On this New Year’s Eve, I just made one more knitting resolution:

Go on a combined yarn/book diet for (gulp!) SIX MONTHS.

As possibly IMpossible as that sounds, there is a strategy behind it. With the help of my second income from the library, I will be able to pay off my Citi credit card in six months–if I adhere to a pretty strict budget (I’m talking grocery shopping rather than eating out every day, seriously cutting back on impulse buying, etc.), a budget that doesn’t allow wiggle room for random, impulse, “oh it’s so pretty” yarn purchases and “I’ll read this eventually” book buying. Since coming off the previous yarn diet (which lasted three months), I’ve acquired plenty of stash to last me through the six-month fast upon which I’m preparing to embark. Do I think I can do it? Heck yeah! I lasted three months, why not do it again, x2? It’s totally doable…and the thought of paying off that credit card and only having ONE credit card left is sooooo tempting. I’m gonna do it! Wish me luck pleeeeease!

As far as the book buying goes, I’ve done really badly in recent months. I know that I don’t have the time to read all these books, but I’m a collector and I just keep buying more, with the intent of reading them “eventually” and “someday.” My book stash is pretty close to rivaling my yarn stash, actually. So, the thought of abstaining from yarn AND book buying for six months isn’t insane. It’s actually a smart idea. And through all this budget madness, I’ll still have the chance to put a *little* (and I mean a little) into savings every month. Still, it’s something.

So, as I hop back on the yarn sobriety wagon, it’s time to knit from my stash again…and honestly, I have some Dream in Color Smooshy already in the mail to me because I ordered it Sunday night and received the shipping confirmation this morning. So I’m glad that purchase happened before I restart the yarn diet! But other than that, and the stash I’ve recently acquired from my LYSes, it’s no more buying until…er…July. Realistically, there’s no way I can knit through all my stash in six months. My stash isn’t as huge as it used to be but it’s the time factor that will make it last–I simply won’t have enough time to knit through it all. So I’ll have plenty to last me through the buying drought. July, by the way, is my birthday month, and I can celebrate with yarn when the Citi card is paid off. phew. Again, please wish me luck!

oh, and happy new year again, and here’s to the long road toward being debt-free!