Oh Erica - I had an epiphany reading the title of your wonderful video - I read it as Declaring THE Guilt. All of a sudden, I was able to mentally hover over the stuff, and see that I am decluttering the guilt versus decluttering the stuff. Sometimes testing items takes several months. While I try to be very careful when choosing, sometimes I pick a real dud and am not able to return because of being outside the return window. This video really helped me to wrap my head around all of that, and to think of it as decluttering the guilt versus the thing. That makes it very different to me - Guilt Load Lifted! I can move forward now! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!! ❤❤❤
I'm starting a new job this coming Wednesday! I'm counting this year's earnings to "paying myself back for all of the stuff I wish I hadn't bought". Mentally, this fresh start makes me happy!
Amen! We’re all with you Erica! Been there, got that T-shirt as they say! And I still occasionally make some mistakes but fewer!! Thanks for the video! Love your blouse! ❤
Oh Erica, yessssss we all have gone thru it, recently I became a avid reader, I was buying books and hated the clutter of having them, I invested in a kindle, and in the back seat of my car is a large stack of books I bought and read that I am going to donate, although books are very expensive, I have learned to let this kind of thing go, I’m learning to just sweat the BIG things in life , donating books is such a small issue, I won’t let myself go there for something like this PS, I stopped buying anything heavy for my kitchen, donated anything that was, I bought Corelle dishes, light pans, light cutting boards, it’s a game changer
But you read them though! I think that is great. You used them for the purpose you bought them for. Got the enjoyment of reading them and now you're passing them on to be enjoyed by someone else. This is a good thing and a blessing. ❤
A common feature in "cheap" homes in Utah is to have drywall surrounding windows, not wood. We built our house in the summer of 1994 for about $90,000, expecting to sell and move on in five years; we are still in it. I had someone come in, add wood molding to the windows, and paint the walls. In the process, the wood blinds hanging for nearly 30 years no longer fit the windows. I had five blinds. I put them up for free on Facebook Marketplace and a few local communities that allow that type of post. I gave them to a retired couple trying to finish their basement for their son's family. I was thrilled to pass the blinds on to someone who could use them. They needed to be cleaned, but they were in good working order.
This is such good advice. We recently went through our bookcase and are giving away books. I don't attempt to sell...we're in our late 70's , and don't want to take the time. My mother struggles with this. She's a child of the depression, became quite a clothes horse, and now her one concern...who will want her clothes? Belongings are so precious to her. It's a tough place to find yourself at 97. Sad.
That shirt is very flattering on you. Great colors and looks pretty.. I have had the same kind of satisfying experience through my local buy nothing group. Something that I have had such a hard time letting go of becomes meaningful and satisfying when someone tells me how much they were looking for something just like it.❤
I've shifted from guilt to ..hmmm Who can I bless? I use things for a season...then 'contribute' items to individuals or charity shops. Living and learning. Good video Erica. TY.
Thank you for sharing this experience, this is very precious for our recovery. Although, I have decluttered and maintained my house for over ten years. I realized how important it is to go through all the feeling that is involved with the "let go" of any objects. With ❤love and gratitude 🙏
Well, you got me off my backside and into the kitchen to declutter a very beautiful HUGE carved wooden platter I had bought in Bali. It was either too big for what I needed or too nice (?!?!?!) to use. I’ve NEVER used it and I’ve had it for over 20 years! I also ended up decluttering 4 other platters that were way in the back and dusty. I’ve alway felt guilty about it but this morning as I walked back into the house after putting the box in my car for drop off later today I actually felt light and smiled when I thought how happy someone will be to find that on a Goodwill shelf.
And it’s YOUR comment, Dawn, that got me off my backside to declutter a beautiful platter that I haven’t used in years because it’s *too nice* Thank you 😊
@@susanrikimaru6630 😆 I’m all for using your best for yourself every day but sometimes you just have to let go of your fantasy “Martha Stewart entertains Heads of States”! 🤣
That's a big problem I struggle with also. I've bought clothes for my "fantasy self" that I'm never going to actually wear. The money has been spent and the clothes have never been worn. Some of them I've never even tried on. I know rationally that I should just declutter them and let them go. But I can't, yet. Thank you for your inspiration on making the hard decisions. I'm glad your large cutting board went to a home where it will be appreciated and used.
