Week 14: Cleaning out the Closet
I admit it: I am a neat freak. I love the freedom of knowing where everything is, and bare
polished spaces make my heart sing. The only exception to this is my bedroom closet.
Let me paint you a mental picture of this closet. It’s on the small side, with two doors.
One side has wooden shelves and the other a bar for hanging things. With a place for
everything, it has huge organization potential… if you have only a few clothes.
But I have TONS of clothes. I am a Cosmo-reading, logo-covered-handbag-toting
fashionista at heart. I am also a master shopper, so I have amassed an impressive
collection of designer duds on my limited budget. A quick glance at my closet would
confirm this… if you could open the door without being knocked out by an avalanche of
denim.
Having lost weight recently, I was going to take advantage of this coming weekend’s
Labor Day sales to buy a pair of jeans that don’t gap at the waist and sag at the butt. But
where would I put them? And how would I find them once they were there? It was time
to clean out my closet.
I threw all of my clothes on the bed, sorted them by size and type of garment, then
picked out what I couldn’t or wouldn’t wear anymore. What I had left was laundered,
ironed, hung or neatly folded, and put away. After an afternoon of labor, I was left with a
an impressively organized closet and two conclusions:
1. I do not need jeans. Four pairs that fit perfectly were hiding on the back of the shelf.
2. I do not need clothes PERIOD.
With everything ironed and organized, it’s like I bought a new wardrobe without
spending a dime! As a bonus, I have a big bag of clothes for consignment, the
proceeds of which can go toward more free clothes.
Amount Saved: The price of a new pair of jeans (I plead the
fifth) plus the value of whatever new clothes I get at the
consignment store.
Difficulty on Scale of 1-5: 2
Time: 4-5 hours total work, not counting the time the washer
and dryer were running.
Check out the Frugal Habit of the Week Archives
I admit it: I am a neat freak. I love the freedom of knowing where everything is, and bare
polished spaces make my heart sing. The only exception to this is my bedroom closet.
Let me paint you a mental picture of this closet. It’s on the small side, with two doors.
One side has wooden shelves and the other a bar for hanging things. With a place for
everything, it has huge organization potential… if you have only a few clothes.
But I have TONS of clothes. I am a Cosmo-reading, logo-covered-handbag-toting
fashionista at heart. I am also a master shopper, so I have amassed an impressive
collection of designer duds on my limited budget. A quick glance at my closet would
confirm this… if you could open the door without being knocked out by an avalanche of
denim.
Having lost weight recently, I was going to take advantage of this coming weekend’s
Labor Day sales to buy a pair of jeans that don’t gap at the waist and sag at the butt. But
where would I put them? And how would I find them once they were there? It was time
to clean out my closet.
I threw all of my clothes on the bed, sorted them by size and type of garment, then
picked out what I couldn’t or wouldn’t wear anymore. What I had left was laundered,
ironed, hung or neatly folded, and put away. After an afternoon of labor, I was left with a
an impressively organized closet and two conclusions:
1. I do not need jeans. Four pairs that fit perfectly were hiding on the back of the shelf.
2. I do not need clothes PERIOD.
With everything ironed and organized, it’s like I bought a new wardrobe without
spending a dime! As a bonus, I have a big bag of clothes for consignment, the
proceeds of which can go toward more free clothes.
Amount Saved: The price of a new pair of jeans (I plead the
fifth) plus the value of whatever new clothes I get at the
consignment store.
Difficulty on Scale of 1-5: 2
Time: 4-5 hours total work, not counting the time the washer
and dryer were running.
Check out the Frugal Habit of the Week Archives
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