The Final 2 and What to do With it All

I’ve reached the end! My last two things:

29. Salt Shaker…This was a well used, functional little jar for my kitchen. It was also something I had multiples of. I think I can get by with only one salt shaker in my house.

30. Digital Camera…I’m one of the worst photographers and for some reason I own multiple cameras. It was time to let one of them go because reality is that I use my phone camera more than anything else.

As I’ve been purging things from my space, I’ve been thinking up ways to make the biggest impact with my things. This means I’m thinking up ways to help the environment, other people and even my pocketbook.

10 Ways to Get Rid of Your 30 Things:

1. Host a clothing swap for your clothes, shoes, and accessories. It’s a great, low-cost social event too!
2. City recycling depot for large items like boxes. Some may take appliances and metal items–do a quick Google search and check out their website.
3. Bottle Depot–the last time I dropped off my bottles, I was also able to drop off my old, broken small appliances.
4. Thrift Store–probably the most obvious option. Check out which charity you want to support and donate your good quality items to support them.
5. Charities or those in need–if you’ve decided to part with some winter coats or blankets, look for a local clothing drive that will directly support the vulnerable people in your community.
6. H&M–the last time I was at my local H&M clothing store, I noticed they had a recycling program where you can drop off a bag of clothes (good or bad) and receive a $5 voucher for your next purchase. Ask your local store if they do the same and get rewarded for clearing out your closet!
7. Craigslist–a great way to boost your budget is to sell those items you don’t need.
8. Garage Sale–if you’ve created quite a pile of items to part with, a large one day garage sale may be more efficient for your time than re-sale sites.
9. Garbage and Recycling bins–some small items can quickly get pitched into the bin. Make sure you’re following your city’s guidelines for proper disposal, though.
10. Pay it forward–know someone who has a greater need for your item than you do? Make their day by gifting the items!

So how did your 30 things in 30 days go? Does your home feel a little less cluttered at the end of it? 

Almost the End. Things 22 – 28

This week I found there are some areas of my household that are easy to search out items to purge. While it is great to have some easy items to choose as I wind down the 30 things in 30 days, it means that these areas are ones where I spend more, keep more, and overcrowd my home. 

These areas are the first three of my next 7 things:

22. Scarves
23. Shoes
24. Clothes

25. Winter Gear … As the cold weather approaches, I’m pulling out the items I need to use and am letting go of the ones that I haven’t taken out for years.

26. Plastic Containers … I’m a huge fan of reusing items before recycling them, but I’ve stockpiled a few more containers than I need to keep.

27. Coloured Ropes … Miscellaneous items brought home for free with hopes of being turned into craft projects. Those never materialized, so months later it is time to pass these onto someone else.

28. Magazines/Pamphlets/Business Cards … I don’t know if I’m the only one, but I tend to keep information packs a little too long. I file them away in nice tidy areas of the house (for the most part) but not all of it is necessary. This week, I started the first round with these papers, sending many to the recycle bin.

Have you found certain areas in your home that have an abundance of things? What areas are the easiest for you to minimize? 

The Next Seven

This week I was grateful for a friend sharing her list of things purged for her 30 things in 30 days. I was feeling a little unmotivated this week to search out another seven things, but knowing I’m not doing this on my own was super helpful!

I also read a quote on a blog that gave purpose to this week’s task:

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris

With those words in mind, I chose the next 7 things to go.

15.  ’90s Discman … Purchased in the ’90s specifically for its shock-wave protection (does anyone know what that means anymore?). I let the nostalgia kick in for all the CD’s that were listened to in this device and then decided having it sit in a shoe box on the shelf was not serving any purpose. Full disclosure: I’m keeping my walkman–it’s a little too retro for me to let go of just yet.

16. Electronic Device … Similar to the discman, it’s just sitting in a box on the shelf, so I found someone else who will use it and am letting it go.

17. Pens … I’m a bit of a pen hoarder. I love to write pen to paper. So I stockpile, but some of these are simply dust collectors and it feels good to clear out the space.