For me the hardest part of decluttering is the guilt for the money I 'feel' that I've 'wasted'. I think this is an important video for anyone who is going through this process. Thank you.
How exciting! You've blessed someone with your beautiful board. It's so good to have a nice item to go to an appreciative person! You're right about the financial guilt, though. I heard someone refer to the money spent as dead. Don't think about it as it is gone. Quirky, but effective for me, lol. Wonderful video! Take care, Linda 🦋
What is really hilarious is that I have that same board and never use it and it just sits on the floor propped up against the wall (because it is huge and there is no where to store it), but can't bring myself to get rid of it because "I paid for this!" 🤪
Consider giving yourself a deadline, if you haven't used it by a certain date, then donate it. If it isn't being used, it can bless someone else. Also, you can write off donations on your taxes.
I feel the same way! I’m a quilter and a crafter. But I have to declutter, I have too much stuff! I paid a lot of money for this fabric and these craft supplies! But I have to purge! I donated lots of fabric to the Union Gospel Mission because they can sell it in their thrift store and it will benefit them. I’m getting over the guilt now because it feels good to be rid of it!
I've been watching you since before you moved to MD. A fellow Marylander here. This video caused me to search sentimental clutter, which led me to your decluttering of sentimental clutter. How did I miss them before 🤷. Thank you! You answered my questions and resolved my struggle with the boxes of sentimental stuff I've been storing since I was a child (and I'm 62). I saved it "for my daughter one day" (I had 2 boys). I saved it for "grandaughters". They don't want this stuff. I don't want this stuff. I will be doing a major purge in the next couple of days. Should I struggle, I will watch your videos again.
Well done and delighted to hear it’s going to a homeowner that wanted the board. This video is such a help to me as I struggle with letting stuff go. Have a great week. Mary, Joes wife 🙇♀️👏💪👍🙏💐
The heavy cutting board is a good thing to get rid of, but yes NOT BUYING impractical stuff in the first place is the key. It’s hard to watch people declutter declutter declutter and then just buy a bunch more stuff and fill their houses up again.
For me, decluttering was successful once I paired it with a laser focus on budgeting. I intentionally made it very difficult for myself to spend on “non-essential” items, while also ensuring I would not overspend on essentials. Over the years, this has resulted in a few amazing spreadsheets. One shows how every dollar spent will impact the bottom line at the end of the year and automatically adjusts itself with every purchase. The other shows how bigger expenses might affect how long our savings will last into our retirement years. This is all really a bit over the top, but it makes us happy and my husband and I rarely experience financial guilt. It’s incredibly powerful to be in control of our finances - to the point one can reasonably be in control. At the same time, clutter has pretty much left our house, because there is not a lot of excess coming in. It’s different for families with young kids, though, because of constantly changing needs. Therefore I mainly recommend this for peace of mind later in life.
If you’ve kept them this long, pick out the favourites and store them in a bin. It won’t be long until you have grandkids!! My grandkids love coming and head straight to Grammies toy box. All things I saved from when our boys were little.
My friend has a very large board like that, it doesn’t get put away. It lives as a work surface on the counter and gets cleaned with salt and lemon (🤔) I think.
Listening to this video makes me realize how far I've come with decluttering. I have given up the guilt over pretty much all of these things. I can see how managing the clutter is not worth it and I've overcome the need to try to sell things and have become totally fine with donating to Goodwill full well knowing they will probably throw away some of my donations. I've also become ok with trashing things that have no value for someone else. I have adult kids who don't want the stuff I've saved for them so it's all going away without any guilt or hard feelings. Thanks for your videos and letting us peek into your home and brain.
Yes!! It’s a weight thats lifted off your shoulders and your mental state. I found this decluttering community during COVID and really put it into practice donating items wo selling my items because honestly I know myself and I wont make the time to do it. It’s been such a learning experience these past 4 years but I continue to declutter and make sure everything that has a home has a purpose. And I love your videos Erica because you show your struggles through your process and it’s real life. I love you for that! You’re an amazing woman! Thank you for your candor ❤
I take the attitude of I made what ever choice I did based on the info I had at the time, if that info changes does not make my original choice wrong. I just move on. I bought the thing and it did not work out, great I have learned what I needed during that time in my life, if that is one day or a year. I would have never known if I did not try.
