Use the Nice Glassware

Organizing Tip:
Add your Emergency Roadside Assistance number into the Contacts section of your phone under Roadside Assistance or Auto Insurance and include your policy number in the notes section. If you are in an emergency situation; you will not want to search for it.
 
Daily Money Manager/Financial Tip:
2023 – What changes do you want to implement? Auto renew: most subscriptions are set for auto renew. Do you know what (each subscription) when (date it renews) and how (what account: checking or credit card it is withdrawn from)? Create an excel document or hire us to research this and create it for you.
 
Please! Help Yourself & Use the Nice Glasses:
Our clients have valid reasons for clutter: their parent died and they inherited all of their stuff. However, we also hear a lot of excuses why they have clutter: I bought this item, I don’t like it but it cost a lot of money so I can’t get rid of it.
 
I recently worked with a client organizing her kitchen. She is an older woman, living alone, in a beautifully remodeled home. She explained to me how her Builder and Designer had made very bad choices with the remodeling of her kitchen and laundry room. She really wanted to duplicate the layout of her previous kitchen in her current home but that did not happen.
 
During our consultation I made several recommendations for products that would make her kitchen better organized. She purchased them and we met again a few weeks later. I was really surprised when I discovered that she was keeping several sets of glasses for people who rarely visit her and one “ugly” set for herself that she would not offer to her visitors. She also had one additional set of nice glasses that she offers to visitors but does not use herself. That is a total of 3 sets of glasses, in her cabinet, that she rarely ever uses. Does this sound a little bit absurd to you? It does to me!
 
I strongly believe that 1) people visit us to spend time with us; they don’t care what glasses they drink out of and 2) use the nice glasses and get rid of the ugly ones. Glassware that is only used occasionally, stored in a prime real estate cabinet: is clutter. It is very frustrating to hear excuses like this. I spoke with her about the rationale but the glasses stayed.
 
Do you make silly excuses for keeping clutter? Lots of people do.
 
Are you helping or hurting yourself? Here is a list of excuses:

• My Aunt (Grandma, etcetera) gave this to me. I don’t like it or use it but I can’t get rid of it.
• My Friend that died made this for me. I don’t like it or use it.
• I inherited these dishes. They are stored in a box and I will never use them but I have to keep them.
• What if I need this some day? I have not used it in 5 years but I might need it in 5 more.
• I spent a lot of money on this and I can’t return it and I’m not going to use it.
• I will not get rid of this unless it can go to a good home or organization. I have to find the perfect organization for this item.

 
It’s only stuff. Remember…it’s only stuff. What do you want or need? If your goal is to get better organized and reclaim your space then you need to HELP YOURSELF.
 
Speaking of clutter. Christmas is almost here. I cringe at the thought of so many useless gifts that people will not use or want. Why not ask loved ones what they really want or need?
 
We hope you have a beautiful holiday season.

Adele Tusson-Gross
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