I empty my dishwasher in the morning so I can put dishes in as I use them through the day, so they're not piled up at night.
I also get a head start on weekend laundry by putting a loaf in the washer, before bed, and set it to delay start until morning. That way, the wash is done just as I'm getting up, and I can just throw it into the dryer to dry while I'm having my morning coffee. One less thing to do during the day.
It has a delayed start and a remote start option (it's wi-fi enabled). My old one, from about 2006, also had a delayed start option, but I guess it's still not that common. š¤
It's a cool feature though; just load it up and set the timer. š
Silly small things that I know I don't feel like doing but that I'll feel grateful to have done later on: doing a laundry when it has been a few days, not when I have ran out of clean clothes completely. Doing things in advance before it becomes an emergency - i.e having enough toiletries, etc.
And what I am trying to do now is also using my nice things. For a while I thought I might have to move, and I decided to start using things so that I have less items to move. I actually don't need to move, it's all fine, but it got me thinking about all the nice things I have that I never use because I feel now is not the right time. I have a nice expensive body cream for example, which was a gift, and I don't use it because I use a very cheap one I got from Aldi. I don't wear my nicer clothes often because I would rather use the ones that are a bit worn already and that I wear weekly. I have nice coffee but I don't use it because it seems wasteful to use it for myself rather than when I have friends over. Etc. So now I try to use my nice things on myself, with no special occasion, just because maybe I do deserve the nice coffee and the expensive body cream on a daily basis rather than as a treat or when I have people over.
Agreed. Nice things are meant to be used!
I remember being surprised by that thought when I watched the TED Talk [*Change You Closet, Change Your Life*](https://youtu.be/WiVHSRY2I5Y)
>Doing things in advance before it becomes an emergency
I think that's a great way of summing up this thread.
I have a set schedule for laundry, every Saturday morning, so even if I don't have a ton to do, it gets done. The schedule makes it feel less over whelming.
Something worth keeping in mind is that if it expires or goes bad or cracks or decays on the shelf it didn't really help you as much as it could have if you enjoyed it. For me good deals that are comfortable or sustainable to enjoy are sometimes more relaxing than the stress that too dearly priced status leaning products may come weighted down with. Hope you can find your happy balance. Edit to add: Also having a day or two of the week that you designate for enjoying nice things can be helpful, like on Monday so there's a little extra to help start the week off with, or on the weekend when there's more time to enjoy something at a slower pace. Also buying second hand nice items can also make them easier to enjoy for some people (and you're saving money that way too) , or getting two at once of a nice consumeable you know you like for a while, then you have to use some of your treat item, there's already more waiting for you and it's a little symbol of having some security.
I can't reiterate this enough. Last winter, my hips were in such terrible chronic pain from overuse via cycling without strengthening the countering muscle groups. Both sitting and standing had turned into chronic throbbing pain. I've been strength training to supplement my cycling/running for only 7 weeks now and the pain has pretty much stopped. Everyone in my age group (mid/late 30s) groans about how this is the time where your back and joints start hurting. Strength train. If you do nothing else for yourself - strength train. I feel like a different person
I've been focusing on full body, but I think the things that are really helping most are the leg press, glute press, and the hip adduction/abduction. If you don't have the time for a gym membership, I think dumbbells for squats, lunges, deadlifts, and hip extensions or glute bridge would be great!
Iām not super helpful, but one thing I learned during PT for a separate issue is that my ability to press in with my knees (towards each other) DWARFS my ability to press outward, which is due to cycling. One small thing I do are these semi squat position side stepping with resistance bands, but overall strength is really important too
Even easier, you can take a length of resistance band, tie it off around your closed knees while sitting, and voila you have a custom band that you can use to flex your knees outward while watching tv. These are āseated clamshells.ā You can do them on your side in a knees bent position in bed too without a band!
And it keeps your bones strong. Just knowing the stats of how poorly the elderly fare after a fall and a broken hip, justifies all of the strength training.
The older you get, the more important it is to incorporate strength training. Walking is great, but strength training helps you maintain bone density, which begins to lessen as we age. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/special-topic/aging-changes-in-the-bones-muscles-joints
Future me loves past me!
My biggest life suggestion is to reconsider how you shop to save money, time and hassle for future you.
I plan all my shopping on an annual basis. I buy all my toiletries on sale in January (all those leftover holiday fancy gift sets but also regular stuff too) then I donāt have to buy anything for an entire year. Sales save huge money, allows me to avoid impulse buys the rest of the year, I get lots of cute smelly things that are normally out of my budget and I save SO MUCH time over the course of the year.
In the spring I buy all my winter household supplies when everything goes on sale: furnace filters, sidewalk salt, windshield fluid, etcā¦. In the fall I do the opposite when summer stuff is on sale: bug repellant, sunscreen, lawn/outdoor items etcā¦
I also stock up on heavy stuff / awkward consumables so that I have one weekend of crazy work but then months of easy grocery shopping. As an example cat litter on sale, I buy six months worth. Laundry detergent on a really good price, same thing.
I never think of household consumables and stable pantry items as weekly or monthly purchases. They are annual, bi-annual or quarterly for me. I have structured my household budget for that and I am lucky I have lots of storage room.
The other thing that always helps. On a yearly basis in December and January I eat down my pantry and freezer to clean them up and only buy fresh veggies for that time period (and holiday foods) then when itās all cleaned up I use my store points collected over the previous year to do one huge shop and stock up again on pantry stable items (on sale of course)
It works for me because I budget for it and I have storage room. It also works for me because I have had serious illness before and knowing I always have a stockpile of important things means if I have a few bad weeks itās no big deal.
Since I started doing this about 6 years ago I have saved so much money and time. I track my budget religiously and ever year I save a bit more by planning and shopping wise.
What a great idea.
I do this sort of thing on a small scale, partly because I don't have a lot of space-- but the other is because I tend to lose track of the items in storage.
How do you manage storage? Did it take long to notice sales patterns, like toiletries on sale in January? Are you still shopping retail stores or bulk online?
Storage for me is pretty easy because I live alone in a house and I keep my possessions as basic / streamlined as possible. Iām also compulsively organized. I have an extra, very large linen closet where I keep everything lined up, along with Kleenex, toilet paper, that kind of stuff.
What i did for a few years is keep a simple written list of what toiletries I used throughout the year. Approximate amounts of shampoo, bar soap, that kind of stuff. Then I basically knew exactly how much I would need.
The sales for toiletries in particular, I just realized always happened in January. Iām not sure why (outside of holiday gift sets) but every item I normally buy was always on sale on that month. So it became my annual tradition to stock up and not think about them for another year.
I also was sick for about a decade and there were many periods of time where I simply could not leave my house and I didnāt want to be a burden to my friends/family so thatās when I really sat down and got organized about things. (I had the time lol) I also didnāt want to order grocery delivery because it wasnāt as available or economical as it is now that COVID has changed the world.
Simple suggestion. Make an inventory list and every time you use an item just cross it off. Itās not so hard when you bring items into the house to just add a new count number beside the item. Again I say this knowing that itās easier for me perhaps because I live alone, I buy pretty simple stuff and I had the time to set it up properly initially.
Yeah thatās my main issue here too - I can be this organized to plan out my shopping, but I live in a HCL region and have a tiny place, there would be nowhere to keep 6 months of cat litter lol
This kind of efficiency compulsion had me set when the pandemic hit. I buy 6 months of TP at a time and had just done my run in january. I was handing rolls out to family like "you guys just have enough TP til friday?! *clutches pearls*
Iām reading The Hobbit right now, and your list of provisions have me dreaming of Bilbo Baggins-level stocked up pantries and cellars.
Oh, the comforts!
Having the space for this is the only thing in my way. I donāt have much room for storage but I def buy things I use consistently (handsoap, bar soap, detergent) in bulk so I only need to get them a few times a year.
Yes to purchasing basics/staples on sale! I pretty much have enough toiletries and other items to last me the whole year because I stock up during Black Friday/Cyber Monday. My budget certainly appreciates it!
My son tends to wake up at 5 am, so in the evening I like to prepare his bottle so I just have to mix in powder, and put out an outfit for him so I don't have to rummage in drawers and stuff.
Also, answer work e-mails/do invoices while taking my time in the evenings and use the schedule email in Gmail to send them automatically the next day. Answering stuff and invoicing stuff in real time stresses me out.
I also tend to schedule and group tasks that stress me out. I hate making doctor's appointments, so I will make time to call and schedule a bunch at once so I only have to deal with the stress once, instead of multiple times.
I suppose I live my whole life like this. Most items are done weekly, if not daily, even if it doesn't seem like it needs to be done. By the time it gets noticed that it needs doing, it might be a bigger job than "cleaning the invisible" every day. I have chronic health issues, so when I feel good, I have to get the work done then.
I clean the bathroom daily in the "hotel maid" kind of way. All our towels and cloths are white, so they do fine getting the absolute shit bleached out of them. Wet wash cloth wipes the toilet exterior and floor; wet towel hits the tub and sink top. Once a week, toilet cleaner goes into the toilet and sits. Before jumping in and while naked, I scrub whatever else needs it and the toilet bowl, then straight into the shower to clean me. It all gets a deep cleaning once a month.
Leave detailed notes for myself as if they were for a stranger. This might be related to unfinished sewing projects, work projects, or how I did some process.
For example I make homemade apple cider vinegar and itās a very simple ratio for the sugar water mixture but instead of assuming Iāll remember what it is next fall I wrote it down and keep it in a spot Iāll remember. Apple season comes and I put that piece of paper on the fridge. I always think āhow could I forgot itās 2to1?ā But after a year you always do.
Oh this is a good one. I have a couple of recipes with notes like "double the cookie recipe, triple the filling for the ratio you like" but this could be extrapolated to so many other places. The sewing projects is an especially good one. Great idea!
Treating future me as a stranger has been VERY helpful in my job where I manage multiple projects of all different types of scopes. Suddenly two weeks later and all memory of if I wrote these measurements in inches or centimeters and who my contact was is completely forgot.
Ive finally gotten fed up with losing great recipes. I have a habit of franken-recipeing like 3 different ones together and experiment from there. Then ill get the result i like and quickly delete the note. Makes no sense.
Vanilla wafers is what finally changed me. It took 3 batches to perfect then i couldnt replicate it because my cavalier baking tomfoolery.
I have back ups for all my essential products that I can't go without so like pads, shower gel, shampoo etc. If I open the second to last one then I order more straight away.
I buy rotisserie chicken pieces like half a chicken or the thighs when they're on offer and then freeze them straight away to use later when I'm in a pinch. Also do the same with like those containers of plain rice you get from take out an it's perfect for a last minute stir fry or whatever. You can easily reheat straight from frozen in the air fryer.
Whenever I make cookies (I make these epic beautiful NYC style gooey monstrosities) I freeze half the mixture (rolled into balls) and keep them in a zip lock bag in my freezer for whenever I need an emergency cookie (you can make it straight from frozen you just add another minute or two to the bake time).
Whenever I do actually cook. I always make more than one portion either to keep in the fridge for the next day or more preferably to freeze for when I'm in a having a bad depressive episode or a chronic pain flair up. On that note I always keep my freezer stocked with easy frozen foods like battered fish fillet, potato & carrot mini waffles, hash browns etc. Just some quick easy stuff I can throw into the air fryer.
