I’ve just come inside from clearing out the shed in anticipation of this garage sale I plan on having next Saturday.
I’m amazed at how much STUFF there is that I really don’t need / use. It’s all art paraphernalia, general bric a brac, clothes (even vintage) and books. With my promise to start arting again, no doubt much of my ‘studio’ stuff will be set up when I find a space to work in (all offers considered) but I definitely need to cull.
Since I move and travel on a fairly frequent basis all of this extra ‘stuff’ is just bringing me down, some of it has not even been unpacked for the last 2 moves, SHAMEFUL. I am also in need of generating some pocket money, having temporarily renounced working ‘for the man’.
As some of you may know I’m a big fan of selling things on e-bay, but with selling on ebay, comes buying on e-bay. It is also very time consuming for the rate of return and there is also no point in selling clothes which are not designer, as new, or a special rare vintage find. This said, I am happy to help anyone who wants to start using e-bay as it is a very useful tool when used correctly! So, I have decided as a quick way to raise a bit of cash I’m going to be very suburban and have a garage sale. (I’m supposed to be drawing a flyer for it as I type this).
I intend for this streamlining of goods will assist me to be more time effective in other areas of my life. I am using the physical reduction to signal ridding myself of mental detritus. This may sound silly at first but if you really think about it, we all do it. For example, when you are making changes, or experiencing a psychological shift of perspective and you decide to get your hair cut? I’m guessing most of you have done that before. My intention is to work smarter and not necessarily harder from now on. If you read my first post you will know I’m not scared of hard work, I just see a lot of room for improvement.
Coming from a family who struggled financially when I was a child I have sometimes had problems with hanging onto stuff “just in case it will be useful”. However, as an adult I have definitely noticed that each time I rid myself of unnecessary ‘stuff’, I just open up space for newer, better, brighter, shinier things to take their places. This has proved itself time and time again, as I clear out my wardrobe... only to have more exciting things flow into it (oops, I sound like a shopaholic!). This may be partially true but the theory is still highly effective.
Just google the phrases ‘de-clutter’ and ‘get organised’ and see how many sites discuss de-cluttering physical stuff as representative of working through emotional issues. Even if this term is too strong for you – we can all benefit from running smarter and faster. Who wouldn’t want to perform at their prime if given the choice? I certainly plan on aiming for optimum health, wealth and happiness this year.
Even if you can't be bothered organising a garage sale, you can still do the clear-out. Giving to your friends will mean they remember how much they love you. I love clothes swap parties, although I tend to go home looking like the michelin man. Giving to charity is fantastic and will give you the warm fuzzies. Opportunity shops are everywhere in Adelaide, they are always grateful for your donation. This has the added bonus that I will then be able to go and buy your no-doubt awesome stuff very cheaply and feel good about myself at the same time. Hooray! Pay it forward, schlocksters and cliche lovers everywhere!
Luckily for me my mother is the garage sale QUEEN! So I have been brought up in the mysterious ways of the garage sale, but just in case any of you are feeling similarly inclined and want some helpful advice, I found this site quite useful, they break it down into 7 steps so it's really easy to follow;
To add to the karmic correctness of my decision mum called me this morning to say she will be visiting from Sydney, arriving on Wednesday and staying for a week. Ahhh, just in time to help with the bartering!
Go Tegs! I'm loving it.
ReplyDeletePippi (aka Big K.)