I’ve been in the habit of talking myself out of buying stuff so I don’t have to declutter it later. I once heard someone say, “Everything in Walmart/ target etc will one day be in the landfill.”

My mother had a spoon holder that said, "My house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy". That saying stayed with me since I stayed cooking. Probably 50 years now.

Once I started decluttering, every time I thought about buying something, i didn’t buy it because I didn’t want to have to declutter it later.

I canceled my Amazon prime, cable and pledged not to make any clothing purchases. Our girlfriends hang out and take turns “helping “ to declutter a small space. We each bring a snack. It has replaced the spend money shopping trips. 🥰

Im 73 and don't care about the Jones. Also, it helps if you have friends who are also frugal.

I agree totally about your comment on loneliness. I'm disabled and live alone. I do have 3 dogs that are a great source of companionship. But there are times when you need human interaction. You going to your friend's for an hour is just what you need sometimes. I call it "girlfriend therapy". It is amazing how an hour of chatting with a friend helps your mental health.

I have been married 50 years and raised 4 kids. My husband and I have started the declutter process so our kids don’t have to worry about it later. It feels so good. We also moved all of our holiday destinations to the garage so we don’t have to carry it all up the stairs. Live to watch your channel

I’m an experienced cook now, but wish I had learned more about preparing veggies, such as roasting veggies and making soup.I finally figured out that knowing techniques is more important than just having a collection of recipes.

I am with you, the more you declutter, the more you become anti-stuff. I didn't even clearance Christmas shop this year, didn't want to risk bringing in more "stuff". And it is definitely done in layers. It gets easier and easier to go back and say...need this? Nope!

So timely! We are considering moving to Northern Idaho to be closer to our daughter and her growing family. Looking around my home, we have been in this house for 24 years and have collected a LOT of stuff! The idea of having to move all this stuff is weighing down on me. So I decided to start, room by room, to get rid of stuff!

I've had my townhouse for 21 years. I finally replaced the original floors and painted last summer and I love it again, no need to move

I am so sorry that you had this kitchen accident. Prayers for a speedy recovery...wisdom with the hand surgeon in how to treat it and/or operate on it...and that the Good Lord will heal it quickly, remove any and all pain, restore all feeling, nerves and full usage in Jesus' name. Amen.

We all need a Christine in our lives ... you, Dawn and Cas are my absolute favourites 😍. Love from Perth, Australia 🇦🇺

I'd love a full video about the psychology of nutrition! I also appreciated the concept you mentioned about how to start a new exercise routine!

I totally get the not wanting to shop anymore; it's very freeing. And if I do buy something it's the "one in, one out" rule so I'm not keeping more than I need.

@FrugalFitMom I just "rage purged" and the daughter, dogs... even neighbors were hiding thinking they're next! LOL

We practice the one touch rule...if you touch it deal with it...bin, laundry basket, recycle.... Into the dishwasher...etc. No piles, nothing on the floor.....:)

For the cooking boot camp, I would like quick and healthy meal ideas that use common ingredients. Love your videos!

I will turn 41 this year and yes, not caring what others think comes with age!!! I couldn’t give a crap!

I had a similar experience with Instagram in December after I spent $170 on make up brushes and $90 on an eyeshadow palette I didn’t need and was disgusted with myself. I unfollowed that influencer immediately as well as all the others that have simply turned into spending influencers. It made me start tracking my spending as well. So one month in, I am now aware where my money is going and am thinking before I spend. Hopefully am on track for spending more consciously in 2024. I also started exercising more, it sort of filled the shopping space. So thanks for your information and influence. It is so much better than shopping.

I bought a paper shredder recently; this has been valuable with mail that comes in - shredding any unneeded confidential information, as soon as it comes in the door! Happy days.

