The KonMarie method

lessonlearned

Good morning all.

I have piled all my toiletries, meds, vits, make up etc on the dining room table and shall Kondo it later today but first I'm off to Costco.

It sounds a contradiction in terms - ie both decluttering and buying bulk at a warehouse.

The reality is I think there is room for both. I bulk buy things I need or want to save money and Im decluttering things that I no longer need, want or enjoy.

LIR - I would suggest that you do what you are comfortable with. Take from the KonMAri method what is imeaningful to you and disregard anything you feel doesn't apply to your principles or ethos.

As I mentioned it an earlier post my sister and I have the unenviable task of sorting out my parents possessions. My sister was getting terribly distressed and was in floods of tears (please everyone don't do this to your children - get on top of sorting out your stuff whilst you are still fit and well).

As you also know my husband died last year. Through his long Illness and death I have undergone a complefe sea change in my idea what is truly important. I would give the clothes of my back to have him restored to me, it's just stuff and it's meaningless.

Yes you need a certain amount to live, of course you do, you need warmth and comfort, you need nice things around you. I love art and beautiful objects, I like nice comfortable furnishings in my home, I like nice clothes and I love jewellery and I like toys and gizmos.

The thing is, here in the west, most of us have far more than we actually need. apparently we wear 20 per cent of our clothes 80 per cent of the time so I think it makes perfect sense to discard what we don't wear. The same applies to linens, kitchenware, ornaments etc

Better to sell, donate to charity, pass things on to someone else - don't keep them in the dark , stuffed in cupboards and wardrobes, let them into the light and set them free.

jinny

penguine wrote: »

Here is a list of the kinds of books they want and don't want:

http://www.booksabroad.org.uk/guidelines-book-donors

I urge everyone to look at this blog
Then take a look at those piles of books
Clogging up room in your home. Most not even
read but hanging on to them because either
you paid good money for them.
Or they have been inherited. it would be a fitting legacy to let them go to these people who would treasure them.
No it won't solve the worlds problems but will help a bit.
Now you know what to do with them.

jinny

Well said lessonlearned

Mumof2_2

Hope you don't mind if I join in too. I've read the first few pages of this thread and thought how good it sounds. Literally just downloaded the book onto my iPad from Amazon so will have a look at that. My problem is going to be I am basically not a clutter person but my husband is for sure and my 2 kids are showing signs of it too. I'm hoping if J can see me doing stuff it could get him interested too .... hope I'm not being naive here!!

MadelinesMum

Be careful everyone. After I kondoed son's room it was so clear and clutter free I decided to paint it. I'm totally knackered now, lol.

Igamogam

penguine wrote: »

I remember hearing many years ago that Japanese cities had far more recycling categories than we do, e.g. they're expected to divide their recycling up into 10-14 different categories before it's taken away and people generally comply. So when I read about the huge bin liners of things her clients are throwing away I imagine them divided up into these different categories. I think that their landfill space is probably extremely limited too.
I stockpile a bit too; we go through shower gel and shampoo pretty quickly in our house and I want to buy the kind we like cheaply from Superdrug rather than go down to the corner store early in the morning if we've run out to pay 2-3x more for something we may not even like.

Found this on internet. Interesting reading

penguine

lessonlearned wrote: »

As I mentioned it an earlier post my sister and I have the unenviable task of sorting out my parents possessions. My sister was getting terribly distressed and was in floods of tears (please everyone don't do this to your children - get on top of sorting out your stuff whilst you are still fit and well).

Towards the end of the book Marie Kondo says there are three options for dealing with possessions - deal with them now, deal with them later, or avoid them until you die. And dealing with them now is the best option because it frees up space and energy to do other things.

My mother has been trying to deal with her possessions and overcome hoarding for the past few decades. She worries about leaving things for myself and my siblings to deal with when she's gone. But that prospect doesn't bother me that much. I just wish she could deal with her possessions now for her own sake, so that she would have more time and energy to do the things that really enjoys.

jinny

Igamogam wrote: »

Found this on internet. Interesting reading

Sorry Link didn't work for me

Igamogam

Agreeing with you LL Certainly remove/get rid/discard what you dont need and for me that means it has to be responsibly disposed of.............however then dont just replace - its so easily done as we live in a must have ( and most of the time, a must have now) society. I guess we are all the 'converted' on here.Its getting the message over to those who constantly need to upgrade............

penguine

Igamogam wrote: »

Found this on internet. Interesting reading

Brilliant. The red shame-inducing sticker of doom -- if you put your recycling in the wrong container "then everyone in the neighbourhood will know that you hate the planet"!