We all know Marie Kondo and if you are like me, you have tried to follow all her advices when it comes to tidying up. And if you are really like me, you have failed countless times to trim down the things that spark joy for you and just have decided to keep them all. (I’m very sorry, Marie!)
Well my friend, today we’d get down to the grittier side of tidying up.
There would be no mercy.
We’d dispose of the things that are not memorable, useful or beautiful.
What made me turn things around?
It’s a saying I have read recently that made me realize we need to be more vigilant regarding my purchases:
Let that sink in.
You have thought of purchases you regret, right? You even remember the price you shelled out for a dress, shoes, bag or even for a lipstick that is not the right shade. You might try to justify that you bought them during a sale or you used a discount voucher. Reasonable. But, what happened to these material things now? Have you used them to serve their purpose? Or are they collecting dust under your bed or at the far corner of your closet?
We OFWs, of all people, should try to practice minimalistic living because we are foreigners living in a different land and sooner or later, we have to leave. If we have lots of things we have accumulated over the years, it would be difficult for us to dispose of them or costly if we plan to ship everything back home.
So, even if you are not yet planning to let go of your OFW status anytime soon, still start tidying up and don’t let your stuff overpower your living space. When you come home to a tidy space, your mind would also be less cluttered with unnecessary thoughts. “Clean space = clean mind”. There is a reason why we felt calmer after we clean because when there is less clutter, there are also less distractions. It would also keep our mind focused on the tasks at hand because our mind is not muddled with thoughts on whether the litter is something that we should throw, donate or if we are going to keep it, where are we going to store it?
When you do start to tidy up, the most important thing you have to remember is to take your time and once you have decided to either throw or donate something, don’t have second thoughts and fish it out again of the donation box or the garbage bin. The second thing you need to consider is knowing what the usual culprits are when it comes to clutter so it would be easier for you to tackle them.
Papers
Coupons
As a wais OFW, we tend to hoard on coupons which is fine since we are saving money when we use these coupons. Although, check the coupons you have periodically and immediately throw those already expired or those coupons that would still require you to shell out money that is beyond your budget. Share the coupons also to your friends and colleagues especially if you are sure you would not be using them. Let others benefit from it instead of it expiring.
Receipts
When going through your collection of receipts, make sure regarding warranties since most of them would require original receipt. Once warranties lapsed, you could dispose of the receipts (though it is better that you keep a digital copy). You could keep all the receipts in one file or if you are keeping the boxes, you could keep them inside the box. This is especially handy if you are planning on reselling the product in the future.
Files
If you have paper files that are not that important but still you could not dispose of, digitize them. Even old photos that are already fading in color, you could throw them away after scanning. Throw away menus, leaflets, brochures and calling cards since you could find them all in the internet. Toss out manuals since you could also download those.
Paper bags
I know you have a big paper bag with smaller paper bags inside from branded stores. There is no harm in keeping a few because they could be reused. But, if you are still keeping the paper bag from a purchase that you have already disposed of or already used, it’s time to let go of the bag my friend even if you consider this a souvenir of that purchase (trust me you already have lots of paper bags from Victoria’s Secret).
Books
Cleaning my bookshelf is hard for me because I am attached to my books, especially those I have already read. I am not a fan of ebooks so it is obvious that my collection of books would grow exponentially. Now, I am more flexible getting rid of books. If I have read it and I felt like I would not reread it, I gift it to someone else. But if you are planning on having your own library, then invest in classic pieces or books that you feel like would be a collector’s item in the future.
Magazines
For magazines, I’ve stopped buying and just kept the catalog from IKEA (although this one could also be chucked in the recycling bin since IKEA posts the catalog online).
Cookbooks
For those who have amassed quite a collection of cookbooks, go through them and just keep a few. Recipes could be googled.
Clothing
Tops & Bottoms
If they have holes, a persistent stain, faded in color, upcycle them. But if you know you would not find the time to spend an afternoon being crafty, donate those clothes provided they are still useable and not just because you want to dispose of them. Keep in mind also the next time you go clothes shopping if you would use the clothes you are about to buy for a long time. If they are trendy or does not really go well with other clothes that you already own, chances are it will end up as another clutter. If you are also open to it, why not try sustainable clothes shopping and shop at secondhand stores? Not only are you saving money, you are also helping the environment since these clothes would not end up in the dumpsters. Just make sure though that you buy from trusted stores or that you completely and thoroughly wash, clean and sanitize the clothes before wearing them.
Winter clothes
Unless you plan to migrate somewhere where it’s snowing, you don’t need another jacket. Yes, it gets cold in the Middle East but not that cold so you don’t need to have a separate closet for winter clothes. If your cardigan is already out of shape, upcycle it to become a scarf or a mitten. Buy good quality jackets that you could use every winter instead of buying affordable ones that you could only use one winter season.
Accessories
These little buggers are annoying because you would just notice that suddenly you already have a box full of mismatched earrings, tangled necklaces, bracelets and rusty rings. If an earring lost its pair, throw it away. If the silver or gold plated accessories of yours already lost their sparkle and faded in color (unless you have a cleaner that could restore them to their former glory), toss them away.
Socks
If they lost their pair, throw them, unless you have an army of Dobbys that need freeing. If they have holes in them, toss them out as well. You never know when you would need to remove your shoes and you would not want to be embarrassed by someone seeing your socks that look like Swiss cheese.
Bags
There is no Mr. Quickie here in the Middle East so if your bag is beyond your capabilities of fixing and repairing, better to send them back home to the Philippines to be given a Mr. Quickie fix because if you would get them repaired here, it might be more cheaper to buy a new bag from discount centers.
Miscellaneous
Medicines
When we have medicines stored, we tend to self-medicate. I’m not saying that you should not stack up on Panadol, Alaxan, Biogesic and other medicines that could cure the usual maladies but if you have antibiotics that you did not finish when you had the flu, we have the tendency to just drink these medicines the next time we are sick instead of going to the doctor and asking for new prescriptions.
Expired make up
There is nothing sexy with using gunky, funky make up. You even open yourself to possibilities of developing skin rash. Eww.
Kitchen wares
Throw that mug without a handle, that chipped glass, that spoon without its fork. They don’t look eclectic and disarrayed, they just look sad.
If you are having a hard time deciding which needs to be discarded, take a look at the chart below and hopefully it could make the process of tidying up easier for you.
An Overseas Filipino Worker since 2008, Yvette is back in the Middle East after a brief stint in a first world country in South East Asia. She is a binge watcher and is part of numerous fandoms. She writes to keep her sanity (read her rantings on Wattpad @yvette_dc) and is happiest when she's in a bookstore. If given the resources, she would see the world.