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The following entry is by Jane Deneault.
Is less really more? I have spent considerable time thinking and praying on this. We are familiar with the phrase “you can’t take it with you” but, do we actually live in that manner?
We have done several things to reduce our expenses ; changing our the insurance carrier for our home and vehicle. We have also slimmed down our food budget and are continuing to work pursue cutting back on energy consumption.
For now, I feel we have done what we can to save on our monthly and yearly expenses and so I started a mission to see what else we could be do as we continue to get out of debt. I continued to look further for ways to get us out of debt. Since money is tight, I decided a good place to start was with our home.
What could I do to make our home easier to function in and locate whatever we were searching for?
The search began to look for 10 items that we could rid ourselves of and it not matter if area took 10 minutes or a month to complete the task. Then we could rid ourselves of these possessions. Soon I gathered three boxes and kept them close by while I went about the searching and reorganizing; one box for charity, one for garbage and one to pass on to someone I knew that who could use the item.
I went through totes of paperwork and purged, shredding shredded and just plain tossed unnecessary documents.
Clothes that no longer fit were given away or that were wanted and some
were plainly worn out and discarded; shoes, purses, nothing was off limits.
Another area was our kitchen.
There is still plenty more to be done but as I continue on in purging and simplifying that can be done to our home, we now have a sense of order and peace. Having less to sort through and bringing order organization out of clutter is really about being free and not seeking after more than we need. I think of the words of Paul,”I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” More of God and less of things and us us and things is a goal I strive for.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” so said Da Vinci. I think its a noble and practical thing you are doing Jane. Cutting back, decluttering and realizing that happiness stems from a relationship with God and healthy relationships with family and friends. At the end of the day, thats what matters: God, family friends and people we encounter…money and possessions are just frills.
Way to go Jane! De-clutter is such a key. Have you managed to get your family on board? Most people want to live in an organised home but few want to put the daily effort of maintaining “a place for everything and everything in its place”. At least 3 things come with order – Save time, Save money, Save wasted energy.
I absolutely believe less is more. Sometimes as we accumulate, we turn our eyes away from God and become proud of our own actions. Ultimately, I’d like to find ways to “live with less” so I can fix my gaze more on God. Thanks for sharing!
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