A guest post by – My Husband

During a recent overseas business trip I read about an experiment to choose six clothing items and only use those items for a month. You could have multiple copies of each item, even a different colour counted as a separate item but underwear, sleepwear, shoes and jackets etc did not count. I looked at my standard travel wardrobe, and found two pairs of Columbia pants, four sweat-wicking golf shirts (three colours) and two pairs of shorts. Five items to which I could add a more formal shirt for those dressier occasions, and still meet the Six Items or Less challenge. I lived with these five items for three weeks, and as you read this I am using them again for a month in Italy. No one ever comments on my limited wardrobe, and my daily choices are limited to picking the colour of my shirt for the day. Could I live like this for longer periods, or is six items too few to cover every contingency?

I decided that with some minor modifications, the experiment could be applied to my every day life and significantly reduce the size of my wardrobe. The first adaptation was to allow different colours of the same items so my four golf shirts would become one item. I also allowed myself some latitude items that get regular use in rotation with other similar items. For example, I had many long-sleeve shirts of different brands from which I selected the ones I use regularly and counted them as one item. As these items wear out I will look at following my plan to find an item I like that will replace all the differing brands. Using these adaptations, I have reduced my wardrobe to seven items plus work uniforms that are supplied and required by my employer.

I feel liberated from the fashion cycle, and yet have retained the best of my clothes while ridding myself of clothes that are functional but never made it into my rotation. For most of us, we keep returning to the same old favourites until they fall apart, so why clutter our closets with clothes that are never going to be worn? With a smaller clothing footprint, the clothes are not jammed into the hanging space, come off the hanger ready to wear and I can see my entire wardrobe in one place.

The Six Items or Less challenge looks daunting at first but a worthwhile experiment for anyone seeking to simplify their life. The original experimenters had a variety of experiences, and you can read their stories here. Now it is your turn.

ITEM 242 OF 365 LESS THINGS

The first of the clothes that were decluttered from my hubbies closet

ONE

Yes that’s right ONE. That is all you really need. Having said that, I own more than one handbag myself. I actually have three but I only ever use one. Maybe it is time I decluttered the other two. I used the other two bags more often before I needed prescription glasses but they are not big enough to hold the case. One of the reasons why I stick with just one bag is because I just can’t be bothered moving the items I keep in there all the time from one bag to another.

I don’t like to carry a big bag because like every other space the bigger it is the more you fill it up with needless stuff. The one I use all the time is actually ready for the bin. Its handle fell off some months back and I have been holding it on with a safety spring hook (You know, like a climber would use. You never know I might find myself in a “MacGyver” situation one day and that hook will save my life. LOL). That said, this old bag suits my needs really well and that isn’t easy to find so I will continue to use it for as long as it will hold together.

I know some of you lovely readers are probably thinking “you must be mad, get a life”, but the question was “how many handbags does one woman need” and the answer is one. All extra bags are just an extravagant fashion statement really. We are all allowed our one little weaknesses though I suppose.

Thank you to Angelina for sending in that question and inspiring this post.

For more on handbags check out Day 97 Handbag Clutter.

ITEM 230 OF 365LESSTHINGS

I believe these shot glasses have been in my possession since my grandmother died so that is 29 years to add to the weeks clutter years tally which is now 43 years.

Everyone seems to have at least one clutter weakness. Mine was paper crafting supplies and magazines. Even when I was at the height of my paper crafting days I think I was more addicted to shopping for supplies than I was to using them. I did do quite a bit of the craft but I bought a whole lot more than I was ever going to need even if I had continued at the crafting pace I was at.

I am not sure what really turned me off my addiction but I think it may have been photo clutter. The beauty of digital photography is also its downfall. You can take as many photos as you can fit on you DS card, Compact Flash or your computer hard drive for that matter. Add in an external hard drive and all of a sudden you are drowning in photos. I think I just got tired of sorting through them to find the “best ones” for the a album I wanted to make. Photo burnout was inevitable.

For some people their addiction is books. I always used to think this was where they would read a book and not want to part with it but I have read recently on more than one blog that people buy books and don’t even get around to reading them. Much the same as my craft supply clutter I suppose.

I would like to challenge my readers to admit to what their clutter addiction is today, google for some advice as to how to overcome it and do something to start working on the problem this week. Meanwhile I will make the effort to get some of my craft supplies up for sale in eBay.

I feel like I should be saying…”my name is Colleen and I am a paper craft supplies addict” but I am not any more. I am just Colleen who needs to do something about ridding myself of the substance of my old addiction. There is no better time like the present so I am going jump over to eBay now and start listing.

ITEM 223 OF 365 LESS THINGS

This batch of scrapbook magazines are today’s offering and I have listed 3 other paper crafting items on eBay. Wish me luck!

