I firmly believe that frugality doesn't apply only to money. We are told in the Bible of the need for us to be good stewards of all that the Lord has bestowed upon us. You are not a good steward if you are allowing your belongings to gather dust and fall into ruin through disuse. You are not a good steward if clutter is preventing your family from using and enjoying your home.
It can be hard to keep up with the clutter that accumulates so quickly, but if we go through our homes in a systematic way, it can be easy to organize.
Pick your first room (I've chosen our master bedroom), stand in the doorway, then turn left. Now spend 20 minutes organizing the first piece of furniture/space you come to. Have two bags, one for trash and the other for charity. Pick up each item on/in the furniture and decide if you truly have a use for it. If you don't or haven't used it for over a year consider donating it to charity or, if it has become damaged, throw it out.
Move at a slow, steady pace. It may take several 20 minute sessions to organize a piece of furniture, but it will get done and you won't feel overwhelmed. When you have finished your entire home, start all over again. Organization is a lifelong task.
Just a little story: 25 years ago when we moved into our house I stored two boxes of important items in my garage. I had forgotten about them until recently, but I found them and began to go through my precious objects. Much to my surprise I found junk. My idea and view of what is important had completely changed. Most of the things in the boxes were donated to charity. Our homes need to be kept up with our current tastes and needs.
Happy Epiphany!
God bless,
Pam
After having to sort through my older sisters belongings after her stroke (everything was put in my garage), I went into my own house and immediately started sorting, pitching, donating, etc. Now, for the most part, I know where something is if I need it, I can clean out a drawer quickly, and my kids won't have too much to deal with if something unexpected happens to me. It feels so good. However, things still creep up on me-for example, while cleaning the basket where I toss the dog collars and leashes, I found 2 extra leashes and 5 extra collars. I remember buying them cheap at at the thrift store thinking I could use some extras. NO I CAN'T! We have two dogs, so two collars and leashes apiece are plenty. If the extra breaks I can replace it then. So, I stopped at the local shelter today and donated them. Felt great!
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