Monday 7 December 2009

Having Less

Since I made the decision to try to be more and do less, I have been thinking about other ways I might be able to uncomplicate my life. I have never been a hoarder and I live in a house with an uncompromising lack of storage, but over the years I have managed to hold onto many an item that I figured I might need again one of these days.

On Saturday, Z's school had a garage sale and auction to raise money for furniture to fit out their recently renovated art room. It was the perfect excuse for me to go through my history of accumulations so as to pass onto new owners, that which I no longer need to possess.

How about you? Do you have any de-cluttering tips for me?

14 comments:

willywagtail said...

A great slogan for weight loss is "It's better in the waste than on the waist". If you end up not finding homes for things you don't use it is not criminal to take them to the tip shop or just plain throw them out. Also, I find that decluttering and then coming back a few months later helps to clear out more than if you just do it once. It seems to unclog the sentimentalism a bit. I love to think how happy the floors are to have less weight on them too. Cherrie

willywagtail said...

PS If your desperate 'flylady' can help too. Just google her. Cherrie again

Morganzolla said...

I have a general rule: if it's been in my cupboard for 12 months or more then it's time to let someone else have a go telling myself that "I am being greedy and it's time to pass the parcel"! Another thing I do is pass things onto friends with a small proviso that I may need to 'borrow' it again one day....

Shokoofeh said...

It's great, you're great Meg!
Oh and that lemonade girl is sweet. xo

CurlyPops said...

I try so hard to declutter but with my op shopping habits, its really diificult.
After not ebeing able to find my xmas decorations yesterday, my sister informed me that I gave them away when I moved house.... must have been decluttering!

Anonymous said...

When in doubt, throw it out.

Umatji said...

Ok, so here it is - I love hoarding and I have the full support of my mother and she encourages the habit by handing on to me great treasures that she has hoarded from her mother who hoarded. I dress W and K in clothes I had when i was a child - I must say - I am unbreakable in the habit! Which is not to say I don't cull - it is all just about the definition of 'treasure' and need assessed over a generation rather than a year or six! Go well - whilst sometimes I admire the skill I just don't want to have it!

Kate said...

Decluttering tips? I know that question is not aimed at me!!

Feronia said...

My attempts lately to 'retroise' my house to reflect a certain era have helped me to declutter in as much as, by now having a bit of a stylised vision, what has become surplus to requirements needs to be boxed up and stored. But it's all still there - only in storage -so I'm not sure if that actually counts or even helps! Having said that, wish I'd known about your garage sale - some good looking vintagey stuff on display there!

Jasmine said...

Tips? Ahem. While I'm not a big accumulator, I seem to find it hard to love and release stuff I don't need anymore.

Part of it is that I can't bare to think of the waste that I have generated in my lifetime. The other part of it is that I'm a bit lazy.

eddy carroll said...

No tips, but the General Store loves a thermos....

Chica Mandita said...

Sometimes we hold onto things as the vessel for a memory of someone or sometime. If it is something of 'memory' value, take a foto of it. A foto can keep the memory, or the trigger for the memory whilst only taking up a tiny portion of the space than the 'thing'. If that makes sense then it could help with your decluttering.
Now, if only i could get into my storeroom to take some nice fotos then i'd be able to release the hoarded inmates of my memory back into the world!

alana said...

OH HELLO little lizzie lee's lemonade was sour and amazing. and i love my pile of old dolly magazines. that was a sweet garage sale! lovely to meet you there finally.

tealotus77 said...

I would not wish you anywhere but where you are...

...except to say, I I long to go for a good bushwalk, to sip something delicious, to eat something crunchy and then laugh until I cry and cry until I laugh all in your lovely presence.

America and Australia must be exactly where they are. So must we be in them. Each in our place.

But oh Meg, how I miss you!

xx
t