i'm back!

This has officially been one of the busiest summers of my life. First off, starting a new job means that you're just busy busy busy playing catch up / pretending you know what you're doing. And that is for me, just exhausting.

On top of that though, Chris and I bought a new house! I know, I know, it certainly goes against the theme of the blog. But, after being given our notice by our current landlord (he needs the space - we were well behaved!) we decided to look into it.

check out the happy new home owners!

For us it came down to location - where to buy that wouldn't be too much house (and mortgage) for us, but would have a good resale potential should anything go wrong.

We found that in a small-ish 900sq foot townhouse in liberty village here in Toronto. The best part is we got it for a price we were very comfortable with and we can take our time making it our own over the next couple of years before we move on. Prepare yourselves for even more DIY and thrifty alternatives as we are even more dedicated to saving money - funny how a mortgage does that to you!

furniture revival continued

as you know i recently started buying, fixing up and reselling furniture. as a general rule, i focus on brass pieces. both because they're really beautiful and not that much work on the clean up.

here are a couple of my pieces - and be sure to click through to take a look in more detail.

Well, as a next step, I started finding that I was gravitating towards bigger furniture pieces, like this awesome settee:

But, it's not the most modern looking - and I thought, it can't be that difficult to recover it. Only, i have no skills in this department at all. meaning - it was time to find a course to invest in. and one that doesn't cost much money given the goal of the year. unfortunately that means the class is in Etobicoke, but its a third of the price of downtown! furtherly unfortunate, is that i'm on a wait list! but when it happens, and when i turn the above, into the below - i will be that much closer to my goal of no debt in 2013.

clean mexican night

i love Chipotle bowls - they are so delicious, but eating out is bad for two reasons with my changed lifestyle. 1) the bowls aren't clean - while delicious they are a "cheat night" event. 2) i shouldn't be eating out and spending that money - not when i can recreate something really quite similar at home.

and so, we put together mexican night! i recreated the Chipotle bowls, while my boyfriend created a burrito from the same ingredients.

Ingredients

- 1/2 an onion, chopped

- 1 red pepper, chopped

- 1lb stewing beef

- 1 tbsp cumin

- 1 tbsp chili powder

- 1 tbsp onion powder

- 4-5 garlic cloves

- 1 can black beans 

- 1 cup brown rice

- 1/2 cup chopped spinach

- Greek yogurt, salsa (no sugar added) and shredded (light) cheese for toppings

Recipe

- Heat up the olive oil, and fry the onion and red peppers until the onions start to brown and the red peppers soften

- Add the beef and spices to the onion and pepper mix

- Cook for about 5 more minutes, until the beef is cooked

At that point assemble the bowl or burrito, depending on what you'd like. And add your toppings.

it was a really nice break from the usual dinners of salmon or chicken and a healthier alternative to what i would have eaten out! let me know how it turns out for you. 

garden show groupon

i unsubscribed from groupons to prevent the urge to spend money, but i re-subscribe to one or two. i know i shouldn't have, but i really missed the emails in the morning! 

i am though being really strong, and haven't bought any up until one came through for the National Home Show. It was a two for one coupon, and was heavily promoted by Bryan Baeumler. and i am a HUGE fan of HGTV and specifically Bryan.

so, i bought it. and i planned on going with my parents and boyfriend on the friday that Bryan was going to be there. planning fail 1 - turns out i misread the calendar, and not until i was on the way to the show did i notice that in fact, it wasn't until the next week he'd be there.

i shook off the disappointment though, and headed in. planning fail 2 - my boyfriend was working a little late, and the ticket was for 2 person admittance, at the same time. luckily on this one, the security guard was really understanding and let us in separately.

we first of all tackled "Canada Blooms" which was a large room of individual floral and garden displays. i don't have a garden, but i did once work for a greenhouse, so i have great appreciation for flowers and gardens - it was great, some really beautiful things. my only true complaint was that it wasn't big enough and there weren't a ton of deals on flowers - which i was hoping for. take a look at some of the displays.

There were tulips everywhere, and in really great colour combinations. i love this tulip bed - it screams spring!

