Our house is usually very tidy and clean... except the closets. They're not terrible, but they are where things get shoved out of the way. That's how the rest of the house is so clutter-free!
The worst closet is F's closet... Mostly that's because I won't just toss or donate her things. I make her help me, because I want her to get into the habit of figuring out what to get rid of, but also because I want her to feel that she has control over her things. I was sort of a hoarder as a child because I never knew when my mother might throw something out. I kept little stashes of things in secret boxes marked "secret box - do not touch" or something like that.
Anyway, F's birthday is coming up, which means new things are coming. So we have a deal that we'll set the timer every day until her birthday for 5 minutes and declutter together. Today was super-successful. She wants to get rid of the "habitrail" for her zhu-zhu pets (but keep the pets and their car which is fine) since she never plays with it. She wants to get rid of two American Girl style dolls (which she never, ever played with - she wasn't a baby doll kind of girl. And her bike is too small (Grandma is getting her a new bike). So - need to post on Craigslist asap!
All of this leads me to the title of this post: I spend less when the house is tidy. I discovered all sorts of things in F's closet. Not just toys but clothes. I am turning one old dress into a tunic for her (she just grows taller but her circumference stays the same!). When I can see what we have I don't buy doubles of things. When I can see what we have, I realize how MUCH we have, and I'm not tempted to buy more.
Do you feel the same way? Do you spend less when you can see what you already have?
I Spend Less when the House is Tidy
May 31st, 2014 at 03:57 pm
May 31st, 2014 at 07:50 pm 1401565828
We've been following the 'new item in, old item out' household protocol for a long time and find it works very well to manage stuff. As I change out seasonal items it's helpful to reverse the hanger hooks to tell at a glance what is being worn or not. Stationary stickers or a small square of painter' tape are terrific on small household items to help identify those not used in a year. Do you have a shelf in secondary storage for seasonal items and those only needed occasionally?
June 1st, 2014 at 03:17 am 1401592649
June 1st, 2014 at 01:39 pm 1401629970