This morning, at the crack of dawn, I sleepily applied makeup for the day ahead. I grabbed the eyeliner at the top of my makeup bag and attempted to apply it. After a couple tries, I realized it was an old product, tossed it back in the bag, and searched for the newer version. But why did I throw it back in the bag? I will undoubtedly go through the same routine some other morning in the future with this product. Why not just throw it away? Because there is this devious voice in my head that tells me there will be some scenario in the future where I will need this defective product. If one is to appeal to reason, however, she will realize such a scenario is so obscure, it likely will never occur. Following this internal struggle with the devil on my right shoulder, and an angel on my left, I reached back in the makeup bag, found the old eyeliner, and tossed it in the trash can to avoid unnecessary clutter.
The internal struggle referenced above is not unique to me. It happens for everyone. However, more often than not, we hold on to the old, broken, empty, or used item. In many areas of our homes, we tend to have almost empty bottles and then we buy a new product in anticipation of finding ourselves without. Usually, we buy the same kind of product, but perhaps a different brand. Caving to the excitement of trying something new, we end up dissing the old stuff – but still hang onto it – and begin using the new. This is true for all kinds of toiletries, make up (foundations, lotions, hair products), even items found in the kitchen.
Before you know it, you have so many of the same types of things that are either almost empty, expired, or flawed, and yet you have trouble letting them go. In some cases, people have not just duplicates, but multiples of the same products. Hair and makeup are the worst offenders. How often have you gone into your bathroom, or a friend’s bathroom, and noticed tons of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bottles on the ledge? It’s understandable – what you found was once an awesome product, the best product you’ve ever used, is now replaced with an even greater product. The problem with this is that products do expire, money is wasted, and spaces such as countertops, drawers, medicine cabinets, under-sink space, and showers become too cluttered.
This problem is not without solution, however. A couple of solutions I have found include 1) finishing products before buying new ones; 2) buy new products, but store them somewhere else until you use up the current one; 3) Use the “1 in, 1 out” rule – when a new item appears, an old one must disappear; 4) Use less products – I know it’s hard to believe, but we really don’t need as much as we have. Chances that you would even notice if some of your products went missing are very low; 5) lastly, listen to the voice of reason in your head when you throw the eyeliner back in the makeup bag – pick it back up and throw it in the trash.
A cool bathroom product to help keep clutter to a minimum http://www.containerstore.com/s/bath/storage/expandable-undersink-organizer/12d?productId=10035752
Do you have clutter in your shower???
