Tip Tuesday – It Takes Two

Romance is on our minds this time of year, and, as they say, “it takes two.” Last week I was giving a talk and someone asked “How do we know how many of a thing to have?” and without hesitation, I replied “TWO”! Of course, you can have more than two pairs of underwear or more than two coffee mugs, although an extreme minimalist may disagree!

“It takes two” applies mainly to everyday items. Generally, all you need is one to use and one to have as a backup in case. If you agree with the ethos of quality over quantity, just one item may be enough for you.

For example, if you live in an apartment, then one stapler stored by your paper processing area should suffice. If you live in a four-story townhouse, then one stapler for each paper processing area is okay. And I encourage you to spend a little extra to purchase a sturdy stapler that’s a pleasure to use and will last for years.

The “Policy of Two” works for just about everything. Here are some more examples:

Sheets: For each bed, keep one set ON the bed and one set clean and ready to put on the bed.
Toiletries: One shampoo to currently use, one ready for backup.
Office Supplies: One ink cartridge in the printer, one ready for replacement.
Pantry Staples: Coffee in the canister and beans ready for refilling.

You may be thinking, “it’s not so bad to have two or three extra shampoos available.” But multiply those few extras by ALL of your toiletry items and you’ll find that managing such an inventory is overwhelming, especially for people with smaller homes and limited storage space. The money you “save” buying them on sale doesn’t equal the space they take up and the time you spend managing them! 

Most of my readers live within a mile or two of a store and can purchase any replacement item as needed. And even “hard-to-find” items can now be delivered directly to our homes in less than 24 hours. I encourage you, especially if space is an issue, to remember that it just “takes two”!