Empty Pockets (Part 2)

So, when last we discussed my empty pockets, I told you that I was going to restrict errand running to one day per week. I also promised that I would answer the question of what I'm going to do when "something" comes up. Well, that's actually pretty easy. "Something" doesn't really pop up out of nowhere very often. People have their birthdays around the same time every year. Holidays are pretty well scheduled. Family traditions tend to stay the same - that's what makes them traditions. So, the fabulously simple answer to "something" coming up is to check a calendar and plan ahead. Tada! Now, of course, things will come up that can't be planned for...cars break down, people get sick, and so on. When those things happen, I'll take care of them. This once a week thing is a guideline - the "powers that be" haven't drawn up any laws about it yet. (I hope not, anyway.)

I've also had to concede that sometimes I will have to go out twice per week. I do own a small business that promises to ship items within three business days of receiving an order. Any way you figure it, this could land me at the post office twice a week. If that's the case, I'll do it with no complaints because that means business is good. ;)

Now for Part 2 of my plan! An allowance. Yes, that's right. My husband and I are giving ourselves cash allowances each week. That's the money for goofy day-to-day stuff like the dash to a favorite restaurant with friends from work or my husband's pineapple soda addiction. When the cash is gone, we will have to politely decline lunch dates and walk sadly past the pineapple soda machine. This will, hopefully, help to get frivolous spending under control and make us more aware of how much money is flying from our bank account for things we don't need.

Coming Soon: Part 3 of Empty Pockets

The Kitchen Sink

My next move in the quest for simplicity is going to be getting rid of all of the nonsense in the kitchen. My husband and I got a good start the other day when we cleared out all of the excess cups and dishes, but we want to keep on clearing out. We started with just looking at our kitchen counters and noting the things that never, ever get used. Does it make any sense to have two coffee makers and a bean grinder when all we use anymore is instant coffee from Starbucks? Why, no, no it doesn't. (Side note: Starbucks makes some mighty slurptastic instant coffee.) A waffle iron??? Who are we kidding? We have a wine rack that's had the same six bottles of wine in it for approximately 4.5 billion years. We don't even drink wine. It's just there for company. Well, we've finally decided that these imaginary wine-drinking guests are going to have to do without. Then we looked to the cabinets and drawers where we saw the list of unused items goes on. And on. And on. So, our plan for tomorrow? To make one heck of a trip to Goodwill. We are saying goodbye to the silicon pumpkin-shaped muffin pan, the fancy silver serving tray, the never-used fondue pot, etc. When next we cook dinner, it will be in a kitchen that has what we need and love, not a bunch of hoarded frou-frou stuff that serves no purpose in our lives. And, yes, we're keeping the sink. ;)

What's On?

My husband and I were discussing ways to cut down on our bills (we are both simply awful with money!) when we took a look at our cable bill. It dawned on us that we haven't watched a single thing on TV in months. Now, I don't want to give the false impression that we're the intellectual sort who never sit on the couch with the glazed-eye stare and nearly-drooling state that TVs seem to induce. We do occasionally. But for months, all of our mindless entertainment has come in the form of Netflix instant streaming. This provides two lovely advantages: watching what we choose to watch and not subjecting ourselves to commercials (which are a nuisance at best, brainwashing at worst, in our minds). So, after realizing this, we made the bold move of calling the cable company and telling them that we'll take internet access, hold the basic cable package, thank you. And now we are rid of one more thing that we don't use, and this one has the added benefit of saving us $90 a month. Win-win. :)

The "Beauty" of Less

I have another bold move in the works. One of the areas I dread simplifying is the bathroom...the overwhelming amount of bottles, tubes, compacts, torture devices, blah, blah, blah in there, honestly, frighten me. And when you think that I actually tend to buy and use less of this stuff than most women already...well, let's just say, "Zoiks!" But, tomorrow this is going to happen. I'm going to go to my happy place and dive into those piles of so-called beauty products. I don't use the majority of that goop anyway. I have it there "just in case." I've gotten to the point, though, that I just can't imagine which type of emergency requires six kinds of moisturizer. (We've got a dry one! Lotion! STAT!)

