Our month-long shopping hiatus ended last week, so today we’re sharing everything we learned. What was the hardest part? How did it change our habits? What did we buy first when it was over? Most importantly, how did it affect our bank account? We cover all of that, plus offer alternatives if a full shopping ban feels too intimidating. We also tackled a part of our house we usually hide because we were embarrassed by it — and fixed it without spending any money. We added some simple organization at the beach house too, and — of course — those pesky water meter problems returned to bother us.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify — or listen to it below. Use this page to find links, notes, and photos we mentioned. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may have to click through to the post to see the player.
What’s New
- Above is the “before” photo of our garage. Over the past few months it became chaotic — we stopped putting things back where they belonged, and retrieving one item often required moving several others.
- Following the steps we discussed in the episode — pulling everything out, donating or selling items we no longer need, and returning things to their proper homes (tools to the shed, for example) — restored a lot of order. It’s not magazine-perfect, but we reclaimed a ton of floor space and daily convenience.
- Here’s another “before” shot from the house door. Items would literally tip over and we wouldn’t bother to straighten them.
- The same view now looks much neater (photo taken with the good camera this time).
- That small corner got a simple upgrade: nails and screws to hang items, plus scrap boards to create slots between studs for long poles. It’s functional and cost us zero dollars.
- This isn’t the first time a garage overwhelmed us. We made a time-lapse of clearing out our first garage back in 2009.
- Our basement workshop in our previous house had its own chaos (I documented that mess on video), and over time we blogged about organizing outdoor gear and tidying our DIY supplies like tools and paint. That workshop had its own charm — and memories.
- Also: if you didn’t catch the “Monica’s Closet” reference earlier, now you know.
- If you missed our first water meter drama in Cape Charles (which Sherry insists could be a major motion picture), we covered it in Episode #59.
Shopping Ban Results
- We’ve discussed the shopping ban before, so for context:
- Our initial conversation about The Year of Less (the book that inspired us) is in Episode #89.
- We announced the start of our month-long shopping ban in Episode #93.
- We shared an initial update in Episode #94.
- In Episode #96 we spoke with Cait Flanders, author of The Year Of Less.
- Now that the ban ended, I made a single, intentional purchase: a new broom. Proof you can keep shopping meaningful and purposeful.
We’re Digging
- That photo shows our mudroom cabinet in the beach house with brooms and tools leaning like pickup sticks — and that was after tidying it for the photo. To make the side of the IKEA cabinet more functional I used inexpensive solutions like 3M Command hooks and broom grippers to attach things securely without damaging surfaces.
- I forgot to photograph the black metal hook after hanging it, but you can spot it in the pile shown below.
- On the reading front, Sherry’s latest pick was Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris — a great “decor thriller.” If you have similar recommendations, we’d love to hear them.
If you’re trying to find an idea we mentioned in a past episode but don’t remember which show notes to open, check our master list of topics we’ve covered across episodes.
Finally, thanks to Agility Bed for sponsoring this episode. For a limited time they’re offering a promotion; check their site for current offers and codes.
Thanks for listening, everyone!
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