Minimalism

A friend posted this link on Facebook. It really hit home to me.

When we were facing low balance alerts in our checking account - our only account - we had to really reevaluate our lives. We started selling everything we could.

When we went through the thought process of what we could sell, we had to evaluate what we could live without. Sure, we got that ping pong table for free when my husband pulled it out of the garbage, but did we NEED it. No. We ended up selling it for $50. The same story goes for our air hockey table. Sure, those things provided great fun for our kids, but we needed to be able to pay our bills and put food on the table.

As it turned out, getting rid of a bunch of our junk allowed our basement to become a very open space. Since our daughters were sharing a room at the time, the extra space lent itself to an extra bedroom. It's not a finished basement or anything, but it has a sliding glass door and a closet, so it could technically be used as a bedroom. One thing led to another and it became a bedroom for my husband and myself. We love it down there. It wouldn't have been possible to do without getting rid of some of our stuff that cluttered it.

As a design major, I also find that minimalism is the most aesthetically pleasing to me. We live in an uncluttered home (just ignore my desk). It makes it easy on the eyes, easy on the checkbook (since we're not trying to constantly fill it with stuff), and it makes it easier to clean.

After reading this, I urge you to evaluate your life and see what you could live without. Where can you minimize?

Roadkill

Sorry I've been gone for almost a week! I had some medical issues that left me too dizzy to function. I'm all better now, though, so on to the thriftiness.

Don't worry. I'm not talking about dead animals.

In our house, roadkill is what you call stuff you find on the side of the road. You can find anything from winter gloves and hats to shelving units to clocks to appliances.

A few years ago, we were driving along and someone was getting rid of a big ol' clock. We picked it up. A few days later, we needed a favor (still unemployed at this time). We found a friend that was willing to do the favor for, you guessed it, the grandmother clock.

If you hear of a company or store going out of business, don't be afraid to ask them what they are going to do with all of their stuff. There was a nearby store that had some furniture for their waiting area. When we heard they were going out of business, we asked them what they were going to do with the couch and chair. "Just get rid of them." Oh really? Because they were in fabulous condition and that sounded absurd. We got to pick those up (which we then bartered for a guy to do work on my husband's truck).

Even if I tried, I'm pretty sure I couldn't list all of the stuff that we have gotten or found for free over the years. It's all about keeping your eyes peeled! You never know what you might find.

If you have done this before list your roadkill in the comments.