Thank you for this reminder that decluttering is an ongoing struggle; every time I reach equilibrium for a while, I hope I’m “done”-and then something changes. I’m struggling now because my adult daughter suddenly needs to store things at my place during an overseas assignment (and we had downsized 😜). Decisions that I had tabled about my stuff now need to be revisited and I am dealing with economic fear about my “just in case” items as we approach retirement. It’s gonna be a long summer 🤷🏻♀️
Your daughter should rent a storage unit for her things. Our daughter stored her belongings over the summer months while she was in college. It was so easy to help her move them into her newest living arrangement each year. It was great not carting them back to our home each summer. Just a suggestion. I've been decluttering for around 4 years. Feels like I will never be finished. I couldn't handle bringing other peoples stuff into my house. Good luck!
What about all the clothes and shoes still with tags but don’t fit right. This is an area of mental torture for me. I can even feel my usually generous self actually becoming mean and not wanting to send them to the charity shop. It seems to touch a very painful spot in me. I’m embarrassed but can’t get past it 🤦🏻♀️ What’s wrong with me!!! 😫
Please see it as helping others…someone who needs nice clothes for work but only has a few dollars to spend…they have mouths to feed and bills to pay but she needs to look presentable at work or got a promotion and needs nicer clothes asap. Open your heart❤God bless😊
Candy, Joe's wife. My husband bought me that exact same cutting board. It is cumbersome and heavy but perfect to roll out pie crust, bread and cinnamon rolls. I love it.
Erica we have all done exactly this, you're not alone! I'm only 5 minutes into the video but thinking maybe you could donate this great cutting board to a food kitchen or a school canteen. Just want to thank you for being so real and relatable. I never fail to laugh out loud at least once during your videos. Take care :-)
How do you manage gifts that you receive without damaging relations? This weekend, we again got blankets and clothing items that we do not need and not going to use.
Beating ourselves up over and over again is like making a mistake and paying for it every day for the rest of our lives. Even criminals get off from paying for their crimes and a buying mistake really isn’t a crime. It’s usually a reality check that marketing is a lie.
I have a hard time too sometimes getting rid of items I feel I haven’t got my moneys worth out of it. However, I try to think about it like eating out. Eating out cost at least $50 and after I do that I don’t try to keep getting money worth out of it. I enjoyed the meal and now it’s gone let it go. So why do we buy something get use out of it and still feel like we need to get every ounce of money worth of it? But we don’t blink an eye sometimes ( so to speak ) spending $50 on eating out. You only had the cutting board for 2 yrs so understandable but sometimes we hold on to things even longer even know that we are not really using that because we spent $$ on. I trying to get over that! I agree sometimes it is not worth the aggravation of selling on Facebook marketplace etc. I don’t bother usually unless it’s a piece of furniture that usually sells fast for $$. Lots of back and forth trying to sell on Facebook market place, I don’t have time for that.
I’ve always wandered how you manage the large cutting board! I buy thin smaller ones and even little bamboo ones! So much easier! Congratulations to your new decision!
SO relatable!! You have such a gift of verbalizing how we feel about clutter and how we process it…Now, it would be great if you were posting videos 2x’s a week! In the meantime, I’ll continue to rewatch your videos!
18 months ago I bought a fancy juicer, it was £220 I used it for a few weeks and since then until recently it had sat on the counter gathering dust. Recently I cleaned it up and have it away to a charity shop who could well it. I could have sold it but the money was already gone and wasn't coming back and I figured that the charity shop could make a little cash from it and I got my counter space back. Sometimes we just need to stop thinking so much and just do it
Erica, I have financial guilt over clothes. I buy clothes but afterwards I know in my heart of hearts I will never wear it. I hang on to these clothes because I think I might change my mind. I know I won’t but still, you never know. I think it’s time to be realistic and start getting rid of them………….
Yup, I still impulse buy then take back. What a struggle that shouldn't be a struggle. I don't want stuff but I'll still buy it bring it home live with it awhile and then take it back, kinda similar deal (especially, Costco).
