Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Can You Be Too Thrifty?

I need to purge.

My house.

Of stuff.

I am not only a vintage junkie but a "don't throw it away till it is all used up" junkie. This goes for anything and everything. Maybe a better name for me is Too Thrifty Junkie?

 
I keep all things, from clothes, toothpaste, lipstick, my $42 foundation, cereal (pet peeve here) and lotion, to decorative items from the 1980's (they are vintage now!), and on and on till they are all used up or out of use. That can be a good (thrifty) thing or a not so good thing (clutter).


I AM talking about two different things here. The things that need to get thrown out when they are empty or used up and the things that are debatable because of their potential for use in the future.

I always live in the fear that just when I throw out those potential for the future things, I will need them! And that if I started the whole huge process of purging I would have to finish it! There may be those of you that would answer that with "just throw things out after you haven't used them for 2 years". What did you say? I don't get that! I might need it in 10 years!


Well, today something came over me and I did it! Well, I STARTED it. My house is 2700 square feet with a full attic and a full basement, and we have been here 17 years. There is A LOT of purging to do!

I started with the clothes in the upstairs closet that I just couldn't look at anymore and that I have not worn since I last worked full time....um, 1996. There was stuff in there for so long that they may qualify as vintage on Etsy and I may just have to list them in my NaNa's Things shop!

With each piece of clothing I had to state out loud "I will never wear this again". In the bag it went.


So the cereal thing is a pet peeve of mine. It gets down to the bottom of the bag and my son doesn't want anymore. I hear all kinds of excuses like "it must be stale by now" and "I'm sick of it". I usually have a new box of a different kind of cereal in the cupboard but he doesn't know it. This box WILL be finished before we open another one.....even if it does take another month! And then I will throw it away.
 


 
These are my actual hairspray with a few sprays left, my $42
foundation and my deodorant that scrapes my underarms every morning!
 
I have a new hairspray and deodorant waiting in the wings but these still have life in them! No back up for the foundation though (it's $42)! And to make sure I use up every drop of that I found a great new product. It is called a Spaddy and Spaddy Daddy.
 
I saw the product on the Shark Tank TV show and went on Amazon.com to get my own.
 
I am not being compensated for featuring this...I just think they are great!
 
They help to reach down inside a bottle or jar and scrape out what is left behind with the pink rubber spatula on the end. Ingenious! Perfect for my foundation and for those pump lotion containers that leave a bunch of lotion on the bottom after the pump stops pumping!
 
So I have stuff that I keep that I just don't want to get rid of because they are still very usable for sometime in the future ......and, I have stuff that I keep until they are used up to the very last drop or flake, whatever it may be....

To preserve my good reputation for having a presentable house, I must say that this stuff I am hoarding, I mean keeping, is not all laying around everywhere (well, maybe in my back room) and is  put away nicely and hidden from view!

Am I being too thrifty? Are you a "throw it away now" or a "keep it for later" person?

Do I need therapy?  :)

AnnMarie :)

11 comments :

  1. I tend to save too much stuff for its potential use, as well. This is especially problematic for teachers....I still have stuff from when I taught 6th grade Social Studies in 1999.

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  2. I get rid of everything ( I'm a tosser lol ) and then regret it like I can't tell you !!!
    That spaddy is amazing - what a great idea - because it drives me nuts when the pump stops working -
    And I do have to tell you - when I get to the bottom of my favorite lipsticks I use a brush to dig every last drop of it out !!!
    XOXO

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  3. I must be a split personality. I do both. I save til everything is gone.....lots of things piling up every where and then one day I go through and toss it all. Boy do I regret those days!

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  4. Nothing wrong with being thrifty! I use every last drop of shampoo, I did pay for the whole thing! Maybe you can use up the left over cereal by stirring it through melted chocolate, and eat them when they cooled down? I like doing this with cornflakes.

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  5. it is a very difficult addiction to break. i, of course, want to wash out the container and can't do that until it is empty, empty. And then put it in the recycle bin.

    clothes, i'm kind of happy to bring to the resale shops because it makes room for more clothes. but I keep coats that don't even fit anymore and sentimental clothes (I wore this to .............)

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  6. My mom raised me to use every drop and then find a use for the container! I haven't strayed too far. When I lost 25 pounds it was a joy to get rid for the clothes I'll NEVER wear again. I still keep too much. I love the children's book 'The Biggest House in the World' by Leo Leonni and have found life in general is easier with less stuff (I just don't do it:)

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  7. I think I am like Anne - I have a split personality too :) Sometimes I hang onto things that really should be thrown away, yet I just can't seem to make myself get rid of it. Your post made me smile and I don't think you need therapy :)

    Hugs to you!

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  8. I am definitely too thrifty bordering on a hoarder... There are some things I have no trouble throwing away, but some things, like makeup, jewelry, books, CDs, etc... Whenever I get rid of things, I have to think about it for long time and ever then sometimes I change my mind. I wish there was a simple cure for this! Maybe an internet support group ;)

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  9. It's good to purge of things that you really don't use. I know we think we will need them someday, but really we don't need them. I can be like that especially with using every drop of a product. I also didn't want to give up some of my kids clothes because they are so cute and it brings back memories. We have gotten rid of so much, and still need to get rid of more items.

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  10. Ha ha ha! I am somewhere between your son and the need for the spatula thingies. LOL.

    My hubby is more "It is still GOOD! Don't THROW IT OUT!!!!!!"

    Fun post! Thanks for sharing. :)

    Jillian

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  11. My vice is hoarding anything craft related or that could be craft related. I have finally started to weed through my stash, but only a little. Definitely need to get rid of more. Cleaning just takes so much time!

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