Simple Living

Enjoying the simple things like a swallowtail butterfly

At this stage of our lives, Papa and I have been trying to make life easier on ourselves by keeping things simple. We both work during the day so our time can be a little limited for doing things that need to be done around the house. I am in the process of eliminating things that aren't really necessary in order to make time for what is most important to us.

Here are a few things I have been doing so that life can be simplified:

1. I have de-cluttered my email inbox. I have a personal email that I have used for the last 15 years and the amount of daily emails that come in can be overwhelming. Nobody needs that many daily emails! (I use a separate email address for the blog). So for the last couple of weeks I have been unsubscribing from emails that I don't need or want. Most are from websites that I subscribed to for informational purposes but I have noticed they really just want to sell me something and I am trying not to buy much these days. I have noticed that sometimes you really have to look for that "unsubscribe" link. The font is very tiny! 
2. I am making our meals less complicated. Simple is better. I will try a new recipe once in awhile but will be sticking with simple, easy, and familiar recipes that I have used for years for the most part.
3. Grocery shopping. Before going to the grocery store I check the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry for needed items and to see what we have that I can use for meals. I then check the sales fliers to see what really great deals there are. I make my list based on those two things. When I get to the grocery store, I stick to my list but I may change my meal ideas if I find an exceptional deal. Many weeks I don't buy much at all because I have stocked up on those exceptional deals on precious grocery shopping trips. 
4. I have stream-lined my house cleaning by decluttering the amount of knickknacks that I have to dust. I still have a fair amount of decorative items in my house but I try to keep them under control so there is less to keep clean. And, less for Miss Bella to knock over!
5. I love to save links on my laptop that I want to go back and read later. Sometimes I will read them at another time but mostly I don't, so I have been decluttering those, too. Same goes with Pinterest!
6. Less shopping. At this stage in our lives, we really don't need much and shopping just doesn't have the same allure as it did when I was younger. It can be exhausting and a little frustrating. I'm not finding the styles of today as attractive. Maybe it's my age or my style. I don't know. But I try to just buy the basic items, such as, a good pair of shoes for work or clothes that will last so that I can wear them a few years. I usually check the thrift stores for clothing first then retail. 
7. Decluttering my home. I keep a box or bag in my closet just for clothing I no longer need or want. Next is Papa's closet and dresser! After that, the basement (oh, boy!). 
8. Getting out of debt. This is the most important point. We are doing all we can to reach this goal. In two months we will have the truck paid off and in another year everything else will be paid off (if all goes according to plan). Having less payments to keep track of and less open accounts will simplify our lives in a big way. 
9. Gardening. We love to be out in the yard and planting flowers and vegetables. We are learning which plants are the most important to us and that is what we are staying with right now. 

So, that is how we are making our lives a little bit easier. Share your ideas on how you are simplifying your life!