A Minimalist - Trash

Determining if something is trash is a big question .

Most hoarders find a use for every single thing , even recyclables .  And when I say it as recyclables I mean plastic bottles and paper that needs to be taken in to the recycling center , not kept at home to pile up for " I might " can make something out of that . That is not logical thinking .

If you keep something that had food and /or a drink it in then its recyclable or trash . Some things just cannot be recycled , plastic wraps from raw meat and hamburger wrappers are two . 

I do keep a few (3 ) small 20 ounce coke bottle , I fill them 3/4 with water and I freeze them . When I go into town I put a couple in the small car cooler and add soda or water . I don`t buy ice or a drink when I do this . When the day is over I return them to the freezer for the next trip . 

When something is broken and cannot be fixed , thats trash .

Broken dishes , including cracked and  chipped . You can easily cut yourself and its not worth keeping something that is dangerous .

Clothing that is thread bare or full of holes . Why let those take up space ? Let them go already !

What you should tell yourself when you are going through your things is " I deserve only good stuff and this is trash " , then place it in the trash can and let it go .

by Andria Perry

A Minimalist - Journal - A New Week

June 29 ,2015

Last week I did have big plans to get more done and not in just the getting rid of things department but also in the cleaning department . But as life would have it I got sick with that horrible virus , it did not take full hold but it did make me hurt and I slept for days off and on .

BUT .....

I did manage to do a little the past couple of days but not as much as I would usually do .

I kept the clothing washed and dried , a couple of loads did not get folded . Sunday I felt somewhat better so I did two loads and was able to fold them and out them away .

With Tony`s help the dishes got done daily , again yesterday I washed , dried and put them away after each meal. I did sweep the floor a couple times but I did not get to mop .

I began to clean in the living room and dining room with vacuuming first but thats as much as I got done in there besides picking up behind myself and Tony .

I clipped my coupons and have them sorted into groups . I have not filed them yet because I have not asked my friends if they need any that I do not use . I will do that today .

But at least I feel better right now and I hope that today and this week is more productive . I have to work later today and for the most part all week .

How did you manage the week past ?

By Andria Perry 

A Minimalist - Throw Rugs

We all have throw rugs around . Some at each door to catch the wet feet and mud before it makes it into out homes .

Most everyone has throw rugs in the bathroom , one by the tub and one around the toilet .

I know I have one in front of the kitchen sink to stand on while I do dishes .

As wonderful as throw rugs are they are also some nasty germ catchers . The dirt collectors at the doors , the kitchen food catcher and the worst one ever is the urine catching around the toilet rug .

I personally wash mine ever couple of weeks , I know some people think " well that will wear them out " ,  But when I weigh the pro`s and con`s washing always wins and when they do need to be discarded you can donate them to the animal shelters after you have washed them and replace with clean germ free throw rugs . 

This is one area I have to make sure I am not letting filthy germs roam through my home.

What is you opinion , I would to hear you .

By Andria Perry 

A Minimalist - The Journey

June 27,2015 Journal 

I had the week off and I had planned on getting more done around here so next week the work days would not be so demanding with home care on top of it .

But life got in the way and this time its called sickness . So many people had told me they had been sick and usually this type of stomach stuff stays away from me as well as colds and flu . I need to make sure I am getting enough vitamins for future protection .

Anyways today I wake feeling better and its already Saturday . Although I was down in bed two days I have managed to keep the laundry clean , not folded but clean . Tony cooked for himself and I lived on can soup , he did wash the dishes but he did not put them away but they are clean.

I am not sure I can get all the grass cut ( rain ) and the house cleaned in the next few days and I`m not gonna kill myself trying . 

I am glad I am a minimalist and I can walk through my home in the dark and I can go a week or two if I must without cleaning and just picking up behind myself .

I still hate paper work :/

By Andria Perry

A Minimalist - Bathrooms

This is one room that often gets over looked and it should be up there next to " kitchen " when it comes to minimalism and cleanliness .

The bathroom .

Anyone ever seen people post photographs and they are in the bathroom using the mirror for that photo and you can see what is on their counter top ?  I am always amazed at the crap put out in a bathroom !

