TraceyS/FL Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 In cleaning out my "old" stuff. I'm locked on a path right now, and there is just a bunch of stuff that i have bought that i can't hang onto. I think. But then, i can't see getting rid of some of it..... heck, my parents still have college textbooks, maybe i can keep it all? :tongue_smilie: But really, i have stuff that i need to get rid of - i can't figure out how else to buy books for next year. I saw something today on the FS board that i need for next year - but gee, i have no money. :banghead: Guess i'll gather it up and have a "divorce forces sale" sale huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Hangeth thou in there, Tracey - you can do it! Think of it maybe as blessing someone else, so that you can buy what you need? And the truth is - if you hang onto it, thinking you'll use it - Well. You probably won't. Ask me how I know. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datmama4 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 (edited) In cleaning out my "old" stuff. I'm locked on a path right now, and there is just a bunch of stuff that i have bought that i can't hang onto. I think. But then, i can't see getting rid of some of it..... heck, my parents still have college textbooks, maybe i can keep it all? :tongue_smilie: You can be strong and DO THIS! Take a look at what you have. If it's something you don't "need" (i.e., knicknacks, stuff, too many clothes), then ask yourself if you really love it. If you are keeping it because the person who gave it to you will get mad if you get rid of it, get rid of it. If you are keeping clothes which fit but that you hate because they're just not "you," get rid of them (if you can't afford more, get rid of the ones you hate most until you can add things one at a time). If they're books you "might" need, or just can't stand the idea of parting with, take a realistic look at whether you'll ever read them again in your lifetime. Or whether your kids will want them when you die and they have to sort through your house. If they are books which were OK but not great for re-reads, get rid of them and borrow them from the library if you absolutely have to handle them again ten years from now. Let someone else store them. If nothing else, your parents' college textbooks should be an inspiration for you -- how much of the information in them is still up-to-date or valid? (Of course, if they are chemists, the periodic table is still the same, but you can always buy a poster of it, LOL) ;) I've found when I start blessing someone else with my stuff, I always have what I need when I need it. I don't have a clutter-free house by any means, but I consistently work towards one, and I've never tossed or given anything I've regretted. I'll be cheering for you! Edited January 31, 2009 by datmama4 spelling error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennifersLost Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Decluttering - my favorite topic! Be ruthless - and be prepared. Have boxes or bags ready for each pile - the stuff to keep, the stuff to throw out and the stuff to take to GoodWill. Then as soon as you're done, get it out of the house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datmama4 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I learned my technique from Flylady.net The box idea works extremely well. One to keep (and put away), one to give, and one for the trash. The trick really is to get it out of the house and don't look at it again. If it sits around waiting to go to GoodWill, Salvation Army, local mission, wherever, you will be tempted to go through the box again and perhaps change your mind about some items. One person I know always uses black garbage bags so she can't see into them! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted January 31, 2009 Author Share Posted January 31, 2009 One person I know always uses black garbage bags so she can't see into them! LOL There is the ticket!! Thanks ladies..... i'm going to start with the school stuff. And the kids clothes..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datmama4 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Good luck and keep us posted! I'll cheer for anyone who declutters, LOL. The kids' clothes were always the hardest for me until I made myself a few rules. 1. If they had to be stored more than two years before the next one grew into them, they had to be a "classic" look with no elastic parts that would dry-rot in the attic. 2. If the next child in line for them was a completely different body type (my second son will never grow into his older brother's things, because son #2 is thin and son #1 is stockier), then they were given away. 3. Whatever was kept as "current use" had to all fit into their clothing drawers or closet. 4. In my daughter's case, if a pair of pants was really cute but had absolutely no shirt which matched it, out it went. And she could only keep a reasonable number of shirts which only matched blue jeans or neutral pants. Again, it was a fits-in-the-drawers issue. I hope this can help you -- for the record, my kids have never gone naked...unless planning on it, hee hee. We received so many items of clothing from friends and relatives that we were able to be very discerning about which ones were kept. And every time we gave some away, someone else would provide what we needed when we needed it. I've only once bought a coat for any of my children (and my oldest is 15!). There just always seems to be someone (one of their friends, a cousin, whoever) who is growing out of a brand-new-looking coat at the right time. Fancy that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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