Cleaning up Clutter

Needing a Reminder

2006-04-26T22:27:00.000-04:00

Well, I threw my local government under the bus in a previous post for not sponsoring more events to recycle hazardous materials and electronics items. And what happens? I miss the first opportunity of the year!! March 25th came and went, and now I have my sights set on the next date. It's not so much that I forgot, I just didn't make it a priority. I should've gone first thing in the morning and got it done, but I didn't - and as the day progressed, the task took a back seat to other things.

I hope to address this more later, but to get rid of things that amount to clutter, you need to make it a priority - whether it be on a daily basis, or as a more long-term approach. You need to stay focused.

Ebay and the War on Clutter: Friend or Foe?

2006-04-24T22:08:00.000-04:00

I've been a member of Ebay since 1999, and my experience with the site has been mostly positive. I've bought and sold many things, dealt with nice people, and made some extra money in the process. I'm even using Ebay as part of my strategy to rid myself of clutter. As time goes on, however, I find myself wondering if the process is doing more to increase clutter, rather than getting me closer to the clutter-free existence I hope to attain.

In our basement we have an extremely small closet. It's actually an access door to our electrical box, but it does have enough space for some minor storage. Last week, our cable modem bit the dust, so I went looking for its box. It's a rental, so I wanted to return it the same way I received it. I went into the closet and pulled many other boxes out. I think in total, there were about 15 boxes of varying sizes. I took the modem back, and ended up leaving the other boxes out on our filing cabinet. When my wife came down to the basement, she asked me what all the boxes were for. I told her that I kept them in the event that I would sell the items. She gave me a look like, "You need to repeat what you just said, because I don't believe you're saving boxes just in case you sell the items someday."

I don't have statistics to support it, but I would think it's more favorable to resell something that looks (somewhat) like it did when you bought it: with the original box, packing materials, and any accompanying literature. I do know that I'm creating clutter by speculating on the eventual sale of things that I'm using now. And there's no guarantee that I will ever get rid of the items that correspond to these boxes. I guess because most of the items are electronics, it may be safe to say that I will get rid of them...eventually.

Another issue with using Ebay is the packing materials needed to ship items. I've shipped most things via the U.S. Postal Service, so I've ordered their Priority Mail items, which are free. I have boxes of all sizes, Priority labels, Tyvek bags, etc., etc. I also have packing peanuts which I've saved from packages that we receive in the mail - oh yeah, I save those boxes too. So, of course you can imagine all the space that this stuff takes up.

Finally, I have all the things that I want to sell. I definitely wouldn't want to run an Ebay business, needing to constantly look for new items to sell...I'm out of space!! But I do have inherited items, as well as things that I no longer have use for. The unfinished part of our basement is full of items that meet these descriptions. I guess if I had a huge garage, or say, a warehouse, this post may not be relevant.

I hope you can see now what I mean by Ebay creating clutter. The other thing to mention is that this all takes up a lot of time - from listing items to packaging them - which lessens the time I have to tackle other types of clutter in my house. It also takes a long time to get rid of things. Some things may not sell initially, or even after relisting them. Ebay is definitely not an expeditious way (in my opinion) to rid your home of clutter.

I will still use Ebay, but much more selectively. If I do list something, it will only be once. If it doesn't sell, it will be placed on the Clutter List. I haven't determined how long items will stay there until they are dismissed altogether - it all depends on the success of the List. Basically, the Clutter List is like Ebay, but without the expense. With varying fees (and relisting), Ebay can definitely cut into your profit margin.

So, that's it. I'm not here to bash Ebay - I know that it's been successful for many - even me to some extent. But when it comes to the added element of clutter management, I don't know that I will rely so heavily on the service in the future. Let me know what you think.

Motivation via MSN Search

2006-04-23T22:20:00.000-04:00

I haven't done my blog justice in the past month or so, but I have been checking the traffic to the site. I have my blog linked to Statcounter.com, and have been keeping an eye on the comings and goings.

I was surprised to see that most of the traffic thus far to my blog comes from people using MSN's Search tool. I had to see for myself, so I typed in some terms germane to my site. I first tried "cleaning clutter" (no quotes) and a blog entry from my site came up 5th out of 343,485 results. Next, I typed "clutter." My site first showed up on page 10 of 2,131,528 results. Finally, I typed in "cleaning up clutter" (with quotes), which was 1st of 1,556 results. I was extremely impressed, given the fact that I hadn't updated my blog in over a month!

After the swelling subsided from my inflated ego, I decided to check Google's results from the same terms. Let's just say that it was not what I had hoped. Here's the results:

"Cleaning Clutter" (no quotes) - maxed out at 50 pages with no entry - 1,980,000 results
Clutter - maxed out after 61 pages with no hit - 40,7000,000 results
"Cleaning up Clutter" (with quotes) - maxed out at 14 pages with no results - 11,500 results

What does this all mean? I'm not sure. Should I pack up and move over to MSN Spaces? Well, not yet. Google's blog search tool helped me fare better with results, but I would've expected that. I know that search engines use algorithms to order their results, but how can the two be so diametrically opposed to one another?

Anyway, I would like to thank Microsoft and MSN for directing people to my site. I would also like to thank the people that searched through MSN Search and decided to check out my blog. I actually feel like I let them down by not giving them something fresh. I do intend to change that.
Hopefully, my future diligence will improve my standings with other search engines, resulting in even more traffic.

There's more than one way to....

2006-03-10T22:12:00.000-05:00

....ok, I won't continue with the statement out of respect for all animal lovers out there - especially of the feline variety.

But there is more than one way to rid myself of the clutter I've accumulated.

We go back in time to April 2001. When my father passed away, I inherited a lot of things; some cool, some not, and some that made me say "What the hell am I going to do with this!?!" He was a member of the Riverton, NJ Volunteer Fire Department, and did some ride alongs with New York City and Philadelphia. By the time he passed on, he had amassed a collection of fire department shirts, hats, and other memorabilia. Here's a photo of him in his heyday (he's the second from the left):

My first thought was to put it all up for auction on Ebay. I knew it would take me a long time to sell everything, but I was willing to give it a shot. If the things didn't sell, I was going to go to the local fire departments and see if they wanted any of it.

So, the stuff sat up in our attic for a few months...and then September 11th happened. I think everyone wanted to help somehow, whether it be through donations of money or time. I thought, why not take the firefighter things that my Dad had and put them on Ebay. I guess I could've sold other things, but given the fact that firefighters lost their lives, this stuff seemed more appropriate. I wrote a standard introduction that I tacked onto each auction, talking about my father, who he was, and what he had. I also indicated that the money raised through the auctions would be donated to the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund. I handled all the logistics of running the auctions, and my wife helped me pack and ship the items.

Now, I thought at first that people would think that the whole thing was a scam. In fact, there were scams being reported on Ebay associated with the relief efforts, and I was concerned that they would shut down my auctions because of the 9-11 association. Ebay was linked up with the Red Cross, so I initially thought, why would anyone want to contribute to my effort when there's a big spash screen associated with the Red Cross?

To my surprise, however, the response was phenomenal! I put approximately 90 items up for auction in about a 2 week time frame. It was absolutely crazy! I think only about 4-5 items didn't sell, but in all honesty, I expected a lot more not to. What really astonished me was how much the items were selling for. Before 9-11, I would've been lucky to get around $5 for a t-shirt. In one instance, I had a t-shirt sell for $132.50! I only wished that I had more to sell, but time was of the essence, and I wanted everything to remain fresh. I didn't want to start selling things months removed, because most people would've emptied their wallets by then.

Once everything was completed, I got the cashiers check from the bank and drafted a letter to accompany it. I made sure that I stayed in constant contact with all the people who won the auctions, so that I could include their names in the letter. After everything was tallied, we were able to send a check for $2,493.14.

