As a homesteader, you are trying to be self-sufficient as much as possible. Living off your land is no easy feat, not one for the faint of heart! All that goes into sustaining such a lifestyle isn’t always easy and can be time-consuming, especially when just starting out. How often do you get stressed out looking at your endless to-do list? How nice would it be to get some time back? Spend less time inside cleaning and more time outside on your land where you want to be. What would you do with extra time every day? Let’s look at ways of simplifying your home and the benefits it has for you and your homestead.
The Benefits of Simplifying Your Home and Life
A clear space is not only easy to clean but is proven to boost productivity and lower stress.
A clear space is not only easy to clean but is proven to boost productivity and lower stress.Simplifying your home can have amazing benefits! Not just for your home but for your mind. Just having an organized home isn’t enough. Simplifying your home can happen slowly or in a day. However you decide to do it, make a plan and stick to it. I like to make a goal of getting rid of so many items from either my whole house or break it down to just a room. By simplifying your home, you can spend more time doing what you love!
Owning less means that you can spend less time cleaning.
Simplifying your home doesn’t mean you need to go Marie Kondo on everything. It’s being able to have a home you love, filled with only things you love. I like to start with envisioning what I want the space to be. The feeling I want the room to project. For my bedroom, I want a cozy relaxing space. So I used mostly greys, white, and mauve. Getting rid of those things that don’t fit into that feeling or don’t bring joy to your space can really make a difference.
Having only clothes you love and feel great in means you own less
Sort through your clothes in the same manner. Get rid of anything that doesn’t fit, stained or damaged from the get-go. After that go through and get rid of anything that doesn’t look good, you have never worn, or anything that you don’t feel good while wearing. Having fewer clothes Saves you time from having to pick out an outfit from a zillion different options. Minimizing your belonging is a great way of simplifying your home!
By cutting down on my material items I cut down on future waste
With the rise of commercialism in America and all over the world, waste is becoming a huge problem. The rise of single-use items is astronomically affecting the planet. The rise of plastic is severely affecting the oceans and marine life. There are several ways I have been combating waste.
- use cloth “paper” towels
- carry a stainless steel water bottle
- use metal or glass straws
- bring my own coffee cup
- buy second hand or handmade
- reuse and DIY things
- recycle as much as possible.
My Thoughts
My Thoughts To me, it’s the smallest changes that can make the biggest impact. By being able to lower your waste you are able to rely less on modern conveniences and can be more self-reliant on yourself and your homestead. Having reusable options at your fingertips, allows you to make the choice of low waste an easy one. By using reusable towels, you are saving money and space by not having to stockpile roll after roll of paper towels. There are so many ways to save ourselves money and save the planet at the same time. I always suggest to make easy changes first, then move to the more difficult ones. Like I switched out plastic straws with stainless steel, then cloth towels for paper towels/napkins which was a harder switch for me. The convenience of paper towels is so hard to give up!
I am in no way perfect. I still own more then I want to, I still sometimes use paper towels. My desire was to lower my impact, without making myself feel guilty every time I slipped up. Sometimes you have to work with what you have, and that’s okay. We can’t be perfect all the time, and that’s okay. It about simplifying your life in a way that works for you and your family and doesn’t cause life to be 1000% harder. Make the changes that work, compromise on the ones that don’t and live with it. We are all works in progress and it’s hard to admit that sometime. The last thing we should be doing about it is stressing about it.
What could you simplify around your home that could help you get more of your life back? Letting you spend more time outside and less inside doing chores. Work on simplifying your homestead and see where it takes you!
Great post. We have spent the last couple of years downsizing and de-cluttering and I love the freedom that comes with having less. We still have a ways to go but we’re getting there!
Every little bit helps! Kuddos to you for being well on your way!
Wonderful post. We are going to do spring “real” cleaning this year. Getting rid of everything that we do not use and having a big old yard sale. What doesn’t sell, we will get hold of the local auctions and see if they want the leftovers. One has stuff like that all the time so in the end, it is gone. We are also buying things we need for when we purchase our own homestead. Preparing for the things we need now is saving time as well as money and once we get rid of stuff, it will be so much better for us. We are in a four room house now down from a three bedroom home already so getting rid of it and living simpler is our goal. You have inspired me to look at a few things I had not thought of like my closet. It is time. Thanks Annie!
There is no greater feeling in the world than to know that your house is clutter free and organized! Getting things together now for your homestead is an awesome way to have a great and prepared start at homesteading! You are ahead of many people already!
decluttering is something I always put off. I hate to do it, but love it when I’m done!
I don’t think anyone enjoys the work, but the feeling at the end of being all done and feeling accomplished makes all the work so worth it!