A New Start for a New Year

I don’t really bother with new year resolutions, but it is a good time to take stock and make a new start for the new year. Most of us are feeling the effects of the recession, so rather than moaning about our finances this is a good time to take action.

Take Control of Your Food Shopping:
By planning your shopping in advance and buying the supermarket own brand products where possible you can avoid waste and cut your grocery bills significantly.

Take Control of Your Car Costs:
The cost of running your car makes a significant dent in your weekly budget, but a few simple adjustments will help you to reduce the cost of fuel for your car. Good planning and sensible driving can help you to reduce unnecessary journeys and avoid wasting fuel.

Give Your Time To Your Family:
In the long term your children will not remember the expensive gifts that you worked so hard to provide. They will remember time spent with you doing simple things like cooking, playing in the park or going to the library. Your family need your time and attention, family time doesn’t have to be expensive there are lots of things that you can do as a family that cost very little.

Be Content With What You Have:
In recent years we have got used to spending more than we have and always being able to have what we wanted when we wanted it. Our grandparents and great grandparents lived their lives very differently and there is a lot we can learn from their example. Like them we must learn to live within our means, to take care of the things we have and not waste anything. It will help us, but it will also help the planet if we learn to live more sustainably.

Don’t Be Too Proud to Accept Advice:
Don’t overlook the wisdom of those who have lived a little longer than you, you may have heard it all before but take a little time to consider their advice. Your Grandmother’s sayings may have taken their place in family folk law, but remember that her generation lived through the hardest of times, so there may be a lot that you can learn from her example of independence and determination.

Finally, Wish You A Happy & Prosperous New Year 2010 to all of you!!!

With Love,
~SA