In addition to tulip, pussy willows were also everywhere. 

a really eye catching garden display - certainly beats a gnome!

not quite flowers, but these succulents still managed to be the most beautiful thing i saw at the show.

once we were done with Canada Blooms, we moved on to the actual home show. and i have to say i was really disappointed! i went with the wrong expectations, i definitely thought there would be more decorative and furniture stands - given we're not doing a big reno, i didn't find a ton that was helpful to me. 

the one thing though that i did find, and that i'm really excited about was Casalife. it's a furniture store in Liberty Village here in Toronto, and they have amazing stuff - what caught my eye at the show was a sputnik chandelier. but, for my budget friendly ears, i was the most excited when she told me of their upcoming warehouse sale. it takes place April 4 - 7 out on Brown's Line - and keep your eyes peeled here as we get closer to the date.

overall, i would have been disappointed if i had paid full price. but, it was a really great (relatively) cheap Friday night out and I had a good time.

hair disaster! DIY solution.

so my hair is FRIED. which i can only blame on over bleaching and use of heat stylers, pretty constantly. unfortunately as a reflection, my hair is falling out all over the place - well not falling out so much as snapping off.

which means i'm pretty desperate to find a solution before i lose all my hair. insert a DIY hair mask, with ingredients i had in my kitchen. oil is a great moisturizer and will help my dry and fried hair. egg has protein which when your hair is over processed it is in great need of.

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

4 tables spoons of olive oil

Saran wrap

Mix the ingredients together, it will turn a light yellow and look a little fluffy when complete.

Once it's all mixed up, and ready to go, apply the mixture to dry hair, making sure to focus on the roots.  once all the mixture is in the hair, put your hair up in a top knot. i was really surprised, but the mixture doesn't drip and doesn't make the hair overly wet, nor sticky. it's actually a really perfect consistency for a hair mask.

once your hair is in a top knot, wrap your hair in saran wrap and leave on for 15 - 30 minutes.

 i left mine in for 30 minutes. when it was time to rinse it out, it was a little solid in my hair. easy to get out with a quick shampoo and conditioner to give the hair a little more moisture.

overall, the next morning i don't find it to be a miracle cure, but it is a little less awful - which given the state of my hair, is a great development! on the plus side, not being able to dye my hair will certainly help save me money in the long run.

let me know how it works for you - i certainly am curious to know how it works if you're not starting from such an awful place with your hair!

bye bye bar cart

ok, so i wasn't lying before when i said i had ignited a love affair with kijiji. and, after this morning, it has only got stronger. why you ask? and what could this possibly have to do with becoming debt free?

well, i love to vintage shop - spending a weekend antiquing is my idea of a good time, but i don't have the money or space to keep it all right now. so, i've opened an etsy store to resell my finds. check out Orange Cats Vintage.

as you'll see, i love brass pieces, i think they just add so much character and charm to a room. and my biggest sale to date was a recently purchased brass bar cart, that i cleaned up a little and resold for double what i paid for it! it's really interesting how when staged and with a little dusting how much better a product looks and how much more someone is willing to pay for it. it helps people to imagine what the piece could look like in their home.

the money i make from reselling these pieces will go to the debt, and make me that much closer to paying it off in its entirety.

here is the piece, once i had cleaned it up a little - the problem was saying goodbye in the end!

saving a BUNCH of money

alright, so bad pun should probably be ignored. but, the lesson is still a good one. i love flowers, especially tulips, and while they may be seen as an unnecessary expense, they make me happy and fighting your way out of debt can't be all sacrifices!

so, enter my solution - split up a bouquet to make several bouquets for a couple rooms in your house. i buy my flowers at Costco, and for $10 was able to fill four vases and brighten up two rooms.

you could probably add them to more rooms - but as you'll notice all flowers have to be up high where the little kitties won't eat them at my house!

in the kitchen, i filled three different size vases and they sit in the windowsill where they get great light and generally last at a minimum one week. what i especially love about this look is using old milk bottles gives the arrangements some character and a nice vintage feel.

for the bathroom, i used a vase i got for christmas which i wasn't convinced on when i opened it, but honestly couldn't love it any better at this point. the four individual flowers in their own vases really makes the bouquet fell larger than it is, and adds a nice bright touch to the washroom.

