Kiwi99's Profile

I have washer but no dryer or dishwasher. Sometimes in the middle of winter I wish I had a dryer. Fortunately I have an outdoor clothesline, which is great 9 months of the year. The rest of the time I hang sheets over doors. The indoor heat dries them just fine. I can live w/o dishwasher

Re #3. If its dirty, torn etc don't donate it, toss it . My daughter volunteers at a charity thrift store and people actually drop off garbage bags full of urine stained, unwashed clothes complete with rodent droppings. Remember that human beings have to sort your stuff. Don't expose them to your toxic waste

I have a very light microfiber mop. I spray the pad with bleach solution and mop the whole room including the ceiling. It takes 5 mins a couple of times a week to keep the room completely mold free

My daughter also had this problem with downstairs neighbor when she lived in NYC. He would bang in his ceiling at the slightest noise, which included laughing while sitting on sofa, and even come upstairs and wake her up because he thought she was source of any noise even when she was actually sleeping. One day, he went too far and acosted her in the elevator and threatened her. He didn't stop until landlord told him he would be evicted if he had any contact at all with her. Be considerate, take reasonable steps (take off shoes, watch volume of music/tv, and observe generally accepted "quiet hours"), but do not allow neighbors to set unreasonable standards. Involve your landlord early. It's his/her responsibility to assure your peaceful enjoyment of your home.

Have your friends over anytime. Anyone else can meet you at a restaurant.

Increased my payroll deduction for my 401k effective Jan 1st. I will have pretty much zero money for impulse spending this year. I plan to shop locally, avoid malls, and chain stores, borrow books and tools from friends, cook from scratch more, grow more. Let's see how long I last. I'm hoping the deferred gratification of my next retirement savings statement will help me keep it up.

Really great home. You must be very neat to have that rug under the dining table, though.

We also lived in a very small house with limited storage when kids were young. Our strategies: food and drink at the dining table only, not too many toys, but good quality, versatile ones (lego, wooden blocks, dress-up gear, etc.), and most important, outside play time every day even if it was just a walk around the block on miserable weather days. We all did a quick pick up before dinner. After dinner was baths, stories, and bed! Then I could do the dishes and sweep the floors. Grandparents kept some of their gifts to the kids at their homes. Triage the old stuff after birthdays and xmas. My housekeeping standard was cleanish, but not obsessive.