5 More Things To Cut Loose for a Simpler Life

Last Wednesday, I wrote about 5 Things to Cut Loose for a Simpler Life and I'm happy to say that I'm still on the simplicity kick! Here are five more things to consider ditching:

1. Plastic bags. Not only are plastic bags a pain in the neck for the planet, but they also have a way of exploding out of your kitchen drawers and closets, building up like a runaway snowball on its way to an avalanche. So, take that gigantic heap of flimsy bags to your local grocery store and put it in their plastic bag recycling bin, buy a few canvas bags, keep them in the front seat of your car, and just say no to the plastic bags for good.

2. Magazines. As somebody who used to be addicted to new magazines, I can tell you with 100% confidence that my life has gotten much easier by just borrowing them from the library. No more dusty stacks spilling all over the floor to contend with, and passing along copies of magazines instead of buying them is like the ride-sharing equivalent of commuting.

3. Coupons. Unless the coupon is for a dollar or more (few are!), skip them altogether. Is it really worth your time, kitchen drawers, and wallet space to cut out coupons for ten cents off? Don't you forget to use them anyway? Just sign up for a savings card at your supermarket and be done with the coupons.

4. Big-box store memberships. If you have the admirable self-control to walk into a store like Costco or Sam's Club and pick up only the 50-lb. bag of cat litter that you went in for, then by all means, keep your membership. It's very green to buy in bulk and cut down on packaging. The problem arises when these stores lure you into buying things you do not need at all, filling up your house like a hoarder on speed. Do you really need a mega-box of stuffing mix? Five hundred pens at once? A gallon of pepper? Simplify your life by buying just a little more than you'll really need until the next shopping trip at the (regular-sized) store. Remember: It's not a bargain if you don't need it.

5. Salon hair color. I used to have my hair lightened at salons, and my goodness, how I wish I could get back all of those two-hour chunks of time that I spent with my hair wrapped in tin foil, looking like an extra from "Lost in Space." Yes, I squeezed in some magazine-reading time in the chair, but now that I'm coloring my hair at home, the whole process is done in less than a half hour--a half hour while I'm doing more important things than reading about who's dating whom in the entertainment world.

Are you 5 for 5 yet? What have you cut out of your life to simplify it?

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