it's important to remember to keep some treats in your life - flowers once every two weeks, will not stop me from being out of debt by the end of the year, and they make me smile every time i see them!

sunday night dinner party

this evening, we invited my parents down for sunday dinner. tradition has to date dictated that we would go there and stay for a nice roast on sunday. well, time to shake tradition.

the immediate question was what to serve, that was both reasonably priced, but also clean and healthy. the answers came quite easily - and as always thanks to Pinterest.

for our afternoon snack, as we watched the golf, we pulled together what we already had in the house - this was the norm of what you would expect - leftover quinoa salad, veggies and hummus, and less expected, but most impressive, little tuna cucumber sandwiches. this appetizer is so simple, and delicious that everyone can't help but be impressed!

the main dish was more complicated - a Chicken Tetrazzini recipe from Clean Eating Magazine. I have copied the recipe below, with my few tweaks, but you can find the original here.

INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil cooking spray
3 cups whole-wheat pasta (rigatoni, penne, sedani)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
1 medium carrot, peeled, halved length-wise and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup low-fat greek yogurt
2 tbsp parsley
1 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (about 1/3 cup), divided
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 chicken breasts, torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup roughly chopped raw almonds, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly mist an 11-cup (2.6 L) casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside.
• Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions, drain, rinse under cold running water and drain again; set aside.   
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms, onion and carrot and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add salt and continue to cook, stirring, until mushrooms are golden brown and carrot has softened, about 4 minutes. Add broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer gently until carrot is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer three-quarters of broth and half of vegetable mixture to a blender and purée until smooth. (NOTE: Be sure to cover lid of blender with a kitchen towel and hold it securely while blending to avoid any hot mixture or steam from escaping.) Add greek yogurt, parsley, half of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and lemon juice and pulse blender until mixed. Return puréed mixture to skillet and toss with pasta and chicken. Transfer mixture to prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle remaining half of Parmigiano-Reggiano and almonds, if desired, over top. Bake until sauce is bubbling and top is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

i was REALLY impressed with this recipe - it tasted great, and we were able to pre-assemble before our guests arrive meaning we could actually enjoy their company when they were with us.

our dessert was a bit of a Pinterest inspired adventure. i'm always seeing posts for baked peaches and they look so good. i combined a few of those recipes for what i ended up making - and i couldn't help but wish we had made enough for seconds!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Medium sized, ripe peaches

1 tbsp honey, per half

1 tbsp of cinnamon for toping

1/4 cup of roughly chopped pecans

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees
• Cut the peaches in two, remove the pit
• Drizzle each with the honey, then sprinkle with cinnamon and pecans
• Cook for 10 minutes, until the peaches are soft

overall, the dinner party was a success and done on a budget! let me know if you try any of the recipes and how they work for you.

millionnaire on the couch

Long time no post, and truly no reason for that at all. At the beginning of this week, I started a new job. I now work from home, and while i'd be lying to say it's an easy transition, it certainly is revealing its benefits quite quickly. And, couldn't be more in line with my debt free in a year plan.

First of all, there is no such thing as forgetting your lunch at home, no reason to go out and buy lunch, and even better no trips to Starbucks. Take for example, the delicious yogurt parfait i made this week - a complete replica of what I was buying from Starbucks for $4.

It's easy and simple:

1/2 TBSP of Honey

Layer with 1/2 cup of 0% Greek Yogurt

Finally, top with 1/4 cup of Sugar Free granola

But, the biggest way I'm saving money, is by selling some of the old stuff I have, the stuff that has been doing nothing but gathering dust for the past 6 months. After having such good luck finding awesome stuff on Kijiji, that I'm trying the other way around.

So far I've had some bites, but in all fairness am only a couple hours in! Old nail polishes, an old mirror, and even my old Hunger Games hard cover Trliogy. 

Stay tuned for how it goes! Slow and steady on the way to millionnaire, not just debt free.

Getting my nails did

While manicures aren't a significant expense for me, they are a nice treat that I could easily recreate at home. And so, I did.

Step one, I went to the drugstore to buys more reasonably priced bottle of polish. I wanted a light grey, and Kit had the perfect colour. Only problem being Teresa's only one left and it had a broken lid. But, being in budget mode I asked to see if I could beta discount, and easily saved another 20%!

