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

Favourite Comments. Enjoy!

Michelle has been converted to using microfibre for cleaning. Read why in this comment.

Melissa tells us about some quick clothing decluttering she did this week in this comment.

This comment  from Dizzy had my head spinning. What a mammoth effort.

Whoever Anon is I thank them for this comment. What a wonderful example of why stuff is not the answer to a happy life. And more so, what a great example that with the right help one can overcome depression and keep it in check.

Kim and her husband have instigated some great ways to avoid clutter and do the right thing by the environment in this comment. Good for you Kim and Hubby.

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

Here is something to think about when choosing which brands you think have the right ethics to suit your sensibilities.

One a week where I post a mini mission about reducing your gift wrapping supplies Lena stubbles upon this article to share with us. I am only posting it for your amusement, please no one tell me you have a wrapping room or I am going to give up blogging. 😆

Here is the latest episode of The Midway Decluttering Show from Midway Simplicity.

I liked this article from The Minimalists because I was never on the minimalist path either. My path had the same purpose described in this article. One the suited the way I wanted to live. Little did I know how wonderful that feeling of freedom from stuff and the desire to acquire would be.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something that has no real value to you, either of use or sentiment. I am sure if you go searching with this criteria in mind it shouldn’t be too hard to find something. You may have pangs of “I might need it someday” but I am sure you can determine that most things are never really needed in the first place never mind someday down the track.

Eco Tip For The Day

I have been skipping the Eco Tips here and there lately because I can’t always come up with something new to add. My question is would you rather I skipped it or would you prefer if I just reposted a previous tip. I like the idea of reposting because we can always do with a reminder.

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

As you all know by now I like to encourage people to buy secondhand rather than new. This is better for the environment. Of course I encourage you not to buy at all wherever possible because most of what people do buy is absolutely unnecessary.

Now let me combine those two ideas. What are the potential outcomes of recreational secondhand shopping? Yesterday’s eco tip gave you the answer to this question.

1. When you buy something secondhand that you don’t need you are potentially forcing someone else, who has a need for the item, to buy new.  Also that someone may not have a lot of cash to throw around and may have to go without because they can’t afford to pay new prices.
2. While the item you buy secondhand that you don’t really need will become just another potential clutter item in your home. You may not think this while you are enjoying the moment of acquiring but think about it now. What feelings run through you while seeking, finding and purchasing? Are they feelings of need – as in actual need, or feelings of need – as in I NEED to have that. How often people get confused between need and want.

I know a couple who spend most of their time scouring the thrift shops in search of potential bargains. They regale me with their stories of what beautiful things they buy and what bargain prices they get them at. I often ask them ~ “So are you going to sell it on and make a good profit?” The answer is always no we will keep it in the house with the rest of our stuff. They rent two homes and both are packed to the rafters with only enough space to move around.

This is all very well and good for them if they are happy to be hoarders, which they are. However it drives me spare when I think of all the lovely furniture and useful items just hidden away being of no use to anyone. The only purpose these items serve is that the owners are delighted with their bargain and know it is buried somewhere among the clutter.

So if you have things cluttering up your home, hidden away in closets, attics, sheds and basements, think about releasing them to someone who will really appreciate them. Lets just hope that the new owners aren’t someone like the couple I mentioned above. I also hope that if you are visiting the thrift store you are only there for something you really need or are dropping stuff off.

Today’s Mini Mission

Start using up greeting cards and wrapping paper rather than buying something new for every occasion. I have noticed that many people have a stockpile of these sorts of items but still buy new more often than not. Time to reduce the stockpile and leave only enough in case of emergency. It is the thought that counts and what you write in the card that matters most anyway.

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

Cindy

Once your house is mostly decluttered, besides maintenance, the biggest thing you need to watch out for is accumulation. Everything you buy takes you back toward The Land of Clutter.

We’ve talked about shopping because you’re angry, bored, lonely. Because it’s social or habitual for you. One thing we haven’t talked about is the dangers of drinking, lonliness, boredom, and TV shopping.

