Do You Cut Open Tubes?

One of my perhaps only previous thrifty actions was the cutting open of tubes- hair products, makeup, moisturisers, all cosmetics, body washes etc. I was surprised recently to learn that many people don´t do this. I think I was always motivated to do so because I like “the good stuff” and wanted to squeeze every drop out if I could possibly hack into it with a pair of scissors.

Though at the same time I also had the money to buy whatever I wanted and if something didn´t grab me after a few uses, it would sit on the shelf to be replaced by some other new wonder product. So, I amassed quite a collection- some of it I passed onto my mother and sister, some of it just got old and some of it I still have- particularly makeup.

Now I take pleasure in using things up. I love it when I can toss an empty cut open tube in the rubbish – or just anything I have used up! And then before thinking of replacing I check throughly among what I already have to see if something is shelved that can do the job.

I have even in the last few months narrowly avoided buying two lipsticks (one plum, one red) only to find when I got home, I had almost exact colours at the bottom of my “misc” basket!

The only things I am replacing now on a regular basis are cleanser and moisturiser. My stockpile keeps me going otherwise… and for now I don´t feel deprived and look forward to the day when my bathroom doesn´t look like I am a makeup artist in my spare time

Filed under: Home Matters, Wastage

Where Did it All Come From?

Photo by me, Rhodes 2008 – Simplicity

I was thinking a lot yesterday about stages in my life where I didn´t have a lot of clutter and how I got to here.

Growing up in the 70´s, like most people then, I had what I needed and no more. I came from a big family, we lived in the country, shared everything and spent a lot of time outside playing. I read voraciously however from the library or books received as Christmas or birthday presents. I think my mother kept control of any potential clutter as we also moved around a lot.

As a teenager- I always had a messy room, but everything I owned fit in one room of course! I had a part time job from fifteen and started to buy my own things – clothes, music and books. I had many archive style boxes piled up behind my door – school stuff, magazines etc however I remember regularly purging those piles when they got out of control so they would still fit in the same amount of boxes.

At university I think all my clothes fit on one small rack from memory! I owned some books, textbooks, a desk, an electric typewriter and a bed. No bike, no car – I used to walk everywhere.

Then came working (moving from the country to Sydney in 1992), getting married and moving overseas (1995). In addition to the suitcases we took on the plane, we only moved over eleven boxes (11!) of clothes and wedding presents- mostly all kitchen stuff which we are still using Everything else we left behind in a storage place we weren´t paying for. Thirteen years later the same boxes are now sitting in my husband´s father´s garage…oh dear.

And then the clutter started – no kids, both earning well and I spent and spent and spent and it wasn´t all cash either but consumer debt as well. That is how I find myself in the situation I am in – overwhelmed, sad and stressed by my possessions and past. I can´t pretend this has not caused tension in my marriage either.

Most of my money was spent on clothes and shoes I think, books and cosmetics. And I look around now at my overflowing wardrobes full of clothes and shoes that I will be tackling beginning from June (realistically) and wonder what kind of experience it will be to create a streamlined wardrobe and will I be able to do it? It is going to be painful

And will I be able to face my demons with that process and never get into this horrible state of being again? Will I ever be able to have a healthy relationship with things and money? Luckily I am finding a lot of good “free” reading on the internet to help and encourage me

Filed under: Reflections, Wastage