Inblognito: Blogging Undercover

When I was little, I had a Christmas wish list a mile long, and would usually get a few things on it from Santa. Even then I was quite practical. I never asked for the impossible, such as ponies or other pets. However, as I got older I got even more astute and narrowed the list down to ensure I got everything on it. That way my most favoured items were clear to ‘Santa’. (BTW I got a stocking from Santa till I was oh… 23? 24?). When times were tougher as a young adult, birthdays and Christmas were a time to stock up on essentials: mostly clothes I needed (literally needed, not just the latest item I wanted). I also got my 2 new CDs a year that way, one for each occasion from my brother. My mum still expects a list each year (makes things easy for her and we get what we want), however it’s harder and harder to put the list together. Now that I’ve finished my degree and have a good job and no real financial responsibilities, if I need or want something I just go to the store and get it. I usually request a couple of books that have recently come out (I’m not big on purchasing books for myself, as I figure why spend $20-30 when I can go to the library?) and my annual Pooh calendar for the following year. Sometimes I put in requests for CDs and DVDs from my brother (who,  by the way, still owes me a stove top coffee pot from my birthday! Hoping to collect that this weekend when I go home). Last year I focused on some kitchen items I wanted, and even after getting those (which was all I really wanted and expected), mum (and dad, though he’s involved in the payment side of things more than the gift selection!)  surprised me with a voucher for more homeware, as well as a few other little gifts. So far this year I have no idea what I’ll request, but I will have to start thinking on that soon.

For this task however, I’m going to focus on three wishes that I hope will come true for me next year. The catch? I am the only one who can grant myself these wishes (if only it were much easier!). Nonetheless, here they are:

• With all my studies out of the way now, I’m looking forward to having more time to focus on me, my weight and health primarily. I have found a fantastic resource in the book Potatoes not Prozac and have started another blog to track progress (I will reveal the URL soon). With a few family health issues and scares in the past few months, it’s a wake up call for me too, as these things may also be in store for me one day, especially if I continue to live the way I do, carrying all the extra weight and being addicted to sugar.
• After a year of playing financial catch up, and another 18 months or more pretending I have unlimited resources, next year is the year to reign in my spending and up my savings. My goal is for an overseas trip around September/October 2011. I would also like to plan better for the little expenses in between, like all the domestic travelling I do. I book flights on my Visa all the time for various things, without thinking about how and when I’m actually going to pay for them, so I’ve started a little holiday fund to cover those trips  as well. It means I can pay for the flights as soon as they’re booked, leaving my Visa dent free.
• I would like to be free of my major debt, my loan from studying. That is not something that can be achieved in 2010 alone, but I want to start working toward paying it off sooner, by paying more than the minimum repayments. I’ve already started by increasing my payments a little each pay day, and would like to increase it a little more every so often. There is now a bonus scheme for added incentive too, where every $100 extra I pay off, it will be matched by another $10 reduction in the total loan balance.