Two days ago I announced to my family that spring break (in three weeks) was going to mean spring cleaning for us. After working 24/7 for the last year and a half I need a break and my house needs to be scrubbed from top to bottom.
Yesterday, son #3 was home sick and apparently bored because suddenly he started hauling boxes and bags out of his room and into mine. Then he started hauling furniture out. By the end of the afternoon things were pretty bare.
Being the good mom that I am, I yelled at him. :(
In my defense, I did say that spring cleaning was going to happen in three weeks - NOT YESTERDAY. I am currently working 12 hour days finishing a huge production push with my job and I am not ready to move furniture, go to Good Will or any of those things. I am a little bit at the end of my rope.
It's good to know the kids have absorbed de-cluttering skills, however.
Showing posts with label Halving Your Stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halving Your Stuff. Show all posts
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Housing Market
We're re-listing our house this week and dropping the price.
Last night I stayed up until the wee hours looking at all the MLS listings for Santa Cruz, California, where I used to live. Prices there are sliding - especially on the low end of the market. Compared to the rest of the world, real estate in this coastal town is still ridiculous, but not quite as ridiculous as it was last year.
Several things caught my eye: there were stand-alone houses (albeit small, decrepit ones out in the boonies) listed for under $300,000. Even one or two under $200,000. I haven't seen that in years.
Suddenly there is a flood of mobile homes and condos on the market, too. People are unloading their second and third (investment) properties. Some are probably trying to get out while the getting is still good. One in particular caught my eye - a two bedroom, two bath mobile home not far out of downtown Santa Cruz. It's price? $40,000. That's unheard of - at least in this last decade.
Western Canada is different than California, but I can see what's coming; it's time for us to sell. So I'm going to shake off these March blahs, get a sign out in our front yard and clean the house from top to bottom. I'm ready for our next project. Let's get going!
Last night I stayed up until the wee hours looking at all the MLS listings for Santa Cruz, California, where I used to live. Prices there are sliding - especially on the low end of the market. Compared to the rest of the world, real estate in this coastal town is still ridiculous, but not quite as ridiculous as it was last year.
Several things caught my eye: there were stand-alone houses (albeit small, decrepit ones out in the boonies) listed for under $300,000. Even one or two under $200,000. I haven't seen that in years.
Suddenly there is a flood of mobile homes and condos on the market, too. People are unloading their second and third (investment) properties. Some are probably trying to get out while the getting is still good. One in particular caught my eye - a two bedroom, two bath mobile home not far out of downtown Santa Cruz. It's price? $40,000. That's unheard of - at least in this last decade.
Western Canada is different than California, but I can see what's coming; it's time for us to sell. So I'm going to shake off these March blahs, get a sign out in our front yard and clean the house from top to bottom. I'm ready for our next project. Let's get going!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Hard Choices
I can't afford everything I want right now.
That's a scary sentence, isn't it? Try saying it out loud: I can't afford everything I want right now.
Did you do it? Did you say it out loud? Or did you make a face, jump over that sentence quickly and move right along, hoping to get to another topic? Did you feel that if you said it out loud, it might make it come true - more true than it is already?
I feel that way - superstitious about money. But on the other hand, I also feel a tiny bit freer every time I tell the truth about it: I can't afford everything I want right now. The thing about the truth is that it anchors you in the present, while leaving room for future possibilities. I can't afford everything I want...right now. But that doesn't mean that over the course of my life I won't experience most things I'd like to experience.
For the last few years my parents have been paying for music lessons and karate for my kids. It's been wonderful, but a month or so ago my father let me know ever-so-subtly that they need to cut back. I immediately told the kids so they could be prepared: next fall everyone gets one activity - that's it.
Yesterday, reality set in. My oldest son plays violin, drums, baritone and piano. He takes lessons for violin and piano. We rent the piano. My son thought he had formulated a good plan; he'd drop piano lessons and continue his studies of the instrument on his own. After all, he knew the basics already.
He'd forgotten all about the cost of the piano.
"We can only put our first four months' rent toward purchasing it," I told my son. "We have to decide right now whether to buy it or not. I can purchase it out of savings, but we'll have to pay that money back."
The piano costs $1050. We've paid $200 toward it already. I could put another $200 or so toward the cost out of money I've put aside toward activities. My son would need to come up with the other $650.00.
I sat with my son while he worked it out. I could tell he wanted me to come up with another source for the money. He wanted me to take care of it for him, and I wanted to take care of it for him, too. Every mommy fiber in my body was crying out, "It's a piano, for God's sake! How can you not buy your kid a piano!?!"
But you know what? I can't afford everything I want right now...not even for my kids.
So I sat, and I breathed, and I told myself - my kid can have that piano if it's what he really wants. He's paid off large purchases before and he can do it again. If he got an after-school job he could pay it off in a matter of weeks. Still, I wanted so badly to intervene and just buy the darn thing and hand it to him.
After a couple of minutes my son said, "I don't think we should buy it. I think I should concentrate on my violin. There are other things I want to spend my money on more than a piano. I started taking lessons because I thought I needed piano to get into music school, but I've decided I'm not making a career of music, anyway."