The manicure itself was easy to do as everything else I already owned from years of stocking stuffers.  And the manicure looks just like a professional one!

furniture saviour

as an extreme fan of pinterest, it goes without saying that i have a dream house in mine, with every room perfectly decorated in my mind.

tiny flaw? i both don't have a house, nor do i have the money to buy half the things i want. but, in my journey to being fiscally responsible, and as a result thinking outside of my comfort zone, i've found a solution: kijiji.

beyond looking for apartments, until 2 weeks ago it never would have crossed my mind to even look into kijiji. with my changed mentality though, when i kept seeing beautiful bar carts on pinterest, i took a chance and looked at kijiji. i can't tell you how pleasantly surprised i was, not only did I find a beautiful one, i bargained and brought the cost down an additional $20.

what do you think of my new bar cart? i think it has started a beautiful love affair with kijiji.

personal growth and perfect cat eye

hello all,

i was out sick yesterday, i say it's both the healthy eating and budget police catching up with me. i had a delicious burrito bowl sunday and paid the consequences by being horrifically ill for 24 hours.

now that i've shaken that off, time to update you on a very exciting development as a result of using the OCM. as mentioned castor oil is one of the ingredients in my new face wash (which is working fabulously still), and castor oil is known to encourage hair growth. well, i went out on saturday night and noticed a definitive difference in the length of my eyelashes. as a person who historically purchased every deal for mink eyelash extensions even the slightest amount of improvement is a HUGE deal.

it started with me finding a great video for idiot proof cat eyes, using tape as a guide. check it out here (also, how great is she?):

it's as easy as it looks, and while mine may not have been equally perfect to hers, I can't complain. 

Insert bad "cat eye" pun

i've always struggled with the eye flick, and know the frustration of perfecting the first eye to fail miserably on the second. for me at least, this completely avoided that issue. worth noting though that the angle you apply the tape is key, and i was really focused on getting that right. 

more importantly here though - check out how big my eyes look, and how full my eyelashes are. for a girl who was once told she didn't have enough eyelashes for full extension application, i can say this is a proud moment. 

gourmet dinner in

eating out is one of the easiest ways to unexpectedly spend a ton of money, and it's easy to justify too - you need to eat, and you're generally catching up with friends or family. plus, there is no denying, especially in toronto, that there are delicious options on every corner.

but, in the year of the budget, dinners out have to be fewer and further between. so, this weekend instead of going out for dinner i made a delicious, high end meal in. pinterest is amazing inspiration for someone like me, with minimal skills and limited imagination when it comes to food prep.

salmon was on the menu - after buying enough for 3 weeks in the most recent flyer sales excitement. i cook my salmon in a frying pan, and my "trick" is to fry all sides - not just top and bottom, to make sure it is crispy on the outside and just a little pink on the inside.

but, we have salmon often - and there wasn't anything really unique about it this week either. but, what was unique was our side - normally we have asparagus but this week, having recently had a great bocconcini salad at a restaurant, i was going to try that and pinterest helped me track down a recipe that i then added spinach to.

Recipe:

- 1 cup Bocconcini cocktail balls cut in half

- 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half

- 2-3 handfuls of spinach

- 1/2 cup olive oil, mix with 1-2 cloves of garlic and 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

mix all ingredients together in a bowl, and serve. my only warning is be careful with the garlic, we were happy to be spending the evening in isolation because our breath was mighty deadly. 

it turned out really delicious - by changing our side, we really took an average dinner and made it special. and better yet, saved us from dropping $75 on dinner for two in the city. 

deal site purging

every morning i wake up to 8 new emails, not one of them from a real person. every one one of them trying to convince me to buy 6 things each - all at an incredible deal.

while i may be a glutton for punishment, the temptation is getting a little too much - time to purge. the problem with these emails is that in a moment of weakness, things that you would never ever consider buying are suddenly such a good deal that you couldn't possibly pass it up. not to mention the urgency that is placed on the purchase when there is suddenly a countdown on the screen dictating when you need to act by. i have for the past two years been collecting deals for cupcakes and fake eyelashes - which is evidence in itself of my non-existence self-restraint or sense of logic when it comes to deals.

