We have reach the end of another month and it is time for me to look back at the goals I set and reflect on how I have done. I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but once again the month has disappeared! Thankfully I can report that it has been a productive one. So did I achieve my goals in September 2018?
My goals for September 2018 were as follows:
- Pay off my Halifax credit card
- Try out “no spend days”
- Have a clear out
- Grow my Etsy business
Pay off my Halifax credit card.
As of September 22nd 2018 (i.e. Saturday morning) my very first credit card is PAID OFF! I did it!! I’m so happy. The card that started it all for me, read more about it here, now has a balance of £0. I will be getting in touch with my bank today to close my account. There isn’t much more to say about this goal. I’m just very very happy.
Try out “no spend days”.
The idea of no spend days was completely new to me. No, it’s not a complicated concept. You aim to spend no money for a certain number of days in a month. I have just never been this specific with my spending. Normally I will just aim to keep out goings low. So how did I do? I have managed 18 no spend days so far, with seven days still to go. I’ll definitely be able to manage my goal of 20, so I’m really pleased!
My intention with this goal was to keep a close eye on my spends and see how much I was spending on the little things throughout that month that always add up far sooner than you expect. What I was expecting is the positive impact it would have. Several times throughout the month I questioned purchases before I made them, including a takeaway, an amazon shop and a trip to the shops for chocolate. This is a goal that I will definitely be continuing with!
Have a clear out.
This goal hasn’t been the most successful, but I have definitely made a start. The cupboard that I wanted to clear out was dominated by two spare duvets that we had purchased for Christmas time last year when family came to stay. I picked up two vacuum pack bags last week at the shops to store them in and now there is a lot more space in there for other things (read as piles of stuff/junk) and it looks a lot tidier too!
I pottered about for a bit tidying a few other boxes and put away our wrapping paper so it won’t fall on my head every time I open the door now (bane of anyone else’s life?). Progress has been made, but this is definitely something I will be putting some more effort into in the coming month.
Grow my Etsy business.
Whilst I am not yet raking in millions in profit (because that’s obviously a realistic one month goal) I have been spending a lot of time on my Etsy shop this month. Mostly behind the scenes, I’ve been working on improving my tags and titles and all the other details that make a huge difference to your SEO and traffic. I’ve also been spending a lot of time growing my Pinterest as after a few weeks of trialling it with my blog I’ve seen how quickly it can grow!
Sales are still low in my shop, with around four or five each month, but I know that with more hard work this will increase. My goal is to generate a good passive income from Etsy, to be put towards debt at first of course and then eventually saving and investing. If you have an Etsy shop yourself I’d love to hear any advice you have to share!
Although the month has gone by in a flash, it’s been a productive one. I’ve been able to clear the first of my debts and that in itself is something incredible to be celebrated. Next up, my second and last credit card. This one will take me a little bit longer than the first but I’m on a mission to clear it as quickly as possible. Onwards and upwards from here!
I’ll be setting my goals for October on the first of the month so keep an eye out for that post!
