Day 4

So I am trying to simplify my life. How to tell people? Do I even need to tell people? It’s been less than a week now and I haven’t told anyone except my partner and a colleague at work. I am keeping a low-profile on this. I am slightly worried about what they will think (which everyone always says you shouldn’t but it’s actually very hard). At dinner last night with friends I just said I’m having a bit of a clean. Dinner also meant a night off from the de-cluttering at home.

I was thinking to give myself a bit more time to adapt and focus on what my goals are so that when people ask why I can be confident enough to keep going. It’s also a bit of a struggle convincing my partner. He is hoping this is a phase and will wear off. He doesn’t want to downsize and so far I’ve not touched any of his stuff. I figure he needs more time to adjust. I am hoping he will come around though, he is the one who tends to want new, ‘better’ stuff all the time.

We only recently decided to stay in our one-bed flat another 3 years after a depressing house hunt. We couldn’t afford the stuff on our must have list (my boy wants a 3 bed house with a large garden and pool). Anything remotely in our budget meant moving far out of town to the suburbs. City planning being the way it is in Cape Town the suburbs usually means miles from anything such as supermarket, gym or cafes. I don’t want to have to get in my car every time I want to leave the house! I love that we have a little cafe down the road, we have brunch there practically every Sunday and it’s nice to know the owners and the waiters and see other locals. I often see young couples with babies in our hood walking around, in the suburbs people tend to live behind their big fences and I don’t want that. It will be hard to convince my boy though. He’s the spender and I’m the saver (well except for shoes as previously mentioned). Think best to leave him alone for a while and continue my own journey.