“Is prosperity only a material condition? Is there not prosperity of the soul? Outward riches without inward peace, I think we can all agree is a tentative state of wealth.” –Dave Bruno

Having never actually been a follower of Dave Bruno’s Blog, I only had a vague idea what the 100 thing challenge was all about, and in my ignorance I was very sceptical about the concept of paring down to only 100 things. The odd snippets I did come across while reading minimalist blogs gave me the impression that a lot of people were jumping on the band wagon like it was some kind of competition as to how few things the participants could live with.

When out of the blue I received an email from Mary at Harper Collins asking if I would be interested in receiving a free copy to review my initial reaction was to think – Do I really want to add this book clutter to my home.  Then I thought – What have I a got to loose, I can always hand the book on when I am done.

Well I have to say the book pleasantly surprised me. The story is simply one man’s attempt to break free from the constraints of American-Style consumerism. As my readers know I am  a strong advocate for adopting a more sustainable approach to consuming. My first advice when it comes to decluttering is to be conscious about what you buy or you will just be re-cluttering while you are decluttering.

Dave lives with his wife and three daughters in San Diego, California. He sets his story up with a little information about his life from both a business and personal point of view so we get to know him a little. He outlines the rules  of his challenge so we know exactly what is considered personal items, and what items are considered shared property, so not included in the challenge. Dave is honest and open about his struggles during the challenge, and about the mistakes he made with some of his choices.

He touches on how disappointment is built into the products we buy causing us to be constantly dissatisfied with our purchases. I could really relate to this and have blogged about this problem myself in the past on Day 214 and Day 111. Sustainability is not even a factor in some of the useless and flimsy products on the market.

Even though he took a year to reduce his belongings to the 100 thing limit, it forced him to part with some things that he later regretted not keeping.  This particularly concerned me as he then talks of replacing those items once the challenge was over. He also traded a few items out as the challenge went along.  All in all though, compared to the average consumer he certainly set a fabulous example for how we can all live a fulfilling life with minimal possessions. Several months after the challenge is over he is still living with less than 100 personal items, and content that the challenge brought him to to his goal of being a more thoughtful and joyful person.

Would I recommend reading this book? Yes, I personally preferred reading the first half of the book, it tells of Dave’s soul searching to choose which 100 personal items to keep. He delves into the reasons behind why he was clinging to certain objects in his life, how he came to terms with and untangled those ties. How there is more to it than just parting with the items but also letting go of the unrealised dreams that those items represent. For this alone the story is really worth the read.

I wouldn’t suggest that you reduce you personal belongings to 100 things on a whim?  No, but it is not unreasonable to think that in the endeavour to simplify and declutter your life you may wake up one day and realise you have done  just that. I have no doubt that you would be happier for it.

Today’s Declutter Item

Another DVD that Liam decluttered. He has been very cooperative with the decluttering lately and I am milking that for all it’s worth. There is no telling how long it will last.

Things I am grateful for today

1. I have managed to resurrect a favourite pair of shoes today with the help of a bottle of suede/nubuck dye.
2. I found a good red lentil dahl recipe on the internet.
3. I have my car back – Steve’s motorbike is finally back on the road.
4. I made it home safe and sound each time I left the house today – despite the fact that in four separate instances when vehicles tried or did take my right of way. I seem to have been a crazy driver magnet today.
   
5. Memories of reading bedtime stories to my children when they were younger- I loved reading to them and sometimes I would con them into brushing my hair so I would read an extra story. I love to having my hair brushed.
   

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

Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom

The shopping is done. The wrapping paper is all recycled. You may have even packed away the ornaments until next year. (Were there any you decided to declutter?) But I bet there’s still one task you haven’t tackled, one that goes on all year long: Returns. Returns are a vital part of a well-organized and decluttered home.

