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Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Found a Stash; Tossed a Stash; Reduced Stash

Stash 1
For a few months, I have been using things that I don't like. Well, actually, these things are irritants. I prefer plain, old, original Dawn that does not make me sneeze or make my hands itch. I ran out of my preference and used some Dawn with lotions. ugh. Then, I used Palmolive antibacterial  Today, I was in the laundry room, drying the clothes I took to the laundry last night.


There was a box that was at an angle, so I looked to see what was in there. Lo and Behold, there were 7 bottles of original Dawn, 15 oz. bottles. Can you see my Happy Dance?


Tossed a Stash


When Michele and the marvelous three were here, I had Einstein carry out from the laundry room about a dozen buckets of paint. Some were 13 years old, but stored inside so it was in temperature controlled environment and closed very tight, not half-closed like some paint is stored. Well, I had Einstein put them outdoors. The plan was for them to carry home all if they wanted it. We all forgot. Some of it was paint I wanted but did not get it in before the freezes we have had.




Sunday night, Charlie carried all the paint buckets to the road for the garbage pickup.


Sooo, all gone. But, the movement of the paint from indoors to outdoors must have unearthed the box that held my stash of 7 bottles of Dawn. Since I must get the Dawn on a shelf, now I must clear out and toss something in the laundry room that is not usable. But, this is not a problem, just a challenge.


Dawn I found probably did not cost more than a quarter, but possibly it was free. For the last year, I have been looking for Dawn original on sale so I could use my coupons. Finally, I was out and resorted to other dishwashing liquid. Now, the search is not so urgent. I just love it when a plan comes together when there was not actually a plan.




Reduced a Stash
When Michele was here, she picked up a huge bag that contained smaller bags. These were prescriptions. This embarrassed me because it looked as though I were on dozens of prescriptions each day. Not so. And, I am certainly not hoarding pills.




When I get to the last two or three pills and it has disappeared, sometimes I pick up the new bottle waiting and start on it. Sometimes, I don't throw away an empty bottle because I need to take the label off before tossing. Sometimes, I want to save the pill bottle for use as a container. That is how I end up with so many pill bottles.


When I buy Mucinex, generic, there is a bottle at WM for $0.88 that contains only 15 tablets, a much lower cost per pill than a large bottle of generic or the Mucinex brand. Today, I dumped the contents of two bottles and half of another bottle into one bottle. That means two empty bottles tossed.


Then, there are three meds I was allergic to and the bottle of prescription med that I refused to take. I hate to toss these, but have no one to give them to. sigh...they remain for at least a few more weeks.


Most of the things I have are for allergies. I don't use the inhalers as soon as I should, so I have too many. For the next few months, I need to tell the pharmacist not to fill these.


Last night, someone got the paint from the curb, okay with me. I have two full garbage cans ready for Thursday pickup. And, I have until tonight to mash down those two and fill the third garbage can I own.
Oh Joy!


Remember, bending is almost impossible for me to do. Bending two or three times finishes me off for the day. Seriously, I often look longingly at things I want to do.


(The line spacing is all the work of Blogger.)


Your turn
Does decluttering ever start out innocently enough with picking up an item and sort of snowball, finding something that needs to go now? Do you find things you want or need, things you thought you had but could not find? How are your stashes doing? Come on; we all have them, even if called by a different name.

12 comments:

  1. I started to answer, but thought it best to post it on my own blog, rather than fill up your comment space with a post-sized comment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 444,
      Now, that was funny, but you could have posted a long comment on my blog. I never understand why people care. Oh, people with their own agenda might get frown and deleted.

      Delete
  2. Oh yes. Long lost essentials have appeared when stashes have been cleared. Usually (drat it) after we have bought a replacement.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. EC,
      That is my method of finding things. I often go out and buy the replacement. If I am lucky, the new thing will show up before I even open the substitute that I can then return. Of course, sometimes I cannot return it and must keep it.

      Delete
  3. I have so many projects that I want to do and then the list alone overwhelms me. I just do little things and then keep moving. It gets done, it just takes a while. Keep on plugging away.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sonya Ann,
      Keep on plugging away is the only way I get anything done!

      Delete
  4. I hate throwing away prescriptions, I hang onto them practically forever because of what it situations.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am not a hoarder by nature (Ask my sons and they will say differently, but I thought everyone has and uses 8 sets of dishes) but I do find stuff accumulates easily. I have just read the book 7 and I am following the authors idea of sharing (via Salvation Army or another charity) 7 items daily for 30 days. At first 210 items seemed like a lot, until I went through the first room and had a box of things I really don't need. I am trying to critically decide if everything I look at enhances our lives or gets in the way of living.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anne,

      Of course, you are not a hoarder! Well,.if you use the dishes, you are not. Do you remember when I got rid of 10 books a day for 80 days? I got rid of books instead of increasing the book shelves. After 800 books, the other 1000 had homes on bookshelves. Some books needed to stay.

      Delete
  6. I've moved so many times in the last few years I don't have a ton of clutter left. Sure, I have a few boxes to go through, but nothing alarming. However, I probably still have some stuff at my Dad's I need to sift through eventually.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Moving does keep the clutter down. I can attest to that.

      Delete

Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.