10 Easy & FREE Things To Improve Your Quality Of Life

 

I came up with a list of things anyone can do each day and improve one’s quality of life.  I took this list and I printed it out and added it to the front of my 2026 day planner.  They cost us nothing, but they will make us rich.

 

1.  Remove the words “hate” and “can’t” from your vocabulary. 

I would love to live in a world where these words were no longer used as part of our daily language.  It is possible to live with hatred in our minds and in our hearts.  Hate is a choice.  Another choice is when we “can’t” do something because the truth is we can always find a way.  We are able to do whatever we set our minds to, even if we need help from another to accomplish that task or goal. 

2.  Stop swearing and use proper grammar.

Peppering our everyday speech with profanity should be the exception, not the norm.  It amazes me how often people are unable to carry on a conversation without using profanity.  Don’t even get me started about the use of grammar.  It is enough to make any English teacher swoon.  However, when we choose to speak in a manner that is proper and without cursing it elevates us to an entirely different level.  It’s really quite amazing. 

3.  Replace soda with sparkling water 

A lot of people drink a ton of soda each day, but there is nothing remotely healthy or nutritional about it, plus it has become very expensive.  Try replacing that soda with sparkling water.  It costs less, comes in a boatload of yummy flavors and it satisfies that fizzy craving.

 

4.  Eat better 

I’ve been preaching this one for a while.  Swear off the junk and ultra processed foods that are so unhealthy for us.  Eat good quality fruits, vegetables, cheese and meats.  Your body and your wallet will thank you and you will feel so much better.

 

5.  Avoid sugar 

Most of us can agree we eat too much sugar and we need to cut down.  A lot.!  Make wiser choices to satisfy that sweet tooth like fruit or good quality yogurt.  By cutting down on sugar we reap so many healthy benefits and our bodies do better.  So does our mood.

 

6.  Take a walk at least 3 times a week 

Get outside and breath the fresh air, feel the rain on your face, admire the landscaping and say hello to the people you meet along the way.  A regular walking routine is amazing for boosting energy levels and morale.  Do it!

 

7.  Drink more water 

It is important for us to hydrate.  Make a point to drink 3 or 4 full glasses of water each day, more if you feel the need.  Your body will let you know.  Next time you are tempted to reach for something to drink, try water first.

 

8.  Practice gratitude and act with grace 

This has become one of the main principles for which I live.  Gratitude is a strong key to happiness and contentment.  We want less.  And to act with grace is to understand one another and have compassion for our fellow humans.  No one is perfect, ourselves included.  Stop judging.  Don’t be so harsh, don’t criticize.  And forgive.

 

9.  Take time to sit quietly at least 3 times a week 

It may sound silly, but most of us never to this.  With so much noise surrounding us we need to sit for a while and simply be.  Quiet the mind, quiet our bodies and just breathe in and out for a while to reset and recharge.

 

10.  Get enough sleep 

Proper rest is so important to our physical and mental health.  Don’t skimp out on a proper night sleep and take a nap if you need to.  As important as it is for us to move and maintain our strength and mobility.  Sleep is just as important.

 

These ten simple things will do a lot to improve our quality of life and enrich us.  It is important to take good care of ourselves.  It will make us into much better people.

 

"Processing" My Unprocessed Groceries

 

I utilize a lot of little tricks and tactics to extend my groceries and make them last longer, go further and stave off spoilage or waste.  I find by doing these simple things it will allow me to really get my money’s worth.

 

Diluting whole milk has saved my quite a bit over the years

as well as making my own yogurt

When I open a carton of organic ultra pasteurized whole milk the first thing I like to do is pour a pint of the milk into a clean quart jar and fill it up with filtered water.  The texture and flavor doesn’t seem diluted at all.  I use this quart of diluted whole milk on homemade granola, a bowl of oatmeal and in any of my recipes that calls for milk.  Next I take three cups of the whole milk and use it to make my own homemade Greek yogurt.