You can return practically anything to practically anywhere. Even if you’re outside the store’s stated time limits for returns, you can still request a return. Speak to the manager. Really and truly, it doesn’t hurt to ask. (This is more applicable to the United States than it may be to other countries. Australia for one is much less flexible)

Surely you’ve looked on Craigslist or Ebay and seen a listing like these: “Bought for daughter but did not fit. Lost receipt, my loss your gain.” Or, “My loss is your gain. These are easily $70 at a store. If I had a receipt I would take it back, but I don’t.”

The first ad was for five pairs of Target brand jeans. I know that Target will take items back for 90 days, and that you don’t have to have your receipt to get a store credit, so why isn’t this mother returning the jeans? Placing an ad for clothing on Craigslist is way more inconvenient than any trip to Target could be and you will unlikely get the full cost you paid.

In the second case, why doesn’t this fellow ask where his $70 item came from? Even if we assume that he’s not asking because he fears hurting the feelings of the gift-giver, he can still try a return. While I don’t advocate intentionally returning something to the wrong store, many stores sell exactly the same merchandise, and especially after Christmas, will take back something that you’re not 100% sure came from there. Don’t feel bad; they stock ones exactly like it, and they’re going to resell it. If you feel uncomfortable, you can even say, “I got this from my sister. I don’t know if it came from here.” If it didn’t, they’ll tell you.

Buying online is a very popular option, but I am careful not to have something shipped to me if I’m not certain that I want it, particularly if return shipping is not included. Postage costs are very high, and I feel cheated if I pay for something to be shipped to me, then pay for it to be shipped back, and the only thing I have to show for my efforts is less money.

Big ticket items are the hardest to return but the most deserving of being returned. You’re only going to buy one TV this decade. If you get it home and don’t like it, it needs to go back. My girlfriend returned a gas stove once! Can you image how inconvenient that was? The thing was hooked up in her house and functioning, but she hated it and knew she did not want to live with it for the next 20 years. Any time you buy a big ticket item, make sure you understand the store’s return policy before you purchase. Sometimes furniture and art can be taken out “on approval” where the store charges your card but allows you to take it home for a day or two. The store won’t volunteer this; you have to ask.

When I buy something I’m not quite sure about, or something that won’t get used right away (which could translate to won’t get used … ever), I tape the receipt directly onto the item. Recently I was able to return house numbers that I’d had for almost 12 months because I still had the receipt. The store’s policy is that returns are only accepted within 90 days. First I called to assess if there might be a problem, but the clerk sounded pretty sure “we can work something out.” When I walked into the store, I checked to be sure that they still stocked the house numbers. They did, and as predicted, there was no problem getting a store credit, which I immediately used. (See Day 294 for my tips on managing your gift cards and merchandise credits.)

Especially as you’re decluttering, you will find brand new items that you could have, should have returned. Don’t fret! You probably still can.

Colleen – There is some good advice in this article and I like Cindy keep all receipts for items other than food for a certain length of time just in case. I keep my receipts in a coupon folder or in my file with warranty papers. I have had to retrieve such receipts many times over the years when…

• Things break during normal use within a short length of time or within the warranty period.
• When clothing shrinks, fades, goes out of shape/seams undo/ etc within the first few times of wearing and washing.
• When something doesn’t live up to what the advertising suggests it is capable of.
• When I have chosen and item because the sales person insists it is the right product for what I require and it turns out  it isn’t.

Just remember to clean out old receipts on a regular basis. And like Cindy says be reasonable about what you expect to the retailer to accept. It never hurts to try though because the only stupid request is the one you are to shy to ask for. Please try to investigate big ticket products where possible before making your purchase and remember to be open minded. Investigating doesn’t mean to only try to justify the exact item you thought you wanted in the first place and not having an open mind that the trendy/cutest/smaller/larger/ faster… product may not the one that best suits your needs.

Today’s Declutter Item

This is the sweater Liam was wearing when he had his accident needless to say they had to get it off him quickly. It went in the trash today but we kept what once was his favourite T-shirt that is in much the same condition.

Things I am grateful for today

1. Lunch with a friend again – I have been a bit spoiled the last couple of days.
2. Listening to other peoples troubles and realising how lucky I am.
3. More cherry tomatoes ripening on the plant in my garden that just popped up from one of last years seeds.
4. Liam happily co-operating with me when I asked him to help declutter a couple of drawers in his bedroom today- eBay here we come.
   