You know Christine... I really need to declutter & I listen/watch all the right folks, but it has just never resonated "The why" with me... But today, you said when you went down the rabbit hole of decluttering it made you not spend. Light bulb moment. I've heard all the whys & have all the excuses. I've lost all my family members & gained all their things. So many useful things that I have such a hard time. With this mindset, I'm going to give it another shot. Starting today. Thanks.

A small trick for Amazon junkie ~ take all auto credit/debit card numbers out of Amazon. Have to put everything in manually. If you want something, cart it. Save in cart for ____ # of days, ( i do 3 days) and go back, if you still really want then process ahead and put in all info to purchase. It helps not having it so readily available to purchase. Maybe some extra time to reset your Mindset.... Like do we really need extra sharp kitchen knives??!!😅😅😅

The mega collaboration with the Minimal Mom was where I first heard you. It comes full circle sometimes. You are both amazing.

My husband and I have always lived in 1000 square foot houses since we have been married. Our first house was a rental, and I knew we would want to buy our own place someday. Knowing that I would have to move all of our stuff out of that house someday, caused me to start my decluttering journey basically since we got married. We both had a lot of “when I was single” stuff that was really just junk or “one day I’m going to use this” kind of stuff. We had a spare bedroom that became the catch all room and it just got filled with stuff that I knew we didn’t really care about anymore. Sometimes it stung a little to get rid of stuff, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Fast forward 9 years. We now live in our OWN 1000 square foot house with three bedrooms that, yes, is still small, but it’s OURS. We no longer have a spare room to fall back on, and we have two kids. With all of that being said, I am so grateful that I learned about what was actually important to us as a couple before we had kids because it helps us keep up with our space NOW so much better than when we used to with fewer people living in it! We can afford the space we have, we enjoy our lives, and we don’t feel like we are missing out by having a small house. It’s nice learning how to be content where you are. It saves SO MUCH money! We plan to have three kids in total and I’m not worried about space at all. You get creative with storage, and it forces you to be way more intentional with your purchases. Our house isn’t cluttered, but I’m not a minimalist either. Our kids have a good amount of toys, but they don’t have a bunch of “junk toys” that don’t really have a lot of playability or creative thinking involved cluttering their rooms. People think they need more space when they are in our position but they don’t. It’s easy to want to impress other people with a grand house or lots of fancy stuff, but the truth is….THEY DONT CARE! Haha! We are a single income family (my husband is a teacher NOT an investment banker) and the lack of financial stress we are under makes me sad for those who aren’t there yet. I get the privilege and honor of being a stay at home mom, but it isn’t hurting us financially because we learned what was important to us early. I watch ladies like Christine sometimes to help keep me grounded in where I want to be as a person/wife/mother. Stuff is definitely overrated.

Christine, you ALWAYS make so much sense and keep everything so real😊

“I just dont wanna…”that should be a tee shirt!

I am one person and decided to only allow myself $10 a week to spend on some fresh produce. Fast forward 7 weeks later and I have barely made a dent.

