Year of Months….

So, I stumbled across this blogger during my attempt at the Reverb challenge I did last month. And, by stumbled across, I mean that I think she commented on my blog, and then I went to hers (as I do) to stalk her.

And she seemed cool.

AND, she did this thing. This year of months. Which, in her words, is:

Halfway through December, the idea of The Year Of Months started to form in my head. I think most people (myself included) want to expand their horizons, but don’t have the discipline to do it without setting concrete goals. I realized that a month was a good amount of time to stick to something new; it’s long enough to provide you with an experience but short enough in case you end up hating it.

Every month, I commit myself to a personal challenge designed to expand my horizons. The Year ended in October 2010, but I’ve decided to continue the challenges indefinitely.

That is awesome! I thought. And so, I am going for it. Some of my ideas I will steal from her, the rest are my own, or craftily mined from the internets.

So – what to do in January?

My goal is to not spend any money on anything that is not 1) a recurring expense; 2) necessary for my health & survival (i.e. doctor’s co-pays, eye doctor, etc., swim card); or 3) food and/or drink at grocery stores or planned events, such as brew review.

No shoes. No clothes. No books. No eBay. No random “oooh – I need this!” purchases. No lattes(!!!!!) or french fries or cookies at the cafeteria down stairs. No sweets. No Groupons. No random classes that sound interesting. No trips to Target or Home Depot.  No new bottles of gin. (I think my current supply of approximately eleventy-billion bottles of gin should get me into February. Of 2012.)

Due to a couple of purchases made on 1/1 (movie!) and 1/2 (Groupon!), I am starting today, and will continue through February 2.

So – that’s what’s going on this month.

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