A Load a Day

I was just thinking of something: our family generates the equivalent of a load of laundry per day.

Three to five pairs of pants. Three to five pairs of socks. Two to five pairs of underwear. Three to five t-shirts. During the summer, one to three polo, button-down, or jersey-type shirts. During the winter, add sweaters and sweatshirts, not to mention layers. And we're not necessarily considering pajamas, bath towels, sheets, or kitchen towels. That's just one day.

Of course, I can't actually do that load of laundry per day because of separations.

I've talked about laundry and I'll do it again.

Separating by color, by weight, by wash cycle type, and by whether the clothes are machine dried or hang dried. Add to that my conservation attitude toward water usage and laundry can be a big headache.

Somehow, I actually enjoy it. Perhaps it's the system that has been put in place. I think I'm good at it. Who's proud to be good at laundry?

Yet I look at the clothes and think I'm doing a great job. Our closet space is maximized. Our clothes aren't wrinkled and I minimize our dry-cleaning expenditures.

One of the ways I keep myself going is by telling myself that every dollar I save our family is my income. Although I haven't added it up, I think I'm still in poverty. But at least it's a living.