Anna Aden Writes

This was my most prolific year blogging, and as at now I have published 208 blog posts this year and I'll probably do a couple more before the year ends. At first I started writing everything day, hoping it would help me with editing my novel-in-progress, but it didn't. Then I branched out to doing blog features for everyday such as  weekly film/movie post,  places in London,  the state of my desk Editing my novel 52 week money challenge other features  Eventually, I got overwhelmed and decided to cut back, in fact I changed the schedule a few time and in the end due to a busy offline life. Towards the end, I was only doing blog topics and finally  I ended up just doing the 52-week money challenge - which I saved £1,004 in cash from, the rest in IOUs. What I learnt from Blogging To get blog hits or build an audience, a blog needs to be about what people are interested in and you get that by being specific. It's simply that. However h...

This isn't bad for a year's long challenge which has been tedious, cumbersome and boring! The final cash savings was £1,004 and the IOUs were £374. As frequently with this long term saving projects there was some double counting - I think mostly to do mixing up weeks so I had to got by the cash savings! The Details On Boxing Day,  I went down to my mother so she could assist in the counting. To help with this count down, I asked Ma who willingly obliged as she had been keenly reading my blog posts about this. Sis acted as an independent observer. Well she was on the sofa while Ma and I counted the cash and the IOUs. At first there was a debate about what surface to use, and Ma and Sis advised it was best to use red since that represented money and wealth in many cultures, so that was taken on board. As a result we used the Christmas table runner. We poured the contents of the money pot on the table and proceed to sort out the cash in diffe...

Happy Holidays! This was touch and go because Christmas is an expensive time, and I wasn't sure if to put in a final IOU but I thought it was good to end on positive note for the year. So I get the cash together from my bank accounts.  I'm posting this earlier in the week - basically week 52 - because I have other stuff to do, like buy Christmas presents - I tend to be late.  I guess it's probably a good time to do a final review.  Review of 52 week money challenge This challenge is based on saving money 52 weeks of the year, but the caveat is you save the according to the week number. So in the first week of the year £1 or $1 is saved and this increases as the year goes on until the final week of the year - week 52. What's good about it  1. It highlights saving. So as result, I did review my 'proper savings' plan which is a regular amount each month.  2. It is fun to start with! 3. It simple to understand. What's not so ...

So it's my festive effort. I was considering putting in an IOU but decided since it was penultimate week of the year it was best to find the cash. Also before I start spending on Christmas presents, I thought just to get some cash out and put it in the box. Happy Holidays 

I'm reviewing goals posted on the blog nearly a year ago just to see how far I've come. I also did a quarter one review if you are interested see it here https://dabwrites.blogspot.com/2019/03/2019-goals-quarter-1-january-march.html But these were the goals I posted on the 6th of January. https://dabwrites.blogspot.com/2019/01/16-daily-writing-journal-short-2018.html 2019 GOALS 1. Get a new role - this is urgent and top priority  I got my role so that is one I cross off. 2. Publish Leyton and Angelica's story This is still outstanding and if you've followed my editing journey, you'll know it's been a very rocky road. 3. Do at least three CPD - for career development - I was a bit lax last year because my employer supplied them.  These are Continuous Professional Development which I need to keep up my skills. I probably have but not in formal way like going to for courses and things. 4. Romance? Maybe. We'll see. I had one in 2...

There are only two weeks left to this challenge and I'm not even sure I'm going to pay the IOUs or the early weeks I missed. This is an insane challenge - like I said before the best way to save is to have a regular savings plan preferably an automatic bank transfer which goes straight to a saving accounts, preferably on your payday!!! This challenge is just stupid and blog-fodder, it's not realistic! Regular savings you can afford is better.  Why? Well, some weeks I just plainly forget or didn't have the cash or the time. Not sure what I can do to review, perhaps get my mother to help count. To be frank, I'm pretty bored already but there must be quite a bit of cash in the pot though. The only rule I kept to was not breaking into the tin so I guess we should count the takings. I'll ask Ma and we can both could the takings. I'll see. 

I've not updated my blog for a few weeks now, but I'm putting £100 to the money jar! However I owe weeks 46,47,48 and 49  all add up to £190! Next I put the cash against week 49 and 48 with three pounds to week 47. After which I prepared the IOU for £90. Anyway only three weeks left!!! So glad, and I won't be doing this next year!