Hey! We're in a Recession, people! It's time to tighten our belts and get serious about cutting back. Here at Stuff, I'm more than happy to do my part. Here's a whole list of
Stuff I Can Live Without:
1. Balloons
2. Dessert/Salad Forks
3. Gift Bookmarks
4. Capers
5. Earrings
And I won't miss them at all. Here's why:
Balloons are stupid and pointless. They serve absolutely no function. The helium ones especially are really dumb because people pay big money for them as "bouquets." They are a pain to haul around, bobbing all over in the car, blocking your vision and trying to get out. Once they arrive at their destination, they continue to be in the way, always seeking the draft and losing their buoyancy overnight, looking like sad, ugly harbingers of doom. If kids get a balloon, they immediately lose it and cry or it gets swept up and murdered in a ceiling fan.
Salad/dessert forks are those littler forks. They are almost never used at my house unless I am trying to be fancy or all the big forks are dirty or lost upstairs in the boys' room. I don't have a separate divider section in my cutlery drawer for them, so they are upside-down in the fork section. I hate that.
When I read, my bookmark is either end of the bookjacket flap, depending upon how far into the book I am. If I'm reading a book without a jacket, then I use whatever piece of paper I can find: an envelope, a Post-It, a coupon, a receipt. Those fancy-schmancy bookmarks are just there at bookstores for people to buy as a last-minute "rounding out the gift" purchase. The metal ones especially bug the hell out of me, and if they are engraved, that's even more ridiculous.
If you have a jar of capers in your fridge, I bet it's about a year old or more. They're a specialty item, and even though I cook a lot of stuff, I rarely use them. Once in a while, I'll grab a jar if a recipe calls for them, and then I spend a lot of time trying to use up the rest of the jar. Forget that and just use green olives with the pit in them, which are stronger than the pitted kind and can stand in for capers pretty well.
I haven't worn earrings in so long that I bet all three holes in my ears are closed by now. I used to fanatically match my earrings to my outfit every day. And you rarely saw them because of my hair. One day, I just stopped, and I haven't worn them since. I don't miss them, no one asks about them or says, "You know what your overall look is missing? Earrings!" Sigh. Oh. Well.
What stuff are you letting go?
13 comments:
I could stand to live without balloons. They're stupid.
Dessert forks are stupid too. Salad forks get used a lot at my house because Jason claims the dinner forks are too big. Whatever.
I actually do like bookmarks. However, I find that I usually use some scrap piece of paper or fold down the corner of my page. I guess I just like to look at the bookmarks, they're usually pretty or say something nice.
A little off the subject but I've been looking to buy olives with the pit still in them for over a year. I can't find them anymore. I've decided that someone choked and died and all the stores have pulled them from the shelves. Humph.
I don't like cheap earrings. They make my ears break out. I have 3 pair that I wear and love. Two pair are diamond studs and one pair are small hoops. Thats all. Nothing fancy. Besides, they go with everything so I don't have to think about topping off my overall look.
On the more practical side...
I'm letting go of cleaning products. They're overrated. You can buy something different for every task. Once I've used up everything I have, I'm going to only clean with vinigar and bleach. One or the other can get every possible job done.
Nina--Holy crap. GIANT EAGLE and WORLD MARKET always have olives with the pit. ALWAYS. I am not kidding. Usually, I grab them by mistake when I am trying to get big pitted olives for my martinis.
As far as cleaning products, I am a fan of spray cleaners (or a sucker for them, I guess). They are so convenient for counters. I won't use vinegar or bleach for everything because the smell of both of them is so pervasive, and bleach is hard on skin and if I would happen to splatter or spill it, everything i am wearing is ruined!
I am not a fan of balloons either. I especially hate when people release them to float away because I know some animal will be choking on them later and they are litter, plain and simple.
I like dessert forks. I feel elegant eating dessert with my beautiful dessert forks. And dessert forks have come in handy in the past when I've been slow on washing dishes and numerous forks have disappeared into my son's room. (I would not have thought of that had you not mentioned it ... silverware, dishes, etc.)
I am totally with you on the bookmarks. I use all the "at hand" ones that you mentioned. And, yes, that's exactly how the other bookmarks are used, to round out a gift. There are a ton of the fancy bookmarks around here, but they never get used.
