas again ongoing process. I want to be able to say at the end of 2004 that I've remained positive through each situation that arises in my life

Mini objectives: to read as much as I can on areas I'm working on. I also want to re-read on areas that are my passion, quilting, simple living & homesteading and sharing what I know with others.

First mini objective is to drink, drink, drink - WATER!!!!

**doodlebug** · 01-03-2004, 01:24 AM

Weight loss and being healthier~as soon as possible but realistically by June.

Save for vacation~save enough for NY by middle of May, save enough for Florida by December 1

Save for IRA~by first of December

Pay off last credit card~by April

Double or triple savings account~by December 31

Declutter and organize whole house~by February 1

Save money for washer and stove~washer by June, stove by December

Fix up attic~by end of May because then it gets too hot to work on it if it's not insulated

Freeze and can~by end of September

Remodel bathroom~by September

**lucy979** · 01-03-2004, 06:19 AM

~stockpiling......will work on it everytime I go to the store....ongoing

~decluttering...starting today.....have it done by June

~saving money....started on Jan 1......ongoing

~change jar.....keep going......will use it to help buy new furniture when we go back to the states in October....I'd like to have $300.

~tell family and friends how I feel.....starting today......ongoing

~do something for self......starting today.....ongoing

~being more positive......starting today.........ongoing

**SewCrafty** · 01-03-2004, 07:41 AM

~Loose 30 pounds
~Eat on a regular basis
~Eat healthier

All of these go hand in hand. I will start on them today and have a deadline of Dec 31st for the weight loss.

~Deep clean and declutter my home

My deadline for this will be late summer/August. I will have to start slowly as I don't have much energy yet, but I can sit and sort things out to get ready for the major cleaning that needs to be done. Jack has been great these last few months, but he doesn't clean or see what needs to be done like I do. Also he needs a break from all of this

~Get back to grocery shopping.

Dealine for this is today!!! I will check and see what we need, buy a paper today for the coupons, make a list and go shopping on Monday. Just me, no Jack! He can really sabotage the grocery bill!

~No more impluse buying

I have already started on this yesterday. We need a new computer, Jack wanted to go right out and get one but I am holding out until I do more reasearch. I want something that will grow with the times and still get a good deal.

~No computer till my work is done.

Okay, I'll have to start this one tomorrow.

As you can see I am on the computer early this morning. I know me, I have to do my cleaning in the morning or it just won't get done.

~Quit smoking

WOW, you ladies have no idea how hard this is going to be for me. I know you all think I must be crazy for not quitting while I had cancer and going through treatments. But even my doctor agreed with me, it wasn't the time. Too much stress and I was setting myself up for failure. I am going to start cutting back today. I will only smoke outside or in the kitchen (with the exhaust fan on) in inclement weather. I hope to have quit completely by April.

**heavensent_7** · 01-03-2004, 01:39 PM

Completely De-clutter, organize & Tidy house & belongings.

Starting Monday 5th January - finish 1st April and then maintain daily so it isn't on-going (if that makes sense?)

Menu Plan.

DONE 1st week - will add one thing at a time as I learn to cook.

Shop with List.

Sat 3rd Jan - Ongoing

Keep spending record, cut back where I can.

Friday 2nd Jan - Ongoing for 2004

Save for Disney 2005 -2006

Feb 2004 - Until we go

Pay off my debt to Mum.
ASAP - to finish by April (I hope)

Learn to cook.

6th Jan - ongoing

Keep up eBay for my own spending money.

6th Jan - ongoing until I can think of something easier or more to my taste

Get on with kids scrapbooks/memory things.

I'm not really into this for some reason Starting week of 11th Jan - ongoing for ages! overwhelmed already!

Learn to draw graphics.

11th Jan - July

Buy trailer tent trolley and get rid of garage.

ASAP - not sure yet

**AmyBoz** · 01-03-2004, 03:18 PM

-De-clutter and organize this entire house, top to bottom.
--- Garage sale is scheduled for May, dependent upon weather. I want to put aside a box a week of things to sell that are pre-priced, until I run out of things to put aside.

