Day 120: Coupons

I have a large zip lock bag in one of my cupboards where I stash coupons. It's hard for me to remember using coupons, so I don't save many. Gift cards go in that same bag so I they aren't misplaced. However, sometimes it gets way too full. It has to be sorted periodically so that I remember to use the coupons and throw out expired ones.

Keeping like things in a certain spot has been a mantra for this blog. Sorting and clearing out is also key. I threw out some old coupons today and looked through what I had for Saturday's grocery shopping.

Day 119: Family Clothing

I have a friend whose mother saved all her little dresses for when she had a little girl. That always impressed me. Yet, I cringe at storing things like that for the years it would take for them to be used again. I tried that with a couple of baby outfits, but then decided others could get better use out of them in the 20+ years before my grandchild could wear them. It's obviously up to you and what you can stand. If all people were like me, we might not have any antiquities in museums!

Another point is that styles change, and I know my daughter would not have wanted any of my 70's bell bottoms or body suits.

The point is, I want you to feel free to let some things go if you want to.

I put a pair of pants my husband no longer wants in the Goodwill bin today.

Day 118: When Your Age Outgrows Your Clothes

I'm not talking about dressing "old," but there comes a time when a certain item of clothing in your closet is just not "you" anymore. It could be because of age or because of a different job setting. Though it may be hard to admit, just get rid of the clothing if it doesn't match where you are in life.

I put a pair of slip-on spike heels in the give away box. There were never very comfortable, I feel a little precocious in them, and I now have a different pair that matches the clothes I wore them with.

Day 117: Anything Unusual?

Has anyone gotten rid of something unusual that we could all smile about? Feel free to comment!

I got rid of a favorite faded sweater. It's so comfortable, but I know it looks atrocious. (Not unusual, though.) Guess my most unusual so far is the spoon rack I made in high school shop class.

Day 116: Mud Shoes

I once subscribed to an excellent newsletter called "The Tightwad Gazette." One article talked about how she bought a new pair of tennis shoes every year (on sale, of course), and her former two pairs had levels of use. The one year old pair was used for semi-dirty work; the two year old pair for gardening, mud, etc.

For some reason, I had two pair of the really bad shoes for gardening. One pair went in the trash today.

Day 115: Invitations

In the past, I have been terrible at RSVPing to invitations. I can't make up my mind, forget about the due date, lose the invite, or sometimes have to apologize after the fact for not telling the host/hostess. However, in the back of my mind is that nagging feeling that I need to do it. That clutters up my thoughts.

My new goal is to respond immediately yes or no. If circumstances change, most hostesses are happy to have you come. It clears my head and my counter. I sent two away this week, right away.

Day 114: Is Simplifying Making a Dent?

One of our blog followers commented yesterday that she has passed the 500 mark getting rid of items in her home! Congratulations for keeping track as you simplify! The rest of us have at least 114, and probably more because some days more than one item goes out the door.

Do you see progress? Do some of your spaces seem more spacious and peaceful? (Not in the feng shuei sense, but in the orderly sense.) Keep going. Several of you have commented that you are pleased with your results so far. This should be becoming a habit. We're not even half way done!!

Today I put a couple of items of clothing in the Goodwill bin.

Day 113: Clean Your Car

We are on a college visit trip as I write this in the hotel room. You know why we like hotel rooms? They are clean, no clutter, and someone else cleans up after us! But...I digress.

In thinking on what I could declutter today, I realized while riding five hours yesterday, our two glove compartments are very messy, with old inspection records, old insurance cards, napkins, receipts, CD's, etc. Today I am going to simplify those spaces!

Day 112: Owner's Manuals

I have a bulging file of owner's manuals from the lawnmower to the kids' old toys. When looking through it for a particular one the other day, I saw manuals for mechanical things we don't even own anymore. I threw them away and my file isn't so thick now.

Day 111: Reverse Psymplication

Sorry, a little joke in spelling. Anyway, a friend of mine was telling me yesterday about one aspect of simplifying that I'm labeling "Reverse Psymplification." One way we simplify is by not bringing more stuff home. This simplification, decluttering attitude helps us avoid buying unnecessary items. Keep that in mind at the Dollar Store, the sale rack, etc.

I got rid of a stretched out shirt today.

Day 110: Simplify Commitments

The majority of our efforts have been to get rid of stuff in our homes, simplifying our lives. I also think time commitments should be simplified when possible.

