Chapter 11
We are like snails, carrying our homes on our backs—with our backpacks, purses, wallets, briefcases, and diaper bags all stuffed full of items. We prize every coupon, coin, breath-freshener, hand mirror, pen, and package of gum. We not only lug along our home, but our offices, beauty salons, and daycare centers. Then, we complain that we can’t find anything. What to do? That depends on your priorities—what you’re willing to give up and how organized you are willing to be.
It is truly amazing what a man can fit into his wallet. Granted, a wallet may not be as jam-packed as most women’s purses, but it carries its share of unused items and space-wasters. Expired coupons and a myriad of credit cards, multiple photos and old business cards, phone numbers without names and names without numbers, and ancient matchbooks.
You should start your wallet decluttering by asking yourself a simple question: “What do I really need?” That question should prompt you to discard the expired “stuff” and the nameless phone numbers and cryptic notes meant to remind you of something or someone long since forgotten. Out go the photos of you from the ‘80s when you still had your hair, and the ones of your kids in diapers before they had theirs. Out go the matchbooks, since you don’t even smoke, and old business cards. What stays? Only the credit and business cards that are current and that you actually use on a regular basis, a current photo or two, and your current driver’s license and club memberships.
In this age of identity theft, the less personal information you carry, the better. Keep all of your important information, and especially passwords and Social Security cards, in a safe place at home.
You might want to treat yourself to a new, clean wallet while you’re at it. Many men seem to carry theirs until they are so worn, the denomination of the paper money can be detected from the outside. A new, organized wallet is a simple and easy way to give you a lift. When you pull it out of your pocket—very easily, since it’s no longer stuffed to bursting—people will see that you take good care of yourself and your belongings. They’ll also notice when you can swiftly pull out what you need, without first fumbling through seven or eight out-of-date credit or business cards.
Women and their purses. Say the two words together, “women” and “purses,” and many people immediately have an image in mind—large purse, lots of junk, confused woman rooting through it, insisting, “I know it’s in here somewhere!” A picture of her husband or boyfriend first making fun of her, and then asking her to carry something in her purse for him, like his sunglasses or concert program, or requesting one of the many helpful tools or health aids she might have in there. “Honey, do you have any aspirin?” “Honey, do you have a nail file I can borrow for a moment?”—or, more often, “Honey, do you have some tissues?” Who knows? Maybe somewhere out there is a man saying, “Honey, do you have some hedge clippers?” and she is able to produce them.
You can double or triple these requests by children, for whom Mommy is a veritable packhorse. Many is the time a mother will reach into her bag and pull out a child’s toy, half-eaten lollipop, cloth diaper, stuffed animal, Barbie head, juice bottle, or some mystery item that she’s been toting around since her child, now happily attending medical school, was a toddler. Women worry about leaving behind something that may be of importance to their loved ones or themselves, even if it is only used once or twice a year—or once a decade. But finding it? That is another matter.
The problem with this habit, aside from the fact that it wastes a lot of time when the owner of the purse has to search for something amidst all of that clutter, is that a very heavy purse—often on a fashionably thin strap—is a prescription for shoulder, neck, and back pain. It is not unusual for a woman to seek out a doctor’s care for such a problem, only to be asked what kind of purse she carries and how heavy it is. Think of how many women haul those heavy purses around while balancing themselves on flimsy high heels. Now, there’s a prescription for a lifetime of back pain! “Let’s see … where did I put that bottle of aspirin? It’s in here somewhere …”
Women may tell themselves that they don’t have time to clean their purses, but look at all the time they spend trying to find items in those same purses. Wouldn’t it be quicker and easier just to take the few minutes, or even a bit longer, to eliminate the problem? If nothingelse, a true purse-cleaning is a trip down memory lane. “Oh, yes,” she says as she finds a movie ticket stub, “I remember that film! And I remember Bob … I had to pay for the popcorn, and then he proceeded to eat the whole bucket!” Well, maybe not all of the memories are good, but the purse cleaner quickly will discover all kinds of things that she forgot she had or people she used to know, just through this simple act.
