How many times have you said this as you declutter your home? “I should keep this just in case…”

It’s hard to get rid of something if we think we can use it at some point.

And there are many useful things in our home. Someone can use them, right?? Should we get rid of perfectly good items?? What if we have duplicate things like staplers and markers, well, we could keep one and have the extra just in case the first one breaks, right? Then we won’t have to spend money later…

Saving things just in case is saving me money… right??
Well, maybe.

If you can find it when you need it. Or if you remember it when you need it.

But for the majority of us, we don’t remember all the things we have, and so, when we come to something we need well if the one we kept isn’t remembered or found, we just go buy another one.

When we look at the things we want to keep “just in case” it is typically very inexpensive items that we think we should hang on to. In fact, most of the items we fret about keeping aren’t even worth $5. What are the types of things that you keep just in case?

Extra screwdrivers? Coffee mugs? Expired spices? Worn-out clothing, pots, and pans that you already bought replacements for…?

We keep so many things that cost very little to replace, most, in fact, can be picked up at a second-hand store for pennies. So what exactly is it saving us? Do we need 20 extra coffee cups just in case one breaks?

It’s not saving us money, it’s costing us space!

“Maybe I should keep these 10 pie pans just in case I have to make pies for the family Thanksgiving meal. (I’ve never had to make all the pies… but it could happen.)”

Does it warrant keeping 10 pie pans in the cupboard, does it warrant them taking up all that space if you use them once in 20 years? Should they really belong there? Is there a better use for the space in the cupboard?

And if we can’t bear to get rid of them, we talk about ourselves into storing it somewhere… “Let’s put them in the garage, then if that time comes, I can go get them and make all 10 pies and it will be worth it to have kept them.”

Think through it: will they be an accessible place so that you can easily get them if that time comes? And if not, will you want to dig through all the boxes to figure out where those pie pans are so you can use them? Or will you just say “hang it!” and buy a bunch of foil pie pans or borrow them from family members? Wouldn’t it just be easier to keep things that you use regularly now and deal with whatever comes up later… If it comes up?

I have no doubt that someone out there can use those pie pans and be thankful that they found them cheap or free and didn’t have to buy a new one.

Let things go, and don’t worry about “Just in case”

As a Christian, I believe this falls into “don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow has enough worries of its own.”

Think through: what is the worst that could happen if you get rid of those just in case things? What is the absolute worst?

💠 If you only have 3 coffee cups and 1 broke, how bad would that be?
💠 If your stapler stopped working and you didn’t have an extra, how much of a bind would you be in?
💠 If the family called up and said “we need you to make 10 pies for Thanksgiving” would you really care about having to attain pie pans? (Honestly, my thoughts would be: “Do you never even realize how much time it takes to make a pie??? Let’s buy them!!!”)

Addressing the just in case issues is a process of learning to be honest with yourself:

⌾ What you want your home to be like?
⌾ What is your comfort level?
⌾ How you actually spend your time?

What if the item is worth way more than $20, but it’s an extra?

Sometimes we keep things because we spent a lot of money to buy it. Consider the Rainbow Vacuum… If you bought it, but now hate using it and you have a Dirt Devil that you like better but hey, if the cheap one breaks down, you have the rainbow as a backup.

But if you hate using it, it’s a safe bet that you will go out and buy yourself another Dirt Devil instead of pulling out the Rainbow. If you are honest with yourself and find that true, why on earth do you give that Rainbow vacuum space to stay in your home?

Do you feel it deserves that space it takes up?

Take some initiative today and get rid of a few of those just in case items you honestly know you won’t use.

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