So, you may have noticed that I know nothing about making video look good! It is a technical skill-set that I have definitely not mastered! For now, I will do a bit of writing and perhaps pick back up the videos when I can make them a bit more polished. I enjoy the process of writing better as well. It involves no special, technical skills (other than good sentence structure and grammar) or hardware and takes only as long as my creativity takes to flow.
So…. the economy…. still sucking! I am starting to feel it pretty hard. Considering the fact that my mortgage and utilities are super low, I don’t know how others are coping. Being part of a one-income household right now is getting a bit worrisome. If only that damn cat would get a job! I can’t seem to motivate her.
Because living simply and in an uncluttered house makes me think better, I am dispensing with a host of un-needed household items at the moment. It has been much fun digging through everything I own! I got to see some memorable things I had kept.
Simplifying is not about getting rid of every single thing you own. It’s about getting rid of things you have no idea why you’re keeping! To me, something is only useful if you need it at least once or twice a year. I *may* need a panini press at some point in my life, but I have one that I haven’t used in 3 years, so I’m guessing that day isn’t going to come soon. (It’s a nice one, too. I used to use it to make sandwiches when I ate meat, but I can’t think of one sandwich I’d make with it now. I do own a stove…)
I already successfully used Freecycle for a few things. Freecycle is really neat. I always come across things when decluttering that no one would pay money for but that aren’t really “trash” either. For instance, I had two rolls of plastic fencing that I had used for my garden. Worth nothing to most, but the woman who picked them up has an autistic son, and she’s going to use it when the family goes camping so her son can wander a bit but still be safe. I also had a stack of catering trays from a few events I had. Totally too good to throw away but just nothing that I needed. (I have a few more that I kept.) Give it a whirl. Incidentally, I notice that it is mostly women on Freecycle. Because we’re more practical?
So, remember, the key to simplifying your household is to ask yourself, “Is this useful or beautiful?” And if the answer is “No,” then you may want to consider selling, donating or giving it away. The economics of simplicity hold that getting rid of stuff makes way for more time and money in your life.
Simplifying your home is very freeing… you should give it a try! (It makes cleaning easier, too!)