The experience was one that I will never forget. I ended up saving all the correspondence for the project, and someday I plan to organize it into a scrapbook. I know my father would have given all the stuff up in a heartbeat to help the families who lost so much on that day. My father and I were not very close, but this seemed to bring us a little bit closer together.

Anyway, back the clutter issue - and how this all ties into my current efforts. We have already donated some other things to the readily known outlets: Vietnam Veterans of America, Goodwill, Purple Heart, etc. Even though I am trying to get rid of things through Ebay and the Clutter List for some personal gain, I would never rule out other creative ways to help those in need. And hey, if it helps create a clutter free existence for myself....well, that's just icing on the cake.

Clutter List Update - Shirts

2006-03-09T22:05:00.000-05:00

I have to fess up...I've been a little delinquent in updating the Clutter List. Also, I haven't been following the schedule that I set up in the actual document. Not only have I not updated every Friday...I don't think that I've updated on any Friday!!

Also, in my last update, I didn't list the new items in my blog post. To make matters worse, I've taken items off the list since the last update - something I said I wouldn't do unless the items and I parted ways.

Well, I plan to make amends with my readership. I don't want to lose the bond of trust that we've shared over these many...uh...ok... few weeks!!

So...with this update, I've created yet another category - Shirts. Once again, my Dad's penchant for collecting all things sports shines through. I know it sounds like I'm using him as a scapegoat...but it's only coincidental. There are many other issues that I need to deal with beyond just inheriting some clutter.

The items I took off the ClutterList are on Ebay. If they don't sell, they will go back on the List until I get rid of them. They are baseball hats - which coincides with spring training and the start of the MLB season.

Anyway, here's the list of updated items:
Florida State University XXL T-Shirt
Arkansas Razorbacks Basketball Jersey Size 48
Temple University XXL T-Shirt
Colorado Rockies XL T-Shirt
Emergency Dispatcher XXL T-Shirt
Peanuts Snoopy Football XL T-Shirt
University of Notre Dame Football XL T-Shirt
University of Notre Dame Football XXL Sweatshirt
Auburn University XXL T-Shirt
Auburn University Football XXL T-Shirt
Florida Gators Football XXL T-Shirt
Syracuse University XXL T-Shirt
UCLA Basketball XXL T-Shirt
UCLA Football XXL T-Shirt
USC Football XXL T-Shirt
University of Tennessee XXL T-Shirt
University of Alabama XXL T-Shirt
Green Bay Packers XL T-Shirt
Pittsburgh Steelers XL T-Shirt
University of Miami XXL T-Shirt

The Clutter List now has over 100 items...and I'm just getting started!!

I'm Back!!

2006-03-08T19:31:00.000-05:00

Well, I never really left. It's not like I have the excuse that I was away on vacation or a business trip, which prevented me from posting.

Life, on occasion, does get in the way. Our youngest just had tubes put in her ears, and now we are being attacked by a wave of the flu/stomach virus/strep/bronchitis....whatever you want to call it. On top of that, my wife is switching careers - from full-time stay-at-home Mom to part-time stay-at-home Mom and full-time professional (I think I hear that sympathy violin playing in the background). Don't fret...we're holding our own.

This might, however, explain some of my clutter and disorganization problems. I can always blame my problems in this area with the unexpected things that crop up. It's managing the time that I have (free time, etc.) which may need some review.

Clutter, disorganization....now time management?? Am I searching for more problems? I guess I have to do some research. Hopefully, some of you will chime in with comments and suggestions.

Moving on...I promise to have some things put out there over the next few days. This isn't like a promise where I swear to my wife that when I'm done with the tools, I'll put them away. This is a bona fide "It will happen" promise.

I don't just mean a few more posts....we're talking Clutter List updates as well as some other clutter-related eye candy.

Stay tuned...

Only 298 Days Until Christmas

2006-03-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

Attention please!! Attention everyone!! I have an important announcement to make!! We have put all of our Christmas decorations away!! Let the celebration spill out onto the streets!!

