To quote the Minimalists: Organizing is just well planned hoarding. I was a slave to pretty baskets & bins too. I've donated more than half of them because once I decluttered, I had nothing to put in them. Go figure? lol... 😉 You're doing great!! I love your videos. 💞
Sadly, I bought more! I love keeping project materials in their own container. Since at any given time I have 7-12 projects going, it helps to contain my physical research info, materials, forms, supplies. When I need to work on something, I just grab that bin from shelf and take it to table, etc. What are some of my projects? End of life tasks (as POA for family, I am getting info in order so it won't be hardship during emotional time. Health related matters for family members. Community ed classes I want to teach. Household remodeling or bigger repairs. Summer plans for children. Travel schemes/ideas. Anything that may have no fixed end date/deadline yet or may be super long term, but already has paper or objects coming in the door.
I have been using the “reusable” veggie bags when shopping. Got them on Amazon. No more flimsy plastic bags any more. Also my grocery store collects plastic bags for recycling into benches. They even have one on display that you can sit on. The realty companies and hospitals are always giving bags to use. We use them to bag our groceries. If I buy small things when shopping, I always refuse the plastic. It is just a few things we do to protect the environment, and it feels good.
Love your hair up! The expressions in the Santa picture are priceless! I also have a tendency to collect bags, bins, and baskets - kind of a weird collection, and only useful if they get used, otherwise I need to pass them on to someone who will use them. Thanks for all the inspiration!
Loved your tip about keeping the cleaning cloth with the the specific cleaner. We have eliminated numerous dressings for salads. I bought a clear condiment bottle, fill it half way with oil, 2/3-3/4 more with vinegar, about 1 tbsp. of our favorite mustard, and about 2 tsp. of dried basil. I would say we use this dressing about 95 percent of the time, and we eat alot of large salads. The family seems to like and accept this dressing readily.
You're really on your way. When I let go of my "must keep" favorite magazines, the stack was over 3 feet tall. Yikes. Amazing what eyes wide open is like.
I had several must keep magazines that had tons of equestrian horse training articles. I was going to keep them. I changed my mind. Chucked them out, lol.
your consistency is amazing. I also love when you make funny faces (like when finding empty toothbrush boxes in your closet), cracks me up every time. you are doing so well, it is contagious!
Hello from England. Just found you & have subscribed. I am going through the de-cluttering process - stuff just seems to come into my house on its own! Thank you for sharing your journey with us, will be watching other video's in next few days.
Never had paper towels in my whole life ;-))) Unfortunately, Microfibre is SUPER HARMFUL to the environment as it leaches plastics into the watersystem/ landfill/ ocean. Plus, be careful with microfibre on your windows; over time, it scratches the windows. I have ruined a couple of our windows with it :-(( I am back to where I started: Cotton washclothes for dishes, cleaning and everything else. Love your energy and drive - you are really rocking at this change in your life. Your are a great inspiration and motivation for me. Have a great and blesses day. BR from Zurich in Switzerland
I didn't know it was harmful to the environment. I don't use microfiber (from the United States if you can't tell from the spelling) because I hate it. I don't like the feel of it against my hands. I also find that debris gets stuck in and then I can never get it out of the fibers. 😕
It's amazing the things that we buy and don't actually need. We actually don't buy that many paper towels... I prefer using towels. I love the idea of color coding microfiber towels. That is a great idea!
I have been on this journey for about 15 months. Learn something new every time I watch your videos. also, enjoy watching you. You get right to the point without rambling on and on or repeating yourself. Thank you!
I've been on the no paper towels wagon for decades. I just use a cloth, and wash it. When my mom visits I sometimes buy a cheap roll because anyone that does windows gets whatever they want, haha. Besides, she's in her 80's and if a roll of towels makes her happy when she visits (from 2500 miles away), I think I can accomodate that! The only thing that you mentioned that remains on my "buy" list is extra groceries. I don't shop the sales necessarily, but since I dislike shopping I buy in quantity the (non-fresh) items when I find them. Since I don't buy processed foods (crackers, cereal, etc.) these staples provide me with some "depth" in my pantry and I shop only 1-2x per month. (and I provide my own milk, eggs, and meat, which is a hard earned luxury) This type pantry has sometimes been a pain, like when my grandkids drop in or my daughter and husband want to stay here for a few days. Then quick and easy suddenly sounds like fun. Ah, well, improvise.... and no convenient grocery stores makes my good intentions about eating real food kind of a must.
@@EricaLucasLoves mostly old towels that I cut down to washcloth size when they become thin. I've been married a long time so I have plenty of "original" towels that are failing. If they are white or light I use them for potholder innards. If there are pieces that are small, like 5" square, I use them for washing dishes, or for kids that are "helping". I have some old t-shirts that I use for little noses as they are soft. I use the best specimens for facecloths and gradually demote them until they die an honorable death (usually at the hands of my husband at the farm or in the garage). I am pretty frugal, or maybe just a cheapskate :) . I would say that it is a generational thing except that my eldest daughter is quite similar with her choices. I think you two would get along.... homeschooler, started married life as a Navy wife, believer, etc. Now they are considering moving and she suddenly is looking at their home and feeling like she needs to declutter. And the accumulating things for future use (like homeschooling or to save money) is a tough one. To me it is so different than folks that are just buying toys and decor. I digress, but my stack of useful but overabundant towels is getting a good hard look these days. Thanks for documenting your decisions and thought process. It is helping this old timer and by extension, my family.
I bought microfiber also and really liked them but since then I’ve learned that they are a leading cause of tiny plastic beads in our water and oceans so I’m not getting any more of those. Good cotton is best.
Love you, I decluttered a year ago, and anyone beginning their journey will really find your videos so helpful. I agree with everything you just mentioned Purses Paper towels Grocery shopping Magazines Etc etc Your one of my favorite xo Merry Christmas
You have done an amazing job! Thanks so much for sharing with us. Imagine how many people you have blessed with your donations! You are very inspirational!
For your Pre- Order habit. When I hear about a book I like I add it to a list that I have on Amazon. I have Pre-Order Kindle, Parenting Books, Kid books and Lindsay books. And then i can always go back and look at the list in a week to see if I still want it or it was an impulse. You're doing great, love watching your journey!
I might never buy a book at Amazon, but I love their shopping list as 1 way to keep inventory 2 way to keep track of books I want. The lists last for years and Amazon maintains that system very well. Only 1 glitch in over 10 years' time I have been doing this. Great way to see pricing for your used items you want to sell.
@@EricaLucasLoves Good Reads is freaking awesome! Love how you can put in books you absolutely adore and it suggests books you'll love just as much. Have found some AMAZING "new to me" books and authors that way! SO much more efficient and effective than browsing a bookstore and reading covers. You can still find gems browsing that way... but you find a whole treasure chest when you do it through Good Reads instead.
I love going to thrift books online you can choose your books, the books are cheap. Also I do this for myself is set a budget on how much you can spend.
On the paper towels front. They are useful very occasionally when you're making meals that produce left over grease, if it's not the type that can be scraped as a solid into your bin. The paper towels are best for mopping up cooking oil and grease and saves you tipping in your sink and eventually causing a nasty block in your drain.
