Using Up What I Have On Hand

 

In doing an entire home declutter I've come to realize I have a lot of crap.  I've also come to realize that there is no point in having stuff if you're not going to use it.  And in that same vein I know I personally need to scale back a bit as far as what I, as a one person household, truly need to keep in stock as opposed to how things were when I still had children living at home.  Now as I move forward I plan to continue decluttering and donating items I no longer use, need or want, but more importantly using up what I already have on hand before I consider bringing something new into my home.  Anybody else finding themselves in a similar situation?  I'm sure I'm not alone here.

 

I have two big areas I need to work on.  Food and my craft supplies.  As far as food goes I've already started on a pantry and freezer challenge so I'm working on that part.  I've whittled down a lot of my sewing supplies to an amount I'm much more comfortable with, but the craft supplies are still an area where I could improve.  Once I'm in the comfort zone, so to speak, I need to make sure I use what I've kept.  I have a tendency to not want to use stuff because then it will be gone.  I'm not even sure where that comes from, but I know it is ridiculous.

 

I know I can do this because I used to have a huge yarn stash and I've been steadily working my way through that making all kinds of handcrafted items to give to friends and loved ones.  In fact, last Christmas in 2021 I made winter scarves and some beautiful afghans as gifts.  Now I only have a small bin of yarn, not quite enough for any big projects, but still plenty for some smaller ones. I'll keep at it.

 

I've gone through my gift wrap organizer, sharing quite a bit with others and using up some over the most recent holidays.  This year I found myself low on stick on bows so I went ahead and restocked, but other than that I don't need anything else.  I have plenty of things to use for birthdays and Christmas this year.

 

There are all kinds of little odds and ends of things lying around here that I want to focus on using up.  Soaps, lotions, household cleaners, laundry supplies, condiments, baking supplies, paint, caulk and adhesives, wood for projects.  All kinds of stuff that I plan to use up or pass on to someone else that can benefit from having it.  I do plan to do all my future gift giving in the form of handmade items so I'm sure I'll make a really good dent this year.  I sure hope so anyway.  Plus, I'll get to tap into my creative side which I absolutely love.