Three totally unnecessary kitchen gadgets

Every week I receive the latest Aldi sales catalogue in my email inbox. Aldi is an European based grocery chain that operates in Australia and many other countries in the world including the US. In the United States, Aldi Nord is the parent company of the Trader Joe’s niche food stores. Oh, how I wish they would open stores like Trader Joe’s here in Australia. I would go out of my way to shop there.

But I degress. I am not sure why I continue to receive their online catalogue because I rarely shop there and even more rarely go there to buy something that I saw advertised in the catalogue. My mum however shops there all the time and swears that she saves hundreds of dollars by doing so rather than shopping at major grocery chains. And that could possibly be the case but for me their store location and hours are inconvenient. This week the catalogue arrived and the above picture depicts some of the items on sale.

I wanted to point out to you that not one of these items is a necessity in the kitchen. Everyone of these functions can be easily performed using a simple kitchen knife. Stop now and think about the amount of space these three item require for storing. Then think about the amount of space one paring knife takes up.

If you were running a restaurant in which you cored and slice apples all day, pealed and sliced avocado adnausium and chopped up boiled eggs by the hundreds I could understand the need for such gadgets. As it is, I am sure none of my readers are doing that in their kitchens.

But look at these items don’t they just scream “TIMESAVER”! And that is the trick the sellers of these product are constantly trying to pulling on people. Making them believe that their lives will be so much easier with a kitchen full of “timesaving” gadgets. When actually they are selling you a kitchen full of SPACE WASTING gadgets.

Don’t be fooled. Stop and think before ever buying an item such as this and do the math on rationality. How much time saved verses how much space wasted. And don’t forget to take into consideration the money wasted as well on buying a gadget that does a job that something you already own can do. Remember <=> (that is less equals more).

Now stop and think how many of these gadgets do you already have taking up space all over your home. Maybe it is time you assessed the usefulness of these items in your life. Perhaps you can free up some valuable space in your kitchen right now. Take a look and see what you find.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when deciding the usefulness of these items…

• How often do I/will I use it.
• Do I own something else that can perform the same task.
• How hard is it to clean. Do I waste as much time cleaning it as I save using it.
• Can I afford the space it takes up.
• Will it just add to the clutter making it harder to find the items I do use regularly.
• Does it/will it actually save me enough time to warrant its existence.
• Could you borrow one should the rare occasion arise where you had a use for it.

Go now and check out your kitchen drawers and see what you can come up with. Just remember these items aren’t always small. Salad spinner for example.

Today’s Declutter Item

In keeping with today’s post subject I would have put a kitchen gadget as today’s item except I took a look and am fairly confident that I have already decluttered any items that aren’t in constant use. So instead I am getting rid of this roll of black contact. It has been around for years and is in danger of the adhesive becoming ineffective if not used soon. I donated it to the thrift store.

A roll of black contact

Something I Am Grateful For Today

While answering a comment from Lena today I remembered something to be grateful for. Sometimes when you attempt to do the right thing, in this case for the environment you get a little added bonus. On the weekend I went out the add some vegetable peelings to my compost heap and found a Blue Tongue lizard hiding among the scraps. I hope he had a good feed.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom

We just passed Thanksgiving (in the US) and are coming up on Christmas and Hanukkah,  and I am willing to guess that December is the most heavily photographed month of the year. Well, last month, I spend an hour sorting through a huge box of photos and memorabilia. There were packets of organized photos from my college years, but beginning with my wedding (1997), nothing was organized, culled, etc. What a miserable experience!

"The photos that survived this culling and an outfit that was in box that belong to my Grandmother Clara."

Here are the things I learned:

1. If you don’t sort through your photos when you get them, it will not get easier 14 years later.
2. If you don’t label your photos, it will not get easier 14 years later.
3. If you’re not motivated to put your photos in albums now, you won’t be any more motivated in 14 years.
4. You will wonder why in the world you took certain photos. Did they once mean something to you?
5. You may experience a sharp, sad feeling of regret when you come across a lovely photo of yourself and someone who is no longer a part of your life.
6. Your digital camera takes far better pictures than your film camera ever did.
7. What in the world was the point of getting every photo printed in duplicate?