My old lady that just passed away , I had the pleasure of cleaning up a bathroom like that , every single grooming item owned was sat out ! On the counter top .

My thoughts are nasty , nasty and more nasty ! This is a place that needs to be wiped down on the regular . We release waste from out bodies in this room . We remove decaying food out of teeth and spit . We bandage bloody wounds in this room . We comb or brush out hair in this room , hair flying everywhere .

You cant` wipe all that off of those bottles of make up and lipsticks , your toothbrush ! 

Sure I have a bottle of shampoo and conditioner in the tub area but my counter tops have nothing but a candle on it and a bottle of hand soap .

Another nasty for the bathroom , setting toilet paper out next to the toilet , rolls and rolls of it in a cute little basket for people to spray urine on top off and then a wipe your underside with that .

Bathrooms should not be a showcase of all the things you use on your body .  Put it away in the drawer or linen closet . Underneath the sink anywhere but on top of your counter .

Wake up and think about it ! Germs are germs and we don`t want them recycled in an endless cycle .

By Andria Perry

A Minimalist - Junk Drawers

To the old dreaded junk drawer , the I don`t care toss it in and forget about it drawer . The drawer that should not exist .

I think everyone has one in their home , some people I know had two or three junk drawers because they were not organized .

I can say that I don`t have a junk drawer anymore , I took the stuff I considered that did not have a place and made a place for it .

Pencils and ink pens , rubber bands , loose screws and nails , well that list could go on and on . 

Here is the easy fix , buy a drawer organizer ! Its slotted much like the kind you buy for spoons and forks . As for all those pens and pencils I tend to buy one of the school pencil boxes and keep those in the office as well as rubber bands .

By investing in drawer organizers you will save more money and time . No more " I can`t find it " . You will walk right to the item you want . No more buying more of what you already have , hoarding and not realizing it .

By Andria Perry

A Minimal hoarding life : A Minimalist - Keeping Up With The Jones

A Minimal hoarding life : A Minimalist - Keeping Up With The Jones: Has everyone heard the line " keeping up with the Jones ? " If not I will explain what it means . Keeping up with the Jone...

A Minimalist - Keeping Up With The Jones

Has everyone heard the line " keeping up with the Jones ? " If not I will explain what it means .

Keeping up with the Jones means that you are not going to let others buy better things than you have , so if the neighbor gets a new car so will you , to keep up .

I cannot understand why people want to stay in debt . I say pay your house off , its yours . Pay your car off , its yours . You are no longer a slave to pay for this stuff . Same with credit cards , get rid of them and feel the freedom . 

Over the years I have had people do me this way . A keeping up with the Jones  , My stalker was one . I got a red car , she did . Tony got a silver truck he did . I colored my hair blond , she did . I bought a gray hoodie , she did . The list was endless . I am glad I moved but I have had her follow m lately a couple of times.

I have no idea why people want to be this way but be confident in who you are and what you have . No need to follow others dreams , make your own .

By Andria Perry

A Minimalist - Respect

If you respect what you have bought with your hard earned money then you will not have to replace things as often .

Respect comes in all forms , from keeping your home neat and orderly but its much more. 

 

Cleaning the kitchen keeps illness down and that saves money and pain .

Taking care of your clothing and not letting it pile up and mildew .  

Making sure the air filter is changed in your homes  A/C unit . 

Washing and and vacuuming your car , making sure the oil is changed in your car all this shows you have respect for the hard work you have done , your accomplishment .

Buying a home is not cheap nor is buying a car so why not respect them by taking good care of your investment .

Hoarders often buy one home and pile it to the ceiling with stuff , just thrown down in the floor , layer after layer and it begins to rot later after layer . Then they buy another place or rent and repeat the same cycle over and over . Disrespecting the money they earned or inherited .

Some say this is a mental illness and I do agreed to some point but I think this type of behavior is taught , for the most part laziness .

That is why I say " Involve your children in cleaning up and do not allow them hoard , show them money is hard to come so respect what you have " .

What is your opinion ?