A woman I know drinks a lot of wine every night, and she shops. The Home Shopping Network seems to be her favorite. Slightly tipsy, she orders jewelry, knick knacks, and shiny things that catch her eye while she relaxing with her wine. I became of aware of this because of the amount of stuff she was returning, but there’s no way she’s returning it all. Slowly but surely, night by night, she’s accumulating more and more stuff to add to her already very full apartment. She’s drinking and shopping – her inhibitions are down, and all those pretty things on the TV are calling her name.

That got me thinking about my friend’s mother. A shut in and grouchy recluse, she had little company but the TV and those friendly faces on the shopping channels. When he had to move her into assisted living, her home was full of gadgets, what-nots, small appliances, and cheap jewelry – a lot of it still in boxes – that she has acquired from TV shopping.

Those TV shopping channels are almost predatory. People whose lives are full and busy don’t sit around at home waiting for something interesting to buy. But the lonely, sad, drunk, bored are all potential victims.

Has TV shopping ever been a downfall for you?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter some items of clothing that are shabby, no longer fit or you realise are unflattering.

Eco Tip of the Day

Buying secondhand is better for the environment than buying new. However buying secondhand just for fun of it not only clutters up your home but could be depriving someone else of something that they need who then is forced to buy new.

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

Here are some questions to ask yourself if you have a lot of nicknacks adorning your home. Usually a home full of nicknacks also has additional furniture to house those nicknacks. Pedestals and little tables for them to sit on, china cabinets and bookshelves crammed with them, open 3D frames hanging on the wall containing more tiny bits and pieces. Just the thought of it all makes me wheeze and sneeze. So here are my questions…

• How important can each and every item possibly be to you when they are crammed onto shelves where you can’t even see half of them because they are hidden behind one another?
• How often do you actually take the time to look at each and every one of these items?
• How clean is your home on a daily basis when there are so many of these items that you can only bring yourself to dust them once a year?
• How much time and energy do you even have to devote to maintaining your home in this state?
• How easy is your home to clean properly when so much wall and floor space is covered with the furniture or props holding these items?
• How much money has been spent acquiring these items while renovations and repairs have gone begging on the structure you live in?
• How much more could you enjoy and appreciate your favourites among these items if the overall quantity were fewer and less crowded?
• If you died tomorrow would you really want your loved ones to have to deal with all your stuff in their time of grief?

If you do have a desire to reduce your collection in order to make cleaning day easier but you are having a hard time letting go it is possible to desensitise yourself from this anxiety. All you have to do is choose an item that you care the least about among the collection and let it go. If you feel any pangs after parting with an item remind yourself of your goal of easing your cleaning burden. Give yourself a day or two to establish the fact that you have barely noticed an item’s absence and then choose another least loved item and again let it go. Continue on with this method and I am sure you will end up letting go of more items than you ever thought you would.

Rearrange and spruce up your collection as you progress so as to have it looking the best it can. Bringing all your favourites to the fore.

Hopefully you will advance so far with this task that you start to empty furniture items and can also remove them to create open spaces which are easy to clean. Just thinking about all the balls of fluff, dust mites and possibly even mould and roaches that can hide in all these nooks and crannies makes me cringe. And although that may sound a little melodramatic it is entirely possible. In Australia these are also places where venomous spiders (Redbacks and Whitetails) can lurk.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter any old manuals or warranty papers that are out of date or you no longer have the items for. This is one of those areas of paperwork that builds up over time. Be vigilant because paperwork can be very daunting to deal with when allowed to accumulate.

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.

Today there is no particular theme to my mini missions just a list of odd thing that popped into my head as I put the post together. Perhaps they will be things I will keep an eye out for tomorrow while I am doing my housecleaning. It is my first housecleaning day since my daughter moved out while I was away visiting family. The house is a bit of a mess ~ in my opinion ~ as I have hardly had time to attend to it since I have returned. Once I have cleaned the two downstairs bedrooms and bathroom I will have no need to enter that area of the house in the future, unless I get visitors. I am quite happy about that. It is also lovely to see the kids settled into their new homes.

Monday – Declutter something from the pantry that is out of date or no-one in the household cares to eat. Offer any usable items to someone who may be happy to use it. I have been doing this as my kids left home. Many of the things in the pantry were items that only they ate. So why not send it with them when they go.

Tuesday – Declutter any old manuals or warranty papers that are out of date or you no longer have the items for. This is one of those areas of paperwork that builds up over time. Be vigilant because paperwork can be very daunting to deal with when allowed to accumulate.

