Pages

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Confessions of a Clutter Purger


I'm good...but not THIS good.

I'm a purger.  I go through my closet a couple of times a year and purge myself of anything I don't wear, haven't worn or purchased by mistake (but leave hanging in the closet because I feel so bad for having wasted the money).  Goodwill loves me.

I do it because clutter, any kind of clutter, weighs on me and makes me feel heavy and lethargic...and it's terrible feng shui.  An unorganized closet means I can't find anything when I need it.  Clutter on my dining room table says we don't have enough room (which we do...we have plenty of room) or we're too lazy to put it away (most likely the case).  Crap stuffed in drawers in an "out of sight out of mind" way doesn't work for me either.  I know it's there and every time I pass by the drawer the little clutter monster that lives inside taunts me with, "Nanny, nanny boo boo...I'm in here all cozy with my clutter friends and you're out there hating it." 

So I purge.  I'll blow through my closet, or the kids' closets or the linen closet or the coat closet, drag everything out I haven't seen anyone wear and dump it into a green trash bag to be hauled to Goodwill.  Or I'll start putting things away on the tables or counters and throwing away stuff that doesn't look important because I can't stand the sight of it laying around anymore!!!

Of course, then I'm accused of throwing away an important document (guilty) or a special shirt (not guilty...it was found in an old suitcase ten years later) when really, if you had put it away or purged it yourself, none of this would have ever happened!

Oh...sorry...I digress.

So now that I've lost some weight, I find myself in an interesting position.  I've purged so much that there's really nothing left in my closet that looks good or fits.  And because when I was really heavy I refused to buy anything of value (that's another post entirely), what is there is looking tired and worn out.  And...we're tightening our belts so an all out shopping spree is not an option; not to mention that if I'm going to lose more weight (which is the plan), spending a bunch of money on clothes right now isn't the wisest decision.

So this weekend I'm going to the local Goodwill store and see what treasures I can find.  There was a time in my life when Channing Tatum in a pair of low slung sweats and no shirt could not have gotten me into a Goodwill store.  Ugh!  Wear other people's clothes!  Puhleeeeeese.

But I've grown.  I'm older and wiser now.  Labels just don't mean what they used to mean to me. (Unless you're talking about shoes.  Shoes are an entirely separate matter.)  And I'm going to the Goodwill in the ritzy part of town so the cast offs are of a much better quality than my local Goodwill.  Plus, by going to the one on the other side of town, I avoid the potential of buying my own stuff back which would be the ultimate irony don't you think?

Namaste



8 comments:

  1. I LOVE consignment shops! Particularly for jeans and bags! My favorite shop is named "designer again". As the name suggests, they specialize in used designer clothes. So I get awesome, expensive name brand jeans for between $2.50-$7.00! You can't even tell most of them have been worn before, they look brand new!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm actually excited. I sure hope I find something.

      Delete
  2. It is fun...like a treasure hunt :) I hope you find something!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I feel the same with clutter, Sherry. I'm a big piler--I'd rather have stuff in piles, than spread all over a table or counter. I'll go through the same "Purge it All!" moods too every four months or so.

    I bet you'll find some goodies at Goodwill, probably even some stuff with the tags still on! I'm excited for you!(Congrats on the weight loss!!)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am more of an out of sight out of mind kind of gal. I am able to purge when the mood strikes me but the stuff it in the closet theory works for quite awhile until drawers and closets are bursting at the seams.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's evident now. We were separated at birth. :)

    I hate clutter! I am an everything in it's place kind of woman. But not crazy neat- like there can be dog footprints in the kitchen, but I don't want someone's jacket hanging on my bike in the living room. My husband used to walk into the dining room to hang his coat on one of the chairs. AGH!!! What the hell are you thinking??? And I don't like opening a drawer- I mean almost opening it because the hammer is stuck because of the forty other things that shouldn't be in there.

    We had a new thrift store open here and I got great sweaters for me and the kids. Mine was my thirty days sober present- a brand new tags still on expensive beauty that I got for twenty bucks! (A splurge for thrift for sure.) Have fun! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I can hear my clutter drawer sniggering at me from here!
    I will do it . . . tomorrow ;-)
    I just spent some of my 50th Birthday money on Ebay. Got an AllSaints beauster of a handbag which retails at £210 for £50! Jeffrey Campbell boots (worn once) retail at £295! for £60 . . . How happy am I? It could become my new addiction. I rarely spend money on clothes for me as I do like quality which usually equals expense, but Charity shops (Goodwill stores) and E bay have some great offers. I hope you find some fantastic bargains Sherry, let us know x

    ReplyDelete
  7. I second the motion. I know that you’ll be able to find fantastic bargains from Ebay or Craig’s list, perhaps. Just take your time shopping online. You can also find file cabinets for your important documents. However, if those documents are no longer needed, you might just have to throw them away, but you must shred them first because they might have important information on it.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.