The other day I mentioned the need to perform regular maintenance around the home. While there are a lot of reasons that regular maintenance tasks don’t get done, lack of time being one of them, the reason I’m focusing on in this post is the lack of organisation when it comes to our tools.

For instance, the handle on our saucepan was getting wobbly. Tightening the screw before putting the pot in the cupboard is really only a 10 second job. What makes this task an effort is trying to find the screwdriver.

The same story can be said for gluing a hook back on the wall. The problem is: ‘where did I put that glue?’

So when it comes to making regular maintenance easier, these are my tips:

• Have some basic hardware supplies on hand (screwdrivers, pliers, glues etc.). If you can think of a must have tool to have around the home for general maintenance, I would love to hear about it in the comments below .
• Have a place for your hardware and return things to that place when finished.
• Organise your tools so that they are easily accessible, like on a peg board or in a dedicated drawer. Then fixing that wobbly pot handle really does only take 10 seconds.

Do you have a tool kit for home maintenance tasks?

Have you read these articles?:

1. drain your savings by avoiding regular car maintenance
2. annual gutter maintenance
3. tip tuesday–washing machine maintenance

We had our garage sale this weekend (more on that in the coming week; let’s just say we had enough rain during the sale to launch Noah’s ark). After an early 5am start and a long, busy day, we decided to treat ourselves to a relaxing night with Thai takeaway and a movie.

The phone rang. DH was calling from a payphone to tell me the car key snapped off in the lock and he would be walking home with our dinner.

Very tired by the time he got home, we both sat down to semi-warm chicken curry.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

We look up.

Our upstairs toilet is leaking through the ceiling, into the lounge room and onto my basket of clean washing and the TV power socket.

Yeah, it’s been one of those months. Don’t even ask me about the $700 break repairs done to the car last week. And the fact the muffler fell off this morning (although I think that should have been fixed with the brakes, but anyway…)

Here’s the lesson:

The car lock has been stuck for ages now. And we actually have the graphite powder needed to unstick the lock. A 30 second job would have saved us the long walk to and from the car as well as the $10 for a new key.

The brakes squealed for three weeks before being repaired.

The toilet has also been leaking for quite some time. We’ve been dealing with the leak by turning the water tap off at the wall and only turning it on to flush when absolutely necessary.

We had planned to get a new toilet this week with the funds from the garage sale. I’ve been saying that if we didn’t do something, we would wake up one morning and find our upstairs toilet… downstairs. I’ve even measured the s-trap set out, the pan length (to make sure we will still be able to open the loo door) and looked online for good dunny deals.

What we didn’t plan was the $200 Saturday night call-out fee on top of the cost of putting in a new loo and whatever repairs we’ll have to do to a damaged floor and ceiling.

We’ve been through this before, but obviously, it’s a lesson that we still haven’t learned. Small maintenance tasks today can really save you a small fortune in the future. A stitch in time saves nine…hundred dollars.

Give or take.

Do you schedule in regular maintenance?

I’m in the process of drawing up a household folder and creating a (new) rough schedule for getting the housework done (which hasn’t been getting done at all lately).

I’ve also thought about scheduling in regular maintenance tasks (like checking the oil in the car, checking tap washes, oiling hinges, getting the hot water heater serviced, that sort of thing) so that these tasks actually get done rather than being pushed aside and forgotten about until we reach critical mass and pipes start bursting in walls and mufflers fall off. Or what not.

I feel like we’ve been letting our house fall down around our ears a bit lately and that’s not smart considering it’s a huge financial investment of several hundred thousand dollars, once you factor in interest. That’s an investment that’s worth looking after.

So now I’m scheduling in regular maintenance. I will attend to small repairs that need attending to. And I will be on the look out for signs of decay and wear.

No more showers in the living room. At least, not ones caused by neglect.

Have you read these articles?:

1. tip tuesday–organising your tools for regular maintenance
2. two life lessons learned building blocks

Running a little late with posting today: the internet was disconnected and I spent yesterday enjoying a local rainforest with the little fella and my mum who is up visiting for the week (and it was her birthday yesterday too) instead of writing.

Decluttering an entire house can be a big job and on top of the usual commitments like work, childcare and the day to day tasks of running a household, it’s a job easily pushed aside.

But decluttering regularly is important for your health and wellbeing, so it is a task that is just as important as cleaning the toilet or doing the dishes.

Here are a few tips to find the time to declutter and make the process easier.

You don’t have to go at it all or nothing.

