I went back and read my resolutions from last year and BOY WAS I OPTIMISTIC. Thanks 2020! In retrospect, compared to a lot of other people, we did just fine in the year that ruined everything for everyone. So I’ll just be thankful for that.
2020’s Resolutions and How I Did:
I challenged myself to read 30 books for the year and I read 40. To be fair, I knew 30 was something that could easily be accomplished but I just didn’t want the pressure of not reaching an unreasonable goal.
My main goal was to spend the least amount possible on books and to work on the ones I already owned. I read 30 books that I owned and bought 17. Technically, that makes me successful. I spent $41.59 of my own money on books for the year and $20 from an Amazon giftcard. Not too shabby!
Read more non-fiction. I read 6 books in that genre which is up from the 2 I think I read the previous year.
I borrowed 7 books between Ignited Moth and my little cousin and checked out ZERO books from the library.
The one bookish goal I did not accomplish was building a bookshelf. That’s two years in a row that I failed that one.
2021 Bookish Resolutions:
Continue working on my current stock at home. Since the world is still on fire, the motivation for this will probably be easy.
Spend as little as possible on books. I’ve got other goals that require money and a giant stock of books at home so I feel like this is a no-brainer.
Mood read the entire year. I’ve been so much happier since doing this that I need to make it a priority.
THIRD YEARS THE CHARM RIGHT??! Build a bookshelf. :3
2021 Non-Bookish Resolutions:
Continue to pay down credit cards. (We did pretty good at this in 2020 since we weren’t going anywhere.)
Invest money in new clothes. Clothes are not something we spend a lot of money on and we could both use some upgrades, so this is to be the year that we clean out and restock our wardrobes.
What resolution are you MOST excited to tackle in 2021?
cupcakesandmachetes 
The only resolution I ever make is to not make resolutions, ’cause at least I can keep that one! lol. š
This is valid! lol
Our goal for ’21 is to pay down Mrs B’s student loans. That’s been a real monkey on our back for our whole married life and we’re getting really tired of it.
Fantastic goal! I wish you guys plenty of success! š
Thanks. It is looking like a real possibility, as long as nothing majorly bad happens (like a car dying, or a big appliance, etc, you know, life š )
Freaking cars and appliances. They always fail at the least convenient time. Fingers crossed that that doesn’t happen to you guys!
Good luck on your goals for 2021. For me, I’m going to just try to read a bit more (not chasing 100 games finished in a year should help with that).
That’s an excellent goal! I can barely get through one game let alone 100 lol.
My husband and I are fortunate that we were never furloughed or laid off, so because we can’t go anywhere, we’re making money in this stupid pandemic. I hope you don’t read this as flaunting, but more an observation about what you said: that you’re not spending as much money. I was kind of blown away by how much we apparently blow on….what? I have no idea. Eating out? I will say that I haven’t been to visit my family in Michigan in 9 months, and seeing them costs, too.
Why don’t you want to use the library? Is it that you’re trying to tackle your personal pile? I know from working in a library that we really, really need people to use the library to justify keeping staff, staying open, tax dollars, etc.
Okay well that was a perspective on the library that I wasn’t even considering. There was no particular reason that I wasn’t using it other than it was closed for so long. I will admit that the library in my town leaves much to be desired after having an excellent one in my previous town. Maybe I’ll consider getting back in there though as I certainly don’t want anyone losing their jobs or them closing down altogether. D:
I didn’t read that as bragging at all! We were lucky enough to keep working too. Admittedly, the stimulus checks helped us pay down our credit cards. I have no regrets about that. I will say that I am fully burnt out though. People are such assholes anymore.
We never went out a crazy amount to eat but we’ve definitely saved money there too. Plus, not traveling and not going to concerts, it’s kept a lot more money in our pockets.
I remember you telling me that you got a lot of aggressive people at the pharmacy. The day it was announced everything was going to get shut, I had to go to the pharmacy because I was legit low on medications. The line was WILD. I can see how people would be quick to anger, though that doesn’t excuse it.
Yeah it wasn’t even so much the panic of getting their meds that was the problem, though there was plenty of that. It’s just the random unimportant things that people get pissed off about, so you’re not even prepared for their bullshit. And gradually, people have just lost any type of kindness they might have once possessed. I get that everyone is angry. I’m angry. But I’m not crapping on people’s days and making things worse. It’s making me reconsider my career in pharmacy.
I wonder if what you’re describing is similar to what I experience in the library. Basically, I hear a long, angry tale about someone who is awful to the person speaking, how bad things have become, how they have lost everything, and btw, can I print out some divorce forms.
I can at least relate to all of those above and be empathic. More of what I am dealing with is snide comments, flat out rude remarks and sometimes, straight up rage. And the attitude that people in are your own personal servants has gotten really out of control. I probably say to myself, “Would you like me to wipe your ass for you too?” at least 3 times a day. =/
Well, to be fair I think we were all optimistic going into 2020. The year looked at us all and laughed at our plans.
I hope you have a fantastic 2021!
Haha, you’re right there. š
I hope yours is fantastic as well!
I’m working on my year end wrap up posts right now, and I don’t even want to think about how much I spent on books. I told myself not to buy any more because we’re moving, yet the moment I got an Amazon gift card I lost my damn mind, oh well.
Okay well, if I got another Amazon gift care I would be 100% where you’re at lol. I’ve been feeling like going on a wild book purchasing spree and keep telling myself to reign it in!
DO IT (fyi I’m a terrible influence lol). Whenever my BFF is like, “Should I buy-” I’m like do it. I don’t care what it is. Time is irrelevant, money is a myth, and we’re all gonna die.
Haha! I mean those are all very good arguments. š And I did, kind of. I bought a new release ebook. It was only $6.99 so I don’t feel too bad about it. š
If I see an eBook for $2.99 or under and I like it I pretty much talk myself into it. What I love is when an author has the first book in the series for $0.99 then they up the price on the next. It’s actually really clever marketing because you hook them for cheap them you raise the price. It’s like drugs!
True story! Specifically in the UF genre, I get annoyed when they don’t do that. There are usually SO many books in a UF series that I don’t always want to invest full price to try one out.
This is why I’m all about the library. I wish there were more eBook options, because sometimes I just want to start NOW.
Excellent resolutions, my dear! š I just finished that GRRM werewolf novella I was telling you about and have decided I want to focus on finishing a lot of the books I’ve started but never finished (which is many lol) but we’ll see how that goes. I’m with you on embracing my inner mood reader! š
You just have to! My mood reading and I are getting along fabulously right now haha. That’s an excellent resolution. I know you get distracted easily. š
Haha that I do! š