Taste Life Blog

The “on sale”, “25% off” ads and the “red clothes” are speaking to me. I thought I was transformed but I guess not.

For 3 months, two new suits (one red and one black) and two red new tops hung on my closet door. Why? No room in the closet. I decided I could not “wrinkle up” one more piece of clothing in my closet until it was cleared out.  My first goal was to get rid of fifty items and that felt so good it soon became seventy-five and then one-hundred. At hundred items I got on an adrenaline roll. I will admit the last twenty were devilishly difficult and accomplished only with the help of Julie, my next door neighbor.

I still can’t believe I got rid of my blue purse. I even got rid of the Pendleton suit I modeled in the eighties. Not exactly in style today!   The hardest was getting rid of my mom’s pedal pusher shorts she sewed in the fifties.  They were so old my daughter, Danielle, never even heard of the words pedal pusher.  I wore them once and pictured her lovingly little fingers hand-stitching the hems. I did draw the line at getting rid of my white wedding shoes which I doubt I could even walk in again. But the white high heels are keepers!After cleaning out one hundred fourteen items, my closet and more importantly, myself feels peaceful and calm again.

Here are few tips to control your shopping adventures:

Think about space

A change in season, especially the fall beckons us to the new fashions at the mall. The shopping experience helps us forget our dirty cluttered homes, challenging relationships and work worries.  It is so easy to forget our stressed out lives. The music, the clerks at our disposal, the gorgeous displays with dazzling, trendy new items screaming “buy me today.”   We succumb. We buy. But, the next time stop before you hand over your credit card; ask yourself a few questions. Where am I going to store this? Do I have something else at home already like this?  How much space will it take? How long will I really love it?   My favorite question is, do I know someone who already owns this and I can just borrow it? Truthfully answering these questions may prevent unnecessary purchases.

Think about time

I have been looking for a new short black boot. I have already shopped two major department stores. I bought a pair and feel I need to shop around to see if I did buy the most beautiful, comfortable boot for the best price.  Sound familiar?  Practical Gary asked me, “how much time are you going to spend looking for one pair of boots?” He’s right. I have already spent 4 hours on this boot project and if I earn $20 an hour I have already spent $80 of my life energy and time. The boots I bought were $80 so that is already four hours of my time. In time currency my boots have already cost me $80.00. I am already at a grand total of $160.00 for this pair of boots. Sadly, it feels like I am not done shopping yet.  Start to think about your purchases in relation to the hours in your life and what matters most to you.  Maybe you will find more time and purchase less. What do you value more stuff or space?  Ask yourself next time you are shopping, “Am I shopping for peace and calm or cluttered chaos?

3 Tips For Peace and Calm

1. Remember the less you own the less you have to be responsible for and less you have to clean.
2. Remember one in and one out. If you buy something, get rid of what you are replacing it with.
3. Guilt is not a reason to keep something.

A cluttered space is often a cluttered mind. And often physical clutter shows up in other areas of our lives.  After cleaning out my disorganized chaotic closet I know I have found ease and grace and a sense of lightness for a while. Just remind me, I don’t need any more red tops, especially when they are on sale.  How has de-cluttering your life given you freedom? We can’t wait to hear your story!

Read more how one friend sold everything to travel the world