Simplify Your Life in 2013

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Mary Hunt in Mary's Perspective 30 Comments

A study conducted by Trends Research Institute revealed that about 80 percent of those questioned said they would be willing to accept a reduction in pay if they could work fewer hours to spend more time with their families.

It is a lovely thought, but how realistic? Working less usually means earning less—hardly an option for most people. But that doesn’t mean we cannot take small steps to simplify our complicated lives. A little bit here and there, and before you know it your efforts will add up to something significant.

Fireworks

1. Dejunking your life by getting rid of clutter is a cheap, fast and effective way to become physically and financially sound. It’s also the path to emotional and intellectual happiness, too.

2. Cultivate contentment by choosing to be happy with what you have. The social imperative that one must consume to be happy is what breeds dissatisfaction and nonfulfillment. The constant ratcheting up of standards demands that we constantly upgrade in order to keep up. It takes a conscious effort to desire less.

3. Write down the things you need to remember, and forget everything else. Don’t allow your mind to dwell on things over which you have no control.

4. Share, lend, borrow and rent. Part of the reason we have our love affair with shopping and consumerism is because we think we need to personally own everything we use. Before you agree to complicate your life further with yet another possession, consider the alternatives.

5. Turn off the TV. You may not realize how your household television viewing is affecting your purchasing and lifestyle choices. If you are addicted to television, kicking the habit will simplify your life and allow you to find satisfaction.

6. Drive a simple car. High-end, luxury automobiles are nice to drive, but can complicate one’s life. Typically they are gas-guzzlers and expensive to insure, register, maintain and repair.

7. Select patterned carpet. Light colored, plush carpeting is beautiful but life altering. It shows every speck, spot, fleck and crumb. If you want your carpets to look good without having to spend all your free time spotting, vacuuming, de-flecking and uncrumbing, go with something speckled, patterned or multicolored.

8. Take charge of the phone. Just because it happens to be a convenient time for someone to call you doesn’t mean it’s convenient for you to answer. Let your calls go to voice mail or get an answering machine. Getting control of the phone will add simplicity to your life.

9. Become label conscious. Unless it’s mandatory for your profession, do not buy clothes that must be dry cleaned. You’ll save time, aggravation and a ton of money over the long-haul.

10. Get up earlier. The best hour of the day is the one right before you normally get up. It may take you a few weeks to truly enjoy that hour right before dawn, but when you create the habit you will be amazed by the simplicity that 60 quiet, stress-free minutes will add to your day.

Question: Is simplifying your life in 2013 on your list of New Year’s resolutions? If so, what area do you plan to tackle first? Join in the conversation here. 

Exclusive Bonus!

The Best of Everyday Cheapskate Subscribe to email updates today and you’ll receive a link to download my brand new e-book, The Best of Everyday Cheapskate, FREE.

You’ll enjoy excerpts from each of my bestselling e-books to help you get onboard with saving time and money every day! 


Posted on December 31, 2012 by Mary Hunt in Mary's Perspective 30 Comments
  • Lisa

    Decluttering is a big one for me! Feel so much better when there is a place for everything without having to push and shove and pile to put things away!

  • Q

    My favorite thing about decluttering/orgainizing is finding what I need when I need it. A 5 minute job remains a 5 minute job, not a frenzy to find the tools/stuff to complete it, if you even find it.

    • http://www.facebook.com/gloria.strong.75 Gloria Strong

      i agree and am doing the same thing. Good idea

  • Beck

    Three things: I want to read the Bible all the way through again. It was one of my biggest accomplishments years ago but I want to do it again. I need to declutter in a big way. My third thing is to try to buy groceries for one year. I plan to do this by the following – if toilet paper is a good price get enough for a year, dishsoap the same, shampoo, just about anything that is not perishable. I already started by buying one year of trash bags 100 of them for $8.99 at Gordon Food Service (GFS). I use about two bags a week since I try to recycle all the newspapers, cans and such.
    For the past year I have been trying to figure out how long my products last. When I get my tax refund I am going to try to stock up on meat perhaps even get half of a side of beef. I find having a good supply of normal everyday things keeps me satisfied, out of the store as often and simplifies my life because I don’t have to constantly shop for things.
    One day will you post the question – how did you get ready to retire and how can you make the transition of being with your spouse 24/7?

