Price vs Cost

Sometimes we confuse the price of something with its cost.

The dollar sign with the numbers after it is the price.

The cost involves not just money, but also what was involved in getting the item to you, how long did you work to get the money to buy it, the time you spend using it, the space it takes up in your life-on every level, and what will happen to it when you no longer need or want it?

Cheap things usually are. Just because something was on sale or a good deal doesn't necessarily mean it's a bargain.
Try to keep in mind the difference between wanting something and actually needing it.  And there's always the how many is enough question!

Having fewer things of better quality, considering cost per usage and better understanding why you purchase certain items will help you avoid bringing clutter into your home.

Before you put it in the cart or hit Buy Now, think about what it is that you're hoping this purchase will change/improve/add to your life and home.

  

Make the money you do spend buy happiness in ways that are important and meaningful to you.

Pay more attention so that the price you pay is worth the cost.

It's your life and your decisions.

Oh, watch The Story of Stuff to get another perspective on the cost of things.

Complaining

as clutter.

Not only can there be physical clutter in our lives, there is mental and emotional as well.  (You're thinking, oh, great.)

Given that clutter is anything that gets in the way of you living the life you truly want, connecting with the people and things that are important to you; complaining certainly does get in the way.

Just as we sort through our other clutter to decide what to keep and what to let go of, taking the time to look at who or what we're complaining about gives us the opportunity to get some clarity about what exactly the problem might be.

What is it about the situation or person that annoys us?  Angers?  Frustrates?  Is it an ongoing whine on your part or a reaction to a new or unfamiliar circumstance?  

How much mental space is it taking up?  

How frequently do you go  over and over this same complaint?  

What if you let it go?
Or dealt with the underlying issue?
Or took one small action to resolve the situation?

Most clutter is the result of a deferred decision.
How much of what we complain about is caused by us not taking an action we are perfectly aware of, but would rather put off?

Try applying the Two minute Rule (If you can do something in two minutes or less, do it now) in circumstances where you find yourself getting ready to whine or complain.  

What could you do to change your attitude, your reaction, your response, your results?

Less time and mental energy spent complaining gives you more  opportunity  to engage in a heartfelt way in your life and relationships.

You have so much to be grateful for-whining really does seem beneath you.

Trust gravity

You don't need to pile clothes on the chair to keep it from floating up to the bedroom ceiling.
It isn't necessarily to leave this morning's (or last night's) dirty dishes on the kitchen counter to hold it down.
The carpet will stay in place even without the cds and books randomly stacked on it.

Hang up your clothes when you take them off.
Put the dishes in the dishwasher.
Shelve the books and cds in the bookcase where they belong.

Even though it feels as if there is a magnetic force field that attracts clutter once it starts,
that field is easily disrupted by some simple new habits and routines. 

Just as you can trust gravity to do its job,
trust yourself that you can maintain clutter free home.
One decision at a time.

Exploration

"Exploration in conversation is sometimes very satisfying."  Catherine Aguilera

Expressing our thoughts aloud, sharing our anxieties, articulating our worries and our options

may help us clear the mental clutter and chatter that often seems to be a constant in our lives.

Spending time in conversation gives us the opportunity to articulate our feelings, as well as allows deeper connections with the people we choose as our listeners.

Talking often helps us peel off the layers that cloud certain thoughts and ideas.
And  allows us to go deeper and perhaps have an Aha moment in regard to a difficulty or challenge.

Make time in your life to build connections through heartfelt conversation.

Speaking of connections:  I will be disconnecting this next week.  From the phone, the Web and most things electronic.
I'm off on an adventure:  Relaxing, seeing new sights and hanging out with my family. Making time to make deeper connections.

Waffles.

Waffling between keeping an item or letting it go?
Ask yourself, "Would I buy it today?"
Your yes or no response will let you know if it will stay or go.

True you might have spent good money for it.
Or it is perfectly good or useful or hardly worn.
None of those are reasons enough to allot it space in your closet, drawer, or life now.

Surround yourself with the things you need, use, love and value in the life you are really living.

Giving up things that don't fit, you've kept out of guilt or obligation, unnecessary impulse purchases or
left overs from an activity you no longer have the time or energy for  will create room physically, mentally and emotionally in your home and life.

Make room for quiet, joy, love and connections.

When

was the last time you did something for the first time?

Something as simple as took a different route to work.
Or tried a new restaurant in the neighborhood.
Volunteered to be the Team Leader on a work project.
Hosted a family gathering at your house.
Signed up for a language class or the watercolor workshop.

Routines can assist us in simplifying the mechanics of daily living.
However, when routines turn into ruts, our lives become narrow and lose some of their spark.

Balancing simplicity with new experiences helps keep our lives interesting, and our hearts and minds engaged.

It doesn't matter if your 'first' is  jumping out of an airplane,
or  trying a soy latte.

New experiences create new pathways in our brains,
spark new thoughts and sensations, and open us up to new possibilities.

How many

is enough?

One, three, five, seven?

Jeans, coffee cups, pairs of shoes, unread magazines, old tee shirts...
Only you know the answer to that math story  problem.

More isn't better.  It is just more.
Anything more than enough is merely excess and can quickly become clutter.

Remember that ten of something isn't ten times better than one.  It is one, ten times over.
And that having one item of high quality is better than having four cheap ones.  

Decide the number that makes you feel comfortable.  The number you need and can use.
The number that fills your need for sentiment around a particular event.
Pare what you have down to the best, most meaningful, the ones that look fabulous on you, the number that you can reasonably store and access.

Once you're at the perfect number then it's time to practice the One In, One Out rule.
If you bring something new into the house, one thing that's there has to go.

Enough really is enough already!