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Clutter Confusion by Nikki Willhite I have a friend who is a very accomplished quilter.  Unfortunately, I cannot quilt with her. We tried it. We are totally incompatible. When she sews, she puts Eleanor Burns, and her "Get rid of it"  (onto the floor), to shame.  When my friend works, pieces of fabric, batting, thread, and anything else that gets in her way is thrown to the right, left, or anywhere else possible to get it out of her way. When I sew, I cannot leave the tiniest bunny ear on the table. I keep an empty Kleenex box on the table for these tiny pieces of fabric and thread that are trash. When I finish the day, my scissors aren't laying on the table facing due north, but pretty close. I imagine it is the same with cooking. Some people can line their counters with dirty pots up to the ceiling, while turning out scrumptious meals. I clean as I go. I can't imagine enjoying dinner with a mess like that in the kitchen. The bottom line, for me, is that I can't think around clutter. Clutter drives me nuts! I like things tidy and organized. My house can be dusty and dirty, but I cannot abide clutter. SO WHAT'S THAT ABOUT? Why is it that some people are not bothered by clutter, and it is so disturbing to others? Why do some people feel comforted by clutter?  More importantly....how does this affect our money, or lack thereof? Like everything else in life, I think moderation is the key to happiness. Too much clutter has devastating results, especially when it gets to the level of hoarders.  From what I've seen on television, most people are happy when an outsider comes in, stages their home, and removes their clutter. However, too Spartan an existence takes all the fun out of life. We surround ourselves with things that are fun, and bring us pleasure of some kind. We need a place to put them, and often we run out of space.  When we start bringing in more items than we have room for, we become cramped and cluttered. We can feel overwhelmed at the work it would take to go through our things, and have to decide what to keep, what to discard, and then the physical work to get it done. So where do you stand on the clutter scale? From the amount of articles written on the subject of clutter, I think most people think clutter is like dust. It just accumulates, and it is annoying. If you decide to declutter your home, you WILL NOT miss that which you discard.  It is an easy experiment.  Get rid of a few pieces of furniture or other items that you are not using and see what happens.  If you are like most people, after a couple of days you will forget what is gone.  On the other hand, what will last is that you will feel happier and more comfortable in what seems a more spacious and pleasing home.   Take the clutter challenge.  Get rid of a few unnecessary items in your home, and then see how it makes you feel.  Get a taste of that good feeling, and then keep going.  Once you get your home to suit your needs, there is only one rule you need to follow so that you don't go back into old buying habits. It is this: SOMETHING IN.....SOMETHING OUT. If you do this, you will think more carefully about buying new items, because you know that if you do....you are going to have to dispose of an older, similar item. You will think of the money you paid for that item you must throw away if you buy the new one, and you will probably decide the older item will suffice for now. Clear out your clutter, and spend less money. It's a powerful duo. About the Author: Nikki Willhite, mother of 3 and an interior design graduate, has been writing and publishing articles on the topic of frugal living for over a decade. Visit her at www.frugalhappyfamilies.com - where you will find hundreds of frugal living tips and articles. Frugal Happy Families- more than just money!

 

 

 

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