New Year New Wishlist

My last wishlist was a bit scrappy. It wasn’t scribbled on the back of a fag packet, but it might as well have been. As such, I’ve made a bit more effort this year, and created a periodic table of desires. The colour coding isn’t strictly necessary, but it does help group the ideas together.

First then, are the bare necessities - things that are so fundamental to life as we know it that I generally resent paying for them, such as tampons, razors and, er, whisky. Actually, I don't resent paying for granola - I just added it for aesthetic reasons.

Second are those things that I’m too tight to buy anew because we don’t technically need them. For example, we do have a flask, but it’s a little on the wee side; my wife does have sunnies, but they’re about ten years old; and our eldest lad does have a scooter, but it's pretty meh and I’m loath to invest in a decent one given how little interest he takes in it or for that matter anything else with wheels.

Next are two discrete items: a cleaner and a new sofa bed. Given the devastation my children wreak, hiring a cleaner would be a horrific waste of money; nonetheless, I would be genuinely interested to see if a professional could make the bombsite in which I live into a more homely bombsite. I’d also love a sofa that matched the décor and didn't give guests neck ache. However, until the children stop drooling (and worse) on the existing furniture, it just wouldn’t be money well spent.

Now comes the tech section. File under “standard” - everyone wants new phones, flashier tellies and anything Apple. Likewise, cash and cash equivalents. I added vouchers for sneakers in here as I’m currently lusting after some fresh Air Max that I have not the slightest need to own.

And so on to experiences. First, for me: booze and football. Much as I enjoy watching Norwich City play, I can’t remotely afford the tickets. I’ve previously won tickets from the shirt sponsor, however, and do keep an eye out in case any of the club’s other sponsors are, as they say, leveraging their partnership. As for the sauce, wine tasting, and gin or cocktail making all sound fun, although I’d have to shift this sodding cold that’s been throttling my taste buds for the last month.

Next, experiences for my kids: Legoland and KidZania. Everyone loves Legoland - that’s a given. As for KidZania, my eldest enjoys pretend play to an extent that I cannot begin to compute. Last week, he insisted on being taken outside (in the rain) so he could patrol the street pretending to be an old man with a walking stick. I can’t stand it. My wife can’t either. At KidZania, however, the pretending is guided, detailed, and generally awesome (although I imagine the person getting the kids to be estate agents has a quieter day than the pilots, movie directors and fire fighters; then again, it takes all sorts - see above). In sum, my boy would love it.

Finally, there’s R&R. First, a spa break. I've come to love these, not least because they represent the only way I can have a conversation with my wife without the constant interruption of children and chores. Last year, I even managed to finish the book I started two years prior.

Winning a holiday would be even better. Our eldest worked so hard to spoil our last holiday that we’ve been reluctant to splash out on another one. For the last two years we’ve had the house renovated instead of going on holiday, so he’s trashed that instead.

The other big-ticket item I’d like arguably falls under the same banner, as I’d like flights to the States in order to visit family out there. Sure, a US holiday would be even better, but flights to, say, Chicago, would be very welcome indeed.

So, that’s my wishlist sorted for the coming year. Remind me to check back in December to see how I’ve done!

What do you have on your wishlist for 2017? Please share in the comments below!