I think about this question.
I get asked this question.
But any decluttering progress I’ve made has NOT been because I had an answer to this question.
The best answer is simply, “Less.”
I need less. Or fewer. Whichever is grammatically correct for the situation.
Less refers to something that can’t be counted. Fewer is used when there is a specific number of things. Example: Less water. Fewer cups.
Fewer things. Less stuff.
Things can be counted. But when there are so many things that it becomes stuff, counting is pointless.
I know for a fact that I’ve kept mousse bottle caps because it seemed logical to keep them. When we travel, you need the lid. Lids disappear, so I should be sure I have one.
But I’m not sure I have one. I’m just sure I have more. I can’t have any idea how many I have when the bathroom counter looks like this:
It was on that bathroom counter that I found all FIVE of those caps. Five.
I can count to five, and five is four too many.
But on this counter, I can see if I have one or none or more.
I can see it, so I know. I know if I have enough. Takes away the stress of wondering.
Takes away a lot of stress.
Oh. And yes, I see that hair hanging off one of the caps in the picture at the top of the post. I thought about applying my limited photo-editing skills to remove it. Then I decided it is what it is. I can’t pretend the random mousse bottle caps in the pile of clutter are pristine.
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--Nony
Carrie says
I tend to keep the lid on the mousse I’m using. I never even thought about not putting it back on, or needing to keep it for travel. It’s fun to read about others perspectives. I’m glad you figured out how many you didn’t need!
Amanda says
I do this with homeschooling supplies. It’s expensive to homeschool, so I stock up on school supplies over the summer (during back to school sales). I found 5 packs of blank index cards yesterday. Why do I need that many? And if I did need them, could I find them? Yeah, no. I had no idea where they were or that I even had them. Ugh. It makes sense to keep them, but it’s imperative that I find the right way to store them so that I can access them as needed.
KellyJMF says
I travel for work every other month or so. The trips are close enough together that I would only half unpack (clothes) between trips. And then for the next one I would take out whatever I didn’t need and pack again. But by the next trip when I need the things rejected previously, it had been long enough that I couldn’t remember where I had dumped things out last time. So now I have a designated spot for everything travel related. I force myself to REALLY unpack and then all the travel whatnot is there again. And if it doesn’t fit in the space set aside, I probably don’t need it. I’m not perfect about it yet, but I have a start and a place to put things when I discover yet another “travel” pile. So maybe you could keep the mousse cap with your travel stuff/in your suitcase. And then you never need to keep another one “just in case” because you have one that you know where it is.
Andrea says
Keep one mousse lid in your travel bag! Dump the others as soon as you buy the mousse. Done!
Jenny says
Exactly right- put it where you will need it!!
andrea says
So I totally do this too for the exact same reason. I just had a brilliant idea thanks to you. Put what you might need for travel in your travel/ditty bag. Problem solved. Too late I am brilliant. Too late because I’ve switched to products with hinged caps. Ha
Ellen says
Not having to do with mousse caps, but – woke up in a panic Monday morning realizing we’re going camping in a week and no summer clothes were out. Ten bags of giveaway later, we still didn’t have any summer stuff in drawers, but we had no wrong size summer stuff and we had no “will be too small next winter” stuff out. And we had no purely winter stuff in drawers or closets (it’s Michigan – we wear transitional clothes in July). We can pack what we need from the (edited) summer bins and catch up laundry in the meantime; counting that as a win!
Dana White says
Go you!!
Beth says
I’m glad you addressed the use of less/fewer. The misuse of those modifiers by professional writers and speakers drives me crazy! And it’s an example of why I drive myself crazy – less/fewer REGISTERS with me while a counter that looks like your “before” doesn’t…
I love your blog. You explain my slob-brain to me and that’s the first step! 🙂
Dana White says
Oh Beth, I so agree!! Why does improper word usage grate on my nerves when it doesn’t seem to bother anyone else, but piles of clutter don’t bug me?!?!
Julie says
Improper word usage bothers me, too. Besides grammatical errors, I notice words that are homophones (or near homophones) of the word that was meant. When I’m reading on my Kindle, I ease my poor brain by highlighting the word and adding a correction in the notes.
My favorite misusage was an author who, in describing a superannuated waiter, dubbed him a “centurion”. 😄 I had a mental picture of a warrior from ancient Rome in full battle garb, daintily hoisting a tiny tray of drinks.
Another Julie says
There is now a function on some kindles to report typos or other errors. I use it frequently. I usually have a marker pen with me in my bag and I have been known to alter mistakes on notices and posters. I will probably get arrested one day.
Geena says
Improper word usage annoys me, too, especially “lie” and “lay” and “sit” and “set.” And recently I’ve noticed people trying to use the possessive form of “I,” using “I’s!” As in, “John and I’s home.” We were taught to mentally eliminate the “John and;” then use the pronoun that makes sense.
melissa joiner says
My biggest problem is out of sight out of mind. If what I own is not visible, I forget to use it and even repurchase it again and that’s why I wind up with multiples. I don’t like this about myself but its a sad fact of my life. Visual clutter drives me nuts but if I can’t see an item I forget about it. Am I the only person like this? I’m seriously wondering if minimalism is what I need. I’m willing to do something drastic to get the clarity that I crave.
Linda H says
Melissa J. I’m right beside you with out- of- sight……out-of-mind. And I have lots of creative interests…..then there is the mind set of..”I don’t much money (widowed on Soc Sec) so if I’ve got this container (or whatever) that I’m not using right now but I’d better keep it because I might need one someday and it will cost way more to replace it…and how wasteful that is!” I hate that about me, but Everytime I HAVE gotten rid of something like that, as soon as it is irretrievable, I suddenly REALLY need it!
victoria king says
I had a stroke many years ago and I only have 1 hand.. I tossed the caps.. the whole house. Bathroom cleaner.. pitched the lid.