5. Friends that feel they can always be honest with me.
   

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

Key #4 Don’t reclutter while you declutter

Decluttering is a complete waste of time if there is as much stuff entering your house as there is going out. Limit your purchases to the things you really have put a lot of thought into whether you will get good use out of it or if it really suits your needs. Don’t wonder aimlessly through the stores looking for stuff you didn’t know you wanted. And try to convince your friends and family not to buy you gifts unless they are consumable in some way.- Fresh flowers, chocolates, beauty treatments and the like.

Item 360 of 365 less things

My mother-in-law probably will think I have gone too far now but as cute as this bear is Liam gave it to me to declutter. It was a nice thought at the time but he is all better now.

5 Reflections of gratitude from the most frightening time of this year

1. All the family and friends that kept in touch when Liam was hurt.
2. Modern medicine- Something we often take for granted but makes a big difference to a lot of lives.
3. All the health professionals who cared for Liam, aided and are still assisting in his full recovery.
4. All of the prayers and well wishes of my readers and their families, friends and church groups during that awful time.
5. Both my husband and I being able to give Liam our full attention during his entire recovery time – that is truly a privilege in this day and age. Planning for a rainy day really is a good idea.
   

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

In the spirit of giving at Christmas I have compiled a list of non cluttering gift ideas. This list can also be used throughout the year for birthdays and other gift giving occasions. I have cut and pasted a list I compiled back on Day 199 and added some more ideas. If you have any other great ideas to add to the list I will be happy to include them and then make a page out of it that we can refer back when ever we feel the need. So get those good idea to me via a comment I am looking forward to your contributions.

Edible Treats

• Chocolate/Candy
• Cake (provide a cake for someone’s happy occasion)
• Baskets of
  • Fruit (what could be more colorful or healthy than that)
  • Cookies
  • Groceries
  • Treats (candy, nuts, crackers etc)
• Bottle of wine / 6 pack of Boutique Beer…
• A home cooked meal is always a treat for a special occasion
• Home made treats like jam, cookies, pickles etc
• Take them out to dinner/lunch/ breakfast etc

Gift Certificate

• Dining Out – coffee shop, restaurants etc
• Hardware
• Groceries
• Spa Treatments
  • Manicure
  • Pedicure
  • Massage
  • Hair cut/colour
  • Facial
• Travel Vouchers
  • Flight
  • Bus
  • Train
  • Motel
  • Even just a local train or bus pass so they don’t have to pay for their commute for a week or so

Donations

• Give a donation to their/your favourite charity in the name of the gift recipient
• Donate your time to help out a charity on their behalf

Time

• Spend quality time together
• Do a favour that will save someone precious time
  • ironing sessions *
  • see also Automotive
  • house cleaning chores *
  • Child minding *
  • see also Garden below
• Recharge a prepaid cell phone for more communication time
• Instead of sending a gift make a visit to someone far away as their Christmas gift.

Garden

• Plants/cuttings/seedlings/flowers
• Doing some gardening for them
• Mowing their lawn *
• Prune bushes *
• Water the garden in dry weather or while they are away *

Automotive

• Wash and detail the car *
• Pay for a tank of gas or give them a gas gift card
• Pay for a car service *
• Take and pay for the cars next emissions test *

Friends

• Arrange a get together with a group of friends
• Bring two old friends together

Entertainment

• Buy tickets to a show/event/movie
• Take them out to a show/event/movie
• iPod downloads
• Video store gift certificate
• Theme park tickets or annual pass

Other

• Good old fashion cash
• Pay a bill for someone*
  • Electricity
  • Gas
  • phone
  • A weeks rent
• Flowers
• Gym membership
• A calendar (Most people use one and you get a whole years use out of it before it requires recycling)

Note:- For ideas with * beside them – If the time is not right immediately to follow through on this gift make up a voucher and give to to the person in a card. Make sure you follow throw when the time comes.

