About a year ago I went through a little change of heart when it came to having a yard sale.  Really, the change of heart was more about the things I was bringing into our home.  And embarrassingly enough, it came on after watching a weekend marathon of the show Hoarders.  Most of my married life I’ve been attempting to cute-en up a space {many times because we keep ding dong moving} so that has required me being on the lookout for a few items here and there to decorate with.  However, I’ve found that I’m a little addicted to tchotchkes and set arounds and gee gaw and little junk or whatever you want to call it so if I don’t watch it, I can have an abundance of cute, $3 thrifted candle sticks and apothecary jars that I simply don’t need.  I got in the habit of purging once a year and having a big, lots of work yard sale telling myself that I was breaking even.

But I wasn’t.

So to remedy myself, I’ve told myself that I cannot have a yard sale.  Since that was the part that always took away the guilt of buying that $2 item that I wasn’t sure I could use, taking that option away really made me think thrice about if I REALLY needed to spend the money.  Because if I couldn’t use it, I made myself give it away back to the Goodwill–oh the PAIN!

So, I’m reporting back one year later to tell you that I’ve noticed a little difference in my habits. I don’t go thrifting quite as often and, when I do, I rarely buy something small.  Our home is feeling a little lighter but it’s still a constant battle to keep it less cluttered.  That part is always hard for me–I feel like I should be able to de-clutter and it stay like that for a few years.  But that’s not how it works.  Plus, as you de-clutter your tolerance for clutter goes down so then you notice it more.

I still have the urge to have a yard sale every now and then, and I LOVE yard sales and don’t think there’s anything wrong with them–have your yard sale, but for me it was a crutch that led to more buying and I’m kind of glad I don’t have to plan one this year.

What about you, are you planning a yard sale this year?