While cleaning out a purse, you may ask yourself, “Just by looking at the contents of my purse, what could a future archaeologist learn about its owner?” The point to be made here is that if you have not cleaned your purse lately, you literally have been dragging the burden of your past around with you.
In order to experience the new, the different, and, we hope, the better, you need to get rid of the old—especially if that includes partially melted candy covered in lint; chewing gum that hasn’t been soft since the Kennedy Administration; phone numbers of people you can’t even remember meeting; and so on. And, as you will notice, all of that clutter also makes the inside of your purse dirty. Think of where your fingers go every time you reach into the depths of that mess to retrieve an item. Yuck! Say … do you happen to have a nail file?
A suggestion for minimizing purse clutter: Try a smaller purse (it holds less and it’s not as heavy to carry) and/or an organizer purse. These are great! They have places for your cards, your pens, your cell phone, your money, and your makeup—nearly anything you can think of carrying. A place for everything and everything in its place. What could be better? You can always find what you need when you need it. This, of course, takes the intrigue out of purse carrying, but it does give you more time to spend with your family.
Welcome to the world of daily luggage. These dependables—briefcases, backpacks, and diaper bags—are open invitations to clutter collection. Roomy and—in the case of the backpack, stuffable to nearly twice its normal size—you can get away with months, if not years, of accumulation.
What might a look into these two essentials uncover? How about old papers; business cards; presentation notes; unread books; filled notebooks; dried-up pens; broken pencils; leadless mechanical pencils; old restaurant, hotel, parking, and gas receipts; food and candy wrappers; items of clothing; old magazines; partly filled water, juice, or soda bottles; old note cards and class schedules; and handouts from various seminars and conferences, mostly unread.
Work Center to Go: Organize your briefcase with essential items in easy-to-reach locations. Loading it with stacks of papers and other items will inhibit easy access to the items you really need.
What should be in a briefcase or backpack? Only those things that pertain to your current, daily life: this year’s calendar, notebooks with clean pages, usable pens and pencils, reading material for traveling or for current class work, and current phone numbers and business cards. It’s helpful to have small containers or resealable bags for small items and rubber bands or paper clips to keep together paperwork. Letter-sized envelopes are good for stashing receipts; and larger, clasped envelopes are good for reports, memos, and other paperwork.
Diaper bags are a wonderful invention. One wonders what our mothers and grandmothers did without the new, ever-expanding bags made of space-age material and accommodating a seemingly endless supply of diapers, ointments, bottles, formula mixes, stuffed animals, changes of clothes, teething rings, teething biscuits, changing pads, age-appropriate toys—and even some items that actually belong to Mom and Dad but won’t fit in their overstuffed purses and wallets. Packing a diaper bag is easy enough, but remembering to clean it out? Well, eventually, your nose will know.
Fermenting formula at the bottom of the bag with half-chewed teething biscuits melted in will create an interesting odor and a real mess, soiling the clean clothing and cloth diapers, stuffed animals—you get the idea. And, like our purses and wallets, paperwork will be forgotten inside—like the information on vaccinations you shoved in there at the last doctor’s appointment, or the daycare paperwork that came home with your child.
A diaper bag is a clutter magnet, so it’s important that you check, clean out—and air out!—the diaper bag at least once a week. It will save you time and trouble later, or even the expense of buying a new bag because the old one has become so nasty.
Many men have no problem with this item of luggage, priding themselves on how little they can get away with.
One man traveling from Australia to the United States bragged that all he would need is a toothbrush, a few shirts, and a pair of pants, and off he would go halfway around the world. Meanwhile, his female companion confessed that she couldn’t even travel around the block without packing at least two to three suitcases, just so that she could change her mind about her apparel on any particular day and would have all the shoes, belts, jewelry, and other accessories she might possibly need. Not to mention the hair dryer, makeup, shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, perfume, various skin and cleansing lotions and potions, changes of lingerie, books, magazines, address book, and so on. Oh, and the half-empty suitcase for souvenirs to pack on the return trip!