The conventional advice on decluttering your home is to set aside a weekend to declutter the entire house, all at once. If that works for you, then do it that way. However, doing a little each day or week is just as effective.

Rather than tackling your whole house, or even a whole room, break the decluttering process down into small, manageable chucks: a single drawer, half a cupboard, one shelf. A little each day still gets the job done whilst fitting in with your schedule.

Create a declutter checklist

If you intend to declutter a little each day, it is useful to have a decluttering checklist to keep track of what you’ve done and what still needs decluttering.

Here’s an example of a checklist for our bedroom:

Before you begin decluttering each room, go through and work out what needs decluttering, breaking the room down into the smallest units (a single drawer or shelf) and draw up a checklist to keep track of the process.

Before you begin: organise your workflow.

Before you tackle the sorting and the decluttering, gather your supplies and think about your workflow.

You will need bags or boxes (for the garbage, for sale if you intend to sell stuff, for charity, and for things that need relocating to other rooms or need storing), cleaning supplies to wipe down shelves or dust drawers and possibly pen and labels.

You will also need to consider where you are going to temporarily store these bags or boxes while you declutter. We have several boxes in our hallway at the moment with things we intend to sell at the garage sale. When the charity bags get full, we store those in the car, ready to be dropped off.

Fit decluttering in with your usual chores.

If finding time to declutter seems impossible, try fitting it in with your usual chores. For instance, while you’re putting the laundry away, go through the drawer and pull out anything that doesn’t get worn. Do the same while your stacking the cutlery or putting something away in the cupboard.

Again, you will need to (temporarily) store a spare box or bag to put these things in (unless they are rubbish) and once this box becomes full you can take it to the charity store.

Delegate and involve the family.

Time and time again you will be told to declutter without the kids. I disagree for several reasons.

Firstly, it may not be practical. If you care for young children full time, then you often have to involve them to get anything done.

Secondly, foreign stuff in drawers is like exiting treasure for children. Remove dangerous or breakable items then let them explore and discover this new stuff as you declutter. It takes longer, yes, and stuff can get spread all over the place, but it’s free entertainment (without the TV on) and you can declutter one drawer while they explore another.

Thirdly, I think it’s a matter of respect to involve (older) children when decluttering their stuff. You wouldn’t throw your husband’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVD collection out when he was at work (even though he hasn’t watched it in the eight years you’ve known him…) because it’s his DVD collection. It’s just as important for children to have a say in the decluttering process of their own possessions.

On the up side, you can delegate tasks to partners and older children, reducing your workload and making the decluttering process quicker.

Embrace the mess, it’s part of the process.

I wish I had taken photos, but maybe it’s just as well I didn’t. I decluttered my quilting stash by pulling everything out of the wardrobe and dumping it all on the floor. And then I wasn’t sure how to organise the fabric scraps, crochet twine, wool scraps and batting so it stayed on the floor for two whole weeks and between the little fella and the cat, the pile got spread from one wall to another and beyond. Mess is part of the process and mess is ok.

Most of us are busy and decluttering is a task that can easily be put off and put off until we are drowning in stuff. By making decluttering a priority and doing a little each day, it doesn’t take long to clear our your home of excess clutter.

Have you read these articles?:

1. 5 reasons why you should declutter
2. finding time to craft Part One–making time
3. finding time to craft part two – making the most of your time

We are in the process of a major home declutter at the moment. Going to garage sales on the look out for renovation materials has given us the idea of having a garage sale of our own. Over the last month, we have been pulling out every drawer, have gone through every cupboard and left no cranny unexamined in the effort to declutter.

It’s certainly a cathartic process, although we haven’t been as ruthless as we could be. Its a slow process of letting go. At each declutter session we say goodbye to one more item that we couldn’t bare to part with last time.

We are pretty frugal, we don’t buy a lot of stuff anymore, but we do have a tendency to hang onto it. I have finally cleaned out clothes that I’ve had since high school (over twelve years ago) and while collecting bubble wrap ‘just in case’ might seem frugal, there’s a point where you can have too much bubble wrap.

And cardboard boxes.

And even books.

5 good reasons to declutter

1. It is good for your health.

Even though a lot of our stuff is packed away in cupboards, it has become incredibly dusty – our decluttering frenzy has been accompanied by a cacophony of sneezing, coughing and spluttering.

It is impossible to clean effectively when there is junk under the bed, the cupboards are overflowing, stuff is stacked in piles on tables and in corners or you display masses of dust collectors. On the other hand, an uncluttered house is much easier to keep clean and if you suffer from allergies or asthma, this is especially important.

