i'm just going to jump right into this topic.
having a ton of shit makes me feel stressed. as a thrift shopper this doesn't make much sense because thrift shoppers tend to love shit & don't get me wrong i love shit...alright, let's change 'shit' to 'stuff', because after all that is what i'm talking about, not actual shit of course. stuff. i look around my place sometimes & it kind of makes me sick to think of all of the stuff i've accumulated over the years. mikey & i collectively, we both love stuff. i'm kind of over it though. i mean sure, there's some stuff i can't live without...well, that might be a slight exaggeration, but stuff that i will keep around no matter what because it makes my life better, happier, etc but there is a WHOLE BUNCH of other stuff...this stuff i can refer to as shit...because at this point that's all it is, shit that's cluttering my house & my mind & my life & i don't need it.
this morning i went through my closet (for about the 18th time in the past 12 months) & got rid of 4 bags of stuff...how i can do this so often is beyond me. the money that sits in these bags now that will soon be donated to value village, again, makes me feel a little sick in the stomach. living in canada we need clothes for all 4 seasons, i feel much better when the clothes that are strictly worn in just 1 of those seasons are packed away somewhere. it clears up my closet, not for more things to be added, but for me to be able to see what i have that i can wear at the moment.
why you should get rid of stuff (& other things i thought of as i was rambling):
+ getting rid of stuff, things, shit feels good. it feels really good.
+ seeing empty hangers & not thinking "this means i can buy more things now"
+ it really makes you realize how much moola you waste on things you've worn once & this will hopefully change the way you shop/spend money in the future
+ it makes you feel a little queasy but ultimately you're learning a bigger & better lesson
+ clutter disappears...like magic, and magic is always a good thing
+ limiting yourself to a certain number of clothing means not as much "i have nothing to wear" freak out moments in the morning. that is awesome.
+ buy things you can wear with numerous outfits
+ quality over quantity. this has become my official mantra for the year. i want to buy pieces of quality to build my wardrobe...for me this means awesome basics.
+ figure your shit out. are you all over the map when it comes to style? think of your most favourite outfit, realize what pieces make it 'you' and then run with that look. i find i shopped a LOT when i was trying to figure out my style. of course shopping is part of that process but when you think about it, actually spend time thinking about your style & what you like wearing/feel comfy in, you'll figure it out sooner than you'd think!
+ avoid super trendy pieces. this is alllllllways the stuff that ends up in my bags i donate. that $20 tee with the polka dots & the cats & the leopard print, probably only cool one time.
+ take on a wardrobe challenge. make a promise to yourself to wear every piece in your wardrobe once. if you put it on & don't like the way it fits/don't feel good in it, get rid of it.
+ another challenge, a no spending freeze. these aren't easy but i've done it on a monthly challenge & the money you save put towards something fun like a vacation, or something more serious like a 'i desperately want to buy a house' fund.
+ take on a wardrobe challenge. make a promise to yourself to wear every piece in your wardrobe once. if you put it on & don't like the way it fits/don't feel good in it, get rid of it.
+ another challenge, a no spending freeze. these aren't easy but i've done it on a monthly challenge & the money you save put towards something fun like a vacation, or something more serious like a 'i desperately want to buy a house' fund.
other things to note:
+ if you have a basement, spare room, no children ;) etc, take over & get some super cheap hanging racks & display your clothes. not having your clothes in 40 different drawers & being able to actually see them means you'll probably wear it more. promise.
i know it's really hard not to buy a lot of stuff, especially in this day & age where we are constantly bombarded with advertisements & things that scream 'buy me! buy me!' i'm trying SO hard this year though not to give in to that. for someone who peruses pinterest, etsy, fashion blogs & magazines (even my IG feed!) on the regular it's really hard not to give in but it's (one of) my NY resolutions that i desperately want...need to stand by.