And the changes I will make in my photographing habits:

1. I will use my delete button much, much more.
2. I will transfer my photos into Picasa and label them when I download them, deleting more as necessary.
3. I will remember that just because I can take photos of every conceivable moment of an event, that doesn’t mean I should.
4. I will leave my camera at home at times so that I can fully appreciate the event with all my senses, not just through the lens of a camera.
5. I will take fewer photos of things and more photos of people.

I hope you have a great holiday season and that you use common sense with your camera. Remember, each photo you take is one that you have to process in some way. If you don’t, instead of preserving memories, you’re just creating clutter.

"The photos still to be sorted and more than 2 pounds of photos that went into the trash. These were mostly duplicates, lousy shots, and photos of people I did not (or did not want) to remember."

Today’s Declutter Item

I had another sweep through our paper files and found more out of date paper clutter. This is a task that requires attention on a regular basis. 

Paper Clutter ~ Decluttered & Recycled

Something I Am Grateful For Today

Last year, as a thank you gift, a friend gave me a blueberry bush. She knows I hate clutter so she gave me something lovely for the garden. Earlier in the season I replanted it into a lovely big pot I had picked up off the side of the road. I am so excited that is has grown so beautifully in its new location and I harvested my first crop this week. So, it was only two blueberries but they were juicy, sweet and delicious and I am expecting greater things from it next year. Thanks Jen for my lovely plant I am really enjoying watching it grow.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Lynn Fang of Upcycled Love has recently released a new ebook called Inspiring Change. With contributions from over 25 bloggers and readers, including myself, she has compiled a wonderful ebook.

Her introduction to Inspiring Change…

“You want to make a difference in this world by helping others live more consciously.

But how can you make a difference on your own?

Your attempts to share your knowledge with others receives an attitude of defense, rather than acceptance.

How will you ever make a positive impact on the world?

This was the question I asked over and over again, as I began to green my life and grow more conscious of my decisions. I had no idea how to talk about the issues in a way that wouldn’t get me grimaces and scowls. So I asked for help.

Over 25 bloggers and readers helped answer this question through sharing their stories of what worked and what didn’t in trying to have a more positive influence.”

Here is my contribution to Inspiring Change

I don’t think any attempt to convert someone to a more sustainable way of thinking and acting could be considered a failure. To make no attempt at all however would be. It is unlikely that preaching at people will be effective but to gently plant the seed of thought and nurture it when you can is more likely to be a more successful approach.

I am no saint when it comes to doing all the right things so I don’t expect miracles from others either.

One small battle and personal success of mine to stem the tide of consumerism was to convince my family and friends not to buy gifts for me any more. This also lead to the adoption of a new tradition of doing Secret Santa when we get together at Christmas rather than everybody buying everybody else gifts. I thought I would receive more resistance to this but it was embraced wholeheartedly. One more victory in the fight for a healthier environment.

I emailed my initial reaction to this ebook to Lynn as follows…

Hi Lynn,

I have only read the first three contributions and I am already hooked. This ebook will not only teach others to show the way but lets those who need showing see past any judgemental advice and know that behind it is only good intention. I have already learned some errors I have been making and look forward to going back out into the world and keep trying to make positive change. Thank you for the time and effort it took to put this great little publication together and thank you for including me in it.

Please download your free copy of this inspiring ebook here it may also help you to be a part of the changes you want to see take place in this world.

Today’s Declutter Item

These were some of the Snoopy items that didn’t sell on ebay. I have since donated them to the thrift store.

More Snoopy items

Something I Am Grateful For Today

The wonderful response from my readers regarding my gratitude item. You are all so gracious and understanding. I am also grateful to cold & flu medication, I tried avoiding it but five days of this wretched cold was getting me down so I succumbed and I am feeling rather mellow now and my nose isn’t running.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Mini Mission Monday is about finding ten minutes a day to declutter. To make it easy for you, each Monday I set seven declutter missions, one for each day of the week for you to follow. It takes the guess work out of decluttering and makes it easy and “fun” for you to achieve some quick decluttering.

