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Offloading the junk — 9 Comments

  1. I've just bought a bottle of L'Oreal men's shampoo, which will last me about 6 months of hair washing, for 2.99 clamshells, marked down from the usual 5.99 – a saving of three clamshells, almost the price of a measure of whiskey, which costs 3.5 clamshells a tot at my local. That's enough sales fever for me.

  2. I suffer from "it's bright and shiny and I must have it" syndrome, usually at it's worst with timepieces, Swiss Army pen-knives, or lighters. The affliction is decreasing with age, though, based on the philosophy that it's not a bargain if I don't need it, and that to want what I don't have is to waste what I already have. I see why this is a wise viewpoint intellectually but it is hard to see it as fact.

    It's time for a car-boot sale and general clear-out or I'll end up like Mr Trebus, but attempts to whittle down my stuff usually ends up in mere re-arranging of it in various boxes. There's a process called the 100 thing challenge which is designed to remove non-essential or duplicated stuff, and hopefully stops people acting like magpies collecting shiny junk, but what if I need it? Or want to do up those old bikes rusting in the shed, or re-read all those books in the attic? Eh? What then? 

     

     

    • I discovered the secret is to move house to a smaller place.  Now I realise this may seem a little drastic and not to be undertaken on a weekly basis but it worked for me.  At the time of the move I threw out an industrial sized skip worth of pure rubbish I had collected over the years.  The current house has ideal living space but is somewhat lacking in large scale storage so I have to be damn careful what comes in.  I got another skip last year to clear the garage and am having a real struggle to keep the space relatively clear since.  The space on top of the flat roof is gradually filling up though……….  😐

  3. Heh! Same as that, GD, although if I see a bargain that I need / want and I can afford it, I'll get it.. As for borrowing, I got out of that a long time ago (not 30 years, but a while). When I was in UK I had a wallet full of credit cards – I could have bought a small house with the facility I had on them. But credit cards make it too easy to spend money you don't have, and leaves you paying usurious interest rates. When I came to Greece 15 odd years ago, I paid off all my cards and cancelled them. I now have several debit cards (I have bank accounts in three countries), but I can only spend what I have. It tends to focus the mind when you don't have credit facilities, and spending is directed at what is needed rather than what is wanted. And I don't buy 'branded' clothes, either. Why the fuck pay a fortune for a little logo? I just don't understand it.

    • The last time I had a loan was from the Credit Union towards buying a car.  I can't remember how long ago that was but I haven't borrowed since.  I ike to keep myself debt free and that applies to credit cards too.  I have one but clear it every time as in the past I used to run up large debts [+ interest of course] and never want to get into that place again.

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