Buying the Privilege of Clutter

Posted by Caitlin

January 21, 2008

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Paying for Clutter
The sign flashes at you: BIG SALE!

“Good,” you think. You need shampoo. You were planning to buy some next week and look - now you can get two for one! And as you’re heading down the paper products aisle, you notice that toilet paper is on sale, too – so you pick up two, big jumbo-sized packages!

Isn’t that fantastic?

It sure is! The marketing scheme the store used got you to pick up twice as much as what you really needed, and that’s a marvel. You, the lucky person, get to pay for the privilege of increasing the clutter in your home!

“But wait a minute,” you protest. “Buying on sale is smart. I saved money on toilet paper. I’m getting two for one on shampoo. That’s one bottle free. Free is good.”

Well, let’s think about that theory for a minute. Yes, buying on sale does save money. For people on budgets, two-for-one sales are lifesavers that help the financials of the home.

But if you have to find some storage space for those extras on sale, you’re cramping your home. Cramp your home and your morale starts to go down. You feel stuck, unhappy, and what’s the next thing that happens?

You organize your home! You clean! You get rid of all those things you don’t need! Who needs all those extra bottles of shampoo? Not you!

Congratulations – you just threw money down the drain.