Are you doing anything to make it easier on yourself?

[Sad Eyed Lady]

I had a friend make a statement lately about she had started to do some things to "make it easier on myself". One she mentioned was putting up a hook near the door where she hung her keys when she came in. This saved time looking the house over and saying "where did I put my keys?!". She and I are roughly the same age and I noticed that I have been doing some things like that too without really having put the reason to it. One thing I have done lately is using aluminum foil to line a pan I am cooking something in in the oven. Toss the foil and no clean up of a really messy pan. Used to be I would not do this not wanting to use disposable things (like paper napkins which I still don't use). But, it just makes it so much easier when a meal is over and other things need cleaning up that this one thing is ready to just put back, or maybe just a quick wipe out. And when I thought about a piece of foil in the trash vrs using lots of hot water to clean a pan I didn't feel too guilty. How about you, even in our dedicated simple living lifestyle, are there some things now that you an relax a bit to make it a little easier on yourself?

[catherine]

Well, I already do the key hook and the tin foil as liners to save cleaning up!

I quit my job and went freelance to make it easy on myself.
I am in serious decluttering mode to make it easy on myself.
I only dress in two colors to make it easy on myself.
I don't own anything I'd be upset about losing or having stolen (like expensive jewelry) to make it easy on myself.
I go to sleep and get up whenever I want to to make it easy on myself (except if I'm on the road working, of course!)
I wake up and go to sleep saying "thank you" to make it easy on myself.

[cdttmm]

I wake up and go to sleep saying "thank you" to make it easy on myself.

Love this!

[early morning]

I have a dishwasher, an admittedly unnecessary piece of equipment, simply because I hate doing dishes and have a small counter, no room to stack dirty stuff during family dinners, etc. I go for the easy fix when I can - handles on the front porch post instead of trying to figure out how to install a railing; beat down snow in the driveway with the pickup and stamp down the walkways, instead of shoveling (if it gets really deep we try to hire someone to plow the drive but I consider most snow shoveling to be a total waste of time- it will melt eventually! :) ); mulch as much as I can instead of weeding beds and garden, as examples. I try not to spend TOO much extra money, and many times our ways actually save money.

[iris lilies]

I have always wanted uncluttered horizontal surfaces in the kitchen, bathrooms, and elsewhere to make it easy on myself or whoever is the house cleaner. I don't have a house cleaner right now but I've had them in the past.

I am successful in controlling the counter space in most all places in the house except for 1) half of the kitchen 2) DH's desk where he has NEVER not-once sat down.

I really like the simplicity of the bathroom counter and it's fairly wide, a size for double sinks. It has these things on it right now:
* soap holder with hand soap in it
* drinking glass
*a plastic drinking glass I use to fill the cats' water dispenser

All other stuff I keep in drawer. I've always thought that those "bathroom sets" with the toothbrush holder and soap holder and something else (there are always 3 pieces to it) are silly. My soap holder dish is a piece of depression glass. I keep the toothbrush in a drawer which is more sanitary anyway.

Years ago I found it troublesome to hang my bathrobe on a hanger because it's big and bulky and takes up too much room, and I wanted a hook installed inside the closet for it, to hang outside of my regular clothes. DH refused because he didn't want to mar the woodwork. So I pounded in a big nail myself (yes, marring the woodwork, too bad!) and it was simpler than installing a hook. I am still happy with that fix years later.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Having the keys near the door is just good design (but never thought of having a nail for them). I use parchment paper instead of tin foil, but yes I used to use nothing because I didn't want to waste foil or even parchment paper I guess, fish especially was a giant pain, scrubbing and scrubbing off those stupid fish scales off my pans.

[catherine]

I really like the simplicity of the bathroom counter and it's fairly wide, a size for double sinks. It has these things on it right now:
* soap holder with hand soap in it
* drinking glass
*a plastic drinking glass I use to fill the cats' water dispenser

All other stuff I keep in drawer.

I agree--we redid the bathroom a few years back and replaced the old pink formica vanity with a pedestal sink, and we put a very narrow, 12" long glass shelf on the adjoining wall. I keep soap, lotion, tiny dixie cups and a vinegar cruet with mouthwash in it (an idea I picked up from Alexandra Stoddard). I try not to have ANYTHING branded out in plain view. I do have a cabinet on the opposite bathroom wall, with 6 wicker baskets inside--each have labels: "Hair," "Body," "Teeth," "Face," and "Clip" and items go into their proper baskets.

One of the things I've had to adjust to with DS/DDIL is the amount of personal products!!! OMG, I think they have every hair and body product known to man. She is very clean, so she has stuff put away neatly, but, we are all four of us sharing one bathroom, so ..

