Stuff. It’s everywhere: in our homes, our cars, our garages, our basements, our offices, our purses, our backpacks, and everywhere in between! It’s very easy to accumulate more. We get free stuff at fairs, stores, races, events, and more. I often say that “free” is the other four-letter “f” word! But it’s also so easy to buy stuff now. You could order something online tonight and get it on your doorstep tomorrow.
If you have a lot of stuff in your home, think about what it would take to get rid of it all. Would you need a junk-removal service? Would you be able to fit it all in your car to bring it to a donation site? Would it all be easy to dispose of if you had to get rid of it? Do you have chemicals or old paint that you’d need to bring to a special drop-off site? Do you have expired medicine? Not everything can be thrown in the trash. Not everything is recyclable. People are finding it more and more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to purge their things.
Think for a minute how much time it takes you to clean out one drawer in your dresser or your desk. An hour? Two hours? Now think about how many areas in your home are about the size of these spaces; how long would it take to clean out your house? Do the math. Would it take a week? A month? Five years?
I recommend ongoing, small purges. Every day, week, or month, find one area of your home to clean out. This way, if or when you have to move, you won’t be faced with an overwhelming task that will cause stress and/or cost you lots of money.
Cheryl Russo
October 2019