I like your honest approach to decluttering and minimalism, of personal experiences. I see RUclips videos where people have look through other videos and just copied "10 things I don't buy", your video is real and honest. Well done!
I buy the reusable paper towels at the Dollar Tree. They are only used to polish a few things after they were cleaned. A pack of 6 will last me close to 4 months. I use to spend a lot of money at thrift stores and book sales. Most of it I never read and donated it when I decluttered. Now I check the library or buy it only if it is something I will actually read. I buy maybe one or two books every couple of months.
I did not know that about microfiber towels and heat. Thanks for sharing. Also, that’s a genius tip wrapping the towel around w a hair band to keep them paired up!
I still buy paper towels because I have nine kids, and I really prefer to clean up puke and pee with them, as well as kill an occasional bug. However, I keep a stack of the cheapo white wash cloths from Wal-Mart (they come in a bundle for less than $5) under my kitchen sink. Everyone knows that we grab those to dry up a spill, clean something, etc., not paper towels. There's usually a stack of them by evening to be washed, but they just go in the wash that I'm already doing. Saves a lot of waste and money. I use my Norwex microfiber for cleaning of bathrooms, appliances, etc. They're awesome!
This was one of the best videos. I decided to stop magazines too. I will buy specific issues I want every once in awhile rather than monthly. I’ve cut way back on paper towels too. I love the microfibre cloths and old tee shirts. Stockpiling will also stop. Thanks for that.
I will fess up to having multiple sneakers...when Kmart closed I picked up 5 pair of my favorite style for 6.00. As I now live in sneakers, I am so glad I did. Just cancelled Amazon books & music...don't lose what you purchased but cha-ching no more. The library will ship books from different locations, offers so many online options---if you can't find it, probably doesn't exist. I have found the nail polish separates...I keep it basic. Very good microfiber information. TY! - Kathleen
I adore my microfiber cloths for cleaning. Gets a streak free shine. And they feel soft and pleasant on my hands while I clean. Love your rubber band in the bottle idea! And I spend the few cents more for Grove products. They smell fantastic and seems to lift my mood so it’s worth the extra cost to me.
This was very well thought out! I've seen videos like this before and they seemed very generic and common sense. Yours dug a little deeper! We've been seriously minimizing since October. Since then I know for sure we have stopped buying PAPER PLATES!! We are a family of 10 and it just seemed easier to save on dish washing. We were spending about $9/week on paper plates!?! Now we have 9 plates, and I ordered some recycled divided plates for our baby for Christmas so he has a plate too. I wash those three times a day for our meals. I've actually found that I enjoy washing the dishes, and there are surprisingly fewer than when we used paper products!!! I think because we HAVE to wash them and can't just let them pile up at the sink. I'd like to switch from paper towels to cloth napkins. We adjusted our clothing situation so that it's way more manageable. Now cloth napkins don't seem so daunting!! Thanks for sharing!
Love your videos! They inspire me to simplify too. One thing that I have minimized is my cleaning routine. I can do all my household cleaning with baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap. Also saves on worry about chemicals on kitchen counters, or in the bathtub. And much cheaper than the pinesol and comet I was using before.
So happy you tackled what you have so far! I have made the decision that we to as a family are about to begin our journey! It has helped me to be able to watch you on your journey bc as you see a lot of them greats’ on RUclips- which I LOVE, but that have already contoured the battle! Thank you for sharing your journey so far! I loved to see the bad and the GREAT of the battles! I was routing you on in your steps, “Come on your making progress!!” And you DID! Your great!
Well shoot! I'm doing pretty ok in my decluttering and process of minimal-ish-ism!! I don't even know what "pre-order books" are, and I haven't bought a magazine in forever!
Yes the answer to chaos is not more storage, it's get rid of nonessentials. Thank you. So many Tubers promoting endless Dollar Tree hauls for organising and storage instead of addressing the too much stuff fact.
I have grown up with a hand towel in the kitchen for when you wash your hands. Dish rag for wiping anything and everything. Paper towels are only for cleaning the sink and napkins. I use a lot of paper towels still though, so I am contemplating buying cotton fabric to make cloth napkins with to minimize my use even more.
I just bought a pack of cheap cloth napkins in a dark color and we've been using them for years and they still look great! Visitors think it's weird, but it's all my kids know;)
@@AWanderingEye We do not really have anything like that in the thrift stores in my city. Only a couple of restaurants in the city uses cloth napkins. I do not know any "private" person that does. But it could get me cheap fabric to make it out of!
I've noticed that good quality nail varnish doesn't really go bad/gooey? I've bought an essie nail varnish a good 5 years ago; while I threw away at least 20 bottles of cheap dried/gooey nail polishes during that time, that one is still good as new! I thought it was a mad price for a tiny bottle of paint but got my money's worth for sure. I now only keep a clear varnish, a fast dry top coat, and one true red one burgundy polish and that's it. I've given up on the notion that I'll ever be someone who wears nail varnish in many colours.
Oh girl!!!! I’m watching this video in the wanning days of the great covid pause and there are still shortages everywhere. I like minimalism and had a capsule wardrobe before it was a thing. I have always had a large pantry and backups for basics. Hubby used to laugh at me for having backups of backups of cleaning supplies! Little did we know. Orrrrr did I? It all came in handy. And as special forces says, one is none, two is one. Especially with toilet paper. Lol!! We can’t live in fear but we sure can be prepared and most have found out that they aren’t. Having a 3-6 month stocked pantry isn’t hoarding its preparing. And God love em the LDS knows what’s up!! Great job on the decluttering. I’ve been binge watching all day. Your transform from the beginning to this video is remarkable.
It’s amazing how much we can accumulate over the years. My new mindset for 2020 is to ‘live with less and keep only the things we use and love’. We have started the de cluttering process at our home and it feels great!
So happy you were able to make a system that works for you, cleaning with cloths! Like others here, I use cotton towels or rags from old t-shirts because I didn't want to buy microfiber that contributes to micro plastics. However, since you alreadyhave yours at this point, I hope you get a long time of service from them! Better to use what we have than throw it away just to buy the "better" thing!
Erica, I adore you, I have binge watching your journey, I have been living simply for three years, and it’s amazing how I want nothing, and so happy with what I do have. Life iS GOOD
I need to do the capsule clothing thing, I do tend to hang on to cloths, even ones that don’t look good or have gotten smaller in the drier. At least last week I got rid of my old maternity clothes 🤗 I was sick of people asking me if I was pregnant again.
Hi Erica, If you use microfiber, most of the time you don't need any product. Only water! You can also use white vinegar and baking soda for cleaning almost anything without harming your family and nature. And it's much less expensive!! Your Chanel is one of my favorite since you started your minimalist journey. Started mine some months ago but not doing half as good as you! But happy for any progress I make 😊 Greetings from a German "girl" who lives in France
I love this video! It makes me think about something that I buy. I do not buy the matching outfit for Christmas. I usually look in the closet to see what we all have that has the same colors. If I buy Bekah a cute seasonal outfit, it is usually from the consignment store and it goes back there when we are done with it. 😊
I have found that since I’m a school bus driver and I live in Canada where we have winter 🥶 cold and snow ❄️ that I tend to wear turtlenecks and jeans every day for 6 months so I haven several of those and pretty much and nothing else. I’m in Texas soaking up the warm weather and when I get back home we are doing the massive purge!