We all go through it! And even with experience will continue to go through it. I got rid of books, I mean 2-3 book cases of books. Man those books were bullies too. The ones I didn't finish constantly taunted me, I wasn't bright enough, worthy enough, etc... It felt so good to get rid of them, they're gone I think 10 years, and I only have positive thoughts about getting rid of them. (I still read, I just use the library or get rid of books when I'm finished with them. Sure I'll keep some if I think I'll read them, but if I can get it from the library, no I'd rather have them store the book )
Someone else can get good out of it. Think of it as a gift. Also, plastic ones are easy to slide into the cabinet and big enough to do the job. Ours is oribably 18 in by 12 in. Also, bacteria sticks to wooden things.
A local animal rescue is holding a yard sale fundraiser next weekend so I fully intend to fill my car with donations for them as I have over the past 5 or so years. I'd call myself a minimalist at this point so this time around should be a challenge!
I think so many women suffer financial guilt. I think part of that is because they are conditioned from an early age not to be “wasteful” (which on the whole is a good thing to be taught) and that we should always make the “perfect decision” and have the “best possible judgement” every time, but that expectation, which is expected less from men, comes with the burdensome inference that we as women aren’t supposed to make mistakes and are supposed to feel overly grateful for everything we have; and to take care of everything perfectly. So we need to free ourselves from that aspect of the ‘guilt conditioning’ of not being perfect, responsible or practicable enough in our decision making, as well as the financial guilt.
I think that mindset comes from a point of historical practicality. My mom and I lived with my grandparents for half of my childhood and close by for the rest. Grandma grew up in extreme poverty and was a wife and mother during the depression. That woman never threw anything away. We even saved wrapping paper to reuse. We had that same paper up until my late teens. To this day, I cringe when I see people rip open presents, and I reuse mine as well.Back in the day, the vast majority of people didn't have to obsess over "decluttering" because they didn't "clutter." Every penny was budgeted, and they had to take care of their things because the acquisition of them meant scrimping and saving to get them. Women did the shopping, so it fell to them to try to get quality things that would last, and they didn't overbuy. Now, shopping is easy, and choices are endless and cheap. And cheaply made on purpose to keep consumption going. I think the pressure you feel was put on women to be perfect stemmed from the fact that if money wasn't spent wisely, it wasn't just about her. It affected the whole family. As I'm now middle aged, I'm looking around at all the things I have and will start to do some Swedish death cleaning. As frugal as I am, I've acquired way too much, mostly through thrifting, and as I look through old family photos and see how sparsely appointed homes were, it's been eye-opening, and pretty humbling to compare the amount of abundance now versus then.
I cannot concentrate on the boards story at all, your timers on the microwave and the stove are so out of sync, I have to count the seconds to figure out the difference. But there are all these cuts! But it’s a LOT, my guess is 37 seconds.. So, sorry, what was it about the board again? 😂🫣
Oh Erica - I had an epiphany reading the title of your wonderful video - I read it as Declaring THE Guilt.
All of a sudden, I was able to mentally hover over the stuff, and see that I am decluttering the guilt versus decluttering the stuff.
Sometimes testing items takes several months. While I try to be very careful when choosing, sometimes I pick a real dud and am not able to return because of being outside the return window.
This video really helped me to wrap my head around all of that, and to think of it as decluttering the guilt versus the thing. That makes it very different to me - Guilt Load Lifted! I can move forward now!
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!! ❤❤❤
I'm starting a new job this coming Wednesday! I'm counting this year's earnings to "paying myself back for all of the stuff I wish I hadn't bought". Mentally, this fresh start makes me happy!
Amen! We’re all with you Erica! Been there, got that T-shirt as they say! And I still occasionally make some mistakes but fewer!! Thanks for the video!
Love your blouse! ❤
This video resonates with me on so many levels. The guilt - ugh. Thank you!
Oh Erica, yessssss we all have gone thru it, recently I became a avid reader, I was buying books and hated the clutter of having them, I invested in a kindle, and in the back seat of my car is a large stack of books I bought and read that I am going to donate, although books are very expensive, I have learned to let this kind of thing go, I’m learning to just sweat the BIG things in life , donating books is such a small issue, I won’t let myself go there for something like this
PS, I stopped buying anything heavy for my kitchen, donated anything that was, I bought Corelle dishes, light pans, light cutting boards, it’s a game changer
But you read them though! I think that is great. You used them for the purpose you bought them for. Got the enjoyment of reading them and now you're passing them on to be enjoyed by someone else. This is a good thing and a blessing. ❤
I too have let go of heavy kitchen items - I hear gasps when I say I let cast iron go but I'm sick of "heavy" - agree, Corelle dishes are fantastic!
