Although you’ll rarely find me leisurely walking through the mall (or any other store), it’s almost impossible for me to overlook the numerous sales on storage containers, closet systems, and other home organizers this time of year.
Yes, all those containers and systems are SO cute and fun (believe me, I know) and they CAN be useful tools to help us simplify and organize our lives.
However, I can’t help but find it humorous that we spend money (sometimes even going into debt) to buy more stuff… AND THEN more money to buy tools and supplies to store and organize the stuff we just bought. Then, we realize we have way too much stuff, so we pay a professional to help us purge or rent a storage unit to house all our excess stuff.
Not only do we have plenty of clothing in our closets, we have SO MUCH that we need to install fancy organizing systems, buy under-bed storage boxes, and remove off-season clothing when not in use.
Not only do we have plenty of toys, books, and games, we have SO MANY that we need to buy organizing containers to store them, and rotate them so our kids don’t get bored with the “same old toys” day after day.
Not only do we have plenty of food in our fridge and pantry, we have SO MUCH food that we buy extra freezers and refrigerators to store it all… and have eat-from-the-pantry challenges to use up some of the extra food before it goes bad.
Just for a moment, stop and think about how much time, energy, space, and money we spend {waste?} buying, organizing, sorting, and storing our STUFF — some of which we might not even use, want, or need.
I rarely watch the news, but I’m still aware of all the poverty in this world (even right in my own city) — families with no home, children with no food, whole communities with no running water… the list could go on.
All the while, we’re cramming more food into our extra deep freezer(s) and pantry shelves, we’re buying more clothing (and tools to better organize our closets so we can fit more in), and we’re amassing more toys and games, even though we already have plenty.
Doesn’t it all just seem a little unnecessary?
.
I don’t say this to judge, because I include myself in all of the above statements. I simply say this as a reference point for those of you who are drowning in STUFF and struggling to simplify your own home and life.
The next time you grumble about freezer-burned meat in the back of your freezer, stop and think about the millions of hungry people around the world.
The next time you begrudge your too-full closet and overflowing laundry baskets, stop and think about the many homeless people in your own community who would love a new shirt.
The next time you trip over yet another one of your children’s toys, stop and think about the children who don’t have nice new toys.
While I totally understand the frustration of “too much stuff” (believe me, I get it!) I think we could all benefit from taking a step back every once in a while and reflecting on just how blessed we are.
If ALL your stuff is stressing you out and becoming a burden, it might be time for a change.
Consider how you might feel with less stuff to store, less stuff to organize, less stuff to clean around, less stuff to buy, and less stuff to think/worry about.
Then consider how much of your stuff you truly NEED.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my decorations, my kitchen gadgets, my electronics, my freezer full of extra food, and all our kids’ toys and games as much as the next person; but I still think it’s beneficial to step back and look at it from a different perspective — at least every once in awhile.
Jeanine says
Amen and thanks for the perspective!
Avia says
Since having kids, extra pockets “me” time is so rare and sacred. A few years ago I was so excited to have 2 whole days to myself! Once it was over I realized that I had spent every second of those two days dealing with stuff. Now dealing with and purging the stuff actually made me really happy but I’m sure I could have found a much better way of recharging if I already had my stuff under control. I’ve tried to be more mindful but it’s a work in progress.
Andrea says
always a work in progress… good for you for making some progress!
Jenny says
There was a funny/sad episode on The Middle TV show about this exact thing. She wanted a free day as her Mothers’ Day present, and got it, but spent the whole day futzing around with junk drawer, freezer, etc. it was hilarious but I saw myself (the not-good parts)
Andrea says
yup! I have had many “free days” when a grandparent or Dave has taken the kids to something for several hours. I often have to force myself to sit and read or watch a TV show for part of the time — otherwise I’ll just clean, cook, do laundry, catch up on all the house stuff (which is also good, but not ALLLLLLL the time!)
Dana Moore says
Paper clutter- how long do you keep daily receipts like from gas stations & grocery stores?