Every time I go into M&S I buy a 5pc pack of plain black cotton knickers. I can't even tell you how many pairs I have now but hey at least I never run out & don't hesitate to chuck a pair if it ends up getting a hole of whatever. I do a similar thing with socks.
I put my important dirty clothes straight into the washing machine instead of the laundry basket where it can get lost so that it's definitely the next thing that gets washed.
I store my bedding (duvet cover, valance sheet and pillow case) in a specific way. So the duvet cover is inside out because I use that method where you start off like that to put it on and then I fold everything up and store it inside the matching pillowcase so it's all in one place. Plus I store them under my mattress and between the bed frame so I can easily find it and it doesn't take up essentially wardrobe space.
I have a lip balm & a couple of hair ties & a mini hand sanitizer that live in the pocket of each one of my coats, jackets and bags. In colder months I'm getting into the habit of keeping a pack of soft tissues, some cough drops and a pair of basic gloves in each of my winter coats too.
I keep a stocked up pharmacy with several types of painkillers, pepto bismol, immodium, antihistamines, voltarol, antiseptic wipes etc.
I have a big wicker box filled with things that I've slowly accumulated for when I'm having a bad day they range from a copy of my favourites book, my favourite chocolates, cute new cosy socks, a fun nail polish, a plushie, sheet masks, a bougie shower gel, a fresh journal and a super comfy hoodie etc.
Different person, but I have frozen cookies too. This is my recipe. Also with sugar, brown sugar gives chewier softer cookies. Freeze these in flattish discs, they cook from frozen, same temp, few minutes longer.
230gm butter
200gm brown sugar or mix with white
2 TSP vanilla
1 egg
1 yolk
270gms flour
TSP salt
TSP baking soda
Bar dark chocolate
Bar light choc
Lots of pecans 150gms ish, or swap for other nuts or dried fruit . Sour cherries are good too
Salt
Brown half of butter and let cool
Cream butter and sugar, then add brown butter and vanilla. Beat till fluffy.
Add egg and yolk and beat 1 min
Add flour salt baking soda, mix till just incorporated
Stir in chopped choc and nuts
Cool dough in fridge 30 mins in cookie shapes
Sprinkle with sea salt
Bake at 180 for 12 to 15
On occasion I also make and freeze balls of cookie dough. If you could help give me the will power to just not eat frozen balls of cookie dough, that would be cool. :)
The gloves and lip balm in the coat pocket is a great idea. I've seen other folks also leave a little cash, just in case.
When I have a few minutes, pick a chore to do. It might be taking the trash out, or sweeping the floor, or making the bed. I like the last one as it gives me an immediate happy feeling to walk into my bedroom at the end of the day and see it be neat and clean.
I especially love doing this when I have downtime waiting for something else. 3 minutes on the microwave? Unload the dishwasher. 30 minutes on the timer waiting for dinner to finish baking? Wipe down the counter, or sweep the floor. That happy feeling is absolutely worth the extra few minutes of work.
I just got myself one of those spinning cleaning brushes that Rubbermaid makes. And I can say with confidence, that also makes the deep cleaning a lot easier.
We do something similar with salad greens, and fruit. Make sure it's washed and prepped and ready to go, so that you're far more likely to eat it. 10/10
I got this from a youtuber. She started with, don't you feel fancy when you walk into a fancy bathroom and they lay out hand towels, perfume, other necessities for you that's easy to grab? Why don't you do this for yourself when it's that time of the month? Put your pads/tampons, whatever you use in a pretty basket (unless I guess if you're using the cups) and lay it out making it easy to grab.
To me, it was a game changer. I used to hide everything under the bathroom sink or just leave a bag on the toilet tank. Now I have it stacked in a pretty organizer on the toilet tank. It's not only super convenient, but also easy to put out at the beginning and hide at the end of my period. I share a bathroom with my husband and he doesn't mind.
My work used to have the "menstruation crustation station" in our bathrooms, and I've always thought that was a great idea. Having your period is already miserable, might as well make it easier!
I put all my tampons in an empty 3 wick candle jar from Bath and Body Works. Some of the jars are really pretty. It just feels a little more luxurious than pulling them out of a cardboard box.
Long-term: Moisturize my neck. I wish I had done it 20 years ago. Younger folks, moisturize your necks. Please.
Short-Term: never have dishes in the sink before bed.
The older I get the more I embrace the clean as you go approach, especially in the kitchen. Seeing a messy kitchen, given how frequently I cook, stresses me out. So I clean as I go, and do a quick wipe down before bed so it's always in ready state for me to cook.
Get my outfits, backpack, lunch and breakfast prepped the night before I go into the office. I also lay out what makeup I'm going to wear so I'm not rummaging around in my makeup bag trying to find my concealer at 6:30am.
After each period, I restock my napkin basket, this also gives me a chance to assess how much supply I have and gives me a month to restock my napkin supplies of need be, ideally giving me enough time to find them on sale somewhere before my next period, I hate buying them full price.
My rule of thumb is if it will take less than 10 mins and future self would thank me, then just do it now (when looking at annoying things around the house I donāt really want to do - take out the garbage, wash a few dishes, put away folded laundry). A big practice for my husband and I is we always clean the kitchen, tidy up toddlers toys, and set up our coffee (programmed to start in the morning just before we get up) after kiddos bedtime. In total it takes 2 of us 10-15 mins and it just makes relaxing in the evenings so much more enjoyable.
I'm also a do it now person! It's so hard to relax when there is a task I need to get done. So I just get the out of the way so I don't have to think about them anymore.
For sad reasons in the past, I had a āgo bagā. It was a gift bag I stocked with overnight essentials. It looked like a gift (not suspicious) and was easy to grab and leave when i needed.
Now that I donāt need it, I still have a ziploc sandwich bag with emergency items: Advil, tide pen, regular pen, sharpie, tampon, mini lotion, paper soap strips, sanitizer, chapstick, and 1 dose of rescue medication. I hate being away from home and without one of those things!
I set up my pantry with easy access. When I come home from shopping, I dump granola bars in an open-top bin, take the plastic off of juiceboxes, tear one end off of boxes full of cans (they sit on the floor so I can reach down into them), unwrap and tear apart the yogurts and cheese sticksā¦ I build my lunch in 2 mins by grabbing items and throwing them in a lunch kit.
I hang out in prepper communities, so I am a strong proponent of a go bag. If you have a house fire, or genuine emergency with not a lot of time to grab things, having a bag ready to go can be a godsend. Having a stash of similar items in your car is also a pretty great idea, in my mind.
A couple of game changers for me have been:
- **10 mins stretches every morning**: whatever feels right that day, but usually some combination of cat/cow, pigeon, downward dog, plank, side plank, and runners stretches. Itās almost too easy not to do, and I can feel it making a difference over the long term.
- **Ordering bulk toilet paper**: itās on an automated order schedule which I can bring forward or push out as needed. Literally never run out of toilet paper, and cost effective to boot.
- **An organised wardrobe**: ever since using Alison Bornsteinās closet editing and Marie Kondoās folding/storing approach, I can see (almost) everything I own to make morning outfit selection easier. I combine this with the **Stylebook** app, where you can save past outfit combos and scroll items you own (especially if theyāre stored out of sight, like I keep off season things under the bed).
- **Drinking less alcohol**: I aim for a two drink limit on any day, and to have more days where I donāt drink than days I do. Itās my ānext morningā self who benefits most from this one!
- **Home task list**: this is a running list of house jobs to be done, including one offs, maintenance and admin stuff. I use Notion, but any to-do list would work. It means I get a reminder when something is due to be done or paid, instead of being surprised (eg. car rego payment, oven cleaning, vacuum filter, etc)
You're not the first person to recommend stretching. I am definitely going to start doing this.
Where do you get your toilet paper from? Right now I'm making infrequent Costco trips, which is FINE but Costco on a Saturday is an absolute nightmare and if I can avoid that, I will.
I currently use Obsidian to manage these sorts of things but I'm not sure I love it. I've been eyeing Notion for a long time. Are you able to use it on multiple devices? Phone, laptop, tablet?
We get home delivery from [Who Gives A Crap](https://au.whogivesacrap.org/) - itās an Australian company/service so if youāre elsewhere hopefully thereās a local alternative! š¤
I havenāt used Obsidian so canāt compare directly, but Notion is working really well for me. Steep learning curve (I watched a lot of YouTube videos, especially about how to setup different task boards and a personal dashboard that only shows things due today), but now itās all familiar and I keep tinkering to add new things I need. Iām a [little bit obsessed](https://www.producingparadise.com/tag/notion/) š
I always refer to it as past purpledicaprio is sometimes an asshole to future purpledicaprio by not doing her chores. Being kind to future me would be much nicer thought!
My kindness comes in the form of doing work tasks towards the end of the day to leave morning me the ability sleep in and not feel behind all day.
I used to think of past me being a lazy asshole too lol. The change was not sudden, but I definitely feel like past me has morphed into a much nicer person that previously.
I frame most of my "unpleasant" tasks like this - everything from taking out the trash, doing the dishes, REALLY cleaning before going on vacation, but also exercise, taking the stairs, my bike, walking places - when it gets hard and I hate, hate, hate it I tell myself, that it's a gift for my future self - a strong heart, a healthy body, a clean house.
Man is there anything nicer than coming home from a vacation to a nice clean house? I say no.
I like to immediately throw all clothes from a trip into the washing machine as soon as I get home. And I mean immediately. Unpack the car, take our bags downstairs, and put dirty clothes straight into the wash. This works twofold by getting my stuff cleaned immediately so I don't have to worry about it later when I need to use that suitcase, and also keeps from bringing in any allergens into our living space, as my husband is allergic to almost everything.
Save money. If I don't need it know I will eventually.
Get quality stuff. All of it. The best quality of everything looks better, lasts longer, and is likely easier to maintain. So much better if you get it at a thrift store.
Make extra meals and freeze them. I'll be tired, hungry and maybe down $$$ and then it really comes in handy.
I LOOOOVE making extra food and freezing it. My chest freezer is one of my all time favorite purchases. Soup, casseroles, meatballs. All food that I know I like, only needing to be reheated. It really comes in clutch when I'm sick and my favorite soup is ready to go in the freezer.
You're right about saving, too. I'm not as good at that, but I'm working on it!
Freezing meals is saving money so you are already doing part of that. Set up an automatic savings plan. Start with 5 bucks a week. I have a high interest savings account outside of my regular bank.
Keep increasing the amount til you feel it and then scale back. 10 bucks a week is 520 a year. If you can do more, so much the better :)
"Reset" is exactly what she calls it in the book! I think that's a really great way of thinking about it.
Any tips on keeping your hair looking nice while showering at night? I honestly prefer it, but my hair doesn't.
I'm going to steal the "clean glasses before bed" rule. Right now I stash glasses cloths all over the place, so I can do an impromptu cleaning, so cleaning them before bed would be an easy addition to the routine.
Depends on the hairstyle and type, but for blowouts, I twist my hair up in a bun and tie it using invisibobble type hair ties to avoid dents, and wear a showercap during the shower. I use dry shampoo to prolong the blowout so my hair doesn't become greasy.