Last Monday, Day 214, my post was about supply and demand. I promised to keep track of my efforts to avoid being wasteful all week and let you know how I went. The idea is to lower the demand for items therefore lessen the necessity to supply them.

Well here is the result…

• I avoided using throw away utensils and containers when eating out. Luckily at most cafes here in Australia coffee comes in china cups unless you order it to go and they have metal utensils so this wasn’t difficult to achieve.
• As usual I didn’t bag up my fruit and vegetable when at the supermarket so no plastic bags wasted here.
• I also took my own carry bags to the supermarket so once again no plastic bags wasted.
• I walked to work on Thursday and car pooled on Monday saving some gas.
• I mended two items of clothing so they could be worn again instead of being replaced.
• I returned some wire coat hangers to the drycleaners so they could be reused.
• I used Tupperware containers to store some individual chicken breast fillets  in the freezer rather than putting them in plastic freezer bags like I normally would. I will be doing this all the time in future.
• I ate porridge for breakfast all week to use up some oats that were getting a little old in the cupboard. I would have bought a new packet of cereal otherwise.
• We have been eating “end of day” bread all week that was given to my son by a friend who works at a bread shop. This bread would have ended up in a dumpster otherwise and I would have bought fresh bread.
• I oiled and seasoned the vegetables before roasting in a bowl rather than in a plastic bag like I usually would. Once again I will be doing this all the time in future.
• I have been buying my meat at the butcher where even though they still put the cuts in a plastic bag they don’t use Styrofoam trays. Another new habit I will stick with. Actually I might take my own container in future eliminating the plastic bags altogether.
• Aside from groceries and a new lid for my skillet I bought nothing else all week. This has become the norm for me though.

My husband spent the last three weeks in Hawaii and as instructed bought me back no gifts. He does want to buy me a new iPad to replace this laptop that I write my blogs on but this old faithful is going to have to falter more than it already is before I will let him replace it. I am getting used to its little quirks anyway and maybe some times I have to wait a while for it to load things but that is not to bad.

I know all this may not seem like much in the big scheme of things but if everyone made a little more effort to cut back the world would be better for it. I am quite happy with my efforts and I pledge to continue to find more ways to improve.

ITEM 221 OF 365 LESS THINGS

I don’t know how many year it is since my husband used this dart set.

I wanted to do follow up on yesterday’s post with some practical advice on children’s wardrobes. I would like you to keep in mind that my children are 21 & 19 now and it has been a while since I had control over what they wear.

When my children were small, well actually they are still small but we will come to that soon, I was very lucky that I really didn’t need to buy much for them in the way of clothing. Both my mother and mother-in-law are very good at sewing and made most of the clothes they needed. My MIL would buy good second-hand clothing and shoes for them on occasion as well. I don’t recall them being inundated with more clothes than they needed so there was no out of control spending that’s for sure. Also because they were small the fabric required was minimal and were often off-cuts so no waste there much either.

As I mentioned, both my kids aren’t big. When they were little I could never predict what size clothes they would need for the next season because their growth rate was not the average. So I never took advantage of end of season sales. One of the advantages of having small kids is that they tend to wear their clothing out rather than grow out of them so that was my savings advantage. We also lived in the tropics for four years of their young lives so there was no seasons to buy for really.

When my daughter turned twelve I copped the usual teenage girl desire for name brand clothes and going shopping with her became a nightmare. I did what all smart mothers would do and gave her a clothing allowance. It didn’t take long for her to realize that the money I gave her would not buy much unless she settled for sensible brands with reasonable prices. She soon learned how to find a bargain and that she was cute enough without doing free advertising for companies whose clothes were not that well made anyway.

My son however has always been hard to fit because he has always been a skinny little thing so he tends to find something that he likes that fits and wears it to death. He still wears his little league t-shirts from when he was twelve he is now nineteen. Says a lot for how well they catered for sizes at his little league club but that is another story. He mostly lives in skinny jeans, t-shirts and button up flannel shirts these days because that is the skateboarder fashion. His one weakness is skate shoes but now that he is responsible for paying for them himself I am sure he will be more careful with them. Oh and he will not part with any band t-shirts or hoodies that he has ever owned and they are stored in a box in the garage. I am not happy about that.

Sure there were times where they had more than they needed. Sometime an item was bought that they didn’t like so much and didn’t wear to its full potential. Every now and again there had to be the “only for good” outfit that they grew out of before they wore out but for the most part we didn’t do too badly.

The moral of this story is we all know our kids well enough to know the style of clothing that best suits their everyday needs. We pretty much have a handle on their growth rate and their personalities. We know if they are the rough and tumble type or the gentle variety. We know how often we have time to do the laundry and the type of climate we live in. We know the kind of social lives we lead separately and together as a family.

