simplify my life

We worked really hard this past weekend putting our stuff together and getting rid of duplicate items as we moved into our new apartment together. Some things that got recycled included futon, nightstand, stereo, iron, and lots of kitchen stuff. Hubby also went through his clothing and weeded out less useful items, and put like things together. We hit a terrific sale at JCPenny’s for him and bought four shirts that need no ironing! We set up a laundry sort set of three bags on a cart, so laundry can be presorted into whites, colors, and others. In the kitchen we have a whiteboard that lists future shopping and grocery needs. When we put up his bookshelves we organized his books into rough categories so he could find them easier. Everything I cooked throughout our week together, I made extra servings and labeled them in the freezer so he could just pull out a meal of his choice when he wanted. This way he doesn’t have to cook or spend money going out on the days that I’m not there—he can just heat something up in the microwave.

I’m eating my way down in the kitchen cupboards. Not only am I saving money from not buying groceries but I won’t have so much to pack when I move. I’m remembering to do this on this move because last time I moved some open containers like syrup and honey-you should have seen me when I opened that ruined box! I hope to create a new household for our new lives together that includes a lot less stuff in the cupboards. It isn’t always good to hoard edibles-things like spices deteriorate. Space is also a valuable resource, and I need to remember that. It won’t be easy for me though because I have always felt like I lived an abundant life when I had more food on hand.

I cleaned out all the stuff I didn’t really need and took a load to the Goodwill. Doing this periodically is the only way to keep clutter at bay. Plus I needed to get my stuff compacted before I get married, so that there’s a prayer of us fitting together.

I filed electronically this year, so the small refund check should make it’s way into my bank account sooner…

I got rid of my large desk last night, as well as a lot of the obsolete paperwork stored in it. I’m getting by with a much smaller rolling table that has my computer on it, and a couple of baskets. The desk was heavy, and I like feeling lighter and more portable with my furniture! It’s one less thing to move or to try to find room for when my financee and I merge households. Also, the extra few dollars I got for selling it will go to upcoming wedding expenses.

One of the things I did to simplify my life this week was to clean off my desk at work, throw some things away, file some others, and organize things on the top into better piles. Now maybe I can keep track of existing projects better (or at least find my post-it-notes)!

One piece of advice I have used to sort through stuff that has been very helpful is the rule that if it’s not beautiful or useful, it should go. I recently moved into a larger apartment, but plan not to “fill it up.” I like the feeling of spaciousness.