Recreational shopping, I wish it was an oxymoron like - unbiased opinion or seriously funny- but unfortunately it's not. As the title suggests, people do approach shopping as a form of recreation. Sadly, having disposable income isn't always considered a necessity in the pursuit of such entertainment. Hence the abysmal levels of credit card debt in the Western world. Although I can't claim to be innocent of taking part in the past, I can honestly say that I did not contribute to the credit card debt statistics. Never the less, it is something I am not proud of and I am glad I learnt to be a … [Read more...]
Day 284 The joys of decluttering
With fear that lately I have started to sound like some of the nuns I remember from my school days, preaching hell and damnation day in day out, I thought I might write something a little more upbeat today. I'd like to point out the joy that can be found in decluttering your home. This joy can be appreciated from day one, not just at the end of the journey. See if you can identify with the joy of..... A Fresh Start - It is never too late to begin a new phase in your life. Cut yourself some slack and don't dwell on the past. Acknowledge the things you got right and learn the lesson of … [Read more...]
Day 257 Decluttering Kids Birthdays Part 2
Decluttering Kid Birthday Parties A guest post by Cindy Bogard Last week on Day 252 I covered family birthday parties without clutter, but what about the crazy excess that comes from a big bash with a bunch of kids? There are so many gifts and so much waste generated by the average party. Most seem to end with a big Santa sack of gifts and an equally big one of trash. The quickest way to cut down on waste is by restricting the number of kids. In my experience, though, the kids want to invite everyone in their class until second or third grade. (My parents restricted me to one guest per … [Read more...]
Day 244 Cindy’s take on avoiding decluttering
Recluttering A Guest Post by Cindy Bogard It’s bound to happen sometime; you’re going to have to break down and buy something. Before you do, consider these factors: Do I need it? Do I want it? Did I come into the store looking for this item, or did it just catch my eye? Would I be criticized if my spouse or family members knew that I had purchased this? Can I afford it? If I cannot pay for it now, should I buy it? Can I wait a week and see if I still believe I need to buy this? I am buying it “just to try itâ€? If I am, is there some other way that I could try it … [Read more...]
Day 223 Clutter weakness
Everyone seems to have at least one clutter weakness. Mine was paper crafting supplies and magazines. Even when I was at the height of my paper crafting days I think I was more addicted to shopping for supplies than I was to using them. I did do quite a bit of the craft but I bought a whole lot more than I was ever going to need even if I had continued at the crafting pace I was at. I am not sure what really turned me off my addiction but I think it may have been photo clutter. The beauty of digital photography is also its downfall. You can take as many photos as you can fit on you DS card, … [Read more...]
Day 221 In response to Day 214
Last Monday, Day 214, my post was about supply and demand. I promised to keep track of my efforts to avoid being wasteful all week and let you know how I went. The idea is to lower the demand for items therefore lessen the necessity to supply them. Well here is the result... I avoided using throw away utensils and containers when eating out. Luckily at most cafes here in Australia coffee comes in china cups unless you order it to go and they have metal utensils so this wasn't difficult to achieve. As usual I didn't bag up my fruit and vegetable when at the supermarket so no plastic … [Read more...]
Day 214 Supply and Demand
There is an election going on at the moment here in Australia. The politicians often jump on the environmental bandwagon to win votes. The issues they promise they are going to address when they win are just a drop in the bucket to what really needs doing. In fact they aren't prepared to do much at all when it comes to the manufacturing of pointless garbage like... the free toys in kids meals and other promotional products wasteful single use gadgets shoddy appliances that don't last and can't be repaired Disposable cutlery & plates Cheap souvenirs The sheer quantity of … [Read more...]
Day 213 A little helpful hint
I happened upon a conversation at my work this week where one of the ladies was talking about getting money from petty cash to buy a new kettle for the lunch room. The old kettle still works quite well but due to who knows what in the water the inside of the kettle goes quite black over time. This new kettle buying has gone on in the past in fact I rescued the last kettle from it's certain demise with the simple hint that I am about to share with you. Clearly word had not got around that I knew the secret of cleaning the kettle. I find this very odd because as you might have guessed by now, I … [Read more...]
Day 209 Birthday unclutter
Yesterday was my son's 19th birthday and what did I buy him? NOTHING. Yes that is right nothing at least not material things that linger around for years to come. Being a young person he is not rolling in cash so he received the one thing he needed, money. You may be thinking "what kind of unthoughtful mother is she not even making an effort for her own son's birthday". Well I didn't say I didn't make an effort. Before I went to work I baked him a lovely chocolate cake with yummy chocolate ganache frosting. I don't keep candles and that sort of stuff any more but I made a cute happy … [Read more...]
Day 199 Alternatives to clutter gifts
Below I have listed some alternatives to clutter gifts. By clutter gifts I mean anything that is not consumable or an act of service that will remain in your home after it is has been used. Edible Treats Chocolate/Candy Cake (provide a cake for someones happy occasion) Fruit basket (what could be more colorful or healthy than that) Bottle of wine / 6 pack of Boutique Beer... A home cooked meal is always a treat for a special occasion A cookie basket Take them out to dinner/lunch/ breakfast etc Gift Certificate Dining Out Hardware Groceries Spa … [Read more...]