-I'm hoping that we are able to keep at least 1/2 of our savings account intact.
---This is I can check on monthly with weekly goals of seeing what we've spent that week.

-I want to reduce our grocery bill.
---I will monthly see how much we spend. The grocery challenge will help with this.

-I also need to really start making healthier meals for my family.
---This needs to be done each week, so every Sunday night, I need to know what I'll be cooking for the week. This will work because I grocery shop on Sunday morning, so I'll know what is in the house to cook with for the week.

-I really want to finish my novel before September.
--I want to finish at least a chapter a week, so it is a weekly deadline.

-In the spring, I want to be sure to play outside with Julia and the baby every day for some period of time.
--When the nice weather comes, I will get on top of this goal. I can't do anything until it's nice out.

**Mom23boys** · 01-03-2004, 08:25 PM

~Cut grocery bill even lower:
starting immediately and will join the monthly grocery challenge to help me stay focused.

~learn OAMC:
ongoing process

~pay down our debt:
starting this month and continuing for 18 months. I figured that is when the other 2 vehicles will be paid for with an increase in payment.

~declutter and reorganize:
starting this month and continuing until each room is done. I will be doing one room a month.

~replace carpet in living room, hall and Chris and Dakota's room (repaint too!):
this will be a summer project. I will not begin until summer vacation and will finish before school starts.

~make more time for myself:
ongoing process....a daily goal

**guest2** · 01-04-2004, 12:46 AM

~keep the food budget at $200 a month or lower-Ongoing and currently in progress
~plant a bigger garden this year-plan it out this winter and get it in the cold crops as soon as the last frost has past, rotate crops through
~preserve more of the harvest-when harvest comes in
~make my own jams-when harvest comes in
~paint the walls in the living room-schedule a time this Spring with Jim
~replace carpet in the living room, dining room and hall-the weekend after Jim paints the walls
~pay off some credit cards-ongoing
~deposit money into our savings account on a regular basis-sart this month with $60
~exercise!-tomorrow and ongoing
~do a few things just for me!-already started and ongoing

**melina123** · 01-04-2004, 11:16 AM

~decultter started yestaurday and should end by march
~goal for living below our means and starting to see agreesive savings by june
~not to spend eccessive money on pay day starts feburary
~learn to cook starts feb

**MJsLady** · 01-04-2004, 12:41 PM

Lose weight
Begin Jan 5th.
exercise daily at least 6 times a week
Begin Jan 5th
find ways to supplement our income from home
Looking as we speak
declutter and reorganize my home
Plan to be done by May 16th
make my home easier to manage
same as above
Plant a veggie garden and preserve the results
Begin by Feb 10th
be more dilligent with my search for a church home
Begin next Sunday, Jan 11th
be more devoted to my daily bible study and prayer time
Begin Jan 5th
add to my list of accomplished homemaking skills
Begining now.

**MANDERS** · 01-05-2004, 01:11 AM

Diet and excercise lifestyle change starting today.My wieght loss goal for July 1st

spend more time with kids and dh starts today no end

See my family more actually started dec.20th when we went for a surprise visit to see my dad.no end

put on new gutters,start saving hmm this friday Jan 9th.Finish goal by March 1st

Put in new doors start saving Jan9 finish goal by Aug 1

Teach Lauren to read allready started and its never ending

Potty training cannon starting Jan 15th really there is no ending in this one,it just happens

Start saving account(really christmas fund) On Jan 9th goal end thanksgiving.

**Karla** · 01-05-2004, 03:22 AM

Stocking pantry...menu & meal planning...weekly and ongoing.
Walking...the 5th, and at least 5days a week.
Work on paying off cc...reg payments and extra monthly...this wont be paid off this year but I do want to see a big dent in it....also take away dh's card.
Work on utilities..hang up more and use the dryer less...I have 2 drying racks and can do this by spreading out laundry doing some daily.
Savings will start 1/5 and be worked at weekly.
Declutter kitchen, with in 30 days ....declutter my closet..and bedroom by April.