The Purging Process

I got a call from our realtor the other day asking if we'd consider moving up the closing date on our house--the sellers were willing to close at the end of the month (eeeeeek, that's soon!) but since we had a lease through April, we weren't so comfortable doing that out of fear we could end up paying both rent & a mortgage for the same month(s). We reached a compromise of March 12!

Justin talked with the landlords last night and they're going to let us out of our lease a month early--hallelujiah! Since the house passed the inspection with flying colors, our closing date was set AND as our landlords had received notice, I decided it was time to start packing!

Oh, the dreaded packing!!! Or, maybe the unpacking is worse??? Either way, moving is not fun...it's a lot of loading a truck, driving super slow so you don't lose anything, unloading the truck, going back for more and then eventually unpacking everything and finding a new spot for the stuff. Renting a U-Haul would cut down on all the trips, but those also cost money! I'd rather fill up a couple of pick-up trucks with gas and save myself a few $100 by doing so. Aside from the hassle of moving, the upside to it all is what I like to call "The Purging Process."

As I contemplated what to pack first, I realized that it would be wise to spend a weekend going through the duplex and thinning out tons of crap! We have flower pots with dead plants in the back yard and the container has now rusted...we have a baby pool in the shed for Mitzy's summer entertainment--I think she maybe got in it once or twice??? We still have pumpkins on the front porch from Halloween and dead hanging plants from Grandma & Grandpa's funerals this past spring. However, all these items have an easy answer--just put them on the curb for Trash Day!

But then comes the beloved wardrobe. ..and the sentimental things--like my 4-H plaques from having Grand Champion rabbits or raising the pig that gained the most weight per day! I'm not the type of person to hang on to stuff "just in case I ever need it." If it hasn't been used/touched in 6 months, it's not staying in the house. Justin, on the other hand, doesn't like throwing out or donating things--he's of the thought that you never know when you'll need it and why end up buying something twice? That would be why we had 2 ironing boards and 2 vacuums for the longest! But that's what makes my 6-month rule practical...if you haven't used it, you probably won't ever need it so why would you end up having to buy a duplicate of it????

Many of my clothes do not have sentimental value--okay, I like to think they do, but really they don't...just because I was shopping with so-and-so when I bought it doesn't mean it's reason to keep it! This made my closet an easy place to start the "Purging Process." After three bags of clothes and a bag of shoes, I called it a night...and that was just going through my winter clothes. Tonight I plan to start in on my summer clothes that are down in the basement.

I am utterly amazed at my collection of clothing...I cleaned out my closet at the end of summer and had a ton of stuff pulled out then! When I was in college and first out of school, my money went to clothes--at one point, I had over 100 pairs of shoes. Not kidding. And they weren't old shoes from high school or anything--they were all less than 2 years old. Ridiculous, ridiculous, ridiculous! I have children coming into my office wearing capri pants during snow storms and the most tattered of clothing because that's all they can afford...and I have shoes in my closet collecting dust.

Long story short, I've since matured and have cut WAY back on the purchasing...and I've come to find that consignment stores and eBay are my best friends! Not only can I sell some of my clothes, but I can find gently used items and a fraction of the cost. I found a Fall '09 Banana Republic cashmere sweater for $8 and a J.Crew sweater for $4--why, why, why would I go to the store and pay $80 for the same item??? And in consideration of the carbon footprint left by eBay, I love the new consignment store here in Manhattan, "Chic Boutique." It's not your crazy-ass hippy crap that another place here in town sells; this store has lots of work clothes and a huge variety of styles. It's my new favorite place and I can't remember the last time I went to the mall!

All in all, I am absolutely disgusted with all the clothes I have accumulated over the years and held onto for whatever reason...but this move allows me the opportunity to purge myself of all the unnecessary items and even sort through the clutter that becomes a part of our everyday life. Like, the 10 bottles of shampoo with a tad of suds left in it that I keep a hold of in case I ever need it--they're definately taking up space under the bathroom vanity but they will NOT come to the new house!