Recluttering
A Guest Post by Cindy Bogard
It’s bound to happen sometime; you’re going to have to break down and buy something. Before you do, consider these factors:
- Do I need it?
- Do I want it?
- Did I come into the store looking for this item, or did it just catch my eye?
- Would I be criticized if my spouse or family members knew that I had purchased this?
- Can I afford it? If I cannot pay for it now, should I buy it?
- Can I wait a week and see if I still believe I need to buy this?
- I am buying it “just to try it”? If I am, is there some other way that I could try it first?
- Can I borrow it or rent it instead?
- Can I buy it used?
- Can I share the purchase of this item with someone else? (Lawn tools, exercise equipment, a bicycle, or magazine subscriptions all fall into this category.)
- Have I researched this purchase? Is this item durable and does it do the things I want?
- Will this item be easy use, maintain, and keep organized? Does this item perform more than one function?
- Do I have something at home that will perform the same function? Will it replace one or more other things that I already have? Am I willing to move those other things along? Do I truly need to replace those things?
- Do I have a place to store this item? Do I know that it fits?
- Is it in a color or style that I will continue to enjoy? Does it fit with my décor or the other things in my wardrobe?
- What is it made of? Where was it made? Are the components healthy for me and the environment? Is it labeled for recycling? Is it made of recycled parts?
- Can I sell it when I no longer want it?
ITEM 244 OF 365 LESS THINGS
These are almost too cute to part with
About Colleen Madsen
A very, very thorough list – nice job, Cindy.
Thank you. Once I started, it just poured out of me.
I believe that very top line should read “Day 244: Cindy’s Take on Avoiding REcluttering” (not decluttering).
Well, it still makes sense to me – you’re avoiding the need to declutter in the future!
Oh head slap! I get it now.
I should have added, I agree “recluttering” is a better choice 🙂
I ask myself many of these questions before purchasing, but it’s so nice having a written list to think through before buying something. Thanks, Cindy.
this should be a weekly reminder! its fantastic! I will so bookmark this to keep myself reminded once in a while to go through the list again…
I just had after my ascetic november a little shopping rush. And I bought some new fancy underwear (no, I cant buy that used) and disney movies (I searched, but I wanted DVDs and they do not exist used…). I got a bit carried away with the disney movies and bought one more that I actually didnt intend to buy, because it was a bargain. BUT: if I feel like I’ve seen it enough times, I will give it away to friends, friends children, or the library, etc…