Not the answer I expected, but a well-thought-out answer nonetheless. I'm happy to report that the decision doesn't seem to have caused him to lose any sleep. He's bright and cheerful today. I'm still having plenty of qualms. How do I not buy the piano? Surely we have the money for a piano! It's hard to let my child learn these lessons. It's hard to let myself learn them, too. It's very freeing, though, to speak the truth:
My son could buy that piano if he really wanted it. Heck, I could buy that piano if I really wanted to.
Obviously, the piano is not really that important, after all.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Old Habits Are Hard To Break
I took my fifteen-year-old son to WalMart this morning to buy some socks and shoes. He gets a larger monthly allowance than our other kids do and is expected to buy all his own clothes out of it. He's been skating by with hand-me-downs from his sixteen-year-old cousin, but that gravy train has run out, so it was time to shop.
As I wandered around the store I spotted a certain item of clothing on sale that I could use one or two more of. A certain...uh...intimate item of clothing that one really should try on before one buys, but one never really wants to try on - certainly not in a WalMart fitting room. I grabbed two. They were $4.50 a piece - how could I resist such a low price?
I should have resisted it. They're both the wrong size, laughably so. They're cheap as all get out. Two pieces of crap, forgive my French, and now I'm out ten bucks. I'll take them back, but really - I ought to know better. Didn't I just say a couple of weeks ago that it's better to buy one quality item than a multitude of cheap junk?
I've learned my lesson. And my son is learning lessons, too, about taking his time, shopping around and buying smart. He didn't like the prices of the jeans at WalMart ("They're $17.50, Mom!"), so I'll take him to the consignment and thrift stores next week and see what he can find. He's not going to pay for "quality clothes" at his age - he'd much rather spend the money on a new guitar amp. I guess the acorn doesn't fall far from the oak tree, eh?
As I wandered around the store I spotted a certain item of clothing on sale that I could use one or two more of. A certain...uh...intimate item of clothing that one really should try on before one buys, but one never really wants to try on - certainly not in a WalMart fitting room. I grabbed two. They were $4.50 a piece - how could I resist such a low price?
I should have resisted it. They're both the wrong size, laughably so. They're cheap as all get out. Two pieces of crap, forgive my French, and now I'm out ten bucks. I'll take them back, but really - I ought to know better. Didn't I just say a couple of weeks ago that it's better to buy one quality item than a multitude of cheap junk?
I've learned my lesson. And my son is learning lessons, too, about taking his time, shopping around and buying smart. He didn't like the prices of the jeans at WalMart ("They're $17.50, Mom!"), so I'll take him to the consignment and thrift stores next week and see what he can find. He's not going to pay for "quality clothes" at his age - he'd much rather spend the money on a new guitar amp. I guess the acorn doesn't fall far from the oak tree, eh?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
I'm Almost Done
Five months ago I arrived home from New York determined to halve my possessions. I'm getting perilously close to finishing. In some ways it's an ongoing process; like any other mother, I'm always going to have to sort through old clothes, toys, and papers that my children accumulate and then outgrow.
But I really have gone through and weeded out a large proportion of my possessions. My house seems very roomy when I walk around it. It seems much too big.
Just because I've halved my possessions (or maybe "thirded" them at this point?), doesn't mean that my work is finished, however. It just means I've cleared the ground for moving forward. Now comes the hard part: changing the way I live my life.
My husband brought up the point this morning that we need to become more deliberate about our consumption. When we identify a real need we should stop to consider our purchase instead of acting in haste. We should reward the best producers when we spend our money, and it that way we'll end up rewarding ourselves, too.
If I need a new sweater, for example, I can look at that purchase from several angles. I could simply buy yarn and make one myself, assuming that I'll both enjoy the experience and get exactly what I want. Or I could cruise the local thrift and consignment stores, with the intention of getting more use out of an object that's already been produced. Or I can buy a new one.
I don't know about you, but I've gotten into an awful shopping habit. I walk into a clothing store, look for a "great deal" - two for one shirts, for example - and pick up a bunch of them. I feel so much more virtuous when I walk out the store with six shapeless cotton t-shirts than I do if I buy one gorgeously tailored shirt that fits me perfectly. Then I get home, put one on and look in the mirror and wonder why I look like crap all the time.
There are several issues here. One, when I buy a shirt that costs five dollars, I know someone isn't getting paid a living wage. Two, I know that shirt has been shipped halfway around the world. Three, I know it's going to fall apart within a season or two. It's supposed to; otherwise I wouldn't go back to the store and buy more. Four, I bought six of them! I spent the same amount of money as I would have on the gorgeous shirt.
Five, at the end of it all I still wasn't happy.
And that's what I'll talk about more and more in the coming weeks. Most of our consumption isn't based on need at all - it's a senseless pursuit of fleeting feelings we identify as happiness, but aren't anything like the real thing.
It's time for a sea change.
But I really have gone through and weeded out a large proportion of my possessions. My house seems very roomy when I walk around it. It seems much too big.