One pair of sneakers, once we wear them out, they become play sneakers. Our play sneakers have holes in them and are falling apart. But they are also covered with dirt, because they’re for play.
Once you obtain your goals, you may want to consider prepping, which is simply keeping extra food and certain supplies on hand in the event of an emergency - grid down, job loss, illness, etc. Its comparable to buying insurance. You have to have it, but pray you never need it. 💗
It has taken me close to 10 years to completely declutter my house. I used, recycled, and wore out all the items I had bought over the previous 10 years. I am finally in a really good place. I just felt like I didn't want to get rid of good stockpiled items that I loved so I used them up. Long journey but during that time I didn't buy more of anything I didn't need. I mostly bought food and gas for the car. My best change is that I have sold almost all my books and I now borrow from the library. You can even borrow kindle books. My kindle is 5 years old and I have no desire to upgrade.
Try cleaning with vinegar. Life Changer!! 1/3 vinegar with 2/3 water. Clean your mirrors, sinks and countertops using a microfiber cloth. I personally do not like the smell so I light a little candle once I’m done.
I love your series! I’m just watching a few more episodes before I get to my crawl space😉. Thanks to you, the kids rooms are done! Sadly, they still won’t clean up after themselves but hopefully that’ll change. I will never be a minimalist with groceries. You just need family members that lived through natural disasters or tyrannical governments to understand that you never trust that life will always be safe and cushy. It can turn on a dime. We ALWAYS have enough food to survive if the heat/power/gas source goes out.
I also only have one nail polish! I used to paint my nails all the time but hadn’t done it in ages. I have one because I went to 5+ weddings this summer and I wanted something new spruce up with. It’s Mauve Over by Sally Hansen which is bright enough to be a colour but neutral enough to good with everything
Hi Erica! Whoot whoot!! We have such similar journeys! The only categories I am still working on is the extra groceries and the paper towels. Winter is tough in Canada, so I do tend to stock up a bit before winter, for when I get snowed in. I have microfiber cloths, but with a 1-year old the paper towels come in handy sometimes after mealtime 🤪 Through conscious use of them, I have managed to slow down the use to just a couple of rolls a year though! Thanks again for a great video, I always perk up when I see you posted a new one :)
Sarah Vandekendelaere hi Sarah! Oh toddler messes are seriously messy. I use baby wipes on my youngest still. How do they get it all over?? You’d have to stock up if you get snowed in. That’s smart. Thanks for being here with me!
I’ve seen couple of your videos, I like you so much! Easy going, with great sense of humor, natural, simple, optimistic. Great personality and the videos that I actually can watch to the end😀
Paper Towels - I only use them to drain bacon and sausages and something that is too gross to deal with - meaning, I probably use 5 paper towels a week. To drain, soak up greasy foods I open a few pages of news paper like book, then put the paper towels across. Putting sausages/bacon on the paper towels and closing it up like a book removes the grease. Works for our family.
I still use paper towels i buy them from Costco. I have a daughter with medical stuff and her nurse comes twice a month. So they are a necessity at our house.
We stopped using paper towels a few years ago. I just use white face cloths for everything and then they go on a hot wash. We do keep paper towels in the house for occasional nasty jobs. Dog accidents (our rescue is still learning), vomit, or if I cook something like bacon I’ll use it to absorb some of the oil. For glass and mirrors I use old t-shirts that weren’t good enough to donate. I try to avoid microfibre because of the plastics. I do buy certain things in bulk when they are on sale. I only do this for things we use regularly such as eco toilet paper, dishwashing soap, basmati rice, my daughter’s favourite pasta sauce, meat for the freezer, a specific brand of baked beans, and frozen pizzas for emergency dinners. I find having multiples of things we do use to be satisfying but having a kitchen full of many different items feels chaotic. I used to see something and buy it thinking we’d try it and I’d end up with a pantry full of stuff but nothing to eat because there was no rhyme or reason to the items. Now I might have 20 cans of baked beans sometimes but as they all look the same so it doesn’t feel cluttered. Does that make sense? I love the Santa pic! So much personality going on 😀 I am enjoying your content so much. What a long way you have come in just a couple of months!
I use rags from old towels, t-shirts etc. for cleaning. I use paper towels for dog vomit, laying any greasy cooked foods like bacon or french fries on to absorb grease.
Cool list with some fun (different) items - like paper towels/microfiber replacements. I've never been into nail polish so never had to declutter anything to do with that, but makeup = guilty! Not really difficult, as everything I actually used was on top of my vanity; everything else was shoved in one of the drawers. I was telling my son a couple nights ago that 2020 is the year I want to just -- gradually, one item at a time -- start replacing with something sustainable, like a bamboo toothbrush, or microfiber towels. I get frustrated if I try to do too much at the same time, but once one thing has assimilated, I'm eager for the next, and that's the attitude I want. Don't know if I'll ever talk my hubs out of paper towels, but surely I can make my own choice to stop using them, right? … thanks - your videos are such fun, and so informative too!
I don't buy paper towels for us to use either!! I haven't for a long time. We have a napkin basket full of cloth napkins that we use at dinner time. When we clean we use towels and if we have a big mess that needs cleaning (lots of kids here = lots of spills) we just grab a bathroom towel. The only time i get paper towels is when we go camping. But, they do come in handy when the dog has an accident in the mudroom... he is pretty old (15) and it happens often, so paper towels are probably gonna be on my list until he is gone.
@@EricaLucasLoves I mean for lots of reasons. In case of a disaster and you can't get to the grocery store. Or you get to the grocery store, but everyone else got there first and cleaned out the shelves. (I'm not being over dramatic - this happened last winter here with a huge storm warning - all the milk and bread was GONE.) Also, if you make (for example) spaghetti a couple times a month, go ahead and buy a case of tomato sauce and a case of spaghetti noodles, as these store very well. I live an hour from town, but I can make pretty much anything without going to the store because I have a freezer full of meat and a pantry full of canned goods, pasta, cake mixes, oatmeal, flour, sugar, etc.
Becki Black Same with us. We do have a convince store nearby but that gets expensive if I run out (milk is $1 more than the supermarket) and choice is very limited. We live an hour away from the main grocery stores. We also have major snow or ice storms with road blocks or power outages. Need extra on hand!
I also stopped using paper towels but I still always have 1 cheap roll in the house for when I make bacon. What do you use for soaking up the grease with bacon? The 10-50 things I don't buy anymore was the very start of the thought of Minimalism for me- even before hearing about Marie Kondo. :)
I keep 1 roll of paper towels hidden and as chief cook and bottle washer it works. As to bacon prep or any greasy foods, we just don't eat bacon (actually no animal products) and we don't deep fry anything either. Which might not work for you. Consider cooking bulk batch of bacon, straining on a grid cookie cooling rack, then freezing it for future use. When I used to cook greasy things, we would wash and dump greasy water from our cast iron pan outside like we do when camping. Saved drains and fed wildlife. Some might not have that option. My old mom, routinely kept bacon fat for cooking so straining it then storing in fridge using a repurposed clean glass jar was her routine.
