We are learning a whole new simpler (and frugal) way to live. We only buy food that we are going to eat within 2 days (limited cooler space), so our food bill is slightly smaller because I'm no longer buying those bargains I couldn't pass on that sit in the pantry for weeks on end. We are eating healthier foods since I'm no longer buying precooked items that need to be stored in the freezer.
We've been living out of a cooler, but have decided to remove the cushion from the quarter-berth and install a small, dorm size refrigerator to cut back on the ice expense. Since the opening to the quarter-berth is fairly wide, Sara and Bert will still be able to get into the back of the quarter-berth to sleep, I'll just have to give them an old blanket to use as a bed.
I've found that I carried way too many towels and sheets than we actually need onto the boat. All the extras are being given away to other boaters that need them, so our linen storage is half what I though I'd need (leaving more room for other things). I'm also going to replace our regular towels with microfiber ones. My neighbor has some that have a terry finish and they dry quicker and more efficiently than regular towels and take up much less space when put away.
Clothes seem to take up most of our extra space. With 3 people on-board, that's a huge amount of clothes even IF we only keep 1 weeks worth here. I've started buying travel bags to store 2 days worth at a time. Since the travel bags are clear, you can see what's in each one. I simply pack our clothes into them as I do laundry, squeeze out the air and carry them back to the boat. They are much more compact, water tight (in case of a leak we still have not found) and easier to store.
Bath articles are also a storage problem, but I have not figured out an efficient way to deal with that yet. Everyone has their own "bath bag" with soap, shampoo, etc. Unfortunately, the bags themselves take up way too much room. I bought them large enough to fit a change of clothes and a towel for the walk to and from the bathrooms, but I'm thinking about simply buying smaller bags and forgoing the convenience of the larger bag. I'm also considering buying travel bottles of shampoo and conditioner (a must for the salty-air for me) and pouring what is needed into the travel size bottles and not keeping a separate shampoo for each bag.
Now to the big "storage" problem. The dogs food takes up a huge amount of space. Since Sara and Bert are so large, I have been buying dog food in large bags to save myself a little money and trips to the store. I need to come up with a storage solution for the food...fast. During the day, I have been keeping it in the galley sink (it's very deep) with the cover over it, but this is turning into a pain when I actually need to use the sink. I considered a large storage container in the cockpit, but our living area above decks is already very limited, so I don't see that that will be a good solution. My neighbor suggested a deck-box. Since we won't be going cruising, that may be the way to go. I may get one large enough to hold all the food and still have room left over for any over-flow items that stray this way as I empty out the storage room.
Cooking utensils have been pared down to a minimum now. I seem to need the crockpot (easiest way to cook here), 1 large pot and a skillet. I am going to get my cast-iron skillet from storage since it can be used on a burner or placed into the grill with the grill closed (cornbread that way is fabulous). I may even go so far as a cast-iron dutch oven for use on the grill, but have not decided for sure yet.
I can see that this may be a never-ending task, but have already decided that if something else comes on-board, then something on-board must leave. That means no more shopping for that extra top or pair of pants unless we are willing to donate an item. Talk about putting a spending limit on yourself! Once we're settled in, we should be able to save enough money to up-grade to a larger boat quicker than we thought.
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