Just because I've halved my possessions (or maybe "thirded" them at this point?), doesn't mean that my work is finished, however. It just means I've cleared the ground for moving forward. Now comes the hard part: changing the way I live my life.
My husband brought up the point this morning that we need to become more deliberate about our consumption. When we identify a real need we should stop to consider our purchase instead of acting in haste. We should reward the best producers when we spend our money, and it that way we'll end up rewarding ourselves, too.
If I need a new sweater, for example, I can look at that purchase from several angles. I could simply buy yarn and make one myself, assuming that I'll both enjoy the experience and get exactly what I want. Or I could cruise the local thrift and consignment stores, with the intention of getting more use out of an object that's already been produced. Or I can buy a new one.
I don't know about you, but I've gotten into an awful shopping habit. I walk into a clothing store, look for a "great deal" - two for one shirts, for example - and pick up a bunch of them. I feel so much more virtuous when I walk out the store with six shapeless cotton t-shirts than I do if I buy one gorgeously tailored shirt that fits me perfectly. Then I get home, put one on and look in the mirror and wonder why I look like crap all the time.
There are several issues here. One, when I buy a shirt that costs five dollars, I know someone isn't getting paid a living wage. Two, I know that shirt has been shipped halfway around the world. Three, I know it's going to fall apart within a season or two. It's supposed to; otherwise I wouldn't go back to the store and buy more. Four, I bought six of them! I spent the same amount of money as I would have on the gorgeous shirt.
Five, at the end of it all I still wasn't happy.
And that's what I'll talk about more and more in the coming weeks. Most of our consumption isn't based on need at all - it's a senseless pursuit of fleeting feelings we identify as happiness, but aren't anything like the real thing.
It's time for a sea change.
The Dreaded Art Cabinet
I can't tell you how long I've put off facing these next two cabinets. Actually, I have a feeling I've cleaned them out and posted pictures of these before, but like anything else associated with my seven year old daughter, they have a way of exploding out of control at a moment's notice (you should see her room).
Here are the befores:
And the afters. Look - I got another empty drawer!
Here are the befores:
And the afters. Look - I got another empty drawer!
Shelf Space
I am beginning to collect empty cabinets. They're kind of a security blanket for me, letting me know that when I sell this house and move to a smaller one all my stuff will fit.
I worked on a set of storage cabinets down in my basement yesterday. In the original configuration of this house they would have been in the kitchen of the basement suite. We've been using them as a place to store tools, paints, cleaning supplies and other things we needed for the renovation. I didn't manage to "halve" it - too much of the stuff either belongs to my husband or we still use; I refuse to throw out cleaning supplies, for example.
Here are a few "before" pictures:
And here are the "after" shots. Not a huge difference, but at least it's more organized.
I puttered around the rec room some more and cleaned out a few things. Here's my final pile of stuff going either to GoodWill or the trash:
I worked on a set of storage cabinets down in my basement yesterday. In the original configuration of this house they would have been in the kitchen of the basement suite. We've been using them as a place to store tools, paints, cleaning supplies and other things we needed for the renovation. I didn't manage to "halve" it - too much of the stuff either belongs to my husband or we still use; I refuse to throw out cleaning supplies, for example.
Here are a few "before" pictures:
And here are the "after" shots. Not a huge difference, but at least it's more organized.
I puttered around the rec room some more and cleaned out a few things. Here's my final pile of stuff going either to GoodWill or the trash:
Friday, January 23, 2009
Halving Your Paperwork
I tackled my file cabinet first this morning during my attempt to finish halving my bedroom. I do this once a year anyway, usually around the time I file my taxes. I relish the fact that I get to throw away a year's worth of old tax papers (from eight years ago), and there's always something else to get rid of, too.
Here's the beginning pile:
And here's the pile of stuff that eventually landed in the trash:
Not half by any stretch of the imagination, but a pretty respectable showing, I think. Most of that pile represents tax documents from back when I ran a large daycare out of my home. Going through them brought back a lot of memories of the days when toddlers swarmed me and I almost always had a baby (or two) in my arms. I wish I had let myself enjoy it more. I had no idea how transitory that stage was going to be. It's been nearly five years since I shut it down and we moved out of California.
I'll admit that sometimes I avoid going through my stuff because I know I'm going to suffer bouts of nostalgia. Argh - who's got a baby I can snuggle!?!
Here's the beginning pile:
And here's the pile of stuff that eventually landed in the trash:
Not half by any stretch of the imagination, but a pretty respectable showing, I think. Most of that pile represents tax documents from back when I ran a large daycare out of my home. Going through them brought back a lot of memories of the days when toddlers swarmed me and I almost always had a baby (or two) in my arms. I wish I had let myself enjoy it more. I had no idea how transitory that stage was going to be. It's been nearly five years since I shut it down and we moved out of California.
I'll admit that sometimes I avoid going through my stuff because I know I'm going to suffer bouts of nostalgia. Argh - who's got a baby I can snuggle!?!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Get Rid Of It - You Know The Outfit I Mean!
I think I mentioned that I'm in a group of women working our way through a book called, The Artist's Way. We read a chapter every two weeks, do a lot of journaling and the "tasks" that the book sets, then come together and talk about our experiences.
