Wednesday Wisdom Tip: The Purging

I started purging yesterday.

It sure isn’t pretty.

Here is day 1:

 

Purging Day

 

Maybe I had better back up. The way I grew up, whatever our family of 10 bought, we bought on sale. My daughter, Mariah, is teaching me there can be a problem that comes when we buying “on sale”

1) We can buy things we don’t really need.

2) We can buy what we don’t really love because what we really love isn’t on sale.

I’m learning something new.

 

I shouldn’t always buy what I buy on sale. 

I’m learning this something new from my daughter, Mariah.

Hanging out together last week, she asked if I had ever heard of a capsule wardrobe because if I had not, she thought I would like it.

A capsule wardrobe, according to the blog UnFancy, is: a mini wardrobe made up of really versatile pieces that you totally LOVE to wear.

Mariah was right. I am falling in love with this idea and here is the pick-up line that pulled me to trying a capsule wardrobe:

“To me, a capsule wardrobe represents more time and energy for what really matters (less time spent deciding what to wear / less time spent shopping / less time doing laundry or caring for clothes) more money for our dreams + helping others (less money spent on clothes that never get worn) and more contentment and happiness.”

That is exactly what I want: more time and energy for what really matters and more money for our dreams and helping others. Sounds exactly like our #YouandYourGirl series this month on 10 Tips to Teach Your Girl About Money.

So, here is where I am at today:

IMG_6308

 

 

This, plus an once-empty-child-has-moved-out bedroom filled with many clothes. Can you believe my sister once walked in my closet and asked me where I kept the rest of my clothes! As I am working my way through them, I am finding over half of them are hand-me-downs…from my girls! I just can’t get rid of good clothes I paid for!

I hope, really, truly hope, I can take the next steps in the next couple of day. To decide what to keep (the blogger of Unfancy only keeps 37 pieces), what to give away and what needs to be thrown!

I’ll post more on Friday and let you know how far I’ve come.

How about you? Does your closet need a good paring down so that you can have more time, more energy and more money in your life? I’d love to hear from you and if you’re really brave, let’s share our pictures on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest.   Use #ThePurging. 

Lynn

33 Comments

  1. I woke up this morning, telling myself I should “switch over” from winter to summer clothes today. Reading this, I’m filling my coffee cup and heading upstairs! Not only will I switch over now, I’ll keep, give away and throw. I know I’ll feel better when I’m done.
    Sounds silly I know, but God really does give us what we need when we need it. Maybe cleaning out a closet isn’t huge and going to change the world, but feeling as though God gave me what I needed, getting encouragement from your blog, even in this little instance, reminds me how closely I’m watched over.
    Thank you Lynn, for being the deliverer for me today!

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Shelly – this is so cool! I feel the same way. My daughter sharing with me was so timely…before I went out and bought any clothes for summer. All I need is most likely buried under all those things I don’t wear!

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Go for it, Sarah! I’ve taken out 6 bags so far. Paring down a little at a time…Not sure if I can get all the way to 37 like the blogger from Unfancy!

  2. I love your conversation today. Figuring out what to wear is and has always painful. From my childhood until now, I stare into a few clothes and pick out what I like to wear first. Long ago, when I worked in Respiratory Therapy, wearing white uniforms took the pain of out of dressing for work. It was the best clothing time of my life. NO DECISIONS!

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Thanks Linda! That is exactly what this concept it all about – having a closet with a few clothes you LOVE & wear over and over again! So wise!

  3. Robbin Coleman says:

    How timely this is, for me! As I was just yesterday, thinking about my closet and the room the SHOES are in!!
    I have four conferences to attend from now, until September – including SS2015! I am wondering if I can have the 37 and 37 more for events ? !!! Lol! Thank you for this blog post! Love it!

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Seriously Robbin – one year one of the attendees organizing a clothing swap for the She Speaks Attendees. On Facebook she asked those attending to bring one thing to swap and if you didn’t have anything to swap come anyway! She had them bring them to her room (the little suite front). I know that many of us brought several things that others just getting started speaking were so happy to have. I would LOVE to be a part of that blessing if someone organized it again! It was so fun! (I’m hanging on to a few of my speaking clothes for that purpose!)

      Can’t wait to meet you!

      1. Robbin Coleman says:

        O how exciting! I will be sure to check this out! I am coming from Oregon, so I will only be able to bring a few, but would LOVE it!

        Looking forward to meeting you, as well!

        1. Lynn Cowell says:

          What part of Oregon, Robbin? My family just did a trip to Oregon for spring break. We LOVED it! So very, very beautiful!

  4. Lynn,

    I have been watching Youtube videos about the capsule wardrobe! After reading your blog today I am convinced God is trying to tell me something 😉

    Thank you for encouraging me to meet my fear head on!

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Barb, I had never heard of it until my daughter, Mariah, shared with me this past weekend. I’ll have to check out the YouTube videos. Thank you so much for sharing. Heading back upstairs…bit by bit!

  5. Ouch. This hits the spot. I really need to do this.

    If I get rid of everything except for my favorite items, does that give me license to go shopping?

