Let’s get down to it. 

The steps laid out by Cait in the epilogue of The Year of Less are as follows (grossly oversimplified by yours truly):

1. Declutter your home
2. Take inventory of the items you own the most of
3. Write 3 lists:
   1. Essential items you’ll need to buy as you run out
   2. Nonessentials you’re not allowing yourself to buy for the duration of the spending freeze
   3. Approved list of purchases
4. Unsubscribe/unfollow emails or social media accounts that tempt you to spend unnecessarily
5. Set up shopping ban savings account
6. Tell everyone you know

I think I nailed the sixth order of business, hmmmm?

One of my favorite aphorisms of Cait’s is that “personal finance is personal” and so is this experiment. I won’t be opening a new savings account for this six month sabbatical from spending or taking inventory of the items I own the most of. I am midway in my decluttering journey and no longer have large accumulations of crap I don’t need or use. I do however have medium accumulations of crap I don’t need so I will be beginning with step 1.

1. I am getting my floors replaced this upcoming weekend, July 4 and 5. My goal was to have the remaining problem areas decluttered by this weekend. I have all of three days to complete this lofty goal, but I’ll take my best shot at it.
2. Skip
3. My lists
   1. Essentials I can replace as I run out:
      1. groceries/food/cleaning supplies
      2. basic makeup and haircare
      3. toiletries
      4. gas and basic bills/expenses/upkeep items
   2. Non essentials I’m not buying for the rest of the year:
      1. books
      2. clothes/shoes/vanity items
      3. whatever random thing I’m certain will bring happiness at the moment 
   3. Approved spending:
      1. curtain for over my kitchen window
      2. photo gifts for my loved ones for Christmas – no more than $50 this Christmas **more to come on doing away with expected gifting
      3. a wedding gift for the one wedding I’m attending between now and 12/31
      4. intentional meals with friends and loved ones
      5. one PSL when they launch this year
      6. rugs for Gavin’s and my room
4. I will be muting all of the accounts on Instagram I leave feeling less-than after visiting and unsubscribing from any lingering email lists I haven’t gotten to yet
5. Skip
6. Nailed it

I won’t be perfect at this. I will falter and fail and pick right up where I left off, and I will take you along for the ride as much as I possibly can.

Tomorrow’s post will be a compilation of my starting points for aspiring minimalists along with a collection of “before” pics.. 

Thanks for being here, this should be fun.

​Love, Ashley