Every now and then I run across a story about a family who decides to be minimalists, packs up or sells nearly everything they own, and moves into a quaint little house with nothing more than two suitcases and a shoebox to their name. Sounds freeing.
Managing all the stuff we own takes time and energy. Possessions need to be cleaned and organized and stored and put back away when we're done using them. Having too many things makes our homes feel small and our lives feel cluttered. But I'm not quite ready to get rid of everything. I doubt I'll ever be ready for that. I think there's a balance somewhere between buying everything and having nothing.
We must diligently consider the things we purchase before opening our wallets. Bad purchases become clutter. We also need to continually evaluate the things we already own. And we need to be prepared to get rid of stuff.
Before buying something, consider:
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-Is this useful? Does it solve a problem? Will it make life easier? Will it make me feel pretty? Will it make me smile?
-Does it serve more than one purpose? Do I already own something that can do the same job? How often will I use it?
-Where will I use it or store it? Can I get rid of something else if I buy this? Will it replace something I already have?
-Will I be disappointed if I walk away from this purchase? Will I still be thinking about it tomorrow? How about next week?
When sorting through your belongings, think:
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-Do I really like this? How do I feel about it? Does it make me feel stressed? Happy?
-How often do I use this? Can something else I own do the same job?
-Would I use this even if I had other options? Would I rather buy a new one? If everything else was dirty, would I use (or wear) this instead washing something else?
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