Holy cow, where is all this crap coming from??
Our stuff HAS to be spawning. There is no possible way we could have this much stuff! True, a lot of it is craft stuff. And true, we did inherit my father-in-law's stuff when he passed away. Now there is a true packrat! The guy kept every pair of glasses he ever owned. Which wasn't entirely a bad thing. We donated them to a program that takes used glasses to the poor in third-world countries.
But still....so much stuff!
I guess this is supposed to be a rough segue into my next article on how to be a SAHM without totally losing it. Keeping your stuff from swallowing you and your family whole. Remember the scene in Aladdin where the sands of the hourglass are burying Jasmine? Yeah, that's how I feel some days!
I've heard all the professional organizers' advice. I watched the organization shows on HGTV. The general rule? If you haven't used it for six months, and it isn't a seasonal item, THROW IT OUT! Donate it to charity. Whatever, just get rid of it.
Okay, well, for those without a sentimental bone in their body, that works. In my case...well, I haven't actually "used" my antique china doll for six months. I'm the fifth generation to own it. I'm not going to throw out an antique! Or the antique jewelry boxes my grandmother gave me. Or the oodles of journals Jeff's father left us. Some stuff is important!
But what the heck do you do with it? How do you tell the difference between items with genuine sentimental value and stuff that is just plain junk?
First of all, the glasses weren't the weirdest thing that he ever kept. He also kept old shavers, I guess in hopes that he could "fix" them. I mean the electric kind. We found three different electronic stud finders, each with some kind of malfunction. Why...?
I don't know if we'll ever know! That is the kind of stuff you throw out. Be totally and brutally honest with yourself. What is the likelihood that you'll ever get around to fixing it? Granted, if you are one of those people that can take a toaster apart and put it back together without batting an eye, then yes, maybe someday you'll be able to fix it.
If not...you know what to do. Throw it out. Recycle it. If we're not talking about a hygeine product, and it is an item that is still useful, donate it to charity.
Okay, that takes care of "stuff". I think you are smart enough to tell whether something truly has sentimental value, or whether it is just junk that a relative happened to pass on to you. Only you can tell, but be honest with yourself. If it isn't something you would use or display, and no one else in the family is interested, just get rid of it. Too much stuff tends to be like a giant weight around your neck. And besides, who wants to waste money on a storage space for stuff that you will, in all honesty, NEVER use?
Now, what about paperwork? This tends to tread into territory that involves legalities. I do not pretend to be a legal expert, nor will I ever be one, so any advice I give here is strictly my personal rule, and not intended to be a substitute for a good conversation with a lawyer or financial planner.
Generally, if it is paperwork for an account that is closed, is more than five years old, and has nothing to do with your taxes, shred it. Get rid of it. I know people who have kept their old checkbook NCR copies for checking accounts from 30 years ago. Unless you've got something in those old stubs that you wrote off on your taxes, what is the point? All that paper does is attract mice, bugs, and storage space fees.
Now, if you want to play it safe, go buy a scanner and scan all those old statements onto a DVD. Scanners are relatively cheap, easy to use, and there is nothing that says it has to take up precious hard drive space. Just burn it to a CD or DVD, and keep it in a safe place. Most document folders can be backed up to just a few discs, and that is something that will fit in most safe-deposit boxes. Besides, backing up your hard drive is a good idea anyway. Hardware doesn't last forever, and you don't want to lose all those family photos you just spent three months scanning in.
Clothing. This is an even harder one, especially for those of use whose weight tends to...um...shall we say...fluctuate? Yes, I am pregnant, I have an excuse, but I have always been a touch on the "fluffy" side. So what do you do with all those old clothes from high school you always swore you would fit into again?
Well, you know fashion. Things never stay in style for very long. Even timeless things like jeans can only last so long in a rubber bin before the aforementioned mice/bugs get to them. (Yes, even in a bin!) And besides, let's face it ladies. After three kids, what is the likelihood you'll ever be able to stuff your mommy hips into those size 2 jeans again?
Then there is the fact that the fashion industry keeps changing size guidelines. Size 2 these days is not what size 2 was ten years ago. Heck, size 2 for one designer isn't even the same as for another designer!
So what do you do? Yes, you'll have some stuff you want to store because you don't want your cashmere sweaters taking up space in July when you have perfectly good sundresses to hang in that spot. Buy some space bags, find a few shelves in the basement or garage that are away from the door or windows, up off the floor, and put them there. Winter coats, gloves, hats, scarves...anything you don't currently have room for, put away.
Then, when winter comes, you take those nice sundresses and pack them away in the same bags. Put your winter stuff in the closet. Just swap them out.
If the clothes don't fit, and they're more than 2 sizes away from your current size, and they're not maternity clothes, just get rid of them. I'm sure the local Goodwill, DI, or Salvation Army will be glad for the donations, especially in these tough times. People are barely skrimping by, and it will be a big boost to those who actually need those items. They're not doing you any good in the garage, so they might as well cover someone else's shivering bod! Frankly, that rule could go for just about anything you sort. If it isn't doing you any good, and someone else could use it, get rid of it!
If you still have the dress you wore to prom, and you just can't part with it, then fine. Remember our discussion about sentimental value? Just don't go overboard. Letter sweaters, old band or choir t-shirts, football/basketball jerseys--stuff that is part of your personal history are okay. I would give yourself a single bin for such clothing mementos. Anything beyond that, get rid of. (Oh, that limit does not apply to wedding dresses. I mean, c'mon, they're a box unto themselves!)
Hmm, so what is left? Well, when we bought our house, there were a lot of old tools, fertilizer, and other gardening stuff left in the garage from the previous owner. Some of it is useful, a lot of it was redundant. Anyone who has owned a home for a while knows what I'm talking about. You can't find the rake, so you buy another one. Soon, you have five of them. Now what??
Well, if you have a large yard, and older kids, it is a good idea to have more than one shovel, more than one rake. But you probably don't need five. See if your local secondhand shop takes stuff like that. If not, see if there is a young family in the neighborhood that needs yard tools. Donate them to the scouts. Turn it into a lawn ornament. Whatever. Just don't let it take up space in the garage!
Here's another general rule for stuff like that. If it is broken, throw it out. I don't care how well-intentioned you are about fixing an item, if you haven't bought a replacement pole for that push-broom head, and it has been sitting in the garage for more than a month, chances are it will never get fixed. Toss it.
Now there are dozens of other categories we could touch on. Art supplies (guilty grin), kid stuff, toys, etc. But I think you get the idea. Be totally honest, determine whether an item truly has value, or whether the space is worth more than the item. And don't worry about whether Great-Auntie Ethel will freak about you tossing out her old stained damask tablecloth. I highly doubt it will cause a family feud. And if it does...let's be honest people. That implies majorly screwed-up priorities! Just be honest and tell her you weren't using it and you needed the space. If it was an item of major sentimental value, she shouldn't have given it away in the first place!
And you'll be investing less in mousetraps!
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