Still working my way through our work shed and basement storage cupboards. It's easy to get complacent and just leave things hidden out of sight, and out of mind as they say. This ERE Minimalist Game challenge continues to be a fun one and has inspired me to do a lot of extra re-organizing and improvements around the house.
For Week 24 on June 16 - 22 the following 24 items were collected
1 - tote bag (thrift store)
2 - diesel 20L fuel jugs (gave back to son)
2 - empty spray cans (recycled)
1 - indoor extension cord (thrift store)
3 - scrap metal parts (recycled)
1 - old truck headlight (gave to friend who owns an auto shop)
2 - bleacher cushions (thrift store)
9 - assorted halogen bulbs (thrift store)
1 - Dewalt cordless drill (thrift store)
1 - hardened tub of caulking (recycled)
1 - pedal bike seat (thrift store)
I personally think in the first six months of 2025 I have been exceptionally good at not buying new things and being mindful of my spending. When buying 5 concrete patio stones to improve the front of my work shed and 2 picture frames for family photos for my kids is the extent of my weekly spending I think I'm doing pretty damn good.
Both of my adult children are in the process of moving from their current rentals to new places, my son just finished the move and my daughter moves this coming weekend. It has been a great way for me to chat with them about owning too much stuff as it becomes very visual when you box things up to move. They both are clearing out clutter and donating, selling or recycling as much as possible. I'm especially proud of my daughter who hates seeing anything go into the garbage from a waste/environment perspective.
My daughter also makes me proud on how frugal and thrifty she is, a real pro at bartering and trading in local community facebook groups etc. She can really stretch a budget and also find good deals she can flip to upgrade to better items or sell for a small profit. I gave my son and his girlfriend a challenge for the next month of only acquiring things if they are free, if they barter for them or if they sell something to pay for any new items. Always trying to think of fun ways for them to flex their budgeting and money mindfulness. It also makes me have to stay sharp and keep my money game tight as an example to them.
Looking forward, this week is my big property tax bill due date as it comes due at the end of the month. I slowly built up my savings account the last couple months to easily cover the cost and no cashing in any investments to pay the bill. I'm also still hoping to do some car maintenance and expect a bit of spending there required which might entail buying one or two tools, of which are a much much lower dollar value than paying a shop to do the work.
Some biking, some running, some walking, some yard work, some gardening and then a bunch of time enjoying being around my wife and kids filled up the last week. Nothing deep or therapeutic or research or thought experiments in my ERE world to report on otherwise this week nor do I expect their to ever be.
My whole effort to get to ERE/MMM status and FIRE was to have simple days and not over think anything. Let days unfold as they may and basically set out to be content, get outdoors, stay healthy/fit, have some fun whenever I can and stick to a sound budget that entails keeping spending/consumption low and savings high. (also a great deal of considering environment/climate/societal impact in how you conduct yourself)
I don't have an intellectual, academic or technology based background that I feel many have on the ERE forums and I come from a worker/trade perspective background with some entrepreneurship in the mix. I think this makes me gravitate towards just getting things done and not making them complicated or overthinking things. We ( I ) don't need to add complexity to my life
something to unpack there.