One of the tasks the author set last week was to go through your closet and pull out the one outfit that you hate - the one that makes you feel rotten every time you wear it, but you keep because it's perfectly good...
Well, you know how much I love weeding through stuff. You'd think by this time I'd have gotten rid of all those kinds of outfits, but you'd be wrong. I hate bulky sweaters and I hate pants, but I live in the northwest of British Columbia, so I spend about three-quarters of my time here dressed in pants and bulky sweaters. I hit the thrift stores each fall and load up on new sweaters, but by December I hate them all. No. I don't hate them....I loathe them.
I used to be a big proponent of setting fire to the things you hate. Luckily, I got a little more ecologically minded. Plus it's dripping wet here all the time in January, so bonfires are out. I'm happy to say that I very obediently went into my closet the other day and pulled out the most offensive sweater I own - a stupid blue one that makes me look like a fuzzy Butterball turkey. It will never darken my door again, but perhaps someone else will just love it. And perhaps that person will decide to clear out her closet and the next time I go to Goodwill or the consignment store, there it will be - the one sweater I actually like. There's always hope, right?
Is one of those outfits hiding in your closet right now? The one you punish yourself with when you're already having a crappy day? The one you put on because "no one's going to see you anyway and you didn't even wash your hair today so what's the use?" The one you wear because you gained five pounds and it's how you deserve to look?
Burn it!
Ahem, I mean donate it today - someone will like it, right? And you'll have cleared a place in your closet for something new, exciting and pretty to come your way. You can't accept the Universe's bounty until you clear out your pantry, right?
Get to it!
One of the tasks the author set last week was to go through your closet and pull out the one outfit that you hate - the one that makes you feel rotten every time you wear it, but you keep because it's perfectly good...
Well, you know how much I love weeding through stuff. You'd think by this time I'd have gotten rid of all those kinds of outfits, but you'd be wrong. I hate bulky sweaters and I hate pants, but I live in the northwest of British Columbia, so I spend about three-quarters of my time here dressed in pants and bulky sweaters. I hit the thrift stores each fall and load up on new sweaters, but by December I hate them all. No. I don't hate them....I loathe them.
I used to be a big proponent of setting fire to the things you hate. Luckily, I got a little more ecologically minded. Plus it's dripping wet here all the time in January, so bonfires are out. I'm happy to say that I very obediently went into my closet the other day and pulled out the most offensive sweater I own - a stupid blue one that makes me look like a fuzzy Butterball turkey. It will never darken my door again, but perhaps someone else will just love it. And perhaps that person will decide to clear out her closet and the next time I go to Goodwill or the consignment store, there it will be - the one sweater I actually like. There's always hope, right?
Is one of those outfits hiding in your closet right now? The one you punish yourself with when you're already having a crappy day? The one you put on because "no one's going to see you anyway and you didn't even wash your hair today so what's the use?" The one you wear because you gained five pounds and it's how you deserve to look?
Ahem, I mean donate it today - someone will like it, right? And you'll have cleared a place in your closet for something new, exciting and pretty to come your way. You can't accept the Universe's bounty until you clear out your pantry, right?
Get to it!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Room One Halving Plan
I know many of you are familiar with FlyLady.com, so I'm not going to re-invent the wheel here, but I will talk a little more about halving, organizing, paring down...whatever you want to call it.
We all have stuff that needs to be organized and taken care of, right? You may or may not be in the mood right now to pare down, but after the holidays most of us are faced with cleaning and organizing of some sort.
I'm proposing that we pick a room to work on during the month of January. First, take a second to count the number of rooms in your house. I, unfortunately, have fourteen. However, I'm not touching my husband's workroom or office, so that leaves me twelve rooms. (I count my stairs, entryway, halls and laundry room as one space).
Now pick one to work on in January. I think I'm going to pick my bedroom again. I already halved it earlier this fall, but somehow....it's not feeling halved. And since I store all my Christmas purchases in my closet during November and December it's pretty much a wreck now.
Next, break it down into trouble spots. I have:
1. closet
2. dresser
3. desk
4. under bed
5. file cabinets
6. corner shelf thing
7. television stand
Here's the big trick to halving (or organizing) - don't do it all at once. Pull out your calendar and pick a date for each trouble area. My closet and file cabinets may each take an hour, but the rest of those trouble areas are going to take 15 to 30 minutes - an easy amount of time to slip into a regular day.
I just wrote those jobs into my calendar. I put no more than two of them per week and I still have an empty week at the end of January.
What room will you work on this month?
We all have stuff that needs to be organized and taken care of, right? You may or may not be in the mood right now to pare down, but after the holidays most of us are faced with cleaning and organizing of some sort.
I'm proposing that we pick a room to work on during the month of January. First, take a second to count the number of rooms in your house. I, unfortunately, have fourteen. However, I'm not touching my husband's workroom or office, so that leaves me twelve rooms. (I count my stairs, entryway, halls and laundry room as one space).
