It is 1:00 pm and I just woke up. I got home at about 4:30 after cleaning up from the fireworks show and then driving to the yard to help the operator unload (and also keep him awake while driving through the fog). Much of the conversation while setting up was on the economy and how everyone was planning to weather the storm. The general consensus was that it was going to get worse before it gets better but most people thought they could make do with less.
I am actually looking forward to this next year to really pare down and hopefully, at the end of the year look back and get a clearer picture of what is really important to me. I want to unload at least half of the stuff I have accumulated over the years and also to see if I can make a differen ce in the trash output I contribute to in a week. I don't really have any specific savings goals but I'd like for this year long exercise to significally reduce my mortgage (there's no way I could pay it off in a year but maybe 2 or 3). I would say I'd like to pay off my car but my auto loan interest is lower than my mortgage.
What I think I will be mostly challenged by but also really excited about is trying to make most or all my food from scratch. A friend yesterday told me that my goal of no canned beans was "extreme" and that you can recycle the can, but recycling still uses resources, canned beans cost more and bulk dried beans take up much less space in my cupboard. I also think getting into the habit of making homemade soup on Sunday and then enjoying it for lunch for the rest of the week (maybe adding a sandwich or salad daily) is going to help me lose a couple pounds and eat better. (even canned "healthy" organic soups have gobs of salt in them)
All in all I am going to look at the coming year as strengthening not depriving.
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I like this approach. I, too, am amazed by the stuff I've accumulated. Another soft goal for me for this year is to pare my closets down by about a half. I have more clothes than I could ever wear, due to being of the most grateful recipients of hand-me-downs my friends have ever met. I'm thinking 50% reduction is about right. I remember when MomCat had two full closets of clothes; I've become like that. Sounds like she has cut back, so it's my turn.
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago, during my first Compact I pared down from 2 to 1 closets. Now I was to halve my one closet. (I actually plan on being able to move hangers around on the rods and have only 1 layer of shoes on my closet floor.
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