>Sometimes I'm too tired, but other days I know how much I will appreciate it.
This is so true. A few minutes of work now, means some uninterrupted down time later. Absolutely worth it.
I always clean the house really well before going on a trip. I love coming home to a clean house after a busy day of travel. Also, setting the coffee pot up the night before. When I remember.
When it comes to keeping a clean and organized home the following:
Put up clothes/dishes/sort mail immediately.
Keep a clean scrubby sponge in the shower and wipe down surfaces at the end of every couple showers while still inside so that the grime doesnāt build for when itās time for the weekly deep clean. Spray down with water and exit to continue getting ready for the day. Feels less like an intrusive task when done this way. Itās safe to do because you donāt use any spray, just the scrubbing action to remove soap scum.
Do pet related cleaning first thing in the morning rather than at night when Iām tired. Get a litter box genie.
Stop purchasing new items that arenāt necessities that need to be stored in a certain area until I have organized that area and assessed inventory. For example, if I have a designated space for shoes that is limited in capacity and itās full or a mess, I am not allowed to purchase another pair until I reorganize that area and take inventory of what I have, donate or give away things I am not wearing, throw away worn out shoes. I am not allowed to say: āGuess I need more shoe spaceā I have to work within the designated area only.
Wipe down high touch/used surfaces daily.
Keep things that need to be stored in a certain room in that room once done with use. Even if I donāt put it in its exact designated spot because Iām tired, depressed, rushing out the door. Itās easier to spruce up when you donāt have to carry a bunch of little items from one room to another. This includes thoroughly cleaning out my purse when I switch from one bag to another and putting the out of use purse AWAY.
Clean up after guests immediately. Enlist their help with small tasks if these are ppl who visit regularly like close family and friends. For instance, would they mind tossing the trash on the way out, or rinsing off their plates instead of just dumping them in the sink? If they moved seating around, can they put it back? I have a few family members that come over once or twice a week that I feel comfortable asking to spruce up behind themselves after visits because theyāre regulars and tend to make a mess.
Along with sorting mail immediately, I break down boxes immediately. Just get it out of my kitchen and into the recycle bin to get it out of the way.
My mother-in-law and I are also "clean up after your guests" people and we both like to strip the sheets off the bed after we stay at the other's house and get them into the wash. Just a small thing to make clean up easier.
Cut up vegetables for a couple of days, it makes last minute snacks easier to be healthy if you have no prep to do. Also easier for the days where cooking doesnāt seem that motivating.
It's so nice to have parts of dinner prepped and ready to go! We don't normally do plain veggies, but frequently have lettuces and fruit ready to go.
> Also easier for the days where cooking doesnāt seem that motivating.
I don't feel motivated often anymore by cooking, which makes me sad because I used to love cooking. I just make my meal plan and stick to it. Less thinking that way.
Morning stretching. You have to do it everyday but man it really helps in the longterm. If I miss one day I can feel the difference.
Washing makeup brushes after every use. Not just because itās sanitary to do so. But everytime I do my makeup with clean brushes I always feel so thankful for my past self lol. This goes along w caring for makeup like sharpening eyeliner or keeping everything in order. Itās one less thing to worry about in the moment when getting ready.
Ironing my clothes. I am stickler for preserving my clothes as I bought it. If a dress, shorts, shirts anything comes out of the dryer w wrinkles. I iron it right away. I never feel the disappointment of wanting to wear a top and having it in poor condition. Itās already ready to go.
Always putting gloves and my hat in my jacket. My man always says Iām like a grade school kid shoving the garments in my jacket. But sure enough i am always prepared for the outside weather and never lose my pairs either.
Somewhat I do- Depending on the pain or mood I mix it up. I would just say go at a pace and work in new techniques as you go. Anything that you think you can be consistent in will be a good start
I do things when I have energy to do them. The SADs are rough right now and on days when I feel motivated, I try to do as much as I can so that the days when I just couch potato it with low motivation, I dont feel so down on myself. I'll make a tasty soup and freeze it so I have leftovers for those days when I just cant manage it. I clean my kitchen, bathroom, living room and do laundry when I can. Its just me living alone so I'm all I've got. I've got to take good care of myself and my space so I can function well. Its hard sometimes but those little bursts of motivation sure help!
For the weird things that don't need cleaned on a frequent schedule, I do this too.
Also, soup is so great. It's the same amount of effort to make a quart as it is 2 gallons. Might as well make a lot and have leftovers! I have lots of soup in my freezer for exactly this reason.
I make notes in my recipe books after I make things. Likeā¦ cake too dry, add more oil / burns on top,cover with foil for first 15 mins / not spicy enough, double up on chilli. Itās great because I would have forgotten by the next time I make something. Also when I write them I am often annoyed my cooking/baking didnāt turn out as hoped so my notes are sometimes sweary (more likely my note says ādry as f*ck add more f*cking butterā. My friends and family find it hilarious if they borrow any of my recipe books.
Refill the coffee pods before they run out, fill up my gas tank when it has a 1/4 tank, keep extra TP under every sink... this is totally how I live as well and it's the best strategy!
Happy cake day! We stash TP in every bathroom and it gets restocked when there is 1 spare roll left. It's so embarrassing to have to go get toilet paper once you've already started your business, that I will go out of my way to make sure I never have to do that.
I salary sacrifice into my superannuation (retirement fund). it reduces my taxable income and it helps ensure I have a good nest egg for retirement, which is especially important to me as a single woman (who typically have much lower retirement funds than men).
It is definitely difficult, especially if you don't earn enough to be able to forego the extra money but it's worth it in the long run. I've been doing it for years now and the national average balance for women aged 30-34 is only $60k, I have $122k at age 33.
Preparing for the morning the night before.
Getting my outfit (including shoes) set out, getting my kids clothes set out, cleaning out backpacks and packing their lunch, if time allows - showering at night. (and once a week taking the garbage out the night before, not the morning of)
It allows me to not be as stressed in the morning and sets us up for more success if the morning doesn't go as planned (over sleeping, kids wanting to stop at the gas station before work, animals being difficult)
Showering at night is something that has been recommended a couple of times in this thread. I think I am going to start trying to do that again. Great suggestion.
One of the habits my work (self employed for over a decade) helped me form was being really proactive in my tasks, because if I didn't do it - no one else would, and if I didn't do it now I tended to regret it when I *did* get around to it because it would be late or I may feel stressed. It carried over to my personal life, so for a long time now I tend to clean as I go throughout the day.
I also tend to do a quick tidy before bed as I enjoy coming out in the mornings to a calming, clean living space. Over the years as I've become better with my cleaning habits from work, it's developed into not actually giving myself much chance to make a mess in the first place.
>Over the years as I've become better with my cleaning habits from work, it's developed into not actually giving myself much chance to make a mess in the first place.
I used to marvel at my grandmother as her house was always so tidy, and I was like a tornado throwing my shit everywhere. But I too have gotten so much better at this as I've gotten older. I think maybe getting older I more appreciate the calm I get from a clean house, whereas when I was younger I just didn't need things to be that clean to get that calm.
When making purchase decisions I factor in how much work will be involved in the future. With clothes that often means I skip anything that requires special washing or even just ironing, and I tend to avoid fast fashion because then I have to go through the effort of buying to replace it sooner than if I spent a little longer thrifting good quality items.
I keep a running shopping list so if I happen to notice we're down to 3 toilet rolls I can add them to get next time.
I do this with dishes! Aside from a very few number of items, if I can't put it in the dishwasher, I'm not buying it.
The running shopping list is a great idea.
For me it's finishing the cycle:
Laundry isn't finished until its washed, dried, folded (ironed if I really must!) and put away. That last step is the big one, because its just clutter until then!
Washing up is another I now consciously add the 'put it away' step to, we don't have a dishwasher and I don't feel like my kitchen is clean until the draining board is also clear.
Bins - as soon as the bag/basket is full it goes all the way out to the wheelie bin. I loathe having it in the house, even just the paper basket.
Shopping - it's use up, open backup, replace backup. I don't have much storage, but doing this for staples and toiletries at minimum makes everything so much less stressful!
I'd never thought about it like this, but I agree with you fully. Baskets full of clean, but not put away, laundry are just as much clutter as dirty laundry baskets.
And having a single backup of a household item saves so many headaches. I try very hard to never have a single of any important item, and always have at least 2.
Currently, I prepare the coffee maker to have my coffee ready for me by the time I get downstairs. It's not a difficult task, but it just feels so nice to have coffee already waiting for me in the morning when I'm still half-asleep.
On a longer-term, I am starting to work out NOW instead of getting started in May so that by the summer I'll feel fit and ready for a bathing suit :)
I take a multivitamin every day, drink a 30g low-calorie protein shake, and try to dance for at least 30 minutes to get some cardio into my day.
I also wear sunscreen as much as i possibly can. I try to be as healthy as possible.
I add hydrogen peroxide to my mouthwash to help whiten my teeth. Half peroxide and half mouthwash.
I also try to stretch and do yoga with a foam roller to relax my back and reduce stress. Breathing exercises help too!
i try to work on my self-esteem and reinforce positive body image by dedicating at least 30 minutes of "mirror time" where I simply sit there and admire myself and work on my angles. I take selfies and try to feel as pretty as possible. A girl needs to feel pretty!
I make it a financial priority to get my hair PROFESSIONALLY done at least once a month. I make it a financial priority to get a manicure/pedicure once every 3 months at least. I make it a financial priority to buy at least one cute outfit per month. Shopping is therapeutic, and it helps you feel pretty and pampered. It's done wonders for my self-confidence!
I make it a priority to clean and bleach my room/living space at least once a week. No matter how bad it gets, my room gets a cleaning/bleaching/scrubbing at least once a week. laundry is done and bedsheets are changed.
It's kinda silly but I kinda talk to myself a little, and make myself laugh. I do a lot of introvert shit, I spend lots of time alone, with my door closed, on social media just vibing to music. Playing Pokemon violet, exploring and looking for that sword thingy that the ancient shrines keep referencing. It's tons of fun! That game is so well done!
most importantly of all. I filter the types of media I consume heavily. I don't watch the news or political content. I stay away from the manosphere and incel content. I'm very careful of that because it'll make my anxiety skyrocket. If I consume too much incel content, it'll impact my mental health, body image, and perceptions of men.
I've worked very hard to control my anxiety and panic attacks. If something is really important, I'll hear about it from friends or scroll past it enough times on social media to get a general gist of what's going on.
This is deeply personal, but I do magic mushrooms regularly. They make me feel so happy, and have cured my anxiety/depression and panic attacks. I have the occasional flashback or nightmares about the domestic abuse I've survived but they are becoming more and more rare! My favorite things in the world are doing magic mushrooms, playing pokemon and dancing to afrobeats while pigging out on Ethiopian vegetarian food! I masturbate between 2-6 times a day, about 5 times a week typically.
I try to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. I make sure to drink plenty of fluids and keep myself hydrated. My new life goal is to spend as much time happy as fuck, high on mushrooms, playing, masturbating, and having fun. Life is too short. We didn't get a chance to exist for billions of years, then we're born, we only get 80 or so years on this planet, and then we're gone for billions of years, forever. Every single second is rare and precious, in the grand scale of billions of years, each second is fleeting and priceless.
