After the holidays, I caught up with my cousin Angie. Across the state line, she was on my mind, and I texted her out of the blue. Come to find out, I was on her mind, too, so I dialed her number.
“I don’t know where to start,” she said. “Guess what I’m doing?”
I asked what.
“The purge,” she said with a laugh that sounded like Grandma and warmed my heart.
The last time I talked to Angie, sometime last February, I was on a decluttering challenge—donating, recycling, throwing things away—and I told her about it. On February 1st, I got rid of one thing. On the 2nd, two things. On the 3rd, three, and so on for thirty days. I stuck the donations in bags in the closet and dropped them off on weekends. If my math was right, week one’s purge added up to 28 items, and the grand total was 465 fewer things at my house. Angie joined me.
There’s something about the power of suggestion. After our recent conversation, I texted her: “I think I’ll start the decluttering Feb. 1.” I needed time to wrap my brain around the task, and February worked for me last year.
This past week was the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, and I was home from school. A text from my best friend Denise popped up. “I’m going to go all Marie Kondo around my house,” she said. I noted the suggestion and sat on my couch feeling like I should be doing something. I flipped to Netflix and watched Gilmore Girls instead.
The next day, I found myself with an extra day off, something about COVID spiking. I started on my closet and my unworn clothes, counting the things and dragging the bags to the entryway. Kody was working from home and watched me. The next thing I knew, he joined me. I didn’t even ask. He purged his closet and drawers. It was January 18, a fourteen-day head start.
It felt good to silently count those numbers: “101, 102, 103.” Then, I loaded the bags into my car and drove down the street to Goodwill.
And last night’s message from Angie said, “I just found $300 decluttering.”
Bonus!
Faith + Gratitude = Peace + Hope 
i wish i could fine 300 dollars decluttering. all i find are scary spiders.
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I’m finding a lot of dust, getting rid of some. I could go for an extra $300 myself. Fingers crossed.
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dust, spiders, old poems
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Wow, 300 is pretty good! I got 100 last week, which was GREAT because we don’t have a trailer or a pickup truck to deliver unused furniture anywhere, so it was 100 dollars plus whatever we would have had to pay someone to haul it away. We are between homes, so it’s Marie Kondo like crazy here! We are setting up home in . . . TEXAS! We’ll be closer to family out there.:-)
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$100. $300. It’s all good, and good luck with your move! Better to Kondo sooner than later. I’m excited for you!
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I love this idea! I might have to join you. I do remember once when my sister was preparing to move and packing up her purses. For some reason I told her to check inside the purse to make sure there was nothing in it, and she found $20. Every little find is a bonus!
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I love a bonus of any kind! My cousin said hers was in a coin purse. She had started saving for a vacation and forgot.
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Lately I’ve been noticing the amount of “stuff” I have acquired. The odd thing is once I started purging, I started to run across stuff I had forgotten. How important could it possibly be?
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I ask myself a couple of questions. Do I love it? Do I use it? If it’s something I’ve forgotten but still love, I would probably keep. But mostly my forgotten things are not that important.
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Thank you for sharing!!… every time I contemplate de-cluttering, the words of Rose Milligan come to mind… 🙂
Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better
to paint a picture, or write a letter,
bake a cake, or plant a seed.
Ponder the difference between want and need.
Dust if you must, but there is not much time,
with rivers to swim and mountains to climb!
Music to hear, and books to read,
friends to cherish and life to lead.
Dust if you must, but the world’s out there
with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
a flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
this day will not come round again.
Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
old age will come and it’s not kind.
And when you go, and go you must,
you, yourself, will make more dust!
(Rose Milligan)
Until we meet again….
May your day be touched
by a bit of Irish luck,
Brightened by a song
in your heart,
And warmed by the smiles
of people you love.
(Irish Saying)
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I love Rose. I conjure her spirit often. When my mind feels cluttered, that’s when I know it’s time.
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When the mood to declutter strikes, we all need to answer. Still waiting for it to strike again here. Maybe in spring. Hope all well Crystal. Allan
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I had zero motivation for 2022 and had proclaimed it the year of no goals. Then on January 18, seemingly out of the blue but after conversations with two people more motivated than l, inspiration struck. 👋🏻
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Right —- when we discard clothes, we need to check the pockets first. There might be money and other things in them. Happy decluttering!
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I remember my grandmother hiding her valuables in pockets and other unthought of spaces. When the time came, we had to go through everything.
Hopefully, another round of inspiration hits in February.
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Every Tuesday is decluttering day at my house unless outside medical appointments get in the way. Little by little, I’ve been converting Hubby to the joys of decluttering, if only to sort out stuff and rearrange. Last week, it was the kitchen pantry and — yes — we did toss out several items. Bonus: he wiped down all the shelves! (No money found. Did find hidden a long Hershey’s chocolate bar.)
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Every Tuesday. I like that. And help from Hubby. I like that, too. Sounds like you both ended up with a bonus last week.
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Your cousin found $300 decluttering?! I may need to go through some stuff myself. If I find $30 it would be worth it. Seriously, we try to give away stuff we don’t use as well. 30 day purge? Not sure about that, but the power of suggestion is indeed strong.
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I’m not so literal about the numbers each day as I am the overall. If I can dedicate myself to 3 or 4 big sessions in February, then 👍🏻. And if I have to re-adjust my timeline, that’s okay. Word of the Year—GRACE.
