Things to Do in January

Things to do in January focuses on tasks to Do, Grow, and Buy. This monthly series shares info, to-do’s, and motivators keep us on track to having a wonderful and productive 12 months!

Do

• Make goals or resolutions. Or do like I do and decide on a word or words that I want to define my upcoming year. This year I am choosing momentum and trajectory.
  • If you do plan to set goals or make resolutions, make sure they are SMART goals:
    • Specific
    • Measurable
    • Achievable
    • Realistic
    • Timely
• Get organized! January is a time for renewal, and getting organized can help you start your year off on the right foot. These posts may help you get motivated to start your purge of the extraneous: Eight Easy Tips for Organizing Any Project, Pantry Organizing, Easy Linen Closet Organization, Small Bathroom Organization, Kitchen Cabinet Organization, and (for fun) Lego Dresser Drawer Organizer.
• Create a budget. Use free software, old-fashioned pen, and paper, apps, or a company like Budget Boss to get your finances in order. There is freedom in knowing where your money goes and being intentional about how you spend and save.
• Set up auto-savings. This post has more in-depth info on our various accounts and saving practices. We use Capital One (it used to be ING Direct) as an online money market account. We look at bigger expenditures for the year (Christmas, property taxes, life insurance, and funding our emergency fund) and look at the total we’ll spend/save for each. I divide the amount by 24 (number of paychecks our family earns each year) and then set up an auto-savings to be withdrawn from our checking account and deposited into the appropriate account.
  • EX: if your Christmas expenditures for last year totaled $500 and you get paid bi-monthly ($500/24), you would set up a transfer for $20.84 twice a month. The mini deposits throughout the year seem pretty painless, but they can quickly add up. I just transferred our Christmas budget back to my checking account and will be paying off the Amazon bill tomorrow.
• Resolve to green your home and cleaning! Simple, sustainable, and affordable cleaning products are easy to make with items from your (newly organized) pantry. Surface spray, laundry detergent, dusting spray, and bathroom scrub can all be made for pennies. Ditch the chemicals and try homemade.
• Commit to DIY some health and beauty items for yourself, family, and friends this year. Products like deodorant, chapstick, and lotion bars are all easy to make, they work, and contain ingredients you can pronounce.
• Try some healthy foods/dishes that may be new to you. The key to learning to love new ingredients is to make sure you eat them in delicious ways. Scared of kale? Well, what about if it is indistinguishable in the form of a Chocolate and Peanut Butter Smoothie? Quinoa not your jam? Don’t even know how to pronounce quinoa (keen-whaa)? How about trying it with some cocoa powder and hazelnut extract and making yourself some Nutella Breakfast Quinoa in the Instant Pot? And no, my solution to eating new foods is not to always add chocolate. 🙂 Try this Zesty Quinoa with loads of Asian flavors and tons of veggies. Lentils are full of protein, sustainable, and absolutely delicious, especially in Lentil Soup (Instant Pot, slow cooker, and stovetop instructions included).
• Move your damn body! Get up and walk. Or run. Or dance. Find some exercise that inspires you to get up and move.

Grow

• Seeds! Well, not quite yet. For most people, it is still too early to start seeds, but now is a great time to start doing your research and planning your garden. Seed companies are starting to send out their catalogs now. They know you’re cooped up and under a blanket and want to think of spring. Interested in starting a garden this year? Check out this post on homemade seed tape, this one on seed starting, this post on up-potting seedlings, and this one on hardening off your seedlings. If you’re planning to grow peas, beans, or cucumbers this year, this post on DIY garden trellises may interest you.
• Your mind! Put down the TV remote and pick up some books (hardcopy, library, kindle, audio!) or start listening to informative podcasts (my favorites are listed here, here, and here).

Buy

• Fitness equipment, gym memberships, and anything health related. January is the month that fitness retailers live for, and their excitement leads to great deals and opportunities. If you are looking for a small way to start working towards healthier living, I highly recommend a fitness tracker. I have a FitBit Alta and love it.
• Winter clothes and outerwear. Retailers are ready for spring and want all the cozy and warm clothes gone! They don’t want you to think about fleece-lined leggings (heaven) while you’re trying on a swimming suit (not fun in the middle of winter). Deep discounts and clearance racks abound on anything designed to keep you from freezing.
• Christmas and holiday decorations. Stores want this decor off their shelves so they can focus on Valentine’s day and spring gardening. Finding 50-90% off sales is common.
• Organization and storage gear. Everyone wants a clean slate in January and stores are all too happy to help you put your stuff into adorable plastic boxes at a discount.
• Televisions and furniture. Retailers want you to be ready for the Super Bowl, and they want you to have everything new, new, new! If you’re in the market already, now is a great time to take advantage of the sales.

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