@@dsmith9796 I also donated cast iron pots, just got tired of the extra effort it took, love light and easy
A common feature in "cheap" homes in Utah is to have drywall surrounding windows, not wood. We built our house in the summer of 1994 for about $90,000, expecting to sell and move on in five years; we are still in it. I had someone come in, add wood molding to the windows, and paint the walls. In the process, the wood blinds hanging for nearly 30 years no longer fit the windows. I had five blinds. I put them up for free on Facebook Marketplace and a few local communities that allow that type of post.
I gave them to a retired couple trying to finish their basement for their son's family. I was thrilled to pass the blinds on to someone who could use them. They needed to be cleaned, but they were in good working order.
This is such good advice. We recently went through our bookcase and are giving away books. I don't attempt to sell...we're in our late 70's , and don't want to take the time. My mother struggles with this. She's a child of the depression, became quite a clothes horse, and now her one concern...who will want her clothes? Belongings are so precious to her. It's a tough place to find yourself at 97. Sad.
That shirt is very flattering on you. Great colors and looks pretty..
I have had the same kind of satisfying experience through my local buy nothing group. Something that I have had such a hard time letting go of becomes meaningful and satisfying when someone tells me how much they were looking for something just like it.❤
I've shifted from guilt to ..hmmm Who can I bless? I use things for a season...then 'contribute' items to individuals or charity shops. Living and learning. Good video Erica. TY.
Thank you for sharing this experience, this is very precious for our recovery.
Although, I have decluttered and maintained my house for over ten years.
I realized how important it is to go through all the feeling that is involved with the "let go" of any objects.
With ❤love and gratitude 🙏
I’m crying as I watch this. I’ll comment again when I can to explain how this helped me. Thank you!😢
Sending you a spot of love today!
Great video! Financial guilt also helps me think about how I make future purchases.
Well, you got me off my backside and into the kitchen to declutter a very beautiful HUGE carved wooden platter I had bought in Bali. It was either too big for what I needed or too nice (?!?!?!) to use. I’ve NEVER used it and I’ve had it for over 20 years! I also ended up decluttering 4 other platters that were way in the back and dusty. I’ve alway felt guilty about it but this morning as I walked back into the house after putting the box in my car for drop off later today I actually felt light and smiled when I thought how happy someone will be to find that on a Goodwill shelf.
And it’s YOUR comment, Dawn, that got me off my backside to declutter a beautiful platter that I haven’t used in years because it’s *too nice*
Thank you 😊
@@susanrikimaru6630 😆 I’m all for using your best for yourself every day but sometimes you just have to let go of your fantasy “Martha Stewart entertains Heads of States”! 🤣
😂 Brilliant! I'm definitely stealing that line...❤
love that!
That's a big problem I struggle with also. I've bought clothes for my "fantasy self" that I'm never going to actually wear. The money has been spent and the clothes have never been worn. Some of them I've never even tried on. I know rationally that I should just declutter them and let them go. But I can't, yet. Thank you for your inspiration on making the hard decisions. I'm glad your large cutting board went to a home where it will be appreciated and used.
Gifting is such a great way of decluttering. It's rewarding.
For me the hardest part of decluttering is the guilt for the money I 'feel' that I've 'wasted'. I think this is an important video for anyone who is going through this process. Thank you.
How exciting! You've blessed someone with your beautiful board. It's so good to have a nice item to go to an appreciative person! You're right about the financial guilt, though. I heard someone refer to the money spent as dead. Don't think about it as it is gone. Quirky, but effective for me, lol. Wonderful video! Take care, Linda 🦋
New subscriber. Thank you. This was a great video. ❤
What is really hilarious is that I have that same board and never use it and it just sits on the floor propped up against the wall (because it is huge and there is no where to store it), but can't bring myself to get rid of it because "I paid for this!" 🤪
Consider giving yourself a deadline, if you haven't used it by a certain date, then donate it. If it isn't being used, it can bless someone else. Also, you can write off donations on your taxes.
