Several months ago, I did what a lot of other people were doing and watched Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. I was excited for this. I’ve found great inspiration from cleaning shows before (like the ladies on How Clean is Your House?), and I was eager for some fantastic tips to keep my home pristine.
While I wish there had been more specific tips than the basic mantra of getting rid of anything that doesn’t “spark joy,” it definitely inspired a wave of decluttering and organizing in my home. Unlike the people on the show, I didn’t do it all in one week! I’m still working on it, little by little. It’s more of a lifestyle change than a one-time spring cleaning. I attack a drawer or a shelf as I have the time, and I’m loving the results. The areas I’ve Kondo’d are much easier to keep clean, and I never thought I’d be so happy to open my sock drawer every morning.
A month or two later, I happened to watch a documentary simply entitled Minimalism (check out the book that goes along with it here). I might never have watched it except that I was on a documentary kick at the time. It only strengthened my urge to get rid of all the extra stuff. Why keep socks I don’t wear? Why buy another knickknack to gather dust? If I buy this thing I think I want, where am I going to put it? The documentary really spoke to my need for less clutter (both physically and mentally) and more time for the important things in life.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not going too crazy with this stuff. You won’t find me living in a “tiny house” or traveling across the U.S. with nothing but a toothbrush.
What really hit me while watching Minimalism was the idea (from one of the numerous people interviewed) that often the cheapest way to live is also the best for the environment. I believe he was referring to having a smaller living space that’s cheaper on climate control and building materials (and therefore more environmentally friendly), but this really struck a chord with me. I’m all about saving money and saving the planet, and it’s even better to do both at the same time!
I couldn’t say why, exactly, but the first thing I attacked was our paper towel usage. With a family of five, we go through quite a few of them. Just for the paper towels we use for napkins with meals, at $0.0139 per sheet, times five people, times three meals a day, times 365 days a year, we’re saving over $75 a year. And that doesn’t even include paper towels used for cleaning! Sure, we still buy paper towels for those times when they’re just the perfect solution for a problem, but our output is greatly reduced. If the 315.41 million Americans who use paper towels (as of 2017) were to stop using them just for napkins at meals, it would save them over 4.8 BILLION dollars. That’s a lot of cash, people.
For the environmental concerns, I’ll let you read this amazing article with all the details.
Okay, that was a long story to let you know we use cloth napkins and cleaning rags now, but it might not’ve happened otherwise. Paper towels are just an everyday thing we don’t think about. I can’t tell you how pleased I am that we’re creating less waste and saving money, and these napkins truly do spark joy in me every time I grab one. This idea has led to several other small changes in our lives, which I’ll outline for you soon.
What are your feelings on minimalism, purging, and saving the planet? I’d love to know, so feel free to comment!
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Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keeping and The Graveside Detective. Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Paradox, and Subcutaneous. Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world. You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.
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Ashley O'Melia, Author 