Susan says
Only long enough to reconcile them with the credit card statement (if that’s how you paid).
Andrea says
I honestly don’t save them ever — I don’t even take the receipt from the gas station and I usually toss my grocery receipt on the way out of the store (after verifying I wasn’t over-charged). I can look back on my credit card statement to see how much I spent throughout the month. I have never once needed my actual paper receipt for anything.
Pat DonBrosky says
Just as an aside, When the mom from Canada commented about the high cost of fast food in Canada, it reminded me how shocked I was after buying a plain fish sandwich and small fries recently at the ‘golden arches’ – with NO drink – for more than $6! There’ll be no more of that!
Andrea says
yes, the cost of fast food really adds up (financially and in calories!)
Lynn O. says
Great post! I’ve been spending the last few months and have purged the whole house (save the filing records which I am getting through and shredding!). I have long been someone who goes through stuff every year. I dislike having extra, and somehow I still accumulated! Not crazy about shopping either! It has felt so good to purge and organize, especially my kitchen. Took me 11 hours on a Saturday, but even my husband admitted how much more efficient it was organized. Keep up the wonderful posts!
Andrea says
wow — I’m so jealous that you had 11 hours in one day just to organize! I’m lucky if I get 30 minutes of straight uninterrupted time these days, but I’ll take what I can get for now 🙂
Anyway, I can imagine how amazing it felt to get through your entire house! I actually JUST went through our filing cabinet yesterday — so I have the paper part done, now onto the kid’s closets to purge all the too-small clothes and figure out what they need for spring!
Lynn O. says
Well, I am jealous you have your paper part done! That is my next move. Worked on it a while this weekend, but am making sure that I don’t need to keep medical records for more than a year since they were not used on taxes. Have a bunch of those.
Megan says
Just finished The Joy of Less and am at the same point.
I’ve always tried to purge stuff regularly but I shopped way too much. Since 1/1 I’ve tried to shop as little as possible and it’s been freeing. Not only is there less stuff but I spend less time returning things that I decided I didn’t want after all. (That was my M.O. – buy a ton of stuff and return 1/2 of it).
Now there’s less coming in and I look at half of the stuff in my house and ask “how would my life be different if I didn’t own that any more?” 90% of the time the answer is “not at all.” I’ve given away two huge piles of things to the Vietnam Vets association in the past few months with more to do. My closet is a lot more empty and yet I seem to have so much more to wear because everything in there is something I like wearing.
Knowing that I have more than enough to live my life makes me look at my career very differently, too. The change of mindset has made me feel more comfortable making a change in my life that I’ve been too afraid to make in the past. Our relationship with our stuff is profound in the US and something we all should re-evaluate.
Thanks for challenging yourself and us with these ideas.
Bonnie'sMama says
Maybe a good solution is when we feel the urge to buy, we give instead.
You load an online cart–abandon it and donate the money for similar things. You want to go to the dollar store and buy little junks–buy things for shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child instead. You feel the urge to buy more food you probably don’t need–donate it to a food pantry or give money to some other charity that provides food for those who don’t have enough. You want to buy cute clothes for that grandbaby–buy some really beautiful outfits for a crisis pregnancy center. You want to do all the drug store deals on toiletries–donate them to a homeless shelter.
Then you’re being grateful and aware of how much you already have, you’re keeping clutter out of your own home, and you’re caring for others. And you still get that thrill of spending money.
Boy–I’m thinking this sounds like a lot of fun!
Kelly S says
Great thoughts!
Another blogger I enjoy (JoyForney.org) said in passing in a comment several months ago that she has started telling herself “You already have what you need.” Joy is a missionary in Uganda so perhaps your point here is a bit more “in your face” than for us here in the U.S., but I’ve been trying to remember that myself.
As I tell myself that I “need” to purchase some materials to make sensory tubs and other little toys to keep my 1 year old occupied, I try to remind myself “You already have what you need” and find ideas on Pinterest that use up the *many* supplies we already have.
