Marilyn Bohn | Creative Organizer

Too much of a good thing is wonderful. The first time I read this I laughed and thought isn’t that the truth. But as I organize for women and seniors that is not necessarily true. Just like with anything else excess can lead to other problems. I think too much chocolate or licorice is a good thing but then when there is too much on my hips it isn’t such a good thing.
Too much of a good thing can become clutter. I chuckled at a cartoon with two seniors talking to each other and he was mystified by her buying a wedding dress. She said, “But it was on sale”. Just because something is on sale does not make it a bargain for us if we:

•Don’t need it
•Don’t have a use for it
•Don’t absolutely love it
•Don’t have a place it

If we can say yes to three out of four of these then it is a bargain. (Yes, we need it, we have a use for it, we love it and we have a place for it). I know, there are days we just have to buy it no matter what and it ends up as clutter or we donate it to charity.

I would be rich if I had resisted buying too much of a good thing in my life and the stuff ended up being donated, recycled or thrown away. But we all live and learn.

What have you bought that you later donated or (heaven forbid) allowed to live with you and it became clutter? What would you have done different?