I've been making a concerted effort to massively declutter since 2021. Ironically i didnt watch your video live because I was decluttering. I grew up poor and it meant I had to really get my head round this keeping it because I might need it thing I was doing to the point it was ridiculous, although don't get me wrong I'm not a hoarder as in the kind they do TV programmes about. There was also the fact it just felt too large a job because my health isn't the best having fibromyalgia. I found doing it in stages really helped me, and working on one room at a time. We have 2 rooms in our roof it was built that way and we used one of those rooms as a loft it actually did get practically dangerous in there with stuff everyone had dumped up there. To make it seem not so overwhelming in there I would take a box of stuff from the messy room to the tidy room and sort that box into one box keep, one box donate, one box recycling and a bin bag before getting another box of stuff. I did use the tidy room to store my keep stuff in while I worked through it all. At the end of every sort out session I would get my husband to help me get them downstairs as I was still falling on the stairs then if I didn't hold on, and would load the car straight away to go to the charity shop (goodwill) and tip (I'm not sure what you'd call that, it's where we can take excess rubbish, our bin men will only collect what will fit in the wheelie bin they are collecting). By getting rid of it straight away it stopped me or more importantly anyone else pulling out stuff I'd put to get rid of and deciding that might be some use. After I'd sorted through everything and got several boxes of keep stuff I then went through it again and got rid of about 2/3 of it or more to charity again. It is definitely making it easier as we have several spare rooms (long story) and mess attracts mess so the rest of the family don't dump so much in those rooms since they've all been spotless. I have had to have a few conversations with my husband to stop him dumping as he had got in the habit of just dumping anything he didn't know what to do with in a spare room. I'm now nearly at the end of my journey with only our bedroom and the kitchen and bathrooms left to do. I'm in the middle of sorting our bedroom. We intend on selling and it's been a real motivator as we are going to be downsizing. The other thing is it's getting easier and easier to keep tidy as we get less and less stuff. I'm not willing for it to be so hard to keep our home clean and tidy so I'm keeping going. I've practically got the bug. I got some slippers I couldn't wear due to a chipped bone sticking out in my foot and I've asked my family if they want them and they don't so I'm already getting rid of them. Before I would have kept them for several years and then got rid of them. I've been told that bone won't go back so I know I won't be able to wear them so I might as well give them to charity so someone can get use of them.

Hello ❤ I just recently, infact the last two weeks, decluttered ALOT of stuff in.my home. I would say three bags and two boxes of donations. It's truly liberating. Last year and the year before I decluttered stuff right to my curb (not garbage). It took 1-3 days for the boxes to clear out. 😂 One man's junk is another man's treasure.

For the cooking boot camp I’d like to see quick but healthy meals ❤

The main reason why I don’t talk to my cousins because it is just keep up with the Joneses. They all have to have the most expensive things the best houses and the very many vacations but yet they’re broke and in debt. I haven’t talk to my family now in about five years very little, and I can say I’m much happier without them looking down on me for being frugal and living a very simple life. Which makes me very happy to live this way lol.

so true, since I have started decluttering I found myself not wanting to add new things into our house!

Totally agree with you that since i started my big decluttering journey about 6-7 years ago, i do not shop like i used too. Last week , went shopping at my “favorite store” because i needed a pair of black jeans for work and, that it all that i bought. Less to manage, as Dawn says, feels so good. Love your videos Christine!

I loved that collaboration with Dawn. I believe that's how I found you. I found a lot of people I still follow through that series.

Moving is a great motivation for declutting. I moved from CA to TX, and we really declutter, donated, or gave away to friends.

Shopping my craft stash to give to my grandchildren…they love it and so does my wallet 🤓❤️

Decluttering has saved me from repurchasing things I already had because things were buried! This year is the “great kitchen cookware/bakeware/food storage replacement”. Our current cookware is beat up and scratched and ready to go out the door, same with our bakeware- warped, everything sticks and it doesn’t heat evenly, and our food storage (Rubbermaid Brillance and ZipLoc storage containers) have been cracked from the freezer, microwave and being dropped and I have more containers than lids (in my house, lids crack or break or disappear 🤷‍♀️). We have saved for the past 28 months to do this and this month is when out with the old and in with the new starts. New everything but especially glass containers, one purchase will be the Zwilling 32pc Fresh and Save set besides other glass containers. So many long lasting reusable items are coming into our kitchen, no more plastic, no more one use anything (besides paper towels for quick clean up, no paper plates unless we will have a large gathering), I have already switched to Norwex cleaning cloths (I bought other types of microfiber towels but Norwex has held up longer and just cleans better IMO- and no, I don’t sell it just buy it). I pretty much make my own cleaners with white vinegar, washing soda, gels naphtha bars and Castile soap, peroxide, lemons, rubbing alcohol, citrus peels, Borax, and essential oils and have found that doing this once a month has saved me not only money and space but my washer and dryer are cleaner and always smells fresh, our clothes aren’t dulling in color, I don’t randomly itch due to the non-toxic materials being used with no fillers other than water whereas store bought items generally would be once or twice because of my allergies. We also meal plan, cook from scratch, rarely buy processed pre-made foods when shopping, rarely buy any junk food and plan our date nights when we eat out. Rarely go to the theater to watch movies as we have Prime and Roku TV and found we now sit less in front of the TV once we got rid of cable and “all the streaming” apps., we play cards, cribbage and dominoes (we are empty nesters) on week nights and on Saturday, we go to our daughter’s house for game night/pot luck (we did this when our kids were younger and at home) where several friends/family come with food and games, the grandkids run all over if they are under 15 years old, and now our teenage grandchildren are horning in on the adult table to learn how to play some of games we play (Telestrations is the most popular game on those nights as it’s for all ages). We plan for a lot of things instead of spontaneously spending- being broke raising our kids taught us many lessons that we still live and staying home and having friends/family over for fun and socializing is one we have never deviated from.