For women, sometimes it’s easier just to stay home and read about traveling. But the good side of this male/female dichotomy is that as long as the man travels light, he is better able to haul the woman’s bags!
Not all women travel this way, and not all men are as selective about what or how they pack. But everyone can pack smarter and cut back on clutter if they have a plan. One of the better ways to plan, and one that many people employ but then override, is to write down attire for each day of the trip, trying to make several pieces do double-duty. For instance, take only a few pairs of comfortable pants in neutral colors that can be dressed up or dressed down, and just a few accessories and pairs of shoes that can go with multiple outfits. Wrinkle-resistant, quick-drying clothing is recommended. You don’t want to have to iron—and tote one around—if you can help it.
Make sure that you have a pair of dress shoes and a pair of comfortable shoes—possibly two of the latter if you will be doing a fair amount of walking. You should be able to wear one pair and pack the other.
Another good thing about a list is that it also will help you on various legs of your trip to keep track of what you brought and what needs to go home with you. Don’t forget to check each item off the list as you pack.
There are some excellent catalogs and stores that specialize in travel goods and attire; most of these have interesting and appealing products to help you cut back on clutter. Be careful not to buy more items than you absolutely need, though. For instance, only buy the collapsible sun hat if you’re sure you’ll wear it often.
Most of the time, you can get by with your usual articles of clothing and accessories if you pack lightly and are smart about space conservation in your bags—folding or rolling clothes so that they are compact, nesting shoes heel-to-toe, rolling up belts and socks so they fit within the shoes, and so forth. Strategic packingwill conserve space, allowing you to take enough to meet your needs and keep everything looking reasonably neat throughout the journey. Improper folding or jamming items into a bag causes wear and tear on your clothing and also consumes inordinate amounts of space.
Experts recommend packing your suitcase about a week before departure, allowing time to think of additional items you really need, but not so much time that you forget what you packed and throw in duplicate items, just in case. Another good reason to pack ahead is so that you can let the packed bag sit for a few days to allow contents to settle.
Before going away, reopen your travel bag and look for any gaps that may have developed to put in additional items, or to remove anything you have decided you probably won’t really need or use. You may find you can leave some items behind. For instance, many hotels provide hair dryers and shampoo, and so you might be able to save space by not hauling these with you.
Checking ahead on what the weather is likely to be helps; this is especially easy with the Internet weather sites. That way, you’ll know if you’ll really need an umbrella or a heavier jacket. A lightweight jacket or sweater, though, is always a good idea, what with theunpredictability of the weather. Will there be laundry facilities? Then perhaps you can pack fewer clothes. And if you’re planning on buying a souvenir T-shirt or other clothing items, then you certainly won’t need to pack as much initially. Just be sure to save room for these new items, or any other incidentals you may pick up. The one item to pack more of than you think you’ll need? Underwear.
If you are flying, it’s especially important to pack smart and pack light. Airlines allow very few bags, and if your luggage exceeds the limit or is overweight, you will pay additional fees.
Keep in mind that if you are traveling alone, you will have to carry everything yourself, so being conservative is a good idea. It’s also a good idea, no matter where you are flying, to have the basic necessities in your carry-on luggage in case you and your main suitcases are separated for a day or two. When baggage goes to another airport, it may take awhile before it is reunited with you, and you don’t want to be caught without a change of underwear, at the very least, toiletries, and any medications you take on a daily basis. Important papers also should stay with you.
Organizing your bag is a good way of avoiding clutter. It’s a good idea to pack items according to types, such as putting cosmetics and toiletries together, day clothes together, and nightclothes and lingerie together. Anything that can leak or spill, such as shampoo, perfume, or loose powder, should go in resealable plastic bags, with the air pushed out so that the bags will take up as little space as possible. Shoes should go on the bottom, with space filled in by socks, underwear, rolled-up belts, and other items. Flat items, like shirts, should be layered atop the bulkier ones. Fragile items should be cushioned in between sweaters or coats for protection.
