Have any of you read this book? i got it from the library a while ago and i got wonderful ideas for keeping clutter down in my home. I try to get rid of clutter by taking at least one bag of junk out of the house. I try to donate as much as i can. If it's trash i say goodbye to it. i know pretty corny, but if it keeps my tiny home clean i'll do it.I think clutter hinders frugality. Does anyone agree with that?

He was on Oprah in an episode about hoarders. This couple had enough stuff in their 1300 sq ft house to fill a 10,000 ft warehouse. it was astonashing. She had so many multiples of things that cost in my opinion lots of money. There was everything you could think of. They sold most of the items and made $13000. 

I have not read the book but I saw the episode when it orignally aired & then the rerun yesterday.  I think their house was bigger than that, like 3000 sq. ft., according to Oprah's website .... still not a mansion.  Here's a link for those who missed it, along with some other info on hoarding.  http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200711/tows_past_20071115.jhtml

I believe that hoarding can take over anyone's life given the right circumstances.  I mean, who starts out collecting something thinking that one day they will be living like that couple that Walsh helped?  No one in their right mind thinks that.

We have to keep a close watch at our house.  It has gotten lots easier to go shopping.  I ask myself several questions:

1.  Do I LOVE it?  I mean LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it?

2.  Do I have a 'home' for it?

3.  Do I really believe that it will live up to the hype/ad/hoop-la?

4.  Will I be better off & more fulfilled by having the item?

5.  Do I have another item at home that can do the same job or fulfill the same purpose?

I have to answer a resounding "YES" to numbers 1-4 & "No" to number 5 in order to get it.  More time than not I do NOT purchase whatever it is I am looking at.  An example?  I am into scrapbooking big time.  I can go to our local scrapbook store, Michael's, or Hobby Lobby & come out empty handed & be absolutely happy about it.  Go figure.  Asking myself those questions each time I stand in an aisle looking at something really does something to the purchase process whether it's scrapbooking stuff or other household items.

Oh, and all the stuff I got rid of, even the stuff I used to think I might "need" one day .... I don't miss it at all & can't even remember what I've gotten rid of.

Cindy

You're right about the house size. my mistake. i now remember it was 3200 sq ft. even still there was way to much stuff in there.

it sounds like you've read his book. ha! my thing is does it fit in the life i want. i make sure if it's something i think is valuable i treat it that way. a valuable item shouldn't be under a mound of clutter, it should be out for people to see and enjoy.

Well, no I didn't read it but I followed FLYLady for a long time, getting all her emails & bought the 2 dusters.  I don't get her emails now but I still follow principles I learned from her.  Swish & swipe the bathroom, one item in/one item out, clutter control, routines, etc.

I agree anything I keep needs to have intrinsic value.  I want to enjoy it.  We a doing a remodel on our house.  Paint colors, fixtures and everything else HAVE to be something we like or we will do without till we find what we like.  I don't necessarily have to have the most expensive items.  More often than not, what I like is on the less expensive end, but I do have to like it.

I haven't read the book but I saw the Oprah episode. My mom has been faithfully de-cluttering for about a year now. Her house looks wonderful and it feels so spacious. I hope I can do the same thing to my house. My in-laws, on the other hand, are starting to get to a terrible problem. We can't even eat off the kitchen table anymore with all the "junk" piled on--not just mail or papers but decorations, centerpieces, candles, etc. My MIL can't even put away Christmas decorations b/c there is no room. So she leaves some things out year round. The entryway to the house is so full, we have to walk in single-file. And MIL continually buys things because she can't find what happened to the other one. We are starting to worry about both dear FIL and MIL as I have read that some of this hoarding is obsessive/compulsive disorder and also can be a depressive disorder. People feel empty inside and don't want their outside to be empty or something like that. Both are in their late 60s early 70s.

MIL says she can't get rid of anything b/c of all the memories attached. I'm sure that is part of it. Maybe I should check the library for the book. It's hard to take our 3 year old and 18 month old over to their house b/c of all the stuff. We don't even have places to sit down. The kids can't play easily and my 18 month old just gets into everything.

The inlaws added a sunroom to the back of their house and within a month after it was done, it was full. It's still the best place in the house b/c of the least amount of clutter but soon, it will be just like the rest of the house, I'm sure.

That sounds like my in laws. One time i helped my mil clean her clutter off of her bedroom floor. it was all in front of her bed and blocking the closet. We bagged up two bags of stuff to give away. Unfortunately it did not last. She has a great attachment to things and when we cleared her mess she almost had a panic attack.

I can't let things rule my life. I recently cleared off the kitchen table so my dh and i can have dinner there again like we used to. that makes me feel good.

 I have family that clutters, too.  I read the book and enjoyed it, but just kept thinking "that's just like Flylady!"  I enjoyed it but I think the fact that I love watching him on 'Clean Sweep' helped.

 I am trying not to clutter, and part of it ties in with saving money.  I have not been in the dollar store in a year, and am just thrilled about that, I used to walk through and find things that were a great deal for only a dollar.  Now I don't go, yet I don't miss those things or think, gee this would be great if I only had.... from the dollar store.   I'm even better at Walmart now, I ask myself if I LOVE the item, or if it's just an impulse.  And walk away.  If I make the 1/2 acre trek back to get it before I check out, then I really wanted it but 9 times out of 10 I don't get it.

I also like that this book is one that you can read out of order, or put down for a while and pick right up where you left off !