Comments on: On letting go of “stuff” http://livingwellonless.com/2009/09/16/on-letting-go-of-stuff/ Simply Frugal. Simply Healthy. Simply Happy. Sun, 20 May 2012 14:38:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Melinda http://livingwellonless.com/2009/09/16/on-letting-go-of-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-11412 Melinda Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:33:20 +0000 http://livingwellonless.com/?p=2251#comment-11412 I do the same as Jill - turn the hangers around and get rid of anything that hasn't been worn for the past 6 months. I use a pencil & put the date on the wood inside the closet door (tiny, of course), that way I know when it's time to declutter! .-= Melinda´s last blog ..<a href="http://frugalgrace.blogspot.com/2009/09/fasting.html" rel="nofollow">Spiritual Fasting?</a> =-. I do the same as Jill – turn the hangers around and get rid of anything that hasn’t been worn for the past 6 months. I use a pencil & put the date on the wood inside the closet door (tiny, of course), that way I know when it’s time to declutter!
.-= Melinda´s last blog ..Spiritual Fasting? =-.

]]> By: Megan http://livingwellonless.com/2009/09/16/on-letting-go-of-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-11269 Megan Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:53:14 +0000 http://livingwellonless.com/?p=2251#comment-11269 I am horrible when it comes to being a packrat, so I am not much help there. However, with the financial crunch you have coming in future months and years, I would recommend investigating getting some money out of some of the stuff you are trying to get rid of. I think the baby quilt out of your wedding dress is an awesome idea (that I will probably steal!), but most people won't want to take the time to learn how to quilt. You said the stains at the bottom of the dress make it unattractive- however could it be hemmed for someone shorter? I usually have to hem pants/skirts/dresses at least three inches because I am short, so finding someone who would fit that category could allow you to sell a dress that you would have normally given away. This idea doesn't work for you because you already have a plan for the dress, but start working at finding these types of solutions to your older junk. The computer could be sold to someone who breaks them into reusable parts for resale. On the flip side- what of these items could be salvaged to save you money in the future? You said you were planning to quilt- if you want to make more than just the wedding dress quilt look through the clothes you are donating for items that the fabric could be reused for. That way you won't have to pay for expensive fabric in a few years. (To save space be selective as to what you want and trim away what won't be useable- hems, zippers, stained areas, ect.) The down side of this- you're not getting rid of everything you had planned. Doing a cost analysis would help: 1yrd of nice fabric =$8.00+ ; scraps from an old skirt take up about a sandwhich/quart bag of space, fairly light weight for shipping. Is it worth it? Good luck cleaning everything out! I am horrible when it comes to being a packrat, so I am not much help there.

However, with the financial crunch you have coming in future months and years, I would recommend investigating getting some money out of some of the stuff you are trying to get rid of. I think the baby quilt out of your wedding dress is an awesome idea (that I will probably steal!), but most people won’t want to take the time to learn how to quilt. You said the stains at the bottom of the dress make it unattractive- however could it be hemmed for someone shorter? I usually have to hem pants/skirts/dresses at least three inches because I am short, so finding someone who would fit that category could allow you to sell a dress that you would have normally given away. This idea doesn’t work for you because you already have a plan for the dress, but start working at finding these types of solutions to your older junk. The computer could be sold to someone who breaks them into reusable parts for resale.

On the flip side- what of these items could be salvaged to save you money in the future? You said you were planning to quilt- if you want to make more than just the wedding dress quilt look through the clothes you are donating for items that the fabric could be reused for. That way you won’t have to pay for expensive fabric in a few years. (To save space be selective as to what you want and trim away what won’t be useable- hems, zippers, stained areas, ect.) The down side of this- you’re not getting rid of everything you had planned. Doing a cost analysis would help: 1yrd of nice fabric =$8.00+ ; scraps from an old skirt take up about a sandwhich/quart bag of space, fairly light weight for shipping. Is it worth it?

Good luck cleaning everything out!

]]> By: Jill http://livingwellonless.com/2009/09/16/on-letting-go-of-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-11235 Jill Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:23:05 +0000 http://livingwellonless.com/?p=2251#comment-11235 Just a tip about clothes *that I saw on Oprah* hehe :) Go thru your closet and turn all the hangers around, so that the hook faces the front instead of the back as it normally would. Once you wear something, you can hang it back in the closet normally. At the end of "said" period of time, re-evaluate the items that are still hanging backwards in your closet. It will hopefully provide a better perspective on the clothes you wear regularly, and those that perhaps can be Goodwill'd or Freecycled. Just a tip about clothes *that I saw on Oprah* hehe :) Go thru your closet and turn all the hangers around, so that the hook faces the front instead of the back as it normally would. Once you wear something, you can hang it back in the closet normally. At the end of “said” period of time, re-evaluate the items that are still hanging backwards in your closet. It will hopefully provide a better perspective on the clothes you wear regularly, and those that perhaps can be Goodwill’d or Freecycled.

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