Well 2008 has come and gone, and for many of us it was not the best year to remember. Over 1 million Americans lost their jobs as the economy faulter, including myself and my girlfriend. But as times get harder we have to remember that things don't stay bad forever. As we march into 2009 with a new president in Febuary promising change, I just thought it might be time to make some changes myself. So here are my 2009 New Year's Resolutions:
2009 No More Fast Food
If the establishment has a drive thru window, then I will not dine there this year. Millions of Americans eat fast food every day, because it is fast and easy. The food they sell in these restaurants are full of everything that make people fat. Although this might be convenient for people to get on their way to or from work or school, it definately is not good for you. My resolution last year was to not eat at McDonalds or Taco Bell, because during the year of 2007 I spent over $2000 just at those two establishments. I did pretty good, but faultered around the 8th month. I spent under $50 between the two in 2008, and this year I'm cutting all fast food out completely. Not only is it healthier to make food at home, it is also cheaper.
2009 Cheaper Entertainment
Going out to the movies with your significant other or friends may be fun, but these days you need to take out a small loan to see a movie. Last time I went to the movies it cost around $60 for 2 tickets, 2 drinks, 1 popcorn and a box of candy. For that kind of money you can wait a few months and purchase the special edition DVD, or Blue-Ray and still have $30 left over to spend on snacks at the grocery store. My resolution for 2009 is to keep the entertainment on the cheap. I'm going to continue using my NetFlixs account, but I am reducing it from the $16.99 to $8.99 version since I'm not utilizing it as much. I was getting 3 DVD's at a time but I always forget to return them, so now I am getting 1 at a time. They have thousands of movies to choose from that you can watch instantly over the internet. We also cancelled our Cable TV subscription for a faster internet connection. We never really watched the TV shows when they aired, we always DVRed them and watched them when we got around to it. Now most of your favorite TV shows are on the broadcaster's website or on hulu. So it only made sense to watch them there and save a few dollars in the process.
2009 No More MMORPGs
Last summer during the college break I decided to play the StarWars Galaxies MMO, and 6 months later I had 3 accounts and I was connected more hours than I can count. Although it was fun for a while, I was not accomplishing anything. It is easy to get sucked into games like SWG or WOW but at some time you have to realize there has to be better things you could be doing. So this year no more MMOs, instead I am going to play games that you only have to pay for once, and that do not include large on-line gathering of people. This can also go along with Cheaper Entertainment in 2009.
2009 Less Support to the Oil Industry
As we progressed through 2008 we watched gas prices soar to over $4.00 per gallon. For people who drive everyday to get to work or school, the prices have gone up but our wages have not. Now some car makers are pushing hybrids and electric cars, but with the bad economy not everyone can afford a new car. An affordable electric car can usually get you around 40 to 60 miles on a charge, but if your total commute is more than that, it is not a viable option. I still remember in highschool social studies class explaining that you should live close to where you work to be finacially stable. So in 2008 we moved 3 miles from the college I am attending. This saved me ton of money in gas since I had an old gas guzzling truck. Two month after moving I saved up enough money to sell the truck and buy a used 1999 Ford Contour with better gas miliage. So now I drive an average 30 miles a week, but I still live close enough to the university that I can bike there. So for 2009 I am going to get out and Ride my bicycle to school (Weather permitting). This will releave my wallet from the prices at the gas pump and also keep my heart and body healthy with some good old exercise.
2009 My Green Condo
In a world filled with gadgets, computers, cellphones, and other things that run on power we sure do use a lot of it. A lot of people don't realize how much we can make a difference just by turning off some lights or buy some low wattage engery saving light bulbs. Just before 2009 we replaced almost every light bulb in the condo with energy saving bulbs. In my condo we have electric heat so we turned down the heat in all the rooms we are not using. I used to be a person who would leave my computer running when I went out and forget to shut it off, now I'm making sure to turn off all electronics and lights before I leave, or if I am not using them. This can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of a year if you remember to do these things. I also installed an Inverter in my car so I can charge my gadgets from there while I drive to school, since I'm going to be using the car anyways might as well use its electricity. Last but not least we purchased a High Effiecency Washer and Dryer that use less electricity and water to wash our clothing.
I am fairly confident I will be able to stick to my resolutions for 2009. I am crossing my fingers with the rest of the country hoping that the new adminstration will help relieve, if not fix our country's woes. But we can't expect them to do everything for us. We all have to take part in what happens here. So everyone can make a difference, everyone of us can help make a change for 2009. So take a moment to think about how you can improve your life, or someone' else's around you. It can be something as simple as volunteering at a soup kitchen, or donating a few dollars to charity to help a needy family.
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