 

Berries last much longer after a vinegar & water bath

I wash my produce in a bath of cool water with a splash of white vinegar to remove any dirt and potential bacteria that will cause spoilage and mold to form on my fruits and vegetables.  I’ve found over the years that doing this really helps me keep my produce longer. I’m always amazed at how dirty this water gets and how much debris settles in the bottom of my sink.

 

I buy block cheeses to avoid the anti caking agents added to the pre grated bags

I buy block cheeses, grate them myself and place two cups of cheese into sandwich size Ziploc bags.  I squeeze as much air out as I zip it closed.  Once all of my cheese is packaged I’ll place all of the bags inside a larger Ziploc bag which adds another layer of protection to prevent freezer burn before I use it all up.  I do not add any type of starch to my cheese to prevent it from sticking as I personally do not find it is needed.

 

When I open a package of baby spinach or any other greens I tuck a paper towel or napkin along the inside of the bag to soak up condensation.  I will also add a paper towel to my container of spring greens salad mix.  When I buy a whole head of lettuce I remove the outer leaves, rinse it in the vinegar water bath and allow it to dry.  Then I place it in a Ziploc bag, but I leave it open in the crisper drawer to prevent condensation from forming.

 

Apples, oranges, strawberries and grapes do well once they are rinsed in the vinegar water bath and allowed to dry.  Apples and oranges are then placed into a bowl for fresh eating.  I do find apples will keep even longer in a closed Ziploc bag when placed in the refrigerator.  Once rinsed and dried I will place grapes (removed from the stems), strawberries or any berries into an airtight container for the refrigerator or a Ziploc bag and placed into the freezer.

 

I use my old camping cooler in the garage to store potatoes

I store loose onions and potatoes in the refrigerator however I do not wash them until I am ready to use them.  If I find I have more onions than I can use before it spoils I’ll chop it up, place it in a Ziploc bag and freeze.  I also do this with celery and mushrooms.  When I find a really good deal on potatoes I find I can store them in a cooler in my garage during the cooler months.  Because they like cool dark places I find storing them this way helps them last much longer.  Potatoes that are starting to get soft can be peeled and canned or made into mashed potatoes or fries for the freezer.

 

Vegetable scraps don’t go to waste either.  The ends and peelings from carrots are given to the bunny, the chickens or added to a Ziploc bag I keep in the freezer for making stock.  I also add the trimmings from onions and other vegetables to this bag.  Potato peels go to the chickens, as they will make my stock cloudy, along with extra lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and other greens.  Nothing is wasted if someone is eating it, even the chickens.

 

A pound of ground meat is cut in half or thirds and placed into a vacuum bag and sealed.  Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are cut in half and vacuum sealed in meal size portions, sometimes I use seasoning or a marinade.  Chops and steaks are handled in much the same way.

 

I keep all bones from chicken and beef to add to my frozen veggie scraps and make stock or broth in my slow cooker which I allow to cook all day and often overnight to completely render it down.  I use the broth to make soups and gravy or to add to any recipe that calls for broth.  I will also use broth in place of water when I make rice or cook dry beans.  These broths are either canned or frozen and I do not add any salt to them until I am ready to cook with them.

 

My own home canned beans

I love having home canned soups on the shelf

I no longer buy canned beans.  Instead I will cook up a big batch of dry beans in my slow cooker and then freeze them in two cup containers or I will can dry beans in pint jars.  I use my own home canned beans to make refried beans, soups, chili and to extend taco meat or make burrito filling.

 

It does take a little extra time and effort once I get home from the store to do a lot of these things, but in the end it is well worth it.  I rarely ever have any food going into the trash and because of that my groceries last longer and that keeps me out of the grocery store.  The less I need to grocery shop the more money I save.  Besides, I’ve always found I’ve had far more time than money anyway.

My Tireless Retirement – Week 197

 

Hello friends!  I hope everyone is doing well on this fine day.

 

I got some awesome gifts this year!

A pop up shower tent, a windscreen for my camp stove & a super cute pillow!

