The following is a guest post written by my wife, The Cavewife. She regularly writes here about what’s on her heart as a frugal stay-at-home mom.
I’ve been spending a lot of time going through things for our church’s Spring rummage sale. We usually donate quite a bit and end up finding some useful things for our house at these sales. For instance, last year we found a decent nightstand for our bedroom for a quarter. Can’t beat that!
My parents were out of town last week, so I decided to go over and get the remainder of my things that were left when I moved out after our wedding. I thought it was going to be an easy task, but I was wrong. My parents have turned my old room into the overflow storage room and my mom’s second closet. There were many storage tubs of my mom’s clothes in the room and many plastic bags with stuff crammed in every corner imaginable. The sight was sickening. I didn’t even know where to begin in the search of finding my stuff that was buried in the chaos.
My old closet was another story. Clothes were so packed in that I could barely even slide the closet door open. The sight of the floor of the closet was a mystery. There were mounds of shoeboxes and piles of plastic bags even with purchased items in them. Needless to say my mom has a spending and clutter problem.
As a stay-at-home mom, I realize that we are living on one income and we track all the expenses. We don’t buy, buy, and buy. We buy only what is needed and phase out or get rid of old things. I know what you’re thinking: “It is easier said than done.” But it’s really not.
Many people have at least a small clutter problem. I’ve watched Oprah and have seen the shows on TV. Sometimes the main problem is not being able to let go of something because it has sentimental value. If one person kept every single thing they obtained or bought, they would end up like my mom. This just creates chaos, not happiness.
This Spring, take the time to really declutter your house. If you are tight on time like me, break your tasks up. I make a to-do list of things that I have to do for the week. It helps me stay focused and organized. Each day, I pick a couple of things that I’ll be able to complete from the list. I pretty much complete my tasks when my little one naps. Even if it is just a cabinet a day, you’ll be on your way to decluttering your house. Once you’ve gathered your clutter, donate it! It will help you and your house feel happier.
Step back and take a look around your house. Are you in need of some Spring decluttering?