Wednesday – Declutter some items of clothing that are shabby, no longer fit or you realise are unflattering.

Thursday ~ Start using up greeting cards and wrapping paper rather than buying something new for every occasion. I have noticed that many people have a stockpile of these sorts of items but still buy new more often than not. Time to reduce the stockpile and leave only enough in case of emergency. It is the thought that counts and what you write in the card that matters most anyway. 

Friday – Declutter something that has no real value to you, either of use or sentiment. I am sure if you go searching with this criteria in mind it shouldn’t be too hard to find something. You may have pangs of “I might need it someday” but I am sure you can determine that most things are never really needed in the first place never mind someday down the track.

Saturday – Declutter some craft materials that you are unlikely to use. This will not only reduce your clutter but also make it easy to find the good stuff you intend to use.

Sunday - Sunday is reserved for contemplating one particular item, of your choice that is proving difficult for you to declutter. Whether that be for sentimental reasons, practical reasons, because the task is laborious or simply unpleasant, or because the items removal requires the cooperation of another person. That last category may mean that the item belongs to someone else who has to give their approval, it could also mean there is a joint decision to be made or it could mean that the task of removing it requires assistance from someone else. There is no need to act on this contemplation immediately, it is more about formulating a plan to act upon or simply making a decision one way or another.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Eco Tip for the Day

Things that are looked after last longer. That also goes for things that aren’t yours. So take care with public property as if it were your own. The less often things require replacing the better it is for the environment.

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

I’m rather proud of my “new” recycled pantry organization – i.e. mason jars, and I thought, I might share this with you.

For the last year or so I worked at collecting jars with lids of the same size, in order to be able to stack them and to make canning easier. There are two very common lid sizes in German supermarket jars and I chose the wider one of the two (also to make refilling easier).

They sell pickles, canned veggies, canned meat, jam and so on in these jars over here, so there is a variety of sizes. My collection has small jars that hold about 200ml and big ones that hold 750ml.

As you can see I use the smaller ones for canning and for baking ingredients (raisins, nuts, almonds, etc.), while the bigger ones hold grains or flours.

I like about them that they’re pretty much “one size fits all” which means, if I have an open package of nuts, I can fill the remainders in a tightly closing jar that holds off bugs and stacks nicely in my pantry with the other jars. When there are no nuts (or whatever) in the house though, the jar goes back to its colleagues and doesn’t call for being refilled immediately. Those sweets you see in the pictures are an example of that. I will probably not replace them once they’re used up. When it’s canning season over here I might very well fill all those little jars with jam that served well as containers for seasonal spices in the christmas season. I also used them for storing the over-abundance of self-made christmas cookies last year (for the few weeks until they were all eaten), as well as for transporting food to friends or picknicks. They also do well for storing leftovers (or single egg-whites) in the fridge, as shakers for sauces (anyone else shaking their salad dressing?) and for cooking experiments like making my own joghurt or whatever.

I also occassionally cook in them (the ones with the straight sides do great for pudding).

What I really love about them though is that they all are recycled, I didn’t buy them on purpose, I just used packages of the food I bought anyway. Also, most of those glasses are made of recycled glass. And just as naturally as they came for free, they can be recycled any time. And if I transport food in them to friend’s houses I don’t have to care about getting the containers back. I can give them away just as freely as I got them in the first place.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something you keep for another’s benefit. This often happens with grown children. For example Dad has a bunch of useful tools that he no longer uses but his three sons often come over to borrow them ~ In this case divvy them up between the sons and let them borrow from one another. If they don’t want to do that then feel free to sell them or give them to someone who does want them. Once again your home isn’t a storage unit or a free hiring service.

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

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

Being home has not guaranteed me the time I need to keep up with comments this week. I apologies to those who are accustomed to my usual enthusiastic interactions and for sharing my favourites here today.

After catching up with friends on Tuesday I then spent most of Wednesday volunteering at the thrift shop. I sent what was left of Wednesday and all of Thursday helping my daughter and her partner unpack and organise their new home. Although they seem to have way too many clothes they certainly aren’t inundated with stuff. Their huge four bedroom home is all but bare and will likely stay that way until they can afford to get some more furniture for it.

