Belated fiscal fitness post from September ...

So last month was supposed to be focused on stuff -- what it costs to keep it, throw it out, organize or replace it. And then, well, other things claimed my attention. None of those things were stuff-management related, by the way.

But I'd like to wrap up that theme before unveiling October's theme, so let's commence the linkage and (I hope) a little discussion in the comments.

What is smarter during an economic downturn -- decluttering or stocking up? I cannot be the only one whose grandparents lived through the Depression and, consequently, spent the next fifty years doing two occasionally-infuriating things: holding on to everything "just in case" and stockpiling foodstuffs beyond what they -- or the army of relatives I have -- could consume before everything went bad. I mean, my nana never let go of the twist-ties that closed bread bags. Pop-Pop used to hoard two-liter bottles of soda in the garage for us grandchildren (evidently working off the theory that all fifteen of us would be drinking a two-liter a day, for weeks at a time), leading to the annual discovery that indeed, it is possible for lemon-lime soda to lose all carbonation, flavor and, quite possibly, physical classification as a liquid.

(On the one hand: it is sweet and touching that he thought of his vast brood of grandchildren when shopping, laying in stores for our visits because he thought we'd like his soda pop. On the other: knowing about Pop-Pop's understated generosity of spirit did not make the vintage A&P root beer go down more easily.)

The stockpiling thing is weird. On the one hand: there is the Costco savings factor. On the other, there is the "this crap will go bad before I can eat it" factor. And on the third hand -- what? Costco sells them in bulk! -- there is the "I have so much stuff, I don't even know what I have anymore, so let me buy more" hazard. We discussed that briefly last week.

This blog post, "De-clutter and save money," eventually gets around to the point that having a grip on exactly how much you own can keep you from spending money for stupid reasons. I admit, I am curious to hear or read the perspective that sometimes, having more stuff saves you more money.

What do you think of organizing and decluttering websites? I freely admit I'm of two minds about them. On the one hand: not everyone is a born curator. On the other: I sometimes find that so-called organizing tips or tricks are stealth consumer messages.

Among the reasons I unsubbed from Real Simple: their "if you buy this, your life will be less chaotic!" front-of-the-book section, which seemed to invent problems that could be solved with a quick $20 at Bed, Bath and Beyond. However, their home-organization weblog is not as product-pushy as the print publication, so it might be worth a look. It's written by one of the people behind Unclutterer.

(NB: I am not a regular reader of that site; I didn't care for the "if it works for me, it'll work for you" tone of some of the early posts, because to me, there is nothing less universal and more personal than learning how to best manage your physical environment. I am the kind of Apartment Therapy weenie who thinks that clutter management is a highly individualized endeavor. Or, come to think of it, I take the Granny Weatherwax approach: if you view your clutter as a monster, then I think it makes sense to get yourself a chair and a large stick, because that is what will work for your brain. But whatever -- if Unclutterer works for you, that's great.)

Not keeping track of your physical belongings? Character flaw or no? In "Why Do My Children Lose Everything?" (Slate, Oct 1, 08), Emily Bazelon writes:

I can't stop feeling like the constant churning of possessions is exhausting and somehow immoral. One of my co-workers said he has a friend who tells her kids, when they ask the inevitable "where is" and "can you help me find" questions: "If I find it, I'm throwing it away." I'd never be that bold, and besides, I'd never be able to countenance the wasteful result of carrying out such a threat. But I understand the impulse.

I actually did grow up in a house where, if you didn't put it where it belonged when you were done with it, then you watched it get taken away, and if you lost it, well, you had to come up with a replacement plan beyond "Buy me another" or you learned to go without. We learned early on that taking care of what you owned was part and parcel of owning it.

But is this harsh on kids? Or does it teach them to be more mindful of what they do have? At what age do you start helping your kid connect the dots?

Comments

[amanda]

I can't imagine hoarding stuff the way some of our elders have. But, maybe that comes from having so much plenty. I do save things but I also get rid of them if they don't serve a purpose for some time. My mom used to save, uh, Betty Crocker points? Or, it was some green stamp or something? And when I got married she gave them to me (in two HUGE freezer ziplocs) as a sort of goofy gift at my bridal shower. I kept them for awhile and maybe even added to them. In some move my husband was like, "The Hell?!" So, I tossed them, knowing I would never send away for a free mixing bowl or whatever strange household items you could get for them.

Such a bygone era, I think. I mean, I hope, maybe? Right now we have all these Diet Cokes in our fridge and stashed in our garage from our parents' visits. I hesitate to throw them out because I know they'll visit again... someday but, really, they're making me itchy and I think they'll go this weekend.

However, we are not the poster children for tidiness or spare living. Mostly we are the poster children for barely keeping our house above college dorm style living. We're not cluttered so much as shabby. Groaning bookshelves waiting for spare cash to buy some attractive, long-lasting ones. A couch that looks faded and broken and well-loved by cats. Artwork waiting for frames. On and on....

I am in serious fall cleaning mode, though, and I can't think of anything that I feel the need to "stock up" on other than heating oil. (Terrible.)

[Jecca]

I think decluttering saves money. I come from generations of packrats, and have relatives who are retired and still pay rent for two storage units.

I love the quote about telling kids you're throwing something away if you find it. My 16 y.o. stepson went through five house keys in six months. For a great variety of reasons that I won't get into here, I kept replacing the key, but man, kids not keeping track of possessions drives me nutso.

[lg]

I hear you on the twisty-ties (and rubber bands from broccoli, etc). I have saved them, because I feel guilty about throwing them in the trash. We compost food scraps, recycle everything we can, give away to Goodwill - so I hate to put something in the trash that isn't broken and could, one day, be used again. Does everyone else just throw out bread bag twisty-ties without guilt?

[Julia]

Want permission to save things that might be useful? Could it be used for crafts? Those rubber bands from broccoli and the twist ties and so many other things can be a gold-mine for a low-income day care program. I have a program in my town that is daycare for women who are homeless, and they have NO money for any craft projects for the kids. I keep a box that I put anything that I might throw away that they could use. Even a small amount can really be helpful if you have nothing.

[megan kay]

I'm sort of a pack rat. I do want to throw/give away anything that might be useful later. I keep all of it in my second bedroom, which I never go in, because having extra stuff around also stresses me out. The one thing I do want to get rid of is my CD collection. Now that it's all on my computer/ipod, and backed up, I realize I never ever listen to CDs anymore. If I'm going to be driving a long distance, I'll burn playlists instead of bringing along CDs I already own.

I am not stocking up yet -- but I'm thinking about it. Things that I know I'll need (candles, batteries, toilet paper, etc) that wont go bad any time soon -- it just seems smart. It's not like the prices on those things are going to go down in the next few months, right?