2013: Onward and outward. I mean upward.

It's that time of year when every TV show, newspaper, magazine and blog does their year in review. Actually, that was probably in December, but I was busy, so I'm doing mine now. My plan to buy nothing new for 2012 (with exclusions, such as underwear and presents) was somewhat thwarted by the impending arrival, and then subsequent arrival, of one very small, very cute human being into our lives. I managed to buy a lot of the nursery furniture second hand, and was given a whole bunch of fantastic gadgets and toys by super-excited family and friends. Clothes haven't been a problem either, as people love to give you tiny outfits, both new and used, and anything I have bought has been from op shops. Okay, apart from a pair of leather shoes, a sleeping bag, some leg warmers (buy some if you have a baby! Surprisingly useful), a UV hoodie and an old man jumper. The Yoda beanie and the Rolling Stones Onesie were for Christmas, so didn't count..

Maternity clothes weren't too hard to buy second hand; I just went up a few sizes in dresses and tops. I bought a couple of things new, like jeans, work pants and a work shirt, which are a pain to find in op shops, and a growing belly waits for no op-shopper. I must admit, the wheels did fall off toward the end of the year. Can I blame being over tired? Or sick of being at home? I did buy some cushions from Target, as I'm not wild about buying home furnishings second hand unless I can wash them. Plus, they were on sale and purdee. Ahem.

We also bought a brand spanking new fridge this year, our first ever! This, fortunately, was on the exclusion list. And a massive bargain. I think we deserve props for that.

I F-A-I-L-E-D at not buying any new books, which is ridiculous, given how little time I spend reading. Bloody bookdepository.com and their reasonable prices and free shipping! I didn't go nuts, but given I wasn't supposed to buy ANY books, even from op shops, I didn't do very well.

I've bought some other junk (hi there, awesome cookie stamps and crappy cutting boards), but I'll spare you the details. Suffice to say, breast feeding may be free, but it still has a cost thanks to sleep deprivation and catchoftheday.com.

So what's on the agenda for 2013? How can I improve, and ensure I really don't buy anything new for a year? Well, I have a few tricks up my sleeve..

1) We're on our first budget since we were students, so, you know, no surplus cash to blow. I mean, I could spend our bills money on shoes, but I'm not sure how that would go. "Honey, why don't the lights work? Wait. Can I hear high heels?". I'm pretty sure in the light of day the line "Oh, these old things" wont cut it; apparently I get a certain look on my face when wearing new shoes.

2) I am going to make some of the presents we give. Not all, as we buy for about 50 people a year (excluding weddings, baby showers and work colleagues), and Martha Stewart I am not. But I'd like to make part of most gifts for Christmas. Now I just need to learn to bake, sew, knit and crochet as soon as possible so I can get cracking. Should be easy whilst looking after a baby, right...?

3) I am keeping track of what presents I buy for people. I start my present shopping early, but in the past, I have bought something for someone, forgotten about it, and bought them something else! Last Christmas, I used an app to keep track of what I bought for whom, for which occasion (xmas, bday, baby etc) and how much I spent. Budget not  blown for the first time.

4) I am turning our junk room into a workable study, complete with the doors of the uuug-leeee built ins painted with blackboard paint for writing craft supply lists and, an idea pinched from a smart lady I know, a present wish list where you write or put up a picture of what you want. No more guess work for us when someone calls and asks what to buy us.

5) Late last year I started to record my clothes. I'm not going to lie to you. I own a shit load of cardigans. I'm talking 30-odd. All different. That's kinda hard to believe. Actually, no it isn't. Anyway, the idea is, armed with this knowledge, I'll be less inclined to buy another cardigan. I'll let you know how it goes... *cough*

6) Rather than surfing my favourite online shops during the early morning feeds, I'm watching TED talks. Hopefully I will both save money on unnecessary purchases and learn something. I've also unsubscribed to a bunch of 'fire sale' websites and subscribed to a bunch of blogs by penny-pinching, home-schooling, Jesus-loving, cake-baking, crock-pot-using, present-making American moms.

7) Finally, and most importantly, I have to retrain my brain using the following mantras: "Do I need it?", "Can I use something I already have?", "Can I make it?", and "Pretty sure I already own six of those".

So there you have it. 2013 will be an improvement on last year. I'll be better at blogging about my bargains and near-misses this year, too, I promise! Feel free to berate me in the comments section when I fess up to buying something I shouldn't have. Cardigans, I'm looking at YOU.