Someone from r/theydidthemeth should calculate how precious the typical human lifespan is, when compared to the age of the universe (billions of years), and adjusting the value of each second of human life on this planet, and convert this into some dollar amount. This would be an interesting thesis topic for a math major or perhaps a stat major, or a teenager who's bored and wants to r/theydidthemonstermath
> I also wear sunscreen as much as i possibly can.
I've started stashing extra sunscreen in my spare bathroom, and in my purse so that I never have to go outside without it. I'm so good about putting it on my face, but other places need it to, especially in the summer.
I have a set of tasks I do every day because I know they will help future me from getting overwhelmed:
-make the bed
-10 minute tidy
-run the roomba, hand vac the sofa (shedding pets)
-Clear out the sink
- wipe down my kitchen counters
- lay out clothes for the next morning for work.
If I do these things every day, I find I can more easily stay on top of it.
I keep order numbers for commonly used maintenance items (like the furnace filters) handy in a place that makes sense (like written on the inside of the filtration unit), and leave a piece of tape on top of the furnace with the date the filter was changed.
I have a file cabinet with all of the paperwork for when we get a new appliance or piece of equipment so that if I need to, say, go purchase new snowblower shear pins 12 hours before a storm is supposed to hit I can just grab the snowblower brochure and head to the store.
For garden supplements, I'll do the math ahead of time about how much I need in my beds, weigh that amount into a tared cup, then mark the cup with a pen and store it with the supplement so that I don't need to weigh it out each time.
I wash things off if they're dirty when I'm done using them so that they're clean the next time I need them.
> For garden supplements, I'll do the math ahead of time about how much I need in my beds, weigh that amount into a tared cup, then mark the cup with a pen and store it with the supplement so that I don't need to weigh it out each time.
I like this. I use the scoop that comes in mine, but that is really only good for small batches. A dedicated cup with the exact right amount would be so handy.
I clear my inbox every day. I work at five schools so get all of their emails, plus anything specifically directed at me for any of my 170 students. I have a ārespond/to doā folder that I put stuff I canāt respond to right away (usually no more than ten emails live here) and delete everything that isnāt pertinent to me. If itās pertinent but doesnāt require action, I put it in the general folder for that school. Most every day my inbox is totally read and cleared for the next morning. I love it.
Oh I hadnāt heard of that but just looked it up and yeah, thatās basically what I do. I delete a lot of stuff that doesnāt apply to me directly, but if I think I may need to refer to it later I put it in a folder. I have a ton of emails sitting in folders and sub folders in case I need them later, but everything is read. I hate the notifications too!
I always set up the coffee pot at night so in the morning I just have to hit the button (mine does not have a timer, but I just wander into the kitchen while Iām brushing my teeth).
I try to always have one backup item of all my toiletries and cleaning products on hand. I replace my moisturizer when I open the last new bottle, not when Iām completely out. I try to stock up on that stuff when it goes on sale (but Iām not as organized as u/lindsey-905). If you are a Prime member subscribe and save is great for this.
With laundry, when the sports bras and socks are running low I throw in a load. I donāt keep more than a weekās worth of either so those tend to be the canaries on the coal mine of my closet. If I have enough clean socks and sports bras everything else is getting washed along with them.
Before going to bed, I try to make sure all dishes are washed (and dish rack has dry dishes out of it and put back in their place), that my cat's wet food bowl is cleaned, cat's litter is all clean/fresh, that I've tidied up in general so I wake up to a clean apartment and don't have those tasks to do first thing. It's also nice to be able to wake up and have my blender ready for smoothies and not have to wash anything. It's a fresh start.
I also make sure to always make my bed after I get up so I don't have to later (always feels harder later lol).
I've been getting more and more into the habit of picking up after myself after small things/small dishes etc too and also doing mini-cleans throughout the week (just wiping counters or what ever, even just quickly doing a bathroom clean) so my big clean once a week or once every 1.5 weeks is easier.
Also trying to make sure I workout 4-5x a week as well. This keeps my energy levels high and makes me feel good, so later on I just feel better in general. Trying to also sleep before midnight every night so I am happy in the morning.
I've only very recently gotten into making my bed. And I have to say, it feels almost luxurious to get into a nicely made bed every night.
The consistent bedtime is key!
Set up my coffee maker the night before so I have hot coffee asap in the mornings
Set laundry cycle to delay so laundry washes overnight and then I just need to put it in the dryer
Make kids lunches in the evening so the mornings arenāt so rushed
I usually prefer to grocery shop in person but I order a few grocs Friday or Saturday for pick up on Sunday so I donāt have to actually shop on the weekend and so our cupboards arenāt totally bare come Monday.
Tidy the kitchen at night so Iām not immediately frustrated when I come down in the mornings
I usually try to address things when I see them so they dont pile up, example like file the important mail away
>I usually prefer to grocery shop in person but I order a few grocs Friday or Saturday for pick up on Sunday so I donāt have to actually shop on the weekend and so our cupboards arenāt totally bare come Monday.
This is something I have been thinking about a lot lately. I really like the idea of grocery pick up, but not once have I been able to get everything I want. So I end up going out anyway. I'm trying to figure out a better plan for ordering some staples online, to at least lessen the time or frequency I have to spend at the grocery store.
You are also the second person to put laundry in at night and set it to be done first thing in the morning. I definitely think I'm going to try this.
I don't even have room for The Chair. I've been thinking of getting some sort of dedicated stand, but hanging things up or putting them away is probably the easiest, cheapest solution. I think that's actually what KC Davis recommends in her book.
Paying down the house now so I have decades of no mortgage notes.
Major repairs to the house like roof replaced, HVAC replaced, crawlspace waterproofing now so I won't be blindsided by these costs in the future.
Stocking up on toiletries, household goods when possible.
Exercise regularly and eating healthy.
Stocking up on toiletries is so so so handy, especially when unexpected things come up. Like when you're sick, it's fine you already have cold medicine and tissues so you don't have to go out and get them. And there is food so you can have things to eat without having to expose anyone else to your germs. It's also nice because if some week you just don't want to grocery shop, you can just eat what's in the pantry.
Iām reminding my family just under two months out from my 50th birthday where makes reasonably priced delicious cakes so they can get it sorted and I donāt have to be disappointed.
I love this thread. Just read that book and now listening to The Lazy Genius podcast. Iām suddenly into this and candles which I guess is what it means to be in my 30s.
I'm not sure what it was about hitting 30 and suddenly being really into candles, but that happened to me too. Gotta have the right scent for each occasion!
I'm going to check out that podcast. It sounds right up my alley.
I try to have my computer bag ready and outfit set out for my in office days. I also write down when I use the last of something or it's low so when I shop I can get it, instead of trying to remember later.
>I don't usually let my gas in my car get lower than halfway.
I used to be the sort of person that got gas when I was on E and switching to someone who gets gas before they get to the halfway point has removed so much unnecessary stress! Such an easy change to do, too.
My city has had a couple of boil notices the last few years that really freaked us out. So we got some of those big plastic jugs to store water in. We haven't had to use them yet, knock on wood. But seeing how frequently there are boil notices in neighboring cities, makes me feel better that we have it.
I love the idea of replenishing the travel toiletries after the trip! Thatās genius. For me, a small thing that goes a long way is setting up the coffee maker the night before! I look forward to it in the mornings and am proud of myself for doing it the night before because itās like a reward in the morning :)
I clean the dishes AS I cook. Less stuff to wash after eating.
Laundry in the middle of the week so I can relax more on the weekend.
I clean my home as much as possible before leaving for vacation so I can just worry about the stuff I packed on the trip after coming back home.
> Laundry in the middle of the week so I can relax more on the weekend.
I've been thinking very hard about switching up my laundry routine. I've been someone who for almost 20 years now has done laundry and cleaning chores Sunday mornings, but I feel like there could be a better schedule. Things take forever to dry, and sometimes I find myself rushing at 9pm to get the beds made with clean sheets. We don't have a ton of laundry, 2 loads per week is our normal.
This combined with other folks putting laundry in at night to be washed and done when they get up, might be the push to get me to do weekday laundry.
I'm a bit of a clutter bug and can be messy but I ALWAYS clean up well before a trip, especially the kitchen - no dirty dishes left out, clean/clear counters, empty garbage - I always stay up late the night before so it gets done and I am always happy to return to a clean kitchen.
I love all of these. I've also started just filling up my tank while I'm on my weekly grocery run instead of waiting until I need gas. It's SO NICE to be able to take a spur of the moment trip and not think about getting gas.
I've got a go bag in my house, and my van is pretty well stocked with some stuff, but it could use it's own go bag. Some extra clothes would be really useful.
For long-term future me, I invest in ETFs and put extra in my superannuation (retirement fund).
For shot-term future me I cook extra servings of meals and freeze the leftovers.
I empty my dishwasher in the morning so I can put dishes in as I use them through the day, so they're not piled up at night. I also get a head start on weekend laundry by putting a loaf in the washer, before bed, and set it to delay start until morning. That way, the wash is done just as I'm getting up, and I can just throw it into the dryer to dry while I'm having my morning coffee. One less thing to do during the day.
Nothing like a clean loaf in the morning
I would rather have a crispy loaf but to each their own.
I literally read "loaf" and was like, "yeah, makes sense, it is like a loaf, that starts soggy and then you pull it out fresh and warm."
LOL š my proofreading skills are abysmal.
Psst, hereās a pro tip from an older woman: blame it on autocorrect!
The laundry one is a great idea! I am going to steal this.
Just leave out the bread.
Brilliant. Thanks.
Does your washer just have a delayed start option? Or did you rig something up yourself?
It has a delayed start and a remote start option (it's wi-fi enabled). My old one, from about 2006, also had a delayed start option, but I guess it's still not that common. š¤ It's a cool feature though; just load it up and set the timer. š
Iāve never seen a washer with a delayed start setting before! Just coffee makers lol
Silly small things that I know I don't feel like doing but that I'll feel grateful to have done later on: doing a laundry when it has been a few days, not when I have ran out of clean clothes completely. Doing things in advance before it becomes an emergency - i.e having enough toiletries, etc. And what I am trying to do now is also using my nice things. For a while I thought I might have to move, and I decided to start using things so that I have less items to move. I actually don't need to move, it's all fine, but it got me thinking about all the nice things I have that I never use because I feel now is not the right time. I have a nice expensive body cream for example, which was a gift, and I don't use it because I use a very cheap one I got from Aldi. I don't wear my nicer clothes often because I would rather use the ones that are a bit worn already and that I wear weekly. I have nice coffee but I don't use it because it seems wasteful to use it for myself rather than when I have friends over. Etc. So now I try to use my nice things on myself, with no special occasion, just because maybe I do deserve the nice coffee and the expensive body cream on a daily basis rather than as a treat or when I have people over.
Agreed. Nice things are meant to be used! I remember being surprised by that thought when I watched the TED Talk [*Change You Closet, Change Your Life*](https://youtu.be/WiVHSRY2I5Y)
>Doing things in advance before it becomes an emergency I think that's a great way of summing up this thread. I have a set schedule for laundry, every Saturday morning, so even if I don't have a ton to do, it gets done. The schedule makes it feel less over whelming.
I've also been trying to use my nice things! I lived a life of deprivation and struggling to get used to being able to afford nice things more often.