By Andria Perry

A Minimalist - Making Time

I will call it making time but actually its giving a little time .

A little time to love your home .

 A little time to get some things cleaned . 

A little time to open that drawer and take something out to get rid of .

A little time to fold and put the clothes away .

Now how do you get the time ? With children in the house its hard not to get distracted . 

Wait a minute ! With children in the house you have help ! 

Now I am not talking about you sitting around while they do what you tell them . I mean help as you all working together as a family , get it done and have the rest of the day FREE !

No children in the house ? If you can make just thirty minutes to an hour  a day , morning or night for cleaning,  de-cluttering or organizing you will be amazed at the results in no time .

Take a little time to have pride in how you live , Its so worth it .

By Andria Perry

A Minimalist - Collections

Here is the tricky part about minimalism , your loved collections . But you don`t have to toss them out .

I have a small collection of the blue willow dishes and I have them displayed in the china cabinet . I have a few McCoy items and I have them on top of the kitchen cabinet , although I am thinking of selling those . I used to collect salt and pepper shakers but I gave that up sold some and I still have one tub to sell .

In the closet I have a small collection of music in the clear shoe box storage tub and a few baseball cards .

Minimalism is not about getting rid of everything you love and collect , its about managing what you have and not having this huge hoard that is in the way of daily life and the hoard costing you tons of money to keep .

Some people collect Art ( I do have a few pieces ) some collect trains , some collect old fishing lures Etc. Thats just who we are . 

I do not suggest buying and buying and buying more to make a collect become a hoard so bad that you cannot display what you have in a clean and orderly fashion .

Minimalism is about balance , not so much and not to little . 

When you feel satisfied you will know you have reached that balance.

By Andria Perry 

A Minimalist - Journal -Journey

June 23, 2015 

I didn`t sit in the office all day and work on line , instead I got up and began to slay the paper monster waiting on me in the living room , the ottoman was full of old papers to go through , some to burn , some to recycle and some to file for taxes .

BUT then Tony had one of his " I need to go " spells so I had to leave and go do what he wanted , wasting time for nothing . I could have did what he wanted to do tomorrow when I knew I was going into town . I try to save gas . 

When I got back it was time to prepare dinner and while it was cooking I was slicing and freezing meats that I bought in bulk .

Instead of sitting and eating at the t.v. I got on the computer and tried to earn a little money while I ate dinner .  I was behind .

Later I sat down and began to get the stack of papers out of my way , I worked for a while and then I got up and washed dishes , cleaned blackberries for the freezer .

Some days I wished I did not have to leave the house , well most days . I am tired and I didn`t accomplish anything that I had planned .

By Andria Perry

A Minimalist - Children And Stuff - After

I do not believe in bribing a child with money to do stuff at ALL !

But if you want something done , then you can get them to do whatever with a weekly allowance. 

My dad was a single parent and he could not work all day in construction and do all the cooking and housework . So he gave me and my little sister a weekly allowance to keep the house clean and to cook meals . A teen and a preteen .

Now how to apply this to your own child no matter what age . For the biggest part let all the work be in their room and where they play if they are small children .

Sit your child down and have a heart to heart . Have a list of expectation / work that you would like your child to do and have the set amount you want to pay them  . Do not allow the child to make the amount they want to earn . 

Tell him / her that you need help and that if he or she is willing to help you will give them $ each week if they do what is on the list and read that list to them . Also let them know you will NOT nag them to get up and do it , if they fail to do the work they won`t get the allowance.

If they agree hang the list on the fridge door .

Usually you as the parent know they want something that costs a lot so you can remind the child they can save for what they want with the money THEY work for .

How about it ? think your child will do this ? 

By Andria Perry

A Minimalist - Children And Stuff - Two

Children get attached to things easily and we do not help by buying them things they really do not need when they already have enough stuff to fill a thrift store .

If you are the selling type like I am then maybe this will work for you and your child .

Let your child know there is to much stuff in the house so you are going to have a yard sale , hand them a box and ask him / her to fill it to the top with things that want to sell and let them know THEY get to keep the money . Let them deal with the toys and you and the child go through the clothing . You will be surprised what a two or three year old will get rid of in the clothing department .