I feel the same way! I’m a quilter and a crafter. But I have to declutter, I have too much stuff! I paid a lot of money for this fabric and these craft supplies! But I have to purge! I donated lots of fabric to the Union Gospel Mission because they can sell it in their thrift store and it will benefit them. I’m getting over the guilt now because it feels good to be rid of it!
I've been watching you since before you moved to MD. A fellow Marylander here. This video caused me to search sentimental clutter, which led me to your decluttering of sentimental clutter. How did I miss them before 🤷. Thank you! You answered my questions and resolved my struggle with the boxes of sentimental stuff I've been storing since I was a child (and I'm 62). I saved it "for my daughter one day" (I had 2 boys). I saved it for "grandaughters". They don't want this stuff. I don't want this stuff. I will be doing a major purge in the next couple of days. Should I struggle, I will watch your videos again.
I'm so glad you found a path to this!
Well done and delighted to hear it’s going to a homeowner that wanted the board. This video is such a help to me as I struggle with letting stuff go. Have a great week. Mary, Joes wife 🙇♀️👏💪👍🙏💐
The heavy cutting board is a good thing to get rid of, but yes NOT BUYING impractical stuff in the first place is the key. It’s hard to watch people declutter declutter declutter and then just buy a bunch more stuff and fill their houses up again.
For me, decluttering was successful once I paired it with a laser focus on budgeting. I intentionally made it very difficult for myself to spend on “non-essential” items, while also ensuring I would not overspend on essentials. Over the years, this has resulted in a few amazing spreadsheets. One shows how every dollar spent will impact the bottom line at the end of the year and automatically adjusts itself with every purchase. The other shows how bigger expenses might affect how long our savings will last into our retirement years. This is all really a bit over the top, but it makes us happy and my husband and I rarely experience financial guilt. It’s incredibly powerful to be in control of our finances - to the point one can reasonably be in control. At the same time, clutter has pretty much left our house, because there is not a lot of excess coming in. It’s different for families with young kids, though, because of constantly changing needs. Therefore I mainly recommend this for peace of mind later in life.
it’s beautiful. That’s probably why you bought it. I have a hard time decluttering my daughter’s toys. She turns 20 in 8 days. I blinked!!!!!
If you’ve kept them this long, pick out the favourites and store them in a bin. It won’t be long until you have grandkids!!
My grandkids love coming and head straight to Grammies toy box. All things I saved from when our boys were little.
My friend has a very large board like that, it doesn’t get put away. It lives as a work surface on the counter and gets cleaned with salt and lemon (🤔) I think.
Listening to this video makes me realize how far I've come with decluttering. I have given up the guilt over pretty much all of these things. I can see how managing the clutter is not worth it and I've overcome the need to try to sell things and have become totally fine with donating to Goodwill full well knowing they will probably throw away some of my donations. I've also become ok with trashing things that have no value for someone else. I have adult kids who don't want the stuff I've saved for them so it's all going away without any guilt or hard feelings. Thanks for your videos and letting us peek into your home and brain.
Great video! Do you have a link to the shirt you have on. It is so attractive on you!
Yes!! It’s a weight thats lifted off your shoulders and your mental state. I found this decluttering community during COVID and really put it into practice donating items wo selling my items because honestly I know myself and I wont make the time to do it. It’s been such a learning experience these past 4 years but I continue to declutter and make sure everything that has a home has a purpose. And I love your videos Erica because you show your struggles through your process and it’s real life. I love you for that! You’re an amazing woman! Thank you for your candor ❤
I take the attitude of I made what ever choice I did based on the info I had at the time, if that info changes does not make my original choice wrong. I just move on. I bought the thing and it did not work out, great I have learned what I needed during that time in my life, if that is one day or a year. I would have never known if I did not try.
Great mindset!