Now pick one to work on in January. I think I'm going to pick my bedroom again. I already halved it earlier this fall, but somehow....it's not feeling halved. And since I store all my Christmas purchases in my closet during November and December it's pretty much a wreck now.
Next, break it down into trouble spots. I have:
1. closet
2. dresser
3. desk
4. under bed
5. file cabinets
6. corner shelf thing
7. television stand
Here's the big trick to halving (or organizing) - don't do it all at once. Pull out your calendar and pick a date for each trouble area. My closet and file cabinets may each take an hour, but the rest of those trouble areas are going to take 15 to 30 minutes - an easy amount of time to slip into a regular day.
I just wrote those jobs into my calendar. I put no more than two of them per week and I still have an empty week at the end of January.
What room will you work on this month?
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Giving It Away - The Honest Consumer
You'll notice a new widget over on the right-hand column. It's a picture of a bag of groceries with the title: The Honest Consumer.
The Honest Consumer is a companion blog to this one. It's purpose is very simple. It is a documentation of everything I consume (purchase or receive) in the year 2009. I will try to document what the rest of my family consumes, as well. We'll see how that goes. Since I'm the one who does all the shopping (pretty much) for food, clothes, books and gifts, it should cover the bulk of what we go through.
Why am I doing this? As a way to get a better handle on my family's footprint on this earth. It's easy to look up numbers for things like carbon consumption and all that. There are plenty of guesstimates about the goings on of a "typical family of four". But we're a family of six. And we're not that typical. Or are we?
I guess we'll find out.
If you hop over to The Honest Consumer, you'll see I went shopping for clothes today. I got six shirts/jackets and one pair of pants for less than $60. Not bad. Some of my old layering t-shirts have gotten stained. Others aren't flattering. I feel all right about this purchase.
But I'm not planning on doubling my wardrobe, so here's a picture of the clothes going to Goodwill and the consignment store. I already halved my wardrobe, so the amount I'm passing on equals the amount I took in today.
If I keep this up, someday I will adore every item in my wardrobe.
The Honest Consumer is a companion blog to this one. It's purpose is very simple. It is a documentation of everything I consume (purchase or receive) in the year 2009. I will try to document what the rest of my family consumes, as well. We'll see how that goes. Since I'm the one who does all the shopping (pretty much) for food, clothes, books and gifts, it should cover the bulk of what we go through.
Why am I doing this? As a way to get a better handle on my family's footprint on this earth. It's easy to look up numbers for things like carbon consumption and all that. There are plenty of guesstimates about the goings on of a "typical family of four". But we're a family of six. And we're not that typical. Or are we?
I guess we'll find out.
If you hop over to The Honest Consumer, you'll see I went shopping for clothes today. I got six shirts/jackets and one pair of pants for less than $60. Not bad. Some of my old layering t-shirts have gotten stained. Others aren't flattering. I feel all right about this purchase.
But I'm not planning on doubling my wardrobe, so here's a picture of the clothes going to Goodwill and the consignment store. I already halved my wardrobe, so the amount I'm passing on equals the amount I took in today.
If I keep this up, someday I will adore every item in my wardrobe.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Halving Your Memorabilia
Ooooh, this is a tough one, isn't it? Memorabilia generally boils down to two categories:
Stuff that evokes special memories for you and stuff that evokes special memories for other people, but somehow it's sitting on your shelves.
Let's deal with them separately.
Stuff that evokes special memories for you
1. Gather together your memorabilia and look it over. Do you see any trends? Does some of it "go together?" Start sorting it into piles, and while you're at it toss anything you know you don't need to keep.
Piles might include:
Trophies
Photographs
Clothing
Collectibles
Souveniers
You get the idea
2. Try to look at your memorabilia with new eyes. How can you hold onto the memories without holding onto the actual "things"? Could you document the trophies with photographs and put them in one small photobook? Or could you arrange them nicely and take one large picture? When it comes to the small trophies little kids get for almost every sport these days, I leave them alone until I find them on the floor under the bed covered with dust. Then I quietly get rid of them. When the child is old enough to have worked hard for the trophy I keep them in a special place until that child decides on his own he's through with it. Adult children should keep their trophies at their houses.
If your collectibles suit you, fine! Keep and display them. If you're no longer interested in displaying them, it's time to find them a new home. If it makes you feel better, make an effort to find someone who really wants them instead of giving them to GoodWill. Better yet, sell them on eBay and pocket the cash!
I'm a firm believer in containing memorabilia. Things I keep: some schoolwork and art projects the kids have made. These tail off considerably when kids grow up, so even if you feel buried under artwork for the first few years, hang in there; the end is in sight. Every year I sort through all of them. As time passes I find it easier to sort out the masterpieces from the scribbles. I keep pictures that express my children's own character and creative writing pieces. I throw out "busy-work" stuff.
I only keep a few pieces of clothing for old times' sake. Otherwise I clear my closet so that I have room for new "special" outfits. I have a few baby clothes from each child, but little else. I do have my wedding dress.
Stuff that evokes memories for other people
Sometimes people are ready to get rid of things, but are held back by guilt. They assuage this guilt by passing them on to you, telling you how special the object is and how they know you'll like it.
