The Never Ending Paper Trail

One of the things I seem to struggle the most with is paperwork.  It seems like it is never ending! There was a time in my marriage where I kept everything.  Year's worth of electric bills, my fear would always be that the company would say we missed a payment at some point. (Never-ever happened) I have finally concurred my fear of needing to prove I paid something, and have managed to finally manage our paper trail.

The sources of our paper work for us are school, work, sports and mail.  I have one specific corner in our kitchen that seems to be the catch-all for all of these papers.  It seems like whenever the corner gets completely emptied more papers come into the pile. 

I feel like I am never ahead in the paper fight, but I have developed a few different strategies to combat the clutter.  I have made each boy a specific spot to display their school work. It works really well and displays each child's newest accomplishment.  (Like photo below)



I have a peg board for all of the important notes from school and the larger art projects that won't fit into the gallon zip lock bag.  I also post all of our sporting schedules and sporting paperwork here. 

I try to sort our mail everyday, try being the key word there.  We do not get much mail and there are times where we do not get any mail at all. (Those days are my favorite!)  We receive all most all of our bills electronically now. It was originally a huge adjustment for me to no longer have a paper bill in my hand.  For a while I was writing due dates on the calendar so I wouldn't forget.  However paying the majority of our bills online has had some big benefits.  It has cut down drastically on the number of checks we right and how often we need to buy checks and stamps.  I don't have to worry about filing the bill after its paid and throwing away all of those inserts. Not to mention the benefit of  not having the company use paper to print our bill and then mail them.  I now hate having to pay a bill the "old fashioned" way.  

I have a smaller file box where I keep all of our important documents as well as any owners manuals, etc.  This is one of my downfalls because I hate filing! I usually stack the papers up on top of the file box until I have enough to file away.  I'm going to need to find a better system sometime. ;)

It took me a long time to figure out what paper need to be saved and what could be pitched. I now try to make the decisions as soon as the papers are in my hand.  Otherwise I tend to keep everything and nothing gets pitched.  Developing a system that works for you is essential in managing the influx of papers, and then sticking to it!  

Good Luck concurring your own paper trail!
-TMW.

(Thanks for the use of the photo Classroom DIY. http://www.classroomdiy.com/p/welcome.html )

Confessions of a Ex Extreme Couponer

Before I was focused on minimalism I use to dedicate a lot of time to finding coupons, matching them with sales add's, scouring the internet and blog sites for deals.  I followed at least 5 different local blogs that posted deals where using coupons you could purchase items for little or no money.  Sometimes large quantities of items.  I would find myself buying items that my family would never use because I could get them cheap.  I still have a few citronella candles that I purchased last spring for $0.02 each.   The thrill of getting an item cheap or free was awesome! 

Eventually our freezer, refrigerator, and cupboards were stuffed with food and couponing items.  I talked my husband into buying a smaller used deep freezer and it eventually got packed to the top.  We weren't even eating everything I was buying and I was having to throw away lots of food because of it spoiling. The small freezer ran a lot, which wasn't a big deal until we got our electric bill.  It had almost doubled! But I thought it was okay because we were buying lots of food for around $30 a week if that.

Then we had a power outage, for almost two days.  We were trying to eat everything in our fridge and freezers before it thawed or spoiled.   We weren't successful.  I had 10 cans of frozen juice concentrate that melted and spoiled before it could be used,  lots of meat that had to be thrown out and other frozen foods.  While emptying the freezer I had an Oprah Ah Ha moment.  Having so much food didn't make any since if we weren't going to use it and I was just going to waste it all. 

I started looking at how much money I was spending trying to find deals.  Every Sunday I was purchasing at least one if not two newspapers.  I was printing around 10 coupons every week, and I was running to stores all the time trying to find these deals.  75% of the time by the time I would make it to the store with the sale the items would already be sold out.   I was wasting a lot of time and money hunting down things we didn't need.  

I believe shows about extreme couponing have opened many stores eyes.  Many stores are now changing their coupon policies making it much more difficult to buy large quantities of things and items at a large discount or for free.  

So I sold the freezer, stopped following all of the blogs, no longer purchase the newspapers for the sole purpose of coupons,  and no longer print mass amounts of coupons.   I have found that by giving up extreme couponing I have so much more time and we are able to save money just by budgeting. 