18. Magnets … Does your fridge feel cluttered? Mine did, so I pared down what was on it.

19. Greeting Cards … I’ve previously mentioned that I’m sentimental. This extends to greeting cards that I receive. I love to keep them and look back at moments in my life, but I’ve realized some things lose their meaning over time and ones I never look at can head to the recycling bin.

20. Kitchen Tools … More items that sit unused in the utensil drawer.

21. Random Toys … Cute, fun toys that sit in boxes are neither beautiful or useful for my life.

How was your motivation this week?
What helped you choose the next things to go? 

Choosing Things 8 to 14

About three years ago I did what I call “the big purge.” I was leaving the country for six months and wanted to get rid of as much stuff as possible. My goal was to keep functional items and things I was overly sentimental about. The rest needed to go. I don’t think I am overestimating when I say I cut my possessions in half. It felt so good until I came back and saw just how much I still had. And in addition to that, I’ve started accumulating more over the years.

As I looked to choose the next 7 things to go this week, I had a few questions in mind:

Do I need this? 
Is this easily replaceable? 
Why am I holding onto this? 

I feel that understanding why I have something will help me make more informed choices about what I add to my stuff in the future. It’s at least a theory worth exploring!

The 7 things that hit the road this week:

8. Moving Boxes … I really don’t need the clutter, though I like the idea of having them on hand for my next move. For these I’m using the 20/20/20 idea–I can replace them in under 20 minutes, by traveling under 20 kms, and for under $20.

9. Old Clothes … clothes are a continual work in progress. Currently I am using the backwards hanger method. Everything is hung up with the hanger facing backwards until I wear it and then it is hung up properly. This will indicate what I actually wear and what I don’t need to keep around.

10. My Favourite Shoes … I’ve kept them a year too long. Holes are forming. This is a sad moment.

11. A Workbook … It is a duplicate book study that I’ll never use and it has already found a new home with someone who will go through it.

12. Books … More books as promised.

13. Random Kitchen Tool … I keep looking in my kitchen drawers examining the things that are supposed to make life easier while cooking. They may very well do that, but reality is that I don’t bother to take them out of the drawer. Like this little pink thing. I’m sure it’s fantastic, but I never remember to use it so out the door it goes.

14. Tea Cup … It’s a darling little thing, but it sits in the cupboard. When I asked myself “Why are you keeping this?” I couldn’t come up with an answer.

What are you asking yourself as you are choosing what needs to go? 

The First 7 Things

My 30 days have started! Here are the first 7 things that didn’t make the cut.

1. Glass Vase … I took stock of the number of things in my household that could hold flowers. Including a ceramic vase that I love, I have water jugs and glasses and bottles–all that would make fantastic, quirky vases. Well, they will if they make it through the full 30 days of 30 things!

2. Floor Lamp (not pictured) … My current home is well lit and I have no need for a floor lamp, but that frugal part of me was tempted to keep it for the next apartment I move into. I realized I may never need this item, don’t need to live with “what if’s” and decided to let it go.

3. Expired Packages … Embarrassingly I moved expired food from one house to the next. I was happy to have a no-brainer item to choose for my first 7.

4. Blue Bag … Sentimentality kicked in with this one. It is a practical souvenir from my first time living abroad. I love it, but I decided to let it go because it has sat, unused, in a closet for years. It is old and fraying and I have better things to remember that time by than something I never look at.

5. Unread Books … I absolutely LOVE books, but I HATE moving them. So I’m starting with a couple books and may add more in a couple weeks.

6. Water Bottle … I keep it because it is an environmentally friendly option. I don’t use it because the weight of this style is too much for me to carry, so I decided there is no reason for me to keep it.

7. Bowls … It may sound weird, but this was the hardest item of the week to get rid of. These bowls serve a particular function for food storage and during food prep. I’m a creature of habit and love their size. They don’t match any of my other dishes; they are simply their own entity. They were also free–who doesn’t love free, useful stuff?!

I made the choice to get rid of them by asking myself this question: do I have enough to function just as well without these two bowls? It’s a resounding yes. And that means I don’t need to keep them.

So what have you gotten rid of this week? How did you make your decisions?