The verdict is in. After a few year’s battling my desire to save and my desire to simplify life, simplicity has won! The simple reason? Kids. With kids, life is complicated enough and I have to make the decision to save time over money. We saved in the past and now can ‘splurge’ in order to gain time, something more valuable to us these days.
To recap, here are the main areas of conflict and current results:
1 ) Cooking vs. Eating out
We still cook at home but Trader Joe’s has become more of a mainstay. They have excellent pre-packaged foods, pre-marinated meats, etc.. However, we haven’t resorted to pizza delivery or fast food. I also hope to improve my/our skills with one-pot or one-pan cooking and cooking in bigger batches. Winner: Simplicity.
2 ) Recycling
Our bins of plastic and glass are overflowing. I’m tempted to put an ad on craigslist to get someone to haul away for us. They can keep the money. Winner: Frugality/Green (barely)
3 ) Growing vegetables
We have black thumbs when it comes to vegetables. Winner: Simplicity
4 ) Line-dry clothing
We still do this 90% of the time even with extra baby laundry. Winner: Fruality/Green.
5 ) Washing and grooming dogs
My husband does this. I forget that we even own dogs (sad but true!) Winner: Frugality.
6 ) Comparison shopping
I shop around for diapers and have found good deals on Amazon.com. Otherwise I just stock up at Target or Walmart. I don’t have time or energy to find drugstore deals. Winner: Simplicity.
7 ) Bringing my lunch
I eat out most of the time but still pack snacks and lunch on occasion. Winner: Simplicity
Plus, while we still maintain our home and yard on a daily basis, we are willing to pay for major cleaning and gardening. This is a big burden off our backs and a lot of time gained!
I do feel guilty that for me at least, simplicity seems to equal more waste. I’m trying to make up for my use of disposable diapers by cancelling paper catalogues, opting out of yellow pages, buying less or as little as possible for kids and self, being more conscious of my paper usage (from paper towels to writing paper).
If you have your own battles between saving money or saving time, I would love to hear about it!
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