An online search for items to simplify your life will turn up pages and pages of consumer products. But you don’t need to buy a bunch of expensive new stuff to simplify. And you may already own several of the humble items on this list. If you don’t, find them in your group and they won’t cost anything.
Jars would be my number one life-simplifying item but I’ve already written about them many times here and here and here, for starters.
1. Hooks
I recently watched the ” and I can’t stop thinking about hooks and how many clothes I own鈥攁 small number by “normal” standards today but still more than I need.
As a historian in the film explains, bedrooms in old homes did not feature closets. They had a small number of hooks on the walls where you’d hang your two outfits鈥攐ne you’d wear every day and one you’d wear to church.
Hooks don’t require additional space and can free up closet and drawer space. They tidy up a room. Clothes thrown on the floor look messy; clothes hung on hooks look cozy. Clothes can air out on hooks and bath towels can dry on hooks; both will require less laundering.
I’d like to add more hooks to my bedroom, divvy up my wardrobe between the hooks and a dresser and transform my closet into a sewing “room” or nook. (We’ve done something similar with our TV.) I could fit a narrow desk in there, two machines and slide a chair over when I work. At the moment, a sewing machine (or two) almost constantly occupies our dining room table.
I thought I’d need an addition (which isn’t happening) if I ever wanted a sewing room but the hook and closet makeover should do the trick. I just need to rearrange and declutter. (Go here for a simple, 5-a-day decluttering program.)
2. Twigs and branches as trellises
On a recent bike ride, I stumbled upon a lovely vegetable garden planted in a strip of soil next to the curb of a quiet street. Tomatoes, beans and zucchini all climbed up rustic trellises fashioned with sticks tied together. These cost nothing to make and suit the garden more than store-bought metal trellises do. When you no longer want or need them, or when they break, they decompose and return to the soil.
3. Sunflowers as bean poles
And if you don’t have twigs and branches to tie together (or don’t want to tie them together), do some companion planting. This spring, we planted black beans and sunflowers next to each other to provide something for the beans to climb up as they grow, sort of like a two-sibling cousin of . Both the sunflowers and beans grew from saved seeds. Seed saving also simplifies your life.
4. More natives, less lawn
If you’d like to mow the lawn less, save money on chemical inputs and conserve water, consider removing part of the lawn and planting a few natives. Plan how you’ll spend those extra hours.
In 2022, I started planting natives in what had been a dead lawn. So far, I’ve planted 26 varieties of natives there. It’s starting to look like something! (Go here for more info on getting started with natives.)
5. Compost bin (or even just a pile)
We have two bins and one heap. We can easily turn the heap and retrieve the finished compost but it looks less tidy than the bins. If you have a small spot outside to set up a compost of some sort, you will make your life that much easier. Rotting food and food scraps in the trash create a big mess. If you compost, you’ll likely have dry trash and you won’t need a plastic bin liner. You’ll also make a wonderful soil amendment on site for free. If you don’t have access to an outdoor space, you can still compost indoors. Go here for composting 101.
6. Clothesline
Hanging clothes to dry is meditative and leaves clothes smelling wonderful. As much as chemists have tried to bottle that outdoor scent, they simply cannot. Line-dried laundry also saves money鈥攊t requires zero energy and the clothes last much longer. If you don’t have a yard to hang a line in, use a collapsible drying rack set up indoors. (Go here for more on energy efficient, money-saving laundry.)
7. Bucket in the shower
A bucket in our shower captures water as it heats up. Once full, that water goes into a watering can and onto our plants outside. This saves time (standing at the tap, filling my watering takes a few minutes) and money (recycling water decreases water usage).
Many of us in drought-prone California capture water this way. (As the climate continues to change, our .) But I had never seen a bucket in a hotel shower until my daughter MK sent a picture of one at . Because the inn runs on well water, it asks guests to conserve this precious resource. Staff pick up full buckets from the room’s decks and water the property’s plants with it. (Go here for 14 more ways to conserve water.)
What simple items would you add to this list?
Upcoming events
- Saturday, June 29th, 10am PT/1pm ET:听Start a Sourdough Starter鈥攁nd Keep It Alive!听Start your own sourdough starter during this free online workshop.听.
- Friday, July 19th, 10am PT/1pm ET: How to Start a Produce Bag Sewing Bee.听My friends and I have so much fun making and giving away our reusable, plastic-free produce bags. Learn the ins and outs of starting a sewing group in your area in this free online workshop.听Find out more here.
Anne-Marie, thanks for another great, simplifying, you-don’t-have-to-spend much or any post! Lists like these inspire my hope and creativity. 馃檪
I use fabric scraps generally from shortening long pants to make pee cloths. I serge the edges of the rectangles. They are used once and then put in a cardboard box containing a mini laundry bag.
My gf has been doing this for years. She cuts up old underwear and buys a 12 pack of toilet paper every two years. There are many benefits to your plumbing, to your wallet, to your personal hygiene and to the environment. The boreal forests in British Columbia are being depleted to manufacture toilet paper.
There is an undue amount of sensitivity on this topic. When I have company, my kids tell me to hide my stash of cotton pee cloths. I, however, consider it a badge of honor.
I recently got a well used rope hammock which came with a heavy duty steel “stand” for $25. My goal was to use it as a clothesline and, of course, a place to lie weightless while looking into the beautiful canopy of trees that live just at the back of my tiny home. It works great as a clothesline, as I can adjust the height of it easily, and the surface are is quite large. I love tossing my comforter on it to air in the sweet summer sun. I am calling this a pro-hack, as I have been making due on the cheap for decades now. This clothesline/linens air-er out-er/outdoor nap bed is absolutely my dream come true. I smile each time I use it knowing that, once again, I am living outside of the consumerism box, not using electricity I don’t need, and exposing my (all second hand!) clothing to fresh air! As a funny side note, I recently replied to a single daddy friend’s posting about how very expensive toilet paper has become with get your girls(ages 7 and 9) started with cotton pee cloths to which he replied with a disgust emoji. lol. I tried to talk him into at least considering it, but, so far, no response. Perhaps I’ll send him some as a gift towards the future. I so appreciate the work you do here, so thanks for always encouraging me in what I have been doing already for many years.
Simply life by creating a small, intentional wardrobe that truly suits your activities. I recently did this and It鈥檚 life changing. You鈥檒l have so much more time when you have less clothing to weed through. Keep only what you love and what fits your lifestyle. Don鈥檛 save things that are sentimental but will never be worn, pass them to someone who can enjoy them and reclaim space in your closet (and your mind)! Then resist the temptation (if you have one) for more. Also, while this doesn鈥檛 sound simple鈥 hand wash a lot of stuff. This makes it last longer, look prettier and ot gives more importance to my clothing which in turn means I鈥檒l take better care of it and enjoy it even more.
I’m a fan of my reusable metal water bottle for simplifying my life, saving money, and reducing plastic waste. I’ve also noticed that when I fill my reusable coffee mug at convenience stores, sometimes they give me my coffee for free!
Using metal dishpans, heat water on the stove top (if that heat source is cheaper for you), set the dishpans in the sink (or go outside if you like), when done washing the dishes, pour the water in a bucket to use to flush the toilet or use it on plants outside. Rinse dirty dishes in the used rinse water next time before getting fresh water for rinsing.