[Selah]

DH was always forgetting to bring in a washcloth into the shower. He'd yell for me to get one for him from the wardrobe in the other room. We only had a few washcloths then, so he would frequently complain about not having a clean one available. I finally just got a whole bunch of brand new washcloths and put them in a bag, then hung the bag on a hook on the back of the bathroom door. Now he always has a clean, easy-to-reach washcloth at hand.

The most costly thing we did to make life simpler and easier for ourselves was to buy a car! We used to have two cars, then we went to one car. Then we moved to Israel and didn't have a car for over a year. Once we bought a second-hand car, life got a LOT easier, more comfortable, and more enjoyable. We don't use it every day, but every time we do, we're really happy we bought it!

And another naughty luxury I've taken up is using cheap diaper wipes to wash my face at night, if I'm in a hurry. Not frugal or eco-friendly, but it sure does beat washing with cold water (it takes a very long time for hot water to reach our bathroom sink, so it's not worth wasting the water), in an unheated tile bathroom during the winter.

[pinkytoe]

Pay ridiculous property taxes to live central where everything is close by really makes my life easier. Today we drove to the edge of town to purchase a craigslist item and I was blown away by the traffic and congestion. It took us an hour to drive ten miles and this on a Saturday.
Drive an old Volvo so I don't have to worry about high insurance and car payments and I won't cry if it gets dinged or banged up.
Wipe down the new tile in the tub with a towel after every shower. Hassle but so worth it as it looks like new after two years. No mold or nasty grout - ever.
Work at home on Fridays really makes my life easier, too.

[Dhiana]

Absolutely! All these efficiencies make it so much easier for me to get more done with my day.
Using parchment paper, foil, having a home for everything and only the minimum (mostly) needed items are all 'tricks' I've done mostly because I'm too lazy to take the time to wash the pans, etc. No knickknack-y things to dust, etc.

My favorite convenience is public transportation here. Instead of paying for a car, sitting in traffic, I'm using my commute time (up to 3 hours/day) to get things done such as writing, art, crochet, computer work, things I would often be doing at home anyway.

Thankfully, convenience doesn't always mean wasteful :)

[Jilly]

I have been using foil to line baking pans for a long time, and often use just the foil sheet with edges turned up to form sides. Not all that sturdy for big things, but all I need to bake or broil for just myself.

I use Command hook/strips all the time. No marking the wall, strong enough to hold just about anything. Paying attention to the weight guidelines, I can use one or several to hold what I need. I have a couple that have been holding paintings for a year and a half. They are spendy, but no holes in these old plaster walls and I can move things, change my mind, without any problems.

Were there space, I would have a dishwasher tomorrow.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I've posted this here before but there is one thing I do before I leave the house (most of the time unless I'm insanely busy or in a bad rush) - I do a quick mental list of everything I need to have with me for the day and double-check that I have these things with me - I've learned that just doing that one step can cut a lot of drama and rushing around out of my life. That and I look over my garden most days before I leave the house. This tends to start my day on a better note and I have the visual to remember if/when things get challenging. Rob

[SteveinMN]

Dishwasher. Slow cooker and pressure cooker make it easier to cook at home in less time (which, in turn, reduces the temptation to do takeout/dine out). Microwave to defrost items for cooking (easier than remembering to take something out a couple of days earlier).

Auto-pay for pretty much any regular bill we have except our credit cards (saves on keeping track of envelopes and stamps, too). Three credit cards between the two of us. All banking except for the car loan, one mortgage, and (unused) line of credit with our credit union (cuts down on paperwork and some fees).

Giving myself permission: The bed is not made every single day. Items may remain in the kitchen sink overnight. I don't always buy the "greenest" product if the finances on it are way out of whack (e.g., replacing specialty incandescent bulbs with LEDs).

That last one probably makes my life easier than all the rest of them.

[Float On]

We always had small chip carved peg boards by the front door and back door for the keys. The only times I've ever had panic over keys is when I've left them in a coat pocket or forget to take them out of the lock on the back door when I'm carrying in too many bags of groceries at one time.
Small kitchen means less stuff - and small bathrooms mean less stuff. Same goes for closets. I have to do seasonal packing and only have out what is for that season. The only sheets are the ones on the beds. When they are washed they go right back on the beds. All the towels are hung on pegs back in the bathrooms as soon as they come out of the dryer. The best thing we ever did was turn a 4th bedroom into a big laundry room. Everyone has a laundry basket and things are sorted as they come out of the dryer into each person's basket. There is a rod hanging on the bottom side of the cabinet over the dryer and all the hangers hang on that rod. As shirts, sweaters, skirts come out of the dryer they are put on a hanger and then there is another big rod just to the right of the dryer under a shelf that those items hang from until the owner puts their stuff away. On top of that shelf are baskets that hold all the swim gear. I love the organization of my laundry room - makes a necessary chore so much easier.

