As I pondered about this month’s article, I wondered what the people would want to read about. Saving money at the grocery store? Maybe starting a babysitting co-op? How about a curiculum swapping co-op? Maybe you would like to hear my ideas of canning and preserving the fruit in season? Nah….

I have been a coupon shopper for many years now, and I have also been a CVS and Walgreen addict. I have had a stock pile of health and beauty aids that would last my family through a nuclear holocaust. At one time, I had a stockpile of 30 bags of cereal. And I got a bit overwhelmed. Ok…VERY overwhelmed.

What I have learned in the last month especially, is simplicity. There is such beauty in simplicity, and I really believe that society as a whole has lost sight of that. So, you have a coupon for free cereal. Why on earth would you need 30 bags at one time? So, you got a really good deal on school supplies. Is there really a need for 20 boxes of crayons at your house?

I have spent the last few weeks really searching and seeking. I have de-cluttered my cabinets again and again and have almost feel ashamed at the things that I accumulated that I didn’t even remember existed. Yes, I would eventually use up 20 bottles of shampoo, but wouldn’t someone else benefit from some of that now? So, I loaded up the van and took off for the local food pantry. I gave away shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, cereal, spaghetti, and so much more. And I felt free. Free, indeed.

Keeping my shopping list down to a 2 week at a time list, instead of monthly, made things a little easier to handle as well. What I found, at least for myself, was that if I had too many choices for meal options, planning became difficult. Keeping myself more limited kept the options easier to choose. And, we ate out less because of it. Going to the stores less often, even at “the cost of that great deal” saved me more money than I had saved in the previous month with coupons. And I had less clutter to clean up around. So, my house is neater and more organized.

So, what I am trying to say is that by keeping things to a minimum, life is more simple. There are less things to pick up, less money spent on upkeep, and less stress in trying to pay for or store them. I have found that the simple life is the one that I would like to have for a long, long, long time.

What about you? What have you done to keep things simple in your household?

Heather is a stay at home mother with 3 blessings to take everywhere with her. Teaching women to shop and save and get the most for your dollar are a vision that has been a long time in the making. She enjoys sharing her trials and triumphs at the local stores, as well as some good (and some not so good) recipes to help make those dollars stretch. Her column is a must read for the thrifty homeschool mom. Visit her blog at Titus 2 Woman.