Living with Less

***This is one of those Details posts I mentioned I wanted to write.  More to come about the wedding, my apartment, my life, and just living in Canada in general.***

While vising my in-laws last month, my MIL took me shopping and kindly bought me a new shirt.  This was the first new item of clothing I have acquired since getting married nine months ago.  Those of you who know me know that me not buying clothes for so long is highly unusual.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  First, Keith and I are on a tight budget that doesn't include unnecessary clothing or other purchases.  And second, when I moved my life a thousand plus miles and to a new country, and I had to downsize, reduce, hand-down, toss, sell, slash, chop, and lessen my belongings significantly, I realized that I just don't need to have so much.

For the last many years prior to my marriage, I had been living at my parents' home, with no debt and a large walk-in closet.  Do you know how much a single girl with no bills can acquire and stuff into a closet in just a few years?  While I was preparing to move, I honestly got rid of over two-thirds of my belongings, including, but not limited to: clothes, shoes, books, movies, CDs, jewelry, toiletries, household goods, etc.  Even now, I go to my closet and think, "Did I bring that with me?", or "I might have left that at home."  Let's just say that my sisters, nieces, friends, and DI were all very happy once I began cleaning out my closet.

It's a good thing I got rid of so much, too, as our apartment is rather small.  It is just a one-bedroom with a small kitchen and stuffed closets.  But we've made it work.  While in Taiwan and living out of two suitcases, I learned that you don't need a lot of stuff to survive or be happy.  It is nice to finally be able to put this policy into practice in everyday life and living.

So, even though we live in a small space with old clothes and older furniture, we are pretty darn happy and snug.

Now, if only we could figure out how to live on less food and cut our grocery bill in half...