Meditations on stuff

Photo by foto76

I’m reading Stuff, by Randy Frost and Gail Steketee, a book about hoarding.

People have different feelings about their belongings. Those who hoard usually have difficulty with decision making and may feel compelled to keep things that the rest of us could easily let go.

Not everyone who has clutter, however, is a hoarder. In fact, just about everyone has some clutter in their lives.

Two articles I recently read, both of which are marginally about clutter and really have more to do with finances, also made me think about how people relate to their stuff.

In the Get Rich Slowly post In Defense of Clutter, the author says of minimalism

"We can all agree that our belongings or the desire for more of them shouldn’t control us. But neither should we hold ourselves to an ideal that might not be practical or sustainable for us personally.”

There seems to be a backlash against the simple-living philosophy by people who say the lifestyle isn’t warm or welcoming or congenial. Those people would never be able to live without the things they feel define them.

In the New York Times article, The Case for Spending a Little More Sometimes, the author encourages readers to live with less by buying fewer, better things. He says this

“Here is the issue: when we settle for stuff that we don’t really want, and instead buy [cheap] stuff that will be fine for a [short] while, it often costs more in the long run.”

 

What about you? Do you prefer to live in a minimal environment or do you like to be surrounded by stuff?

 

Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter , facebook and pinterest

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Meditations on stuff

Photo by foto76

I’m reading Stuff, by Randy Frost and Gail Steketee, a book about hoarding.

People have different feelings about their belongings. Those who hoard usually have difficulty with decision making and may feel compelled to keep things that the rest of us could easily let go.

Not everyone who has clutter, however, is a hoarder. In fact, just about everyone has some clutter in their lives.

Two articles I recently read, both of which are marginally about clutter and really have more to do with finances, also made me think about how people relate to their stuff.

In the Get Rich Slowly post In Defense of Clutter, the author says of minimalism

"We can all agree that our belongings or the desire for more of them shouldn’t control us. But neither should we hold ourselves to an ideal that might not be practical or sustainable for us personally.”

There seems to be a backlash against the simple-living philosophy by people who say the lifestyle isn’t warm or welcoming or congenial. Those people would never be able to live without the things they feel define them.

In the New York Times article, The Case for Spending a Little More Sometimes, the author encourages readers to live with less by buying fewer, better things. He says this

“Here is the issue: when we settle for stuff that we don’t really want, and instead buy [cheap] stuff that will be fine for a [short] while, it often costs more in the long run.”

 

What about you? Do you prefer to live in a minimal environment or do you like to be surrounded by stuff?

 

Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter , facebook and pinterest

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

National Library Week

Sponsored by the American Library Association , National Library Week recognizes libraries for all that they offer us and also honors librarians for the work they do.

You can show your admiration for your local librarian on Tuesday, which is National Library Workers.   For those of you who use twitter, you can follow the conversation about Library Week at #nlw12.

If you’re a fan of Brad Meltzer’s,you’ll be interested in this video, where he talks about what libraries mean to him.

The public library and school library were wondrous places for me when I was a child and I remain dedicated to my  local public library.  You can visit my Events page on facebook to see when I will be appearing at the library for a book reading/signing.  If you would like to see me at your library, let me know by leaving a comment, below.

Stop by your library and say "thanks" to your librarian this week.

Organized by MarcieTM:  Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

National Library Week

Sponsored by the American Library Association , National Library Week recognizes libraries for all that they offer us and also honors librarians for the work they do.

You can show your admiration for your local librarian on Tuesday, which is National Library Workers.   For those of you who use twitter, you can follow the conversation about Library Week at #nlw12.

If you’re a fan of Brad Meltzer’s,you’ll be interested in this video, where he talks about what libraries mean to him.

The public library and school library were wondrous places for me when I was a child and I remain dedicated to my  local public library.  You can visit my Events page on facebook to see when I will be appearing at the library for a book reading/signing.  If you would like to see me at your library, let me know by leaving a comment, below.

Stop by your library and say "thanks" to your librarian this week.

Organized by MarcieTM:  Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Reading List

Even though I’m consumed with last-minute publishing details, I still have time to read other people’s work. Most of my reading lately has served as research for my book or has been about the publication and marketing processes. I'm looking forward to reading some good fiction soon, along with books that are marginally related to my work.

I created a wish list with Shelfari; you can see my virtual bookshelf on the left. I don’t usually like gadget-type things, but I’ve enjoyed seeing what other people have on their shelves. What’s on yours?  Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us what you're reading. 

Organized by MarcieTM: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Reading List

Even though I’m consumed with last-minute publishing details, I still have time to read other people’s work. Most of my reading lately has served as research for my book or has been about the publication and marketing processes. I'm looking forward to reading some good fiction soon, along with books that are marginally related to my work.

I created a wish list with Shelfari; you can see my virtual bookshelf on the left. I don’t usually like gadget-type things, but I’ve enjoyed seeing what other people have on their shelves. What’s on yours?  Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us what you're reading. 

Organized by MarcieTM: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!