When I compare our lifestyle to that of most people, I find that we live a much slower-paced life.

This my dear mama friends, is not a coincidence.

Neil and I have sat down many a time and discussed our want of a slow-paced life at length. Today’s society is too fast paced for our liking. I can barely catch my breath when I hear someone rattle off their astoundingly hectic days.

Here are 5 conscious decisions we made to live a slower-paced life

1. We bought a modestly-sized home

Having more space means you inadvertently buy more stuff. And end up with more clutter. More stuff means more cleaning and more maintenance.
Cleaning is a tougher job, and keeping the house in order is an ordeal.
In addition, buying a larger home would have meant that we would have spent more of our hard-earned money to buy the property, furnish it and maintain it; when we would rather spend our money elsewhere.

Which brings me to my next point…

2. We outsource the cleaning

This is one thing where we would rather spend our money. I’d rather come home to a clean house, not have to think about the housework and live more serenely in a small home; rather than invest in a larger property which I’d then have to probably clean myself.
Investing in time is one of the most valuable thing you can do with your money. You can then invest your free time in anything you desire.

3. We plan

Our calendar with shared entries is indispensable. We’re equally addicted (good addicted!) to meticulously adding upcoming events, to-do’s and errands so we can plan wisely. As a rule, we never cram too much in. If it’s an evening out, we plan a slow morning; if it’s a full-on Sunday, Saturday we’ll take it easy.
We also set reminders way in advance for things such as birthdays (I refuse to rush for gifts, cards and wrapping paper last minute!), and other stuff which requires advance preparation.

4. We simplify errands & activities

There is an overwhelming choice of shops to buy from today. We do our best to keep our errands to a minimum, and shop online where we can. Yes, sometimes we end up paying more for some items than if we had to go to a specific shop, but once again, this is a matter of investing in our time.
Kids activities are another struggle. We chose ones which are as close to our village as possible, and combined both kids’ activities on the same day. The days & times were chosen with care so as not to disrupt family life as much as possible.
All the other activities and services we use and partake in are all reasonable close to us as well.

5. We meal plan – and we batch cook

Meal planning & batch cooking has been extremely liberating. I meal plan for the week in under 30 minutes, with our shopping lists ready to go. This takes the pressure off, as I do not need to stress about what’s for dinner. It also saves me having to make unplanned stops at the grocery store, which I find to be such a waste of time!
I’m not cooking everyday either. Since I pretty much batch cook 80% of the time, I only cook 3 to 4 times a week at the most.

This is just a little insight to the things we do to live a slower-paced life.

I’d LOVE to dig into this a little deeper with you. Join me on the Mama Manual Facebook page LIVE on Tuesday at 4:30pm Malta time (GMT +2).
I’ll be discussing what it’s like organising and finding place for all our belongings in our small space. You’ll get a handful of golden tips which you can use in any home, plus, we’ll get to connect again!

See you there!

Nakita xxx