Sometimes the best thing we can do is to just be there for the special day.

Item 343 of 365 less things

A collector plate that my mum gave me when I was living in America. It was nice to see the Australian wild flowers on it when I was so far from home but now I only have to go outside. So I don’t need it any more and it has been sold on eBay

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. That I made the effort to go for a walk today- I have found far to many excuses not to bother walking lately and it is starting to show on my waste line. I think my frame of mind has been better today for making that effort and from getting some fresh air and sunshine.
   
2. A friend calling to have a coffee with me today – Between hospitals, medical appointments and family it has been hard to get away.
3. Libraries – I like being able to borrow books and magazines, it saves me money because I don’t have to buy them and I give them back when I am done so they don’t become clutter.
4. A smaller ironing pile – I am not sure what has changed in our home but the ironing pile seems to be much smaller these days. I think it was from Steve decluttering his wardrobe of a lot of collared shirts.
5. Leftovers – They are so convenient when you suddenly have to drop someone off somewhere when you should be cooking dinner.
   

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry f aster when I’m slow.

Cindy Bogard’s Weekly Post

There is a group of Canadian Mennonites who, along with AdBusters, promotes a Buy Nothing Christmas www.buynothingChristmas.org. While my family will not be having a Buy Nothing Christmas, we will be having a Buy Not A Lot Christmas. Each year, I’ve tried to cut back, usually with only moderate success. One memorable year, the kids got so overwhelmed by the number of gifts that we had to take a break from opening them. Good grief! Can you say “enough already!”

This year Christmas comes very close to my half-year of decluttering anniversary. Having looked so carefully at each and every one of the more than 1,200 things I’ve decluttered, I can say for sure that I have very little interest in purchasing.

The girls, too, have been decluttering with me every step of the way. They very much acknowledge that most of the gifts they’ve received have really not been as fun, interesting, or welcomed as anticipated. The amount of books, craft kits, and art supplies that have been shifted out of their rooms and into other homes is remarkable.

In addition to Christmas gift-giving, Clara’s birthday and her first diabetes diagnosis anniversary are the week before Christmas. While I try to look on her diagnosis day as “the day her life was saved” not “the day the wheels came off the bus,” there’s no denying that it has been earthshaking and deserves some sort of special acknowledgement.

So what will we be giving and getting this year?

Audra wants a kitten and, shhhhh, Santa is going to bring her one. Her other gifts will be cat-related items. However, in the true one-item-in, one-item-out tradition, one of the guinea pigs has found a new home at the girls’ school, and I’m trying to find a home for the other one. (Yahoo! This could be a two-for-one!)

Clara desperately wants her ears pierced. She will turn 11 in December, and she’s always been told that she could not get her ears pierced until she turned 13. As I said before, her birthday and diagnosis day are close together, and I figure that since she pokes herself to test her blood sugar at least 10 times a day, she can handle two more pokes.  I’ve invited her three closest friends and their mothers to meet us at the mall on the anniversary of her diabetes diagnosis, and we will all go to the earring store to watch her get her ears pierced. Then I’ll treat everyone to lunch. I think this will truly be a memory for a lifetime, just like Audra’s kitten. For Christmas, I’ll get her some earrings and let someone else get her the books and calligraphy set she’s asked for.

With my parents, we have a completely practical gift-giving strategy. Everyone is encouraged to say exactly what they’d like for Christmas, and if you describe its precise location in the store, that’s not going too far. (“Home Depot, aisle 14, bottom shelf, left hand side. It’s $34.99 on sale for the next week” is not too much detail.)

My husband’s family (four adults and one toddler) is a bit more of a wild card. I have finally realized that I can’t control them, I can only control myself. (It only took me a dozen years of trying to manage their gift giving for me to come to this fairly obvious conclusion.) All of us are blessed with plenty of income and the ability to buy everything we need and most things we want. What that means is that I will be informing them what sort of gifts we’ll be giving by sending an email that finalizes our visiting plans and states, “As in years past, the girls will be buying a gift for (the baby), and we will be making charitable donations for the adults.” (Hmm, I think that might need a little work, but you get the idea.) In return, I will ask for a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (www.jdrf.org) or a gift certificate to my favorite store Amazon.com.  What they do with that information has to be up to them.