It’s not just dust that’s the problem, however. There is also the possibility of mould, damp and insect infestation that can go undetected, hidden from view by clutter, and affecting the quality of your home environment.

Finally, the clutter itself can be affecting the air quality in your home. Plastics, furniture and other common household goods ‘shed’ microscopic particles and omit VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other pollutants. In fact, we are often exposed to more air pollution inside our homes than we are standing next to a busy road!

2. It is good for your mental health.

I’m not going to go all Feng Shui on you, but clutter around the home does add extra ‘mind baggage’. It’s hard to relax knowing the turbulence that lies beneath the calm waters of a tidy room. Open a cupboard and waves of clutter break onto the carpet.

Stuff can also clutter our minds with unnecessary emotions: the fear that our stuff will be stolen, lost, damaged or destroyed; the expectation that you have to hold onto gifts, mementos and keepsakes; the burden of being responsible for so much stuff; and the irreverence that comes with the knowledge that you can just go out and get more.

If you’re ever feeling ‘stuck’, bogged down or just down, try clearing out some clutter, it’s amazing how uplifting it can be.

3. You gain more space.

Apparently, the storage industry is booming. Not only are we spending more money on stuff, we are paying someone else to store it when stuff no longer fits in our homes.

Or we use our stuff to justify the need to buy a bigger house.

Either way, it’s a lot of money to pay to keep stuff you don’t use. And if it’s in ‘off-site’ storage then I can guarantee it doesn’t get much use.

The other option of course, is to make more room at home by getting rid of the clutter. Not only do you free up storage space, you no longer need the extra furniture to store stuff (less bookshelves, cupboards, drawers needed etc) which also frees up extra space in your home.

4. You gain more time.

I recently read the book Simplicity Parenting, in which the author argues less is more when it comes to kid’s toys. Apart from the benefits that the author cites such as encouraging imagination, creativity and avoiding that ‘overwhelmed amongst the chaos’ feeling, there is one other benefit…for you. There’s less stuff to clean away at the end of play time. You’re not spending your life picking up toys. Here are a few other time saving benefits of decluttering:

• there is less stuff to organise, put away or keep clean
• it’s quicker to tidy away when ‘there’s a place for everything and everything in it’s place’
• you have less stuff to dust
• there is less stuff to move around when vacuuming
• there are less clothes to wash, iron, fold and put away
• you have less stuff to pack and unpack when moving

5. The possibility of making extra cash on the side.

The whole impetus for our decluttering activity of late is to hold a garage sale and make some cash for our trip to England.

After attending a few garage sales, I’m surprised by how popular they are. This is encouraging, hopefully we can make a little money. 50c earned from unwanted clutter is much better than the dust it is earning now.

And as an added benefit, having a specific reason to declutter is actually good motivation.

It is so much easier to collect clutter than it is to get rid of it. Months and years pass, good intentions to declutter our homes get pushed aside and suddenly we find ourselves with a house full of stuff that is impacting our health, our wellbeing and our finances.

This is the first week of Spring, so what better time to start decluttering? If you’re thinking, ‘yes, but I don’t have time’, tomorrow’s article is about finding the time to declutter.

Have you read these articles?:

1. finding the time to declutter
2. uncommitted. declutter your schedule and get a life
3. tip tuesday – three habits that stop impulse buying and reduce clutter

We have been in a decluttering frenzy over the last month and so this week is all about decluttering.

When it comes to successful decluttering, one of the most important things to remember is not to replace what you get rid of with more clutter.

However, it’s not always easy to recognise clutter when you see it. Standing at the cash register, ready to part with your hard earned cash, you’re sure you really need it or really want it. But then it gets used once or twice before it goes into the cupboard to collect dust.

The seven and a half million books we have from our cashed up days are a testament to this.

So here are three speed bumps that I use to prevent impulse buys and stop the clutter before it enters our house:

1. Never purchase something without going away and thinking about it for at least one day. You will almost always change your mind, realise you don’t need it, find it cheaper somewhere else, borrow it from the library or find a substitute.
2. Ask yourself: “What will my life be like if I don’t purchase this?” This is a powerful question to ask yourself because 99% of the time you will realise that life won’t be better if you make that purchase.
3. Ask also: “What is the opportunity cost of this purchase?” What will you miss out on if you do buy that thing you have your eye on. This comes back to knowing what your savings goals are, both long term and short term.

