Clutter, and how to let it rule your life.

[urbpan]

I've resolved that every time I leave my house, I take something out with me. If I brought something into the house previously (groceries, mail) I take out more stuff than I brought in. It's kind of hard (I forgot to do it when I took the puppy out--but he pooped, so that almost counts) but it makes me feel better about reducing the clutter.

Yesterday I took out a cordless drill that didn't work. If I hadn't resolved to take stuff out, I would have held onto that thing until we moved. "Maybe I'll find a replacement charger for it..." NO, you won't. You'll just add to the damn clutter with it. I know I have new boots down at my mailbox, but that means I have to get rid of some old boots. Fortunately I have a pair of canvas ("vegetarian") Doc Martens that are slightly stained, slightly uncomfortable, and besides all that, never really worn. I hold onto them because back when I only wanted to get non-leather shoes it was kind of a pain in the ass to find them. I ordered them on eBay and they were sent from the UK. That makes them valuable, right? No, that makes them garbage. Novelty garbage, but garbage.

I know it's very bad environmentalism, but good environmentalism would have been not accumulating all this garbage to begin with.

I tried giving things away, but paying 5-20 dollars for shipping something across the country or globe is not giving it away. Big Brothers Big Sisters is great because they actually come and take the stuff from you. I have a pile of books in my car that I've tried to give away and no one will take them. Next time I go to the library I'll bring them in and try to donate them.

We should take the time to be thankful that our problems are surplus, not shortages. I just wish that those who were short on paperback books and t-shirts and broken electronics would come and take mine away!

Comments

[g-weir.livejournal.com]

The BPL accepts books- at least thye roslidale branch does. they have book sales and I'm pretty sure they add books in good condition to the catalogue.

--g

[carbonunit.livejournal.com]

Bookcrossing (http://www.bookcrossing.com/) is a fun way to get rid of old books, if a bit time intensive, what with registering and labelling the books.

[candent.livejournal.com]

Jef, I'll gladly take your books and pay for shipping if you can't unload them.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

jules, whatever do you want with my books? you're welcome to them--I can pack a few boxes and ship them book rate if you want.

[candent.livejournal.com]

Well, I really enjoyed the books you sent me before, you have good taste in reading material. If you'd like to give me an estimate of what you think the cost will be I will send you cash/a check first. Paypal has been wonky for me.

[badnoodles.livejournal.com]

I imposed that rule on my closet some time ago, and it has really helped in shrinking my wardrobe to a more reasonable size.

[smallerdemon.livejournal.com]

This is an excellent goal. Mindfulness based living. :)

I believe there's an entire generation of people in their 30s and 40s looking around at the pile of stuff their lives have become and reconsidering all that is really important and stuff is starting to creep lower and lower on the list of importance.

It could be that many of us were raised by families that really valued stuff. That having things was important in that it represented something about you to yourself and others. Of course, some things are necessary for a civilized life, but not everything we have. Frankly, a vacuum cleaner is more important for that than a computer.

[calypso72]

Have you tried freecycle?

Interesting that you post this - I was just going to post about The Story of Stuff.

[barn-swallow.livejournal.com]

I recommend Freecycle as well. I have a hard time giving things away but it helps a lot when I know it is going to someone who actually wants it and will use it. Plus the person that wants it has to come get it from you, so the thing that takes me the most time is posting pictures of what I am giving away. And most people don't bother to do that and get rid of their stuff just fine!

[squonk.livejournal.com]

When I moved here from Toronto last year and wanted to give away my books, I simply put them in a giant box, contructed a sign that said "FREE BOOKS!!!", and left the whole thing at the curb in the morning. Everything was gone by the afternoon, and although for all I know people are using the pages to light fires, at least I was rid of them without just throwing them out. (People certainly could have tried to resell them, too, I suppose, but they weren't in especially good condition.) I don't know if such a practice is as common here, though, or if maybe it's against some local ordinance or something.

[istemi.livejournal.com]

Hello-

You may find these useful:

Got Books (http://gotbooks.com/why_give_us_books.php) accepts book donations, reusing where possible and recycling where not. They have bins in some locations, and will do pickups at others.

Dollar a Pound (http://dollarapound.com/) in Cambridge is a rag dealer as well as a secondhand store. I'm hopeful that they'll take my huge bag of old and mismatched socks, and the internet t-shirts I'm too embarassed to wear.

FreeCycle (http://freecycle.org) was mentioned above. Greater Boston Reuse (http://www.aq.org/mailman/listinfo/greaterboston-reuse) is good too.

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

When we unload stuff, we drive in to JP and drop it at Boomerangs, where the sales of stuff benefit the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts. They have a donation guide here.

(Argh. As I jump into the mix without thinking. Sorry about that -- you didn't say that you wanted suggestions.)

[greenminions.livejournal.com]

Freecycle
paperbackswap.com
put stuff at the curb and mark it as free


You may want to call the library before lugging them over just to get a sense of if you have the kind of thing they want. A lot of public libraries don't want old paperback books and a lot of it depends on if they already have that title. If they won't put them in the collection, ask to donate them to a book sale or something.

[(Anonymous)]

Great post. You're right that the best environmentalism isn't acquiring stuff in the first place, but we all learn that lesson in our own way. Wait 'til the next time you move...there's nothing like moving to get us to meditate on all the detritus we drag through life!

Freecycle is like magic. Your trash really IS someone else's treasure, and they come take it away for free, usually at no cost to you (in time or energy). It's the best invention!

~Flaneuse, who still doesn't have a photo

[buboniclou.livejournal.com]

Hey, some more potential clutter:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/1000188821/ref=pe_13640_7911510_fe_exp_1/

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

"Enemy Mine" for 5 bucks!!

I'm more or less convinced that the age of hard-copy recordings is at a close. Or I would be if Mac users could download movies from Netflix!

[buboniclou.livejournal.com]

I think that's why iTunes is now renting movies. Me, I love the discs.

taking things out...

[(Anonymous)]

I think it would depend on what you do with the stuff you take out....if it goes in the garbage, that seems like a waste to me, not to mention bad for the environment. In other words, maybe you should find a way to fix the cordless drill, so you don't waste the one you had.

[sayashaw.livejournal.com]

Good Will (at least in Washington state) takes books...^_^

Vegan shoes

[bellaluna68.livejournal.com]

Well, at least now vegan shoes aren't so hard to find, right? I like http://www.vegetarianshoesandbags.com/

Re: Vegan shoes

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

While I'm glad that sites like that exist, Vegan shoes that are useful to me (hiking boots, work boots) are still hard to find. I've gone over to leather.

[bunrab.livejournal.com]

Cleaning out S's father's house - a task we have nowhere near finished - is certainly making us think about our packrat habits.

Not just the 1973 gas receipts, but - the cases for and the little cleaning tools for, every hearing aid W ever owned.
All the watches he ever owned, including the hopelessly nonworking. All the pocket knives, most of them obviously replaced for good reason. Everdamnry birthday card ever received.
And of course the magazines.

Now I most sincerely want to toss many of OUR magazines. I am not sure S can quite be talked into that yet.