As I tell myself that I “need” a few ingredients to make dinner tomorrow, I try to tell myself “You already have what you need” and take a peek in the fridge and pantry again… often, there are plenty of things in there that I can use to make something yummy.
It’s been good for our budget and for keeping clutter down – I even have that phrase written across the top of my shopping list page. 🙂 I am discovering that I don’t *need* nearly as much as I thought I did! 🙂
Andrea says
thanks for sharing this Kelly!
Nellie says
Thank you Kelly!
This really resonated with me.
Sarah says
Thank you, Kelly! I “needed” this today. I’m writing it at the top of my planner page right now to remind me. 🙂
Kaitlin @ The Mom on Purpose says
What an awesome change in perspective. I feel like I’m constantly saying we have too much, we need to get rid of this or that, or if only we could declutter a little more. It’s nice to look at our stuff as a blessing, but also as a way that we could help others who aren’t as blessed.
Thanks for this post. It was greatly needed for me going into a weekend full of decluttering. 🙂
Andrea says
Glad to help… and happy decluttering!
Jen @lifewrangling says
We went on an extended overseas holiday last year and it really taught us how little we actually needed in our lives. When we arrived home the first thing our daughter did was to completely empty her bedroom and donate most of her belongings to charity. I was extremely proud of her. The thing that I did not anticipate however, was the way the extra physical space gave her extra mental space. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. We now have a box in the boot of the car dedicated to outgrown clothes and unwanted items which when full, goes straight to the Good Samaritan store.
Andrea says
wow — good for your daughter. That’s amazing!
I have often thought, “I bet I could fit everything I actually NEED in a suitcase” — and although I don’t think I’ll try it any time soon, I do know that I could get by with so much less than I have (and I purge regularly and am really conscious what I bring into our home!)
Natalia says
Ii almost felt like I was hearing my mom’s voice as I read your post, today. These are things she always used to say!! Too bad I’ve got carried away and forgot her good life-lessons…
My friend and I have been constantly purging teaching supplies at church. It’s unbelievable how much stuff we accumulate. Just recently we thought we were at an acceptable point. Then, we found out that a group from our church is going on a mission trip to Ethiopia. Last Tuesday, we stayed behind after our club’s meeting and pulled out SO MUCH STUFF that we could easily give! And it was so fun to encourage each other to be generous! We realized that we could easily replace those items with a quick trip to the store, whenever we’ll need them again (if ever!).
It definitely helped to think about the receiver and the joy we could bring to others, if we just let go of things…. We’ll be okay. We have enough. We don’t have to have everything under one roof, at one particular time.
We gave away at least 4-5 garbage bags (I don’t even know how much, ’cause we took a few trips and then came back to find even more things to give.
I keep my house (somehow) purged, but when a family of refugees with 7 kids moved into town last year, I found so much stuff to give them! Extra blankets, linens, pots and pans, clothes, toys, etc. I can’t really remember what I gave them, because I don’t miss them at all and it doesn’t feel like anything is missing out of the house. We still have more than enough.
I’m looking forward to another opportunity to give. I’ll keep adding things to my donations box in the meanwhile, but it’s so much more motivating to give when you can think of a specific family or group of people that will be receiving your little blessings!
Andrea says
haha — well I hope your mother’s voice is a good voice! Also, how great that you could give so much away to the refugee family!
Lizanne says
Thanks for this encouraging post. Clutter and stuff is an ongoing saga for me and my husband. We both came into our relationship with too much of our own personal stuff, then got more as gifts when getting married, and more gifts and hand-me-downs from relatives over the years. We’re definitely at a point where we’re both sick of dealing with it all, but we do run into the issue of sentimentality, or just being overwhelmed sometimes and avoiding it. But now we’re expecting our first child, and I’m apprehensive about the amount of stuff we may get from friends and relatives, when we haven’t even finished purging our own stuff! It definitely helps me to think about how an item could be more useful to someone else when deciding whether to keep it ‘just in case’. Your blog has been so helpful and inspiring on our quest to simplify! Thank you!