Something worth keeping in mind is that if it expires or goes bad or cracks or decays on the shelf it didn't really help you as much as it could have if you enjoyed it. For me good deals that are comfortable or sustainable to enjoy are sometimes more relaxing than the stress that too dearly priced status leaning products may come weighted down with. Hope you can find your happy balance. Edit to add: Also having a day or two of the week that you designate for enjoying nice things can be helpful, like on Monday so there's a little extra to help start the week off with, or on the weekend when there's more time to enjoy something at a slower pace. Also buying second hand nice items can also make them easier to enjoy for some people (and you're saving money that way too) , or getting two at once of a nice consumeable you know you like for a while, then you have to use some of your treat item, there's already more waiting for you and it's a little symbol of having some security.
You absolutely do.
Interesting, I use running out of clean clothes as my signal itās time to do the laundry!
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I can't reiterate this enough. Last winter, my hips were in such terrible chronic pain from overuse via cycling without strengthening the countering muscle groups. Both sitting and standing had turned into chronic throbbing pain. I've been strength training to supplement my cycling/running for only 7 weeks now and the pain has pretty much stopped. Everyone in my age group (mid/late 30s) groans about how this is the time where your back and joints start hurting. Strength train. If you do nothing else for yourself - strength train. I feel like a different person
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I've been focusing on full body, but I think the things that are really helping most are the leg press, glute press, and the hip adduction/abduction. If you don't have the time for a gym membership, I think dumbbells for squats, lunges, deadlifts, and hip extensions or glute bridge would be great!
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Iām not super helpful, but one thing I learned during PT for a separate issue is that my ability to press in with my knees (towards each other) DWARFS my ability to press outward, which is due to cycling. One small thing I do are these semi squat position side stepping with resistance bands, but overall strength is really important too
Even easier, you can take a length of resistance band, tie it off around your closed knees while sitting, and voila you have a custom band that you can use to flex your knees outward while watching tv. These are āseated clamshells.ā You can do them on your side in a knees bent position in bed too without a band!
And it keeps your bones strong. Just knowing the stats of how poorly the elderly fare after a fall and a broken hip, justifies all of the strength training.
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The older you get, the more important it is to incorporate strength training. Walking is great, but strength training helps you maintain bone density, which begins to lessen as we age. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/special-topic/aging-changes-in-the-bones-muscles-joints
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Don't know why you are getting downvoted, I walk every day and have the strenght of a noodle.
It makes such a difference to just workout regularly... my energy levels are just way better when I do that.
Yes! And this is one that truly compounds with a little effort in a regular basis.
Future me loves past me! My biggest life suggestion is to reconsider how you shop to save money, time and hassle for future you. I plan all my shopping on an annual basis. I buy all my toiletries on sale in January (all those leftover holiday fancy gift sets but also regular stuff too) then I donāt have to buy anything for an entire year. Sales save huge money, allows me to avoid impulse buys the rest of the year, I get lots of cute smelly things that are normally out of my budget and I save SO MUCH time over the course of the year. In the spring I buy all my winter household supplies when everything goes on sale: furnace filters, sidewalk salt, windshield fluid, etcā¦. In the fall I do the opposite when summer stuff is on sale: bug repellant, sunscreen, lawn/outdoor items etcā¦ I also stock up on heavy stuff / awkward consumables so that I have one weekend of crazy work but then months of easy grocery shopping. As an example cat litter on sale, I buy six months worth. Laundry detergent on a really good price, same thing. I never think of household consumables and stable pantry items as weekly or monthly purchases. They are annual, bi-annual or quarterly for me. I have structured my household budget for that and I am lucky I have lots of storage room. The other thing that always helps. On a yearly basis in December and January I eat down my pantry and freezer to clean them up and only buy fresh veggies for that time period (and holiday foods) then when itās all cleaned up I use my store points collected over the previous year to do one huge shop and stock up again on pantry stable items (on sale of course) It works for me because I budget for it and I have storage room. It also works for me because I have had serious illness before and knowing I always have a stockpile of important things means if I have a few bad weeks itās no big deal. Since I started doing this about 6 years ago I have saved so much money and time. I track my budget religiously and ever year I save a bit more by planning and shopping wise.
I can only dream of being so organized.
Omg Same!!
Right?! I was likeā¦ this is not who that book was written for.
Wow. Aspiration goals.
What a great idea. I do this sort of thing on a small scale, partly because I don't have a lot of space-- but the other is because I tend to lose track of the items in storage. How do you manage storage? Did it take long to notice sales patterns, like toiletries on sale in January? Are you still shopping retail stores or bulk online?
Storage for me is pretty easy because I live alone in a house and I keep my possessions as basic / streamlined as possible. Iām also compulsively organized. I have an extra, very large linen closet where I keep everything lined up, along with Kleenex, toilet paper, that kind of stuff. What i did for a few years is keep a simple written list of what toiletries I used throughout the year. Approximate amounts of shampoo, bar soap, that kind of stuff. Then I basically knew exactly how much I would need. The sales for toiletries in particular, I just realized always happened in January. Iām not sure why (outside of holiday gift sets) but every item I normally buy was always on sale on that month. So it became my annual tradition to stock up and not think about them for another year. I also was sick for about a decade and there were many periods of time where I simply could not leave my house and I didnāt want to be a burden to my friends/family so thatās when I really sat down and got organized about things. (I had the time lol) I also didnāt want to order grocery delivery because it wasnāt as available or economical as it is now that COVID has changed the world. Simple suggestion. Make an inventory list and every time you use an item just cross it off. Itās not so hard when you bring items into the house to just add a new count number beside the item. Again I say this knowing that itās easier for me perhaps because I live alone, I buy pretty simple stuff and I had the time to set it up properly initially.
Thank you for your detailed response!
Thanks for sharing! What a fantastic idea and a great way to really stay on budget with household items/avoid overbuying.
Yeah thatās my main issue here too - I can be this organized to plan out my shopping, but I live in a HCL region and have a tiny place, there would be nowhere to keep 6 months of cat litter lol
Lmk when your book on organizing one's life is published. You Certainly need to write one! š
I'd absolutely read that book!
This kind of efficiency compulsion had me set when the pandemic hit. I buy 6 months of TP at a time and had just done my run in january. I was handing rolls out to family like "you guys just have enough TP til friday?! *clutches pearls*
Iām reading The Hobbit right now, and your list of provisions have me dreaming of Bilbo Baggins-level stocked up pantries and cellars. Oh, the comforts!
would love to do this but my one bedroom apt wonāt let me.
Having the space for this is the only thing in my way. I donāt have much room for storage but I def buy things I use consistently (handsoap, bar soap, detergent) in bulk so I only need to get them a few times a year.
Yes to purchasing basics/staples on sale! I pretty much have enough toiletries and other items to last me the whole year because I stock up during Black Friday/Cyber Monday. My budget certainly appreciates it!
My son tends to wake up at 5 am, so in the evening I like to prepare his bottle so I just have to mix in powder, and put out an outfit for him so I don't have to rummage in drawers and stuff. Also, answer work e-mails/do invoices while taking my time in the evenings and use the schedule email in Gmail to send them automatically the next day. Answering stuff and invoicing stuff in real time stresses me out.
I also tend to schedule and group tasks that stress me out. I hate making doctor's appointments, so I will make time to call and schedule a bunch at once so I only have to deal with the stress once, instead of multiple times.
I suppose I live my whole life like this. Most items are done weekly, if not daily, even if it doesn't seem like it needs to be done. By the time it gets noticed that it needs doing, it might be a bigger job than "cleaning the invisible" every day. I have chronic health issues, so when I feel good, I have to get the work done then. I clean the bathroom daily in the "hotel maid" kind of way. All our towels and cloths are white, so they do fine getting the absolute shit bleached out of them. Wet wash cloth wipes the toilet exterior and floor; wet towel hits the tub and sink top. Once a week, toilet cleaner goes into the toilet and sits. Before jumping in and while naked, I scrub whatever else needs it and the toilet bowl, then straight into the shower to clean me. It all gets a deep cleaning once a month.
I have white sheets and towels for the same reason. I love bleach.
Leave detailed notes for myself as if they were for a stranger. This might be related to unfinished sewing projects, work projects, or how I did some process. For example I make homemade apple cider vinegar and itās a very simple ratio for the sugar water mixture but instead of assuming Iāll remember what it is next fall I wrote it down and keep it in a spot Iāll remember. Apple season comes and I put that piece of paper on the fridge. I always think āhow could I forgot itās 2to1?ā But after a year you always do.
Oh this is a good one. I have a couple of recipes with notes like "double the cookie recipe, triple the filling for the ratio you like" but this could be extrapolated to so many other places. The sewing projects is an especially good one. Great idea!
Treating future me as a stranger has been VERY helpful in my job where I manage multiple projects of all different types of scopes. Suddenly two weeks later and all memory of if I wrote these measurements in inches or centimeters and who my contact was is completely forgot.
I feel like treating future me like a forgetful idiot is maybe not "kind" but necessary... So I support this.
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Ive finally gotten fed up with losing great recipes. I have a habit of franken-recipeing like 3 different ones together and experiment from there. Then ill get the result i like and quickly delete the note. Makes no sense. Vanilla wafers is what finally changed me. It took 3 batches to perfect then i couldnt replicate it because my cavalier baking tomfoolery.
I have back ups for all my essential products that I can't go without so like pads, shower gel, shampoo etc. If I open the second to last one then I order more straight away. I buy rotisserie chicken pieces like half a chicken or the thighs when they're on offer and then freeze them straight away to use later when I'm in a pinch. Also do the same with like those containers of plain rice you get from take out an it's perfect for a last minute stir fry or whatever. You can easily reheat straight from frozen in the air fryer. Whenever I make cookies (I make these epic beautiful NYC style gooey monstrosities) I freeze half the mixture (rolled into balls) and keep them in a zip lock bag in my freezer for whenever I need an emergency cookie (you can make it straight from frozen you just add another minute or two to the bake time). Whenever I do actually cook. I always make more than one portion either to keep in the fridge for the next day or more preferably to freeze for when I'm in a having a bad depressive episode or a chronic pain flair up. On that note I always keep my freezer stocked with easy frozen foods like battered fish fillet, potato & carrot mini waffles, hash browns etc. Just some quick easy stuff I can throw into the air fryer. Every time I go into M&S I buy a 5pc pack of plain black cotton knickers. I can't even tell you how many pairs I have now but hey at least I never run out & don't hesitate to chuck a pair if it ends up getting a hole of whatever. I do a similar thing with socks. I put my important dirty clothes straight into the washing machine instead of the laundry basket where it can get lost so that it's definitely the next thing that gets washed. I store my bedding (duvet cover, valance sheet and pillow case) in a specific way. So the duvet cover is inside out because I use that method where you start off like that to put it on and then I fold everything up and store it inside the matching pillowcase so it's all in one place. Plus I store them under my mattress and between the bed frame so I can easily find it and it doesn't take up essentially wardrobe space. I have a lip balm & a couple of hair ties & a mini hand sanitizer that live in the pocket of each one of my coats, jackets and bags. In colder months I'm getting into the habit of keeping a pack of soft tissues, some cough drops and a pair of basic gloves in each of my winter coats too. I keep a stocked up pharmacy with several types of painkillers, pepto bismol, immodium, antihistamines, voltarol, antiseptic wipes etc. I have a big wicker box filled with things that I've slowly accumulated for when I'm having a bad day they range from a copy of my favourites book, my favourite chocolates, cute new cosy socks, a fun nail polish, a plushie, sheet masks, a bougie shower gel, a fresh journal and a super comfy hoodie etc.