They have the right idea though. If they don’t badly need it then they don’t need to rush out and buy it. They would rather go without until they can afford to buy what they want rather than settle for second best and then rebuy sooner rather than later. They have two sofas to chill out on and a bed to sleep in and all the rooms have built in wardrobes so they are fine for now and we gave them a coffee table. The only thing they really need is a dining suite so they can sit down for a meal together (and to have her parents over for dinner too 😉 ).

Because they had a quite rushed and unorthodox departure from their previous address, resulting in most of their belonging quickly having to go into storage for six months, they are now doing a little decluttering as they unpack. It is always better to do this the other way around but better late than never. Clothes have been the subject of this declutter. Some were ready for the trash while others have been given to me to take to the thrift store.

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

Thanks to a little help from friends and husband I do have a couple of links to share with you. I won’t add much preamble due to the fact that I am chock full of a cold to go along with my weariness and am keen to sit back and relax for the evening. Thank you all in advance for forgiving me for slacking off. I will try to do better next week.

http://www.theminimalists.com/desire/

http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/50-reusable-goods-vs-disposable-goods/  I do not particularly endorse any of these products I just thought the concept of reusing rather than using throw away items is always a good idea.

http://weonlydothisonce.com/1293/how-to-change-a-material-mindset/

Is everyone as equally appalled by this ridiculous extravagance as I am ~ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2257209/Wealthy-Indian-Datta-Phuge-spends-14-000-shirt-GOLD-impress-ladies.html

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something that was given to you by someone else. If you no longer want or need it offer it back to the person who gave it to you, sell or donate it. You don’t have to keep things just because they came from someone else. I might seem a little repetitive on this advice but that is because people get very stuck on keeping this kind of stuff.

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

Cindy

This morning, I heard an interesting article on time use and efficiency on the local public radio station. You can read the article here. The gist of it was that of the 8 hours most Americans are at work each day, only 5 of it is spend in productive work. Various guests had different solutions for this perceived problem. My favorite was from Teresa Amabile, a Harvard Business School professor. She said that “documenting progress on work, no matter how minor, is by far the most effective tool [to increase productivity].” Just staying motivated, she says, is still the best way to get work done.

Of course, I tried to imagine how this information could be applied to decluttering.

It seems to me that those of you who keep lists of the things you are decluttering, which I did for the first two years, are off to a great start. Every day when you record what you’ve decluttered, you are documenting your progress.

Also I find that making a list of what I want to accomplish each day keeps me focused on those tasks. Crossing off after a job is done is another documentation of progress.

Taking before and after photographs of a cluttered, then uncluttered, space definitely creates motivation and documents progress.

Successfully selling your decluttered items and keeping a record of the money you’ve earned is another doubly positive form of documentation.

Is there some way that you document your progress so that you stay motivated?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter an unwanted gift ~ No explanation necessary, sell, donate or regift it.

Eco Tip For The Day

Eat at home more often. The food has to be cooked either way but going out to eat usually required driving which wastes fuel.

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

Not everyone is aware of the resources available in way of guides here at 365 Less Things. Although they are quite helpful I don’t often refer to them. Today I would like to bring your attention to my Declutter Decision Making Guide. I hope that both those who have not seen it before and also those who could do with a refresher find in useful.

Questions to ask yourself when you are deciding what stays and what goes when decluttering

• How long since I last used this:- If you are keeping an item just because maybe you might need it some day then it is probably clutter.
  
• Is it still useful to me:- Do I still use this item or even participate in the activity that this item is used for if not then it’s clutter.
  
• Is it in working condition:- If an item is broken and you do not have the expertise to repair it or you are not prepared to pay the price to have it fixed then it is clutter.
  
• How many do I have and how many do I need:- If you have multiples of a certain item but only ever need one then it is most likely clutter.
• Do I need this item for the information it contains:- So much information is right at your finger tips these days on your computer and it is constantly updated do you really need to keep a library of books whose information may or may not stand the test of time.
• Do I like it:– If you are keeping something that was given to you even though you do not like it, it is definitely clutter.
• Do I really need this item in order to remember good times or lost loves:- If it is an item that has purely sentimental value yet you never get it out and look at it then there is a good chance you don’t need it to remind you of the good times you had and the wonderful people you have known. If it means so much to you put it out where you can see it if not let it go.
• Am I keeping this item out of guilt:- I paid a lot of money for this so I hope one day I will get my money’s worth out of it (old hobbies, sporting equipment, expensive clothing all fall into this category). These are the items you need to cash in on now and sell while they are still useful to someone else.
• Do I want to clean it:- Any item out on display will require dusting at least.
  
