Empty Pockets (Part 3)

Upon close analysis of money spent by my husband and myself (okay, it was really more like scrolling through our online statement while muttering and scratching my head), we had to face the ugly, horrifying truth. We spend entirely too much money on eating at restaurants. We can be a rather lazy lot, and tend to do a lot of dining out instead of cooking. Our ongoing love affair with absolutely health-destroying food has not helped. No more! We have made a solemn vow to only dine out two days per week. This may seem like still quite a lot to some people, but for us, it is a monumental step. To aid in sticking to this goal, we've picked two days of the week for dining out. If we don't go out on those days, we just miss out. Just tonight we opted to skip dining out. We had leftovers and we were quite snuggy at home, so we ditched the plan to go out. That doesn't mean we'll make up for it tomorrow. Nope. No more going out until Tuesday. That's just the way we roll now. I sense the waves of confusion flooding my way about our choice of Tuesdays for dining out, but we actually had reasons. Good ones! Many restaurants have specials (kids eat free, two tacos for the price of one, etc.) on Tuesdays and dining establishments tend to not be packed on Tuesday nights. See? We thought this through. ;)

So, what are we hoping to achieve here? Well, obviously spending considerably less money on food, but we're hoping for other fringe benefits - things like eating healthier foods, cooking together, and actually using and enjoying that kitchen that I spent so long cleaning and simplifying.

Two Birds

With the time to return to work for the new school year fast approaching, I've been pondering the further simplification of my wardrobe. I've read in several places that life becomes easier if you have a sort of "uniform" for yourself, and I think this is the route I'm going to take. I've recently learned to sew (a very useful thing, that), so I'm planning to pick up some fabrics I like and make several versions of a skirt that I'm fond of. I already have a nice supply of shirts that are work-appropriate - mostly plain black, cotton shirts that make me happy. I've also already reduced my wardrobe to black, white, and grey - this way everything always matches and I don't feel the need for lots of shoes and purses. Voila! A work uniform has been created. Throw in some tights and a coat, and I'm good through the winter months, too! No more stressing about what to wear to work.

So, how is this killing two birds with one stone (or feeding two birds with one seed for you non-violent types)? By making my own skirts, I don't have to go through the icky drudgery of shopping for things that fit. :)

Let's Talk About Underpants, Shall We?

Yep, today's simplicity project was a panty raid of sorts. I tackled the underwear drawer with thoughts of what I actually use and need in there. Turns out that "not much" is the response to that. Since I have vowed to be honest in this telling of simplicity, I will admit that I got rid of fourteen bras. Fourteen! Who needs that??? Never fear, I kept some. ;) Needless to say, I got rid of an equally insane amount of underpants. Apparently I need to join Lingerie Buyers Anonymous or something. Geez.

I've also decided to make the bold move of getting rid of any clothes that require "special" undergarments. No more Spanx or adhesive bras for me! Another admission: I did keep the strapless bra because of two dresses I'm not ready to part with. I'll get there, I'll get there.

In other simplification news, we made huge progress in my step-daughter's bedroom today. You can see the entire floor in there! Tomorrow's mission? Clean up the bedside shelves and closet. We have an agreement....if she keeps the room sane through Thanksgiving, she gets new furniture from Ikea. :D

Kitchen Saga Continued

I must be honest and tell you that I did not complete the simplifying and de-cluttering of my kitchen today. But, the good news is this: I totally de-cluttered and rearranged the items on the counters. Progress was made! Can you imagine having your cutting board and knives in the same place that you normally use them? Outrageous, I know! Apparently my belief in the fun of having to wander back and forth across the kitchen 28 times in order to slice a tomato was false. Who knew?? I am very pleased with the results so far. Tomorrow? The cabinets. Yikes! I promise this blog won't become a never-ending tribute to my kitchen...I just hadn't realized what a very large job it was going to be. To those about to embark on this same mission, I offer this advice: be content with small steps and enjoy each and every victory.

Simple Ain't Easy

A person would think that living a more simplified life would be easy. That may be the case once life actually gets simplified - I don't know yet. But the process of becoming a simple life kind of gal is not an easy one. The vast amount of work involved in going through all of life's clutter is immense. Then you have to actually do something with the insane amount of gadgets, gizmos, knick-knacks, and nonsense.

Well, I am not what you would call a "motivated" person, so sometimes it's difficult to give myself that kick in the rear end that's required to get this job done. It is much easier to let chaos pile up around me while I sit in my comfy chair with some nice knitting and a yummy iced coffee - which is exactly what I did today rather than go through my kitchen as promised.

Honestly, I was beating myself up about this until I read the newest zenhabits post about change, inertia, and failure. I will fail, and that's okey dokey. I failed to clean out the kitchen, but that failure is not permanent. I need to focus on what I'm trying to do here (and why I'm trying to do it) and have a go at it again tomorrow. Some added motivation? I've made a solemn vow of no iced coffee until I've "earned" it by taking a load of stuff to Goodwill. :)