A new year often represents a new beginning. One of the best ways to start off the new year right is to think about how you can downsize life a little bit.

This isn’t just about moving to a smaller home. It’s about looking at your lifestyle, and figuring out how you can make it a little bit simpler. As you consider what you want your life to look like going forward, it might be time to downsize a little bit.

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One of the staple of summer, it seems, is poison ivy. Whether you stumble upon it while camping, or whether you’ve got a problem with it on your property, poison ivy can cause a great deal of discomfort. Your reaction to poison ivy depends largely on your body chemistry, and how it responds to urushiol, an oily resin common to poison ivy, as well as to poison sumac and poison oak.

Reactions to poison ivy vary. My husband is quite sensitive to poison ivy. He breaks out in severe rashes when he comes in contact with it. I, on the other hand, am not as sensitive. While contact will produce some discomfort, it is not usually the full-blown rash my husband experiences. In most cases, poison ivy isn’t a serious problem. However, you will want to treat it as best you can to alleviate the discomfort until the symptoms subside.

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Whether you are preparing to set personal finance goals for the new year, or whether you have other goals in mind, the hardest part seems to be achieving success. Indeed, many of us set forth grand aspirations for the coming year — only to have those hopes dashed relatively early on. The problem is that, in many cases, we fail to set realistic goals.

While there is nothing wrong with dreaming big, someone with $30,000 in debt, and a low-paying job isn’t going to achieve financial freedom in eight months just because it’s a goal. You’re not going to lose 20 pounds in six weeks, and, even if you do manage to lose the weight, keeping it off is going to present its own challenges.

The key is choose realistic and sustainable goals for the new year. Here are some tips that can help you set realistic goals for the brand new year:

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In today’s fast-paced world, it can be easy to forget to say “thank you.” And, it often seems as though writing a thank-you note is something that is even more overlooked. My son recently had a birthday. He received plenty of gifts. And, because he’s used to it, he remembered to sit down and write notes thanking all of the givers for his presents.

Writing a thank-you note can be a good way to show gratitude, but also a way to help combat materialism. When you are grateful for something, you turn your focus to the giver, and their thoughtfulness. It’s a good idea to carefully consider the gift, and express your gratitude with a note.

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One of the longest-lasting investments you can make, with the best returns over time, is in yourself. Investing in yourself can help you improve your earning power, as well as provide you with a sense of satisfaction.

Even as you work to earn money and improve your finances, don’t neglect yourself. It’s important that you take the time to invest in yourself, improving your skills and knowledge, and even acquiring new talents. Here are some of the ways you can invest in yourself, and live a richer, fuller life:

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A year ago I left my full-time job to become a full-time personal finance blogger. I loved the first few days. I didn’t have to wake up at a certain time, I didn’t have to get dressed up, I didn’t have to drive twenty five minutes into work, I could just saunter into my office, plop down at my computer and work at my own pace. Then after a while, the freedom allowed my bad habits to fester and I didn’t really recognize my problems until many months later when I started a time budget log. I was checking email around forty times a day!

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