When you set up for the yard sale make sure to set the child his section up away from your stuff and if the child is old enough let them sell their own stuff at the price you set .

With the money he / she made let them either start a savings account at the bank or take them out for a night on the town .

Next post will be about how to maintain a child room after the clutter is removed .

By Andria Perry

A Minimalist - Children And Stuff

Working with kids and their things is the part a care giver finds hard . Removing toys and general junk out of the child`s room and life . 

With all the cartoon channels and the new toy ad`s blasting for ten minutes  , we hear these words " I want one of those ! " or " can I have one ? " over and over .

Then the holidays come around and mom and dad , grandma and grandpa , aunt and uncle , and lets not forget brother and sister ALL buy the little one something or a bunch of things . 

Now their rooms are piled sky high with old toys and new . How do you get rid of the old stuff to make room for the new ? You try to go in and take things out and have to face the child crying because you are taking his / hers favorite toy .

What you do next could make your child understand the meaning of " things " or be a future hoarder .

Yes you are the parent and what you say goes but its how you say it that matters . 

I do have several suggestions to help a child ease through getting rid of old stuff .

First suggestion is to let your child be a part of your own journey .

Put a small box next to the back door and as you add an item to donate ask your child to do the same . Let him / her know that there are people that do not have any toys and they would make some child with no toys happy with the toy they don`t really like anymore and that you will make some lady/ man really happy with your donation .

As soon as the child puts that toy in the box , take it out to the car and put it in the trunk . Out of sight , out of mind.

When you go out to town the next time let the child put their item in the donation bin after you put yours in  now he / she has the sense of accomplishment .

The next post will have another idea on how to deal with children and their clutter .

By Andria Perry

A Minimalist - Outside

The tell tell signs that a hoarder live in a place is the outside , Yes the yard / lot / lawn . How ever you want to say it .

I remember several years ago I was house hunting and I did not want to move to a neighborhood like the one I had just left so I didn`t just look at the place that was for rent or sale I looked at the neighborhood first . How well was the neighborhood maintained . Once I found this nice area with a nice home on a huge lot but as you came into the cul-de-sac their was this house and you knew a hoarder lived there because there was EVERYTHING all over that acre lot , so anyone coming and going had to look at that place. I did not even asked to get inside this house to see it because that turned me around right there .

I know that this outside hoarder  doesn`t determine if there is a hoarder there but it does if they are at the point of being on T.V. .

The hoarder in this house will for sure junk up the yard or have the what he calls " a bone yard " for things he may need later. Eventually it always gets hauled to the dump .

Keeping the outside cleaned up is the easier part for me , I do deal with the small ( soon to be hauled off  ) area but for the most part its stays cleaned up . Just mow the lawn and thats all . I also gave up yard art because once it starts everyone will pile that crap all in your yard as gifts  .

To me keeping a clean and junk free lawn shows you have pride in your home. 

How about you ? looking forward to hearing your thoughts .

By Andria Perry

A Minimalist - And There Are Books

I am not sure if everyone is like me about Books . I love to read and I am not to picky , I will read anyone and its not just novels but how to books and cook books .

I can say that I am doing better with getting rid of books I have read . Back in 2009 I think I had around five hundred books and most of them I had read .

I am not sure what makes me want to keep a good book , I am sure I will not read it again because I have tried .

So I did this , I picked out a couple of my all time favorite authors and kept their books . I went through the cook books and kept the best . Then I donated ALL of them to the Salvation Army thrift store . Since that donation I now send them to the nursing homes a few at a time or a box at a time because these people have nothing and they really do appreciate the free books .

I am not one to download books so I began to go to the Library and just check out books . By doing this I am still getting what I want without spending money and having a cluttered up office  . Another plus is the dust factor , thats all gone when you limit the books = dust collectors .

But this I will say " Living without books would be lonely " . Although I am working on this in my life I can say that this house will never be Book free .

How about you ? love or hate the books ?