Andrea says
Thanks for your kind words Lizanne… and if it makes you feel any better, “clutter” and “stuff” are usually ongoing battles for most of Americans (at least to some extent!)
Bridget says
This is posted just at the right time. We are a family of three and are in the process of downsizing to a home half the size. Currently, we live in 2300sqft and are moving to ~1100 sqft. I have been purging consistently for the last 5 years, and there are still items I come across that we are no longer using. I often wonder where all these items come from. My BIG challenge in this downsize will be living out of one fridge. I have a fridge/freezer in the garage that is my grocery store during the week…I like to shop every week and a half to 2 weeks. I will miss this much, and likely go to the grocery store more frequently. Now, because of your post, I will think about all those families including the homeless, who don’t even have one fridge or extra food, and I will be happy knowing that we have one fridge with an abundance of food for our family. We are truly blessed!
Andrea says
wow — that’s impressive that you’re downsizing!
And yes, I can completely understand the change in mindset you’ll need to have once you only have one fridge. We’re trying to empty out our deep freezer since we’ll be getting 40 pounds of chicken breasts and 1/4 of a cow in the next 2 months… and just that has made my grocery shopping totally different. I’m ONLY buying frozen food if it’s something we’ll eat in a week or two, and I’m hardly stocking up on anything extra because I know we won’t have room in our freezer for it once all the meat comes.
I can only imagine how different it is for you knowing that you won’t have an extra fridge/freezer at all!
Chris says
Two years ago I moved to another house and my unfinished basement has been the dumping ground for all of the things that don’t fit upstairs, still in boxes and STRESSING ME OUT. In my defense, the house (built in 1921) needed a lot of TLC and the basement is really dirty and was low on the priority list. This spring is when it gets overhauled and a lot of the stuff in the boxes will go bye bye. Then I’ll be enjoying my sun porch with a glass of wine and no stress and guilt!
Andrea says
gotta love those old houses 🙂
If it makes you feel any better, we also had a “dumping ground” in our extra garage for about 2 years after we moved. Like you, we didn’t want to store anything in our basement and by the 2-year mark, we had renovated enough of the house that we could FINALLY start decorating, putting all the furniture back, and unboxing our storage!!
Chris says
I want to add that when I finally got to decorate after the plaster dust was gone, the things that did make it to the upstairs are my favorites and really mean something to me. I got tough with myself and decided the things left over that didn’t make the cut or I had no room for will be donated.
Andrea says
yes for sure! I like all my decorations A LOT — and aside from 2 bins of Christmas decorations, we have no decorations “stored” anywhere. They are all on display.
Tracie says
I was just this morning feeling overwhelmed and stressed as I searched under our bathroom cabinet for the “extra” body wash before my shower. It had been pushed to the back of the cabinet and was hidden behind the many bottles of amassed half used toiletry items. Those half full bottles of lotion that now don’t have matching spray, those extra deodorants I purchased because they were on sale but nobody in the house wants to use, those boxes of over the counter medications with less than a dose left inside. Now all of these items may have been useful or even essential at some point, but why do they still take up useful space when they are useless? I am married to a military man and as a result of many moves and numerous “temporary”homes, I became well equipped at simplifying our space as we never knew whether our “next” home would fit all of our household goods but I have become lazy! It is time to clear out and clean up. Maybe I need to move again?
Andrea says
haha — well, moving is good motivation to purge. However, I think it might be easier just to purge your bathroom now and worry about moving later 🙂
Christine @ The (mostly) Simple Life says
So true! Our house feels slightly empty compared to some friends and family, but there is still PLENTY of stuff here. When we moved a few years ago I was like, where did all of this crap come from?! It’s all stored away so nice and neatly, but when you have to pull it out and put it in boxes, there is way more than you thought, even though it doesn’t feel like it day to day. We are very blessed and have far more than we need.
