The Joy of Simple Living: Over 1,500 Simple Ways to Make Your Life Easy and Content-- At Home and At Work

458 Pages·1999·4.29 MB·English

by  Jeff Davidson

T H E J O Y OF
T H E J O Y OF

Over 1,500 Simple Ways to Make Your Life
Easy and Content—At Home and at Work
By Jeff Davidson
Foreword by Mark Victor Hansen,
co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul

Rodale Press, Inc.
Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Notice
The information presented in this book is based on information obtained from a wide range of au-
thoritative sources. The author and Rodale Press, Inc., assume no responsibility for any injuries
suffered or damages or losses incurred during or as a result of following this information. All in-
formation should be carefully studied and clearly understood before taking any action based on
the information and advice presented in this book.
Copyright © 1999 by Jeff Davidson
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other infor-
mation storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free @, recycled paper @
Cover and Interior Designer: Joanna Reinhart Library of Congress
Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Davidson, Jeffrey P.
The joy of simple living : over 1,500 simple ways to make your life easy and
content—at home and at work / by Jeff Davidson, p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-87596-527-X hardcover
ISBN 1-57954-104-6 paperback
1. Simplicity. I. Title.
BJ1496.D38 1999
646.7—dc21 98-39115
Distributed to the book trade by St. Martin's Press
6 8 10 9 7 hardcover
2 4 6 8 1 0 9 7 5 3 1 paperback
Visit us on the Web at www.rodalebooks.com, or call us toll-free at [phone].
OUR PURPOSE
We inspire and enable people to improve
their lives and the world around them.
To all of those people in my life—past, present, and future—who have shown
me the path toward simplicity. To the authors, journalists, and speakers who
stress the vital importance of simplicity in each of our lives. To my wonderful,
now-departed parents, Emanuel and Shirley Davidson, for imbuing me with
the seme to figure things out for myself. And to Valerie Davidson—eveiy little
thing she does is magic.
Contents
rK
Acknowledgments ........................................................................
x
Foreword ....................................................................................... -
Introduction ................................................................................... ^
Part 1: A World Gone Complex
Chapter 1: The Quest for Simplicity .................................................. 2
Yes, You Can Achieve Sanity in a Crazed World
Chapter 2: Some General Principles .............................................. 20
Master the Science of Piles and Priorities
Chapter 3: Anticipating Complexity .............................................. 35
Preventive Measures Will Cure a Tangled Lifestyle
Part 2: Simplify Your Castle
Chapter 4: Cooking Up Solutions .................................................... 54
If You Can't Stand the Clutter, Simplify Your Kitchen
Chapter 5: Living Rooms and Dining Rooms ............................... 81
Make These Living Areas Wony-Free, Relaxing Refuges
Chapter 6: Washroom Wizardry ................................................... 106
With These Storage, Decorating, and Cleaning Secrets,
Things Will Bubble Along
Chapter 7: Bedroom Basics .............................................................. 128
Smart Strategies to Create the Perfect Setting for Slumber
vi
Contents vii
Chapter 8: The Kid's Bedroom ..................................................... 151
Creating Order Where Parents Fear to Tread
Chapter 9: Laundry Logic .............................................................. 170
Lessons to Lighten the Load
Chapter 10: Storage and More ..................................................... 191
Making the Most of Your Basement and Attic
Chapter 11: Retooling the Garage ............................................... 211
A Practical Plan to Maximize Space and Minimize Maintenance
Chapter 12: Calling All Cars ........................................................ 229
The Keys to Hassle-Free Auto Ownership
Chapter 13: Slices of Life ............................................................. 252
Smart Solutions for Mastering Special Situations and Events
Part 3: Streamline Home Paperwork
Chapter 14: Business Basics .......................................................... 274
Setting Up a Home Office, Step by Step
Chapter 15: Money Mastery ........................................... ........... 292
Common-Cents Strategies for Making Your Dollars Go Further
Chapter 16: Family Finances ...................................................... 306
Balancing Your Budget without Bending Over Backward
Part 4: Simplify Your Professional Life
Chapter 17: The Easy Exit .......................................................... 324
Tactics for an Uncomplicated Commute
Chapter 18: Office Efficiency ...................................................... 341
Putting Your Work Space to Work for You
viii Contents
Chapter 19: Reading Easy .............................................. ............... 355
Secrets to Survival in the Information Age
Chapter 20: Connecting with Customers ...................................... 369
In Business, Success Begins with Service
Part 5: The Personal Touch
Chapter 21: Rewarding Relationships ......................................... 386
Get More out of Your Limited Time with Lovers, Friends,
and Family
Chapter 22: Nutrition Know-How ................................................ 397
Taking the Guesswork Out of Fating Right
Chapter 23: Effortless Exercise ....................................................... 413
Easy Ways to Factor Fitness into Your Life
Chapter 24: At Your Leisure ......................................................... 424
Guaranteed Fun for Everyone
Credits .............................................................................................. 443
Index .............................................................................................. 445
About the Author .......................................................................... 466
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I'd like to thank the people at Rodale Press for all their
support. I've worked with many publishers on many projects, and I can say that
you'd be hard-pressed to find a finer, more talented team of professionals any-
where in publishing.
Thanks, in particular, to Jeff Bredenberg, my acquisitions editor and to Susan
Berg, my day-to-day editor; to copy editor Kathryn A. Cressman and book de-
signer Joanna Reinhart; and to the marketing team of Karen Arbegast, Tania At-
tanasio, Cindy Ratzlaff, Dennis Lockhard, Mark Wiragh, Reka Daniels, and Renee
James. Thanks also to the editors of top Rodale publications such as Men's Health,
Prevention, and At Your Best for the countless tips, tidbits, and minor gems that
they've gleaned over the years, which helped to round out this text.
A big thank-you to Tammy Bristow for her remarkable assistance in identi-
fying research materials, helping me to assemble several chapters, and upgrading
and refining chapters as needed. Thanks also to Rex Coughenor for his endless
round of trips to libraries, to Sandy Knudsen for her ace word-processing ser-
vices, and to Mittie Jones, Erika Meyers, Kate Simpson, and Seth Kotch for their
adept proofreading.
And thanks to Valerie Davidson, now age eight, for giving Daddy a couple
of extra minutes every evening for months on end to work on this book, before
we began our playing.