Happy New Year! As we head into 2019, I have set myself several new years resolutions when it comes to my finances.
No new clothes
I first read about this concept on Instagram and I think it’s a great one. In 2019 I pledge to buy no new clothes. Charity shop shopping is fine, as is buying used clothes on eBay. But I won’t be the first owner of any clothes. This is an ethical decision as well as an financial one – I can highly recommend checking out Stacey Dooley’s documentary on fast fashion if you haven’t already. The best way to avoid temptation? Don’t even look. No visits to clothes shops or browsing ASOS for me.
Track all expenditure
I found in 2018 that recording our transactions really helped us to stick within our budget – I want to keep the momentum up throughout 2019 to ensure that we end the year with more money in the bank than we started with.
Indulge in free methods of self care
In the past, my ultimate idea of self care would be indulging in an online spending spree, or maybe booking an expensive hair appointment. This year however, I would like to explore free ways of indulging myself – I would love to get into meditation and watching yoga videos on YouTube.
Declutter my house
I have made great strides in decluttering my house in the last few months, but I still have a lot to do in 2019. This may not seem like a financial goal as such, but for me decluttering helps me financially in two ways: 1) I can sell items on eBay, Gumtree or my local Facebook selling page and 2) when I have a clutter-free house I have a sense of inner peace and I’m not tempted to drown out my anxiety by buying more things that I don’t need. For those reasons, I look forward to simplifying my possessions much more this year.
If you don’t want to sell your items, you can always get a storage unit. Self-storage units allow you to secure all of your items without them having to clutter your house. You can get self storage in Harrow, Kensington, Notting Hill — anywhere you live! Just make sure to choose the one that is nearest to your home.
Have you set any financial resolutions for the new year? I would love to hear them!