photo by michael brown
DEAR SARA: We purchased a new camper this year and have been camping twice with it. Fun! However, we are climbing over our clothes and different items every time we go in it, and I can’t stand the clutter! How do you organize your clothing in limited space? Suitcases don’t seem to make sense to me, but all of our drawers aren’t enough room for all five of us. Our camper isn’t small; it’s a 26-footer. Help! — Vanessa, Montana
DEAR VANESSA: Try plastic totes. Some can fit under or at the end of the bed. Some clothing can be put in backpacks instead of suitcases. Then you can hang the backpacks. Maybe you can add shelves, a set of plastic drawers on wheels or stack totes in the closet to best utilize the space. You can hang shoe organizers on the doors. They can be used for shoes or personal-care items such as soap, toothpaste, shampoo, brushes, etc.
DEAR SARA: What veggies do you refrigerate? I got to thinking about this because they say not to refrigerate some veggies, but quite frankly in the South and in a trailer, you either refrigerate or they go bad in days. — qtkitty, e-mail
DEAR QTKITTY: I typically don’t refrigerate tomatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, potatoes, onions or garlic.
DEAR SARA: My husband and I just found out that we have an opportunity to save $300 a month on rent. Our best friend has a line on a house to rent. It’s a five-bedroom (three downstairs, two upstairs) house in a good neighborhood. He suggested that we move in with him. He would take the main-floor bedrooms, and we could take the upstairs for more privacy. It’s a great plan, and we’d be saving more money, but my only concern is the roommate thing. I’ve had three roommates during my marriage, and they haven’t worked out well. But we didn’t really know any of them, and we all shared a small space, which was tough. Now, with him, we’d be sharing a kitchen and a bathroom, but it’s not as if we don’t know him. He’s at our apartment every day anyway. Do we save $300 a month and get a roommate, or do I stick to my guns when I said I’d never live with another roommate again? — Rachel, Toronto
DEAR RACHEL: I would first look into the cost of the utilities to see whether there is going to be a difference that decreases your $300 forecasted savings. Will it cost you more in gas for driving? Is everyone on the lease? Sort out all the financial aspects such as food, phone, cable and utilities, too. I’d create a plan to be certain that your extra money actually is saved. You should have clear decisions made on housecleaning, laundry, overnight and long-term guests, pets, friends, parties and privacy.
With that said, I wouldn’t do it. Even though you are good friends and see each other daily, it’s still not the same as living full time together. You should stick to your guns and not live with another roommate again. You vowed that for a reason.
译文:
在狭窄的住处节省空间
亲爱的莎拉：今年我们买了一个新的帐篷，使用了两次，棒极了！但是我们进去的时候都得一直面对大堆的衣物和零零总总的杂物，我再也受不来了！你怎么在这么有限的空间里整理好你衣物的呢？行李箱到不很好装，而且就是所有的抽屉也不够我们5个人用。我们的帐篷并不小，有26平方英寸。帮帮我吧！——蒙大拿州，瓦内萨。
亲爱的瓦内萨：试试塑料便携袋。有些可以放在床下或者床尾。有些衣物不一定要放在行李箱，可以放在背包里，然后把背包挂起来。你也可以添置一些搁架，在轮子上安装一套塑料抽屉或者在壁橱上堆些便携袋来最大限度利用空间。你亦可以在门上悬挂鞋包。鞋包里出了可以放鞋外，还可以放个人护理的东东，比如肥皂、牙膏、洗发水、牙刷等等。
亲爱的莎拉：你冷藏什么蔬菜？我问这个问题是因为他们说不要冷藏蔬，但是在南方和拖车里倒是可以。要么冷藏要么几天内蔬菜就会变质的。——qtkitty，用电子邮件。
亲爱的Qtkitty:我通常不会冷冻番茄、甜土豆、南瓜、土豆、洋葱和大蒜。
亲爱的莎拉：我和爱人发现我们可以一个月花300美元租房。我们的一个好友打电话说过他有一间房子要出租。这间房楼下三间、楼上两间，还有一个很好的邻居。好友建议我们和这个邻居同住。他住楼下主卧室，我们住更能保护隐私的楼上。是个很好的计划，可以节省不少钱，我唯一发愁的是室友的事情。我结婚后和三个室友居住过，但是相处得不怎么好。我们事实上一点也不了解他们，我们一起居住在一个狭小的空间里，很挤。现在和这个新邻居公用厨房和洗手间，但是我们不可能不认识他。（因为）他不管怎样每天都在我们公寓。我们是每个月节省300美元，有和一个室友居住在一块好呢，还是
坚持我的立场说我不会在和其他室友同住了好呢？——瑞切尔，多伦多市。
亲爱的瑞切尔：首先我要研究一下你整体生活开支，看看去掉那300元的节省会怎么样？这样会让你驾车耗费更多的汽油吗？所有人都租房吗？列举所有生活理财项目，比如食品、电话费、上网费和公共开支。我要做一个规划确信你确实节省了300美元。你应该在很多问题上决定好，比如清洁房屋、洗衣店、过夜的或者长期的客人、宠物、朋友、派对以及隐私等。
如果考虑以上情况，我不会（去租这个房子）。尽管你们是好朋友，每天都见面，但是仍然不是同食同寝。你应该坚持立场，不要在和另外的室友居住。你这样做是有原因的。