KonMari 2017 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Karmacat

That's a great quote, catshark.

Fen1

GQ, you have a point about poverty. Not having Justin and Andy as bedfellows is an incredibly difficult behaviour to break.

It is easy to get rid of stuff, and then re-purchase the same items when needed, if you've always been in the position for doing so. I have relatives and friends who think nothing of binning all of the food from the table, where not a single tomato or bread roll is saved for the next meal. But they've never gone hungry, or gotten sick from damp houses, or dreaded homelessness. They've always had, so having or not having is easy. No decision about discarding an object for them is fraught with what-ifs.


It is easy to own very little when you've never been forced to have nothing. It is easy to pronounce on values when you've never had the humiliation of being coat-less and hungry and dirty.

"Choice" is a loaded word.

GreyQueen

Yeah. I'm always shocked when a pal spends £10-£12 on some snacks or something overpriced and non-nourishing in the supermarket when that's my week's grocery budget (and I eat good food, just on YS and a lot of veggies).

I have real fears of poverty and have spent most of my adult life in places which either had no heating whatsoever or pathetic and unaffordable heating, such as drafty bedsits with a two bar electic fire (on a meter, 30 mins for 50p, barely touched the cold).

I fear if I let good usable things, which I will get around to using in the fullness of time) go, then I won't have the means to replace them when I do need them. As a singleton with several chronic health conditions, who already cannot work full-time, this isn't dark imaginings but my reality.

Fen1

Hugs GQ. :grouphug:

I truly and deeply sympathise.

Hugs.

GreyQueen

Bless your kind heart - many have had it much worse, and I have resources such as my Magic Greengrocer, from whose shop I came away with 13 huge (if slightly dinged-up) baking spuds and half a carrierbagful of apples this afternoon for £1 the lot. Am now dining on a baked spud and leftover chili con carne, unit cost probably about 30p per meal as this is the 5th portion of the pot of chili whose major incredient was £1.69 of mince. Nom nom nom

daisy_1571

My word people, I turn my back for a day or so and everyone's gone all deep and exostential (?) on me ! Some interesting topics and just as I think I have it all sorted you clever people say another little turn of phrase or golden thought that just clicks another little piece of this jigsaw I call my life into place. Yup, some lovely nuggets in the last few pages to think about

daisy xx

Fen1

When I was in digs I had a period of poor health: a tummy bug was doing the rounds and I had the runs. It went on for weeks.

I ended up snaffling toilet paper from my college. Horrible hard paper from the giant rolls. I couldn't afford to buy more toilet paper. Nor heating. Nor a winter coat.

That is the reality and the humiliation of having nothing.


There is a reason why I now have a cupboard full of loo roll and tissues.


The humiliation, and the indignity, and the degredation. Those are the things that have stayed with me.

SmlSave

Fen1 wrote: »

It is easy to get rid of stuff, and then re-purchase the same items when needed, if you've always been in the position for doing so. I have relatives and friends who think nothing of binning all of the food from the table, where not a single tomato or bread roll is saved for the next meal. But they've never gone hungry, or gotten sick from damp houses, or dreaded homelessness. They've always had, so having or not having is easy. No decision about discarding an object for them is fraught with what-ifs.

Fen1, may I steal your wonderful words for my blog if I get round to writing an appropriate post?

MMF007

You lot are so interesting and insightful, thank you so much :grouphug:

GQ "releasing something because I don't like it is also a perfectly valid position. Plus, I have become less attached to some things. "

YES, YES, YES !

Today I released a lovely box, in which I had put some very nice pot pourri, with the idea of gifting it. I did this last Xmas. I still cannot think of which friend would like it so ........ it's in the CS bag. A person who really wants it will see it and the CS will benefit too

DH ground to a halt ( ) so I tasked him with cooking dinner (:rotfl:) while I released my inner crafter and made 5 greetings cards. I had a lovely time. It's been a while since i made cards but I so enjoy doing it. I made 2 anniversary cards, an 80th birthday, a 90th birthday, and a 'Have fun at University' card Reviewing my craft stash reveals that it needs a little re-organisation to make it more orderly. It is not exactly out of control but like items are not necessarily together so i had to delve a bit to find some pretty papers.

I shall be releasing a large beachbag shortly but it occurred to me that I should fill it with donations and take the lot to CS, so it is a work in progress. I am in the zone and would happily Kondo all day tomorrow but DH wants us to go to a plant fair ('cos we only have a zillion planters full of plants )

GreyQueen

(((((((((Fen))))))))))

Poverty isn't anything like as glamourous as elegant minimalism, is it?

I remember having only one pair of shoes. The right one leaked badly, out in any modest amount of rain and my sock was soaked from mid-foot to toe. Do you have any idea of how often it rains in Scotland in winter? I was soooo glad when I finally had a pair of non-leaky shoes (£3 on sale).

Being very poor means lots and lots of grubby little compromises and dodges and efforts to hold everything together whilst still not slipping below a certain standard of appearance (cleanliness, grooming etc) which could see you excluded from everyday society. Plus getting ill a lot because your home is too cold and your diet isn't great and often feeling a bit feeble because you need a few good square meals........

I was chatting with a pal, a nice fellow exactly half my age (he's in his mid-twenties). We agreed that the people at the very top of society, and the people at the very bottom, can pretty much do what they like but folks in the middle have to hustle to be respectable - we then went off to womble some fruit from a derelict and un-tenanted allotment (feeling guilty as hell but we did it anyway).:rotfl: