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Post by missjean on Jul 1, 2009 21:06:12 GMT -5
Yesterday I got tired of moving a huge stack of cardboard boxes, so I put them outside near the door. Totally forgot them, and the rain last night ruined them. So I'm throwing them out... bwahahahaha!  Really, I felt naughty.  I thought "I should reuse them", but that's silly. The whole goal is to not need 32 boxes to store clutter, right? Well, that got me to thinking. What other "rules" have I been following, even though they slow down the Big Purge? - I have to shred all receipts. (No. I just have to dump coffee grounds, eggshells and some of the neighbor-dog's poop in the bag, and no one's going to forage!)
- I have to keep at least one stained outfit for workclothes. One for each season, that is.
- If anything is "good", I have to sell it or get a tax-deduction receipt for it. I can't just donate it because that would be throwing away money. (Why is it that I hear my grandmother's voice saying that?)
- If a plate is cracked or a cup is chipped, I have to repair and use it. And keep it right on top for daily use, but not when company comes.
- Related to the previous rule: If I can repair it, I have to. Even if it's not something I want to wear, use, or look at ever again.
Can you think of others? |
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Post by Celeste on Jul 1, 2009 21:11:42 GMT -5
Good topic, Miss Jean!
I find myself struggling to rid myself of a gift from someone I love, even though I hate the gift. Getting rid of the gift is NOT getting rid of the person who gave it.
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kiz
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Post by kiz on Jul 1, 2009 21:21:45 GMT -5
May I please ask what is wrong with donating good? It is not so much "throwing money away" as passing it on to someone else. I've donated a heap of clothes lately, that will be used, but likely cannot be sold. Same with paperback novels... I get get money for current hard backs but only the op shop/charity shop will take worn, old paperback novels.
Thank you!
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kiz
New Member
Joined: June 2009
Posts: 86
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Post by kiz on Jul 1, 2009 21:31:57 GMT -5
Oh... by "good" you mean "saleable". That makes sense! Carry on, carry on, please ignore that post, I am usually not that dim!  I was thinking "not saleable but still useable, just not by me". Blonde moment over, I promise. |
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Post by Celeste on Jul 1, 2009 21:47:59 GMT -5
Well, truthfully we MAY sometimes toss perfectly good, usable items.
It isn't because we don't see the point of sharing good used items with others, it's because if we don't get it out of the house immediately, it will NEVER leave. We'll never get it to the garage sale/charity shop/missionary/disaster relief drive if we put it down inside the front door.
Sometimes we have to give ourselves amnesty on donating or recycling our items simply to get our place clean. Once our home is in a state we can handle, we can go back to living green.
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Post by messymimi on Jul 1, 2009 21:52:24 GMT -5
Excellent post, Miss Jean.
You have me wondering what voices are in my head that I'm obeying that aren't my own.
Also, I know what you mean about not being able to get rid of something without selling it or getting a receipt. My born organized father makes itemized lists of donation items, and tells me to do the same.
I think I will go drop a bag in the donation box and not count it.
messymimi
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Post by DJ on Jul 1, 2009 21:54:02 GMT -5
if i do something i have to do it right, as in perfectly. and so it doesn't get done or..more likely.. things are being done constantly but take far too long and too much energy that should be expended on other activities. this one will most likely be a lifelong battle. and sometimes i do things half ***** just to get them done and thumb my nose at the compulsion.
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Post by moggyfan on Jul 1, 2009 21:55:41 GMT -5
Sometimes we have to give ourselves amnesty on donating or recycling our items simply to get our place clean. Once our home is in a state we can handle, we can go back to living green. Oh my yes, Celeste! Sooooo true. If I had not given myself permission to just TOSS STUFF, it would never have left my house at all. Now, several years down the road, I (for the first time in my life) am quite conscientious about recycling, properly disposing of "bad stuff" (batteries, paint), and donating rather than trashing stuff. But I could never have gotten to this point if not for AMNESTY! |
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Jul 1, 2009 22:00:58 GMT -5
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keriamon
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Joined: June 2009
Posts: 61
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Post by keriamon on Jul 1, 2009 22:31:28 GMT -5
I had to break one the other day. I had it in my head that I would finish off the living room before tackling the kitchen, then the bedroom. But I got bogged down in the living room with about 75% of it done, but I was ignoring the needs of the kitchen (namely dishes) and the bedroom (namely laundry) because I wasn't ready to do those rooms yet.
I finally broke my plan this week and just started cleaning up random things around the house, regardless of what room it's in. The laundy is almost caught up, as are the dishes, plus I've managed to do a number of other things, including some things in the living room that I was dragging on.
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Post by missjean on Jul 2, 2009 22:29:04 GMT -5
Excellent post, Miss Jean.
You have me wondering what voices are in my head that I'm obeying that aren't my own. Thanks, messymimi. I generally can tell the differences in "voices" based on how it fits the situation. For example, "You shouldn't waste things" when I start to throw out a bag of disintegrating rubberbands or twist-ties that went to garbage bags that are GONE. That's not me considering my options. It's that kneejerk packrat voice. Also, any voice that recommends chocolate is probably me. |
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Post by missjean on Jul 2, 2009 22:30:00 GMT -5
These are awesome. Thanks! |
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Post by Meme on Jul 2, 2009 22:56:01 GMT -5
this is a good thread-
alas some of my rules in my head for me:
I must not toss left overs out even if they amount toonly a table spoon and they must stay in the fridge past the done date-
I paid money for those pants and must wear them even if they did shrink----
you can wear that vest even if it is out of date as no one cares what old people wear anyway
I can wear that outfit in the winter when no one cares what you wear due to the weather-
- these rules go on and on but I am gaining ground by admitting that they are a self made rules -
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Post by morningglory on Jul 12, 2009 22:09:54 GMT -5
I have usually followed all of the rules you list. But over time I have learned to TOSS THE "RULES". I throw and give away things regularly now, when before I felt terribly guilty about it.
Now the problem is when I encounter people who are still following those rules of thrift and conservation. They just don't understand why I have to ignore those "rules". (Like telling an alcoholic that it's ok to drink A LITTLE.)
One day I mentioned in a group that if I have an article of clothing that needs mending or has a stain, and it doesn't fit anyone in the family (or we already have enough of that size/style of clothing), I will simply give it away as is, figuring that if someone else has the time or inclination to mend it or get the stain out, they are welcome to do it. An older woman looked at me and said, "You wouldn't REALLY give away something that needed mending, would you?" I realized she wasn't able to understand, but I said, "Yes, if I don't need the item, and I don't have time to repair it, I would give it away so someone else could get some use out of it." I felt judged, but I thought, "It's better than just throwing it away, isn't it?" But perhaps she thought I ought to take the time to repair it. I'm sorry, but I'm being buried in squalor and I simply don't have the time to do that.
My son, when he helped with a massive clean-up the other week, asked, "Why do we HAVE all that junk?" He was genuinely confused. "Why can't we just get rid of it." I told him that we probably can and will get rid of much of it, but that some of it I needed/wanted to save, and it would be a matter of sorting the one from the other! THERE's the rub!
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Post by creativechaos on Jul 12, 2009 22:52:14 GMT -5
this is a great thread, missjean! thank you for being such a rebel with those empty boxes~  bwahahahahaha! love that rebel laugh of yours ~ i like the way you think! well and wonderfully said about amnesty, celeste! and you too, moggyfan; thank you from the bottom of my green heart! most of my 'rules' come from lifelong poverty and financial dearth. those are hard to challenge and break. some are: ~ i have to keep this, as i may not ever have the money to get it again. ~ i may need this someday. ~ i can sell this for extra money (and then never do the work to sell it on ebay or wherever) ~ i paid a lot for this, it kills me to only sell it for a few bucks (poverty and scarcity consciousness at work again!) ~ it is wrong to throw away something that someone else could use (there are so many people who are poorer than me in the world. but really, am i going to ship my 6 extra hammers to them?) ~ if i just have the 'right' storage i can keep more of this stuff. yeah right! ~ i am responsible to see that things get a 'home'. (and absolutely cannot control what happens to every single thing i let go of). ~ i have to do A completely and perfectly before i can do B. ( i know better! i do best working all over the map at a little of this, a little of that and not try to do one entire room at a time while the rest of the apt. goes all to h*ll. that is a recipe for disaster for me) |
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