I’ve bought pretty baskets only to have them add to the clutter cause I didn’t have a plan for how to use them! Another thing I’ve bought is shelf sets to “organize” our stuff, even though our condo had long wooden shelves along one wall of the basement. We should have been able to fit in them, but no, I’ve put shelves around the perimeter of the basement and they’re all full. The floor is nearly full!!!!! 🤦🏻♀️
It’s pretty cool all the things that just naturally change. I had some similar changes. I’m so much more picky about things like purses where I’d spend $15 here, $25 there on crappy purses. I have two higher quality purses and I love them. I’m not even tempted to add a new one cause I love the 2 I have so much. My level of satisfaction with that I have has grown so much over the last couple years ( not just purses but a lot of things ) When I start feeling like I need more things I clean the house and do laundry. Then I have to touch allll the things and I don’t want to deal with more. 😂😂😂. What we have been doing more is replace like with like. And that’s been fun. Will you do an update video on the microfiber clothes in like a month. I’ve been tempted but want to see how the are like after a month. :) Love your videos !!
What a great idea to clean the house when you get the urge to go buy more stuff! I can't stand touching microfiber cloths, so I use cotton "rags" (square white cloths) that I bought at Costco. I clean houses professionally too and they are so easy to use!
What do you do for napkins? We use paper towels at my boyfriend's house. I use single-ply toilet tissue for things I want to wipe and then dispose, so I rarely need a paper towel.
Your trick to keep the towels with the cleaners is awesome👍 Do you use cloths to clean your toilet? I've been wanting to stop using paper towels too but I'm not sure how to clean really germy stuff with reusable cloths
Extra shoes. I raised a family in wet weather and cold weather. the first child gets two pair of sneakers. the rest of the kids get one pair of new and a pass down from the older child. absolutely have to have a spare pair. And of course boots with two pairs of liners each so things can dry out. Good decision to not toss containers until you are done with the sort through. I would keep that big shelving until you are done also.
I don’t buy bags and wallets anymore either. I’ve become so picky with bags and wallets that even functionally work for me that I will go years without buying them. They actually look pretty terrible and I probably should get a new one but I can’t find one I like that fits what I want to spend LOL I’m seriously so proud of you Erica. ❤️
Re: Sneakers There is a routine here. 3 pairs of aging sneakers. 1 best pair for when you need comfortable shoes but need them to be "presentable", these should be newest ones. 2 ok pair for not super messy chores around the house. Not "presentable" but not as yucky as #3. This #2 pair is older that #1 but less old than #3. 3 these are your oldest pair, great for lawn mowing, yardwork involving muck, mud etc. As this pair deteriorates, move #1 into #2 slot and the #2 pair into #3 slot and remove the old #3 pair from household. This is when you will get a new pair of "best" sneakers for the #1 slot, so depends on lifestyle. Could be every 2-3 years or even longer before you buy new pair. Can be any style, but thinking about the last stage of life for your shoes, probably a mesh upper isn't going to be a good idea since mud, water, etc., will seep onto socks. See Dacyczyn, Amy book "The Tightwad Gazette vol. 1", page 278.
My kids have one good pair of sneakers and one for mowing the lawn, a pair of sandals, and a pair of dress shoes. My daughter has 3 pairs of flip-flops that she wears with different outfits. I have way too many shoes, especially sneakers due to foot problems. I got rid of a bunch about 10 years ago and need to do this again. I know what I'm doing after Christmas.... ;-)
This is also my system with sneakers. One pair for garden & yard work; another for working in the basement, walking the dog on less then nice days; a third for “going out” like shopping or anywhere that I must be presentable 😆 When the garden sneaker gets way too bad or the good pair doesn’t look reasonable any more, then it is time for a new pair & toss the worst.
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color coding the towels is GENIUS!
You are my favorite because you have embraced minimalism so completely and the results are astonishing!
Dana Brown thank you! It’s been such a learning experience and adventure.
To quote the Minimalists:
Organizing is just well planned hoarding.
I was a slave to pretty baskets & bins too. I've donated more than half of them because once I decluttered, I had nothing to put in them. Go figure? lol... 😉
You're doing great!! I love your videos. 💞
My Minimal Chaos yes!!! I have a pile of empty baskets and bins.
Sadly, I bought more!
I love keeping project materials in their own container. Since at any given time I have 7-12 projects going, it helps to contain my physical research info, materials, forms, supplies. When I need to work on something, I just grab that bin from shelf and take it to table, etc.
What are some of my projects?
End of life tasks (as POA for family, I am getting info in order so it won't be hardship during emotional time.
Health related matters for family members.
Community ed classes I want to teach.
Household remodeling or bigger repairs.
Summer plans for children.
Travel schemes/ideas.
Anything that may have no fixed end date/deadline yet or may be super long term, but already has paper or objects coming in the door.
I LOVE that quote!!! I want to frame it and put it on my wall!
Ha this is just satisfying to read.
I have been using the “reusable” veggie bags when shopping. Got them on Amazon. No more flimsy plastic bags any more. Also my grocery store collects plastic bags for recycling into benches. They even have one on display that you can sit on. The realty companies and hospitals are always giving bags to use. We use them to bag our groceries. If I buy small things when shopping, I always refuse the plastic. It is just a few things we do to protect the environment, and it feels good.
Love your hair up! The expressions in the Santa picture are priceless! I also have a tendency to collect bags, bins, and baskets - kind of a weird collection, and only useful if they get used, otherwise I need to pass them on to someone who will use them. Thanks for all the inspiration!
Erin Elizabeth I’m a sucker for pretty baskets.
Loved your tip about keeping the cleaning cloth with the the specific cleaner.
We have eliminated numerous dressings for salads. I bought a clear condiment bottle, fill it half way with oil, 2/3-3/4 more with vinegar, about 1 tbsp. of our favorite mustard, and about 2 tsp. of dried basil. I would say we use this dressing about 95 percent of the time, and we eat alot of large salads. The family seems to like and accept this dressing readily.
Virginia Gates great change!!
You're really on your way. When I let go of my "must keep" favorite magazines, the stack was over 3 feet tall. Yikes. Amazing what eyes wide open is like.
Cadence Chrome that is incredible! That must have felt great.
I had several must keep magazines that had tons of equestrian horse training articles. I was going to keep them. I changed my mind. Chucked them out, lol.
Love your honesty and being so real
your consistency is amazing. I also love when you make funny faces (like when finding empty toothbrush boxes in your closet), cracks me up every time. you are doing so well, it is contagious!
LaFlamande thank you!! I cannot hide emotions. My face tells the truth! 😂
Love this! As a minimalist seeing someone else go from owning a lot to minimal makes my heart happy.
Hello from England. Just found you & have subscribed. I am going through the de-cluttering process - stuff just seems to come into my house on its own!
Thank you for sharing your journey with us, will be watching other video's in next few days.
Alisom Stroud hello back to England! How is the decluttering going?
