A New Resolution

Happy New Year! While I still haven't wrapped my head around the fact that it is indeed 2011 -- I keep writing 2010 -- I'm excited about the new year. It's always such an optimistic time for me -- I love all the possibilities the next 12 months hold; what new experiences I'll have, personal discoveries I'll make, new places I'll see, things I'll learn. It's also very much a time of assessment and renewal -- did I do what I set out to do in the past year; what do I want to accomplish over the course of the next year; where do I need to make progress?

I know a lot of people scoff at the notion of resolutions. I love them. I suppose it's because I approach them differently. If it were just a matter of saying "I want to lose weight," then going to the gym for six weeks and no more, the resolution quickly forgotten, I would think them pointless too. But I love the word "resolve" -- it's such a good, strong verb that connotes a staunch determination in action. Rather than delude myself that I'll do something starting Jan. 1 and will continue to do so for the next 364 days, instead I make a wide list of quantifiable things I plan to do over the next year -- a goal sheet really -- and I give myself all year to do them.

There's something to be said for the increased self-awareness that comes from thinking about how you want to improve your life and then writing down what you need to do to make it happen. Last year, for example, one of my resolutions was to read more. I had looked back over what I had read in 2009, and horrified at how few books I actually had read, I planned to read at least two new books a month in 2010 (rereading old favorites didn't count). I figured it was a manageable goal; well, as it turns out, I actually read 40 new books last year, including devouring the Twilight Saga five times (although of course each book only counted once). So this year, I plan to read at least 48 new books. Roughly a book a week -- or four per month -- is a reasonable goal for me, and yes, I do read fast.

How does all this apply to a gluten-free lifestyle? Well, in a couple ways. Another resolution for me is to do a better job of meal-planning, while, at the same time, saving more money.

I'm trying to get into using coupons when I go grocery shopping. I'm a pro on getting discounts at bookstores and craft stores and when buying almost anything else, my groceries though, not so much. I have gotten to the point where I wasn't considering the cost of things; I had just accepted that allergen-free food was more expensive, and it is -- my wanting to spend less isn't going to make it any less expensive. But I can be smarter in how I shop for my groceries.

I already do a decent job in this regard. As I mentioned a couple years ago, I try to shop where I can get a discount. (I'm a regular patron at Fruitful Yield, which sells gluten-free products at lower prices, and has a free frequent shopper program. Sign up and just make sure they swipe your card every time you shop. After you spend $200, you get a $5 coupon in the in the mail.)
But, there's still definitely room for improvement, as my grocery receipts would attest.

This fall, I came across a seminar at my local library on how to use coupons effectively. When I called to register, the librarian told me the seminar was full, but that there was a DVD I could check out -- Super-Couponing, by Jill Cataldo. I watched the program and learned a lot. It has made a difference in how I shop, particularly for household products. Truthfully, my diet is so restricted that many of the grocery coupons often available aren't suitable for me. That said, I'm much more aware of all the resources out there and how to get good buys on groceries I do buy.

Thanks to her seminar, I now actually go through the circulars that come in the mail, and look for the weekly deals. My goal this year is to combine couponing with better meal-planning -- with an emphasis on balancing nutrition, because it can be very easy to get into a rut going gluten-free. Once I find comfort foods, that's all I want to eat, on a limited rotating basis because it's easy and satisfying, but not exactly healthy. I may not be eating foods saturated with additives, but still I'm not eating the best balanced diet. Adding more variety to my meals and saving money to boot, now that's a win-win.

After watching the couponing DVD, I got curious and started looking around for deals more pertinent for my grocery-shopping. One thing I discovered is that Whole Foods offers in-store coupons, and frequently on brands I buy. Ka-ching. Visit the coupon section on the store's website to check out the current offers.

Eating out gluten-free also can add up. I just learned about a cool program at P.F. Chang's, which, if you didn't know, is a great restaurant for gf folks -- there's a sizable gluten-free menu; the staff generally is well informed; the gf dishes come out on round plates to distinguish them from non-gf counterparts. Called the Warrior Card program, it's free to sign up, and you'll receive a card in the mail that you present with your bill to get discounts -- currently 10% off your meal (not including tax and gratuity, of course).

Back to the coupons and meal-planning, it will take discipline to follow this resolution, and I'm still puzzling over the best way to quantify it so I know I've made measurable progress. I'll let you know how it goes.