Things you got rid of and how ditching it enhanced your life

[lazy23]

I recently stopped subscribing to a bunch of magazines. Not only did I save money, but the I also saved myself the hassel of having to store the back issues and dragging them to recycling centers at the end of the year.

Now I just read the magazines online which basically have the exact same content.

Have you gotten rid of anything recently that actually improved your life?

[Joanne]

hee-hee... I'm waiting for someone to say their husband or wife. LOL

We recently got rid of our morgage and our home is now paid off.
We also got rid of our older cars and bought newer ones (not brand new but newer than the old ones). Their better on gas and are in better condition so there aren't any repair bills (at least not right now).

[Michelle Dawn]

Oh, I've experienced the same thing with magazines. They start to pile up and have a life of their own. I hesitate to throw (give) them away because there is usually an article or recipe in each one that I really like.

During our last year I also became aware of how many bath and body products I have accumulated. Usually I buy items on sale or have them given to me, but really I probably have enough moisturizer and body wash to do me for the next year. I have pared down my make-up stash (I probably only wear it 12 days a year -why do I have so much?) and committed myself to only buying essential toiletries for the next year. I'll save money and be able to clear some space under my bathroom sink too!

[klaxiam]

Originally Posted by Michelle Dawn

Oh, I've experienced the same thing with magazines. They start to pile up and have a life of their own. I hesitate to throw (give) them away because there is usually an article or recipe in each one that I really like.

I bought a 3 ring binder and some clear Avery presentation sheet protectors. Any recipes or articles I like from my subscriptions (like Men's Health) get clipped and go in the binder, the rest is tossed. The binder can be reviewed every couple of months to see what was really worth keeping, and thinned out accordingly.

[Jess]

Books. I'm a bibliophile, and very prone to overspending on books at Barnes & Noble and cluttering any flat surface with piles and piles of books (not including textbooks needed for classes). But I've recently weeded out my collection - at least for the time being - and donated and sold a bunch. I love books, but I just don't have the room right now. It's hard also to maintain a collection when half of my books are at home and half of them are in my dorm room.

[Michelle Dawn]

That's a great idea klaxiam. I'll take a look at the dollar store next visit and grab some stuff to organize my mags.

And Jess, I'm right there with the book thing too. It hurts to let them go, even if I know I've already read it and probably never will again. I just signed up for BookCrossing and I love it. I've even received my first free book already (I highly recommend this site for book lovers).

This year it's all about the library!

[Jess]

Originally Posted by Michelle Dawn

That's a great idea klaxiam. I'll take a look at the dollar store next visit and grab some stuff to organize my mags.

And Jess, I'm right there with the book thing too. It hurts to let them go, even if I know I've already read it and probably never will again. I just signed up for BookCrossing and I love it. I've even received my first free book already (I highly recommend this site for book lovers).

This year it's all about the library!

Agreed. I've only purchased one book in the last month or so for myself (others were Christmas books), and that was a copy of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style, which I know I'll use again and again.

Besides BookCrossing, have you looked into BookMooch or PaperBackSwap? They're fantastic if you want to get rid of books, especially if you have any "hot" ones (e.g. popular ones out on the market right now, like Eat, Pray, Love or Suite Francaise). You'll also be able to find tons and tons of books. I've received maybe 40 books this way, and after reading them I traded them back or donated them. The only downside is that you do have to pay for postage, which can rack up quickly over time. But if you think about it, ~$2 is a lot better than say $15 at B&N.

[Michelle Dawn]

Jess Says:

Besides BookCrossing, have you looked into BookMooch or PaperBackSwap? They're fantastic if you want to get rid of books, especially if you have any "hot" ones (e.g. popular ones out on the market right now, like Eat, Pray, Love or Suite Francaise). You'll also be able to find tons and tons of books. I've received maybe 40 books this way, and after reading them I traded them back or donated them. The only downside is that you do have to pay for postage, which can rack up quickly over time. But if you think about it, ~$2 is a lot better than say $15 at B&N.

Oh hey, NO I haven't seen those sites yet. But I DEFINITELY will. Thanks for the tip

[Savio]

Originally Posted by Jess

Books. I'm a bibliophile, and very prone to overspending on books at Barnes & Noble and cluttering any flat surface with piles and piles of books (not including textbooks needed for classes). But I've recently weeded out my collection - at least for the time being - and donated and sold a bunch. I love books, but I just don't have the room right now. It's hard also to maintain a collection when half of my books are at home and half of them are in my dorm room.

Same here..Recently I've been reading and doing a lot of De-cluttering. So what I did is, piled the books up, sepereted mags, books, comics and all. Then I just removed a few I books that I totally love, (Ayn Rand books, Alchemist, 7 Habits, GTD, etc) and donated the rest to my old school. The librarian was pretty happy. I was still stuck with a pile of magzines, which I gave way for recycling. I wish I could do the same with my text books.

Now I've decided not to waste bucks on books. There's always a friend who has it. And I dont go to book stores often. So yeah!

[Jess]

Originally Posted by Savio

I wish I could do the same with my text books.

Have you been selling them back? I have a lot of friends who keep holding on to their textbooks from previous semesters thinking they'll reference them at some point, but I think it's kind of pointless. I've never once had to refer back to a previous text, especially since my professors don't ASK us to obtain those materials, you know? Although, I suppose that would work well for people in science or math classes who might want to look at a more simplified text from BIO 110 or something...

I might also add to what Joanne said - I didn't give up or take it out of my life, but I don't own a car and don't plan to for a long time, if ever. I feel like cars add a lot of "extras" into our lives - payments, insurance payments, gas, maintenance, etc.