The habits that have changed by having less is amazing!
Never had paper towels in my whole life ;-)))
Unfortunately, Microfibre is SUPER HARMFUL to the environment as it leaches plastics into the watersystem/ landfill/ ocean.
Plus, be careful with microfibre on your windows; over time, it scratches the windows. I have ruined a couple of our windows with it :-((
I am back to where I started: Cotton washclothes for dishes, cleaning and everything else.
Love your energy and drive - you are really rocking at this change in your life. Your are a great inspiration and motivation for me. Have a great and blesses day.
BR from Zurich in Switzerland
I didn't know it was harmful to the environment. I don't use microfiber (from the United States if you can't tell from the spelling) because I hate it. I don't like the feel of it against my hands. I also find that debris gets stuck in and then I can never get it out of the fibers. 😕
This! It is harmful indeed but I was more shocked by how badly it scratched my mirror. I thought it would be a gentle option!
rosetta grey wha?! What do you use instead now?
Hippabellita1 what?! I didn’t know! Ugh.
What??? Norwex is my love!
It's amazing the things that we buy and don't actually need. We actually don't buy that many paper towels... I prefer using towels. I love the idea of color coding microfiber towels. That is a great idea!
I have been on this journey for about 15 months. Learn something new every time I watch your videos. also, enjoy watching you. You get right to the point without rambling on and on or repeating yourself. Thank you!
I love that you call them sneakers! I grew up calling them that in Pa and now I’m in Florida and I always hear tennis shoes lol
Trainers in the UK xx
I didn’t know that about FL!
Sneakers in Ontario!
Some shoes are squeekers. Everyone knows you are coming and going.
Here in France, we call them tennis or... baskets (don’t ask)
I've been on the no paper towels wagon for decades. I just use a cloth, and wash it. When my mom visits I sometimes buy a cheap roll because anyone that does windows gets whatever they want, haha. Besides, she's in her 80's and if a roll of towels makes her happy when she visits (from 2500 miles away), I think I can accomodate that!
The only thing that you mentioned that remains on my "buy" list is extra groceries. I don't shop the sales necessarily, but since I dislike shopping I buy in quantity the (non-fresh) items when I find them. Since I don't buy processed foods (crackers, cereal, etc.) these staples provide me with some "depth" in my pantry and I shop only 1-2x per month. (and I provide my own milk, eggs, and meat, which is a hard earned luxury)
This type pantry has sometimes been a pain, like when my grandkids drop in or my daughter and husband want to stay here for a few days. Then quick and easy suddenly sounds like fun. Ah, well, improvise.... and no convenient grocery stores makes my good intentions about eating real food kind of a must.
Brenda Montanye what kind of cloth do you use?
@@EricaLucasLoves mostly old towels that I cut down to washcloth size when they become thin. I've been married a long time so I have plenty of "original" towels that are failing. If they are white or light I use them for potholder innards. If there are pieces that are small, like 5" square, I use them for washing dishes, or for kids that are "helping". I have some old t-shirts that I use for little noses as they are soft. I use the best specimens for facecloths and gradually demote them until they die an honorable death (usually at the hands of my husband at the farm or in the garage). I am pretty frugal, or maybe just a cheapskate :) . I would say that it is a generational thing except that my eldest daughter is quite similar with her choices. I think you two would get along.... homeschooler, started married life as a Navy wife, believer, etc. Now they are considering moving and she suddenly is looking at their home and feeling like she needs to declutter. And the accumulating things for future use (like homeschooling or to save money) is a tough one. To me it is so different than folks that are just buying toys and decor. I digress, but my stack of useful but overabundant towels is getting a good hard look these days. Thanks for documenting your decisions and thought process. It is helping this old timer and by extension, my family.
I bought microfiber also and really liked them but since then I’ve learned that they are a leading cause of tiny plastic beads in our water and oceans so I’m not getting any more of those. Good cotton is best.
Love you, I decluttered a year ago, and anyone beginning their journey will really find your videos so helpful.
I agree with everything you just mentioned
Purses
Paper towels
Grocery shopping
Magazines
Etc etc
Your one of my favorite xo
Merry Christmas
Thank you!!!
You have done an amazing job! Thanks so much for sharing with us. Imagine how many people you have blessed with your donations! You are very inspirational!
For your Pre- Order habit. When I hear about a book I like I add it to a list that I have on Amazon. I have Pre-Order Kindle, Parenting Books, Kid books and Lindsay books. And then i can always go back and look at the list in a week to see if I still want it or it was an impulse. You're doing great, love watching your journey!
Lindsay Abelarde I like that idea! I have started using Good Reads for that too.
I might never buy a book at Amazon, but I love their shopping list as 1 way to keep inventory 2 way to keep track of books I want. The lists last for years and Amazon maintains that system very well. Only 1 glitch in over 10 years' time I have been doing this. Great way to see pricing for your used items you want to sell.
@@AWanderingEye I love using it to remember what books I want to get from the library as well!
@@EricaLucasLoves Good Reads is freaking awesome! Love how you can put in books you absolutely adore and it suggests books you'll love just as much. Have found some AMAZING "new to me" books and authors that way! SO much more efficient and effective than browsing a bookstore and reading covers. You can still find gems browsing that way... but you find a whole treasure chest when you do it through Good Reads instead.
I love going to thrift books online you can choose your books, the books are cheap. Also I do this for myself is set a budget on how much you can spend.
A kindle just isn’t the same😏
Yes. The bags! I had so many and rarely used them.
On the paper towels front. They are useful very occasionally when you're making meals that produce left over grease, if it's not the type that can be scraped as a solid into your bin. The paper towels are best for mopping up cooking oil and grease and saves you tipping in your sink and eventually causing a nasty block in your drain.
I like your honest approach to decluttering and minimalism, of personal experiences. I see RUclips videos where people have look through other videos and just copied "10 things I don't buy", your video is real and honest. Well done!
Kathryn Bamford thank you so much! I’m honest to a fault sometimes. 😂
I buy the reusable paper towels at the Dollar Tree. They are only used to polish a few things after they were cleaned. A pack of 6 will last me close to 4 months.
I use to spend a lot of money at thrift stores and book sales. Most of it I never read and donated it when I decluttered. Now I check the library or buy it only if it is something I will actually read. I buy maybe one or two books every couple of months.
I did not know that about microfiber towels and heat. Thanks for sharing. Also, that’s a genius tip wrapping the towel around w a hair band to keep them paired up!
I still buy paper towels because I have nine kids, and I really prefer to clean up puke and pee with them, as well as kill an occasional bug. However, I keep a stack of the cheapo white wash cloths from Wal-Mart (they come in a bundle for less than $5) under my kitchen sink. Everyone knows that we grab those to dry up a spill, clean something, etc., not paper towels. There's usually a stack of them by evening to be washed, but they just go in the wash that I'm already doing. Saves a lot of waste and money. I use my Norwex microfiber for cleaning of bathrooms, appliances, etc. They're awesome!
This was one of the best videos. I decided to stop magazines too. I will buy specific issues I want every once in awhile rather than monthly. I’ve cut way back on paper towels too. I love the microfibre cloths and old tee shirts. Stockpiling will also stop. Thanks for that.