I take these things with a smile and a nod. They live in my closet for awhile. Then they go to GoodWill. Most times the person who gave it to me never mentions it again. If they ask, I say, "It's packed away right now." I figure if you give me a "gift" it's mine to do with as I please.
Stuff that evokes special memories for you and stuff that evokes special memories for other people, but somehow it's sitting on your shelves.
Let's deal with them separately.
Stuff that evokes special memories for you
1. Gather together your memorabilia and look it over. Do you see any trends? Does some of it "go together?" Start sorting it into piles, and while you're at it toss anything you know you don't need to keep.
Piles might include:
Trophies
Photographs
Clothing
Collectibles
Souveniers
You get the idea
2. Try to look at your memorabilia with new eyes. How can you hold onto the memories without holding onto the actual "things"? Could you document the trophies with photographs and put them in one small photobook? Or could you arrange them nicely and take one large picture? When it comes to the small trophies little kids get for almost every sport these days, I leave them alone until I find them on the floor under the bed covered with dust. Then I quietly get rid of them. When the child is old enough to have worked hard for the trophy I keep them in a special place until that child decides on his own he's through with it. Adult children should keep their trophies at their houses.
If your collectibles suit you, fine! Keep and display them. If you're no longer interested in displaying them, it's time to find them a new home. If it makes you feel better, make an effort to find someone who really wants them instead of giving them to GoodWill. Better yet, sell them on eBay and pocket the cash!
I'm a firm believer in containing memorabilia. Things I keep: some schoolwork and art projects the kids have made. These tail off considerably when kids grow up, so even if you feel buried under artwork for the first few years, hang in there; the end is in sight. Every year I sort through all of them. As time passes I find it easier to sort out the masterpieces from the scribbles. I keep pictures that express my children's own character and creative writing pieces. I throw out "busy-work" stuff.
I only keep a few pieces of clothing for old times' sake. Otherwise I clear my closet so that I have room for new "special" outfits. I have a few baby clothes from each child, but little else. I do have my wedding dress.
Stuff that evokes memories for other people
Sometimes people are ready to get rid of things, but are held back by guilt. They assuage this guilt by passing them on to you, telling you how special the object is and how they know you'll like it.
I take these things with a smile and a nod. They live in my closet for awhile. Then they go to GoodWill. Most times the person who gave it to me never mentions it again. If they ask, I say, "It's packed away right now." I figure if you give me a "gift" it's mine to do with as I please.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
What's Left To Do?
"That lady must be done cleaning out her house by now," you're thinking.
Nope.
Some of the scariest portions are left to go. Like my daughter's bedroom, the art supply chest, and these lovely rooms:
The rec room:
The laundry room:
And.....gasp!.....the workshop! Do you think we'll ever halve those piles of lumber?
Or all that paint?
We couldn't possibly get rid of half of those forty-odd panes of glass, could we?
Actually, I hope we get "rid" of that stuff by using it in future building projects. Those panes of glass are going to make a great sunroom some day. I'd like to finish "halving" all the other rooms by December, though.
Nope.
Some of the scariest portions are left to go. Like my daughter's bedroom, the art supply chest, and these lovely rooms:
The rec room:
The laundry room:
And.....gasp!.....the workshop! Do you think we'll ever halve those piles of lumber?
Or all that paint?
We couldn't possibly get rid of half of those forty-odd panes of glass, could we?
Actually, I hope we get "rid" of that stuff by using it in future building projects. Those panes of glass are going to make a great sunroom some day. I'd like to finish "halving" all the other rooms by December, though.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Library Is Your Friend
Most of you know this already, right? But most of you view books as a necessity, not a luxury....certainly not something to be "halved".
But I'm finding that most of my reading needs can be met by my local library. So here's my question for you: if you find a large portion of your income goes to books (and a large amount of shelf space, too), are you making the best possible use of your library?
Here are some tips:
1. If you need to keep on top of the "latest" books, make sure you frequent your library's "new book" display. It's usually right near the door which makes it easy to hit first. I find something interesting and timely nearly every trip.
2. Use the online catalog. Keep a running list of books you want to read - books you see mentioned in the New York Times or hear about on the radio. Check your library's catalog from the comfort of your home and put holds on the ones you want.
3. Don't see what you want? Use the inter-library loan system. I can't believe I waited so long to make use of this. Once you start you'll be hooked. At my library I can order up to 10 books through the inter-library system at a time and I get a call from the librarian when what I want comes in. I make my choices online. Totally easy and totally free!
4. Load up! Every time you go to the library check out a whole host of books from many genres. Not sure you'll like it? Who cares....it's free. I can take out 50 books on my card at a time. Each of my children could take out 50 more with theirs. And its good for the library - a lot of their funding is based on actual usage. The more books checked out, the more funding they can request. And the more books you have lying around the house, the less likely you are to blow your budget on purchases.
Some books are so special you want to own them, but you don't need to own them all. Make the library your friend and find the balance that's right for you.
But I'm finding that most of my reading needs can be met by my local library. So here's my question for you: if you find a large portion of your income goes to books (and a large amount of shelf space, too), are you making the best possible use of your library?
