Our month-long shopping ban ended last week, so today we’re sharing everything we learned. What felt the hardest? How did our daily habits shift? What was the first thing we wanted to buy once the ban lifted? And most importantly, did it make a dent in our bank account? We cover all of that here, plus a few gentler alternatives if a full spending freeze feels too extreme. We also tackled a part of the house we rarely show because we were embarrassed by its state — no money spent, just elbow grease and a plan — and added some low-effort organization at the beach house. Oh, and the recurring water meter drama made another appearance.
Where to Listen
You can find the episode on major podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify — or listen directly from the episode player on our site.
What’s New
- The photo above shows the garage before we tackled it. Over the last few months it had become chaotic enough that we stopped putting things back where they belonged. Getting at a single item often required moving four or five others first.
- We followed a simple process: pull everything out, donate or sell what we no longer needed, and return items to their proper homes (for example, keeping all tools in the shed). The result: a lot more usable floor space and a much less stressful approach to finding things.
- Here’s another “before” shot taken from the door leading into the house. Things were leaning and ready to tip; we barely even straightened them anymore.
- This is that same view after clearing, taken with the good camera. It’s not perfect, but it’s vastly more functional.
- One small corner got a no-cost upgrade: I added nails and screws to hang items and used scrap boards to create slots between studs for poles and long tools. It’s not pretty, but it’s free and practical.
- This isn’t the first time the garage has gotten away from us. We cleared similar messes in past houses, learned a lot from those efforts, and keep returning to the same basic solution: empty, sort, donate, and return.
- Our basement workshop in the last house also accumulated clutter, and organizing outdoor gear and DIY supplies became a recurring project. Those smaller projects taught us tricks that translated well to this garage refresh.
- We also revisited our old water meter saga at the Cape Charles house, which has made several appearances in past episodes. It’s safe to say meter problems are the kind of drama you don’t forget.
Shopping Ban Results
- If you want background on the shopping ban, we discussed the book that inspired it and our initial conversations in earlier episodes. The ban helped us notice the difference between wants and needs, and it forced us to be more deliberate about purchases.
- When the month ended, I indulged in a small purchase — a new broom — and it felt like a tiny victory. The point wasn’t to deny ourselves fun, but to reset our awareness and spending habits.
We’re Digging
- At the beach house laundry room, our “mudroom cabinet” used to collect brooms and tools like a pile of pickup sticks. I secured a few inexpensive hooks and broom grippers to the side of the Ikea cabinet to keep things tidy. The installation used affordable supplies and stayed gentle on the budget.
- You can spot a new black metal hook in the pile below — simple hardware, big difference in daily convenience.
- Sherry’s recent read was Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris — a tense, decorative-thriller type book. If you have similar recommendations, we’d love to hear them.
If you want to revisit projects and ideas we’ve mentioned over many episodes, we’ve compiled a master list of things we’ve been “digging” over time that’s easy to browse.
Thanks for listening, and for following along with our little experiments in buying less and organizing more.
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