• Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Please Start Here
  • Home
  • Contact HoJo
  • My Story
  • Disclosure & Privacy Policy

HoJo's Life Adventures

Helping others live their best lives!

  • Parenting
  • Kids
    • Babies
    • Toddlers
    • Preschool
    • School Age
  • Money
    • Saving Money
    • Making Money
  • Around the House
    • Easy DIY
    • Organize & Clean
    • Tips & Tricks
  • Recipes
  • Other
    • Essential Oils
    • Faith
    • Friendship
    • From the Heart
    • Marriage

Getting Rid of “Stuff” With Four Easy Questions

March 16, 2016

There are affiliate links in many of the posts on this site. This means your purchase supports myself, my business, and my family when you click through to buy - at no additional cost to you. This site also uses cookies. You can learn more here. Thank you!

“What’s that mean to you?”

“That? Oh, well my mom gave it to me back when…”

“No, what’s it mean to you?”

I sat there dumbfounded. Why in the world did a knick knack need to mean something? I’ve had it for years. That’s it’s place on the shelf. Isn’t that enough?

He rolled his eyes, shrugged, and moved into the living room.

While that might not have been the longest or most meaningful relationship I’ve ever had, I’ll always appreciate Ross helping me realize that I don’t need so much “stuff”. That one conversation greatly changed the way I look at what is currently in my home, as well as the new things that come into it.

Sometimes we accumulate a lot of "stuff". Getting rid of these items can be a challenge! Now you can simply ask yourself four questions to decide whether or not that "stuff" should find a permanent place in your home!
This post contains affiliate links. You can learn more by reading my disclosure statement.

It’s been a slow process, but I’ve slowly gotten rid of everything in my home that doesn’t actually mean something to me. If it doesn’t bring back a great memory or bring a smile to my face, it’s not going to last long in my home.

Making this change has not been easy! Prior to Ross’ comment, I would just buy things randomly. If there was a sale and I might use it, I’d buy it. If it was cute, I’d buy it. If I thought someone else might get use out of it, I’d buy it. Looking back, I wasted a lot of money on things that I didn’t really need and that had no real meaning to me!

Now I simply ask myself these questions:

  • Does it make me happy?
  • Does it have meaning?
  • Will I use it in the near future?
  • Is it worth the cost?
If the answer is yes to all of the above, I buy it. If not, I consider carefully before making the purchase.
As for gifts, I follow much the same theory. Thank the person, take it home, and immediately analyze the gift. If it answers the questions above, it finds a home. If I don’t love it, I will see if I can resell it to buy something I will love or be able to use. If I can’t resell it, I donate it. We make a trip to a goodwill or another second hand store at least once a month to drop items off. (Yes, I truly analyze what is in our home that often and get rid of what is no longer wanted or needed.)
Thank you, Ross, for asking such a simple question. You probably have no idea that you changed the way I view every day items in my home. It’s now so much easier getting rid of stuff. My bookshelves also thank you. They are much lighter now.
Sometimes we accumulate a lot of "stuff". Getting rid of these items can be a challenge! Now you can simply ask yourself four questions to decide whether or not that "stuff" should find a permanent place in your home!
If you enjoyed this post, you will want to grab this ebook – Freed From Clutter. Click here or on the picture below to learn more!
Know you need more than a book? Take the entire clutter challenge!

Getting rid of clutter doesn't have to be hard! Here a mom of four shares how she has gotten rid of the clutter monster and taken control of her home once again. Click through to learn more!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Home Decor, saving money

« Lessons Learned From A One Year Old
Borax Soap Scum Bathtub Cleaner »

Comments

  1. sandra says

    March 23, 2016 at 11:03 am

    Those are good questions. I will have to remember them as I go about my spring cleaning.

Categories

Copyright © 2023 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.ACCEPT Read More
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
 

Loading Comments...