Okay, it's about time for the annual weighing in of old and the making of new goals.

( Goals for 2008 )


MY GOALS FOR 2009

This year, I plan on giving my wanderlust a little rest. Instead, I want to get some skill, lifestyle, attitude and material upgrades:

• Take JLPT 3/4. (This has been on my list for years!)


• Write at least three short stories.


• Not be more than 30 minutes late every month.


• Have 23% or lower body fat.


• Write a novel.


• Play bass in front of an audience (family does not count, but recitals or small private functions with friends do).


• Buy a car. Or a house.


• Get a new computer.


• Improve my self-confidence. (I don't know how to measure this. Maybe I'll have to list down the number of times I put myself down per day, and see if it decreases by the end of the year?)


• Volunteer for a cause.


• Make at least one new human friend.


• Upload at least 12 new songs at the Karaoke Box (currently at 68 songs).


• Start a topic-exclusive blog, or add standard weekly content on my LJ.

Ganbarimasu!

With the world's economy down in the dumps and the threat of a recession looming on people's minds, every one of us would do well to tighten our belts a little (or a lot). It doesn't matter if our current income or savings could still support our frivolities or not. With the way things are going, nobody can really tell how stable any given enterprise/resource is (whether it's our jobs/salaries, the banks, our investments, even the effective value of our cash at hand).

Here are a few things I have recently changed/done to help cut cost:

1. I set my alarm to go off 10 minutes earlier so I won't have to take a cab to work. Yes, this means I now wake up at 3:35am instead of quarter to four.

2. I pack morning and afternoon snacks instead of buying them from convenience stores. Actually, this gives me another bonus: I'm able to eat much healthier, since I tend to pack fruits and whole grain sandwiches instead of cholesterol-laden convenience store fare like hotdogs and chips.

3. I buy my fruits at the SM Supermarket fruit sale area. They're great if you eat them within one or two days. Plus, I really prefer ripe fruit, anyway. They're much sweeter. (I wish they'd have a veggie sale area, too.)

4. I haven't bought any new clothes/shoes/bags for one month. I'm trying to go for 2 months. Let's see if I can resist. :)

5. I haven't bought any of the tech items I've been wanting to get, which are: a digicam, a Sony mp3 player, a new PC, a MagicSing, a DSLite, and a guitar controller. I figured I'd get one of these if (or when) I get a raise. And then maybe another one when I reach my goal fat percent. Otherwise, I'll hold off until the economy is more stable. Or maybe not get them at all (because who really needs all these things?!).

6. I've been staying home during the weekends, unless there is a reason to go out. No more malling just because I'm bored/hot/hungry.


I'm curious to know what the rest of my flist are doing during these lean times. Any tips and ideas that you would like to share? :)