It was a long drawn-out process, but the boxes are back up in the attic until...well...uh...later this year. The operation, dubbed "Santa, Go Home Already", was carried out in a few phases. The first phase was the dismantling of the the tree and removal of decorations throughout the house. Most of the decorations were transported to the first staging area, our dining room.

The next phase occurred quicker than anticipated. If it weren't for the Nor'easter that slammed our area on February 11th and 12th, this post might not have been written for another month! We still had the decorations outside, and with the impending storm, had no idea how long the snow would stick around for. We scrambled to bring the lights and other decorations in before it started snowing.

Everything sat for another week until we boxed it up and placed it in the next staging area: the upstairs hallway and our bathroom. I know, you're saying, "the bathroom?" Well, our master bathroom exceedingly large, and really one of the only places upstairs where it won't really get in the way.

Finally, on Sunday the 26th, the boxes made their way up into the attic. Putting the decorations away was inevitable, but it created an uneccesary clutter glut for a prolonged period of time.

Only 298 days until it all comes back down.

Clutter List Update - It's All About Hats!

2006-02-27T23:06:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone.

Sorry for the delay in posting...I'm sure I could come up with some grandious excuse, but it wouldn't be true. The Clutter List has been updated, and I do plan to update again before Friday (No really!!! I do!!!!).

Most of the items on the Clutter List are things that I inherited from my father. He would collect just about anything, especially sports memorabilia and apparel. I'm not blaming my father for all my disorganization and clutter issues, but I did inherit a significant amount of "stuff."

Since I added another whole category of items to "The List" (hats), I didn't feel the need to highlight each new individual item. If I add items to multiple categories, I will mark them in a special manner.

I also added some items to my Ebay account. They are also hats - some naval hats, and one college hat.

I hope you find something that interests you. If not, keep checking in. You never know what you may find! Also, don't forget to tell your friends about my clutter.

A Government Conspiracy?

2006-02-23T22:55:00.000-05:00

Needless to say, I face an uphill battle decluttering and organizing my life. There are many pitfalls ahead, but I am now faced with a problem that I didn't expect.

Taking inventory of the things that I want to get rid of, I've come across a few pieces of electronics equipment. So far, I have a computer, monitor, printer, and scanner that I'm looking to offload. Now most of this equipment, excluding the monitor, is ancient. The computer is 400 MHz and the printer is one step above a dot matrix. They're not worth selling, so I thought why not just throw them out.

I thought I read somewhere that throwing out electronics equipment was not a good idea. I consider myself environmentally friendly, so I decided to check it out. It was a good thing I did.

I found this article regarding the hazards of putting electronics out to the curb for trash. To make a long story short, the heavy metals (among other elements) in computers are hazardous to the environment. Also alarming was the fact that 40% of the heavy metals found in landfills come from electronic component throwaways. With technology rapidly changing, and components quickly becoming obsolete, I'm sure landfills are saturated with electronics. The article also mentions that less than 10% of computers today are being recycled.

So okay, I decide to recycle the computer components. But I find out that the county only sponsors two electronics recycling events per year! Luckily, I only have to wait until March 25th. If I miss that, I have to wait until October!

My question is, why do I have to wait so long to rid myself of these things? Why is the government preventing me from removing clutter in an expedient manner? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the government sponsers these events, but why so few and far between? If anyone can shed light on this, drop me a line.

Meanwhile, I wait...

There is a Saboteur in our Midst

2006-02-22T22:52:00.000-05:00

While making the rounds of the house this evening (that sounds weird after reading it...like I do regular patrols), I discovered the aftermath of a clutter "bomb". After viewing this scene, I realized that there are two forms of clutter in our house: The accumulation of things, and the random scattering of things.

Unfortunately, I was unable to catch the perpetrator in the act. My investigation led to two different scenarios. Either someone was extremely desperate to find a recipe, or this was just a senseless act of messiness.

It seemed like the case was going nowhere, when....well, what do we have here? What's that yellow thing in the photo? Ah ha!! It's a SpongeBob cup!!! And not just any SpongeBob cup, but one that would be used by a very young person.

