By David Smith

“I’m a pack rat, which means I collect what others consider junk. For years my wife hounded me to do something about the mess, but I just keep putting it off, even after she threatened to take matters into her own hands. One day I was looking through the classifieds and came across a great deal on a state-of-the-art treadmill. I called the number a couple times, but it was always busy. Finally, it dawned on me – I was dialing my own number.”  

Check out this clever way to store your DVDS. Say goodbye to the bulky cases that take up so much room. This flip file with 50 plastic sleeves has tabs at the top to group flicks by genre; from sci-fi and action to kids and comedy.

Their website also has storage solutions for CDs, video games, and digital photos.

www.discsox.com

“If I saw this in the store today, would I buy it?” If no, then you need to boldly let it go. This is probably the reason you haven’t made the effort to fix it yet. Don’t waste anymore time or money on something that isn’t your favorite. Make room for something that you love.

Now if you answered yes to that question, then ask yourself, “How much would I pay for it?” If the amount you are willing to pay is less than the cost of having the item fixed, do yourself a favor and let it go.

It’s true that every once in awhile you’ll come across something that is truly special and definitely worth repair. But don’t let yourself feel guilty about the rest of the stuff that’s not worth fixing. Your time and money is too valuable to waste!

Fill in the blank… “If I get rid of _______ that so-and-so gave me, I’ll feel guilty.”

We often feel so responsible to be good stewards of things that we’ve been given or even inherited from a loved one.  Getting rid of a present feels like disrespecting the giver. But we must remember the true meaning of gifts. “When you receive a present,” says Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan (an interior designer and the founder of ApartmentTherapy.com), “your duty is to receive it and thank the giver – not keep the gift forever.”

That goes for items you inherit. Ask yourself, “How many things do I really need to honor this person’s memory?” Start by selecting a few objects with strong associations to your late family member. Then keep them in places you’ll see and appreciate them –and don’t be afraid to use Grandmother’s china or wear your mother’s favorite ring! Let the rest go to people who need them more than you do.

Now put yourself in the giver’s shoes. When you give a gift to someone do you expect them to keep it forever? Would you be offended if they gave it away after it went out of style or even after they got tired of it and stopped using it? I would hope not. You would never want your gift to ever become a guilty burden.  And if you ever passed away, would you want your loved ones to drown in all your possessions? Particularly the things that may not have even been very special to you in the first place?

Free yourself from the guilt, let go of those many gifts that you don’t like or even use anymore. I’m sure _______ will understand!

Baskets of unread magazines: this is a biggy for many women I know and love.

We HATE to part with our beloved magazines… especially the ones we have read with all the dog-eared pages. We might actually need something we’ve seen or, God forbid, we might miss a good article. Well girls, I say Bologna! If there is something amazing that you’ve read in a magazine in the last two years, I dare you to try to find it again in that massive pile sitting next to your bed. The truth is - if we’re honest with ourselves – we are hopelessly lost without a Reader’s Guide… and who has time to develop one of those?  Here are two ways to tackle the piles, and our good intentions to read them:

One. If you have numerous magazines, but never have enough time to read them, rethink the money that you’re spending and cancel those subscriptions. Tell yourself that if there’s a subject or topic that you are interested in (recipes, parenting guides, health articles) you’ll do a search on the internet instead.  Also, keep in mind that many magazines out there have great websites! Stop starring at the piles, and toss them in your car and donate them to your local hospital or car service center. Put them where they’ll really be appreciated!

Two. If you have the time to read the magazines, but always keep them piled for their inspiring articles, keep an exactor knife next to your favorite reading spot.  When you come across a fabulous article or recipe, cut it out. Either file it in a file box by category dedicated to magazine articles, or start a few binders with sheet protectors to store your favorites.  Then you don’t have to spend hours searching for a certain magazine article. You can start a home decorating book, a garden book, and inspiration book, and even a recipes-to-try book. The possibilities are endless!

What’s a Card Cubby?

… a money saving, stylish, alphabetized mini-card file that fits in your purse, briefcase, or car console! Measuring 3” by 5” in multiple colors it holds up to 80 cards! File all those coffee punch cards, gift cards, and even coupons. Save money by having all those frequent buyer/discount cards organized and always on hand.  The perfect gift for Mother’s Day!

