|
I started this website as a way to help people. I know, firsthand, how frustrating it is to look at the big picture and see everything that needs to be cleaned and picked up all at once.
I've found a system that has been helping me over the past couple of years. I've found that if you take small steps each day to get things picked up, then it's not quite as overwhelming.
When I first began my journey, my house looked about half as bad as the people on that tv show 'Hoarders'. It wasn't quite that bad, but I strongly feel that if I wouldn't have made the effort, it would be just as bad as that today.
How did it get that way in the first place? Well, I've done alot of soul-searching and I've had to realize that I was buying things on impulse to satisfy a need that wasn't being met. I had to take a deep look at my life and make some changes so that I felt better about myself.
After coming to terms with my own issues, I realized that I no longer needed to 'have' things to make me feel good about myself. The worst part about this is that I was lugging my kids to the stores almost daily and buying alot of impulse items.
Now, they are almost ready to graduate and I feel horror and guilt that I've spent most of their young lives taking them shopping so much. I realized that I couldn't justify all the fun things we did with shopping trips before and after those daily excursions. Sure, we'd go to Chuck E. Cheese's or the park or a mini-vacation on the weekends but somehow I'd still manage to sneak in shopping either before or after each of those 'fun times' with them.
As a result, I had probably close to 1,000 children's movies, many many toys, and lots of new 'junk' for the house, including 4 beds each for each of my children ... if I didn't like the style after so often, I would just buy them a new bed. I wasted thousands on this, alone.
I am very proud to say that over the last 2 years, I can now say that I'm a 'Recovering Packrat'. Don't get me wrong, I still love shopping and I still see many items that I almost feel like I can't live without ... However ... I am now able to say 'Will this make me happy? Will I love this? Is it worth the price? Will my life be worse off if I don't buy this?' If I can honestly answer yes to all of those questions, then I will take some more time and consider buying it. If I get any 'no' answers, I put it down and walk away ... even if I've just spent 3 hours in the store wandering around thinking about it.
After 2 years, I can honestly say that it is easier to walk away from items that I see and feel like I want. The impulse to buy them is still there, but I can now rationalize that each time I spend money on something that I don't actually need, it is taking my time away from my children and my money away from their college funds and my retirement savings. And, that is how I have to think about it or I would slip back into the habit of being a shop-a-holic.
I am here to help others like me. Most people don't think of this as an addiction, but it is a very real addiction that could easily destroy families. It rips you away from your family with time being spent on shopping other than them. It can put you in financial ruin as you spend hundreds each day or week, depending on the severity of your addiction. From where I stand right now, it sickens me to think of all the money that I have thrown out due to my shopping disorder.
Anyway, the point of this website is to help those of you with my same problem. I want to let you know that there is help out there and you won't have to do it alone, like I did. I'll be here to help you clear up your clutter and get your house shaped into a nice, relaxing home for you and your family.
I'll be here if you have any questions, or need someone to talk to. Remember, you are not alone! Good Luck! :-)
If you want to email us, please feel free.
|
