Decluttering my home
I have been watching a lot of decluttering and frugal videos. I have been adding the tips from these to the rules I already use.
Decluttering is key right now. My house in general is clean and I don't have a lot of clutter. I did not know this until I started decluttering. But I have come to realize that I can still further minimize so that I am not as overwhelmed and it has helped a lot. I feel much more accomplished.
I am far from done but I have gotten a lot done. I am minimizing to the point that a room should only take five minutes to clean up and twenty minutes at most to vacuum, mop, dust, etc.
Here are a few tips on decluttering:
1. Start small. The process doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start small. Pick one area in your home that you would like to simplify. A desk drawer, a cabinet, your purse, a bookshelf, or a toy bucket. Make three piles; keep, donate, and trash.
2. Buy less. Do not buy things you don't need and avoid temptation. A simple rule is to wait three days. If you want the item after three days, then you can consider buying it.
3. Use what you have. Use what you have before buying more items. Food, makeup, toiletries, etc. Make sure you go through things before buying more.
4. Make sure counters, stove, tables, and floors stay clean. No matter how clean and organized a house is if these areas aren’t clear it makes the room feel cluttered. When simplifying your home, make it a point to keep your surfaces as clean as possible.
5. Borrow before buying. If you can borrow or rent an item that you will probably only use once or twice, do that rather than buy something that will only take up more space.
6. If you Don’t Use it, Lose it. For example, clothes. As women, we tend to have clothes that we think we will wear but we don't actually wear. This was what it was for me. I have come to realize that I prefer comfortable clothes over fancy. So I got rid of all of the clothes I knew I would never wear even if I really wanted them.
7. Clean Out Spaces Routinely. When it comes to keeping up on decluttering, it's easier to do a weekly or monthly organization and decluttering. I do it monthly.
8. Keep one memory box per person. Create a memory box for each person and only keep what is most important to you. My daughter prefers her drawings and art for hers. Each kid gets special stuffed animals. I only have some items from my grandmother.
9. Keep a give away box. Keep a box in your closets and in rooms where you can put items that you no longer want or need that you can donate later.
10. Clean spaces routinely. For me, I have a daily task list, a weekly task list, and a monthly task list. These are all only cleaning tasks. It works well with keeping the home as clean as possible and doing it little by little is much easier than you would think.
11. Create a weekly task list. For me, once a week on Thursday is the day I get all of my errands done, meal plan, order groceries, do the budgeting, and plan the rest of my week until the next Thursday.
Here are a few tips on living frugally:
1. Have a no buy month. Only buy essentials for a month. I like doing this after the holidays in May. The large holidays are over and it is before the kids' birthdays.
2. Shop second hand. I tend to only buy through a thrift store. It is better for the planet and better for my wallet. If I cannot find something similar to what I want, then maybe I would buy it new. But it is rare.
3. Scrounge for dinner or do a leftover night. I usually do a leftover night but if there are not any leftovers left, then I will find a way to cook something up with what I have around.
4. Cut your own hair. I have always cut my own hair. There are many tutorials on how to do this on YouTube if you need to use one. It is a big help financially.
5. Cut on guilty pleasures. Mine was ice coffee. I was buying it every day. I decided to cut it down to only once a week. It has actually saved me over a hundred dollars a month.
6. Cut on consumption of meat. Yes, I know a lot of people like their meat. My husband is included in this. But we understand that it tends to cost more than other items and have cut it down from every night to a few times a week. It has saved us around $80 a month. It's not a lot but it goes toward something we can use it for.
7. Track your spending and check your bank account on a regular basis. Doing this can actually help you understand where a lot of your money is going and it can help create a habit of spending less.
8. Plan your meals and stick to them. This saves a lot of money. I create a list for a month and that is what we eat. I do not deviate unless I absolutely have to. For example, if the stores are out of the products I want.
Well, that is a a lot but it really does help. I feel less stressed trying to do things last minute and I have less in the house to clean up or deal with. You can transform your home and life into a haven with a little effort. I hope this helps you as much as it helped me.
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Marriage: We Need Help
We are here again, my love,
in a place we don't want to be.
I feel miles away from you, stuck,
yelling what I need, watching your mouth
move, but I can't hear you.
I can't hear you.
You can't hear me.
We are throwing life lines
to one another and falling short,
every damn time.
I refuse to believe this is all there is for us.
I refuse to believe that we can't figure this out.
So I have reached out, made the calls,
sent the email, asked.
Help us, we are drowning together.
I feel no shame in admitting we are not ok,
or in admitting we need help,
how many of us do?
We have spent ten years facing
Heart surgeries
Moves
Death
Cancer
Anxiety
Financial Stress
Now is our time, my love,
to check in for one another,
to seek help, to reevaluate.
To move deeper, collide,
to hear one another more clearly.
To love one another better.
We navigate together my love,
we're in the same boat,
I am on your team.
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