Sunday, March 1, 2009

The Price Of Stuff

I tackled the mobile home today. No. It isn't clean but I cleared a little bit of space. I gathered all of the bags of linens, over 12 large trash bags, and put them out in the shed for sorting later on. If I have them all in one spot it will be easier to get rid of them because I won't be able to tell myself that I NEED a dozen sets of queen sheets. I actually do still have 3 queen beds. One is my regular RV bed, one bed is in the mobile home and then the couch turns in to a bed. I think 4 sets of sheets should be plenty. The rest will be donated.

With all of the sheets and blankets out in the shed, I could move some of the furniture around and instinctively, I started setting up a TV room. I mean, I have 4 TV's in there and lots of chairs so I might as well set up a TV, right? (I think some TV's need to go away) I bought 2 digital converter boxes last year. One for the RV and one for the mobile home. Luckily I found the box and I was able to set it up without too much trouble. The funny thing is that it gets 1 channel that I can't get in the RV but 2 channels that I get in the RV won't come in. Digital TV is so strange. Maybe if I have TV in the mobile home I will be more likely to go out there and sort through stuff. It is going to take many weekends to get through it all.



I kept the exercise bike that I bought for the short term rental folks. It is sitting in front of the TV. I wish I had room for it in the RV but this is second best.

The next time I go out there to sort I should tackle the kitchen area. So much of that stuff can be donated. I think I have 6 can openers! I gathered all of the cleaning supplies and put them on the baker's rack. They are leftover from renters, from people who helped me clean, and from me buying different types for stubborn stains (and to cover up funky smells!). I won't have to buy cleaning supplies for a very long time. I usually only use an abrasive powder and window cleaner. Now I have a whole array to choose from.

Looking at all of this stuff makes me think about how much money I spent to buy it new. It is amazing how quickly items loose their value. I hope I remember this the next time I am looking at some useless item at Walmart. I would love to have all the money back that I spent but passing it on to people who can use it is good too.

5 comments:

Over the Cubicle Wall said...

Words don't do that task justice. The pictures are very telling! Good progress so far.

The realization that I paid for most of the stuff I get rid of is definitely hard to get past, but you are right, if I am not using it, and someone else can, it makes sense to donate or sell it.

Having less clutter has been a nice side benefit.

Daizy said...

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! That mobile home is my elephant.

Plus, having less clutter means that you can actually find AND use what you already have which saves money. I kept buying cleaning products because they were never handy when I needed them. Now I know where they are.

Sharon S said...

Hi there-good luck on sorting everything out my dear!!

HowtoBEaCOOLoldLady said...

i know how you feel. am on a crusade against stuff!! its expensive, it takes up space (that you pay for) and it gets in the way, you buy more stuff, because you cant find the stuff you already have, it takes up your time - having to sort through it, and keep it tidy. am getting rid of it. as much as i can i am getting cash for it. but ooh, how much less cash than i paid....

but there is my lesson. am not buying new wherever i can and when i do buy i am paying the cheapest price i can for the best quality i can

Daizy said...

Thanks SharonRose, it's a big job but if I don't do it no one will.

getting stuff done, that is exactly how I feel at the moment. I just hope I can keep that in my head next time I think 'oh it only costs $5, $10, $20'...the junk adds up fast.