All our kids need is enough clothing of the variety that best suits the needs of the categories above and no more. If something wears out it is easy enough to replace it so there is no need for multiple back ups. If you are lucky like I was and someone else is catering well to their needs in this area just be grateful of one less financial pressure. If that leaves you with extra funds maybe you could funnel the savings into a college fund or something else that suits their immediate needs. It is best to teach them now that excess is not necessary for a happy life, they will thank you for it in the end.

I am not going to be a hypocrite and pretend that I taught my kids all the right lessons when it comes to being frugal. Hindsight is a great thing but often too late. Suddenly having an independent income can go to their heads when it happens no matter how well you think you taught them. I just hope the fundamentals are locked in their somewhere and they will settle into it.

ITEM 22OF 365 LESS THINGS

This Thomas the Tank Engine train set was a Christmas gift to my son many years ago. He kindly allowed me to give it to his young cousins who are Thomas fans.

Back on day 192 I wrote a post on decluttering regrets and today I would like to follow that up with a story about a woman I work with.

As you can imagine I hold nothing back when it comes to spreading the word about decluttering whether through my blog, with my friend or anyone who cares to listen really. My work mates are no exception and they often hear my stories and sometimes have a look at my blog.

The  woman who is the subject of this story recently came to work laughingly complaining to me about how my “worthless advice” had caused her grief. She then informed me of the source of this grief. Her daughter has to dress up as a children’s book character for school and chose Little Miss Muffet. She immediately remembered a cute little bonnet that had been in there dress-up box for about six years. The unfortunate part to this story is she had taken my advice and decluttered it recently and was now unable to use it “this once”. Yes once in six years the only problem I can see with this situation is that this item should have been decluttered five years ago at least.

Lo and behold a few days later we had another similar session about a curling wand that had also been lurking about her home for a similar length of time. She had also gottten rid of it and now wanted to use it to curl her daughters hair for the same event that the hat was needed for. Needless to say I wasn’t that sympathetic. I just told her there was no shortage of curling wands going begging at the thrift shop or get her daughter to borrow one from a friend. I implored her to not waste money buying a new one that would most likely also sit unused for the next six years.

If we all used six years as our yard stick  to how long it takes for something to be eligible for decluttering wouldn’t our homes be a mess. I do not regret giving decluttering advice I only regret that more people don’t experience the joy and/or freedom achieved from…

1. having less unused items cluttering up their homes.
2. the financial benefits of not wasting money on items you could easily live without.
3. knowing you are having a minimal negative impact on the environment.
4. setting a good example for the next generation
5. not trying to keep up with the Jones

ITEM 217 OF 365 LESS THINGS

These speakers had an 120v power cord that is really no use to us here in Australia at 240v.

Yesterday I received an email from Denise which raised some interesting decluttering questions. I have edited and reworded the email as I did not have time to contact Denise to get her approval to quote it verbatim but I am sure she will know it was her and this is what she asked… (more or less)

What happens when you have gone through the house once and think you have decluttered significantly. I am sure I could do better but I wish I could see items around the house with “new eyes”. If you reach an impasse, do you try again or try another project and come back to decluttering in a few days? Does leaving the house help?

I have never really “gone through the house”. I am very much in tune to what is in my home probably due to the fact that I have moved so many times over the years. Since the last move I have added very little  but removed a lot therefore I know what is where and what I really don’t need/want/use.

Most days either my husband or I think of something that needs to go. Some days we do put aside more than one thing while on others we may be dealing with the removal of one item or another either selling, dismantling for recycling, putting in the garage for the next donation drop off not to mention photographing for the blog. We have even been trying to get ahead a little because we have a vacation planned soon. (Stay tuned for more info on that)

In the end there is an average on one item a day to be decluttered and added to the blog.

As for seeing things with new eyes, that happens all the time. The more I write and read on the subject of decluttering and minimalism the more ruthless I become about the “useless to me” items around my home. I would never call these items totally useless as they have potential to be useful to someone else. That is why so many things have either been donated or sold. I may pass over an area time and time again and find something else I realise doesn’t mean that much to me after all. That is the beauty of 365lessthings I learn and change as I go. There are so many things that at the start of this journey I would have had difficulty parting with but my attitude and belief systems have matured as time has passed.

That is not to say that I never have burn out days. They are usually days where other things are getting me down which can cause my enthusiasm to become a bit stagnant. Life goes on outside of my decluttering and blogging world that can stress me out and make me want to curl up in a ball just like anyone else. I wouldn’t want to let my readers down so a drag my sorry butt to my computer and troll though other sites to give me inspiration. Sometimes a comment from my wonderful readers will get me inspired. I know there are so many things still in my home that need to go so I just shake off my doldrums and get to it and I usually feel better for the effort.