[Tammy]

Renting an apartment instead of owning a house had given me my weekends and evenings back

[happystuff]

I don't own anything I'd be upset about losing or having stolen (like expensive jewelry) to make it easy on myself.

Love this one and I am working towards this end.

Since I do not live alone, the main thing I am doing is asking/telling other members of the household to do stuff - big things and little things - and I am also telling them what I will no longer do. For example, I no longer do all the laundry in the house - everyone does their own.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I guess I consider owning used cars as making life easier. I don't fear them getting stolen as much (ok I still lock and insure them against theft and when they are brand new-to-me I have some fear - but at this point the car isn't worth much - but it is reliable transportation!). So that's in the same vein of never own anything worth stealing. Never own a car worth stealing. Or a car you would be devastated if it got in an accident. Yea still noone wants accidents obviously.

[Kestra]

I don't keep most of my clothes in drawers and I don't fold most of them. I use shelves for casual clothes, hangers for less commonly used work clothes, and some hooks on the back of my door for some larger things. I keep my closet door open. I don't make my bed.
DH has got me into using tinfoil for baking. I realized I could make muffins without cleaning the tins by using the paper cups. I also rarely bake.
We tend to just cook up a big pot of vegetables on the weekend and use that for most of the week, adding different things to them.

[Florence]

I like to get things ready. For example, before cooking I get out all the ingredients, bowls, measuring cups, pans, and anything else I will need so that once I start cooking, I don't have to stop and go get anything. I lay out everything for breakfast the night before. I set up everything for my shower and clothes for the next day the night before. It just makes things go more smoothly.

[Simpler at Fifty]

DH cooks dinner and gets the meat out of the freezer the night before so it is ready the next day. He does the same as Florence with getting all the ingredients and utensils out so he can just cook. We make a menu each week and have been doing that for 10 years. It works well for us. It makes it easy for me to determine what to have for lunch too. If we are having tacos for dinner I will skip the burrito for lunch, etc.

We pay 90% of our bills with auto pay. Our gas bill and water/electric/sewer are on budget billing which makes it easier in the middle of winter or heat of summer.

I am a list keeper for my ToDo's. It is my way to stay organized. I use OneNote and sticky notes on my PC and work laptop. Makes remembering things so much easier.

Last year I started scanning bills and paper in earnest. Great to have the extra room in the drawers.

[rodeosweetheart]

Rehomed a horse to someone 35 years younger than I am.

Stopped driving in the snow.

[Polliwog]

When I bought my current home 10 years ago, there were little hooks inside by the front door for keys. I immediately got into the habit of using the hooks for: car keys, pool key, mail key, and extra house and car key. I never have to look for keys because I hang them on the hooks. The only exception is when I forget to take keys out of front door when bringing in groceries, etc. I have found them the next day still in front door. It must be my age!

The other thing I started doing recently is preparing my little coffee maker the night before so that in the morning I just have to turn it on. Love it.

I love what Steve said about giving himself permission to do or not do some things. For instance, I give myself permission to not make my bed if I don't feel like it.

When I get my mail, I go directly to the garage and throw all junk mail and other unwanted stuff right into the trash recepticle. Therefore, I only handle it once instead of bringing into the house and going through it later.

Now that I am working from home (but almost retired), I try to schedule my errands on one day so that I am not driving as much.

I love making lists because I really love checking off items I have completed.

Linda

[Yarrow]

I am in a wheelchair now fulltime due to my MS. I recently had an occupational therapist come to my tiny cottage and show me how to do everything an easier way. It was so helpful! Living in such a small place is helpful as well.... I have many functional aids to help me now too such as a "grabber" to pick things up off the floor, a special shower chair, and other things that make it easier to dress myself. My therapist is also looking into getting me a Service Dog, which I am totally excited about!! :- )

[Lainey]

. . My therapist is also looking into getting me a Service Dog, which I am totally excited about!! :- )

That's really great, Yarrow. I am friends with an older married couple who have no children. They've already made out their will which gives a portion of their estate to a group that trains these service dogs. It's pretty impressive. Let us know how it goes with this.

[Teacher Terry]

Service dogs are awesome & it is amazing how many different breeds of dogs do well as one. Recently I had a client that had a standard poodle. The dog knew over 200 commands.

[Yarrow]

That's really great, Yarrow. I am friends with an older married couple who have no children. They've already made out their will which gives a portion of their estate to a group that trains these service dogs. It's pretty impressive. Let us know how it goes with this.


Lainey, that is wonderful! Service dogs benefit so many, and I know that having one will help me out so much, plus be good companionship for me. Will keep everyone updated. :)