Here are some tips:
1. If you need to keep on top of the "latest" books, make sure you frequent your library's "new book" display. It's usually right near the door which makes it easy to hit first. I find something interesting and timely nearly every trip.
2. Use the online catalog. Keep a running list of books you want to read - books you see mentioned in the New York Times or hear about on the radio. Check your library's catalog from the comfort of your home and put holds on the ones you want.
3. Don't see what you want? Use the inter-library loan system. I can't believe I waited so long to make use of this. Once you start you'll be hooked. At my library I can order up to 10 books through the inter-library system at a time and I get a call from the librarian when what I want comes in. I make my choices online. Totally easy and totally free!
4. Load up! Every time you go to the library check out a whole host of books from many genres. Not sure you'll like it? Who cares....it's free. I can take out 50 books on my card at a time. Each of my children could take out 50 more with theirs. And its good for the library - a lot of their funding is based on actual usage. The more books checked out, the more funding they can request. And the more books you have lying around the house, the less likely you are to blow your budget on purchases.
Some books are so special you want to own them, but you don't need to own them all. Make the library your friend and find the balance that's right for you.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Visiting Old Friends
Now that I've pared my wardrobe down to half its previous size, there are a couple of gaps. One thing I'm missing is a pretty shirt that's just right for wearing with some of my "going out" skirts. If I was able to find one in black I could pair it with three different skirts I own that are cut to a similar pattern, but different fabrics and colors.
The other thing I need is a little midriff-shirt I can wear to bellydance classes. Bellydance class is the one place where my belly-button sees the light of day. It's an all-female class, so no worries there, and if you can't see your belly muscles during class, you can't tell if you are doing the moves correctly.
I went to several stores yesterday and I didn't find a "going out" shirt, but I was successful in my second venture. I found a blue fitted cropped top with three-quarter sleeves and frilly cuffs that was just perfect - $3.00 at the local thrift store.
I stopped in the consignment store for a look around and TWICE pulled things out of the racks that used to be mine, LOL! It was an excellent reminder of what my real goal is these days and I walked out of that store with no purchases at all.
The other thing I need is a little midriff-shirt I can wear to bellydance classes. Bellydance class is the one place where my belly-button sees the light of day. It's an all-female class, so no worries there, and if you can't see your belly muscles during class, you can't tell if you are doing the moves correctly.
I went to several stores yesterday and I didn't find a "going out" shirt, but I was successful in my second venture. I found a blue fitted cropped top with three-quarter sleeves and frilly cuffs that was just perfect - $3.00 at the local thrift store.
I stopped in the consignment store for a look around and TWICE pulled things out of the racks that used to be mine, LOL! It was an excellent reminder of what my real goal is these days and I walked out of that store with no purchases at all.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Getting Real
Okay, it's time to face the music; I have waaaaay overbooked myself and the result is:
My house is trashed.
I haven't graded the kids' schoolwork in days.
I'm behind on my reading in Biology, Latin, and Firearms Safety.
My checkbook isn't balanced.
My accounting homework isn't done.
The laundry pile is as tall as me.
It's 10:45 am, I'm in my pjs and I'm posting here instead of tackling any of this.
NOW WHAT?????
Time to blast into Super-Mommy mode. I am not going to let this pile up get the better of me, nor am I going to let it ruin the progress I've made in halving it all. So today while I motor through my list of to-do's I'm going to make a point of finding one small area that I can weed out along the way.
Because for all my complaining about housework I have to admit that since I went through and got rid of all that extraneous stuff, even when my house is a mess it's not the mess it used to be. It takes much less time to clean up because there are fewer things and more space to put them.
Believe me - this is worth it. Tomorrow I'll have my finances updated and we'll see how I'm doing there.
My house is trashed.
I haven't graded the kids' schoolwork in days.
I'm behind on my reading in Biology, Latin, and Firearms Safety.
My checkbook isn't balanced.
My accounting homework isn't done.
The laundry pile is as tall as me.
It's 10:45 am, I'm in my pjs and I'm posting here instead of tackling any of this.
NOW WHAT?????
Time to blast into Super-Mommy mode. I am not going to let this pile up get the better of me, nor am I going to let it ruin the progress I've made in halving it all. So today while I motor through my list of to-do's I'm going to make a point of finding one small area that I can weed out along the way.
Because for all my complaining about housework I have to admit that since I went through and got rid of all that extraneous stuff, even when my house is a mess it's not the mess it used to be. It takes much less time to clean up because there are fewer things and more space to put them.
Believe me - this is worth it. Tomorrow I'll have my finances updated and we'll see how I'm doing there.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
This One's For the Ladies!!!
Still think walking is for suckers???!!!???
Yeah, that's right - I heard what you all were thinking: That crazy lady - all she does is walk around and bake her own bread; what a waste of time!
Think again!
I saved so much money this month on gas and groceries that I was able to go out and buy this awesome pair of shoes.
I know, I know; I'm supposed to be halving. But come on - just look at them!