Andrea says
yeah, I told Dave that we can’t move until all our kids are out of the house so we don’t have so much stuff to move! we actually do want to stay in this house for a really long time — but even though I’m pretty organized and purge ALL the time, I still feel like moving would unearth a crazy amount of extra STUFF!
Paulette says
So true, Andrea! Actually, it’s embarrassing. Thank you for the reality check. And…LOVE the parting statement!! 😉
Lisa the Farm Lady says
Oh, and this is also one of the many reasons we’ve stopped eating out…anywhere! A great way to save money!
Jane says
Before I buy anything, I figure out how many hours I would have to work to pay for it. That really helps keep the non-essential items out of our house.
Lisa the Farm Lady says
We’ve started doing the same, Jane. My hubby and I agree it’s the quickest and simplest way to put the real costs of ‘stuff” into perspective.
We live in Canada where things are more expensive than in the States. For example, a meal for four us at say, McDonalds is around $20. This means my husband would have to work ONE HOUR in order to pay for a meal we can finish in 10 minutes. And we have nothing to show for it since it’s junk food except that my husband had to work that hour. One hour that he’s not home with his family, or doing something better.
Marisa says
It’s so interesting how differently things can be framed. While I don’t really care for eating at fast food and we rarely do it, when we DO, I always wind up thinking, “This is amazing. The wages from one hour’s work and our WHOLE family has a meal.” Imagine if we were to have prepared this from scratch at home. Raising the cow, slaughtering it, butchering it, processing the meat, raising the grain, harvesting it, grinding it, making the bread… etc. I think of how hard people have worked for the history of humanity just to feed their families. And we can do it with one hour’s work!
Andrea says
YES! I think about this all the time because Nora and I are reading the Little House on the Prairie books and we read about how much work it was for them just to survive. A full day of work just to prepare dinner and get the chores done!
Samantha says
This is really interesting. We are in Australia and for our family of 5 to go to McDonald’s, we can easily spend $50-$60. For us, that’s almost half my weekly grocery budget and it’s hard to justify spending that much on a meal that, like you said, is finished in 10 minutes.
Andrea says
Yes, that’s crazy expensive (at least in my opinion) for fast food that isn’t even great for our bodies!
I think it all comes down to balance and moderation. One one hand, it would NOT be smart (financially or health-wise) to eat at McDonalds on a very regular basis, but every once in a while it can be a treat to enjoy. You get a night off in the kitchen, your kids get to enjoy restaurant food, you can spend time together as a family, etc. and you can work it into your budget.
Ally says
We live in a small, but cozy, 711 sq. ft. apartment. When my now husband and I moved in together here, I downsized all my “cutsy” items to create more of a family-environment. Now I’m addicted to it! 🙂 My husband is on board with everything EXCEPT his beloved PS3 (he wants me to remind you all that it plays PS -AND- PS2 games! Lol). Well, it finally died last night. (At least we think it did. It doesn’t have a “light of death”, but it freezes on the before-main screen every time.) And do you know what that wonderful husband of mine did? Sold most of his games, which is a FEAT considering there must be close to 200, and bought me my badly desired storage bins for the kitchen. My life will never be the same, all thanks to DE-CLUTTERING AND ORGANIZATION! 🙂
Andrea says
What a guy! That’s awesome Ally… and seriously 711 sq ft. that’s impressive! Maybe you should be writing this blog 🙂
Stacy says
So very true. Most of us in this country have so much stuff and sometimes I just think as I am giving things away, wow we purchased all this stuff and now I am just passing it on. It’s a silly sad circle. This was a great post and a great reminder, that even those of us who feel so organized and think we are doing good by recycling, using it up and donating still could do so much more by not over-consuming in the first place.
vera says
Thank you, thank you. This was such a good, much needed reminder to put things back in perspective. We have been working through our extra freezer and it has been more than a month since we have needed to buy meat because we were so stocked up on it!
