Wiki Peace » Host the 1Thing4Green Live Chat on your Blog.

How to Get Rid of Stuff – Indianapolis Monthly

Hundreds of tips and ideas.

Hahaha.. oh, Ariel how I love thee!

Ariel is the mastermind behind Offbeat Bride, Offbeat Mama, and now the new site, Offbeat Home. There’s some pretty wacky stuff going on over there, but it’s right up my alley!

Ariel, from her website

I wanted to share today’s post with you guys because it is along the lines of some of the stuff we’ve discussed on the blog; namely, getting rid of the clutter and living life free of stuff that we don’t need. Ariel has a unique way of talking about these things, so give her a read!

“I have lived my life as a pack-rat since childhood. A fondness for collections combined with a bloated sense of self-importance lead me to view all my memorabilia and sentimental items as incredibly important. During my high school theatrical period, I was convinced I would someday become a famous actress, and the Ariel Museum would be so incredibly thankful that I’d saved every playbill from every community theater production I’d ever been in. (“Ooh,” I imagined someone whispering breathlessly. “Here’s the 1991 program from the Bainbridge High School production of Leader of the Pack. I can’t believe it’s actually here!”) I was also sure my dating history was going to be incredibly interesting, so I dried and saved every corsage from every high school dance. I even saved the plastic spoonful of petrified 1990 cake frosting that the Associated Student Body Vice President gave to me when he asked me to Homecoming my Sophomore year. IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT, PIVOTAL FROSTING.”

To continue reading click here!

Posted by Amy Kuras on February 1, 2011 at 12:46 PM

While the economy is, allegedly, improving, many people have found themselves downsizing. Sometimes it’s a necessity. Their income has declined and they have to adjust to the new normal, but other times it’s something they do because they want to simplify and scale back the consumerism.

There are people following this all over the Internet to the point that it’s something of a movement. Buy Nothing Day on the day after Thanksgiving, a San Francisco group who made a promise to buy nothing new for one whole year, and a New York City blogger who pledged to not eat out for one full year. Which, if you live in New York, would be like going on a fast in the middle of a posh buffet.

The latest is a guy named David Hochman, who pledged, along with his wife and young son, to go a month without spending any more than $100.

They excepted their mortgage, utilities, and their son’s preschool tuition, but everything else, and I mean everything else, including gas and even Internet access, fell under that $100 spending limit.

They ended up discovering the wonders of Freecycle and the magic powers of baking soda, white vinegar, and hot water, and found that some of their more frugal habits stayed with them. Instead of rushing right out to a restaurant or loading up on groceries, they actually stayed home and entertained themselves with time they would typically spend shopping or on the computer.

Cutting back, whether on purpose or because circumstances demand it, does make you think a lot about what you spend and why. You may find that much of what you are currently spending your money on doesn’t actually make your life more fun.

Would you go on a spending fast?

via Family Who Lived on $100 a Month Spills the Secret | The Stir.