 Shop online at www.cardcubby.com

An inspiring success story from Body+Soul Magazine:

“Last Year, I finally decided to do something about all the clutter in my house. My plan? Get rid of 365 things in 365 days. I started with small items and soon found that viewing the junk in my home with an eye for decluttering helped me see more and more things that I no longer needed. By the end of the year, I had reached my goal. In addition to opening up space in my home, I also freed up time, since I don’t have to clean and pick up as much. This project deeply changed my worldview about possessions, clutter, and what makes a home.”  

- Julie Falatko, South Portland, ME

Ready for the challenge? It doesn’t have to be New Years Day to start new resolutions!

Ever consider organizing the contact list of your cell phone?

For the past few years, I’ve organized the phone numbers in my cell phone for easy access. In a way, I organize all the contacts by the way I think (in categories of course), similar to the Yellowpages. Follow these steps to organize your contact list the same way…

First, make a list of categories (see below) with a corresponding letter for each category.

     Here are a couple categories that I use in my phone:

A – Most called friends.

B – Friends whom I don’t call on a regular basis.

C – Clients and customers.

F – Family members.

H – Health (doctors, clinics, pharmacies).

N – Networking numbers. Other small businesses I enjoy referring people to.

R – Restaurants and takeout food.

X – Otherwise known as the “X List”. Phone numbers that are important to have but I never call… or numbers I programmed in to warn me of certain people who call on occasion (like that pesky car salesman who doesn’t understand, no matter how many times I tell him, that I already bought a new car).

Next, take the time to edit each contact in your cell phone. For example, “A  Eric”, “H Dr. Flemming”, “R Domino’s Pizza” etc. When you open your contact list to search for a name, you simply put the letter corresponding with the category.  It’s important not to make too many categories, but a handful can make scrolling through your contact list a lot more efficient.  If you’re familiar with Facebook it’s similar to the groups that you can create to add friends to in order to keep them organized.   

It does take time to edit the names on your cell phone, but in the long run it saves a lot of time! Let me know how it goes!

Here is an article I read in Reader’s Digest:

Question from a reader:  I have to use things until they wear out before getting new ones. It took me seven years to use up 14 bottles of nail polish. I should get a new pair of sandals, but my old ones aren’t completely worn-out yet, so I’ll wait. My friends tell me this is not normal.

Answer:  Do the old sandals damage your feet? Is there a masochistic “I am not worthy” element to your frugality? If so, you have a psychological issue that needs to be addressed. But if you value things merely for their utility, then your example may prove something profound: You are normal, and the rest of us, in our mad material dash are, well, mad. As Arthur Gish put it in Beyond the Rat Race, a classic meditation on simplicity, “We buy things we do not need to impress people we do not like.”  Most of us buy and waste, waste and buy, at landfill-filling rates that are alarming, if not psychotic. Your thrift, says Nando Pelusi, PhD, a clinical psychologist in New York City, may take asceticism to new levels, “but, who knows,” he says, “you just might be saving the planet!”

The new trend is to “reduce, reuse, and recycle”.  Why not have fun while doing it… in fact, why not have a party?!?  Gather some friends - along with their excess stuff - and have a fun evening of trading.

When planning this Swap Party, invite all your friends with similar interests. Eight people is a manageable number to invite, though anywhere from 3 to 20 is doable. Send out a fun Evite and give guests about two weeks to gather up their belongings. Plan on serving easy refreshments… something they eat and drink while rummaging through the treasures. 

A swap can get pretty crazy, so here are a few tips to maintain order. When inviting friends, be clear about what’s swap-worthy. People should bring clean and gently used goods. Use color coded stickers for guests to claim their finds. Establish a system and explain it to your guests at the beginning of the party. Here are a few ideas:

Take turns shopping. Draw straws to see who shops first. Limit the number of items to three per turn to keep it fair and moving fast.

Use Tokens. The host hands out homemade tickets (or poker chips work well) for every item a guest donates.  If a person brings 10 items, she gets 10 tokens with which to purchase 10 items. Some larger items may be worth more (and cost more) tokens. Use post-it notes to show the cost of the big-ticket items.

Keep the numbers even. Swap item for item. With this strategy, everybody goes home with the same number of items that they donated.

If there are any items that no one wants to claim, offer to take them to a local Goodwill or charity of choice.

Good luck and let the trading begin!