I am all for living smarter.  Anything that can save me time, money or allow me to make my life easier is a winner for me.  For me, smart living means making the most of my time, money and home, allowing me to have a more meaningful life.  Yes, that might sound deep, but in reality, it is just about living wisely and understanding my priorities.

I think that I am a really lucky lady.  I have two amazing boys and a supportive husband who has been by my side for the last 22 years.  I have learned to look for the joy in every day and to celebrate the small stuff, but trust me I haven’t always been such a positive person.  However, in spite or maybe because of my experiences I have been practicing living smarter for the last seven or so years.

How I live smarter:

It really will change from person to person, but for me, it is about a flexible work environment that allows me to focus on my family where and when they need me.  Being a freelancer allows me to take time out when I need to not just for the kids, but also for me.

Meal planning – I am almost evangelical about meal planning.  It saves me money, saves on food wastage, saves on thinking about what to cook each evening, gives a routine to the kids, enables us to make family decisions about food and I swear by it.

Acceptance – It has taken quite a long time to realize to have the grace to accept the things I can not change.  But that doesn’t mean that I am ambivalent about them.  It means that I accept I can not change some things, but I can change the way I think about them.  I have learned to move the focus from the immovable and worrying about it, instead, I spend that energy changing my attitude.  Now that is heavy!

Mediation – I used to meditate a lot when I first had my mastectomy, but kind of lost my way.  I recently started again and noticed the difference pretty much immediately.  Taking ten minutes each morning to focus my mind makes the whole day more manageable.

Delegate – They say that two heads are better than one and that is the case in my house.  Many hands make light work and we work as a family for the good of the family.  However, I also outsource things that make life simpler for me, especially when it is affordable for me to do so.  So 2015 saw the introduction of an ironing lady, who irons faster and better than I ever did.

How to Live Smarter:

Do you live smart?  What would be your biggest tip for smarter living?