That doesn’t mean to say that I never impulse buy, but these three habits help reduce the impulse spending and as a result, limit the clutter in our home (or it would if I stopped collecting bubble wrap, but that’s another story).

Have you read these articles?:

1. tip tuesday – quick tidy strategy
2. tip tuesday–little boxes
3. tip tuesday – possibilities calendar

You don’t need to buy lots of plastic totes for storage. Instead, you can make the most of a free source of boxes that are better on the environment that their plastic counterparts. What free boxes?

Vegetable boxes from the greengrocer.

I have mentioned before how I store my sewing stuff in one of these boxes for quick access. We also use these boxes for storage, for the recycling, as garbage ‘bin’, as a playdough table for the little fella, as a toy car, as shelves for the toys (pictured below), to cart things around the house in, as a cat bed…

What ideas do you have for making the most of vegetable boxes from the greengrocer?

Have you read these articles?:

1. tip tuesday–desk drawer organisers
2. Handmade Treat Bags and Gift Boxes
3. tip tuesday – starting a craft box for the kids

These tip comes from Julie, a Frugal and Thriving reader from the US.

“At our medical doctor’s office, I noticed they spray and clean counters, handles etc using 1/2 water and 1/2 rubbing alcohol. This also works for mirrors and windows very well.”

Other uses for rubbing alcohol include cleaning CDs and DVDs, mozzie bites, sanitising things like the phone, remove sticky labels, make an ice pack, nail polish remover, ink stain remover.

Rubbing alcohol is a common household product in the US, but I’m not sure about its availability in Australia. You need to buy a brand that is at least 90% isopropyl alcohol. You local chemist and possibly the hardware store (and electronic store) is the best place to look.

Julie also suggests using washcloths for dish rags (easier than knitting your own), that way you can sanitise, wash and reuse them over and over.

Julie, thanks for your tips, I know there were lots more, but I seem to have deleted your second email in my over-zealous attempt at clearing out my inbox.

Have you read these articles?:

1. tip tuesday– remove crayon from painted surfaces
2. tip tuesday–clean your drains chemical free
3. tip tuesday–taking a plate

I read in our local paper the other day that our region has higher than average levels of unemployment. In fact, a receptionist position in a small business received over 400 applicants.

The thing is, this is nothing new. We have lived here for nearly five years, and it was exactly the same story when we were searching for jobs back then (you can read about how I found a job via the hidden job market here).

When I voiced my surprise to the employment officer helping me apply for positions, he said something that was obvious as soon as it left his lips, but had never occurred to us.

‘Didn’t you do your research before you moved here.’

Um, no.

If you’re planning on moving to a new town, a new state or even a new country, don’t make the same mistake we did by not doing your research.

Things to research before moving

1. Jobs and income

You may have a job lined up before you move, but if you’re winging it, check out the employment in the area you intend to move. Are there jobs available? Are there jobs in your chosen field? Will you have to commute to work?

As well as job availability, you will want to investigate average income levels (we moved to one of the most expensive areas to live in Australia mostly because the income levels are so low compared to the cost of living).

Where to find this information:

• Seek.com.au
• Job classifieds in the local paper (if they have an online edition)
• Local employment services. Call them and ask. They may also help you find work when you have moved.

2. Housing availability and affordability

Where are you going to live when you move? Are you going to rent or buy? Are there places available to rent or buy? Are they in your price range? Keep in mind your expected income once you move, affordability will change if your income drops significantly like ours did.

Where to find this information:

• Realestate.com.au

3.The vibe

I guess what I’m saying here is: are you going be happy living there? Is it going to suit your personality? Is the crime rate low? Or are you moving to a town where hooligans rip up the streets each night in suped-up cars? If your passion is for fine dining, are their restaurants that will ‘feed’ your passion?

Where to find this information:

• The best way to pick up on the vibe is to visit a place, spend a week or two there and talk to the locals.
• Also, read the local paper (online if available) everyday for a while to get a feel for the place (keeping in mind that newspapers sensationalise stuff).

4. Future development / opportunities

What is the main industry in your prospective town? Is it a growth industry or a dying one? Can the town be sustained if the main industry closes down? Are there plans for future development and growth?

If you’re planning to move to a new town to settle down and raise a family, you want to make sure that there are employment opportunities today and in the future and a plan to increase services and infrastructure in line with population growth.

Where to find this information:

• Local council website.
• State website.
• Local newspaper.

5. Cost of living

The price of goods and services ranges widely across the country. To give you an idea of the affordability of where you intend to live, do a little research as to the cost of basic goods and services.