Then I thought, what is this world coming to!?! Are we now leading by example, so that the children are also becoming "clutterists?" Well, this young, inexperienced "clutterist" slipped up and left evidence at the scene.

I have a pretty good idea who did this, but I want to try to take a photo of him/her in the act. Only when I have this evidence can I bring them to justice, and find out whether or not they had help pulling this off. Stay tuned...

"Hurry...They'll Be Here Any Minute!!"

2006-02-21T23:29:00.000-05:00

I was going to start delving into some background material with this post, but I had to share something that happened this past weekend. Don't worry, you'll begin to gain some perspective even with this story.

We had a family birthday party for my son and oldest daughter on Sunday. Going into Friday, the house was a disaster (although that really isn't out of the ordinary). Believe it or not, some Christmas decorations were still out...Alright!!! Stop haranguing me!!! They were all still out!!!

Anyway, we go through this every time we have people come over. It's an absolute mad scramble to get the house in order. Let me rephrase. The clutter temporarily disappears, but only temporarily. The best example I can give is when you pull weeds from your lawn. They seem to go away, creating a false sense of accomplishment. Sure enough, though, they pop back up by the next spring...if not sooner.

During the process of "beating" the clutter back into the cracks and crevices of the house, I came upon a mess on our kitchen island. We're about, oh, 20 minutes from people arriving and had no idea what to do with all the stuff. I saw a bag on top of our family room computer desk, and I asked my wife "what's that bag for?" Her response was very telling about how we deal with clutter in our house. She said "oh, that's full of stuff from the island the last time we had people over (which was Christmas)!!

We ended up leaving the island the way it was, and did some last minute straightening up.

When we are cleaning up, one of us inevitably says, "We need to have more functions at our house. If we did, this place would always be spotless." I understand the logic, but it seems like a major stretch. Actually, the place wouldn't stay neater...we'd procrastinate cleaning up afterward, and then would scramble before the next event. We also aren't the socialites that we aspire to be, so the increased activity at our house may be a moot point.

"The Clutter List"

2006-02-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

I have a lot to say already, but I'm trying not to bomb you with "War and Peace" type posts in the beginning. I'm new to the blog world, so bear with me as I try to make sense of it all. As time passes and my skills increase, I hope to add some new things to make your visit worthwhile.

Anyway, if you haven't noticed it, I have an icon to the right which is called "The Clutter List". This a link to a document which lists items (my clutter) that I am trying to get rid of. It's a .pdf file, so if you don't have the free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can get it here.

There's a detailed explanation of "The Clutter List" as part of the document, but basically, you see something that interests you, make me an offer. If its reasonable to both of us, the item is yours. The list is a potpurri of things...after all, you didn't expect clutter to have any rhyme or reason, did you? The list will be updated every Friday, but probably more frequently in the beginning to bolster the number of items. Please be patient with it loading. Items will remain on the list as long as they remain in my possession.

This idea doesn't mean that I'm not seeking input from you. By learning more about me in future posts, you may gain some perspective which can aid in your advice/suggestions.

I also have a link to my Ebay auctions - another outlet to removing things from the household.

Welcome To My Mess!

2006-02-19T23:04:00.000-05:00

Hello all! Glad you decided to stop by (although that may be wishful thinking...you may have just clicked on the "next blog" button, and were unwittingly transported here). Anyway, I'm glad you're here. I need all the help and support I can get!

I started this blog as a way to come to grips with my disorganization. Well, I don't consider myself completely disorganized, but I do have momentary lapses of reason. As a result (which will be explained in subsequent posts), my household has amassed significant clutter. My goal is to find different means of reducing clutter and becoming more organized. Any suggestions from my (future) readership would be greatly appreciated.

In the meantime, it's me against "the monster." Some frustration of mine may come through in my posts, but I hope to balance that with some levity and humor. I may occasionally stray from the topic (just to clear the air), but will try to keep the ship on course.

Enjoy!