instead of simply unsubscribing to all, i've streamlined to receive 2 only, as a starting point - no new emails would just make me feel unpopular. for now it is window shopping, but as soon as i've paid off my debt then a deal (having gone through a logic test) can be smart. 

strawberry teeth whitener

hello friends!

three days into the OCM and my face hasn't broken out! while i still can't relax and anticipate that a massive reaction may still be in my future, i do have more confidence in this DIY beauty - and soft skin to boot!

and so, i continue the quest to save money through DIY products. next up? tooth whitener. 

i am a huge sucker for any and every marketing ploy and product out there that offers me whiter teeth. in fact, before christmas, i was very seriously considering getting my teeth professionally whitened. but, in the interest of being on a budget, i instead turn to my trusty friend Pinterest. and the potentials were endless - turns out a lot of people were having the same thought - how do i get white teeth without the big price tag.

the base for all "recipes" was baking soda, which as we know from the face scrub, i have. the specific one that caught my eye though used a strawberry. turns out the strawberry will bring the stains to the service, i'm not sure how that works but sounds like a plan - and at least it would hide the taste of the baking soda. 

- 1 strawberry, medium sized

- 1 tbsp baking soda

I brushed on with a toothbrush, and left for 2 minutes. i couldn't go past 2 minutes as the taste was AWFUL - so turns out i was wrong about hiding the taste. I spent the next 3 minutes brushing it around my teeth. which still didn't make the taste enjoyable, but was at least bearable.

the results were positive, my teeth feel silky and smooth - they are maybe a touch lighter, though certainly are brighter. which, for one application i can't complain about.

before/during/after (top to bottom)

I say, give it a try - most likely you already have the ingredients laying around the house, doing this once a week may not be the highlight but it certainly isn't difficult or time consuming! 

DIY Facewash / scrub

This week, super inconveniently for someone on a strict budget, I ran out of my face moisturizer and scrub. As I was scanning Sephora to restock, I had a thought - was there a simple DIY method to replace both of these for less?

And so the search began. The scrub was easy, within moments I had a recipe for a simple and gentle scrub - baking soda and water. Things that cost me nothing as they were already sitting in my pantry.

The recipe is straight forward:

- 3 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon water

Mix together, and rub on your face for a couple moments, then rinse.

I found that the mix didn't feel like a scrub at all, I will actually try a little more baking soda next time. Once off though, my skin felt smooth but a little dry - it's something I'll try again though I'm not instantly convinced this is a true solution for me.

The more difficult search was a new DIY face moisturizer. Olive oil was the solution I was being offered by the Pinterest community - but with a little more research I found that a lot of people were breaking out after a few days as a result. My skin is combination, and while generally it is clear, I have a history of being prone to breakouts - I was too scared to try the olive oil approach.

I kept looking, and then I came across castor oil, and the "Oil Cleansing Method" . Years of oil free facial washes, moisturizer and a wide variety of cosmetics had me initially shaking my head. But, I couldn't argue with the logic - your skin needs natural oils, and when you strip them out your body is forced to over compensate with oils which ends in an oily face and breakouts. I also couldn't argue with online reviews - people who suffered from mild to severe acne were writing rave reviews. Castor oil is the secret here - with anti-inflammatory and healing properties, it helps to heal the skin and prevent further breakouts. Mixed with olive oil, with the same pH level as the skin, and moisturizing properties - you have a great face wash for moisturizing the skin without breaking out.

While terrified of breaking out, I couldn't help but at least try. Castor oil cost me $6 at a health food store, and the EVOO I already had in the cabinet. Again, the recipe is simple:

- 1.5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed)
- 2.5 teaspoons castor oil (cold pressed)
- Face cloth

** for dry skin 3:1 EVOO/Castor oil, for oily skin 1:3. 

Mix ingredients together and massage onto the skin. Once applied to the skin, run a face cloth under hot water, and apply for one minute (until the cloth starts feeling cold). Then rinse.

My skin instantly felt dewy, and glowed. I can't help but feel paranoid that I'm going to wake up in the morning with skin that has broken out from the oil - but so far so good, my skin feels amazing. I'll be sure to update you in the morning - but if this does end well, then the benefits extend beyond soft, clear skin - castor oil and EVOO are great for anti-aging.

