Theengs? I don't want no steenkin' Theengs!

I have been asked about decluttering life and avoiding gathering too many things.

I am something of an expert on gathering too many things because i have done it for most of my life. I am also a bit of an expert on stopping as I have helped people 9including myself) to do this.

I have found that a good way to slow down on buying things (and nowadays I pretty much do not buy things except as replacements) is to look at them and ask the following questions:

1) Do I need it? (Want does not count)
2) Who would I give it to?
3) Where would I put it? Is there really space?
4) When (exact dates) would I use it for the first and second times?

If you cannot immediately answer question 4 you probably do not need it.

I have a set of rules on owning things I wrote for my mother who is an even worse horder than I used to be. I put them upside-down on a T-shirt so she could look down at them any time she contemplated buying anything. I will see if
I can find them (once we are unpacked from the move) and post them as another article.

Rufus Evison
ReasonedRants.BlogSpot.Com