One Hundred Things

Allan and I have been talking for the last year or two about downsizing, meaning finding a way to live in less space with fewer things. In order to do something like this, we need to get rid of some of our many possessions now. So, once again, I am getting rid of 100 things.

As you know, I have done this before. In fact, I have done it several times. But, since I have done it several times, it's time to cut just a little bit deeper. And I now have the perfect excuse: the Toppenish House, or TopHouse, as we refer to it. TopHouse has a modest kitchen, 2 small bedrooms, and a finished attic containing 2 rooms. There is very little storage space, meaning we will have to either not store so many things or create more storage. I prefer the “not store so many things” option. Plus, this means when it's time to move we won't have as much to move. Win-win!

I will keep a running list of the number and type of things I am getting rid of, so stay tuned. 

How about you? Do you have a plan for de-cluttering? Or do you have the luxury of plenty of room and storage space? How do you manage your possessions, your hobby materials, your clothing and linens, your tools and kitchen things? 
[Here they are, my 100 Things: 5 shirts; 1 pr capris; 2 jeans; 2 sweaters; 1 blouse; 1 formal dress; 2 cookbooks; 1 sign (total: 15) 1 shirt, 1 pants, 1 pkg decorative baggies, 2 bottles, box, stack papers, bubble wrap, another stack papers, 5 egg cartons, 3 trinkets, bag of shopping bags, 2 shirts, 6 books, door handle, 12 jars, banana box (total 55) ferry schedule, stack of papers, 4 boxes, fencing, 4 hankies/rags, 8 underclothing, toaster, cd, 6 bottles, cosmetics container, act fluoride rinse exp date 2004 (really!), 3 more egg cartons, first aid container, 2 expired ointments, stethoscope, 2 coats, snowsuit, almond crumbs, plastic bin, air pump, kitty litter scooper, banana box, 4 magazines. Over 100 things in 8 days (July 2-July 10)!]

Home for the Future

Over the winter Allan and I visited his mother in Toppenish, WA in Yakima County. She lives in a tiny city, right on the edge of town, practically across the street from some farmland. Right now the air is fragrant with mint! (It's generally fragrant with something, and mint is a real pleasure compared to fertilizer.)

The house next door came up for sale because the previous resident, Alma, passed away at 98 years old. I suggested we buy it and rent it to a family until we're ready to retire in 9 or so years. So we did! It is just the thing we had been hoping to do here on the west side of the Cascades, but haven't been able to. This way we'll be nearby if his mother needs us, but not in her home or she in ours. Unlike my humungous extended family, Allan's family is quite small and the support for Grandma is limited. 

The sale was final on June 17, and we went over, cleaned it up, and rented it. Our craigslist ad drew about 20 calls in the first 3 hours, so we took it down at around noon. There aren't enough rentals in Toppenish for the people who need homes. We are feeling very blessed. 

My Mall Experience

I don't go to the mall very often. Why, you ask? Well, I don't usually buy much, or at least not there. But this past Friday a young friend and I wanted to spend some time together, and she felt like getting a little Christmas shopping done, so off we went.

Thanks Silverdale Chamber of Commerce for the photo.

Luckily my friend, whom I will call Karen, knew just the things she wanted, and in which store they were. We parked, went straight to the proper section, and Karen searched for her prospective gifts. I helped her with sizes, colors and styles for a while, but she seemed to have everything under control. So I stood around for a few minutes. I noticed some shirts that were a good price, gorgeous colors this year, and nice and long, like I prefer. Suddenly I believed I "could use" a few shirts like these. I held back, though.

Selections in hand, Karen and I went and looked through the mundane, useful item I thought I would get for a loved one for Christmas. It was a little more expensive than I would usually prefer, but the quality and quantity and country of origin were acceptable. We made our purchases and decided what to do next.

We had passed some purses that were really cute, so we looked at them for a while, killing time before leaving the mall to go to dinner. The more I looked at a particular style of bag, the more I wanted one. (These specific ones were nearly $100, not something I would ever seriously consider.) The shape was really pleasing, and the colors were so appealing; so many to choose from! Oh, well, off to dinner.

I haven't stopped thinking about those bags, not because I am going to buy one, but because I liked them so much. I won't feel very good about myself if I get one, but the fact that their style and color and presentation in the store were so very attractive is something I am giving a lot of attention.

I suppose the moral of the story is that I know material things don't make me happy. And that marketers and other people who want to get some of our money work from the perspective that material things (that they are carrying in their retail centers) will make us happy until we come to the mall next time.

So--why was I so enthralled with the purses, anyway? I believe it's because my current one isn't really meeting my needs. I have some choices here: 1. Find one in my closet that will work (I have a few in there); 2. Get one second-hand (totally in my value system if I really NEED it); 3. Make one.

Are you an impulse shopper, or a self-medicating-shopper? Where is your favorite place to shop? Do you have strategies to avoid getting too many things?

Stay tuned while I stay out of the mall.

And Happy Holidays!