I have to clean my basement. And I'm dreading (and avoiding!) it, which is why I'm blogging about it instead of actually doing it. About a month ago, we had to get a new water softener system installed in our basement because our old one just wasn't working. The new water softener takes up twice the room that the old one did, which meant that I had to move all of my precariously stacked boxes that were hidden in that corner. I had to move them all into the "man room", the room that my husband has lovingly painted and designed so that he has somewhere to go when I'm driving him crazy. When I looked at all the boxes, stacked there, mocking me, I realized that I didn't even need half this stuff. I mean, the general rule is if you haven't touched it for over two years, you probably don't need it. So, in a fit of random ambition, I started sorting though the boxes. It's a huge job, though, and I haven't yet had a second fit of random ambition.
I went down there this morning to start on my laundry, and I was horrified at what a mess the basement is now. Of course, my kids have been down there, poking in the boxes and generally creating a bigger mess, and now it looks even worse than it did before. So, I've concluded that I have no choice. I. Have. To. Clean. The. Basement. The sooner the better. And I don't want to. Wish me luck...
Too much stuff! We've all got those boxes. Here's a tip. Move every 4-8 months! Haha. Even that barely works for me, though. I've got a handful of boxes that I've been carting around from place to place for the last 3 years. My intention every time I move is that I am going to go through it, box by box, and either unpack or throw out/give away the stuff I haven't used in a while.
ReplyDeleteHere's another strategy I've though about. Stuff things in a box. Write today's date on the box. If I use something in the box later on, cross of the old date and replace it with the new date. If there are any boxes that haven't been opened in more than a year (or some other time time period of your choosing), call Salvation Army to pick them up, put them on your front porch, and for the love of Pete, don't look in them (you might change your mind!). (You could call Bibles For Missions to pick them up, but you may as well just call up grandma then, because they're going to end up at her place anyway).