• Do I want to store it:-Do you have the space to store this item or is it just taking up precious space you can’t afford. 
  
• Do I want to move it out of the way when looking for something else:- The more items you have taking up space in your home the more likely they are going to get in the way of each other forcing you to have to shuffle things around when you do have cause to use them.
  
• Does it have a real purpose other than looking pretty:-This one speaks for itself. Although I like to have some nice objects to enjoy just for their appearance there is a limit to how many if any I can accommodate or justify.
  
• Will I be tired of it in six months:- This is a good question to ask before even acquiring an item in the first place.
  
• Do I want to pack and unpack this item when we move in a couple years:- This is a critical question for anyone who tends to move location on a reasonably regular basis due to work commitments for example.
• If this item had been taken from you and sold to a pawn shop (by a junkie friend or an evil in-law, whatever) would you buy it back? :- I bet there will be a lot of items that you wouldn’t waste your money on,  however low the cost. These are the things that need to go! (Thanks Gogol for this tip) The same could be said for an item were it to break would you replace it or be secretly relieved that is is gone and you didn’t have to make the decision to declutter it.
• “What the heck are you and what on earth is your purpose?:- If you find you need to ask this question of an object then it could very well be clutter but I advise checking with every member of the family first because it could very well be an important part to something. Chances are thought it is rubbish. (Thanks go to Toffee for this addition to the list)

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter a guilt item ~ Don’t feel obliged to keep something just because you shouldn’t have wasted the money on it in the first place. Try to sell it to recoup some money or just find a way to pass it on. Forgive yourself and move on.

Eco Tip for the Day

In cooler weather wear clothes more than once. The less washing the less wasted water and electricity.

Check out more eco tips here.

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

I have written, more than once, about clutter categories on my blog. Categories such as obligation clutter, sentimental clutter, lazy clutter, guilt clutter… One category I have written about before but am not sure I have ever labelled is Life Circle Clutter.

I have been reminded by recent events that people usually have their own particular clutter weakness or weaknesses. I have also noticed that these weaknesses may involve not accepting that a certain phase of ones life is now in the past.

For example, are you reluctance to let go of the fact that there are no longer young children permanently in your life. Does your home have enough kiddy items ~ toys particularly ~ to cater to more than one small child living there permanently. While in fact children only visit their once or twice a year with the occasional half hour visit from neighbours’ children.

Do you have enough kitchen items, linen, and rooms to cater for a large family while there is only two of you left in the home. Do you know someone who is reluctant to part with a shed full of tools that even they admit are rarely, if ever, used.

This is not simply a case of “I might need it someday.” but more of a reluctance to let go of the past and be realistic about who and what one is in the here and now.

I am not talking about being reluctant to part with items of past interest that one is still able and likely to return to. This is a case of being resistant to the circle of life. There comes a time when we simply pass through phases that are never to return and it can be very sad if we can’t accept that. Life is all about change. Change isn’t a bad thing it is simply inevitable. That doesn’t mean that you can’t still enjoy these things it just means you don’t have to cater to them 24/7. A bucket of toys for visiting children, a realistic number of items to cater for the occasional guest and enough tools for the odd jobs you still perform around the home…

Enjoy the happy memories, revel in your new circumstances and make the most of life no matter what phase of it you are in. And, of course, let go of those excess things that are now of little or no use to you.

Today’s Mini Mission

Let go of some grown children clutter ~ This is something long ago left behind by your grown child. Your home is not a storage unit, ask them to collect it and let them know you are going to get rid of it otherwise. With a little diplomacy this is possible without alienating them.

Eco Tip for the Day

Check the water flow of your shower (litres per minute). If it uses more than 9 litres per minute I would suggest you buy a new water saving shower head. Some go as low as 7.5 litres per minute.

To test the shower run it on full blast for 10 seconds. It should use no more than 1.5 litres in that time.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

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