July Goals-All About No Expectations

It's already July 5th and I've delayed putting this post together, but I'm thinking of the stuff I want to get done this month, but knowing I don't have to accomplish anything. July goals are not a master task list, but rather a quality of life list, mixed in with a few fiscal challenges. With planning, they can be mutually inclusive. Even though I am setting no to low expectations, I'd like to make the most of the month in feeling more control over my life, because self control, for me, brings calm. I've broken out in focus areas, but there of course is overlap. The categories are arranged alphabetically, not in order of desire or importance. 

Financial

• Get the Household and Grocery (H&G) spending to $350 for July. This will be a stretch, DH already spent $65 on June 30, and I spent another $39 on Wednesday but with cutting out waste, and using stored foods from freezer and pantry, plus odds and ends of household and personal items, it is entirely doable. June was just really a high month and some good old fashion financial discipline is needed. 
• Limit entertainment spending to under $50 for the month. I'm a bit excited about this one as I think we can try and think outside the box and be much more creative without just succumbing to Netflix and Red Box movies at home, though those are not off the plan.  
• Limit the eating out/take out budget to $75 (This includes work lunches, but off the plan is the extra college trip, but I'll see if I can keep that low to trim the $175 estimate.)

Health and Wellness

• Take a morning walk, three times a week
• Besides pups evening walks, take an extended evening walk by the river or the trails park at least once per week
• Use the yoga videos at least twice per week
• Try a new vegan recipe with my daughters

Organization

• Purge at least one more bag of my clothes, two of DH's (his dresser and side of the closet have gotten out of control), two of DD2's clothes. Next month she really needs to get serious about what she will take with her, what she will leave behind, and what just needs to go. 
• Clean out car and trunk, vacuum (one station has free vacuums to use). Having  refreshed car will feel extra nice when exploring.

Self Awareness/Improvement/Focus

• Read a book for fun, beyond book club book
• Add final chapter rough draft to book
• Take 20 pictures for current or future blog posts

Social

• Play trivia at least twice.
• Try and get the faltering book club regrouped. Two of the ladies are pretty flaky, canceling at the last minute (but only once I've tried to confirm otherwise I bet they would have just been no shows) and my sister is just too busy managing a golf course with unreliable staff in the summer. 
• Host friends for a barbecue or drinks and appetizers instead of meeting them out.
• Go to at least the music venues for the towns annual festival. 

I feel like I should copy and paste this into text messages and send to myself periodically. July has already started out calmer than June ended, and I like where that could be going. This mid summer month has no pressures or expectations on any of us in the family. I'm looking forward to being a healthier person in mind, body, and spirit by August, but for me, a bit of goal setting will help..