Will you be having a Buy Nothing Holiday?

Item 342 of 365 less things

A cable that we received free with one of those fancy schmancy calculators that the kids required in high school. The calculator was used but the cable never was.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Not only remembering to go to the supermarket on the way home from the airport but getting everything I went there for – I have been a bit of an airhead lately.
2. Steve remembering to get the lawn mowing man his Christmas carton of beer while he was at our house today.
3. An afternoon nap – I had a headache all day and needed some relief. Those new cushions came in really handy.
   
4. A great response to today’s (yesterday’s now) post – I had a amusing time reading about the odd things people have as clutter/precious possessions.
5. Lovely soft fresh bread
   

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

Stocking up is the brother to I might need it some day and both are a problem when it comes to trying to live a more minimalist lifestyle. One can create clutter while the other can undermine the decluttering process. Either one has the potential to cause mischief on its own but put the two together and you may even create the basis of hoarding.

Lets look at stocking up first…

The problem with stocking up is that it rightly or wrongly appears to make economic sense. This is especially so when it comes special deals where you can get two for the price of one. In this instance it would seem ridiculous not to take advantage of such a bargain so long as it is a product that…

• you use all the time and isn’t going to take  months or years to use up.
• it isn’t going to perish before you will use it up.
• you have used before and you aren’t going to discover that you have an allergy to it.
• it isn’t related to a pastime that you may grow board with before you are likely to make use of it.
• (if it does pass the previous criteria) you have the space to store it in your home.

Think long and hard about the situations I have mentioned above and any others that may pop into your head. Lifestyles, interest and tastes change all the time whether it be hobbies, sports, food, fashion etcetera. Even our bodies change, our skin, our hair, sensitivities can develop and we all know how age affects what products we require.

What I am saying here is that reasonably thought-out stocking up makes great economical sense but don’t be lured in to what appears to be a “great deal” simply by price alone, stop and consider any purchase no matter how tempting it may seem on the surface.

Bargains aren’t the only reason people stock up. Other reasons can be, don’t like to shop, live out of town, fear that an item you love now may become obsolete etcetera. Whatever the reason the same guidelines apply.

Helpful Tip :- To take advantage of great two for one deals without stocking up share-buy with a friend then you will both end up with one each at 50% off. This can apply to bulk items as well if it is something you can physically split  evenly between people. I used to shop this way at Costco sometimes with a friend of mine in America. We ended up with a great deal between us without the bulk.

Now lets look at I might need it some day…

Once again there is economic sense in hanging on to an object because it might come in useful in the future. The problem is that in the meantime this item, that may or may not ever be used again, is taking up valuable real estate in your home. If it is bothering you because it is more aesthetically unpleasant than it is useful to you then you really need to give it serious consideration when decluttering. Here are some points to consider…

• could I borrow a similar item if I needed one again in the future?
• could I hire a similar item at a reasonable cost.
• could I replace this item cheaply if circumstances changed and I now had a constant use for one of these items.
• is this item likely to perish and become useless from sitting unused for a long period. In this case you are better to give it away now. From personal experience I know that there are many things that you might expect will last for ever but in actual fact will never be useful again if left unused.
• is this item taking up valuable space that I need to work/ live efficiently.

Yes there will come the odd moment when we think – “Heck I wish I hadn’t got rid of this or that.” or “I wish I had got more of that when it was cheap.” – but those times will be few and far between and most likely fleeting. I will bet the times when you think – “I should get rid of that stupid thing it is always getting in my way.” or “I wish I hadn’t bought so much of this because I don’t really like it any more but it would be a waste to throw it away.” – will come around far more frequently if you make poor decluttering or purchasing decisions.