Prayers for you total recovery. Thanks for all the advice Christine. Have a great weekend.

I'm right there with you on this decluttering journey. This year is the year that I'm trying to get our house back from all this unwanted/unused crap that we have. We moved into our house almost 6 years ago and I never realized how much "CRAP" we have. Its amazing to see when you move how much you actually have and how much never gets used/worn etc. My husband is talking about a possible move again and I don't want to have to lug all this "CRAP" around yet again. Plus where we are thinking about moving to and can afford the houses are smaller foot print than what we currently have. Since I've been working from home I have to deal with this extra stuff on a daily basis and its way too much. Plus it makes cleaning 10 times harder. As they say, you can't clean clutter.

This was fun! Thank you so much for the recipes and the meal plan. I wish I had started it earlier. You are so fun to watch.😊

Cooking boot camp: baking. Especially bread and how to preserve your supplies, etc.

You keep me happy and sane. Thankyou x

Would love to see quick easy dinner cooking videos. I tend to make the same 5 things each week and would love some variety!

Hello from one Kristine to another Christine. lol I love all of your channels. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and strategies that have worked for you on saving money and decluttering. My friends call me Monica from the show Friends. I have always loved things very neat and in their proper place. So, I love to watch decluttering and organizing videos along with meal planning and saving money. I agree with you about meal planning if I do not have food made in the frig or freezer for the next few days, I am more likely to pick up some fast food on the way home from a long day at work. It has saved me so much money. And I know that I am eating healthier food. Thanks again. I hope that you and your family have an awesome weekend. Sending hugs from Massachusetts. 😊

Always love your videos. We keep a box in our garage for decluttering which is always ongoing! We have the 1 in 1 out rule as well. Keeps us from buying something unless we really need it.

I’m with you on bringing stuff into our home. I need to go thru freezers and use up food. They are so full and I don’t like sorting thru to cook.

Praying for a full and speedy recovery 🙏🏻

Hey! Been through this decluttering journey a number of times, it is definitely a “process”. Thanks bunches for the validation yet again to declutter.

Great discussion! Thanks for your thoughts and tips.

Hi! I just got the ebook and also bought the recipes!!!! My way to thank you for all the content. ❤

In the keeping up with the Jones category, pick your Jones. Pick one that is into “use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”. Or into doing / donating for others.

I adore you. You motivate me to do better each day. Keep inspiring women. You are amazing.

This was a great video! Thank you for sharing. I am in the process of declutterring my life. Your comments were very relatable. Wish I could have been on for the live version. You taught me how to really utilize my Instant pot. I never used it until I saw some of your videos, specifically the beans! Keep doing what you’re doing, I have learned some great tools from you. Also, I am not buying candles until I burn through all the ones I have! 😂

I really enjoyed this live Christine and your insight into minimalism and the positive impact it’s had on your life. I discovered you through Dawn’s monthly focus videos that you took part in.