Kelly Harris thanks! Magazines was a sneaky expense for us. I didn’t realize until I really paid attention. I do love my Ree Drummond magazine.
I will fess up to having multiple sneakers...when Kmart closed I picked up 5 pair of my favorite style for 6.00. As I now live in sneakers, I am so glad I did. Just cancelled Amazon books & music...don't lose what you purchased but cha-ching no more. The library will ship books from different locations, offers so many online options---if you can't find it, probably doesn't exist. I have found the nail polish separates...I keep it basic. Very good microfiber information. TY! - Kathleen
I adore my microfiber cloths for cleaning. Gets a streak free shine. And they feel soft and pleasant on my hands while I clean. Love your rubber band in the bottle idea! And I spend the few cents more for Grove products. They smell fantastic and seems to lift my mood so it’s worth the extra cost to me.
This was very well thought out! I've seen videos like this before and they seemed very generic and common sense. Yours dug a little deeper! We've been seriously minimizing since October. Since then I know for sure we have stopped buying PAPER PLATES!! We are a family of 10 and it just seemed easier to save on dish washing. We were spending about $9/week on paper plates!?! Now we have 9 plates, and I ordered some recycled divided plates for our baby for Christmas so he has a plate too. I wash those three times a day for our meals. I've actually found that I enjoy washing the dishes, and there are surprisingly fewer than when we used paper products!!! I think because we HAVE to wash them and can't just let them pile up at the sink. I'd like to switch from paper towels to cloth napkins. We adjusted our clothing situation so that it's way more manageable. Now cloth napkins don't seem so daunting!! Thanks for sharing!
Momma Thrift Vlog great change! $40 on paper plates. It’s amazing once you stop and think about that! Good job!!
Love your videos! They inspire me to simplify too. One thing that I have minimized is my cleaning routine. I can do all my household cleaning with baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap. Also saves on worry about chemicals on kitchen counters, or in the bathtub. And much cheaper than the pinesol and comet I was using before.
D. C. A friend of mine does that too because her kids have reactions to the chemicals.
So happy you tackled what you have so far! I have made the decision that we to as a family are about to begin our journey! It has helped me to be able to watch you on your journey bc as you see a lot of them greats’ on RUclips- which I LOVE, but that have already contoured the battle! Thank you for sharing your journey so far! I loved to see the bad and the GREAT of the battles! I was routing you on in your steps, “Come on your making progress!!” And you DID! Your great!
Well shoot! I'm doing pretty ok in my decluttering and process of minimal-ish-ism!! I don't even know what "pre-order books" are, and I haven't bought a magazine in forever!
Carry on the good work Kirsten., i promise you will feel so so much better.
What do you read? E books? Library borrower?
@@Starry_Night_Sky7455 I buy books from a small thrift store that are super cheap, 50 cents a paperback, and then donate them when done. 😊
Yes the answer to chaos is not more storage, it's get rid of nonessentials. Thank you. So many Tubers promoting endless Dollar Tree hauls for organising and storage instead of addressing the too much stuff fact.
I have grown up with a hand towel in the kitchen for when you wash your hands. Dish rag for wiping anything and everything. Paper towels are only for cleaning the sink and napkins. I use a lot of paper towels still though, so I am contemplating buying cotton fabric to make cloth napkins with to minimize my use even more.
I just bought a pack of cheap cloth napkins in a dark color and we've been using them for years and they still look great! Visitors think it's weird, but it's all my kids know;)
Check out thriftstores for nearly new cloth napkins before making own. At least near me, I have always found them on the rack.
@@AWanderingEye We do not really have anything like that in the thrift stores in my city. Only a couple of restaurants in the city uses cloth napkins. I do not know any "private" person that does. But it could get me cheap fabric to make it out of!
You could always just use designated wash cloths if you dont need to be fancy . Works great for the kids.
I've noticed that good quality nail varnish doesn't really go bad/gooey? I've bought an essie nail varnish a good 5 years ago; while I threw away at least 20 bottles of cheap dried/gooey nail polishes during that time, that one is still good as new! I thought it was a mad price for a tiny bottle of paint but got my money's worth for sure. I now only keep a clear varnish, a fast dry top coat, and one true red one burgundy polish and that's it. I've given up on the notion that I'll ever be someone who wears nail varnish in many colours.
Love your channel, it's so real and honest. Listening to Your experience and discovery of minimalism is very inspiring.
P.s. so many things you don't buy anymore! You must notice your savings increasing 👍👍
Oh girl!!!! I’m watching this video in the wanning days of the great covid pause and there are still shortages everywhere. I like minimalism and had a capsule wardrobe before it was a thing. I have always had a large pantry and backups for basics. Hubby used to laugh at me for having backups of backups of cleaning supplies! Little did we know. Orrrrr did I? It all came in handy. And as special forces says, one is none, two is one. Especially with toilet paper. Lol!!
We can’t live in fear but we sure can be prepared and most have found out that they aren’t. Having a 3-6 month stocked pantry isn’t hoarding its preparing. And God love em the LDS knows what’s up!! Great job on the decluttering. I’ve been binge watching all day. Your transform from the beginning to this video is remarkable.
thanks! Love that expression - the great COVID pause...
It’s amazing how much we can accumulate over the years. My new mindset for 2020 is to ‘live with less and keep only the things we use and love’. We have started the de cluttering process at our home and it feels great!
I was organizing clutter also. I am glad that’s over with.
I am so glad a found you channel. Been thinking of simplifying my life.
So happy you were able to make a system that works for you, cleaning with cloths! Like others here, I use cotton towels or rags from old t-shirts because I didn't want to buy microfiber that contributes to micro plastics. However, since you alreadyhave yours at this point, I hope you get a long time of service from them! Better to use what we have than throw it away just to buy the "better" thing!
I love your videos! You make such smart choices!
You are encouraging! Love the microfiber towels idea. I use paper towels fir napkins though and when painting with watercolors.
Erica, I adore you, I have binge watching your journey, I have been living simply for three years, and it’s amazing how I want nothing, and so happy with what I do have. Life iS GOOD
i love the cleaner rag idea, i've never seen that!
Great tip with the towels on the cleaner bottles. Great video 👍
This is good too for household where others might be using those cleaners...no way not to use the reusable rag!
love the cloth on the spray idea well done you jeff and chell UK
Great ideas!!! Love your hair up!! Makes you look younger!!!
Debbie Baughman thank you!!!
I was thinking the same, you look so pretty with your hair up!
Thank you so much.....I love your new way of life.....you are a natural motivator....great work!!!
G & C's Mom thank you! ❤️
I need to do the capsule clothing thing, I do tend to hang on to cloths, even ones that don’t look good or have gotten smaller in the drier. At least last week I got rid of my old maternity clothes 🤗 I was sick of people asking me if I was pregnant again.
Hi Erica,
If you use microfiber, most of the time you don't need any product. Only water!
You can also use white vinegar and baking soda for cleaning almost anything without harming your family and nature. And it's much less expensive!!
