Our Frugal Lifestyle

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Passionate about eco-frugality. I used to party hard, clubbing my way from pay-packet to pay-packet. Never getting ahead, just getting by. Then came our much wanted baby with no savings in the bank - only an old car. Changes were made to our lifestyle and we didn't turn back. In the past 6yrs we purchased a flat, found employment, lived below our means, built an emergency fund, purchased a reliable car and saw the financial benefits of our frugal lifestyle. Our only debt is our mortgage. Our aim is to manage our cash flow wisely, pay off our home quickly and eventually work for pleasure, not necessity. Join us on our journey, share insights, tips and tricks to help us and others to get ahead while having a good time.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Chaotic Mess Reigns In Our Home

I've always been a very messy person. My mum is a super tidy freak. She has clutter but it all has it's place and the floor is always spotless. I however am a drop and go type of gal. Drop it in the closest place and go go go... onto something more fun, exciting or important. But due to this I waste time looking for important documents, letters, keys, glasses and on and on goes the daily searching for stuff.

In the past 3 months I made a small change. I designated a new place for my keys, wallet and glasses. And I have found I stuck by this place about 80% of the time making a huge difference in my life. Immensely reducing my stress levels in the morning dash.

In the past week I have tried much harder then usual to not drop and dash. Eliminating any further mess and have also tried to concentrate on clearing up one tiny area each day. I feel I am making a little headway but the problem is nothing lasts with me. My bad habits are hard to overcome. However if my very bad spending habits have been eliminated over the past 4 years then maybe there is hope for me yet, to become the organised person I would love to be.

This is my chaotic lounge room today.
Disaster
I hope to have an after shot latter in the week of a much nicer looking room. But in the past I have tidied it all up to just make a mess again within 2 weeks. Why am I like this... I'm just too frustrating for words!!!! I wouldn't want to live with me, so how can my family cope?

The spare room is worst. The bedroom looks like a cyclone hit it. The kitchen has been a work in progress in the past 2 weeks and starting to resemble a kitchen. The hallway has a pile of children's books that the shelves can not house (time to declutter kids books).

Anyway due to my disorganised clutter I missed a very important annual Bodycorp meeting, where we make financial, maintenance and improvement decisions regarding the building. Only 1 person turned up out of the 6 units. To me that shows slackness in general, but on my part by not turning up I am not looking after my family's asset or maximising the potential of increasing our asset's value. That is wasteful and definitely not frugal. Aaaarghhhh.

How are you with your most important assets? Increasing their value with good care and maintenance?

5 comments:

  1. Actually, the room is not in a bad condition. If you spend 15 minutes three times a day decluttering, you will have it beat. Set a timer. Also, never put anything down unless it is in its place. Oh, if you are reading a book and put it on the table next to you, that's okay. But, if you leave an empty glass when you walk away from the chair, that is not okay. Tidy as you go even if it is not completely the way you want it now. I am quite sure you are not the only person in the house who leaves things in the wrong place. Don't be so hard on yourself.

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  2. I'm so so. I can have great periods of organization and then kaput the house looks like ten people who all hoard live here and it will take me a few weeks to get back on the wagon - so to speak. We are pretty much on top of house stuff as we see it as a back up if any cataclysmic happens, it's our largest debt but it's a bigger asset should we ever need it. Btw my worst room is the spare one too!

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  3. We are very messy people and it bothers me a lot! My best friend has a picture-perfect house all the time and that doesn't help me to feel any better. If I lived alone, I'd probably be able to keep a tidy house, but the two men in my life make that rather impossible!

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  4. I too feel the need to be organised because i believe it has an effect of a happy pill lol. It truely feeds the soul when the home is tidy and it is almost blissful to have people come over and enjoy your home. Who am i kidding my house is a bomb and i need to clean up badly. Nix Nax

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  5. I think books are supposed to be eccelectically (is that a word?) arranged. If that gives you hope.

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