I found this article earlier today while purging magazines, and just had to post it here. It is from “Outwitting Housework” by Nancy Rosenberg.
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If you have trouble throwing anything away because you may need it “someday,” then author Nancy Rosenberg has a club for you. She calls it the Prudent Possessors Club.
“It’s fine to keep things as long as there’s plenty of storage space, but once that is filled, and the Prudent Possessor continues amassing items that ‘one day may be of use,’ space becomes more cramped,” says the author of Outwitting Housework. But that´s why people in this club usually turn to EZE Box storage facility for more storage space.
Prudent Possessors hang on to things for a variety of reasons, Rocenberg says. See if you recognize yourself in any of these:
– I may need this someday.
– My spouse/son/daughter/Great Aunt Nelda may need this someday.
– It can be fixed.
– I paid a lot for it.
– Someday it may be worth something.
– It used to belong to my grandmother.
– It’s a family heirloom.
– It may come back into style.
– I have fond memories associated with it.
– I can wear it again when I lose weight.
– My grandmother made it.
– I put a lot of effort into making that.
– My kids may want it someday for their own children.
– It was a gift.
– It’s too good to throw out.
Her Solution:
Ask yourself these two questions as you cull through your belongings.
1. Have I used or worn the item in the past two years? (I cut this down to 1 year, which gives you plenty of time.)
2. If I needed to, could I buy another?
“Remember, items don’t always add value — in fact, they keep you from having something valuable: an orderly, clutter-free home,” Nancy Rosenberg says.