Heart and Haven says
This is so true! The past couple years I’ve been working on simplying and downsizing all our stuff…trying only to keep items we use and love. Before I buy any new organization items, I consider if the items are really even worth storing. Even before purchasing any new items, I try to see if there is something I can re-use from my house instead.
Even this week, I received a flyer from my son’s school about Valentine’s Day…I thought I was gonna have to buy 31 valentines for him to bring. Then when I looked in my “craft crap” section, I found exactly 31 sparkly unused pencils that would be perfect! (especially since his school requests $$ at the beginning of the year to purchase the same school supplies for each child in class, there was no way my kids would use that many pencils that one of the grandparents had probably purchased in bulk from Cosco or such, lol) I had some left-over cardstock from a previous project already cut in 1″ x 4″ strips. We printed “Happy Valentine’s Day!” on one side, and “From: Caden” on the opposite. Hole punched and tied a piece of yarn to attach to the pencil. Boom! Valentines project done, fun project for the kiddo to work on, and uses some of my already existing overflowing craft stash. Win-win-win!
I am so guilty of having a well stocked freezer & pantry, and then going out to dinner instead 🙁 This usually happens when we’re “out” and hungry, and won’t get home in time to make dinner at a reasonable time. This is a good reminder to work on better planning for that.
My husband jokes that only in America, do we park our $30K+ cars in the driveway, and store all our useless crap in the garage, lol! (working on it, but guilty here!)
Shareen says
I completely agree! I have a lot and I am always trying to figure out creative ways of putting them away. It’s so hard to be organized with so much stuff!!!! Now I want to see what I can give away in order to not have to always think about where I can stash something else that I’m not using but I’m not sure if we may need it again in the future.
You are a real blessing for reminding us that we should be so thankful for our accumulations.
Heidi says
I think about this a lot, being very blessed, especially after having kids. It creeps into my mind while I give them a fresh warm bath, when we play with their nice toys that were gifts from loving relatives and friends, when the babies flash me their healthy teeth in a happy smile. I am SOOOO blessed! To have our healthy family, the love of an amazing husband, friends and family who we adore, a nice house and a car we can rely on. That is a LOT I have before I even think about household possessions.
I have been doing really well cleaning out the clutter and giving it away to help others. But this post was just what I needed to read this morning to really ramp up my “purge and donate” cycle and go through shelves and drawers I ignored before.
Thank you for the eloquent reminder about how blessed we all are!
Amy U says
I’m with you! We are a society who, for the most part, overindulges. On average, it seems like Americans are overweight, in debt, and unhappy. I think it’s an entitlement thing, along with keepin’ up with the Joneses. Our [wonderful, free, amazing] country, as a whole, could use a paradigm shift. That’s the negative attitude, I know, but it’s what I see.
Thanks for the reminders!
Kathy says
A few days ago I was watching “the minimal mom” or YouTube. She made a comment that has stuck with me & fits in with Andrea’s blog post. She said it you take more than you need it’s greed! So true…
Andrea says
this is good — thanks so much for sharing Kathy!
Janet says
Been going through the same stuff here, just I didn’t think to blog about it. This is why my blog so seldom has anything new, lol. I only think to write after I see someone else — like you– has done it so much better than I would. KUDOS
Janet
Kim says
Well said!
Jill says
One of my favorite quotes right now is….”When things in your life don’t add up, then maybe it’s time to start subtracting–people, places and things!! Great post!!!
Debby says
Oh Jill! I love that quote
Dallas says
This is SO TRUE, Andrea — I couldn’t agree more! After becoming an avid follower of your blog last year, you have really inspired me to SIMPLIFY my life and my stuff. And the funny thing is, now that I have less stuff, I feel like I am able to appreciate what I do have so much more! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the continual inspiration and wisdom. You are amazing!