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      YES! You look for the holes you have in your wardrobe and get those strategic pieces!

      1. Sounds like fun. I think I’ll give it a try. 🙂 I may pull this off with my clothes, but unlikely with my shoes. lol.

        1. Lynn Cowell says:

          I hear you on the shoes! Decided to keep the unpractical navy blue wedges with white polka dots I picked up a couple of years ago. In fact, I wore them today!

          1. Shoes do me in every time. I just got rid of some a few weeks back and I want them back. Lol. I’m notorious for keeping clothing that I wear only once a year and keep “just in case”. I think I’ll take up the challenge…but the shoes stay. 🙂

            They sound cute. I think I would have kept those too. 🙂

  6. So glad I followed the link Suzie Eller left on my post for her #livefreeThursday link up this week because it led me here! The prompt was Enough and I wrote about how always needing more makes less room for Jesus. As we rid our closets and cabinets of excess, we have more time and space and energy for Him to fill us. I’ve got a LOT of work to do. Time to stop making excuses and get to it!

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      You can do it, Liz! It feels so good and all those things not being used in our closets can be a blessing to someone else. I took several bags to Salvation Army and some to a gal at work.

  7. I love this! Thanks so much for linking with me today at #livefreeThursday. It’s awesome to know that we can have more than enough and it’s not always a good thing — and what to do about that.

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Thanks Suz! Thank you for doing the Link up!

  8. Lynn, I read that article on a capsule closet! It inspired me and so do you! However, I haven’t purged yet…Joining you today from Suzie’s #LiveFreeThursday. And, BTW, you totally rocked at She Speaks last year! Looking forward to seeing there again this year!

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Thank you on all accounts, Ellen! Thanks for joining us today and thank you for the wonderful comment about She Speaks last year. Hands down that was one of my favorite times speaking 🙂

      Join us on #ThePurge! I can’t tell you how free I am feeling today already!

  9. I’ve loved watching this process with you, Lynn! It seems as though God has been speaking to many of his daughters about this very thing recently… and I am one of them. I try to go through the closets every few months and rid what we’re not wearing, or have outgrown. But, a purge… well… that’s overwhelming! I was raised with little and everything was handed down. Like you, I find that half of my closet is filled with items my teen didn’t want, and I “just couldn’t get rid of them”… and then I find myself keeping certain articles of clothing to turn into pillows or another decorative repurpose. Not the worst idea, but we certainly don’t need closets full of material for pillows! Geez! My teen led the way with a purge of her closet last week… sounds like it’s momma’s turn! Thanks again for sharing this journey into your home; you are an inspiration! #livefree

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Crystal – isn’t it interesting that for both of us our daughters led the way? Maybe they are not as attached to material things as we are. I think you are right, when things have been hard to come by in our past, it lingers into our adulthood.

  10. Wow, I need to check this capsule wardrobe out! I agree with you about buying on sale. I agree because I’ve made those mistakes. I have a couple of things in my wardrobe that were BIG mistakes I never wear. I bought them “on sale” and it works out that they were expensive since I never wear them! I tend to wear the same clothes again and again, the ones I love and that look nice. I should probably chuck the rest!

    Enjoyed this post today!

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Betsy – I never thought of it this way! The things I bought on sale were really expensive because I never wore them! I would have to say I have also experienced the opposite. I have a couple of things in my closet that I bought so outside of my comfort level because they were what I would consider expensive. If I broke down the amount each wearing cost, they would be a steal! THANK YOU so much for giving me this great perspective, friend!

      1. Your post came at a GREAT time for me. I’m planning to relocate to America (from Turkey) for nine months starting in August. So I NEED to down-size my wardrobe. This gives me a great perspective.

  11. nice work! i love getting rid of stuff- it brings me great joy 🙂 #livefree

  12. My husband, 12 year old daughter, 11 year old son, labrador & shih-tzu are finally done purging 2k+ sq ft house that was full of things. Not cluttered. Just full. Every room.

    When my 13 year old special-needs son had to move into a residential treatment facility last month…God told us it was time to follow His plans He’s been revealing bit by bit for 7 years.

    So when He started to move quickly & said “Follow Me.” We scrambled to be obedient & keep up!

    In the last 3 days we have (by HIS leading) found homes for everything in our home & only kept what we absolutely needed & could easily fit in our 35′ travel trailer.

    It was such a stretching, eye-opening & learning experience!

    And the different ways my close relatives responded to this radical but healthy purge…were also helpful. Sometimes painful for me. But clarifying & detoxifying for this usual stuffer. 😉

    And doing it with my husband was a good growth spurt…for both of us!

    How much freedom I am already experiencing physically & emotionally is amazing.

    I love the idea of the wardrobe. That is what I am doing by HIS leading. How neat!

    God is good! Proud of you! ❤

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Wow…you are so brave, Erin! Amazing!

  13. Forgot to mention…you’re not alone. I got rid of 6 large trash bags of JUST MY CLOTHES…and STILL have way too many in rv. You’re right! It is a very accurate indicator if certain mindsets & heart states … Not to mention misplaced priorities!

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