Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I despise clutter. I’m not a naturally organized person, and the more “stuff” I have around, the harder it is for me to keep everything tidy. Even with a very small number of household items, I still struggle to maintain order. This is why I like to give away, throw away, or sell just about anything for which I cannot determine an immediate use.

However, I’ve also discovered that holding onto things that may be useful someday is actually not a bad idea. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said to myself, “If only I had a…,” just to realize that I had gotten rid of the perfect item days prior. As a result of such moments, I try hard to balance my desire to tear through the house, getting rid of everything in sight, with the realization that sometimes saving things is GOOD.

There are a few categories of “thing” which I now try not to toss, unless I already have one or two of them on hand. When someone gives me tea in a pretty wood box or tin, I hold on to those (this was Donnie’s idea). They’re great for organizing small objects. I also keep pump-style hairspray bottles, but only every now and then (otherwise, they could probably pile up pretty quickly!) There’s no reason to ever buy a spray bottle at the drug store if you're constantly getting them as a byproduct of your hair styling supplies. My favorite facial moisturizer comes in a cute (plastic) jar with a screw-top lid. I have yet to determine a use for this, but I just know it will come to me, so I kept one. For some reason, it strikes me as a nice place to keep buttons—except I can’t sew, so I don’t really need a button holder. Donnie recently held on to a cute jam jar, which after the label was removed looked almost decorative. It will make a lovely little vase. I also try to save small boxes and food packages that just seem like the “right” shape or size for later use as storage containers.

Okay, so that sounds like a good bit of junk for someone who dislikes clutter. Fortunately, it’s not that bad! None of this stuff takes up more than a tiny amount of space in the laundry room (which, I will admit, is not the slightest bit organized anyway!). And it’s significantly more frugal than having to pay for a jewelry box when I could have used a pretty tea tin, or a water-spray bottle when I could have just filled an old hairspray container. Not only is it good money sense, it’s also responsible stewardship of the earth’s limited resources. Packaging materials seem to be overtaking our lives, so we may as well put them to good use.

What types of “trash” do you save? What uses have you found for the items you stash away? Or do you toss everything? Share your thoughts in the comments section!