How decluttering can improve your finances ~ by deanna ar USA With contributions from her husband Randy The last few years hubby and I have noticed an improvement in our finances because we were purchasing less, in order not to add items to our home, when we were in fact working to declutter it. It was easy to see that I had not  shopped Coldwater Creek (my favorite) in a couple of years. In fact I had not been compelled to shop anywhere because so many items were decluttered that we hadn't needed anyway, i.e. household items, hubby's hobby items, tools, etc. About the only place I was … [Read more...]
Calling all elementary (primary) school teachers
I received an email from an elementary school teacher, Rose Ann, a while back who needs help with keeping stuff under control in the classroom. Or maybe she even collects the stuff and keeps it around the house for when she needs it in class. She really didn't elaborate on that. But I digress. As I have little experience in classrooms these days I would like any elementary/primary school teachers, who might be reading, to share their experience on how they keep their school supplies under control. Here is her email. "Teachers save way too many things all the time. Do you have … [Read more...]
The ability to, and satisfaction of, improvising
I have written about this before but it is an important skill when it comes to living with less stuff. But don't be deterred by the word improvise. Even though some people may have more skills at this than others, when it comes to everyday improvising I am sure everyone can do it without much thought. The reason I even bring up the subject is that much of the tools, or gadget if you like, that we have around out homes perform the same tasks as one another. So at least half of them aren't even necessary to the smooth running of our homes. A simple knife for example can, with a little … [Read more...]
Ringing Out the Old and Welcoming the New ~ By Deb J
How many of you come to the end of the year with a bundle of paper you need to keep to prepare your taxes or because you have to be reimbursed for medical expenses or for who knows what reason? How many of you just find that at the end of the year you have piles of Stuff you can’t remember having a reason to keep? How many start the year with plans to do better and then it all falls apart? Every year I find myself going through a large personal safe of paperwork. I’ve been good about filing it away but I still have way more than I want or need. I also find myself starting a new … [Read more...]
The problem is acquiring
Clutter is very much about being keener to acquire than to let go. We acquire things we need or want but once their usefulness to us has expired we hang on to them. I feel that there are three main reasons for that and they are laziness, fear and indifference. Laziness of course refers to having the stuff there, being aware that it is a problem but refusing to deal with it because you just don't want to make the effort. Fear is all about thinking you might need it some day and keeping it just in case. And indifference is being aware that you have clutter but don't mind, don't care or even … [Read more...]
Someday
You know how the saying goes ~ "Tomorrow never comes." Well someday is usually even further away than tomorrow. So keeping stuff simply because you might need it someday is a fools game if you are attempting to declutter. Especially if they are items that, in reality, you could easily manage without. For example, silly little single use kitchen gadgets that do the same thing as a knife. That mass of household stationery supplies that could supply a large office for a year. That thing-a-ma-jig to fix that thing that you don't even own anymore. Just to name a few. Then there are items you … [Read more...]
A post from the archives ~ Ten questions
Last week I received a response from deanna ar USAÂ to the following archived post. Deanna is relatively new to my blog and is busy reading through the archives. Quite a feat given I have been writing for over five years now. I was glad she drew my attention to this old post because there would be quite a lot of my current readers who have never had the opportunity to answer the questions involved. There would also still be some readers around who answered it the first time who could give us some interesting updates on their continued progress. Either way it will be fun to read all your … [Read more...]
Clutter Maintenance
Every time I have moved house I have had a reasonable length of notice. Although, sometimes the definite ~ "Yes we are moving." ~ may have come a little last minute but the maybe had been on the cards for long enough to have me get the preparation ball rolling. Â And by that I don't only mean decluttering but also... ...rounding up of like items throughout the home. ...bagging up tiny like items that might get lost if not secured together. ...cleaning items that may have become soiled either by constant or lack of use. ...running down of consumable items such as, toiletries, food … [Read more...]
Following my own advice
As the title suggests I have been taking my own advice and finding ten minutes daily this week to declutter some stuff around my house. And although the difference is small I feel a whole lot better for having done it. The first area I decluttered was a drawer in my side-table next to my spot on the sofa. It wasn't cluttered as such, as there was plenty of vacant space in it. However it still had things that had arrived there over time that either didn't belong there, was rubbish or useless to me. I decluttered a small flashlight to the donate pile, a plastic bag to the bin and I little … [Read more...]
In the moment
Today's post has been brought out of the archives as a timely reminder to stay in the moment. We all spend far too much time "multi tasking" and thinking about what has to be done next, which often will result in poor quality output and stress. So I wanted to reiterate the message that we need to strive to keep our minds in the moment, as the only time we have is right now. *********** I want you to take one minute now to do exactly as I say. Read the full set of instructions below and then act them out immediately before you forget… Stop what you are doing. Close your … [Read more...]