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!
I liked this clever idea for socks from Wendy B.
NatalieinCA reminds us of the only sure fire way of avoiding unnecessary purchases in her comment this week.
I liked Cindy’s assessment of shopping in this comment. And then Rebecca B. A. R. rounded it off quite nicely in this comment.
I love it when a post has a reader racking their brain about excess like Lena did on Tuesday. She tells us about it in this comment. I also love her faith in the fact that I will one day, by the end of the year in fact, finally be decluttered in my craft area. I am up for the challenge.
Check Dizzy out, she has been doing some power decluttering due to being on the verge of moving house. See her big list of decluttered items in this comment. Go Dizzy!
Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!
I was asked to link to this site by Alina Shahnazari, the Cofounder of  clouditems.com. It’s a marketplace where you can sell, rent, exchange, borrow, or just give away goods to the people of your life or to a trusted network of people in Clouditems.
Blog by one of my readers Sammyliea ~Â www.sammyleiamoneysaver.com
I enjoyed this post from The Minimalists ~ Shopping or finding meaning. It inspired this quote I tweeted and posted of Facebook ~Â “What is the difference between crack-cocaine and consumerism? One habit is more socially acceptable.” ~ Colleen Madsen
Low Income Lady sent me this link from smh.com.au (Sydney Morning Herald) ~ One parents junk is a future parents treasure. I found this one for the booklovers while I was on the site Chapter one ~ a booklover’s lament by Adele Horin
A little story on how well thrift stores are thriving these days in Australia ~ www.theage.com.au ~ Opshops the latest fashion as retail opportunity knocks
Today’s Declutter Item
We are getting closer and closer to the end of the baseball souvenir declutter. This little Mariners train was sold on ebay for $26. There are more items to go from this category in the near future.
One more baseball souvenir gone
Something I Am Grateful For Today
My husband has sold one of his motorbikes. It won’t appear as a declutter item because it has already been replaced with something more in keeping with out ageing bodies. But it will be nice to have the money in the bank and space in the garage.
great links again this week colleen. I was very much looking forward to read the one about books – obviously! but I think its sad, she is making the choice for sense instead of sensivity. like you would ever be happy with the guy your mum would pick 😉 I decided for myself, I will wait until someone is giving me a kindle as a present. until that, I will stick to real books. trying of course to somehow stop purchasing (just pulled back from an online purchase in the last minute the other day – sociological literature is just so expensive) and borrow instead (student? – library!!)
oh and to keep you updated: I repurposed the blue tupperware for the screws, rearranging my toolbox, decluttering 3 little items (I really dont get where what stuff ends up).
And I put 3 scarfs to the pile of decluttered clothing. I still dont know how to deal with it. I am pretty short on money these days, and as those things are in perfect condition I dont want to just donate them, but sell. I hate to sell stuff online, so I was searching for a second-hand shop here, that takes my clothes on commission. There is one for design fashion, but well, you know… So the pile is growing bigger, while I am growing thinner. 😉
Well done with the decluttering this week Lena and well done resisting the urge to buy a book and borrow instead.†I sympathise with your need to sell rather than donate it really does add such a extra degree of difficulty to the task doesn’t it? I just pulled a whole lot of stuff out of my jewellery box yesterday. Some I throw out, some will be donated and some I feel inclined to sell but oh how I can’t be bothered. I haven’t had much success on ebay lately and that puts me off selling even more. Oh well I just need to change my attitude I suppose, either about selling or about wanting to cash in. Unlike you I don’t need the money I am just thrifty from previous training when I did need the money. Life’s lessons are hard to unlearn sometimes.
Lena, did you think of Ebay Kleinanzeigen?
Or you could hang notes in your university with pictures of the things you’d like to sell (and an email address or phone number, of course)
Maybe, you’re not able to sell each and every bit that way, but it’s worth a try.
