I struggle with minimalism. Not only do I think there is an under-discussed amount of privilege involved, I just plain stink at it. Case in point? I wrote my come-to-shoe-gods confessional post months ago, and I still have too many shoes. But it’s not just that I can’t get over the sunk costs or the … [Read more…]
It’s no secret that I have too much stuff. Though, since I last posted, I have parted with a considerable about of clutter. Coupons and discount cards from months ago? Gone. A $1 winning lotto scratch off ticket from Christmas? Cashed in. Dozens of books? Listed for sale or donated. My progress is more slow … [Read more…]
“I spent my 40th birthday touching everything in my house. And I haven’t done it since.” One of my in-laws shared that nugget with me last month. And while I don’t know her exact age, I do know that she isn’t 41. Did that make you shudder? Phew. Me, too.
Today is the 100-day mark until Half Penny arrives. Countless thoughts race through my mind. Epidural or not? Boy or girl? Cloth diapers or disposables? Will I ever get an adequate explanation of the difference between a bouncer and a swing? And the most important question of all: If I had an engineering degree, would … [Read more…]
December is a lot of things for a lot of people. For me? Well, it’s mostly a race to finish A Christmas Carol before winter break begins. The Dickens classic is part of the curriculum so I’m up to my eyeballs in ghosts, chains, and mince pies. While the iconic antihero Ebenezer Scrooge is typically … [Read more…]
Minimalism lite served me well this year. I’m no longer living out the latte effect. My shoes almost all fit into my organizers. There is hope that one day, my husband’s clothes and mine will be able to live side by side in one closet. That’s to say nothing of the money that I’ve made … [Read more…]
You know FOMO and YOLO and adulting. You’re probably familiar with regifting. But what about degifting and frugle and debth? It turns out, that as we sort through our money, millennials are creating new language right along side of it. Why the need for the new vocabulary? Our generation is looking at money differently. Sometimes … [Read more…]
Henry David Thoreau the environmentalist? I appreciate. Henry David Thoreau the abolitionist? I applaud. Henry David Thoreau the father of simple living and the minimalist movement? I have a bone to pick with you.
Here’s the thing: I don’t drink coffee. I can count on one hand the number of sips I’ve tried. It’s so repulsive to me, I cannot swig it down in a Frappuccino that is 87% sugar, 11% heavy whipping cream, and 2% coffee. I won’t even eat tiramisu, failure of an Italian American that I … [Read more…]
He paid off his student loans flipping furniture. They paid off their mortgage re-selling estate sale finds. I made over $1,000 decluttering my closet. We’ve all seen the headlines. Some of us have even written them (guilty). But you know what? That’s not real life. Not all the time, anyway. When it comes to selling … [Read more…]