So about three years ago I really did the BIG house cleaning. Call it what you want---spring cleaning, getting ready for the rummage sale cleaning---just know that it was monumental! I have a mantra that helped with this. Is it useful? Is it sentimental? Does it just make me happy? And if all of those questions have been answered and the final cumulative answer is no, then I say, when in doubt, throw it out! Sometimes I mean literally throw it out, like in the garbage. Other times I mean recycle it or donate it.
Now that the BIG clean is done how do you maintain it? That is where the one thing in, one thing out rule comes into play. If I buy a new book, shirt, rug, whatever, I make sure one of the same goes out. This will often stop me from buying in the first place. If the rug in my back hall is perfectly functional and I'm just sick of the color, I try to reason that I don't need to buy a new rug. If I have tried this thought process and I still WANT a new rug, then I clean the old one, donate it and then purchase my new rug.
It really is as simple as it sounds. I do it all of the time.
© 2010 Ann M. De Broux
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