This is my mantra right now.
We are stuff magnets. I don't really know how it happens. I think stuff just sneaks into our house while we are sleeping, seriously. When we moved we brought like 30 boxes of garage sale stuff with us! 30 boxes. That stuff is mostly gone. We have had two garage sales this summer, are selling some of the larger stuff on craigslist, and donated the rest. And I've already started to collect for next summer's garage sale.
With all that stuff, you would think I have some sort of shopping problem. But I don't. I guess I have a saving problem. You know, the we should keep it because someday I will use it or the kids will play with it again or so-and-so gave it to us, sort of problem. I fear that I will get rid of something that we will eventually need again or want again and the frugal side of me will then kick myself.
I have a very difficult time getting rid of my kids' toys. Our house isn't that big and doesn't have a dedicated play room so finding room for all their toys without living in toyland can be a challenge. But I have a hard time getting over the fact that "someone" gave them that toy or that they might want to play with it in the future. I'm trying really hard to get over it...so Hailey, Micah, and Mari - if you are reading this someday and wonder whatever happened to that one toy... I'm very sorry.
Rarely do I find myself able to purge without guilt. When those moments do come, I must take advantage. So I'm organizing my house and working on getting rid of some of the clutter in the hope that maybe, just maybe my home won't look like a perpetual disaster area. Hey a girl can dream!
my clutter bugs
This is a lot of why we keep stuff around too! It isn't really the kids--ours would probably not miss a lot of it (especially since they don't take care of it), but I struggle to send it out the door. The truth I need to face is the "daily" needs, and if we don't need or use it day after day, then we don't need or use it at all. And then I'd better begin sewing up my fabric, so I don't have to give it away too! :D
ReplyDeleteEach little step forward is progress :o)
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to your struggles with getting rid of things that you can remember who you got it from. Especially if that person(s) aren't really in your life anymore. I have a lot of hand-me-down toys that Julia got from some of my preschool families in CA. I can remember that family or that child and saving toys from them is like still having them apart of our lives. Its sill really but that tends to be the hardest things to get rid of. Good luck with your purging!!
ReplyDeleteThat was supposed to say "silly"
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Amanda! I totally do the, we might need it, so and so gave it to us, what if she decides she likes it again, maybe I can use it for something else, thing. And we also moved with a whole bunch of get rid of stuff. Most of the main room in our basement is stuff to get rid of. I intended to have a yard sale but I think we are just going to get rid of it!
ReplyDeleteI read a blog post on simplifying your life that said we use 80% of our stuff 20% of the time and 20% of our stuff 80% of the time. This lady said she even went so far as to pack up every item in her kitchen. Over 2 weeks if she needed something she took it out of the box and put it away...after 2 weeks (or maybe a month) if she hadn't taken it out of the box she donated it. I bet we could do a similar thing with toys or other areas of the house...it's crazy to think how much we hold onto on the off chance we'll need it...or to see it in a box to bring back a memory...really those memories are probably all we need...
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments everyone! I'm glad to know I'm not alone!
ReplyDeleteRachael, I do something like that with my closet. When I begin a new season I hang my hangers backwards, then when something is worn and washed I put it back correctly. At the end of the season I can see what has been worn and what hasn't.