We all have those topics that get us all fired up. The ones that once we start talking about, we find it hard to stop. The ones that seem to ignite some sort of fire within us which spur us into action. 

 

Well, simple living is one of those topics for me. 

 

Hence the blog and the newsletter and the Instagram page. I’m an unstoppable force when it comes to inspiring others to look for the beauty in the small and ordinary things. 

 

I find myself constantly scouring the internet for whatever posts I can find on ways to simplify your life. I’m always buzzing to tell someone about a brilliant new product I have found which has made life just a little bit easier for me. 

 

I am passionate about finding ways to simplify your life because it often combines two of my other favourite things – saving money and looking after the planet. 

 

Earlier this year I shared 13 super easy ways to make life simpler and in this post I want to share a few more ideas I have discovered since then. 

 

 

13 tiny changes you can make to simplify your life: 

 

Use a to-do list app 

 

I am a fan of both paper and digital planners. I know digital is the way of the future but paper planners are cuter (shoot me.)

 

That being said, to-do ist app is my best friend. It syncs your list between devices. You can plan days ahead but keep the tasks out of sight for simplicity sake. You can set the priority of tasks and reminders to get them done on time.

 

Plus you get the satisfaction of ticking tasks off and seeing them vanish from the list which is really the only reason anyone makes a to-do list in the first place.

 

 

Start creating a weekly meal plan 

 

If there is one thing I hate, it is not having the ingredients I need to make a meal. But I also equally hate trying to decide what to make for dinner when I am already hungry and cranky. 

 

Cue meal planning. 

 

You shop for exactly what you need. You save money by avoiding unnecessary purchases (and you can plan for budget friendly meals.) And you avoid wasting food that you buy but forget to cook with. 

 

You can take this one step further by prepping your meals beforehand, but planning is as far as I’ve got.

 

 

Try out period underwear

 

It is a well known fact that there is a huge amount of waste created with traditional feminine hygiene products. But besides that, they are also uncomfortable and can be pretty pricey. 

 

So when I first heard about period underwear I was really keen to make the switch. However, I had two main concerns a) the price (at the time the only brand available cost over $100 a pair) and b) how effective they would be. 

 

I finally found ModiBodi which were affordable and I was excited to discover, super effective as well. 

 

Seriously, these are game changers. Money saving, eco-friendly, comfortable and no more fear of leaking!

 

 

Wear colours that suit you

 

You are probably aware that there are certain colours that suit you best. You probably even naturally gravitate towards these colours.

 

One way to make your wardrobe a whole lot simpler is by buying clothes in these colours and finding accessories/other clothes that match.

 

For items you plan on wearing every day (eg. a winter coat) try to stick to a plain or neutral colour that will go with everything. It isn’t as cute as the red one I’m sure but at least it won’t clash with your pink dress!

 

 

Unsubscribe from mailing lists 

 

Usually bloggers try to get you to SIGN UP to their mailing lists (you can join mine if you like) but I’m a big fan of unsubscribing too.

 

For some reason, I never seem to learn and I always give out my email address to win competitions/make purchases/get freebies. So my inbox is a huge mess and it makes me stressed.

 

I know it seems easier just to delete their emails but I really do think it is better to unsubscribe altogether. Your inbox is an important space and only those who you truly want to hear from should be allowed to send stuff there. 

 

 

De-clutter for five minutes before bed 

 

This is one of Gretchen Rubin’s tips from her book ‘The Happiness Project‘ and it is so clever.

 

Just a few minutes each night can really help to tackle some of your chaos. A quick wipe over with a cloth, picking up your shoes off the floor, stacking the dishwasher, it isn’t much but it makes a big difference to how you feel in the morning. 

 

 

Learn to say ‘NO’

 

Learning how to set boundaries in your relationships is so freeing.

 

But you have to be okay with letting people down. You have to know that their disappointment won’t last. You have to remember that you can’t be everything for everybody. 

 

 

Put your clothes away at the end of the day 

 

I’m guilty of throwing whatever I was wearing onto the floor and hopping straight into bed. But that just means I end up having to spend half an hour folding all the clothes that pile up later on in the week. 

 

It only takes a couple of minutes to fold the clothes you were wearing and put them away. That is so much better than having piles of laundry on a chair in your room or littering the floor. 

 

 

Budget & track your spending

 

This is essential regardless of the state of your finances.

 

Keeping track of your spending can make you aware of some bad habits you may have that could be leaching money (for example, eating out all the time.) 

 

It also means less stress and worry as you can set aside the money you need to pay important bills before they are due. 

 

 

Write in a journal  

 

I tend to think that working through my problems can be done just by thinking about them. But that’s actually called over-thinking, not problem solving. All it does is make you more stressed. 

 

To work things out, you need to spill the problems out from your head. That may look like talking to someone or perhaps like me, writing it out in your journal. 

 

 

Create a seasonal wardrobe  

 

All those winter coats and scarves you aren’t wearing take up space and clutter your wardrobe making the decision of what to wear each day even more difficult. 

 

Put your out-of-season clothes away in a box in your garage. Keep the things you really need in your wardrobe. 

 

 

Let go of worn-out relationships

 

Forget about having tonnes of friends. Forget about having a best friend that you call up every single day.  Forget about having a huge group of friends that always hangs out together. 

 

You don’t have to feel bad for letting old, worn-out friendships fizzle out. You also don’t have to feel bad for being a twenty-something who only has a couple of friends (one of which is your mum.)

 

It is about quality over quantity.

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What small changes have you made to simplify your life?