By Andria Perry

A Minimalist - The Queen Of Paper

I have to make this my confession time. 

I can extreme coupon and I bookkeep for my own business . So I have the paper clutter that I battle weekly .

I have learned to recycle my paper and get money back for the scraps . Although its not much money I feel I am doing my part at home and for a tree and gaining a few pennies back .

What I do to keep this under control till tax season is I keep a  small shoe box size clear tub with envelops marked for each set of receipts I have to file , Gas , repair and materials , medication and doctor etc.. Once a week if not more I file these receipts . 

Once a week I clip coupons from the Sunday weekly news paper and I file these in my binder . The coupons I do not use I give to my friends that coupon and they do the same with me . If I still have coupons left I put them in labeled pencil boxes for one month , if no one asks for them I toss them in the recycling .

And now to the almighty mail . All of the unwanted sale`s papers and plain out junk mail ! Since I do get all my mail at the post office I do recycle right there and I don`t bring it home with me but what about all the mail I do bring home , things with my account numbers etc. ? I recycle those after I cut off the account number and toss that tiny piece in the regular trash .

Although this Paper is a thorn sticking me in my back I try to keep it under control .

How do you deal with paper?

By Andria Perry

A Minimalist - Cleaning Faster

You should know that its easier to clean your home when it has less stuff sitting around .

Growing up without a mother aka house cleaner ,  I had to do it myself with the help of my little sister while my dad worked . My dad made sure he showed his appreciation and gave us each an allowance for keeping the house clean .

Now that I am grown and I have to care for myself , my home and my lawn I see that I keep up with the cleaning not because I was raised this way but because its healthy . I do not have any colds / flu , I do not  have any stomach / intestinal issues due to germs from bacteria .

I am not saying I am a slave to cleaning either .For instance ; When you become a minimalist you are not worried about moving stuff to wipe your counter off where you prep your food , you just naturally wipe it off when washing dishes , its clean ! No extra effort .

For the most part I clean once a week and that includes Sweeping and mopping the floors , Dusting all the furniture and cleaning the bathroom . I do wipe down the kitchen every day because I do cook everyday and wash dishes . Laundry should be washed twice a week for a couple of people but if the house is full , you may have to deal with that daily .

BUT daily I keep things picked up and put away . Since you do have things in their place its so easy to keep clean.

I know this may seem overwhelming but just try it on the same day every week and you`ll see its not as hard as you thought .

 

By Andria Perry

A Minimalist - My Weekly Journal

Its late on June 21 , 2015 and time to reflect on what accomplishments I have made in life as a minimalist . 

Last week was a week to get my life back together after over doing lifting  and plain old over worked . 

I managed to get the main bathroom cleaned up ,  that includes scrubbing the tub , sink and toilet . I mopped the floor and washed the bath rug.

On Thursday I cleaned out my walk in closet and removed a tub full of clothes to sell . Some still had the tags on them , they no longer will fit :/

I put in a days work at the rental house making sure that everything was on and ready for a yard sale on Saturday plus I mowed the grass there .

The yard sale closed early due to rain so I came home and caught up on sleep , then I started the laundry and  I changed my bed sheets . I washed , dried and folded three loads of laundry . Next I washed the throw rugs  from the back door , the ones that had been feet wipes when it was muddy .

Sunday After Church I swept and mopped the Kitchen and laundry room . Then I made it a complete cleaning for my bathroom , I wiped down cabinets and cleaned mirrors besides the sinks and toilet and I swept and mopped . Next was my Bedroom , I vacuumed and dusted . I can brag that my bedroom is never cluttered , its always neat .

I skipped clipping coupons this week , I did not like the coupons that was offered  . 

I am still doing the paper filing after the closet clean out where I had it stored . I did make over half of it recyclable and the rest goes into the tax filing section of my paperwork .

I still have a couple rooms that need vacuumed and dusted but I got the main stuff cleaned and I will have to work on the rest on my next day off and I am not sure if I will get Monday off or not .

Since I am almost 100% back from my back injury I can see getting things back clean and the way I like them and thats lived in but not a disaster .

How was your past week ?

By Andria Perry