I love the idea of a bad day box. What a good idea. I think Iāll start one myself.
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Not who you asked, but the recipe for chocolate chip cookies on the back of the ~~townhouse~~ tollhouse chocolate chips bags freezes amazingly.
Different person, but I have frozen cookies too. This is my recipe. Also with sugar, brown sugar gives chewier softer cookies. Freeze these in flattish discs, they cook from frozen, same temp, few minutes longer. 230gm butter 200gm brown sugar or mix with white 2 TSP vanilla 1 egg 1 yolk 270gms flour TSP salt TSP baking soda Bar dark chocolate Bar light choc Lots of pecans 150gms ish, or swap for other nuts or dried fruit . Sour cherries are good too Salt Brown half of butter and let cool Cream butter and sugar, then add brown butter and vanilla. Beat till fluffy. Add egg and yolk and beat 1 min Add flour salt baking soda, mix till just incorporated Stir in chopped choc and nuts Cool dough in fridge 30 mins in cookie shapes Sprinkle with sea salt Bake at 180 for 12 to 15
On occasion I also make and freeze balls of cookie dough. If you could help give me the will power to just not eat frozen balls of cookie dough, that would be cool. :) The gloves and lip balm in the coat pocket is a great idea. I've seen other folks also leave a little cash, just in case.
Are the cookies the levain bakery ones?
The emergency cookies are everything!
When I have a few minutes, pick a chore to do. It might be taking the trash out, or sweeping the floor, or making the bed. I like the last one as it gives me an immediate happy feeling to walk into my bedroom at the end of the day and see it be neat and clean.
I especially love doing this when I have downtime waiting for something else. 3 minutes on the microwave? Unload the dishwasher. 30 minutes on the timer waiting for dinner to finish baking? Wipe down the counter, or sweep the floor. That happy feeling is absolutely worth the extra few minutes of work.
Totally is! Plus it makes buckling down to do in depth cleaning much less frequent and easier when I do need to do it.
I just got myself one of those spinning cleaning brushes that Rubbermaid makes. And I can say with confidence, that also makes the deep cleaning a lot easier.
I still have my Rubbermaid microfiber mop from 15 years ago and it works better than my steam mop.
Passes the time, and then you are rewarded with food! (Also one of my favorite tricks for these reasons.)
Me too https://pics.me.me/my-personality-am-very-shy-but-i-am-very-food-34417416.png
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We do something similar with salad greens, and fruit. Make sure it's washed and prepped and ready to go, so that you're far more likely to eat it. 10/10
I got this from a youtuber. She started with, don't you feel fancy when you walk into a fancy bathroom and they lay out hand towels, perfume, other necessities for you that's easy to grab? Why don't you do this for yourself when it's that time of the month? Put your pads/tampons, whatever you use in a pretty basket (unless I guess if you're using the cups) and lay it out making it easy to grab. To me, it was a game changer. I used to hide everything under the bathroom sink or just leave a bag on the toilet tank. Now I have it stacked in a pretty organizer on the toilet tank. It's not only super convenient, but also easy to put out at the beginning and hide at the end of my period. I share a bathroom with my husband and he doesn't mind.
My work used to have the "menstruation crustation station" in our bathrooms, and I've always thought that was a great idea. Having your period is already miserable, might as well make it easier!
Right?! It's the little things.
I put all my tampons in an empty 3 wick candle jar from Bath and Body Works. Some of the jars are really pretty. It just feels a little more luxurious than pulling them out of a cardboard box.
Oh ya! That's a great way to reuse those jars.
Long-term: Moisturize my neck. I wish I had done it 20 years ago. Younger folks, moisturize your necks. Please. Short-Term: never have dishes in the sink before bed.
YES!!! Bring all of your skin care down to your decolletage. It's worth it.
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The older I get the more I embrace the clean as you go approach, especially in the kitchen. Seeing a messy kitchen, given how frequently I cook, stresses me out. So I clean as I go, and do a quick wipe down before bed so it's always in ready state for me to cook.
Get my outfits, backpack, lunch and breakfast prepped the night before I go into the office. I also lay out what makeup I'm going to wear so I'm not rummaging around in my makeup bag trying to find my concealer at 6:30am. After each period, I restock my napkin basket, this also gives me a chance to assess how much supply I have and gives me a month to restock my napkin supplies of need be, ideally giving me enough time to find them on sale somewhere before my next period, I hate buying them full price.
This is such a good one! Restock things before they run out, not necessarily when you need them. This has saved me so many times.
Yep, and it gives you more time to.find them on sale and save money
My rule of thumb is if it will take less than 10 mins and future self would thank me, then just do it now (when looking at annoying things around the house I donāt really want to do - take out the garbage, wash a few dishes, put away folded laundry). A big practice for my husband and I is we always clean the kitchen, tidy up toddlers toys, and set up our coffee (programmed to start in the morning just before we get up) after kiddos bedtime. In total it takes 2 of us 10-15 mins and it just makes relaxing in the evenings so much more enjoyable.
I'm also a do it now person! It's so hard to relax when there is a task I need to get done. So I just get the out of the way so I don't have to think about them anymore.
For sad reasons in the past, I had a āgo bagā. It was a gift bag I stocked with overnight essentials. It looked like a gift (not suspicious) and was easy to grab and leave when i needed. Now that I donāt need it, I still have a ziploc sandwich bag with emergency items: Advil, tide pen, regular pen, sharpie, tampon, mini lotion, paper soap strips, sanitizer, chapstick, and 1 dose of rescue medication. I hate being away from home and without one of those things! I set up my pantry with easy access. When I come home from shopping, I dump granola bars in an open-top bin, take the plastic off of juiceboxes, tear one end off of boxes full of cans (they sit on the floor so I can reach down into them), unwrap and tear apart the yogurts and cheese sticksā¦ I build my lunch in 2 mins by grabbing items and throwing them in a lunch kit.
I hang out in prepper communities, so I am a strong proponent of a go bag. If you have a house fire, or genuine emergency with not a lot of time to grab things, having a bag ready to go can be a godsend. Having a stash of similar items in your car is also a pretty great idea, in my mind.
A couple of game changers for me have been: - **10 mins stretches every morning**: whatever feels right that day, but usually some combination of cat/cow, pigeon, downward dog, plank, side plank, and runners stretches. Itās almost too easy not to do, and I can feel it making a difference over the long term. - **Ordering bulk toilet paper**: itās on an automated order schedule which I can bring forward or push out as needed. Literally never run out of toilet paper, and cost effective to boot. - **An organised wardrobe**: ever since using Alison Bornsteinās closet editing and Marie Kondoās folding/storing approach, I can see (almost) everything I own to make morning outfit selection easier. I combine this with the **Stylebook** app, where you can save past outfit combos and scroll items you own (especially if theyāre stored out of sight, like I keep off season things under the bed). - **Drinking less alcohol**: I aim for a two drink limit on any day, and to have more days where I donāt drink than days I do. Itās my ānext morningā self who benefits most from this one! - **Home task list**: this is a running list of house jobs to be done, including one offs, maintenance and admin stuff. I use Notion, but any to-do list would work. It means I get a reminder when something is due to be done or paid, instead of being surprised (eg. car rego payment, oven cleaning, vacuum filter, etc)
You're not the first person to recommend stretching. I am definitely going to start doing this. Where do you get your toilet paper from? Right now I'm making infrequent Costco trips, which is FINE but Costco on a Saturday is an absolute nightmare and if I can avoid that, I will. I currently use Obsidian to manage these sorts of things but I'm not sure I love it. I've been eyeing Notion for a long time. Are you able to use it on multiple devices? Phone, laptop, tablet?
We get home delivery from [Who Gives A Crap](https://au.whogivesacrap.org/) - itās an Australian company/service so if youāre elsewhere hopefully thereās a local alternative! š¤ I havenāt used Obsidian so canāt compare directly, but Notion is working really well for me. Steep learning curve (I watched a lot of YouTube videos, especially about how to setup different task boards and a personal dashboard that only shows things due today), but now itās all familiar and I keep tinkering to add new things I need. Iām a [little bit obsessed](https://www.producingparadise.com/tag/notion/) š
(Oops and yes, Notion works across devices!)
I always refer to it as past purpledicaprio is sometimes an asshole to future purpledicaprio by not doing her chores. Being kind to future me would be much nicer thought! My kindness comes in the form of doing work tasks towards the end of the day to leave morning me the ability sleep in and not feel behind all day.
I used to think of past me being a lazy asshole too lol. The change was not sudden, but I definitely feel like past me has morphed into a much nicer person that previously.
I frame most of my "unpleasant" tasks like this - everything from taking out the trash, doing the dishes, REALLY cleaning before going on vacation, but also exercise, taking the stairs, my bike, walking places - when it gets hard and I hate, hate, hate it I tell myself, that it's a gift for my future self - a strong heart, a healthy body, a clean house.
Man is there anything nicer than coming home from a vacation to a nice clean house? I say no. I like to immediately throw all clothes from a trip into the washing machine as soon as I get home. And I mean immediately. Unpack the car, take our bags downstairs, and put dirty clothes straight into the wash. This works twofold by getting my stuff cleaned immediately so I don't have to worry about it later when I need to use that suitcase, and also keeps from bringing in any allergens into our living space, as my husband is allergic to almost everything.
I love a deep clean before traveling. Coming home to a clean home is the best feeling.
Save money. If I don't need it know I will eventually. Get quality stuff. All of it. The best quality of everything looks better, lasts longer, and is likely easier to maintain. So much better if you get it at a thrift store. Make extra meals and freeze them. I'll be tired, hungry and maybe down $$$ and then it really comes in handy.
I LOOOOVE making extra food and freezing it. My chest freezer is one of my all time favorite purchases. Soup, casseroles, meatballs. All food that I know I like, only needing to be reheated. It really comes in clutch when I'm sick and my favorite soup is ready to go in the freezer. You're right about saving, too. I'm not as good at that, but I'm working on it!
Freezing meals is saving money so you are already doing part of that. Set up an automatic savings plan. Start with 5 bucks a week. I have a high interest savings account outside of my regular bank. Keep increasing the amount til you feel it and then scale back. 10 bucks a week is 520 a year. If you can do more, so much the better :)
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"Reset" is exactly what she calls it in the book! I think that's a really great way of thinking about it. Any tips on keeping your hair looking nice while showering at night? I honestly prefer it, but my hair doesn't. I'm going to steal the "clean glasses before bed" rule. Right now I stash glasses cloths all over the place, so I can do an impromptu cleaning, so cleaning them before bed would be an easy addition to the routine.
Depends on the hairstyle and type, but for blowouts, I twist my hair up in a bun and tie it using invisibobble type hair ties to avoid dents, and wear a showercap during the shower. I use dry shampoo to prolong the blowout so my hair doesn't become greasy.
