Decluttering you life once and for all

Photo by one\million

Many households are now experiencing a spike in the high-level of stress, and discontent relating to hyper-consumerism, and a paycheck-to paycheck existence. The average American goes to college, gets a job, and then sabotages their peace of mind and financial security through media induced consumerism.

What they ultimately wind up with is an oversized house and mortgage, crushing debt, and worry about the future. Many of us will erroneously believe that we are only “one raise away” from a better and, worry-free lifestyle!

A viable alternative to hoping that you get lucky with another substantial raise increase – over which we have no control, is to focus ourself on reducing our home inventory (possessions) and lowering our monthly expenses. A formula exists when we take control of what we can change, and forgetting about what we can’t. These are the building-blocks of financial well-being which we all desire, and deserve.

Streamlining your possessions is a great start to taking control of your life, and financial well-being. Some of the side-benefits are:
· Less household clutter
· Less stress
· Less expenses
· Extra money
· A catalyst to becoming debt-free

Ask yourself when was the last time that you inventoried your home for items that you did not need or even want. If you take a cursory look around your home and garage, I think that you’ll be astonished.

So what’s The Resolution?
Go through every room of your household with a pen & paper note-pad, and ask yourself the 5 following questions:

Do I need it? Need is the operative word here and not want.

Do I use it? If you have not used the product within the last year or two, you can discard it.

Do I have faith in it? Your belief in something may have changed since you originally took ownership of it.

Does it do more harm or good in owning it? By making positive choices we can experience some tremendous can be awesome turning points in our lives, be it or spiritual, physical, or financial.

Do I really want it anymore? Purchases made in the past made in hurriedness very often lose their shine after just a short while. This is the reality of the vacant promises of unbridled consumerism.

Please keep in mind that limiting this mindset to only your possessions; will not allow you to apply the same questions to your daily habits, and the services that you use. You can also decide to sell your CD or DVD collections, cancel your add-on TV services or television altogether, or all of the above.
Remember the philosophy of the sculpture which I had previously mentioned; hack away at the inessentials to get to your final product. Never add more to the sculpture. This is an easy task that can be done over a weekend, or even over the course of several months, but keep in mind that the key is to finish the project, and that it’s not a race to the finish.

In our household, my family has been taking an inventory of or possessions, and services since the end of 2007, and will continue to do so throughout our lives. Downsizing our lives is producing fantastic results, both unexpected, and expected. This past month we have found items that are no longer a benefit to our lives…..now we’re selling them on EBay!
How about your household, what lurks beneath the stairs?

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