This week lets do a little kiddy declutter in preparation for the Christmas influx. There will be all sorts of items coming in over the holiday period no matter how much we try to keep it under control. Those people who tell us the rest of the year how much we spoil our kids will be the ones who no doubt cause most of this influx. It is best if we are prepared. Don’t forget to involve your child in this process. It is good for them to learn to declutter and send on unwanted items to other children who may be less fortunate than them. 

Monday – Go through the children’s bookcase and see if there are any books that they no longer read because they are way out of their age range.

Tuesday – Kids aren’t immune to the gift of undies and socks so go through their underwear drawer and see if there are any holey or outgrown underwear or socks in there.

Wednesday – Of course the toy box ought to be the first place to declutter right before Christmas. Donate those items that are outgrown and dispose of the broken ones appropriately.

Thursday – Like books DVD’s can become obsolete due to kids ageing. Time to go through your children’s DVD collection and declutter the ones no longer watched.

Friday – Video games are another category whose popularity wanes as children grow older. Declutter those that are no longer played by your kids.

Saturday – For girls, taste for items such as hair adornments and jewellery also change as they get older. Declutter any on these items that you notice are no longer popular with your daughters.

Sunday – Perhaps your kids have some clothing items that you know will be replaced over the holiday period. Declutter the soiled or too small items now.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

My little boy was so cute in this outfit but lets face it do I really need to keep it forever. What am I saving it for anyway. you guessed it, it has gone to the thrift store.

Baby sentimental clutter

Something I Am Grateful For Today

Much as I love the gratitide item it sometimes makes it difficult to schedule posts ahead of time. Quite often I almost forget to add it at the end of the day and have to fire up my computer at 10pm to finish it off. So I am considering only adding it as it suits me to do so when I am done writing the body of the post. What do you, my readers, feel about this.

Today I am grateful that my house looks quite presentable even though I didn’t have my weekly cleanup due to not feeling well last week. That is the beauty of a decluttered home, just a little whip through will generally be enough when time is short or other things hinder you from your normal routine.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

The Rule of Reciprocity

by Maria Lin, Real Simple, Dec. 2011 issue

About 40 years ago, Disabled American Veterans, a Kentucky-based nonprofit, had a bright idea: The charity decided to send potential donors free personalized address labels. After the labels arrived in mailboxes across the nation, contributors to the group nearly doubled – jumping from 18 percent to 35 percent of those solicited. Why was this marketing gimmick so successful (and copied by countless others)? Because of a phenomenon called the rule of reciprocity.

The concept is simple enough: When people are given something for free, they typically feel obliged to make a gesture – or even a purchase – in return, says Steve Martin, a coauthor of Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive (Free Press, $15) and director of Influence at Work UK, a consulting company in Luton, England. The principle applies even when the free item is unsolicited and inexpensive, as Cornell University psychology professor Dennis Regan learned in 1971. In his seminal study, he found that when people were offered a free soda by a student, they bought almost twice as many raffle tickets from him as did those who had received nothing. That’s why you’re so often besieged by offers of free samples, complimentary gifts with a purchase, or amenities like chocolate or bottles of water just for entering a store. The acts of generosity may seem like good, old-fashioned customer service, but they actually prompt you to lay down cash, according to Martin.

So remember this counterintuitive piece of advice the next time you’re at the mall or the grocery store: If you want to stay on budget, say no to free stuff.

This Simple Saturday post was contributed by Cindy as was the amusing cartoon below.

A Mallard Fillmore Cartoon

On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my five favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my five favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Fave Five Comments. Enjoy!

This comment form Jo epitomises the complexity of gift giving.

Ami is a new reader or at least a new commenter and needs a little encouragement to be patient with the slow and steady approach. She left this comment, her first, on Thursday and I was particularly happy with her finishing sentence. It proves that she is seeing the benefits already and just needs to focus on that.

Felicity highlights the advantage of a Summer Christmas in this comment.

I love how our readers help one another at 365 Less Things. Jo gives some good advice in this comment in response to this comment from Pamela.

