I heard a commercial on the radio the other day for a car dealership. Usually, I don’t listen to commercials. I change the station as soon as they start. This one caught my mind wandering though, and managed to sneak in a line. Here’s what I heard the moments before I got to the dial: “We have every car, from entry level to the car that says ‘You’ve arrived!’”

I use washcloths exclusively in the kitchen. Joshua feels strongly about having paper towels on hand for a couple of specific tasks. I feel strongly about paper towels not being visible in my kitchen, so that they do not accidentally get over-used. The end result is that there is one lonely roll of paper towels hidden in a little-used cabinet, but I personally only ever use washcloths.

Originally, this choice related primarily to environmental concern. Paper towels are single-use items, which seems especially grievous for a small task like hand-drying. Over time, I have become less vocal about attributing certain choices to environmental reasons, though. The truth is that I don’t know for certain how this single choice stacks up environmentally. For example, am I wiping out all potential environmental benefits of reusing by washing them in hot water? I don’t know.

I’m often musing on how to create a simpler life that cuts away unnecessary commercialism, improvement, and competition. Things You Don’t Need is a feature I want to bring you regularly as I put together a master list of ways to simplify your life. Cutting out the excess that can easily overtake your life brings more than just simplicity. When you shorten the list of things you think you need, you’ll find you have more money, are in better health, and are treating the environment better, as well. You breathe a little easier, and you find more down-to-earth joy in your day-to-day life. Some items on this list will be challenging, but I invite you to use your imagination and picture yourself a little freer, a little lighter, a little happier, and a little less plugged into the chaos of our culture.