Stay tuned for an update on both fronts.

Extreme couponer - training wheels edition

In third year university I went grocery shopping. And in the interest of being a starving student, I bought nothing but the cheapest of everything.

We'll call that an eye opening experience - half I couldn't eat, half I wouldn't eat. And so I returned to buying a little less of the more expensive stuff. Now though, older and wiser and a healthier eater it is time to find a solution to grocery costs that doesn't require me to give up quality all together.

Insert flyers, which in all honesty have been gathering on my front porch in a pile for about two months, and so they will continue to gather - as I'm doing this the digital way.

Insert FlyerFlo another app for my iPad that pulls in all my local stores' flyers and helps me quickly and easily review them all before heading out. The simplicity of this eliminates every excuse I had in the past of not liking newsprint, not having them all, etc. the only thing that would make the app better would be for it to generate a grocery list based on what I'm looking to buy.

But now, list in hand I'll head out tomorrow for my shop, and be sure to update on the multiple store grocery shop and whether it is worth it, or if saving a couple bucks isn't worth the hassle.

New year, new (green) you

I start every morning with a green smoothie. I know a lot of people's reactions to them are at best negative. But, I promise they taste delicious and are so good for you. I've eaten them for breakfast for just shy of a year.

The wall of fatigue that I used to hit around 3pm at work - you know the wall, where you debate the acceptability of napping under your desk - is eliminated when eaten on a regular basis.

Which leads me to two points. The first, with getting in shape being such a big focus this time of year, be sure to add them to your diet, they jump start your day and metabolism and help get you to your healthy weight.

The second, while fruits and vegetables aren't the cheapest this time of year, starting the day right means eliminating the mid morning Starbucks break. Which can shave a good $5 off your daily spending,

Here's my recipe - it certainly isn't a science, the banana flavour is so strong it is hard to go wrong. Let me know if you have any suggestions for making it better!

Ingredients:
A handful of spinach (build this up over time as your body begins to crave it)
About half a frozen banana
Frozen cut up peaches or mangoes
A few cut strawberries
Water added as necessary to desired thickness

Mix together in a blender - we use the magic bullet - and enjoy! Case in point it is delicious? Even my cat Henry can't resist.

Mint-y fresh

I recently downloaded mint.com's app for the ipad, and it can be credited with nudging me in the right direction.

It's a great financial management app that I was able to connect my bank accounts and credit card to - and I mean all of them. The "joy" of having multiple accounts and credit cards is that you're able to hide, ignorance is bliss as they say, and several small debts never seem that big of a deal than one lump sum. And so, within moments of downloading the writing was on the wall.

The other nice feature of the app is that it tracks your bills and all fees that go against your account. Meaning monthly fees that normally get pulled from my account that I should be exempt for are suddenly very obviously on display. Step one in operation financial clean-up: learn about your accounts, review all debits and credits to your account, and talk to your bank about how to streamline so you're not paying for things you ought not.

I will be the first to admit I'm financially inept - merely speaking to the bank sets me on the verge of a panic attack. For those like me, and truly anyone who wants to track their money I would recommend this app. It's hard to hide from the reality when it's laid out on a platter for your review.

And so it begins

I never do New Years resolutions. I have always assumed they were nothing more than a fad - to lure you into an overpriced gym membership you wouldn't use past feb 3rd.

What changed? Well, eight weeks ago I started eating clean - no sugar, white flour, or processed foods and the surprising thing? It stuck. I feel better physically, emotionally and most importantly realize that I can stick with something.

So, In the interest of excess I have five resolutions.

1. Lose 5 pounds (seemed the easy place to start as a newbie to resolutions)
2. Bring less work home
3. Brush up on my French
4. Be more self sufficient
5. Be debt free by the end of 2013

And then I got to thinking, 4 and 5 are quite closely tied. I'm in debt as a reflection of spending too much money on pretty clothing, expensive cosmetics and eating out instead of focusing on paying off student loans. Time to refine, or establish, my DIY skills.

Thoroughout the year you'll see me struggle, whether its sewing, cooking or building, and hopefully at the end of this I have new skills and a much happier bank account.