For years, when I was a stay-home mom, I was bombarded with offers for volunteerism. It became overwhelming because I had difficulty saying no. When I went back to work full time, it was almost a breath of fresh air because I had only one big commitment outside of the home instead of five. Now that my children are almost all gone, I'm going to have to be careful to what commitments I take on.

Some commitments, such as being a PTA mom, are ending soon for me, naturally. With others, I am considering bowing out gracefully. When we have our minds going too many places, we realize we're ineffective in most of them.

Today, think about your commitments to volunteering, organizations, etc. Is it time to simplify?

Day 109: Your Life Comes Down to $.25

One of my friends had an epiphany this past week. She and her siblings have been clearing out her deceased mother's home in order to sell it. Sorting through all the items has been emotionally and physically draining. She donated a large amount of items to a church for their yard sale. When she went later to see how things were selling, she saw the ".25" tag on many of her mom's items. It hit her that our acculmulation of "stuff" comes down to being worth .25 in others' eyes.

We had a good discussion about not leaving so much for our kids to go through, simplifying our lives as we go. The stuff that is sentimental to us means nothing to others. It's a helpful mindset when we are clearing out things from our own homes.

I am sorting through some teaching tools I had twenty years ago. If I haven't used them, they're being thrown out.

Day 108: Take a Closer Look

I am taking a closer look at clothing and shoes as I pull out spring and summer items. How worn are some of the pieces? Is it time to get rid of them? Are the shoes scruffy looking?

A pair of shoes and another dress are going in the give away pile.

Day 107: Put It Together

I had a garden trellis boxed up for over a year that my friend gave me. It just needed to be put together. It sat here and there for all that time. This week I simplified my spaces and put it together with a wonderful result! I have a lovely trellis in my garden and am not storing a box.

I challenge you to complete any project that is lying around. Storage won't be an issue and you'll be able to use the item as intended!

Day 106: Junk

There are iems that are difficult to get rid of, and others are just plain junk. When company is coming, sometimes we stash junk to get it out of sight and then forget about it, because, indeed, it IS out of sight. I found some of that and am throwing it out today!

Day 105: Prom Time

It is the season for prom. As the mother of a daughter who would love to find a nice dress for a fraction the cost of new, now is the time to take any old formals to Goodwill or resale shops! Demand is high for the new few weeks, so think about it. Even some bridesmaid gowns from the 80's could be back in style now...minus any shoulder pads.

I am putting a dress of my daughter's in the give away bin today.

Day 104: Medicines

It's difficult to get rid of outdated medicine because of the financial loss. However, the meds won't do us any good (in theory) if we take them after they expire. I found and tossed a bag of Immodium and Tylenol individual packs we'd been given for a trip a LONG time ago (years...).

Day 103: Wrapping Paper

Have you ever been to a bridal or baby shower when the guest of honor takes FOREVER opening her gifts, because she slits the tape carefully in order to save the wrapping paper? I applaud those ladies for their frugality, and am sure they spent minimally on wrapping paper for a couple years, but we have to be wise in what we save.

Nowadays, gift bags are the popular item. It is REALLY hard to get rid of a good gift bag, especially if you have seen the $4.00 price tag. Being a teacher, I have been blessed with many. A couple years ago, my teen daughter's task was to sort all my saved bags into Christmas and general holiday. There are a LOT. I try to reuse, but there are still A LOT. I'm going to continue regifting them, but have thrown out some that I probably won't use for anyone else.

So, to conclude, do you have any saved wrapping paper that is past three years old? Consider ditching it.

Day 102: Collectibles

We all have a soft spot for some type of object, thus collections. (Beanie Babies, Precious Moments figurines, teddy bears) How many of those objects should we keep? It's something we have to wrestle with. I like interesting boxes. While they can be practical and store smaller items, too many is truly a problem.

I am getting rid of several today.

Day 101: Historic Clutter

I just returned from a teacher seminar at Mt. Vernon, where we lived on the estate for the weekend, learning about George Washington's amazing life. As we were touring around, I was on the lookout for any evidence of clutter in his life. (I mostly paid attention to the guides, but my mind wandered this direction just a tad.)

