I thought I’d share my progress on decluttering (or ‘de-owning’) this past month.  Here were a few places I worked on:

beauty supplies  – I let go of products no longer used and all that nail polish and mascara that has dried up.

video games / DVDs – apparently people download these now; I sold our hard copies at gamestop and bestbuy, then donated the rest.

accessories / jewelry – these have an uncanny ability to build up especially from days when I was a less conscientious shopper.

It is shocking the amount of stuff we are able to accumulate.  These items alone filled up the equivalent of 2 big trash bags!  Whenever I work on purging junk, it is a little bit of a rollercoaster.  First I’m kinda pumped to finally get rid of stuff.  Then comes the inevitable guilty feeling when I look back at my wasteful consumption.  And when the junk is finally gone, there is this nice psychological weight that has been lifted and I do feel a bit more free.

How does decluttering make you feel?  I’m starting to realize that negative guilty feeling that comes along with it is important.  It is a reminder of why being more selective and buying less matters.

[image credit: joinery]