  • Mslouise

    I’ve put my credit cards on auto pay every Monday till June that’s how long it will take me to be debt free. Simple and ive already forgotten about it.

  • Mary Beth

    Stay home. Riding in the car is time-consuming, expensive, and stressfull. Getting ready to go somewhere and settling back in after returning home also eat up a lot of time. Leaving home breaks my momentum, and starting over is usually a slow process. It’s more peaceful at home than it is out in the hectic world.

  • Katheen Ann

    Simplifing this year is at the top of my list – I am looking at everything in my ‘lifestyle’ from that viewpoint this January. Decluttering is first including letting go of those items that I just don’t use, but are sentimental. Getting up an hour earlier is also my goal – ease into my day with devotion and prayer – then ‘tackle’ my day. Thank you Mary for all of your wonderful ‘tips’ and advice.

  • MaryBachert

    I too am working on the decluttering now. Would love some ideas on what to do with so many books that I have? I have started taking a lot of “Stuff” to the Salvation Army. It sure makes you feel good getting rid of a lot of things that have just been taking up space!

    • Suzanne

      Check and see if the books are worth anything on Amazon or another site. If you can get a little money from them you could use it to pay off a debt:)

    • http://www.facebook.com/gloria.strong.75 Gloria Strong

      Suggestion – your local library and if they have a Friends Group, the books can be sold to generate money for the library to use for programs, or purchase more books.

  • Mary

    Come May 2013 I will have had the same car the whole time my son has been in school. I have been driving the same car since 2000, it’s a 1999 that was a rental car for one year. When I bought it I really needed a car and I had one of those checks from my credit card company for no interest for six months. I used that to bargain with them went down the next day to get the loan. I got the car so far under blue book that I had no problem getting a loan with no co-signer and the loan officer said it was the best deal he has seen anyone get buying a car. My son bought his first car at 14 paid $500 for it and still driving it and loves it. My sister on the other hand who has field bankruptcy buys a new car every couple of years. Her daughter that just graduated high school went out and leased a brand new car (the payment is more than my mortgage) that she cannot pay for and the company has already taken back.

  • Ms. M

    I am also looking to declutter. I do pretty well at getting rid of unnecessary physical treasures. I need mental declutter-up an hour early to read, pray, meditate, 30 minute walk. Remove the tv from my bedroom. Payoff 2 credit cards and rid myself of 2 other unnecessary bills. Stay positive and listen more to others-allow people to have their own reality without my opinion. Sounds like a great year already!

  • Debbie

    I plan to continue the de-cluttering process I began when we moved into a new house in 2012. I’ve already taken many loads from storage to Goodwill or another thrift store and plan to keep at it. Also, I want to simplify my schedule; stop trying to do more than I can reasonably expect to accomplish. I really enjoy the previous comments and want to implement some of the ideas others have listed.

  • Oma June

    My children may have thought I was nuts when I kept so many of my mom & dad’s things when they passed. But now, every Christmas they get a treasured item with a little note telling about it’s history and about that person’s life or childhood. I feel this is important because my two sons live in Austria and this will keep them and the grandkids tied to their American roots.

  • Islasgrandma

    I plan on debunking my email in box. I am unsubscribibg to the weekly must haves from retailers. No more on line temptations. I will only subscribe to sites that will help me reach my goals (read everyday cheapskate ). Cheers!

  • KateG622

    Declutter two rooms in my apartment that right now are unsightly and cluttered and not useable. Set up shelves in one of the rooms and use the room for office space. Clean out the basement storage area and let go of things that I really don’t need or want or plan to use. Buy a smaller, energy efficient refrigerator.

  • http://www.facebook.com/julianne.carrwiley Julianne Carr Wiley

    I have been doing this little by little and what a difference it makes letting go of things…. I realized it is a burden to have things boxed up and items I am going to get to and do something with….that burden is no longer there….

