The obligatory Resolution post

Last year I made three resolutions...

1. Be eating 25% of food from garden by 2010
2. Use less water and electricity
3. Lose weight

Well, Its been a mixed result.

I cannot in all honesty claim to be eating 25% of our food consumption from the garden.  This has been due to me totally screwing up my planting and realising in August all the things I should've planted in April, not to mention war with snails, drought conditions, me being a girly wuss when it comes to killing caterpillars - I like butterflies, and no decent watering system.  

Still, I wanted to get the vege gardens established and my fruit trees planted, and I've achieved both of these. I've learned a lot and am going to leave the 25% goal in place for next year.

I can claim VICTORY in using less electricity.  I have electricity records going back to 2006 and our usage has been reduced significantly over this year.  We have dropped about 10 kilowatts a day which means we are using about 20% less electricity PER DAY. YAY us.  However, our electricity bills have not changed and we still spent about $2,200 in 2009, same as 2008 (in 2007 and 2006 we used more electricity but it cost us less, hmm).  I think the main savings are from using the air-conditioner a lot less, especially in winter, not using the spa at all and having one of our fridges switched off for part of the year.  I also got a slow cooker this year and I wonder if its constant use has contributed as well.

Water is not so easy - and I have records of our water use going back to 2004 (yes, tragic, I agree). 2006 was our Year of the Leaks and we used in excess of 1000 litres a day at some points during that year.  I know. Mindboggling.  Still things have improved since then. In previous years we've used 700+ litres a day during summer, dropping to 400 or so litres a day in winter. This year we have used about 600 litres a day with no seasonal change. This can be attributed solely to watering the garden I think.  We're spending about $800 a year and that hasn't changed in the last three years.

Its still far too much.  According to Sydney Water a three person house should be using around 450 litres a day and a four person house about 550 litres a day.  I see us as a 3.5 person house and the goal I am setting for next year is 500 litres a day. This year we're hoping to get water tanks and at the very least a water butt, so if that happens things should change significantly.  

Don't even ask about the diet.

So. To 2010.

Goals are...

1. Diet (oh stop yawning). In the last year I've gone from sitting on 78kgs to 84kgs. Neat huh? NOT. That cannot happen again.  2010 will be the year of me getting to 65kgs and I'll be doing weightwatchers. Watch this space for moaning about points.
2. Improve water use.
3. Reduce electricity use further
4. Remove chemicals from swimming pool (oh that's going to be so amusing, we want to turn it into a swimming pond with a natural filtration system)
5. 25% of food from garden
6. Start Masters degree (if I get in)
7. Write Boys of Summer and Fat Chance
8. Sleep, love, hug, holiday, smile, rest, blog.

:)