I bought them at a store downtown that I'm generally too afraid to go into. The woman who runs it is Hungarian and she looks nice and grandmotherly, but in reality she's a pit-bull. It is impossible to get out of the store without a purchase. You go in trying to "just look" and the next thing you know she's got you on the floor in a half-nelson, her elbow grinding into the small of your back while she ropes you like a steer and shoves shoes on your feet until you cry for mercy!
"Look at the details," she yells. "Those are 100% leather!"
Meanwhile you're floudering around trying to reach your purse, you get your wallet out and throw cash at her just praying that the b*tch has a price.
But when you land on the street again with your face covered with rug burn, and one of those stupid "footie" things hanging half out of your bra, you realize it was worth it, because she always sells you the perfect pair of shoes.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Halving Your Trash?
I hadn't really thought much about trash when I started this project. I know we're all supposed to be thinking about our footprint on the earth, but I mostly think about how much fun I'm having, instead.
My husband was the one who noticed a difference in the amount of trash we produce. According to him we've gone from overflowing our two trashcans (that's how much our trash service allows), to filling about one and a half. He's been able to use the extra space to get rid of some stuff from his workshop, and he hasn't had to throw any extra bags in the back of the van to drive out to the dump.
Has this happened because we're not buying any bread or snack products? Or is it happening because I don't go shopping as much, since I'm not using the car?
Probably a combination of both. As far as unintended consequences go, this is a good one!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Not Adding, Not Halving - Just Going Sideways
Let's face it - my cottage by the sea is a long-term plan. A 10 year plan, realistically.
In the meantime, my plan is to simply my things, cut back on expenses, live more lightly on the earth and have more time/money for fun.
These last few days have been confusing for me. We're trying to sell our house but we're in an awkward place in our local market. It's a large house - about 3300 square feet or so - five bedrooms, three baths, at the edge of one of the better sections of town. The problem is, it's not in the best section of town, and it's not new. While we've remodeled much of it, we haven't done some key areas - the kitchen floor, for one thing. It's not selling.
One reason we think it might not show very well is that our furniture....oh, how to put it delicately....sucks.
We have a couple nice pieces, but the rest are cast-offs, hand-me-downs and so forth. Perfect for a family trying to cut costs and live lightly on the earth. Not so great to sell a house on the upper end of the market.
Dh decided it was time to upgrade some of our stuff. So we spent Monday morning walking all over town looking at furniture stores. I must confess I felt of two minds about this. Aren't we supposed to be cutting back on things? Isn't our money supposed to be going toward experiences? Should I perhaps pick right now to tell dh about my halving plan?
I probably should have. But instead I bought a dining room set. In my defense, here's the table we've had for the past four years:
Note the orange! upholstery. Note the condition of the uphostery (okay - you can't see it. Believe me, it's in awful shape.) Note the pieces that are falling off. I consoled myself with that fact that as soon as the new set comes in, the old set is going out. We will sell it for small change - to be used on experiences, I swear!
But this extravagance raised a lot of questions for me that I'll address over the coming days. Are all things bad? Will the enjoyment I get out of hosting friends and family around our new table outway the expense of buying a "thing"? Should I be buying nothing in order to make my dream come true faster? Or should we be upgrading to a few "perfect" things that we love, and just get rid of all that we don't?
What is the correct balance between "things" and experiences?
BTW: Here's the set we're getting:
In the meantime, my plan is to simply my things, cut back on expenses, live more lightly on the earth and have more time/money for fun.
These last few days have been confusing for me. We're trying to sell our house but we're in an awkward place in our local market. It's a large house - about 3300 square feet or so - five bedrooms, three baths, at the edge of one of the better sections of town. The problem is, it's not in the best section of town, and it's not new. While we've remodeled much of it, we haven't done some key areas - the kitchen floor, for one thing. It's not selling.
One reason we think it might not show very well is that our furniture....oh, how to put it delicately....sucks.
We have a couple nice pieces, but the rest are cast-offs, hand-me-downs and so forth. Perfect for a family trying to cut costs and live lightly on the earth. Not so great to sell a house on the upper end of the market.
Dh decided it was time to upgrade some of our stuff. So we spent Monday morning walking all over town looking at furniture stores. I must confess I felt of two minds about this. Aren't we supposed to be cutting back on things? Isn't our money supposed to be going toward experiences? Should I perhaps pick right now to tell dh about my halving plan?
I probably should have. But instead I bought a dining room set. In my defense, here's the table we've had for the past four years:
Note the orange! upholstery. Note the condition of the uphostery (okay - you can't see it. Believe me, it's in awful shape.) Note the pieces that are falling off. I consoled myself with that fact that as soon as the new set comes in, the old set is going out. We will sell it for small change - to be used on experiences, I swear!
But this extravagance raised a lot of questions for me that I'll address over the coming days. Are all things bad? Will the enjoyment I get out of hosting friends and family around our new table outway the expense of buying a "thing"? Should I be buying nothing in order to make my dream come true faster? Or should we be upgrading to a few "perfect" things that we love, and just get rid of all that we don't?
What is the correct balance between "things" and experiences?
BTW: Here's the set we're getting:
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