Denise asked if getting out of the house helps. I like to take a long walk each day which isn’t always possible but a walk sure does raise the spirits and gives me time to think about what I am willing to tackle that day. Unfortunately lately the lousy weather we have been having and the extra hours I have been putting in at work have certainly put a damper on my mood and restrictions on my time. Denise works from home so I can imagine getting out would be essential to put her in a better frame of mind to see things with a fresh eye.

Who knows maybe Denise has done all that needs doing for now. Everyone’s journey is different. We all have different needs and are at varying stages in our lives. One persons idea of being decluttered may be vastly different to another. I suggest take a second look at your feelings and not so much at the items themselves. I find it is a natural progression and I really just make it up as I go along. If I felt like I was done now I would stop.

So good luck Denise, I hope this was helpful to you and to my other readers as well.

ITEM 215 OF 365 LESS THINGS

Another item just like yesterday’s only this one made more money, $36.00 in fact.

About eighteen months ago now a good friend of mine opened a quilt shop. She had been involved in this hobby  for quite a while and had also worked in a quilt shop for several years before deciding to branch out and begin her own business.

Being the good friends that I am I naturally offered to help her get started. First of all helping out to set up the store and then she hired me to work in the shop one day every two weeks. I had never tried quilting before but have plenty of sewing skills so I decided I should take some lessons with her so I would be more knowledgeable for the customers seeking my assistance.

I have to admit that right from the start my heart really wasn’t in it. Knowing how much other hobby clutter I already had at home I really didn’t want to start something new that would require more equipment and I had no need for the finished product. Even back then my mind was on the minimising path.

Luckily my friend and I feel free to speak openly with each other and I had made it clear from the start that if she felt she didn’t require my services any more she was free to let me go. As it turned out her daughter was in need of some work hours and took over the days that I had been helping out.

It is a wonderful thing to have friends with whom you can be honest and open with. This situation left us both free to be who we are and do what is right for ourselves without upsetting the other. If ever she needs my help again I would be more than happy to oblige and I am sure she would be content in knowing she can always call on me.

Fortunately I did not accumulate much more than a few snippets of fabric during the time I was learning the craft which I happily gave to her to sell as remnants in the the store. All I have to do now is work through all those other craft supplies I still have.

ITEM 212 OF 365 LESS THINGS

This tote was an item I used during my scrapbooking phase even though it is meant for quilting I like to live outside the box and it was perfect for taking my projects to scrapbook classes. I decided to sell it recently and asked my friend if she would sell it in her quilt shop. It was a quick sale because she decided to buy it herself.  I made a fast $20.

My little girl (who is 21) is changing direction in her life and is deferring her studies to go into full time work. She is also planning on moving out into her own apartment for the first time. With this in mind I have decided to put a few items aside for her so there will be less for her to buy when all this takes place.

So instead of actual decluttering they are just being moved into a holding pattern in a box in the garage for when she needs them. I don’t really consider this decluttered until they have actually left my house but at least they aren’t staring at me unused from the shelf where they have sat for the last 3 years.

Rather than try to sell some of these items it will be a lot easier for me to just hand them over to her as I know she will need all the help she can get. Some time back we started a collection of household items for her which are already cluttering up the garage so when the time comes that she does move out there will be some nice open space on the garage shelves.

ITEM 211 OF 365 LESS THINGS

This is another of those items I am nut sure why my husband decluttered but mine is not to reason why. It sold for $20 on ebay.

After reading Deb j’s write-up in yesterday’s post Hiring a Professional Organizer I got to thinking about the useless spaces that are in many homes. It makes a whole lot more sense to think outside the box and start utilizing these spaces for something more practical that suits our individual lives.

So often we conform with the norm and furnish our homes according to the original framework intended by the designer. When in actual fact it would be far more practical to turn a barely used room like a formal dining room into an area more suited to our own lifestyle like a craft room, an office, a playroom for the kids or even a gym. I knew a couple once that turned their formal lounge and dining rooms into an entertainment area. They included a 6 x 3 pool table and a digital movie projector with a big white screen and a couple of comfy sofas. What had just been an area of their home collecting dust was transformed into a place for pure enjoyment that was shared with friends and family.

Use the space you have wisely or if you don’t need the space downsize to a dwelling that leaves a smaller footprint on the planet. Something that emits less pollution to keep warm in winter and cool in summer. Something that best suits your lifestyle and personality not just a status symbol that is fundamentally impractical. Having not long done just this I am very pleased with the result and would never consider reversing this trend for our family.

ITEM 207 OF 365 LESS THINGS

More items my daughter no longer needs I gave them to a friends granddaughter.