Your Chanel is one of my favorite since you started your minimalist journey. Started mine some months ago but not doing half as good as you! But happy for any progress I make 😊 Greetings from a German "girl" who lives in France
S KP a German girl who lives in France! Hello!
I love this video! It makes me think about something that I buy. I do not buy the matching outfit for Christmas. I usually look in the closet to see what we all have that has the same colors. If I buy Bekah a cute seasonal outfit, it is usually from the consignment store and it goes back there when we are done with it. 😊
That’s so good Becky! Great approach.
I love the color coding towels! Brilliant!
I have found that since I’m a school bus driver and I live in Canada where we have winter 🥶 cold and snow ❄️ that I tend to wear turtlenecks and jeans every day for 6 months so I haven several of those and pretty much and nothing else. I’m in Texas soaking up the warm weather and when I get back home we are doing the massive purge!
I just found you and binge watching you. Im amazed of your development in such a short time.
Keep going thoughts from Odense/Denmark
I use Norwex. They are fantastic!
You look minimal....you look so clean and fresh and bright.beautiful.
Love that microfibre towel idea instead of paper towels
One pair of sneakers, once we wear them out, they become play sneakers. Our play sneakers have holes in them and are falling apart. But they are also covered with dirt, because they’re for play.
Once you obtain your goals, you may want to consider prepping, which is simply keeping extra food and certain supplies on hand in the event of an emergency - grid down, job loss, illness, etc. Its comparable to buying insurance. You have to have it, but pray you never need it. 💗
This is a great tip. I do need something for emergencies.
It has taken me close to 10 years to completely declutter my house. I used, recycled, and wore out all the items I had bought over the previous 10 years. I am finally in a really good place. I just felt like I didn't want to get rid of good stockpiled items that I loved so I used them up. Long journey but during that time I didn't buy more of anything I didn't need. I mostly bought food and gas for the car. My best change is that I have sold almost all my books and I now borrow from the library. You can even borrow kindle books. My kindle is 5 years old and I have no desire to upgrade.
Try cleaning with vinegar. Life Changer!! 1/3 vinegar with 2/3 water. Clean your mirrors, sinks and countertops using a microfiber cloth.
I personally do not like the smell so I light a little candle once I’m done.
I love your series! I’m just watching a few more episodes before I get to my crawl space😉. Thanks to you, the kids rooms are done! Sadly, they still won’t clean up after themselves but hopefully that’ll change.
I will never be a minimalist with groceries. You just need family members that lived through natural disasters or tyrannical governments to understand that you never trust that life will always be safe and cushy. It can turn on a dime. We ALWAYS have enough food to survive if the heat/power/gas source goes out.
Sharon Ritchie thank you!!! That’s so great!! Has it been better with the kids room done?
I also only have one nail polish! I used to paint my nails all the time but hadn’t done it in ages. I have one because I went to 5+ weddings this summer and I wanted something new spruce up with. It’s Mauve Over by Sally Hansen which is bright enough to be a colour but neutral enough to good with everything
W use those same towels from Amazon and also use them with a color code (blue is dishes, green is surfaces, yellow is floor)
It's a good thing. I am with you on the paper towels.
I get blue towels from gas stations, use them for paper towels, napkins and cleaning towels
Hi Erica! Whoot whoot!! We have such similar journeys! The only categories I am still working on is the extra groceries and the paper towels. Winter is tough in Canada, so I do tend to stock up a bit before winter, for when I get snowed in. I have microfiber cloths, but with a 1-year old the paper towels come in handy sometimes after mealtime 🤪 Through conscious use of them, I have managed to slow down the use to just a couple of rolls a year though! Thanks again for a great video, I always perk up when I see you posted a new one :)
Sarah Vandekendelaere hi Sarah! Oh toddler messes are seriously messy. I use baby wipes on my youngest still. How do they get it all over??
You’d have to stock up if you get snowed in. That’s smart. Thanks for being here with me!
I’ve seen couple of your videos, I like you so much! Easy going, with great sense of humor, natural, simple, optimistic. Great personality and the videos that I actually can watch to the end😀
You are definitely on a roll girlfriend. Tfs all your helpful ideas. Diana Romero
Surprisingly fresh take...and very genuine video.
Fixing the towels to the cleaners is an awesome idea! I think I'll do that too. Thank you very much for the inspiration!
❤️ from Germany 😊
Thank you for this video. I like the rubber band and cleaning products idea. I have truly enjoyed your minimalism videos TFS!!😊
Ericka NYC it’s a handy trick!
Paper Towels - I only use them to drain bacon and sausages and something that is too gross to deal with - meaning, I probably use 5 paper towels a week. To drain, soak up greasy foods I open a few pages of news paper like book, then put the paper towels across. Putting sausages/bacon on the paper towels and closing it up like a book removes the grease. Works for our family.
I still use paper towels i buy them from Costco. I have a daughter with medical stuff and her nurse comes twice a month. So they are a necessity at our house.
Ohhh, I'm going to watch your capsule wardrobe video next. I retired and need to purge my career clothes!
the melissa maker microfiber cloths are worth the money, the quality is amazing!
Yay microfiber! I was going to suggest this on one of the videos where you were wiping things, but thought you’d eventually get to that 😊
April I did! I think they clean better.
We stopped using paper towels a few years ago. I just use white face cloths for everything and then they go on a hot wash. We do keep paper towels in the house for occasional nasty jobs. Dog accidents (our rescue is still learning), vomit, or if I cook something like bacon I’ll use it to absorb some of the oil. For glass and mirrors I use old t-shirts that weren’t good enough to donate. I try to avoid microfibre because of the plastics.
I do buy certain things in bulk when they are on sale. I only do this for things we use regularly such as eco toilet paper, dishwashing soap, basmati rice, my daughter’s favourite pasta sauce, meat for the freezer, a specific brand of baked beans, and frozen pizzas for emergency dinners. I find having multiples of things we do use to be satisfying but having a kitchen full of many different items feels chaotic. I used to see something and buy it thinking we’d try it and I’d end up with a pantry full of stuff but nothing to eat because there was no rhyme or reason to the items. Now I might have 20 cans of baked beans sometimes but as they all look the same so it doesn’t feel cluttered. Does that make sense?
I love the Santa pic! So much personality going on 😀
I am enjoying your content so much. What a long way you have come in just a couple of months!
Ann C I was thinking about the vomit one too. May need paper towels for that job.
I use rags from old towels, t-shirts etc. for cleaning. I use paper towels for dog vomit, laying any greasy cooked foods like bacon or french fries on to absorb grease.
Cool list with some fun (different) items - like paper towels/microfiber replacements. I've never been into nail polish so never had to declutter anything to do with that, but makeup = guilty! Not really difficult, as everything I actually used was on top of my vanity; everything else was shoved in one of the drawers. I was telling my son a couple nights ago that 2020 is the year I want to just -- gradually, one item at a time -- start replacing with something sustainable, like a bamboo toothbrush, or microfiber towels. I get frustrated if I try to do too much at the same time, but once one thing has assimilated, I'm eager for the next, and that's the attitude I want. Don't know if I'll ever talk my hubs out of paper towels, but surely I can make my own choice to stop using them, right? … thanks - your videos are such fun, and so informative too!
