Well, I have been cleaning out my basement, garage, and closets. I look at all the "things" I bought and I wonder why I did it.
Maybe I bought things because it made me feel better. How much of my life did I exchange for the money to purchase these things? Why? Now the DW and I have stuff we don't need or want! Sad. Very sad.
Now I am divesting myself of all this clutter. I now know Thoreau was right in his admonition to simplify! Don't weigh yourself down with things you don't need.
Buy what you need to be sure. Hesitate to spend.
Getting rid of the clutter
December 17th, 2013 at 07:14 am
December 17th, 2013 at 12:55 pm 1387284950
I took lots of things to Goodwill in November, but I've already accumulated more items to take. It is an ongoing thing it seems!
December 17th, 2013 at 04:51 pm 1387299089
I had the same realization when I cleaned out the basement. "What was I thinking when I bought 'x'?" "We only used this once. I thought we needed it. Should have borrowed it!" That philosophy kept me from making impulse purchases after that. And this year I purchased one ornament for each child (as I do annually) and that was it. Just one for each one - not for them and DH and for what I liked. I must constantly battle hoarding tendencies. Clear and clutter-free is so much nicer. And knowing what you have and where it is located is also priceless.
December 17th, 2013 at 05:03 pm 1387299817
December 17th, 2013 at 05:09 pm 1387300174
Getting rid of clutter is remarkably freeing. I hope you will try selling items in good condition that are no longer used, needed, loved by DW and yourself. We were shocked by the little effort to snap a photo and place a brief bulletin board.
A few years ago we made it a family policy to follow the mantra 'new item in, old, similar item out.' the unanticipated benefit was the halt of impulse buying followed by a reluctance to buy a replacement because we didn't want to relinquish something we were still using and enjoying.
I'm always surprised by news reports of how much food we waste. It's so easy to click on www.cooks.com and insert the ingredient in the 'search' box for new ideas to use items on hand. Since the chefs with all the publicity are men, I figure the guys in this house can take over the kitchen at least one day each week.
One favoured dollar saver has been to put appliances on a power bar where one click stops phantom power use. Once I realized home made laundry and dishwasher detergent was better/more effective for pennies than the bought stuff, I followed the You Tube demo. The guy who delivered the W/D said it was better for front load machines as secondary thrift.
December 17th, 2013 at 05:55 pm 1387302951
@ snafu, can you share your resources for directions on homemade laundry and dishwasher detergent. In January, I am trying to go additive/chemical free and am slightly overwhelmed where to start, aside from no processed and prepackaged food. I figure it will be better for our bodies and budget. I had thought about doing the household cleaners, and should probably do the detergents as well! Many thanks, Laura
January 30th, 2014 at 08:33 pm 1391114027
January 31st, 2014 at 08:31 pm 1391200269