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 Buy Nothing 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 Patagonia film “Shitthropocene: Welcome to the Age of Cheap Crap” and I can’t stop thinking about hooks and how many clothes I own—a 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—one 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 the three sisters. 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—it 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 droughts will become more frequent and severe.) But I had never seen a bucket in a hotel shower until my daughter MK sent a picture of one at an inn where she recently stayed. 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: Start a Sourdough Starter—and Keep It Alive! Start your own sourdough starter during this free online workshop. Register here.
- Friday, July 19th, 10am PT/1pm ET: How to Start a Produce Bag Sewing Bee. 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. Find out more here.