I don't buy paper towels for us to use either!! I haven't for a long time. We have a napkin basket full of cloth napkins that we use at dinner time. When we clean we use towels and if we have a big mess that needs cleaning (lots of kids here = lots of spills) we just grab a bathroom towel. The only time i get paper towels is when we go camping. But, they do come in handy when the dog has an accident in the mudroom... he is pretty old (15) and it happens often, so paper towels are probably gonna be on my list until he is gone.
Our Herd Of Turtles what kind of towels do you use for cleaning?
Just a regular ol’ tea towel or bar towel. Made of cotton I think.
I agree with everything you say except for food, Erica. Food storage is a really good idea.
Becki Black do you mean for emergencies? I have a pantry stash for sick days.
@@EricaLucasLoves I mean for lots of reasons. In case of a disaster and you can't get to the grocery store. Or you get to the grocery store, but everyone else got there first and cleaned out the shelves. (I'm not being over dramatic - this happened last winter here with a huge storm warning - all the milk and bread was GONE.) Also, if you make (for example) spaghetti a couple times a month, go ahead and buy a case of tomato sauce and a case of spaghetti noodles, as these store very well. I live an hour from town, but I can make pretty much anything without going to the store because I have a freezer full of meat and a pantry full of canned goods, pasta, cake mixes, oatmeal, flour, sugar, etc.
Becki Black Same with us. We do have a convince store nearby but that gets expensive if I run out (milk is $1 more than the supermarket) and choice is very limited. We live an hour away from the main grocery stores. We also have major snow or ice storms with road blocks or power outages. Need extra on hand!
I also stopped using paper towels but I still always have 1 cheap roll in the house for when I make bacon. What do you use for soaking up the grease with bacon?
The 10-50 things I don't buy anymore was the very start of the thought of Minimalism for me- even before hearing about Marie Kondo. :)
Same here. I keep some paper towel only for bacon, I'm not using cloth for that! ha!
Jess Miller I was thinking that too. I still have a few rolls left. I was also thinking for kids vomit...
I keep 1 roll of paper towels hidden and as chief cook and bottle washer it works. As to bacon prep or any greasy foods, we just don't eat bacon (actually no animal products) and we don't deep fry anything either. Which might not work for you.
Consider cooking bulk batch of bacon, straining on a grid cookie cooling rack, then freezing it for future use. When I used to cook greasy things, we would wash and dump greasy water from our cast iron pan outside like we do when camping. Saved drains and fed wildlife. Some might not have that option.
My old mom, routinely kept bacon fat for cooking so straining it then storing in fridge using a repurposed clean glass jar was her routine.
Wishful Thinking you just triggered childhood memories of every relative having a bacon fat jar 😅. Haven’t thought of that in 40 years!
Sharon Ritchie me too!!! My mom has that jar forever.
I’ve bought pretty baskets only to have them add to the clutter cause I didn’t have a plan for how to use them! Another thing I’ve bought is shelf sets to “organize” our stuff, even though our condo had long wooden shelves along one wall of the basement. We should have been able to fit in them, but no, I’ve put shelves around the perimeter of the basement and they’re all full. The floor is nearly full!!!!! 🤦🏻♀️
It’s pretty cool all the things that just naturally change. I had some similar changes. I’m so much more picky about things like purses where I’d spend $15 here, $25 there on crappy purses. I have two higher quality purses and I love them. I’m not even tempted to add a new one cause I love the 2 I have so much. My level of satisfaction with that I have has grown so much over the last couple years ( not just purses but a lot of things ) When I start feeling like I need more things I clean the house and do laundry. Then I have to touch allll the things and I don’t want to deal with more. 😂😂😂. What we have been doing more is replace like with like. And that’s been fun.
Will you do an update video on the microfiber clothes in like a month. I’ve been tempted but want to see how the are like after a month. :)
Love your videos !!
Callie Daly I will! I’m wondering there are better choices out there and then I will update!
What a great idea to clean the house when you get the urge to go buy more stuff!
I can't stand touching microfiber cloths, so I use cotton "rags" (square white cloths) that I bought at Costco. I clean houses professionally too and they are so easy to use!
kirsten rissling - we have the white towels from Costco as well. I bought 1 set years ago and they just keep on trucking.
What do you do for napkins? We use paper towels at my boyfriend's house. I use single-ply toilet tissue for things I want to wipe and then dispose, so I rarely need a paper towel.
Hi again, slow!!! Watching you is inspiring me!!
Your trick to keep the towels with the cleaners is awesome👍 Do you use cloths to clean your toilet? I've been wanting to stop using paper towels too but I'm not sure how to clean really germy stuff with reusable cloths
Extra shoes. I raised a family in wet weather and cold weather. the first child gets two pair of sneakers. the rest of the kids get one pair of new and a pass down from the older child. absolutely have to have a spare pair. And of course boots with two pairs of liners each so things can dry out. Good decision to not toss containers until you are done with the sort through. I would keep that big shelving until you are done also.
I don’t buy bags and wallets anymore either. I’ve become so picky with bags and wallets that even functionally work for me that I will go years without buying them. They actually look pretty terrible and I probably should get a new one but I can’t find one I like that fits what I want to spend LOL
I’m seriously so proud of you Erica. ❤️
Re: Sneakers
There is a routine here. 3 pairs of aging sneakers.
1 best pair for when you need comfortable shoes but need them to be "presentable", these should be newest ones.
2 ok pair for not super messy chores around the house. Not "presentable" but not as yucky as #3. This #2 pair is older that #1 but less old than #3.
3 these are your oldest pair, great for lawn mowing, yardwork involving muck, mud etc. As this pair deteriorates, move #1 into #2 slot and the #2 pair into #3 slot and remove the old #3 pair from household. This is when you will get a new pair of "best" sneakers for the #1 slot, so depends on lifestyle. Could be every 2-3 years or even longer before you buy new pair. Can be any style, but thinking about the last stage of life for your shoes, probably a mesh upper isn't going to be a good idea since mud, water, etc., will seep onto socks.
See Dacyczyn, Amy book "The Tightwad Gazette vol. 1", page 278.
My kids have one good pair of sneakers and one for mowing the lawn, a pair of sandals, and a pair of dress shoes. My daughter has 3 pairs of flip-flops that she wears with different outfits. I have way too many shoes, especially sneakers due to foot problems. I got rid of a bunch about 10 years ago and need to do this again. I know what I'm doing after Christmas.... ;-)
This is also my system with sneakers. One pair for garden & yard work; another for working in the basement, walking the dog on less then nice days; a third for “going out” like shopping or anywhere that I must be presentable 😆 When the garden sneaker gets way too bad or the good pair doesn’t look reasonable any more, then it is time for a new pair & toss the worst.
Great last tip!
“Organizing the clutter” - I love it😂
I love you! You are so relatable and so personable x
Got to go through closet too
I made the switch from paper towels to microfiber this summer. Not sure why I waited so long. They clean significantly better and so much less waste.
JodieC26 they DO clean better! Some have commented that they scratch surfaces though. I haven’t experienced that yet.