Day 338 of 365 less things

This set of plastic drawers is one more item we do not need to store things in that we no longer have.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Laptop computers – I have found that I write my blog better in bed which would be a little difficult with a desk top computer.
2. Spaghetti Bolognese – It is so yummy yet so easy to make.
3. Steve came home – Everything went well after my husband’s operation yesterday and they let him come home today as planned.
4. The voice of reason – I am finding myself to be a bit overprotective of Liam since his accident so it is good that I have Steve to be my voice of reason when I try to hold the apron strings too short and tight.
5. Quickly finding a good parking spot in a busy car park.
   

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

Financial security is one thing to strive for but when does that cross the line to decadence?

We must be prepared to sacrifice certain things in order to eat well, put a roof over our heads, clothe ourselves and pay our utility bills and medical insurance. The main thing we give up here is usually our time since we need to work in order to pay for the basics. At what point do we then start to sacrifice more of our time and other things in order to pay for the things that aren’t a necessity.

Do we really need –

• Homes larger than our needs dictate.
• Cars bigger, newer and more expensive than required.
• The latest and greatest techno gadgets.
• Cable TV.
• Beauty treatments and expensive hair styling.
• More stuff in our homes than we can possibly fully use.
• Replacing perfectly good items just because we feel like a change.
• Expensive/excessive dietary items that are likely not healthy anyway.
• Dining out on a regular basis.
• So many toys for our children that they couldn’t possibly learn to appreciate any of them.
• Expensive holidays.
• And worst of all credit card interest that accumulates from buying things we really can’t afford.

I will stop here but that list could go on forever. In order to make more money to buy life’s “luxuries” we work longer hours and something has to give…

Family:-Unfortunately and sadly the first thing to be sacrificed is time with family. There are so many double income families out there whose children are in day care on a regular basis.  Some out of necessity just because of the cost of living, but there are many in this situation because they are just trying to keep up a standard of living that goes way beyond necessity.

Friends:- If we have a lack of time to spend with family it stands to reason that there isn’t going to be much time left for friends either.

Dreams:- We will often sacrifice the life we would really prefer for the one that earns us the most income. While we may be offered our dream job we would have to turn it down in preference to the one that pays more. While we might wish to start our own business we can’t afford to take the risk.

Health:- Working long hours and trying to make time for private lives and for ourselves can be very stressful and stress is not good for your  health. Often on top of that our diet can suffer due to doing everything fast including food. Add  lack of exercise and you have a recipe for disaster.

There are many other things we sacrifice but these are a some of the most crucial and important ones. Unfortunately modern society seems to place so much more value on professional position, qualifications and status symbols than it does on family and personal happiness.

I am sure every person reading this has fallen into this trap to some degree. Be it working too hard and sacrificing too much or just working to surround yourself with stuff you just don’t need while there are far more satisfying things you could be doing. Either way it is worth giving some serious thought, and working out what is really important to you.

Item 333 of 365 less things

Computer parts and cables that are no longer needed but have too little value to sell on ebay. I will have to check out local computer recyclers to see if they would like to take them off our hands.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Being left to sleep in – It made up for the fact that I went to bed late
2. My ebay auctions are going well – Yes I finally got around to placing them.
3. I am going out to dinner and a show tonight – It will be nice to spend some time with my old work mates.
4. Having had the wisdom when young to give up the trimmings in order to stay home and raise our kids – That’s not to say we didn’t make other mistakes along the way where our money and time would have been better spent.
5. Liam getting out and about with his friends this weekend – He must have been getting bored sitting around the house and spending all his time with his parents.

A guest post by My Darling Husband, you can read more of his travel tales on his blog.

After a month of souvenir assaults in Italy, Colleen and I managed to return home with just four new items; a t-shirt for Liam, glass bead earrings for Colleen, a book of our Venice tour (included in the tour cost) and a wonderful etching of Florence purchased from a local artisan. They all have special memories attached to them.

Colleen’s earrings match the necklace she bought in Venice during our first visit there in 2005, the etching evokes the splendour of Florence and the book helps us relive our Venetian tour experience. While the t-shirt will always remind Colleen of my beautiful use of the Italian language until I ran out of vocabulary before finishing the transaction.

But we have many more memories from our romantic month immersed in Italian culture and history, and no tolerance left for knick knacks to remind us. So we use the two most valuable tools available to capture our memories; a camera and a pen.

Gelato in Florence

Travel Photography

We took close to a thousand photographs in Italy, and as I sort through them they remind me of great meals, local customs and the small differences that made Italy memorable. The key is to not only photograph the famous sights but to capture the seemingly mundane, your meals, the local shop displays or anything that stirs your interest or imagination. Try to tell a story with your photo, the locals flocked to one gelateria every afternoon and I tried to capture the atmosphere with this photo on the right.

Your best images can be shared online at social media websites like Flickr and Facebook or create a book using a print on demand service, like Blurb.

Keep a Journal

As you travel, record your thoughts and observations in a journal each day. Keep a small notebook and pen in your day bag or pocket to jot down notes then each evening transcribe and expand the detail in your main journal. There is no more powerful tool to remember your vacation, and by combining your words and images you will create a permanent record of your adventure. Then print it in a book like this one I made with Blurb:

European Vacation by Steve Madsen | Make Your Own Book

Find Experiences not Shopping

Many travellers are shuffled from shopping experience to shopping experience by their tour guides or the local tourist industry, and many of their purchases never see the light of day after the trip. Use your hard earned vacation money to have memorable experiences, hire a personal guide, attend a local concert or sporting event and get to know some of the local people. I vividly remember an hour spent mingling with locals on their piazza, and you will find your best vacation memories in similar places and eliminate your souvenir clutter as well.

Item 329 of 365 less things

One of the many souvenirs from our days living in Seattle. Proof that freebies are hard to resist and and soon become sentimental clutter.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Getting the cleaning out of the way quickly – Today was cleaning day and I had it all taken care of in less than three hours.
2. My hubby writing today’s post – It was 8:30pm and I couldn’t come up with anything to write about and he stepped in and saved the day.
3. Movies – We went to see the new Harry Potter movie today.
4. Freedom – Not all people throughout the world live with this luxury and the rest of us often take it for granted. Thank you to those who have lost their lives or have served time fighting to ensure that freedom for us.
5. Fun Memories – That T-shirt buying incident in Italy was hilarious. I nearly wet myself I laughed so much. It makes me chuckle now just thinking about it.
   

Written by:- Cindy Bogard

If you’re in a big hurry, just read this: 

Resist!

If you’re not in such a hurry, feel free to read on.

In the United States, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, which is on Thursday this week. Sadly, the website Answers.com defines Black Friday as “an unofficial American holiday”. Sad, not because the rest of you are missing out; sad because a day of shopping insanity has somehow become “an unofficial American holiday”.

So what is Black Friday? As I said, it’s the day after Thanksgiving and the official start to what’s called the holiday shopping season. (Spring, Summer, Fall, Holiday Shopping, Winter?) It’s called black because of traditional accounting notations: While debt is noted in red, profit is noted in black. Some businesses run “in the red” all year and don’t go “into the black” until the shopping mayhem begins the day after Thanksgiving.

Black Friday is a day of amazing sales and deep discounts. Some stores open as early as 4:00 am, with people staying up all night in the parking lot so they can be the first in the door, as the very best sales (aptly named “doorbusters”) are only available in limited quantities. In 2008, a worker at Wal-Mart was trampled to death in the frenzied crush of Black Friday.

Recently, a friend forwarded to me a website devoted to Black Friday (www.Black-Friday.net). They’re posting the circulars (advertisements) in advance on their site and boast over 100,000 fans on Facebook. They report that Kmart’s Black Friday circular is 44 pages and that  “We can’t stress enough how much we love this ad (Wal-Mart). There are tons of excellent deals and we think you will be very happy with it.”

Oh my. What’s a decluttering gal to think?

Resist!

If you really feel that you need or want a 47″ flat screen TV or a new laptop, don’t let a sale ad make the decision for you. Research your purchase. Think through your decision making. Don’t buy in haste. The same rules apply to shopping on Black Friday as to every other day. If you see what you want at an excellent price, and you can tolerate the bedlam (which I can’t), then fill up your thermos with coffee, stand in line all night long, and get your doorbuster deal, but don’t buy out the place just because there are sale ads plastered on every item in the store. Remember, the stores are desperate for you to buy; that doesn’t mean you need to be desperate to purchase.

Happy Thanksgiving

to all our American readers

May your Friday not be Black

Item 328 o9f 365 less things

A sentimental item for sure. An old cap from my husbands years in Malaysia. I have heard all the old stories so many times I am almost convinced I lived there too because they are so familiar.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. My hay fever seems to be going away at last.
2. Puzzles – they kept both Liam and I amused over the last month.
3. Watching a movie together – These nothing like a little family time.
4. Cindy agreeing to take on a weekly post spot. – Her post will appear on Wednesday in Australia which is Tuesdays in the US and somewhere in between for everyone else. Thanks Cindy!
5. Laughter – It is so much fun sharing the stories with Liam about the antics he got up to in the hospital. Like when he tried to order a cheese pizza from the florist kiosk.

Way back on day 94 I wrote a post called – When a bargain isn’t a bargain – and just recently I started a post on Unclutterer Forums titled – Can you justify your last purchase?

The old post from day 94 is worth a second read if you are a sucker for a bargain and have a home cluttered with them. Some of these bargains prove useful while others whose low buying price is the main focus of attraction soon become guilt clutter taking up space in your home.

As for the topic I started on Unclutterer Forums I was a little amazed at how many people can justify a purchase simply because it was a bargain. I have fallen into this trap many times in the past myself. Now I reserve my bargain hunting for when there is something I am planning on buying and want to get the best deal unlike in the past where I would stumble upon a great deal and not be able to resist.

Very few of the of the bargain purchases written about in this thread were justified by the fact that they were a replacement item or a planed purchase. Some purchases were consumable and others were digital which don’t cause clutter so that fits in with the theme of the forum. Some contributors were realistic and claimed their purchase as unjustified. But there were a number of comments that really had my head spinning.

I know I am starting to sound like the “Shopping Police” here but my mind keeps going back to several concepts I was considering when I used the word JUSTIFY. These were …

• Declutter the don’t reclutter
• Sustainability
• Supply and demand
• Environment
• Credit card debt
• Recreational shopping trap – Just buying things for the fun of it.
• Need v Want

I know everyone has their own individual level of clutter tolerance and that is for each one of us to decide. I also admit that I have been very guilty of the – purchase – loose interest – declutter – reclutter cycle in the past but I am so glad to have hopped off the merry-go-round. I just want to get the message out for people to consider the seven points above when they make future purchases as it isn’t just about clutter it is also about the environment and sensible spending.

Bargains are hard to resist but remember a bargain is only a bargain if it isn’t going to quickly become clutter itself.  Sometimes this even applies if the new item is replacing a perfectly functional item which then becomes redundant unused clutter just because the former is shiny and new. My laptop nearly ended up this way but I decided that I would rather persevere with it until it really becomes a problem to use.

Item 319 of 365 less things

Like I said yesterday we have more than enough of these that we don’t need to keep broken ones. someone picked it up off the footpath during curb-side pick up week.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Bicycle helmets – Liam was wearing his when he had his accident and it is probably the only reason he is alive today and recovering so well.
2. The comment my darling daughter left today
3. Alarm clocks – My daughter had a 6:20am flight this morning and we had to be up at 4:14am to get ready and drive the 40 minutes to the airport. Thanks to the alarm clock everything went to plan. Travel can get expensive if you miss the alarm and subsequently your flight.
   
4. My laptop – It has it’s little quirks but it has served me well.
5. My husbands editing skills – He often has to pull me up on things I write that although not intended sound a little pompous. He does this without judgement or curtailing my personal style. Sometimes I have to do a bit of a rewrite like today so I hope this post didn’t end up sounding pompous anyway.