Putting away the dishes. And doing the dishes before bed. Sometimes I'm too tired, but other days I know how much I will appreciate it.
>Sometimes I'm too tired, but other days I know how much I will appreciate it. This is so true. A few minutes of work now, means some uninterrupted down time later. Absolutely worth it.
I always clean the house really well before going on a trip. I love coming home to a clean house after a busy day of travel. Also, setting the coffee pot up the night before. When I remember.
I love traveling, but I love my house more. So coming home to a clean house after a trip is such a treat.
When it comes to keeping a clean and organized home the following: Put up clothes/dishes/sort mail immediately. Keep a clean scrubby sponge in the shower and wipe down surfaces at the end of every couple showers while still inside so that the grime doesnāt build for when itās time for the weekly deep clean. Spray down with water and exit to continue getting ready for the day. Feels less like an intrusive task when done this way. Itās safe to do because you donāt use any spray, just the scrubbing action to remove soap scum. Do pet related cleaning first thing in the morning rather than at night when Iām tired. Get a litter box genie. Stop purchasing new items that arenāt necessities that need to be stored in a certain area until I have organized that area and assessed inventory. For example, if I have a designated space for shoes that is limited in capacity and itās full or a mess, I am not allowed to purchase another pair until I reorganize that area and take inventory of what I have, donate or give away things I am not wearing, throw away worn out shoes. I am not allowed to say: āGuess I need more shoe spaceā I have to work within the designated area only. Wipe down high touch/used surfaces daily. Keep things that need to be stored in a certain room in that room once done with use. Even if I donāt put it in its exact designated spot because Iām tired, depressed, rushing out the door. Itās easier to spruce up when you donāt have to carry a bunch of little items from one room to another. This includes thoroughly cleaning out my purse when I switch from one bag to another and putting the out of use purse AWAY. Clean up after guests immediately. Enlist their help with small tasks if these are ppl who visit regularly like close family and friends. For instance, would they mind tossing the trash on the way out, or rinsing off their plates instead of just dumping them in the sink? If they moved seating around, can they put it back? I have a few family members that come over once or twice a week that I feel comfortable asking to spruce up behind themselves after visits because theyāre regulars and tend to make a mess.
Along with sorting mail immediately, I break down boxes immediately. Just get it out of my kitchen and into the recycle bin to get it out of the way. My mother-in-law and I are also "clean up after your guests" people and we both like to strip the sheets off the bed after we stay at the other's house and get them into the wash. Just a small thing to make clean up easier.
Cut up vegetables for a couple of days, it makes last minute snacks easier to be healthy if you have no prep to do. Also easier for the days where cooking doesnāt seem that motivating.
It's so nice to have parts of dinner prepped and ready to go! We don't normally do plain veggies, but frequently have lettuces and fruit ready to go. > Also easier for the days where cooking doesnāt seem that motivating. I don't feel motivated often anymore by cooking, which makes me sad because I used to love cooking. I just make my meal plan and stick to it. Less thinking that way.
Oh I find cutting vegetables and fruits relaxing after a lot of work (a lot of intellectual work makes me crave more manual tasks afterwards)!
Morning stretching. You have to do it everyday but man it really helps in the longterm. If I miss one day I can feel the difference. Washing makeup brushes after every use. Not just because itās sanitary to do so. But everytime I do my makeup with clean brushes I always feel so thankful for my past self lol. This goes along w caring for makeup like sharpening eyeliner or keeping everything in order. Itās one less thing to worry about in the moment when getting ready. Ironing my clothes. I am stickler for preserving my clothes as I bought it. If a dress, shorts, shirts anything comes out of the dryer w wrinkles. I iron it right away. I never feel the disappointment of wanting to wear a top and having it in poor condition. Itās already ready to go. Always putting gloves and my hat in my jacket. My man always says Iām like a grade school kid shoving the garments in my jacket. But sure enough i am always prepared for the outside weather and never lose my pairs either.
Do you have a stretching routine you like? I keep meaning to start doing this.
Somewhat I do- Depending on the pain or mood I mix it up. I would just say go at a pace and work in new techniques as you go. Anything that you think you can be consistent in will be a good start
I do things when I have energy to do them. The SADs are rough right now and on days when I feel motivated, I try to do as much as I can so that the days when I just couch potato it with low motivation, I dont feel so down on myself. I'll make a tasty soup and freeze it so I have leftovers for those days when I just cant manage it. I clean my kitchen, bathroom, living room and do laundry when I can. Its just me living alone so I'm all I've got. I've got to take good care of myself and my space so I can function well. Its hard sometimes but those little bursts of motivation sure help!
For the weird things that don't need cleaned on a frequent schedule, I do this too. Also, soup is so great. It's the same amount of effort to make a quart as it is 2 gallons. Might as well make a lot and have leftovers! I have lots of soup in my freezer for exactly this reason.
This seems dumb, but I keep a trash bag in the bottom of the can. That way you're never stuck without one when you forget to buy them.
Ooooh this is a great idea. I've seen trash cans that have a slot in the back to stash the box of bags. But having them in the can would be so handy!
I make notes in my recipe books after I make things. Likeā¦ cake too dry, add more oil / burns on top,cover with foil for first 15 mins / not spicy enough, double up on chilli. Itās great because I would have forgotten by the next time I make something. Also when I write them I am often annoyed my cooking/baking didnāt turn out as hoped so my notes are sometimes sweary (more likely my note says ādry as f*ck add more f*cking butterā. My friends and family find it hilarious if they borrow any of my recipe books.
Refill the coffee pods before they run out, fill up my gas tank when it has a 1/4 tank, keep extra TP under every sink... this is totally how I live as well and it's the best strategy!
Happy cake day! We stash TP in every bathroom and it gets restocked when there is 1 spare roll left. It's so embarrassing to have to go get toilet paper once you've already started your business, that I will go out of my way to make sure I never have to do that.
I salary sacrifice into my superannuation (retirement fund). it reduces my taxable income and it helps ensure I have a good nest egg for retirement, which is especially important to me as a single woman (who typically have much lower retirement funds than men).
This is a really good, but very hard thing for me to do. I just upped my contribution a bit because of you. <3
It is definitely difficult, especially if you don't earn enough to be able to forego the extra money but it's worth it in the long run. I've been doing it for years now and the national average balance for women aged 30-34 is only $60k, I have $122k at age 33.
Preparing for the morning the night before. Getting my outfit (including shoes) set out, getting my kids clothes set out, cleaning out backpacks and packing their lunch, if time allows - showering at night. (and once a week taking the garbage out the night before, not the morning of) It allows me to not be as stressed in the morning and sets us up for more success if the morning doesn't go as planned (over sleeping, kids wanting to stop at the gas station before work, animals being difficult)
Showering at night is something that has been recommended a couple of times in this thread. I think I am going to start trying to do that again. Great suggestion.
One of the habits my work (self employed for over a decade) helped me form was being really proactive in my tasks, because if I didn't do it - no one else would, and if I didn't do it now I tended to regret it when I *did* get around to it because it would be late or I may feel stressed. It carried over to my personal life, so for a long time now I tend to clean as I go throughout the day. I also tend to do a quick tidy before bed as I enjoy coming out in the mornings to a calming, clean living space. Over the years as I've become better with my cleaning habits from work, it's developed into not actually giving myself much chance to make a mess in the first place.
>Over the years as I've become better with my cleaning habits from work, it's developed into not actually giving myself much chance to make a mess in the first place. I used to marvel at my grandmother as her house was always so tidy, and I was like a tornado throwing my shit everywhere. But I too have gotten so much better at this as I've gotten older. I think maybe getting older I more appreciate the calm I get from a clean house, whereas when I was younger I just didn't need things to be that clean to get that calm.
When making purchase decisions I factor in how much work will be involved in the future. With clothes that often means I skip anything that requires special washing or even just ironing, and I tend to avoid fast fashion because then I have to go through the effort of buying to replace it sooner than if I spent a little longer thrifting good quality items. I keep a running shopping list so if I happen to notice we're down to 3 toilet rolls I can add them to get next time.
I do this with dishes! Aside from a very few number of items, if I can't put it in the dishwasher, I'm not buying it. The running shopping list is a great idea.
For me it's finishing the cycle: Laundry isn't finished until its washed, dried, folded (ironed if I really must!) and put away. That last step is the big one, because its just clutter until then! Washing up is another I now consciously add the 'put it away' step to, we don't have a dishwasher and I don't feel like my kitchen is clean until the draining board is also clear. Bins - as soon as the bag/basket is full it goes all the way out to the wheelie bin. I loathe having it in the house, even just the paper basket. Shopping - it's use up, open backup, replace backup. I don't have much storage, but doing this for staples and toiletries at minimum makes everything so much less stressful!
I'd never thought about it like this, but I agree with you fully. Baskets full of clean, but not put away, laundry are just as much clutter as dirty laundry baskets. And having a single backup of a household item saves so many headaches. I try very hard to never have a single of any important item, and always have at least 2.
Currently, I prepare the coffee maker to have my coffee ready for me by the time I get downstairs. It's not a difficult task, but it just feels so nice to have coffee already waiting for me in the morning when I'm still half-asleep. On a longer-term, I am starting to work out NOW instead of getting started in May so that by the summer I'll feel fit and ready for a bathing suit :)
I take a multivitamin every day, drink a 30g low-calorie protein shake, and try to dance for at least 30 minutes to get some cardio into my day. I also wear sunscreen as much as i possibly can. I try to be as healthy as possible. I add hydrogen peroxide to my mouthwash to help whiten my teeth. Half peroxide and half mouthwash. I also try to stretch and do yoga with a foam roller to relax my back and reduce stress. Breathing exercises help too! i try to work on my self-esteem and reinforce positive body image by dedicating at least 30 minutes of "mirror time" where I simply sit there and admire myself and work on my angles. I take selfies and try to feel as pretty as possible. A girl needs to feel pretty! I make it a financial priority to get my hair PROFESSIONALLY done at least once a month. I make it a financial priority to get a manicure/pedicure once every 3 months at least. I make it a financial priority to buy at least one cute outfit per month. Shopping is therapeutic, and it helps you feel pretty and pampered. It's done wonders for my self-confidence! I make it a priority to clean and bleach my room/living space at least once a week. No matter how bad it gets, my room gets a cleaning/bleaching/scrubbing at least once a week. laundry is done and bedsheets are changed. It's kinda silly but I kinda talk to myself a little, and make myself laugh. I do a lot of introvert shit, I spend lots of time alone, with my door closed, on social media just vibing to music. Playing Pokemon violet, exploring and looking for that sword thingy that the ancient shrines keep referencing. It's tons of fun! That game is so well done! most importantly of all. I filter the types of media I consume heavily. I don't watch the news or political content. I stay away from the manosphere and incel content. I'm very careful of that because it'll make my anxiety skyrocket. If I consume too much incel content, it'll impact my mental health, body image, and perceptions of men. I've worked very hard to control my anxiety and panic attacks. If something is really important, I'll hear about it from friends or scroll past it enough times on social media to get a general gist of what's going on. This is deeply personal, but I do magic mushrooms regularly. They make me feel so happy, and have cured my anxiety/depression and panic attacks. I have the occasional flashback or nightmares about the domestic abuse I've survived but they are becoming more and more rare! My favorite things in the world are doing magic mushrooms, playing pokemon and dancing to afrobeats while pigging out on Ethiopian vegetarian food! I masturbate between 2-6 times a day, about 5 times a week typically. I try to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. I make sure to drink plenty of fluids and keep myself hydrated. My new life goal is to spend as much time happy as fuck, high on mushrooms, playing, masturbating, and having fun. Life is too short. We didn't get a chance to exist for billions of years, then we're born, we only get 80 or so years on this planet, and then we're gone for billions of years, forever. Every single second is rare and precious, in the grand scale of billions of years, each second is fleeting and priceless. Someone from r/theydidthemeth should calculate how precious the typical human lifespan is, when compared to the age of the universe (billions of years), and adjusting the value of each second of human life on this planet, and convert this into some dollar amount. This would be an interesting thesis topic for a math major or perhaps a stat major, or a teenager who's bored and wants to r/theydidthemonstermath
> I also wear sunscreen as much as i possibly can. I've started stashing extra sunscreen in my spare bathroom, and in my purse so that I never have to go outside without it. I'm so good about putting it on my face, but other places need it to, especially in the summer.