If you’re not lucky enough to be flying to your destination, you will have to face your fears about cleaning up the clutter in your car and preventing the next onslaught brought about by the infamous car trip.
Many of us have childhood memories of summer road trips in which we were shoved into back seats teeming with “stuff”—suitcases, ice chests, sporting paraphernalia, shopping bags of snacks, beach bags, and our own possessions, such as pillows, stuffed animals, magnetic games, and more. Whether we are traveling alone, as a couple, or in a group, the road trip should be more about freedom and having fun than about being bogged down by a lot of luggage, which has to be hauled from car to hotel room and back out again.
Creating, hauling, and clearing car clutter is among the least pleasant aspects of traveling, but you can make the trip more enjoyable by clearing your car of clutter before you pack it, and by keeping your packing organized and efficient, taking only what you need and will use.
Even if you are not going on a vacation, you should clear the junk out of your car to make room for yourself, your guests, your groceries, and anything else you might need or want. Unnecessary junk or true trash in a car is depressing, weighing you down, and inhibiting chi, just like clutter in your home. How many of us spend at least the first few minutes of conversation with a friend preparing to ride in our car by apologizing for its appearance, before quickly scooping off clutter from the front seat and floor and sailing it over the headrest into the back? What a waste of time, not to mention the hit your self-confidence takes as you hope that the clutter will not make a poor impression on your friend—who, it is fair to say, may have an equally cluttered vehicle! And the larger the car—such as the ubiquitous minivan—usually, the greater the clutter.
It makes sense to enlist the help of your family members, if they are old enough, in cleaning the junkfrom the car, since you probably didn’t make that pile all by yourself. As with cleaning rooms in your home, you can have more fun when there are children involved by turning this into a game—perhaps assigning different portions of the car and seeing who wins the race to clean his or her portion first, or giving a “prize” for the worst or oldest or most unusual item found, or for having the hardest portion to clean.
All that should be left are the essentials. In the glove compartment, this means your car manual, insurance card, and any maps that are pertinent to the specific place you are traveling. Suffice it to say, you no longer need that 1992 map of Florida, especially if you are not planning on going back there any time soon. Even if you did, wouldn’t you want a new one? A flashlight and a tire gauge also are fine in the glove compartment, but try not to overfill it so that you don’t even know what’s in there and have to fight to open and close it each time.
Regularly clean out the drink holders, coin containers, and ashtrays and any other built-in trays designed to make your life easier by holding more “stuff.” When dirty or overfilled, these can constrict the flow of positive chi for yourself and your passengers.
Your car trunk probably also has an overflow, perhaps because it’s where you tend to throw your clutter until you “have time” to get to it. Throw out the obvious trash and then remove the seasonal items, like beach toys, when it’s out of season, say, December. You should have an emergency road kit—including flares, a spare tire, a tire jack, and any tools to change the tire—a blanket or two and some bottled water either for an overheated radiator or a thirsty child. A first-aid kit is a good idea, as well.
It’s not a bad idea to have a small carton in the far back or trunk in case you find or buy something that might spill or be damaged by a fall, such as a plant or a delicious but messy pie that someone gave you, or some beautiful produce you decide to buy on a whim when passing a roadside stand. Kids find lots of things, too, on outings, and many of these, such as shells or rocks, would be better off inside a box or other container. It’s also helpful to keep tools and car accessories in a separate storage box with a good lid. Maps and guidebooks, which, as noted, should be restricted to those you need on a particular trip or are likely to use daily, can be kept in the door pockets.
It’s a good bet that much of what you have in your car right now is either outright trash—or maybe there are useful items that are simply not being used at present or even likely to be used in the immediate future. Maybeyou have twice as many CDs or tapes as you need handy, or several pairs of shoes. You can store your music and books in padded cases made for the purpose, which keeps them together and protected. Empty your car’s trash container and then use it throughout your trip rather than throwing wrappings and other trash on the seat next to you or on the floor.
Imminent car trip or no, you can’t go wrong by clearing out what no longer serves you. Soon afterward, you’re bound to feel like going “On the Road Again.”