We are currently member's of a club warehouse store.  Yup, I know it doesn't seem like buying in bulk would be very minimalist thing to do.  However, I menu plan two weeks to a month in advance.  I also try to purchase at least two weeks worth of food at one time, sometimes a month worth.  We originally joined the warehouse store because I got a really good deal on a membership through a groupon.  I have found that some meats such as chicken breast are more than $1.00 cheaper than purchasing it from my grocery store.  When I purchase the big pack of chicken  breasts I divide them up individually and freeze them.  I also divide up burger into smaller servings  before freezing. 

Many things I buy will last us a whole month. Such as snack foods for the boys and condiments. I buy paper towels, toilet paper and some cleaning products that last us at least two months.  By meal planning for a whole month I am able to buy bulk things at the warehouse club that will provide us with more than one meal.  At the end of the month or two weeks I am always pleased to see that our cupboards, fridge and freezer are almost empty.   This means I have successfully menu planned and we are not wasting a lot, if any food.  

Menu planning has made my life much simpler and has helped us minimize the amount of food waste we have.   Buying in bulk and being members of a warehouse store isn't for everyone but it works for our family of five. 

-TMW.

My definition of Minimalism

Minimalism means something different to everyone.  I have read blogs of people living out of a suitcase or backpack, people living with 100 items or less and people like myself who just want to simplify.  The spectrum for minimalism his huge!  I believe everyone can have their own definition.  

For me minimalism means giving up frivolous items or excess items and not being a mass consumer.  As a family, living out of a suitcase is out of the question. Having less then 100 belongings would never work for us.  I strive for simplicity.  

I was the type of person to hold onto things "in case".  I'll keep this stroller in case my other one breaks. I'll keep all 6 pairs of scissors in case I can't find a pair.  I'll buy the large pack of light bulbs so I'll have extra in case I need them. When what actually ends up happening, in our house, is that nothing gets put away because there isn't room and then ended up getting lost. 

The in case items slowly took over my garage, and every spare space we had in our home.  I had a plastic, shoe size storage box full of ink pens, pencils, and markers as well as a catch all drawer over flowing with the same. I finally went through it all and ditched the majority. 10 ink pens are plenty in our house, and this smaller amount has caused me to be sure I put them back when I am done.  10 might be excessive to some people but for us, the number works. 

Don't feel that you have to meet a specific number of items to be considered minimalism. Others might disagree with this statement, but I believe you can make your own simplicity with whatever number of belongings makes you comfortable.  For me it's 10 ink pens.  

Letting go of items that hold an emotional attachement

When I was pregnant with my oldest my grandmother died.  It was a hard time for our family as she a very strong woman who held our family together. Upon her passing I inherited a lot of her household items because we were just starting out.   My grandmother was a baker and sold the bread, cookies, pies and  rolls she made to everyone. So she had a huge collection of pie plates, loaf pans and everything that goes with baking.  I took it all, everything and I don't bake enough to justify having all of the wares for a small bakery.  Slowly, over the last 10 years I have started giving things away or selling them.   I have now four pie plates, a set of stainless steel mixing bowls, cook books, and other utensils.

Today I put one of the pie plates into a bag for donations.  Yes it pulled at  my heart a little but I have to remember that these things aren't my grandmother.  Do I need a pie plate to remember her? No.  Am I every going to use four pie plates at the same time? Probably not.  So why keep something that I am most likely never going to use.   If my grandmother were here she would say "Why are you keeping all this junk?"  So why am I?

I think we are often afraid that by giving away or getting rid of things that a loved one gave to us we will be offending them or giving up a piece of them we are still holding on to.  I always remind myself of my ultimate goal to live simply and holding onto things doesn't help me meet that goal.  I will always have my memories of my grandma dancing in her dinning room with me, I don't need a pie plate to remember that. 

If you are starting to downsize you don't have to get rid of those items with emotional attachments right away.  It has taken me a lot of time to give up some things but I eventually do. Minimalism isn't about making yourself uncomfortable, for me it is about simplifying how I live.

-H

We are weapons of mass consumption

There was a time in my life before my other two children were born, where I bought anything and everything.  I spent a lot of time and money buying clothes not only for myself but my husband and son. We rented in a cookie cutter neighborhood at that time and were barely making ends meet but my concern was appearing like everyone else in the neighborhood.  I spent a large chunk of money landscaping a rental, A RENTAL just to keep up with the Jones. 

