Change A Week Challenge

I used to post here regularly and was well on my way to becoming a professional OS'er. However, things have slipped drastically over the last few months and I'm going to have to start all over again.

Rather than making lots of sudden changes that I won't be able to keep up, I'm going to make one small change a week. Hopefully these changes will gradually build up to a complete change of lifestyle. Does anyone fancy joining me in my 'Change A Week' challenge?

For me, changes are going to be very basic at first - things like keeping a spending diary, making a proper breakfast every morning, cooking two evening meals from scratch each week etc. For those of you who are already well on the way to the OS lifestyle, it might be things like having a go at HM bread, taking up a new OS hobby, getting an allotment etc. It's not a competition - your changes can be as big or as small as you can manage, based on your personal lifestyle. Each weekly change will start on a Monday morning.
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Comments

  • Chipps
    Chipps Posts: 1,550
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    Hi Nabowla
    This sounds like a good idea. As I have pretty much always been a bit OS, but falling off every so often, the changes are more likely to be "get back up on the wagon again" type of thing! ie things I have done in the past when times were tougher, but really ought to do again so that we have a bit of a financial cushion - if that makes sense.
    I will have to think about where to start....
  • ASG_2
    ASG_2 Posts: 90 Forumite
    I'm in, just haven't a clue where to start!
  • gwinnie
    gwinnie Posts: 9,881
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    Hi nabowla, I'm in! For me it's tackling the clutter problem ... it's everywhere! I used to be quite an organised person with a tidy home, until it all went to pot over the last six years with the arrival of DH, two big dogs, our home office, and finally DS.
    Context is all.

    "Free your mind and the rest will follow."

    "Real eyes realise real lies"
  • Penelope_Penguin
    Penelope_Penguin Posts: 17,288
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    Hi, Nabowla, Chipps, ASG and Gwinnie! :hello:

    Great idea, OP! I'm in. We've been OS for a long time - grow our own food; keep chooks; reduce, reuse, recycle; make compost; cycle and walk whenever we can, in preference to the car; cook most meals from scratch; camp.

    However, we're not the tidiest family, though I'm pretty organised. Our homelife can best be described as organised chaos - I can lay my hands on most things that we need. _pale_

    I'd like it to be organised order from now on, so that's my challenge. That'll be a big task, so I'll split it into smaller ones, so that there's one a week. :think:

    First week - the pantry. I'll be clearing out items that haven't been used, and either dispose of them, or plan an imaginitive meal. Any ideas for 3 jars of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil? :idea:

    Penny. x
    :rudolf: Sheep, pigs, hens and bees on our Teesdale smallholding :rudolf:
  • lizzie12_2
    lizzie12_2 Posts: 409 Forumite
    Hi All

    I am all for the weekly challenge.

    Have made a list of everything in the cupboard , fridge and freezer, just need to plan the weeks meals for three of us!!! One fussy eater also to contend with.

    Not sure about others but I can be a devil for saving articles etc from papers and magazines for "Just in case I need them later" - now have stacks of them and not read half of them - forgot I kept some of them. Need to get shot of most of it. More for the recycle bin.

    Bfn
  • Anastacia
    Anastacia Posts: 470 Forumite
    I am in too please Nabowla.

    I have completely gone to the dogs lately. I need to focus & I dont seem to be able to do it alone.

    Anastacia
    ....another happy bug.........sorry,blogger embracing the simple life
  • roxi_chick
    roxi_chick Posts: 80 Forumite
    Brilliant idea, maybe if I start to change things slowly I will actually keep to what i say! Good luck decluttering then everyone! ;)
    Roxi xx
    SEPTEMBER
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  • gwinnie
    gwinnie Posts: 9,881
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    Good morning! It's happy chaos for me too, but it makes it harder to clean and once I HAVE cleaned it, I've run out of energy to do the sorting. But my mum is coming to stay next week and I want to do something that is noticeable straight away, so it's got to be dealing with the surface clutter in the room we spend the most time in, which is our office/kitchen/diner! This means scaling the paperwork mountain ( :eek: ), clearing the kitchen work surface, tidying my shelves and finally shifting my old vids on top of the bookcase.

    Penelope -- to use those sundried tomatoes, how about making a red pesto. Are you vegetarian? If not, how about a stuffing for a roast too give it a mediterranean twist.
    Context is all.

    "Free your mind and the rest will follow."

    "Real eyes realise real lies"
  • skylight
    skylight Posts: 10,716
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    I'm in too!

    Already keep a spending diary and every penny is accounted for!

    But the house is a joke. Its a tiny house (2 bed) with 6 people and its cramped. Hence, too much stuff (I do clear out and freecycle a lot!) but it is never ending!

    So. My challenges are going to be a good clean up. We need to desperately as FIL is going to put in a false wall in our front room - halving the space - so OH and I can have our own bedroom! (oh, the luxury.........) so half the living room has to just disappear somewhere!

    I kind of made a start a few weeks by doing a corner a day - but only got as far as one........

    So - Monday - the Books. Ruthless. I did this a few years ago and got rid of half of them. Need to do the same again. We are avid readers, but some of the books I now have are daft - Like "The Illiad" in ancient Greek and a "How to Learn Ancient Greek" book! I got as far as page 7 on The Illiad before giving up!!!

    I bought loads of Art books about 8 yrs ago when doing an Art History degree - never looked at them since! And so on.

    The kids can do the library more. I think we only need a good selection of books at home and do the library every week. Its not like I do anything else as a SAHM!!!

    The ones I am keeping will go into a cardboard box and the garage, ready for the change!


    Tuesday - Filing - sort it. I do not need half this stuff. Shred and recycle.

    Wednesday - Computer Desk

    Thursday - Cupboards under the wall units. Most are filled with junk/rubbish that is not used. When the room is changed, this space will be needed desperately.

    Friday - Having off!

    Great idea!
  • Icemaiden
    Icemaiden Posts: 641
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    Ironing is my bug bear. I have to admit Iam a bit of a clean freak when it comes to washing and wash everything all the time, clothes only worn once, all bedding once a week, bath towels used once, you get my drift. So I always have a megga pile of ironing which I can never seem to get to the bottom of. Do people allot certain days/times to do their ironing? Mine is just whenever.

    Also baking. I can make/cook anything in the savoury department and we are very much O/S in this area and always have been but would love to be able to bake more sweets, biscuits, bread, cakes without having a disaster on my hands or burning down the house. Any ideas??

    Ice
    x
    Rebel No 22
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