How do you know you've made it?  It's usually the big things like I contribute 10% to retirement.  10% to savings.  I pay cash for a car. I could cash flow college.  No more credit card interest.  I paid off the mortgage.  These are all easy big signs people often see quickly to realize they've made it. 

But I was cleaning my garage this weekend and I realized that are lots of little signs too.  First up was sorting stuff in the garage, and I needed ziploc bags. I realized wow i'm comfortable.  I no longer buy non-name brand ziploc bags. I also buy only bags with zippers.  I like how thick the ziploc brand bags are and I love zippers because I find it easier to use.  But 25 years ago no way was i buying ziplocs and using it for storage.  I washed them out and flipped them inside out to dry and reused it usually for something not edible.  Not anymore.  I have nice ziploc bags, the expensive ones.

Second, I realized I don't save takeout containers or containers from food.  If I want to jar something I have a nice set of matching jars.  My tupperware matches. I also don't buy the cheap, plastic crap. I use glass or more expensive sturdy stuff.  Yep when you are broke you don't ever buy food storage, the only food storage comes from what you eat.  I'm trying to get my mom to throw all of her crap containers away or my in-laws and it's not happening.  

Third, I have a pile of plastic forks, knives, spoons, etc from takeout and I'm donating it.  I am embarrassed to say i donated two gallon size bags to the middle school and I found another 2 bags of plasticware I want to donate to the school on Monday.  Why?  I don't need it. I like using real cutlery at home and while we get it I have one box I bought in case and that's enough. I don't need to storage it and use it like it's super precious.

I also got new towels.  We repurposed towels for the dog.  But again it's not the expensive $$, actually they are from costco. But it's the fact we even got new towels.  My mom makes us use towels that don't soak up water because they are 50+ years old if not 75, i kid you not.  They might be hand me downs.  And she won't replace them because why?  It works fine.  Seriously a $10 towel.  Yep that's why it's crazy to be breaking these rule.

It sounds crazy but I realized that we're okay.  We aren't rich but we are not struggling enough to reuse and keep everything. I don't mind recycling or repurposing or getting used stuff.  But we don't need to hoard.  And we also can have a nicer level of goods.

Finally I realized I buy small condiments instead of large. It stays fresher and is nice.  Again not something that I ever thought I'd do.  My uncle always laughed when he described one of my cousin's telling his teacher ketchup comes out of a metal tin (they bought it like coffee can size) for the size of their family.  

It's sort of like the recent travel discussion how nice a hotel do you stay at?  For us it's about location first. I want prime location where we might not need a car.  But at the same time we no longer risk our lives staying at a motel 6 or red roof inn unless absolutely necessary (it's happened a few times where we had the dog and no where else was available that took pets).  What's the purpose of money if you are killed trying to keep it?  I kid you not after DH thought he saw blood stains on the motel I booked him in Buffalo (no offense buffalo) in 2015 he has never let me forget booking something based on price.  Yeah we can afford to stay somewhere that if it burned down we would sleep in the car and not worry about being mugged or car jacked.  

So even the small things as you upgrade your life can show how far you've come.