Make 2013 your ultimate bucket list year

Oprah Winfrey has been journaling since she was 15. "In my 40s … I started using journals to express my gratitude—and watched my blessings multiple," she has said. Those are just a few of the reasons why we love journaling so much. Not only is it fun to look back on what we've written over the years, journaling can also be very cathartic. Whatever we're going through at the time, it always makes us feel better to take five minutes to write our feelings out in a journal.

Start a Book Club

If you’re anything like us, sometimes we need a little motivation to do certain things, like exercise more, or read more books. Starting a book club is an easy way to make reading fun. You’ll be exposed to books that you never even knew existed if everyone in your club takes turns picking which books to read, and book clubs are a great way to bond with friends (and potentially make some new ones!), too.

Open a Roth IRA

It can be hard to concentrate on having fun in the new year when you're worried about finances. When you open a Roth IRA, you're making a decision to invest in your future, which will help put your mind at ease a bit in the present. Roth IRAs are a good choice for a retirement account because the maximum amount you can contribute ($5,500 for 2013) isn't too daunting, and you won't be taxed on your savings when you remove that money in the future to use for retirement.

Of course there are stipulations and other rules to keep in mind. Find out more about Roth IRA accounts, eligibility requirements and stipulations here.

Plan a Trip

Vacation doesn’t have to be exotic or uber expensive. Of course, if you have the money and are interested in traveling to an exotic local, by all means you should. However, if you’d love to take a fun trip, but aren’t sure where to get started finding a place to go or don’t want to spend a ton getting there, there are still ways to have a getaway without stressing yourself out or going broke. Start with your budget. Figure out how much you’d like to spend on the trip and, if possible, consider setting up a separate savings account to start socking away for your expedition every month. This will make it easier to pay for the trip when the time comes. (Also consider some of the other ways you can save on travel, like booking hotel and flights together through sites like Orbitz or Expedia, and consider flying out on an off-peak day, like a Tuesday or a Wednesday).

Then you'll just need to figure out where you'd like to go. Start by considering how far you'd like to travel, and whether or not you'd prefer to drive or fly. That will help narrow down your destination options. Then consider what type of travel you'd like to do. Are you looking for adventure, or do you prefer hitting up an amazing spa or hanging out by a pool all day? Use that to narrow your search even more. Then, hit the Internet. Tripadvisor has reliable, extensive advice on any area you can imagine by travelers just like you who have been there, done that, and Yelp can help you find some amazing (and reasonably priced!) restaurants and bars once you get there.

Try Cooking at Least Three Times a Week

Unless you’re a chef at heart, it’s often difficult to think about cooking dinner when it’s so much easier to order out. Think of it this way though: making an effort to cook more and eat out less will help both your waistline and your wallet. The thing to do is to set an easy goal for yourself when first getting started. Setting the goal of cooking at least three times a week is probably reachable—especially if you make it fun by trying to test out new recipes or inviting friends and family over to partake in your newfound hobby.

Cheryl Lock, the personal finance blogger for Savings.com. Her features have also appeared on LearnVest and in Parents magazine. Visit her personal blog about travel at wearywanderer.wordpress.com.