Here’s my preliminary list….. leave a comment with some more rules of your own….
- If it’s paper worth scanning, then scan it to 300dpi PDF then throw it away
- If you are not going to use it again and can’t remember what it’s for, throw it away.
- If it’s cheap and you can buy a better replacement, throw it away
- If it takes more work to fix vs buy a new one, throw it away
- If you always wanted it, but forgot about it for years, give it to Goodwill, or throw it away.
- If it’s a comic strip Mom sent, or a greetings card, file it away for that art idea you had.
- If it’s an instruction manual you have for something you still own, keep it (or scan & throw away?)
- If it’s an old cable adapter, and you have more than three, keep only two.
My rules for keeping something or throwing it away. Can you help refine them? http://bit.ly/cQKPNZ #FB
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Good question… everyone has to come up with their own system for this. I once knew a guy whose basic rule was, if he hadn’t used it in 6 months, toss it. But he was from Florida. That would NOT work for someone living in other climates!
Certainly after you get a home and live there for a while, you’ll end up with a LOT of stuff, but it’s amazing how much of that actually is needed occasionally. Over time you learn from experience what you use and don’t. It’s amazing to me how, for example, left over boards, screws, etc. end up coming in handy later. On the other hand, I have tendency to save way too many containers – boxes, jars, etc. So the rule with those is, to toss if in doubt.
Looking back, I wish I’d saved more of my school notes. So there and with books I’d recommend gradual culling rather than all-or-nothing. I actually file away a lot of my old paperwork rather than try to decide what to keep. It would take a LONG time to decide and the amount if you save it isn’t all that much physical space per year. And I have found that I refer back to those every once in a while.
Only throw away what you can’t donate. (It’ll make getting rid of stuff that’s still usable easier, and it makes the junk pile easier to swallow.)
Look for manuals online, (Faster and higher quality than scanning.) – but save them locally, those websites may go away.
If you don’t use something non-seasonal (skis, SCUBA gear, etc.) and you don’t use it for three months, donate it. (Especially if you can borrow one for some odd stuff.)
Even if you rip DVDs and CDs, you need to keep the original for copyright, but you can keep the liner art and donate the jewel case.
Tell friends & family not to give you stuff. (I’d rather have a great experience than a useless trinket or clothes I don’t really like.)
With most of the above, Tools are the exception…
Have a friend help if it turns into an issue, they can help with removing emotion and sentimentality.
This is a good project, I’ll think about it some more.
Rules for keeping something or throwing away|@motorbikematt http://bit.ly/cQKPNZ Comment: ID stuff you tend to keep too much & stuff to cull
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Wow, a lot of hits and a few great responses. Help me tweak my rules for keeping something or throwing it away http://bit.ly/cQKPNZ
This comment was originally posted on Twitter