My mother always said "I played the hand I was dealt as best I could at the time" and that gets me through many many decisions
I thought if I stored something long enough it would accrue interest and I'd recoup the money i spent. 😂
👏👏👏👍💞
Thanks, Fantastic advice, Erica! 😃
Thank you for this reminder that decluttering is an ongoing struggle; every time I reach equilibrium for a while, I hope I’m “done”-and then something changes. I’m struggling now because my adult daughter suddenly needs to store things at my place during an overseas assignment (and we had downsized 😜). Decisions that I had tabled about my stuff now need to be revisited and I am dealing with economic fear about my “just in case” items as we approach retirement. It’s gonna be a long summer 🤷🏻♀️
Your daughter should rent a storage unit for her things. Our daughter stored her belongings over the summer months while she was in college. It was so easy to help her move them into her newest living arrangement each year. It was great not carting them back to our home each summer. Just a suggestion. I've been decluttering for around 4 years. Feels like I will never be finished. I couldn't handle bringing other peoples stuff into my house. Good luck!
What about all the clothes and shoes still with tags but don’t fit right. This is an area of mental torture for me. I can even feel my usually generous self actually becoming mean and not wanting to send them to the charity shop. It seems to touch a very painful spot in me. I’m embarrassed but can’t get past it 🤦🏻♀️ What’s wrong with me!!! 😫
Please see it as helping others…someone who needs nice clothes for work but only has a few dollars to spend…they have mouths to feed and bills to pay but she needs to look presentable at work or got a promotion and needs nicer clothes asap. Open your heart❤God bless😊
Thank you Erica yes yes !!! just get it out of our homes very liberated 😅
Candy, Joe's wife. My husband bought me that exact same cutting board. It is cumbersome and heavy but perfect to roll out pie crust, bread and cinnamon rolls. I love it.
Erica, powerful message!! I think we all struggle to some degree with the guilt! Well put, well said! TY❤
Great video! I think the guilt is my biggest hurdle….
Erica we have all done exactly this, you're not alone! I'm only 5 minutes into the video but thinking maybe you could donate this great cutting board to a food kitchen or a school canteen. Just want to thank you for being so real and relatable. I never fail to laugh out loud at least once during your videos. Take care :-)
Thanks for discussing this with us who have done the same thing and may need your excellent advice 👍
Omg! I have a similar cutting board. Thanks for the video.
My first Lent I decided to give up shame and blame. I am still working on it.
How do you manage gifts that you receive without damaging relations? This weekend, we again got blankets and clothing items that we do not need and not going to use.
Beating ourselves up over and over again is like making a mistake and paying for it every day for the rest of our lives. Even criminals get off from paying for their crimes and a buying mistake really isn’t a crime. It’s usually a reality check that marketing is a lie.
Great video. I have huge pieces of furniture like this.
I have a hard time too sometimes getting rid of items I feel I haven’t got my moneys worth out of it.
However, I try to think about it like eating out. Eating out cost at least $50 and after I do that I don’t try to keep getting money worth out of it. I enjoyed the meal and now it’s gone let it go. So why do we buy something get use out of it and still feel like we need to get every ounce of money worth of it? But we don’t blink an eye sometimes ( so to speak ) spending $50 on eating out.
You only had the cutting board for 2 yrs so understandable but sometimes we hold on to things even longer even know that we are not really using that because we spent $$ on. I trying to get over that!
I agree sometimes it is not worth the aggravation of selling on Facebook marketplace etc. I don’t bother usually unless it’s a piece of furniture that usually sells fast for $$.
Lots of back and forth trying to sell on Facebook market place, I don’t have time for that.
Why not use the board in your closet on wire shelving for a sturdy space?
I’ve always wandered how you manage the large cutting board! I buy thin smaller ones and even little bamboo ones! So much easier! Congratulations to your new decision!
SO relatable!! You have such a gift of verbalizing how we feel about clutter and how we process it…Now, it would be great if you were posting videos 2x’s a week! In the meantime, I’ll continue to rewatch your videos!
Do you know a strong man who may appreciate it!
Yes we all have financial guilt over things. It is normal. However, I try to see the joy in decluttering stuff that leaves me house.
Erica it’s a cutting board set it free!!!
Such joy good on you 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I would just set it on the island
Good for you!!!
