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Household Hints That Work! |
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 Have you always yearned to have a home-with-a-difference? A home where things work, people have sweet tempers and the environment provides just the nurturing qualities you need to feel refreshed and rested? Join the gang! Most of us begin life with just such a dream. However, many manic years later we may find that what we have achieved instead is a good amount of chaos peppered with a little bit of clarity now and then. If you seem set to go down this sticky path, you would do well to consider the following hints for your household. These are tried and tested winners: Landline phones may be going out of style, but each home does have one. Make sure yours has a small list of important numbers taped to a table or wall next to it. If you can attach a pen or pencil with decorative string or wire next to the phone, you would have scored a major triumph! P.S: After this, make sure the pen works, by refilling it now and then! - Have a brass urn/glass jar/ terracotta pot to place cell phones in after you enter the house. This will prevent having to ring your mobile number every time you have to find the phone!
- Collect change – coins, notes, similarly in a vessel placed on your fridge, or next to a TV, or oft-used surface. Make sure this is an opaque jar. This money comes in very handy when you have to pay for small items at the door and can’t be bothered to reach your bag or wallet.
- Use the water from washing rice and dal before cooking, to water your potted plants. This water is rich in nutrients and you can revive even a moody tulsi in a small pot on your balcony with the treatment.
- Don’t depend on processed and packaged foods for quick meals. Instead, stock up on foods that really help you to rustle up dinner in a jiffy – shelled peas, boiled potatoes, sprouted moong, refrigerated chapatti dough – there are many forms of such time saving health foods.
Have a kitchen calendar with the dates marked in big bold numerals and a nice white square for each date. This helps to note the accounts relating to milk delivery, newspaper boys, dhobi and other such services. Such a calendar is a big friend of budgeting. - Buy gifts in the range of 150 to 300 rupees in twos or threes, and keep them ready to be packed and given at the drop of a hat when you have an invitation to a wedding or birthday. This may seem less than thoughtful, but you can choose things that anyone would welcome, and give according to personality and taste.
- Keep attractive wrapping paper straightened under mattresses in order to suddenly wrap item number 7!
- Start a recurring deposit account to save money for holidays and trips. While it may not always be possible to pull out thousands to fund pleasure outings, a little money saved regularly can really be the answer.
Keep track of pleasure resources you have, like good music, films, books, games – make sure you spend at least a little time with these, and keep them catalogued and in good storage. After all, what’s the point of having the entire Nirvana/Begum Akhtar/Kumar Sanu/M.S.Subbalakshmi recordings, if you never even have the time or inclination to touch them or listen to them?
That’s all folks! Enjoy your domesticity! |
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