Simplifying Life

mary43

originally posted by ceridwen
Repeat after me "credit card/I dont own any credit cards/therefore how can I buy any books...on greenmetropolis or otherwise". Repeated at 10 minute intervals - you might convince yourself

I'm trying really I am. OH did the right thing when his new one came. He didnt bother to activate it so he can't use it. Not so me...........there I was before Christmas in a state of panic running riot over the internet for pressies for this and that person.............this year is definitely going to be different. Inspiration from here and the Special Occassions board.........everyone is having something from the charity shop either in a basket or shoe box.......not more that £5 or £6 if I can help it (though I did go over my limit on Monday........that was buying the leather box to put the bits in otherwise it would have been £5)............definitely getting rid of stuff that's starting to become a burden to me..............more possible Christmas/birthday pressies I think..................and OH is taking a keen interest in the food side of things.
He's even mentioned a bread making machine he says his boss has tucked away in the shed - going to check it out next week to see if it works.

Love the blog - be interesting to see how he gets on........imagine being offered £45 and refusing it !! How many people could do that ? Not me thats for sure..............lol
Be a nice idea if we didn't have to bother with all this money stuff.....that really would be a burden lifted.
When we start the kids here on 'independant living skills' we give them £40 a week (equivalent of JSA more or less) and they have to feed and clothe themselves on it. If they run out of something and we've got it, we swap it........four slices of bread for an egg, something like that. Oh if only life were that simple. Does teach them some kind of values.............life isn't 'easy come, easy go'

Fozz

I suppose this is the opposite of simplifying life, but I just found it amusing!
Got a well-known household products catalogue the other day, and was amazed at the number of useless gadgets you can buy to clutter up your home.
Two descriptions which made me giggle were the microwave potato baker "to stop your potatoes rolling around while cooking" - anyone had this problem?
Also the plastic tray specially for buttering bread with raised sides " to stop the bread falling off " - have never buttered bread hard enough to make it fall off the plate!

meanmarie

Hello all,

Think that this is my first post here, but have been lurking for a while on and off...am so bad at decluttering...my life, my possessions, whatever. Books are a particular problem, as I find them so difficult to part with...I keep buying more and more shelves which go in more and more rooms and there are still lots in the workshop in plastic bags...no idea what is there.

Then there is the furniture...much of it was made by my beloved father, who died in 1994, but we don't seem to have space for it anymore...have to do something as I am going to Australia in May for six weeks and my grown up children are threatening a skip or three while I am gone!

I am the world's champion procrastinator and seem to be able to put things off indefinitely without a problem...I have been waiting all for life for something...I'll do that when such-and-such happens, stops, finishes...at almost 63 time is no longer an infinite future and I would like things tidy when I 'cross over the bar'.

The big positive in all of this is that this is the first time ever I have come out and admitted that I have a problem letting go...so maybe onwards and upwards is a possibility after all.

Thanks for listening to the waffle

Marie

rosieben

Hi Marie and welcome to the thread! we're all at various stages of letting go of life baggage and house clutter including lots of books so you will fit in really well!

I've let quite a few things go that were made by my dad - my own kids didnt want them but I passed them onto a nephew who was so pleased to have 'family heirlooms'! I realised I have lots of lovely memories and so I've finally been able to let the 'stuff' go. Its very liberating but its taken me a long time to get this far so be gentle on yourself!

do_it_today!

Hi :hello:

Good start Marie admitting or acknowledging your procrastinationing ways!!!
I am more aware of mine now and realising Im doing it helps move along abit faster - yet there still is a dither factor (its abit shorter now!)

do_it_today!

goodness anyone reading my post would think I never went to school sometimes my brain moves faster than my hands while I touch type!

novice_money_saver_2

Good Morning Everyone

I cleared my debts in August 06 :T partly thanks to MSE tips and support and began my debt-free life as a committed MSE'er, also dabbling in OS.

Then, I got promoted and got a chunky bonus from work in May 2007 and have been on a bit of a spree ever since. Free from my shackles of debt, I've had new clothes, make up, weekend breaks and fab holidays, new things for the house, posh walking and cycling gear, manicures (not always compatible with walking and cycling), and I got a cleaner :eek: .

I thought I was enjoying myself . But lately my life has seemed shallow and empty, way too much focus on work and material trappings and not enough on home (I mean REAL home, not just the house I've been filling with gadgets and gizmos), family and friends.

I was in hospital ealier in the week and have had to have the week off work. It's given me some time to reflect on what is important to me and I've decided I want to strip a lot of the complications out of my life and get back to basics. So can I come and join you OS'ers to try and focus on the important things in life and wean myself off my recent reliance on (and obsession with) material things?? :embarasse

My new slow cooker arrived yesterday (£16.64 from Amazon) and I'm so excited about making real slow food.

Is OS the key to contentment?

Ellidee

Hi meanmarie. As they say on the flylady thread - 'baby steps'. Sentimental belongings are the hardest to part with in my experience. You might find too that after a little while the decluttering 'gathers momentum' as you find it easier to let things go. Good luck !

*moggins*

Hi novice, I've just got back here after going back into the working world and never seeming to have enough time for everything. I'm hoping this lot can keep me on the straight and narrow too

judderman62

Morning all :hello: