UP EARLY and off to TOPEKA on Tuesday. Stopped off at MJs for a almond milk steamer to sip on as I drove to TOPEKA. Certainly was good. Headed to GOD's STOREHOUSE to make a donation. Donated a car load of goodies then walked about in the store. Oh my goodness...did we ever have a load to get rid of.
I should feel so much better, but then in the back of my mind I know I am not anywhere close to being finished with all the decluttering and downsizing that needs done. At my age, I need this slow paced thinning out. I cannot work very fast at this and there is much to do. Still have to have fun with life and not work all the time on the downsizing projects.
Making a small dent in the downsizing. Very small. If I can change my attitude then perhaps it won't wear me down so. Keeping it all straight is taking an effort for me to think it through. Figuring what will fit in the COTTAGE and what won't. What to keep for sentimental purposes and function collide inside my mind. Believe too many BRAIN cells are being used to think about this task.
Another class mate passed away at 66. I remember her well. She had the prettiest eyes. Unfortunately she got into using drugs and it affected her health, her well being. I know that I am older. 66 isn't exactly young. Last summer after my favorite cousin was killed in an auto accident, I found out that I am what is called elderly. 65 is what is considered elderly. I was taken aback some as I thought 80 and up was elderly, but not according to technicality. 65 is elderly.
So much of what I have in my HOME, Carriage House, Garage, Basement is not sacred. It's just stuff. I believe I have had an epiphany about STUFF. I thought I needed to hang onto so much in case I needed to sell it later to help with finances. I was busy building up an ESTATE. And I did. I built it up and up and up.
When it comes to selling things to liquidate for cash, you have to have a buyer, don't you? If you have no buyer then the things hung onto are just taking up residence in your personal space. The inventory gets in the way. You may or may not get the price you're asking for. If you're not famous or you don't have what others are looking for then what you have to sell may not sell at all.
Donate and be done with it. Donating sometimes is better use of one's time. BUT selling things that bring in a larger amount of money is time better spent. Nickel and dime-ing this stuff requires so much time and effort, I don't believe it's cost effective.
True, every little bit helps, but if you are spending most of your time dealing with nickel and dime items, it's not good use of time.
Life is too short to be nickel and dime-ing it all the time. I call it Hare Krishna-ing at the airport. The Hare Krishna volunteers get nothing. They put in the labor and get nothing out of the hours they stand around collecting donations to feed back to their mother organization. The volunteers are slaves to a religious organization that could care less if their minions are well or not. As long as they bring in cash to feed the mother organization then the Hare Krishna minions are useful to their god.
My time and energy must be better used. When you sell things at a garage sale for nickels and dimes, it doesn't add up very fast. Too much time and energy is used when dealing when Hare Krishna-ing stuff.
Free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty, I am free at last. I am turning loose of stuff. Seeing the error in many of my ways is liberating, healthier, better use of TIME. SO back to gathering up things that need to go away and set myself free of being a slave to things that take up too much living space. No need to hang onto. Even if I sold all the small stuff it wouldn't make much money. I will turn loose of it and cut my loses, go on and be free.
The drive over from our house to TOPEKA was really a nice one. Temps were rising and I expected it to hit 95.
THRIFT SHOPPING...A dollar bracelet, some pool sticks, a Daniel Plan Book with manual. I turned a Cracker Barrel doll down. No glassware or clothing. Low spending today for us. Impressive.
Loaded up and drove to LONG JOHN SILVER's for Lunch.
2 pieces of fish: 200 calories,
0 for the malt vinegar,
cole slaw 170,
2 hush puppies 150,
green beans 25,
crumblies 170,
iced tea 0 to drink.
A whopping 715 calories altogether.
Critical analysis over meal...
instead of 2 pieces of fish, eat only 1 (100).
Eat two sides of green beans (50) avoiding the Cole slaw.
1 Tbsp of crumblies instead of 1 oz. (?)
1 hush puppy (75).
Closer to 250 calories instead of 715.
Perhaps I should have thought this one over and not eat so much.
Pat myself on the back for drinking 0 calories and no dessert.
SUPPER would be a meatless meal full of flavor and nutrition that would be satisfying. Only 340 calories!
1 baked potato with real butter (197).
3 large carrots (75).
2 cups of steamed broccoli (68).
After thrifting we went shopped SAMs. This one hit us in the pocket book. Didn't go to Natural Grocers as we pretty much got all we needed at SAMs. Fueled the little car and that one hurt. $63 for our lil cruiser.
We talked about how we will manage paying more at the pump. I'm guessing that gas will hit $7 a gallon by the end of summer and then come back down in the Fall to about $4 a gallon. We'll think that the $4 a gallon is wonderful instead of $7. This is an old trick to ease the masses into thinking the higher prices aren't so high after all.
Everything will raise in price...groceries, medicines, fuel, etc. So just how will we make it? Adjust the pocketbook spending.
Not using our imaginations can cost us more in the long run. I've learned the hard way. Use our imaginations and don't be scared to try or lazy looking for an easy way out. Roll up your sleeves and get our hands dirty.
Look for bargains and only spend the money if the item is truly needed. Wants and Needs definitely are two different things.
Stay HOME and drink homemade tea. Grow a garden. Wear second and third hand clothing. Check movies and books out from the Library. Go to free events good for family fun even if you don't have young children to entertain. Do without. Thrift shop. Barter. Have more Church and family/friends meals together where everyone does pot-luck. Lend, share...borrow. Make more things from scratch. Live off the grid. L I V E. Swap recipes. Do clothing swap parties. Garage/yard/estate Sales. Read more. Draw. Don't eat out unless it's for a birthday or anniversary. Cook/bake. Walk more. Sit more. Ride a bike. Write more. Think more. Leave the lights off. Burn kerosene lamps. Catch rain water. Wear a sweater when it's cold. Build up your immune system by taking vitamins, minerals, enzymes. Eat more vegetables...eat less meat. Stretch the meat. Eat slower. Eat less. Pray more. Study up on how others get by. Fix more things yourself. Embrace the change and don't freak out. Don't panic. Use real plates and wash after using. Use real diapers and not throw aways. Repair all that you can. Live a clean LIFE. Don't smoke or buy cigarettes and cigars. Don't drink or buy alcohol. Don't buy sugary drinks like soda. Don't gamble. Don't use or buy illegal drugs or narcotics. Don't spend money needlessly. Don't overspend. Rethink before spending money. Save more money by actually saving money. Put your change into a jar. Have board game nights. Laugh more. Clean out and organize every nook and cranny. Write long letters and snail mail them. Visit more with your spouse and children, neighbors, friends and family. Ask questions, share information about how to do things yourself. Sew. Take up a cheap hobby. Finish a project that was put away years ago. Eat less process foods, eat more home cook meals and baking. Teach yourself a foreign language. Learn to play an instrument. Sing. Dance and walk in place. Count your blessings. Downsize. Stay HOME. Live on less. Save more money because you need to. Let your imagination be creative. Create. Stay calm and be not afraid. Stay out of debt as best you can. Honor your debts and be honest. Don't lie, cheat or steal. Be of good cheer for Christ has overcome the world. Pray for wisdom. Pray. Amen. Be creative and create. Don't emotional BUY. Never go shopping for groceries when hungry. Know what you own and use it.
When times are tough, we have to be tougher than the circumstances and remember that we are not animals, but have been created in the image of God, a eternal being. We're eternal beings. Touch the hem of HIS garment in faith and don't faint.