I detest capers. I had lunch with a friend today and I didn't know the salad nicoise came with capers. I had to work around the "buggers." (There were olives, too, but black.) Many a good stuffed flounder in my past was messed up by the inclusion of capers.
Earrings ... I see what you are saying, but I can't do without my earrings. Although, I do tend to wear a small select group these days. BTW, did you know that Suze Orman wears the same pair of earrings every single day? Check her out when she does interviews some time. I'd rather go without than wear the same ones every day.
Hmmm, what can I live without? Most of these are not due to the recession, just more about decluttering and freeing myself from stuff.
Well, bread obviously ... LOL.
Old planner pages ... I use a planner daily. I love it. Keeps me straight, etc., but I've been keeping planner pages since I started keeping a planner. Yes, from years ago ... how silly is that? There was a point in one job where I had to go back and find data, but that was rare and that job was long ago. So now I am throwing away old planner pages and passing on the binders (specially made for that purpose) that some were in.
Old TVs ... we have an ancient 17-inch and 13-inch TV that are perfectly fine, but we don't need them. I am posting on Freecycle because I don't think I want to lug them to the thrift shop. Some other stuff like lamps we no longer use and son doesn't want for his apt are also going.
Magazines ... I rarely get to read them (or am thrilled when I do), so more and more subscriptions are expiring and I don't intend to renew.
all I can think of for now ...
Shirley
I can live without all of that stuff, especially capers. Earrings? Allergies have rendered them useless, even gold and silver.
I can also live without all the junk in my purse. (well, *most* of it, heh, heh.)
It's funny you mention balloons, as I just now found a bag of balloons (helium-quality, but also water-quality) sitting in my random pile of stuff. I want to get rid of them, but I think I'll donate them to the free pile at the co-op.
I've done without a lot of stuff, especially when I moved to the Bay Area by way of Paris, Ghana, San Diego, and Ohio. I just couldn't carry things with me, so I Started Over. And already, I feel like I need to do it again...
Mikey--That is my Spring or Summer project: Getting Ruthless With Stuff. I am going to GET RID OF CRAP. And I mean it. Good for you.
Ortizzle--Do you know that at one time, I carried around one of those ridiculous collapsible cups in my purse FOR YEARS and never once used it? I think I was insane, truly.
Shirley--I almost put magazines on this list, but left it off in the interest of brevity. I used to get four magazines regularly, but realized that I read them entirely on the day they came. Then they laid around making clutter. I cut them loose and have not missed them. Sadly, Online Reading has taken their place. I fear I am Part Of The Problem. Sigh.
I do my shopping at Gieat Eagle...I must not be looking hard enough. I will check again!!
With you on the balloons and book marks. But I love capers. To get rid of the leftovers, make caper chip dip. Soften cream cheese and thin it out a bit with juice from the capers; add celery salt and a bit of malt vinegar. Chop the capers very fine and stir in. Guaranteed to disappear -- if you like capers at all.
Mary G--It sounds, with both vinegar AND capers, very sour, but I trust you. I am, however, at the moment sans capers at the Dept. I will try this if I'm ever looking to get rid of them again.
How do you read my mind like that Nance??!! I've been thinking about breaking down and buying capers! Then I forgot and now you reminded me.
I haven't bought them in quite a while and a few times I was cooking something thinking, "Capers really would be nice." And I'm going to Trader Joe's this weekend. If the price is right, I might just end up getting them.
Oh and I would be very sad without earrings. For me they are a big necessity and a total joy. Like food, except for I wouldn't actually die without them.
Salad forks have to go. My husband and I never use them but the kids do when they are here. However, since they are no longer residing here full time, those forks can disappear.
Necklaces are not my thing. My kids get them for me and I smile and thank them then wonder where in the hell am I going to wear that thing?
I read alot so there are alot of books and magazines here but I give them to goodwill or the local mental health center for people there to read.
Clothes..I have clothes I have not worn for years and will never wear. I am getting rid of them.
I never use book marks.
I have never bought a balloon. Am I bad? I don't think so...
A definite yes on balloons, but I'm surprised no one has said "fireworks".
Anonymous--True. I cannot recall the last time I purposefully saw fireworks. I saw them at the end of a baseball game, but I went to see the game. Period. The fireworks were a bonus, but I could have done without. They are costly, sometimes dangerous, and really, as you said, stuff we can do without.
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