Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Thursday, May 14. 2015

The economics and psychology of tidying up


It's not all hoarding - some people just can't let go of their "precious" stuff.


The Economics of Tidying Up: An Economist Reads Marie Kondo. “People are wrong when they think that pair of jeans will ever fit again, Kondo is arguing. Optimistic predictions keep people from getting rid of things they don’t need.”


We adhere to the two-year rule except for jewelry, art, firearms, and heirlooms.


Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss in Psychology, and Dr. Bliss, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 15:03 | Comments (6) | Trackbacks (0)

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In turning three downstairs bedrooms, a bath and a bunch of hall closets into a substantial master bedroom and bath, I have had to go through thirty years of stuff crammed into closets, bookshelves, dressers, under beds and on walls. I got the Kondo book at the library. It was very helpful. Whatever you do, do not involve anyone else in the culling process. It will stall, and end in will result in recriminations and drag back of clutter. I quietly filled an empty garage bay with the things that might be missed by the fam while they were elsewhere, and I put everything into discreet brown boxes. Nothing was missed for a month, so off it went.
#1 MissyW on 2015-05-14 18:18 (Reply)
add the except list: tools, boat stuff…

no wonder I have now room
#2 Dennis on 2015-05-14 20:30 (Reply)
This is excellent advice; please be aware though that it does not apply to muskie fishing tackle since, as we devotees know, when we die, he who has the most stuff...wins.
#3 Rich on 2015-05-14 20:47 (Reply)
"we adhere to the two year rule" Well, aren't you just Mr. and Mrs. Perfect.
#4 p*e*t*e*r on 2015-05-14 21:13 (Reply)
That was not nice.
#4.1 Bird Dog on 2015-05-15 17:57 (Reply)
On a closet sort of what fit and what didn't, I filled a box with trousers in good condition that were the correct length but were too big in the waist. I've now moved that box twice in interstate moves. Recently, I noticed that all the trousers in daily use seemed to have shrunk, so I opened the box to find good stuff that actually fits. I'm glad I kept it around the last few years.
With the amount of physical labor I'll be doing this summer it won't be long before the trousers go back in the box, so I'll keep the shrunken ones around too...
#5 Douglas2 on 2015-05-14 22:45 (Reply)

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