Where to find this information:

• For grocery prices check out the online shopping facilities for the local supermarket and enter the postcode of your prospective town. Also look at ads in the local paper and check out the Yellow Pages for butchers, greengrocers etc.
• Get online quotes using the details of your prospective area to give you an idea of insurance costs.
• Check the state transit website for vehicle registration requirements and cost (in QLD for example, we don’t need a pinkslip and we don’t buy our greenslips separately, they’re part of the registration cost).
• Find out which companies supply your utilities (electricity, gas, phone, internet) what utilities are available in the area (some places don’t have natural gas lines, many towns don’t have cable internet, for instance) and ask them their supply rates. Compare this with your current consumption and supply cost to get an idea of costs in your new area.

6. Public transport

Is there adequate public transport for you needs? What are the costs?

Where to find this information:

• State transit website.

7. Community services

Finally, are there adequate community facilities that you may need to use either now or in the future. Facilities and services like a hospital, doctors, police, childcare, playgroups, schools, support systems (like family health clinics and charities), a library, parks, entertainment, sports clubs, civic spaces (like an art gallery).

Where to find this information:

• Local council website.
• Tourist website for the area.
• Google maps.
• Yellow Pages.
• Local ‘what’s on’ guide.
• Community notices website.

Then what?

So you’ve done your research, what now? Does that mean you don’t move? Not necessarily, but at least you can weigh the pros and cons of moving (or not moving, or moving somewhere else) and you know what you’re in for before you get there.

Draw up an approximate budget to make sure you feel comfortable with your future potential cash flow, and to give you an idea of what your limits are when looking for a place to rent or buy.

Start dusting off your CV and your cover letters and if you can, apply for jobs before you make your move. Don’t forget to ask for references from your current employer.

Put aside as much money as you can into a emergency fund so that you can eat and pay for rent and all those other extra moving costs that come up while you’re looking for a new job.

And finally, when you get there, go out and explore your new home. The first few months of living somewhere new are so exciting, it’s like being on holiday, even if you’re working.

What do you consider when moving to a new place?

Have you read these articles?:

1. moving house on a budget
2. a man drove into town – a story of modern economics
3. Transparent Charities – Becoming Informed And Asking Questions

The tip for this week comes care of re-nest.

If you need to fix squeaking doors (one of my all time pet hates) rather than reaching for the WD-40, try a little olive oil instead.

A little dabbed on with a brush or finger (or sprayed on if you have an olive oil spray) will have your hinges working quieter than a mouse in no time.

And it’s green and frugal.

Now all I have to do is work out how to fix our squeaky floor!

Have you read these articles?:

1. tip tuesday–little boxes
2. tip tuesday–making peanut butter and honey more efficient
3. tip tuesday – quick tidy strategy

I’ve been working on how to get some more crafting into my day. Time is short, but I’m really missing my creative time. This week I’ve written a three part series on finding time to craft. I like to sew mostly, but the tips over the next few days are relevant for getting any type of project done when time is short.

I decided recently to keep a list of craft projects I want to try. Well that list is two pages long and still growing daily! How to find time to craft? I came across this post on Patricia Zapata’s blog A Little Hut about making time to craft. She has some great tips but the one I love the best is asking for time as a gift:

As a slight variation, DH and I made an agreement that we would each have one night a week completely off. To make the evening flow more easily, I wrote out a very specific evening checklist of things that need to be done each night because there’s no point me having an evening off, only to have to catch up on all the work the next day! The checklist includes things like cook dinner, soak nappies, wash the dishes, put on a loaf of bread, wipe down the benches.

I have arranged to have Wednesdays off and DH has Mondays off. We’ve been doing this for about a month now, and so far it’s been working out really well (although I admit that mostly I spend the time catching up on some rest rather than crafting).

The benefit of this agreement is that there are no expectations on that evening. I’m not going to get cranky if DH isn’t helping because I know it’s his night off, and I get my turn on another night. Like Patricia, I also don’t sit around feeling guilty about having ‘me’ time. Having an official, agreed upon arrangement helps take the guilt away.

If you would like to read Patricia’s other ideas on finding time to craft, you can find them here. As a side note, Patricia is a paper artist who does beautiful things with paper. I love her recycled cardboard coaster and trivet set.

Have you read these articles?:

1. finding time to craft part two – making the most of your time
2. finding time to craft part three–organising your projects–a project bag tutorial
3. finding the time to declutter