I look back at that time period and realize now that I was lonely.  My husband was working a crazy schedule trying to let me afford the crazy lifestyle I was trying to project.  I was spending everyday shopping trying to fill my loneliness with things.   The things I bought gave me an instant satisfaction but the thrill was gone by the time the bags reached the house.  It was a vicious cycle.  I was lonely so I went shopping, my husband worked extra hours to pay for all the extra stuff I was buying, which meant I was alone more.  

I think a lot of people use shopping as a 'filler' for other issues. I live near a Target and drive by it often.  I have never driven by Target when the parking lot isn't full.  We are like ants running to a picnic.  We feel the need to prove ourselves equal in every aspect of our lives.  We are always purchasing new clothes, the newest electronics, home decor to 'keep up with the Jones'.      Television is always shoving the newest things down our throats and we are conditioned to 'need' these things.  

I've broken the cycle for myself.  Don't get me wrong I am still tempted. 

However, I now find immense pleasure in having a clean organized house. I find myself enjoying empty space.  After living for years being unable to find things it I love when I know right where something is.  Living minimalist in a consumer driven world is always a battle.  I shop Target and often find some cute thing I think I can't live with out but I now I ask myself three questions. 

• Do I need this?
• When/how will I use this?
• Do I love this enough to give up something I already have? 

More often than not I find myself putting the item back and leaving the store with just the things that were on my list. I come home feeling good because I saved myself some money, I don't have to unload a lot of bags and try to find a home for things I bought.  

In short:
We've all heard that money doesn't equal happiness which I agree with.  I also learned that happiness can not come from things because I lived it.  

Finding my ideal minimalism

Finding my ideal minimalism

Last summer I purchased a dresser off of craigslist and I initially loved it. It was from the 1970's and the drawers had scroll work on them. It would be perfect! I had been living without a dresser for my whole marriage and suddenly felt that I deserved a dresser.  I cleaned up the dresser,painted it, moved it into my room, and put my clothes away.

 Two weeks later I hated it.  It became a catch all for us. I constantly found myself cleaning it off. I finally had enough. I emptied all of the drawers and posted it on craigslist and it sold within 10 minutes of being posted! (I even made some money on it!) My clothes were then strewed about my bedroom, which made me take a good look at them. It was crazy how many clothes I owned and never wore! This was the point at which I started giving a mass amount of stuff away.  After going through each item of clothing, I collected six paper overflowing grocery bags to give away. I haven't missed a single item I gave away yet. 
We have a small dresser that was used mostly as a decoration that has now become my dresser. It is 2 feet tall, 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep with four drawers. I'm still working on downsizing what it holds. However, for me right now I am at a happy spot.  

My new dresser

 My closet is still a work in progress. I have the rule that if I haven't worn (blank item of clothing) in the past 6 months its being donated.  Seriously no one needs 15 t-shirts (I'm looking at you Lunchbox!)
I have come to the realization that things do not create happiness! 

Children and Minimalism

I thought there would be a fight.  I was prepared for the worst. I entered my son's room with a paper bag and he knows what that means. I even had a speech prepared to explain why I wanted him to give away some of his toys.  Alas, to my surprise, there was no fight, no argument.  So away we went going through his mounds of toys. He didn't even hesitate to throw things into the donate bag. We dwindled his three bins of toys down to one. Granted he is a pre-teen who doesn't spend much time playing except for a few choice toys, but I was amazed! 

One child down, two more to go. 

I again prepped myself for the worst. My youngest two share a room and the toys abound! So again I took them into their room with a bag and they were ready to go. THREE BAGS full of toys in less than an hour.  Choices were made so quickly and no fighting.  I really was feeling blessed.  Granted they still have more toys then I think is necessary it was our first step in the right direction. Now all of their toys fit into their toy box and two bins!

My oldest has commented on how much easier it is for him to clean up his room because there is less that gets pulled out when he is looking for something specific. SCORE! And no one has complained about missing something that I have given away. Two points for mom! 

The biggest 1up for our karma was that I posted the toys on my local freecycle yahoo group. A woman was the first to ask for the toys.  When she came to pick them up she was teared up and so grateful. She explained that she recently had left her abusive husband and had to leave everything behind.  Her son had not had many toys for the past two weeks and would be so happy to finally have something to play with. It made me feel good that no only were the toys not going to the landfill but were going to a child who needed them. 

Now if I can only get them to stop wanting to consume in mass quantities things will be great. Want versus Need!