Non-Emergency Supplies
These two comments, from Sanna and Ideealistin, kicked of the responses to yesterdays Mini Mission post.  They make a great point about how we don’t need to be cluttering up our homes with stocks of items that in no way constitute emergency supplies. Especially when one spare is enough or in some cases aren’t even crucial. How often do you urgently need an envelope, a scented candle, four cigarette lighters or a can of fly spray.
And how far ahead do we really need to restock these items before they run out. Do you really need to have another bottle of shampoo waiting in the wings immediately after you start the current one. Same goes for your deodorant, dishwashing liquid, moisturiser, toothpaste, laundry detergent etc. Why clutter up your cupboard. Let the supermarket do your storing for you. Leave buying their replacement just before they are about to run out.
Believe it or not the world is not going to stop spinning even if you do run out of these things before your next grocery shopping day. So what if you use your husbands deodorant or your daughters conditioner or wash your hands with bubble bath for a day or two until you can get to the grocery store.
And I think this theory especially stands true when it comes to changing products. Like when you want to try a new shampoo and your current one is still about half full. How tempting is it to ditch that perfectly good current product and start using the new one if it is right at hand. Especially with all its promises to make your hair shiny and manageable. Best to wait until the old one is all but spent before purchasing the replacement. How easy is it to end up with three or four moisturisers, conditioners, body washes or even breakfast cereals etc when the temptation of the exciting new one is right at hand. And what are the chances that you will go back to using the old discarded items when there is always a new temptation waiting at the store.
I have to admit I enjoy the chance to improvising. Like the time when I was half way through making a Thai beef curry only to discover I had no coconut milk and I did not want to rush out to the store. So I mixed together some milk, cream, palm sugar and a little coconut essence and no one noticed the difference. However if improvising is not your thing then you may want to be more careful with your stock of products than I am.
And for those who just love to have variety at hand or live a long way from the grocery store then this will, I guess, be an area of clutter you will be happy to live with.
Today’s Mini Mission
Declutter the excess of anything with elastic. In my underwear drawers there are always those couple of old bras, pairs of knickers, socks and stockings that only get used on the rare occasion that the ones I prefer to wear run out. On more than one occasion I have encountered the problem that these spare pairs are no longer useable because the elastic has perished during their lack of use. I have found the same problem in my sewing kit, the stationery drawer (rubber bands) and even among the sports gear (swimming goggles, elasticised shin pads, support bandages). So with elastic it is truly a case of use it or lose it.
Eco Tip for the Day
When all else is equal between one product or another choose the one with the most eco friendly packaging.
For a full list of my eco tips so far click here
It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow