One of the very first areas I wanted to tackle on our Simpler Life journey, was the kitchen – our pantry and fridge/freezer, in particular – two areas that I kept trying to organise and streamline and make Pinterest-worthy, but to no avail. They kept getting crowded, muddled and jumbled – which meant that we could never find what we were looking for and ended up buying more. Our freezer was overrun by a million pieces of chicken, packets of peas and half-eaten loaves of sliced bread, and the fridge looked like a shrine to the god of condiments.
And then there was our grocery bill. Heaven to Betsy, but we spent a lot on food and cleaning supplies. Each week, I would head to Pick n Pay to buy lotions and potions to clean floors, windows, baths, counter tops, dishes, clothes, and cars. It cost an absolute fortune! Then I would throw in a new water bottle for Kayla, some lunch box treats for both girls, a magazine or five, and a new potted plant for the kitchen counter. Multiply that by 4 weeks, and I was spending a LOT. Add to that my weekly visits to Woolworths to stock up on fresh fruit and veggies, milk, cheeses, more lunch box items, a few easy dinner options and, yes, a magazine or five.
It was just too much. Too much stuff, too much money, too many hours and too much going to waste. It was time for a change. (One that didn’t necessitate cutting down on my magazine addiction though. Small steps, people. Small steps.)