    • http://www.facebook.com/gloria.strong.75 Gloria Strong

      Exactly. I am going to do the same thing. I realized that others don’t treasure “your” treasures the way you do, therefore if something happens to you, they will more than likely throw the items out. I have also started identifying items that I want my friends, family members to have and am “gifting” the items to them now.

      • The RePurpose Queen

        Absolutely!

  • debi sue

    Read Jen Hatmaker’s “7″ a mutiny against excess. Excellent book and it will challenge the way you think about what you need to be content.

  • debi sue

    I’ll be decluttering my pantry. In August I took an “eat your pantry” challenge and it was shocking how much food we have that we ignore. I found recipes that incorporated that tin of coconut milk that had sat there a while. I made it a game to see how to use up the unopened chickpeas or rice flour. I traded veggies for apples and got creative with gifts of zucchini. This January I will do another pantry purge and at the end make a list of the essentials that should be in the pantry to avoid more wasteful spending.

    • The RePurpose Queen

      My daughter and I had a horrifying and hilarious session purging out the pantry. We played a game to see who could find the oldest item. Unfortunately, I won with a 1976 (!) packet of Hidden Valley Ranch powdered dressing mix that had been moved from my mother’s home after she passed away out of HER pantry. Evidently saving things without eating them is a genetic problem. I’ve kept that packet in plain view, displayed on a little easel, as a reminder to eat those good deals from the pantry.

  • lynnemp

    I want to delegate more…I accept too many tasks as my own. I need to learn to ask others to assume more of the responsibility.

  • Folkhearts

    Seems like dejunking is leading the list. I plan to reorganize as I evaluate. I had an idea of moving linens to my smaller hallway cupboard (near bedroom) and not often used things from that cupboard (cold meds, toiletries, paper supplies) to a larger shelf closet that will make it easier to reach them when needed. Switcheroo and evaluate as I go.

  • http://www.facebook.com/lynne.yaksicbutterfield Lynne Yaksic Butterfield

    We just moved into a home that is 60% smaller than the place we used to live. We had to go through everything and give away/trash/keep a whole lot of stuff. While we will still need to get a storage unit in our back yard, it will help with my husband’s work.
    Plus our move meant that my husband’s one way trip to work was cut down from 48 miles to 5 miles! The savings we will get in gas alone is just about enough to pay for rent.

    • joyce

      sometimes car insurance is based on how far the commute to work is. check with your insurance company and see if the new distance will decrease your premium.

  • Genine

    Spend the first hour of the day with God! I want to read God’s Word and pray to start my day off right this year!

  • tbm

    I want to consume less. Reflect and enjoy what I already have. Having less simplify your daily life.

  • Sue in MN

    Went through closing my Mom’s apartment last January and found way too much “stuff” even though she had down-sized repeatedly from a large home to smaller apartments, to efficiency apartment. Lived 3 months in a 7′ X 18′ camper & realized how little stuff we “need.”

    Since then, I have worked my way through living & dining rooms & all containers/drawers there, kitchen & bath including cupboards, sewing room, most of laundry room & pantry, clothing closets, even under-steps storage, given away many van-loads of stuff & organized that which we are keeping.

    Got husband going on his office & workbenches/tool rooms.

    2013 will be a continuation of the above plus the garage & 2 small sheds.

    Our 30-something daughters are doing the same – one because she was being pushed out of her flat by a surplus of stuff, the other because her new mate joined her in sharing a small flat.

    All this effort has changed the way we shop from “I want it” to “Do I need it?” If so, “Can I borrow or rent it?” or “Can I use something I already have to do the job?” As a result of less stuff coming into the house, we are also saving money, which we are using to redo our home exactly the way we want/need it for our retirement years…

  • Arelene Mack

    Sort, organize and clean up stuff in my front “junk” bedroom & get it ready for company, de-clutter my house back to bare bones, catalog my food supply and eat what I have on hand before buying more, clean out closets.