When he returned home to Mt. Vernon after his two term presidency, some of his home storage rooms contained many packed trunks full of congress papers. The guide rolled her eyes. Clutter!!! Of course, his clutter was very valuable. I commented to some of my colleagues that I'm afraid there will be little trace of me if I ever become famous because of my de-cluttering goals. Ah well.

Anyhow, clutter has been around for centuries, and historians are thankful to those who have held on to certain letters, diaries, etc. Obviously, we should keep some momentos, written and otherwise, of ourselves and others to pass along. However, much can be disposed of.

I found a French Horn music book in my collection of music. No one has played French Horn in my family for four years. It is going in the give-away bin.

Days 99, 100: Out of Town

If you are packing to go out of town, it's a great opportunity to simplify! While grabbing toiletries, toss anything you don't use. Packing clothes? Put aside that shirt you haven't worn all year to be given away.

I am heading out of town for a couple of days...can't believe I miss day 100 for the blog!! Ah well. Maybe some of you can post some helpful comments. For my two days, I'm putting two pair of shoes in the give away bin that family members don't use.

Day 98: Cleaning Out Children's Rooms

So, both my children are gone this week, one at college, one on a class trip to Peru. Dare I attack their rooms? They are relatively neat, but I think my college son's bulletin board with the "Common Application" form tacked to it from two years ago could probably be cleaned off. It really bugs me that they have so much still that they don't use or need. I will refrain until summer and then perhaps present a mandate that it is open territory if not sorted by the time they both leave for college.

In the meantime, I need to be attacking my own spaces, getting my eyes on MY clutter. More paper is being sorted, filed, and thrown out today.

Day 97: A Habit

Is simplifying becoming a habit yet? Do you automatically look for ways to declutter? We've been at this for almost 100 days. I know the accountability helps me, and I do find myself being much less tolerant of any clutter. As I leave a room, I glance around, looking for areas I may need to investigate and declutter.

Today I put a water bottle in the give away bin.

Day 96: Paper

With all the on-line billing, e-pay, websites, etc., it's amazing how much paper we still accumulate. Having gotten rid of a lot of recipes yesterday that I cut out years ago, I'm tackling office clutter and paper today. Plan to get rid of or file at least 20 items of paper, hopefully more.

Day 95: Recipe File

Today I will go through my recipe clippings and purge any that I probably won't ever use. I may separate the ones I still want to try and actually plan for those in meals for the next month. If they turn out to be winners, the recipe can leave the file folder and go onto a recipe card (the goal of every recipe...)

There are several levels of simplifying in this.
1. I actually read the magazine, ripped out any interesting recipes, and recycled the magazine. 2. I had a place for the clipping to reside until it was used
3. Now only the brightest and best clipping will be tried

Keep up all the good work, even on this spring break!

Day 94: Donate

I found six empty shoeboxes in our attic. I was actually happy as my students need them to build a project at school. However, if that were not the case, I would have thrown them out or donated to a teacher who needed them. Keep in touch with a couple elementary teachers. You never know what they are needing for their classrooms.

Happy Easter everyone! Jesus is risen!

Day 93: On A Day Off, Schedule It

Are there things sitting around that you've meant to take somewhere else? I have a large printer cartridge that's been sitting near our computer for at least a month needing to be taken for recycling. I'm scheduling in that stop today.

An idea could be to place items in a box to grab as you are heading out for errands so you don't forget. Just getting rid of little nagging responsibilities can simplify your life.

Another idea came from one of this blog's followers. She tries to fill an entire box and puts it immediately in her trunk to take to Goodwill. I think this is partly to just get it out of the house and partly so she or another family member doesn't change his/her mind! :)

Day 92: Freebies

Through the years in our various places of employment, we have each been given freebies...items with the logos of businesses. Unless it's something like a notepad with a bank's name on it, I usually get rid of it right away. It reminds me of all the junk we used to get out of gumball machines as kids, fun but often useless. Today I got rid of a PTA lanyard I'd been given and don't need.

Day 91: Missing Twin

How many items are lying around that should have a twin, but the twin is missing? There was a time period when my washing machine was seemingly eating my husband's socks...but only one per pair. I had a pile I kept by the machine of single socks, hoping the mates would resurface, stuck to someone's shirt or somewhere. I finally bit the bullet and threw them out. It's the same with gloves and mittens. How long do we keep the singles until their match appears? This morning, I got rid of some single gloves and put a couple unneeded winter scarves in the give away bin.