So, this is my battle strategy.

1. Get rid of any repeats. Pick the one that works the best. If none of them work (as in most cases) get rid of it all.

2. Get rid of anything I haven't used in two weeks or longer. Let's face it. This stuff is not like a sweater that you're saving for a chilly day. If you don't moisturize, exfoliate, or whatever in two weeks, you're probably the type of person who just doesn't do that type of thing.

3. Of what is left, I'll keep only the items that either make me feel good (you know, that damn-I-feel-like-a-woman sensation) or are essential for good hygiene (soap, toothpaste, and deodorant are good things, in my opinion).

4. This one is very important. Stop buying all of that crap if you don't use it! Be content with happy, healthy, and clean.

I'll let you know how it turns out. :D

Cabinets Running Over

Our cabinets runneth over - with cups, of all things. Well, not anymore because we've made another bold move. My husband and I spent part of this evening going through our dishes. Some might consider this an odd type of quality time, but we really enjoyed ourselves. We gathered up a ton of stuff to donate to Goodwill once we determined that we really didn't need gazillions of coffee mugs, travel mugs, water bottles, plastic cups, etc. We figure that this will not only make our cabinets more pleasant and easier to deal with, but also reduce our kitchen cleaning nightmares. Having fewer glasses and coffee cups means we need to clean the few we have instead of dirtying up more and more when we don't feel like washing dishes.

My husband so enjoyed himself that he kept going and cleaned out part of our food storage cabinet as well. :)

Just Say No to Farming

Okay, not real farming, obviously. What would we do without all the yumminess that comes from the farm? What I'm speaking of here is farming games. And restaurant games, pet games, egg games, you name it. I find that I often don't have time to do the things I want or need to do, so I've been looking at where my time goes. I found that I spend a frightening amount of time playing games on our favorite social networking site. So, I'm making another bold move....I'm going to quit playing all of them. They are a time sink and bring me little joy.

Now, I hear a collective gasp from the people who need me to be their neighbor, friend, employee, etc. in these games. Never fear! I won't abandon you by deleting the games...I'll just stop actively playing them.

This is just one of the ways I plan to free up my time for things that actually matter to me. I'll be telling you about more ways in the future. :)

Let's Talk About Sole(s)

In the past couple of days, I've been considering bold steps I can take in the quest for simplicity. One of the most obvious areas for quick and dramatic change is... (insert some sort of ominous, suspense-building music here)...the closet. The closet is a frightening area so full of piles, hangers, stacks, shoes, etc. that it would be nothing but insanity to try to tackle it in one step, one day or one blog post. So, not feeling terribly creative, I just addressed the first thing I came to...my shoes. I have shoes for every conceivable situation that I may ever encounter in this life and, perhaps, several others. Yes, I am prepared to properly equip my feet to hike snow-covered trails, attend formal balls, and go for a sensible walk. But, why? Why do I need thirty pairs of shoes? Simple answer? I don't. Time to take steps.

The easiest bit was getting rid of the shoes that I don't even like. Why do I even have shoes I don't like? That's nonsense. Into the Goodwill stack they went. Then I tackled the shoes I like, but haven't worn in recent memory. Next, the shoes that have been worn so much that they're falling apart (those went in the trash, not the Goodwill stack). Now things get difficult. I have to start answering tough questions about my need for six pairs of ballet flats and the necessity of different shoes for different walking speeds (walking, running, hiking...). After giving serious thought to the wardrobe I'm aiming for and the activities I actually participate in, I've cut down to eight pairs. Okay, maybe ten...I'm honestly not sure if I should count my galoshes and slippers.

I'm not content with having eight (or, perhaps, ten) pairs of shoes. It still seems excessive. Particularly when I think about my husband's shoe wardrobe. His shoe number? Four. And not once have I heard him complain about not having the right shoes for his outfit. So, tomorrow I'm going to take some deep, calming breaths and look at the situation again. I'll let you know how it goes. ;)