You crack me up! Swiveling in the chair, wooo! Decluttering and picking up the house in less than 2 hours-I need to work on getting help from the other people in my house. Definitely is easier when you have less stuff to put away. Thanks for all of your tips!

Loved price matching!!!❤❤

My son and I just cleared out my garage from 3 homes merging. I am breathing better just watching the truck pick it all up. One more closet and I will yell "YES". I cannot handle clutter and stuff.

I loved this live. Please do more! I would love more information and videos on fitness and eating healthy on a strict budget (adding in protein, etc.) Praying for fast healing for your finger!

KZfaq also has a ton of audiobooks! I thought it was all (or mostly) classics but recently found lots of more contemporary books as well. Yay!

3 ingredient bread. Easy recipes that are healthy. Normal grilled chicken thst isn’t dry

I think that’s why I love this channel so much. I can get so easily caught up in “a great deal.” Lol. At least it’s prob a better problem to have than other kinds of more expensive over consumption. I’m proud of myself tho as I just did a “freezer inventory list.” I prob could eat for 6 months or better on what I already have. It also helped me organize it more efficiently. Lol. I also got rid of all these old bits and bobs that I was going to “refinish” or “rehab” to “make work.” Def my “retail therapy” is along the lines of just wanting to feel “the thrill of the deal hunt” over and over. Like adrenaline junkie stuff or playing games. Adventures and conquests. Etc. So yah. It’s prob for me more like boredom or the monotony of the daily grind.

The kitchen is the only room I pay attention to. Because it’s MY room. I love it there.

Good luck with seeing the hand surgeon! I would imagine it should be more so a reassuring visit that things will continue to get better (thoughts from a PA for 2 hand surgeons in the past 5 years and the jokingly titled "hand lady" by our combined general ortho and hand department).

Thanks for taking time out of your day to be with us ❤

Happy to pray for your finger, a speedy and complete recovery! Also for you and your daughter while she is away. My daughter moved away and got married! What?! But she got me a grandson, so it's okay. lol

I'm reading the Four Wing right now. My best friend gifted it to me for Christmas and it's the special edition. It is soooo good!!!! You're not gonna want to put it down

I've mentioned this on your videos bf but I'm a messy person too. I declutter a lot but still have issues lol. I finally joined Dawns mentorship group, it's worth it!!!!❤

When i travel, i take a book and finish it and leave it at last place

In reference to your cooking boot camp question, seasoning, like how to know how much or which ones to use together to taste good instead of risking ruining your whole dish on accident with trial & error

Praying 🙏 for your finger - hopefully it’s already healed even before praying ❤❤❤

I decided to budget this year, and it’s been so helpful. I’m using the free Every Dollar app. I went to Dollar Tree with a shopping list this week, and only bought one item that wasn’t on the list.

Thankyou,this was an important topic for me.I declutterred a bedroom a year ago and I am still in awe of how peaceful I feel when I am in it I can now close the closet door l like how your ring matches your bandaid🤗

Me too, in the mail. There's a recycling bin in my kitchen. I open my mail in the kitchen.

I am listening to you talk about cutting your finger as I prep food for the week and I cut a chunk out of my nail!!

I declutter jewelry by regifting to friends during birthdays & holidays

I'm a pretty advanced cook, I asked a friend if there was anything she wanted me to teach her to cook. She said bone in, skin on chicken. Maybe that's something a lot of beginner would find helpful.

Awe! I'm so sorry to hear about your finger and pray it heals well. I just had my knuckle on my thumb nearly sliced off two days ago on a wine glass that broke while I washed it. It needed fifteen shots and six stitches. Owie! I guess all of my glasses will be decluttered and donated now😂 Sadly, not even two hours prior, I had contemplated buying a stainless steel wine tumbler. I guess I should have listened to my gut.