The holidays were so much different this past year and in a very good way.  I was much more relaxed and present this time around, so much more so than in years past.  I didn’t listen to much Christmas music and I didn’t watch any holiday movies, neither of which was intentional.  I didn’t do any marathon cookie baking or candy making either.  I completely abandoned past traditions.  What I did do however, was spend an appropriate amount of time with my people as well as by myself.  Everything felt balanced.  On New Year’s Eve we enjoyed a nice dinner, some wine and watched the latest Mission Impossible movie.  We were in bed well before midnight.  No rush, no stress, no pressure.  I enjoyed the holidays in a way I never have before.

 

Fun journaling supplies! 😍

One of the things I like to do at the beginning of the year is to refill everything.  I refill my cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, spices and condiments, etc.  This year I am making a point to write the date on everything I open to see exactly how long items truly last so I can make better decisions regarding how much to buy and stock in my house.  I am finding that things tend to last much longer than I originally thought they would so I need to keep less on hand.

 

I cleaned the cabinet underneath the kitchen sink

I refilled all of the foaming hand soap dispensers and the pump dispenser that I use for my dish soap.  With these dispensers I use a lot less product than what I have in the past and things just last much longer.  I have far less waste too.  In my shower I keep a pump dispenser for my shampoo and one for my hair conditioner so I only use what I need to get the job done.  Again, I use far less product than what I used to with far less waste.  Because I now need less I purchase items far less often and save a lot of money in the process.  Yay!

Everything is clean, restocked and ready

With everything restocked I took a new inventory and found I still have plenty stocked in the linen closet and the LTFS with only a few items on my list to restock, not that I am out, but rather starting to get low on.  I have plenty of time to purchase these few items at the best possible price so no need to rush and run out to buy anything right away.

 

The first full week of 2026 was a very good one for me too.  I worked all day at the senior center last Friday, hosting the senior social at the library midway through my shift, and it was a rather nice day.  My chosen charity the end of last year was to collect and provide useful Bingo prizes for the social.  I am planning to continue this into 2026 as well.  I am also considering doing this for the regular weekly Bingo at the senior center.  I like to do it and I have fun finding various prizes I think people will like and find helpful.

 

Over the weekend I did a lot of paper crafting creating items for both personal use, for gifting and to add more inventory to my Etsy store.  I’m not sure how fruitful my little online shop will be this year, but I’m happy to give it a whirl and see what happens.  My plan is to take the proceeds and use them to invest and grow my wealth the best I can.  I recently opened a new retirement account solely devoted for this purpose.  I am rather excited about this new venture.

 

I took all of the Christmas cards I received this year and last year and was able to use those to create new ones.  I like to call them my “Trash to Treasure” cards and I absolutely love remaking old cards into new ones.  By the time I had finished I had made thirty six Christmas cards.  I may be putting some of them in my Etsy store later in the year.  I went through my drawer of paper scraps and used a lot of those to make some backgrounds to be used in future card making.  I also spent a fair amount of time making die cuts, mostly florals to be used to make ephemera.

 

On Monday I worked in the afternoon and again Thursday afternoon for a few hours each.  I was off Tuesday and Wednesday and was able to do some meal prepping for the week, catch up on some household chores, run a load of laundry and squeeze in some more crafting.

 

I made a keto cheesecake for dessert for New Years

Sunday brunch

With all of the craziness being reported in the news, especially with regard to our government and the steady stream of confusing antics by our president it would be so easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer unrelenting volume of it all.  It feels like we just can’t seem to get any kind of break from it.  Even Christmas day was not immune from the onslaught of political rhetoric.  It made me weary.  Instead I chose to focus the majority of my attention on making my own life and my home as tranquil and enjoyable as I could because I recognize I alone have limited ability to change or affect much of what is happening, at least as far as what has currently been going on.  While some of it is truly frightening, other aspects are simply heartbreaking.  And with that my first full week of 2026 came to an end.

 

A meatloaf supper

I love a warm mug of soup and a grilled cheese on a rainy day

This past week I was grateful for delicious and healthy food to eat, a warm home to reside in and the ability to pay my bills as well as my reliable vehicles to get me where I needed to go.  I had plenty to keep me busy and entertained including a night out for dinner and drinks with friends.  I am so blessed.  How was your first full week of 2026?