I likes this idea for fundraising in a comment from Wendy W. Cut straight to the chase and forget all the nonsense.

Fave Five Web Finds. Happy reading!

I received a comment from Neko from Chicago IL a week or so back telling us about how, as a teacher, she incorporates fabric in her lessons. Here is her blog ~ bagitup4me-neko.blogspot.com . Perhaps if you live in the area you might be able to help her out by donating unwanted craft supplies and fabrics.

Quite often these days readers send me great links and here is one sent to me by Lynn ~ The Nest Effect ~ October Project-Conquer Paper Clutter

Australia has a new web site where you can give away or pick up free goods. It is much the same concept as Freecycle only with a really modern web design. I hope it catches on in my area. Here it is ~ Ziilch

Snosie was kind enough to send me a couple of links about recycled art to round off this weeks Favourite Five. I hope you enjoy them as much as she and I did. unconsumption.tumblr.com and recyclart.org

Today’s Declutter Item

It pays to do a little homework before discarding some items. Do to my experience at the thrift store I know the old ceramic items can be valuable. So I checked out this little figurine on ebay before deciding what to do with it. I soon discovered that it was worth more than the 50c we paid for it. I sold it on ebay for $20, once again my son was happy with the cash bonus.

Vintage Snoopy sold for $20 on ebay

Something I Am Grateful For Today

I think my cold has gotten a little better as the day has worn on. Fingers crossed I will feel even better tomorrow. I am grateful it hasn’t gotten worse at least.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Strange title I know but it probably caught your eye and made you wonder what I am going to be on about today. The thing that triggered this post was a post my Jenny at Ex-consumer called Early To Rise about trying a new routine of getting up earlier in order to see if it relieved the stress of not having enough hours in the day to get things done. Let’s face it there is nothing to be lost in giving something a try you can always go back to your old ways if the new situation doesn’t work for you.

With that thought in mind, why not try it with decluttering if you are unsure how you feel about getting rid of things. This is not a new concept but it bares rehashing every so often.

Lets say you think you might like to declutter your kitchen, pare it down to the more essential items that you know you use on a regular basis but you are afraid you may find after the fact that you have gone too far. Why not have a practice declutter that you can reverse if necessary. Sounds feasible and here is the plan.

• Get one or two packing boxes. The kind a removal company might use or anything else you can get your hands on.
• Allocate a space in your garage or basement where you can store these boxes for three months.
• Select the items from your kitchen that you think you don’t want to keep and/or rarely use.
• Carefully pack all the items into the boxes.
• Mark the boxes with their contents just in case you get desperate to retrieve something.
• Store the boxes in your chosen place for three months.
• Continue using your kitchen as usual.

When/if you ever get a pang that you would like something back don’t immediately try to find it among the items in the boxes. Use a little ingenuity and find a way to substitute that item with something else in the range of things you still have. Try not to resort to entering the boxes until the three month period is up. In fact I wouldn’t even make of a note of the things you thought you want back out of the boxes as the time goes along.

After the three months is up you can do what works best for you.

• Donate the entire box of goodies to the charity of your choice if you didn’t encounter any regrets.
• Have a garage sale and sell the boxes of stuff.
• Open the boxes and retrive the things you did miss and donate or sell the rest.
• Get a couple more boxes and repeat in another area of the house.
• Or put all the clutter back into your kitchen and stop reading my blog. 😆

This concept is the opposite of trying before you buy. You are trying life without an item before you get rid of it altogether. Give it a try and see what you can live without.

Today’s Declutter Item

I sold this item a couple of months back on ebay. In order to encourage a sale I offered to store it until it could be collected by an out of town winning bidder. It took some time to finalise the sales due to this arrangement but we got there in the end. I was just happy to sell it and my daughter was happy to get the money.

My daughter's old keyboard

Something I Am Grateful For Today

I am grateful for stumbling upon the post draft above that I published today. I think I am coming down with something or I just have bad hay fever. Either way I wasn’t feeling great so it was nice to have a post up my sleeve so I didn’t have to try to focus on writing.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow