Stop the Junk

I'm finding that living the life of a minimalist is not as easy as I thought it would be. I am having no problem getting rid of stuff, which is where I thought I would struggle... it's the not bringing more IN.

It doesn't matter how many times you purge, organize, shuffle things from container to container. If you are not being a good "gate keeper" (as Francine Jay puts it in The Joy of Less) then there is NO POINT to all of your efforts.

For example. A few days ago, I found a stack of junk mail lurking in my kitchen, and I gleefully pitched it all in the trashcan. Weee! Get outta my apartment, crusty junk! This filled up the trashcan, so I did my duty and dragged the stinky plastic monstrosity out to the dumpster. On the way inside, I stopped by the mailbox, grabbed the mail, and absentmindedly set it down on the counter before strolling off to do other things.

Now... wait a minute. What was the point of that?? I didn't accomplish anything, not really. Yes, I kept it from getting worse, but I didn't improve the quality. It's the same as it was before I "purged" the junk mail. I was still letting junk take up residence in my home.

Granted, this is a very superficial example, but it's the easiest to explain. I've been really struggling with telling myself "no" with impulse buys. It's strange, because I thought that I was a very frugal and reasonable shopper. The sad thing, is that I sort of am... in comparison to many of the people around me. Yet I'm often coming home with doohickys and deedads, flyers, free samples, and bits of this n' that, not to mention TRASH.

I'm thinking of putting a little note in my wallet, something to remind me to think twice before swiping that card. For that matter I should post a little plaque on my front door: JUNK NOT WELCOME.


 p.s. Receive a lot of "pre-approved" credit card offers? You should go visit www.optoutprescreen.com! It's offered for free through the credit bureaus. It can not only help keep junk out of your box, but help you to prevent yourself (OR OTHERS!) from opening up credit cards and dinging your credit and home with unnecessary purchases.

Changing the Way I Shop.

We've been busy with life here, but that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about my new mission. In the past few days I've nearly purchased something and changed my mind THREE TIMES. Who knew that I so frequently had the urge to purchase unneeded things? Can you imagine the money I can save?

Of course, there have been even more occurrences of buyers remorse. It really is a learning process. I'll get home and realize that I bought something (or somethings) that I plain didn't need... and didn't really want. I'm going to challenge myself (and you!) to stop and think about EVERY item I place up on that counter. To consider the cost. How much time of my life am I trading to own this? Exactly where will I place it? Do I already have something that will do the job?




My little sister, who was the recipient of quite a few pieces of furniture, shared these photos with me the other day.

Our bench found new life in her sons room, serving as toy storage. Previously the toys had just been piled up in the storage.


And the TV with its stand have been set up and working great in her living room. The bottom drawer had its face fall off on the way home, but she'll able to easily repair it with a little wood glue.

I'm glad that I was able to re-home some nice furniture that I was just not using. It feels good!



Yesterday we pulled our window A/C out of storage, and while we were there I spotted and snagged the very last box of clothes that I have in storage. I've had two babies in the last 2.5 years, so to say that my weight has been fluctuating would be an understatement. Six months ago I had boxes and boxes of everything from size 6 (which is what I wore when I met my husband, 5.5 years ago) to size 17, befitting my post-baby body, to maternity and nursing clothes. Now that our youngest is 14 months old, I've managed to work my way down to a healthy (and hopefully steady!) size 8/10, the time has come for me to ditch the stuff that doesn't work.

Why am I keeping those size 17 jeans in the closet? Am I giving myself permission to once again be that size? No way! At least, not without giving birth first, and I don't plan on doing that again for quite a few years. So why am I holding onto them? Now that I have all these clothes shoved into my closet, I can't find what fits (USEFUL) and what I like (BEAUTIFUL). Aren't those the rules? Only what is useful and beautiful? If I never wear something because of a stain or snag, then there is really no point in keeping it.

So, my next project: Closet Catastrophe. Stay tuned for the carnage.