18 months ago I bought a fancy juicer, it was £220 I used it for a few weeks and since then until recently it had sat on the counter gathering dust. Recently I cleaned it up and have it away to a charity shop who could well it. I could have sold it but the money was already gone and wasn't coming back and I figured that the charity shop could make a little cash from it and I got my counter space back. Sometimes we just need to stop thinking so much and just do it
Erica, I have financial guilt over clothes. I buy clothes but afterwards I know in my heart of hearts I will never wear it. I hang on to these clothes because I think I might change my mind. I know I won’t but still, you never know. I think it’s time to be realistic and start getting rid of them………….
Philippians 3:13-14 💝💐
How many others had to stop and look up that scripture?
Yup, I still impulse buy then take back. What a struggle that shouldn't be a struggle. I don't want stuff but I'll still buy it bring it home live with it awhile and then take it back, kinda similar deal (especially, Costco).
We all go through it! And even with experience will continue to go through it. I got rid of books, I mean 2-3 book cases of books. Man those books were bullies too. The ones I didn't finish constantly taunted me, I wasn't bright enough, worthy enough, etc... It felt so good to get rid of them, they're gone I think 10 years, and I only have positive thoughts about getting rid of them. (I still read, I just use the library or get rid of books when I'm finished with them. Sure I'll keep some if I think I'll read them, but if I can get it from the library, no I'd rather have them store the book )
Someone else can get good out of it. Think of it as a gift. Also, plastic ones are easy to slide into the cabinet and big enough to do the job. Ours is oribably 18 in by 12 in. Also, bacteria sticks to wooden things.
A local animal rescue is holding a yard sale fundraiser next weekend so I fully intend to fill my car with donations for them as I have over the past 5 or so years. I'd call myself a minimalist at this point so this time around should be a challenge!
Please let go of the financial guilt. This takes up too much mental space. Be kind to yourself. You are doing the best you can.
Dear Erica, I have learn that it is worse the guilt of looking the ítem every day than donating it
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One of your best videos!❤️
BTW, love your blouse. The colors are beautiful on you!
I love how you're feeling quite fantastic! :) haha that's a great story
The tittle of the video alone really speaks to ❤ . The video gave it justice. 🎉🎉🎉
You let both yourself and the board out of punishment prison! 🙌
👋👋 👍🏻👍🏻 You are an inspiration 😊 Thank you
I think so many women suffer financial guilt. I think part of that is because they are conditioned from an early age not to be “wasteful” (which on the whole is a good thing to be taught) and that we should always make the “perfect decision” and have the “best possible judgement” every time, but that expectation, which is expected less from men, comes with the burdensome inference that we as women aren’t supposed to make mistakes and are supposed to feel overly grateful for everything we have; and to take care of everything perfectly. So we need to free ourselves from that aspect of the ‘guilt conditioning’ of not being perfect, responsible or practicable enough in our decision making, as well as the financial guilt.
I think that mindset comes from a point of historical practicality. My mom and I lived with my grandparents for half of my childhood and close by for the rest. Grandma grew up in extreme poverty and was a wife and mother during the depression. That woman never threw anything away. We even saved wrapping paper to reuse. We had that same paper up until my late teens. To this day, I cringe when I see people rip open presents, and I reuse mine as well.Back in the day, the vast majority of people didn't have to obsess over "decluttering" because they didn't "clutter." Every penny was budgeted, and they had to take care of their things because the acquisition of them meant scrimping and saving to get them. Women did the shopping, so it fell to them to try to get quality things that would last, and they didn't overbuy. Now, shopping is easy, and choices are endless and cheap. And cheaply made on purpose to keep consumption going. I think the pressure you feel was put on women to be perfect stemmed from the fact that if money wasn't spent wisely, it wasn't just about her. It affected the whole family. As I'm now middle aged, I'm looking around at all the things I have and will start to do some Swedish death cleaning. As frugal as I am, I've acquired way too much, mostly through thrifting, and as I look through old family photos and see how sparsely appointed homes were, it's been eye-opening, and pretty humbling to compare the amount of abundance now versus then.
Guilt. You're so right.
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I love gifting items to my daughter! She is thrilled and I get rid of something that is no longer needed! Great video! 🩷
I cannot concentrate on the boards story at all, your timers on the microwave and the stove are so out of sync, I have to count the seconds to figure out the difference. But there are all these cuts! But it’s a LOT, my guess is 37 seconds..
So, sorry, what was it about the board again? 😂🫣