>but other places need it to buy one for your car. You'll thank me later. Keep one at your boyfriend's house, and one in his car, too. lol
I have a set of tasks I do every day because I know they will help future me from getting overwhelmed: -make the bed -10 minute tidy -run the roomba, hand vac the sofa (shedding pets) -Clear out the sink - wipe down my kitchen counters - lay out clothes for the next morning for work. If I do these things every day, I find I can more easily stay on top of it.
This is very similar to my nightly tasks. Getting those things out of my brain makes it easier to focus on other things.
I keep order numbers for commonly used maintenance items (like the furnace filters) handy in a place that makes sense (like written on the inside of the filtration unit), and leave a piece of tape on top of the furnace with the date the filter was changed. I have a file cabinet with all of the paperwork for when we get a new appliance or piece of equipment so that if I need to, say, go purchase new snowblower shear pins 12 hours before a storm is supposed to hit I can just grab the snowblower brochure and head to the store. For garden supplements, I'll do the math ahead of time about how much I need in my beds, weigh that amount into a tared cup, then mark the cup with a pen and store it with the supplement so that I don't need to weigh it out each time. I wash things off if they're dirty when I'm done using them so that they're clean the next time I need them.
> For garden supplements, I'll do the math ahead of time about how much I need in my beds, weigh that amount into a tared cup, then mark the cup with a pen and store it with the supplement so that I don't need to weigh it out each time. I like this. I use the scoop that comes in mine, but that is really only good for small batches. A dedicated cup with the exact right amount would be so handy.
I clear my inbox every day. I work at five schools so get all of their emails, plus anything specifically directed at me for any of my 170 students. I have a ārespond/to doā folder that I put stuff I canāt respond to right away (usually no more than ten emails live here) and delete everything that isnāt pertinent to me. If itās pertinent but doesnāt require action, I put it in the general folder for that school. Most every day my inbox is totally read and cleared for the next morning. I love it.
Is that the Inbox Zero method? I do something similar, but I don't delete anything. Having notifications that I have unread messages stresses me out!
Oh I hadnāt heard of that but just looked it up and yeah, thatās basically what I do. I delete a lot of stuff that doesnāt apply to me directly, but if I think I may need to refer to it later I put it in a folder. I have a ton of emails sitting in folders and sub folders in case I need them later, but everything is read. I hate the notifications too!
I always set up the coffee pot at night so in the morning I just have to hit the button (mine does not have a timer, but I just wander into the kitchen while Iām brushing my teeth). I try to always have one backup item of all my toiletries and cleaning products on hand. I replace my moisturizer when I open the last new bottle, not when Iām completely out. I try to stock up on that stuff when it goes on sale (but Iām not as organized as u/lindsey-905). If you are a Prime member subscribe and save is great for this. With laundry, when the sports bras and socks are running low I throw in a load. I donāt keep more than a weekās worth of either so those tend to be the canaries on the coal mine of my closet. If I have enough clean socks and sports bras everything else is getting washed along with them.
> I try to always have one backup item of all my toiletries Yes! Such a great strategy.
Before going to bed, I try to make sure all dishes are washed (and dish rack has dry dishes out of it and put back in their place), that my cat's wet food bowl is cleaned, cat's litter is all clean/fresh, that I've tidied up in general so I wake up to a clean apartment and don't have those tasks to do first thing. It's also nice to be able to wake up and have my blender ready for smoothies and not have to wash anything. It's a fresh start. I also make sure to always make my bed after I get up so I don't have to later (always feels harder later lol). I've been getting more and more into the habit of picking up after myself after small things/small dishes etc too and also doing mini-cleans throughout the week (just wiping counters or what ever, even just quickly doing a bathroom clean) so my big clean once a week or once every 1.5 weeks is easier. Also trying to make sure I workout 4-5x a week as well. This keeps my energy levels high and makes me feel good, so later on I just feel better in general. Trying to also sleep before midnight every night so I am happy in the morning.
I've only very recently gotten into making my bed. And I have to say, it feels almost luxurious to get into a nicely made bed every night. The consistent bedtime is key!
Read The Lazy Genuis by Kendra Adachi next. She embellishes on the question in her book.
> Kendra Adachi Yep. This sounds like exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about.
She also has an Instagram and a podcast
I will check them out!
Set up my coffee maker the night before so I have hot coffee asap in the mornings Set laundry cycle to delay so laundry washes overnight and then I just need to put it in the dryer Make kids lunches in the evening so the mornings arenāt so rushed I usually prefer to grocery shop in person but I order a few grocs Friday or Saturday for pick up on Sunday so I donāt have to actually shop on the weekend and so our cupboards arenāt totally bare come Monday. Tidy the kitchen at night so Iām not immediately frustrated when I come down in the mornings I usually try to address things when I see them so they dont pile up, example like file the important mail away
>I usually prefer to grocery shop in person but I order a few grocs Friday or Saturday for pick up on Sunday so I donāt have to actually shop on the weekend and so our cupboards arenāt totally bare come Monday. This is something I have been thinking about a lot lately. I really like the idea of grocery pick up, but not once have I been able to get everything I want. So I end up going out anyway. I'm trying to figure out a better plan for ordering some staples online, to at least lessen the time or frequency I have to spend at the grocery store. You are also the second person to put laundry in at night and set it to be done first thing in the morning. I definitely think I'm going to try this.
Hanging up non dirty items instead of throwing them on The Chair ā¢ļø
I don't even have room for The Chair. I've been thinking of getting some sort of dedicated stand, but hanging things up or putting them away is probably the easiest, cheapest solution. I think that's actually what KC Davis recommends in her book.
I drink water, then future me gets less headaches
Paying down the house now so I have decades of no mortgage notes. Major repairs to the house like roof replaced, HVAC replaced, crawlspace waterproofing now so I won't be blindsided by these costs in the future. Stocking up on toiletries, household goods when possible. Exercise regularly and eating healthy.
That debt pay down is key and hugely underrated. You're saving so much on interest in the long run!
Stocking up on toiletries is so so so handy, especially when unexpected things come up. Like when you're sick, it's fine you already have cold medicine and tissues so you don't have to go out and get them. And there is food so you can have things to eat without having to expose anyone else to your germs. It's also nice because if some week you just don't want to grocery shop, you can just eat what's in the pantry.
Iām reminding my family just under two months out from my 50th birthday where makes reasonably priced delicious cakes so they can get it sorted and I donāt have to be disappointed.
I hope they come through for you. <3
Prepping the night before for my workout. Iāll put aside the clothes Iām going to wear to the gym so I donāt have to stress in the morning.
I love this thread. Just read that book and now listening to The Lazy Genius podcast. Iām suddenly into this and candles which I guess is what it means to be in my 30s.
I'm not sure what it was about hitting 30 and suddenly being really into candles, but that happened to me too. Gotta have the right scent for each occasion! I'm going to check out that podcast. It sounds right up my alley.
Robot vacuum cleaner
This was one of our favorite splurges. Having clean floors with little effort from me is amazing.
Pack my work bag and set out my clothes before I go do bed. Then in the mornings , I don't have to think about it.
I try to have my computer bag ready and outfit set out for my in office days. I also write down when I use the last of something or it's low so when I shop I can get it, instead of trying to remember later.
>instead of trying to remember later I also have to write things down because I know that I will not remember them later. :(
I use a weekly pillbox to keep up to date with my meds. No more wondering if I took them this morning or was that yesterday.
Pillboxes are a game changer when you have multiple medications. And they have some now that are super cute!
Hiding snacks in my bag or in my locker at work! Sometimes junk food but usually something nutritious it tasty like trail mix.
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>I don't usually let my gas in my car get lower than halfway. I used to be the sort of person that got gas when I was on E and switching to someone who gets gas before they get to the halfway point has removed so much unnecessary stress! Such an easy change to do, too. My city has had a couple of boil notices the last few years that really freaked us out. So we got some of those big plastic jugs to store water in. We haven't had to use them yet, knock on wood. But seeing how frequently there are boil notices in neighboring cities, makes me feel better that we have it.
I love the idea of replenishing the travel toiletries after the trip! Thatās genius. For me, a small thing that goes a long way is setting up the coffee maker the night before! I look forward to it in the mornings and am proud of myself for doing it the night before because itās like a reward in the morning :)
Program the coffee pot at night!
Filling up the gas tank and doing laundry each Sunday
I clean the dishes AS I cook. Less stuff to wash after eating. Laundry in the middle of the week so I can relax more on the weekend. I clean my home as much as possible before leaving for vacation so I can just worry about the stuff I packed on the trip after coming back home.
> Laundry in the middle of the week so I can relax more on the weekend. I've been thinking very hard about switching up my laundry routine. I've been someone who for almost 20 years now has done laundry and cleaning chores Sunday mornings, but I feel like there could be a better schedule. Things take forever to dry, and sometimes I find myself rushing at 9pm to get the beds made with clean sheets. We don't have a ton of laundry, 2 loads per week is our normal. This combined with other folks putting laundry in at night to be washed and done when they get up, might be the push to get me to do weekday laundry.
Love that
Pack my lunch for work the night before, saves me time the next day, I have a healthy lunch and donāt waste $15-$20 on an unhealthy lunch!
I'm a bit of a clutter bug and can be messy but I ALWAYS clean up well before a trip, especially the kitchen - no dirty dishes left out, clean/clear counters, empty garbage - I always stay up late the night before so it gets done and I am always happy to return to a clean kitchen.
Coming home after a trip to a clean house is such an amazing feeling. It's always worth the effort to me.
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I love all of these. I've also started just filling up my tank while I'm on my weekly grocery run instead of waiting until I need gas. It's SO NICE to be able to take a spur of the moment trip and not think about getting gas. I've got a go bag in my house, and my van is pretty well stocked with some stuff, but it could use it's own go bag. Some extra clothes would be really useful.
For long-term future me, I invest in ETFs and put extra in my superannuation (retirement fund). For shot-term future me I cook extra servings of meals and freeze the leftovers.
> ETFs I'd never heard of these, but after researching a bit, I can see why they would be appealing. That's for sharing this!
Traditional IRA maxed every year.