Experiences as gifts are amazing; because, you get the time together and the wonderful/precious memories and most of the time unless it is an extravagant gift, you don't remember from one year to next what you received. Cooking Boot Camp-I would love some quick and easy but delicious and healthy meals with minimal ingredients. Your grandpa's chicken and rice meal/recipe would be amazing. Air Fryer Meals!!!

I came to the same realization, in the pantry i need to use what i have now some cans go a few years back, thats my shopping , loved your pantry challenge hey it works😂❤🎉🎉🎉😊

My experience with declutterring is similar. It influenced my spending habits in a practical way. I would see items through the lense of whether it would later be decluttered. It was like I would revisit buyer’s remorse from the past and it would help I make present decision.

I am interested in the bootcamp myself. I would love being able to learn how to cook more with a slow cooker

I'm a nurse. A Hand specialist is EXACTLY where you need to go. They ARE orthopedic surgeons. They specialize in the intricacies that a hip, knee, or shoulder guy don't. Hoping you heal up soon.

Omgosh! 'Return to me' is my all time favorite and I feel like no one knows about it!

For cooking boot camp: cooking grains (rice, quinoa, Bulgar, etc) without burning or boiling over, could share tips to add flavor like cooking in stock or adding spices/chopped veggies too. Cooking beans (your video on this was super helpful for me).

I decluttered my magazine and brochures basket. Books I recycle with friends or donate to a book recycling place.

I cut my finger bad (could’ve used couple stitches but hate going to doc and same get all nauseated etc-couldn’t be a nurse etc ugh) BUT after cut it bad, I cut things differently now! It traumatized me haha. So I’m extra cautious as I know you will be too!! Get better friend! ❤

Fingers take a long time to heal. I used to get queasy at blood but you are training yourself to get better at handling it, a little bit at a time. My youngest son got the tip of finger cut in router. Soooo ugly. He was in his 20a. But I didn’t get queasy. He soaked several times a day and it was amazing how it healed!

The old Disney Cinderella is so cute! The animation and music combination is so artistic. ❤ from Iowa

Christine - If we lived close to each other, I'm sure we would become fast friends...even though I'm old enough to almost be your grandmother. You are my kinda gal! Oh, and BTW, your live feeds are the closest to your "edited" videos that I've ever watched. Just goes to show how authentic you are!

I already have this year's gift - small personal and used items.

🙏🏻finger heals properly and you feel better. And 🙏🏻patients with it all.

I just love you & all your info. I got my Daughter to start watching you & she’s also 42. She cut her thumb pretty bad a few weeks ago & went to ER but didn’t need stitches & thought how could she do that. I saw your video about your finger accident in the kitchen. I was preparing a meal for my elderly in-laws in a hurry a week ago & sliced into my index finger on my left hand. WOW! I didn’t realize how quickly it can happen. I probably should have went to ER… it hurt so bad but seems to be getting better. Can you tell us how you injured it in the kitchen… like what were you cutting?

It is great that you are one of my most searched youtubers. I type the letter f and you are the first thing that pops up!! I love Christine updates -How to cut specific veggies

I love shopping my wardrobe for clothes

Hello I m a new subscriber to your channel, my son has severe Autism and lives to watch your grocery hauls 😅 I wanted to know if you will be doing some more of those he has watched almost all your old ones already

I've purging my file cabinet; got 1 draw done. Will continue tomorrow

Amen ! Meal planning ! Yes it’s not always perfect BUT I have grown to hate FOOD waste ! No better way to combat food waste then to meal plan and !!!! Yes eat you left overs OR better yet don’t cook more than you will need !! ❤glenda ( yes it takes sooooooo much time to heal our wounds … orthopedic rn retired here

Christine, Sending Positive 🪄Energy n 😇White Light to Help Heal Your Finger, Also to Keep You and Your Family Safe Love 🤗🤗Your Channels Chris from Chicago ❤

Wheezy Waiter still does videos, and I really enjoy them!