Laurel says
Loved this post. I have been purging for the past 6 months. As an organized person, I just kept rearing and organizing all of our stuff from 30 years of marriage and 4 kids aged 22-13. I just became more and more stressed just looking at all of the stuff and have become almost ruthless in my attempt to get rid of it. I love giving it away or selling it for cheap, knowing that someone else will enjoy using it.
Nem says
I completely agree with you. What is all this stuff being stored for anyways? Some stuff has not even been touch in months. Sometimes, less really is more.
Stel says
I think about that every day when we drive past the homeless man on the corner two blocks away. We have so many THINGS, too much, and our kids even more. En courage by amongst others, your blog, I am clearing out ever so slowly and have a permanent “hospice” box. Once it’s full, I drive to the hospice shop. That goes for books, toys, clothing, kitchenware, small furniture. I have no more double sets of dinnerware, or one for “best occasions” – there’s on set. Same for glasses, cutlery, even for wine I have one set and it’s used for white, red, champagne and beer.
The one thing we do “stash” is meat. My husband hunts, so we have a big deep freeze with mince, stew meat, sausages etc, as well as biltong (=jerky) – but then we don’t really buy any other meat through the year.
Good post.
Jane says
I totally agree!!! For several months I have been getting rid of STUFF. We all need to be more THANKFUL for what we have. Sometimes we focus more on what we don’t have, GREAT BLOG!
Hannah says
We recently moved out of my in-laws house to our first place-a 1 bedroom apartment. My husband and I sleep on a futon in the living space while our daughter has the bedroom as her nursery. I often worry about how we’re going to move out because we have crammed so much stuff in here that it’s going to take a million trips up and down the 3 flights of stairs to get it all out…then I started selling things at our online yard sale and taking things to thrift stores. It’s so gratifying to give! I think, being a planner, you want to be ready in the future so you hold on to things (baby clothes and toys for future children, meat that was on sale, books you hope your children read when they’re grown…) but you can only plan so far ahead and store so much before you’re creating a problem instead of solving one. What a great thought for the day. Thanks for helping me shift my focus from stocking up to solving problems.
Deni says
You couldn’t have said it better! I was shaking my head yes the whole time reading this! Lately, I have felt like I shuffle stuff around all day and don’t feel I have accomplished much. I’m also a type A personality and I get overwhelmed with so much stuff!!! The most important thing to do is once you purge, don’t go buy more stuff. Now excuse me while I go do some major purging : )
Beth says
Several years ago my husband and I decided to simplify our lives in order to save funds for retirement. It has been liberating! We purchase what we need, we spend where it benefits the most, and we enjoy our lives. We are able to live without the burden of “stuff”, because too much stuff costs time, energy, and money. I feel a little like Mel Gibson in Braveheart…..FREEEEDOM!
Chris says
I have been decluttering. It seems like an onion with layers, the more you do it, the next time you’re willing to let even something more go. I donate a lot to a thrift store that helps people with disabilities, but I also have found that some of my friends actually want some of my stuff, so that is kind of fun, knowing that someone else will enjoy my “cast-offs”.
Kelly says
This is something I think about a lot. I think to the past and how people had an everyday dress and a good dress and not much more for clothing, had one cherished dolly, lived in small houses, shared bedrooms with all their brothers/sisters and it was ok. I struggle with wanting to have less “stuff” but I am very sentimental and become attached to anything that brings up memories. Sometimes I can get away with taking a picture of that object and getting rid of it, and sometimes I still can’t let myself get rid of it. My husband also has many big collections, and our basement is full of storage bins of those things and I often ask him what is the point of having all these things if you are never going to see them, they are all stuffed in boxes. If I think about it too much it makes me crazy all the space it takes up and the money he’s put into it.
Melissa says
Couldn’t agree more! Reminding myself of others less fortunate definitely puts things into perspective. That’s why I feel good when I donate unused items that are taking up space, hoping they go to a better home where someone appreciates it. I’m working to simplify our house this year and get rid of extra stuff that is only taking up space. Luckily I have a husband that is also on board and let’s me purge. 🙂