the burden of stuff.

i think i’ve mentioned before that i’m a “stuff” person. i love stuff, and i’m likely to continue amassing various bits and pieces forever. however, i have a number of ways that i keep myself from becoming a featured contestant on the hoarders:

1. don’t! as discussed in the “stay classy” area, i never buy things that i don’t use or can’t donate. when i first started cvs-ing, i bought everything that would net me a profit. i finally threw away the “slim shots” that i got for free 6 months ago, because there just wasn’t a place for them in my life. and nobody else wanted them. i think they give a lot of stuff away because they’re trying to get rid of it. i won’t let their burden be my burden!

2. never too much to give. i never set a limit on the number of things that i purchase to donate. i have a rubbermaid bin in my hall closet that i bring down to the preble street resource center whenever it gets full. that way, it only ever takes up a predetermined amount of space in my life.  

3. enough is enough. even if it’s completely free, and i use it, if there isn’t room in my bathroom/pantry/hall closet for it, then it doesn’t come home. products go stale and go bad and get funny. if i already have a year’s worth of deodorant, then i can wait. chances are, it will be on super-sale again very soon. unless a product that i love is being discontinued, then my stockpile is only allowed to grow within the confines of my 4 walls.

4. purge! donate, recycle, have a garage sale, give to friends or family, put on the street corner and see how long it takes someone to pick it up… if you don’t love it, don’t need it, and can’t use it- GET RID OF IT!

5. organize what you have. this guy takes it a little too far, but if you can see what you have- then you know what you need, what you have room for, and what you need to put the brakes on. 

6. curate. not everything has to be out all the time. if you have too much stuff happening on your shelves, walls, cupboards… you can’t see anything. you can’t appreciate anything. you can’t breathe. if you’re careful about what you take in (says the constant flea marketer), and keep your finds within the parameters of a few well groomed collections, i’m pretty sure that life is a little less difficult (and everyone who visits can get a boner for your beautiful, perfectly manicured stuff).