Surviving as an orphan adult

Less stress = Less likely to cry

Saving money = Less stress

Simplicity = Less stress

I donated three boxes and a bag of clothing to Goodwill yesterday. No, it doesn't look like I have been robbed. My place looks clean and organized. I'm trying to turn my home into a relaxing haven and save money. This is what orphans need most. Relaxation and money. Our lives are difficult enough already. Here are some things I have been up to and would like to share.

Black Out Days. I read about this last summer. It also comes from when I lived half a year without electricity. Last summer I unplugged the TV and the microwave when I wasn't using it and my power bill went from $30 to $16. But since winter has come it hasn't been so low. Hopefully in the summer I can save like I used to. I also got rid of my microwave and am now using the stove. Apparently the stove uses more power. darn. Anyways this weekend I unplugged all my lights. (keep in mind its not just not using them...unplugging them saves power) Somehow power is still used if an appliance is still plugged in even if its off. Go fig. but yeah unplugged radio, space heater, tv. Everything. I even turned the fridge down. Mine goes from 1 to 9 and so I turned it to 4. I have heard that halfway is best. I also hid my frying pan. Soon I will throw it out. I hope to have my black out days last at least a month and see what happens.

Declutter home. I donated 3 boxes and a bag of clothing. Its pretty much the last of everything. All that is left is disposable. Maybe I can post a little video so you guys have a better idea. Maybe next week. I got a receipt this time and now I won't owe as much on my taxes. YAY! Now my home is more relaxing. I feel happier at home. I feel more in control. And I am saving money by not buying more clutter.

White creates more space. I have noticed that white makes a room look bigger and it is also calming. I used to have a ton of black furniture but I got rid of all of the black art and the black toilet seat covers. I noticed that the white in my bathroom looked great.

Candles are calming. Burning candles is a form of decluttering. Some candles just sit around and look nice but sometimes you gotta burn one. Yesterday I burnt a small 25 cent skull candle from halloween. It was fun and relaxing. I have to put a sheet of plexi glass under it since it had no holder. It lasted 3 hours and it was only 3 inches high. I think those small candles are a good investment. Forget those large ones.

Pretend. When its windy outside, close your eyes and pretend you are by the ocean. My friends did this one morning and wrote to tell me about it. I think its cool.

Stay in on weekends. This saves gas and reduces stress. I hate those crazy drivers. And those vans driven by soccer moms. Stay in on weekends. Relax, write, read, draw, clean, watch a movie, play with your kids or a pet, play an instrument, put together a puzzle, take a nap. I know some of that sounds cheesy but the idea is to relax and not spend money. Other people are shopping and buying things they don't need, eating junk food, getting fat, wasting gas, getting in car accidents, watching sad stories on the news. You get the idea.

Video games can be therapeutic. My mom loved Tetris. It was a puzzle video game. I think puzzles are good to relax and keep your brain thinking. But don't let a puzzle stress you out.

Eat right. I gotta put this in here cus I tend to eat when I am bored. I shop at ADLI. (www.aldi.com) I think thats the link. Make sure to eat from all the 4 food groups. I think there is four. I get some blueberry and strawberry yogurt for about 49 cents each. So thats fruit. Then I get some cans of veggies like green beans, beets, potatoes, kidney beans, mushrooms, carrots, peas, etc at about 50 cents each. Then some 49 cent cans of tuna. I hate tuna but its healthy and cheap. It also prevents cramps right before your period. I think eggs are meat too. I hard boil those. Yogurt is also dairy. I also like cheese, and some lettuce....make a sandwich. Eat healthy and save money all that the same time. I'm not gonna pay $20 for a pizza that is only gonna last a day. Forget that.