Good idea Sanna. I don’t know how things work in your neck of the woods but my son’s university has a web site where the students to sell between themselves. This way they are able to sell books, tutoring help, furniture etc. I imagine they also sell clothing etc. Why not see if your uni offers the same thing. If they don’t perhaps you could instigate or at least suggest the creation of such a site.
The university in my town has such a website as well, but I know from friends that it’s still good old papernotes in many other unis.
yeah, I did think of ebay kleinanzeigen. and I am already trying to sell things there. But I seem to be unlucky. nothing works so far. I think I will bring everything to a fleemarket and sell that crap there (although I really dont like fleemarkets a lot)
I would hang papers at my uni for furniture only. (although I might try to sell books as well – thanks for the idea) I dont want to make a picture for every item of clothing I have, and then sell them for 50 cents or so. I would love to just pack it and bring it to a second hand shop. hm. maybe I just need time to realize my options here. until then, I need to wait.
Thank you for the wonderful read, Colleen!
My pleasure Sanna.
Hi Lena,
I never tried it but heard good things about kleiderkreisel.de for selling things.
Some clothes sold well on ebay (others not at all or for really bad prices) so it is worth to take a look to check how similar items sell if you have some things that were a bit more pricey.
Also, as you need smaller clothes now, look if there are swapping parties organizes near you. I have not tried this out either yet but plan on doing so sometime soon.
Also I dedicate a box (or more ;-( ) for fleamarket stuff and add to it over the year. Thus it is out of the way and out of mind for a while and I can move on. Though exhausting I try to view a fleamarket stall together with some friends as a fun get together. Plus: afterwards I am more ruthless when it comes to donating because I don’t want to take home that much anymore and the cash of the day in my pocket makes me more generous.
I don’t know if Kleinanzeigen works for clothes but if you find out (or find other ways to cash back a little bit from the excess in D.): share please! I still have enough stuff that falls in that category ;-(
hey Ideealistin, I didnt know about kleiderkreisel.de, they obviously are also organising swap parties. I dont think Kleinanzeigen works for clothes, but maybe I should just give it a try.
The Fleemarket is already organized and I just have to collect a lot of things until that date. But that wont be a problem. 😉
We live in one room with a vaulted ceiling, skylights, arched windows, recessed lighting and heated floors.
We do not use shelving, cupboards, closets, bureaus, desks, tables or lamps.
We have a luxurious sofabed and chair where we sleep, lounge, study, dine and entertain.. Our minimal wardrobes are stored in baskets beneath the furniture. We use a computer for media. Tote bags store a few handy items.
We use a portable stovetop and one-pot recipes. Large cutting boards cover an under-counter fridge and washer/dryer. Another cutting board covers the sink area. Windows span across the counter. Minimal kitchen items are stacked behind a small set of curtains beneath the kitchen sink. Utensils are stored in a single basket. Dishes are dried on towels.
In the bathroom, we have a tiny corner sink without a vanity. Towels are hung on hooks. Cosmetic baskets are stored on the back of the toilet. Soap is stored in the shower. A full-length mirror and clothing hook are on the back of the door.
We have a swivel sweeper and one multi-purpose cleanser. We clean by hand, rinsing in a sink.
Hope this helps others…
Hi Di,
you sure don’t need any advice from me that’s for sure. Your home sounds lovely to me. In this crazy Western world we sure have complicated things for ourselves with all the gadgetry and extras we think we need. I think there is a strong argument as to whether or not all the “time saving” devices we own are actually that. The same goes for comfort items. One has to work very hard to earn them and maintain them and that doesn’t sound very comforting to me.
Less space + Less suff = Less work Thank you for the reminder of how little we really need.
Thank you very much Colleen for mentioning my blog! I really appreciate it! 🙂
I always find that the links that you share are very interesting too. Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure Sammyleia.
Oh I love Batboy… and I can understand Richard’s concern! Too funnY!
Hi Snosie,
I am a little confused as I have no idea what you mean by this comment. I am obviously missing something.