I vow to:
Go on vacation this year and plan early to get the best deals. My kids are still writing about the last family vacation we took—in 2009 to Glacier National Park in Montana--in their school essays--about how they hiked 35 miles in a week because they had to and how dad almost got rammed by a big horn sheep. But that’s so three years ago. Clearly, they need some new material. So I’m going to start planning our summer vacation in January to lock in the best rates. Sorry kids—Mom likes to walk so hiking will likely still be part of the deal.
Not shop at the pricey (yet convenient) neighborhood grocery store. Sorry Peter’s Market, but we’re breaking up. I just can’t afford you. Even if I’m buying just a couple things, it all adds up, as my home-ec-major mom likes to say. So I’m going to try, try to buy everything for the week at the value-minded, though less convenient major supermarket down the road and buy more sale items (with coupons) from the store’s weekly sales circular. With a little more organization, such as mapping out meals ahead of time, I think I can do it.
Make more stealth (kid-free) trips to the less convenient major supermarket down the road. Somehow, when my persuasive 11-year-old daughter, Amelia, goes grocery shopping with me, I always find myself saying yes to breakfast toaster pastries and marshmallowy cereal, the sort of splurgy kid food that just negates any savings you’ve scored by buying sale items and using coupons. I notice that when Amelia’s not shopping with me, none of that stuff finds its way into the cart and nobody misses it. So I’m going to try to do more Amelia-free grocery shopping this year or just mom-up and learn to say “No” (finally).
What about you? What’s on your shopping resolution list for 2013?
