We aren't that far off the end of the year now which to me is pretty scary as it doesn't seem like two minutes ago since we were celebrating the start of 2022. It has certainly been a busy year that has flown by in the blink of an eye and I have realised that I am not on track for hitting a lot of the goals I set myself for the year but I honestly aren't too bothered as I know I have been working hard and working towards the goals and it is factors I can't control that is holding them up. One goal that is going well though is my goal shop savings, the most important goal money wise I have set myself. This is a goal that has no time frame but is important as it means once I hit my goal weight/size I will actually have plenty of money to restock my wardrobe that fit me correctly and suit my style, rather than me just buying cheap and buying twice. I definitely have a lot more saved up already then I thought I would have and to be honest I am proud of myself for that as my general savings haven't gone too well due to life being busy and us needing to do jobs around the house, I still have managed to put aside for the goal shop though. 

I am proud of myself for managing to save as much as I have so far as I have done this without restricting myself too much. I have allowed myself to buy clothing as and when I have needed it plus I have treated myself to a fair few items I didn't need but I really liked the look of. This has helped keep my wardrobe looking refreshed each season but I haven't gone as overboard as I would have done previously. I have also picked up a lot of football shirts this year but I have kept within my budget for them and haven't restricted myself as I know the ones I am buying will actually fit me for quite a while as even if they are on the baggier side I don't mind as I often need to layer up on them. 

There is still a long time until I am going to be hitting my goal so I have plenty of time to keep saving but from now on I am going to try my best to save even more whilst still enjoying myself as I know if I just reigned it in for a few areas I could lose more weight, still enjoy myself and even end up seeing my saving accounts grow a whole lot more. I am really hopeful that even with what I have coming up I can get the goal shop saving to increase even if it isn't going to be a priority for a month or so. We are converting our garage into a gym so that is going to cost a fair bit plus we have some more jobs to save for next year so for the next few months I might try focus on them and just add a small amount into my goal saving each month but even just a little bit is better than nothing at all in the grand scheme of things and those big jobs are going to be one off costs. 

I know I have fallen off track a slight bit with my savings but life should be quietening down a bit more now and with that happening and the football seasons starting back up I won't have time for shopping which should help me save even more in the long run and fingers crossed it should really help me get back on track and get those savings account and goals looking a lot healthier even if I am taking out of the general savings for those big jobs. I am wanting to consistently put a good amount into each savings each month now as it is time I started being even better with money and got the things done that need doing.

I have sat and created myself a new budget to stick to and I am now using a budget binder with specific categories to help me manage my money a whole lot better. I am hoping that by doing this I will create some better habits that I can stick to more often and help me grow my savings, add to my goal shop but still enjoy life. It will also help me stop from buying things I am never going to wear or use which is a big downfall of mine and I want to stop this as I know it is having a negative impact on the environment and also my mental health as I can't cope with the amount of clutter and overflowing of my wardrobe and it needs to be stopped once and for all. 

I am also planning on saving more by taking stock of what I have and what I need, this should stop me wasting more and also stop me getting overwhelmed with the clutter and excess items that I really don't need. At the start of each season I will go through and check what could do with replacing or what is missing, create a list of these items then only buying off that list. I might allow myself the occasional treat every now and then if I see something I really like but honestly I am going to make sure I do really like it before making the purchase. Fingers crossed having a seasonal list will be really beneficial and I can curate my perfect wardrobe with this whilst saving money. 

As it stands in terms of my goal shop savings I could hit my target amount by the end of next year but I know I still won't be at the size I wish then so will have time to add to it so I think I might re-evaluate the target at the end of this year and up it to challenge myself a bit more. I am determined to improve all my savings accounts in the long run though so it is time to get cracking and smashing the goals so I can get the wardrobe I want and also get the jobs done I have wanted to do for a while. It is time to get sat down with the budget and create those new habits to help this savings journey.