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I like your word if the year. I’ll have some of that.
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I told my husband about your Decluttering February and he loved the idea. He figured we’d at least get through Feb 2, and that would worthwhile in itself! 😊
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😂 Good luck to the Fritzes. May you make it further than you figure!
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If I lost $300 and didn’t notice 🤦♀️ lol
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I think is was more like she saved it and forgot to take it on her last vacation and then forgot about it. I also tend to save large bills in good hiding spots that I’ve found years later. Maybe it’s a family thing.
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I get it. I once found $20 in a coat that I left from the year prior. Just $300 made me giggle lol
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Right? Score!
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💗💗I love a good purge
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I have five items waiting for the next round. 👏🏻 And I have my eye on a couple boxes with who knows what on a top shelf of my entryway closet.
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My goal is to ditch one thing every day. I make weekly trips to salvation army
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Got to get moving, too!
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I have to wrap my head around things like this before starting. Good luck, Rosaliene!
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This is encouraging me to do some purging in my closet. It is high time but I have been putting it off.
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The first step is acceptance. 😂 You can do it, Manu!
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I like this idea where you start with one on the first day and gradually increase. It must get exciting to see the results.
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This year’s first big round was definitely noticeable. Thankful for small victories and hopeful for the next.
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When I used to love finding money in long-forgotten places… so when I was a teen and had a couple bucks to my name I used to put a $5 bill in my jeans pocket or a bag I didn’t often use just so I could feel that surprise again someday! lol…
I remember your posts from last year about your purge… not going to lie- it’s inspiring me now to take the same look at my close too….. now only to begin…. 🤞
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Especially in the days before debit cards were a thing—to find $5 in a coat pocket from the winter before meant a lot!!
Last year was harder because I didn’t need too many clothes as a stay-at-home student. I didn’t want to get rid of things I might wear. But this year, if it was too small or I hadn’t worn it in a year or it didn’t make me feel good about myself, then it was gone.
Good luck, BB!
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Ugh … I’ve been trying to just throw things away or donate. It feels good but it’s so hard!
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In 2017, my house flooded (hurricane). I lost a lot of things and learned those things weren’t that important. I lived in a hotel for ten months. Since then, it’s been much easier to let go of the things I don’t need, use, or love. It’s also been easier not to buy as much. Good luck with your process!
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I love that your cousin found $$$ in the process of her decluttering purge. Isn’t that like the cherry on the top of the hot fudge sundae of becoming less cluttered? 😊
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It’s almost like a year’s worth of hot fudge sundaes!
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That initial step, disposing of the first item, usually is the most difficult. So much inertia to overcome, as well as the fear we’re being too hasty. We tell ourselves we “just might” need that….whatever it is…sometime in the future.
Shameful to admit, though I’m among friends – I ended up finding things which were mysteries. As in, I had no idea what they were. Not then ,not now. Still, my inner pack rat urged me to keep it, because, hey, you never know.
Ultimately, though, I asked myself if I had used it in the last five years. When the answer was “No,” out it went. Three years later, not one regret.
Now, finding $300 would be the ultimate bonus, of course. However, the clutter-free reality I enjoy now is worth $300 many times over.
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As much as I try, I never quite make it to clutter free.
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Or, like me, you do, only to begin accumulating more clutter almost immediately.
Why try, then? For one thing each “Purge” is a step forward. Plus, it has the added benefit of keeping alive our determination, somehow, never to allow things to get as bad as they once were. Such resolve inspires us to pass on something which, in the old days, would’ve been thrown on the teetering pile with nary a thought.
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And so much paper. I don’t know how other people deal with mail. But I struggle with what I need and what I don’t and where it goes.
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“The power of suggestion.” Yes, when people suggest by taking the actions themselves like that, it becomes more of a communal thing and much more powerful. I like it!
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Thank you! I’m happy for the head start on my February intentions.
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Crystal, I completely understand! I didn’t find $300.00 when I purged a few times. But in my 3 moves to go to my RV full time for 4 years I think I struck gold! I’m now back in a small house and feel there’s too much “clutter”. My family laughs. 🤷🏼♀️☺️
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And so we keep trying. I’ll be happy to find a $20.
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I would be too! I get excited if I find a $5 or more in a coat pocket!
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Oh, yeah! I was shooting big for $20. 😂
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😂😂
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This is such a great idea! I’m going to try this. Great read
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Excellent! Happy you like it. Good luck!
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I like this idea…we do something like that here, once in awhile, but we call it going into ‘bumblebee mode’. 🙂
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Bumblebee mode. That’s an accurate description. I can only buzz around for so long. Hopefully once a week or so for a while.
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Ooh, I really need to do this. We are moving back to Wisconsin in about another 4 months so this would be quite beneficial!
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Exciting! Congrats on your move and good luck with your purge!
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What a great idea!! I’ll have to give this a try too!!
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Thank you! Last year I stumbled onto a blog post, too. That’s how the challenge happened for me. Good luck!
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That’s wonderful! I love when things work out that way. Serendipity ❤️
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I’ve been doing a good deal of purging myself, I actually feel lighter! It’s not easy for me, I’m a clinger, and I form unnatural attachments to things! It’s my cross to bear! Here’s to austerity! 💕C
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I must rally to keep it going. I’ve started my next pile in the closet, but I might need Marie Kondo to reach the ultimate goal. To austerity! Or at least, to simplicity.
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