Store old clothes. Why do we need all this: five main reasons that make us keep old things. How to throw away old things

You have to get rid of the old one. Neat and careful people manage to keep kitchen utensils in perfect order for quite some time. Their dishes rarely break, forks never bend, pots and pans never burn. Sometimes all this set of necessary things just starts to bother them. Therefore, dishes that have lingered in the kitchen for too long must be broken forcibly or helped to get lost. Especially if a crack or notch appeared on the plate, if the cup lost its pair and was left without a saucer. Don't go shopping for new plastic pot handles to replace them. In the wardrobe, too, it is necessary to periodically conduct an "inventory". Things that have become too big or, conversely, small, that have been unsuccessfully washed or accidentally torn, the clothes of grown children - all this needs to be torn, given away or disposed of. There will definitely be a person who will find a more worthy use for these things. While all this will be stored, waiting for repairs, fashion will “beep” in a different way. And with her you need to run in step, managing to update your wardrobe. But the abundance of unnecessary things does not allow you to do this recklessly. As always, there is nowhere to fold and nothing to wear. And for someone, a stack of these things can be a real gift, the very renewal that will be carried out in their own home.

Several compelling reasons

Logic dictates that new acquisitions are more likely when a person needs something. Therefore, the old must be disposed of, making room for the new. As soon as it disappears old thing, so another one will be bought immediately, unless, of course, it is really needed. So, accidentally and unexpectedly, a test will be carried out that reveals the need for this very thing. It may happen that it is no longer needed. There is a wise saying that tells unreasonable "buns" that until the old leaves, the new will not come. Change is moving forward. And preferably without looking back. And if you touch a little superstition and mysticism, then you can remember the Almighty, who supposedly does not help change life for the better. He simply does not see a lack, does not see an empty corner where manna from heaven can be thrown. Old things are rubbish and garbage that do not occupy their place. They do not add any life-giving energy, positive emotions, but, on the contrary, slow down everything. life processes. Because of their accumulation in life, no changes and updates occur. Carefully storing all junk, people try to save themselves from problems in the future, thinking about a possible lack of money, but forgetting that thought is material. Why program yourself for problems? Poverty and poverty will haunt a person until he learns to throw everything unnecessary out of his life without regret, until he learns to easily and simply renew everything around him. Old things, like anchors of the past, are pulled to the bottom. The music of the past is good, it's nostalgia. And old perfumes, pants and jugs are bad. This is programming yourself for life without change. Every thing from the past brings back some memories, makes you look back. And this is dangerous, you can’t go back to the past, you can skip the future. We must ruthlessly and irrevocably smash, tear, give away, dispose of. Anything should be done with old things, but just do not store, do not clog mezzanines, suitcases, boxes with rubbish, which will certainly be sent for subsequent storage in a garage or basement.

In the house of each person there are things that he does not need at all. It can be books, CDs, souvenirs, clothes, cosmetics, dishes and much more. People who have lived through years of scarcity or deprivation are accustomed to storing old things for a rainy day, with the idea that they will come in handy someday. As a rule, this does not happen, and things that accumulate in a house, office, garage or country house simply absorb the life resource of their owners. In this article, we will learn how to get rid of junk and unnecessary things, and find out why it is important to do this as quickly as possible.

Why are old things bad?

When there is too much in the house, it is very difficult to put things in order in it. Moreover, no matter how much you clean, a house littered with old things will not be clean, since all this rubbish will collect a lot of dust. At the same time, to find something really necessary, you have to spend a lot of time. Clutter has an amazing ability to grow on its own.

In a room that is overflowing with unnecessary things, it is difficult to concentrate and relax, as they all constantly appear before our eyes and fall under the arm. Feng Shui adherents believe that the accumulation and clutter of unnecessary things in the room prevents the free circulation of energy, disrupts the positive life processes of households and depletes their lives. Therefore, it is worth getting rid of trash in the house as quickly as possible. Everything old closes us from the new. This problem is especially felt in small apartments and houses.

It is unlikely that anyone will argue that living in a spacious, bright room filled with only pleasant things is much better. So let's figure out how to force yourself to get rid of the trash and thereby make your life much easier.

Strategies for getting rid of unnecessary things

In Europe and America, companies have been operating for more than ten years that specialize in getting rid of unnecessary things and streamlining the necessary ones. In our latitudes, such a business is not yet common, but this is not a problem, because everything can be done independently. When the premises are cleared of rubbish, people, as a rule, begin to experience some excitement and can no longer stop. So the main thing here is to start.

It is advisable to get rid of the trash as quickly as possible, but if time is short, this activity should be given at least 2 hours a week. Cleaning should be carried out systematically, dividing the house into several problem areas. An example of such a zone would be a closet filled with trash.

Unnecessary things found during the cleaning process can be divided into several categories:

1. Those that need to be thrown away or disposed of. These are morally or physically obsolete things that do not carry material or emotional value. They should be sent to a landfill or recycling without remorse.
2. Those that can be given to other people. This category includes things that are in good condition, but are of no value to the owner. For example, toys can be donated to Orphanage and books to the library. Charity is a good option for those who feel guilty about throwing away good but unnecessary things. What is junk for one may be treasure for another, so before you send something to the landfill, consider whether it would be useful to someone else.
3. The ones that can be sold. This includes things you don't need but still have. material value. There are many convenient services for selling such things on the Internet. In order for the sale to take place, the owner of the thing will need to post a photo of it, receive calls from buyers and deal with the delivery of the sold goods. If all these efforts are justified, then why not? In addition, in many cities there are so-called "flea markets" where you can sell everything you don't need for a small fee. And in some cities, so-called garage sales are gaining popularity, which can bring good income.
4. The ones that can be fixed. This includes broken items that may still be usable. When deciding to leave such a thing, you need to ask yourself the period for which it is worth repairing. If nothing changes over time, then you need to get rid of this rubbish as quickly as possible.
5. Those about which there are doubts. All things about which it is difficult to make a quick decision should be collected in one package and postponed for a certain period, for example, for a year. If after a year this package remains intact, you can safely throw it away without even looking inside.

By getting rid of the trash in the apartment according to the strategy given above, you can largely unload your home. It remains only to organize the remaining things in a practical way and enjoy the space. But that's not all. Everyone has things that, while not having practical value, are endowed with great spiritual value. If you store them indiscriminately, then you can force the whole house. We'll talk about this below.

Dear soul, but unnecessary things

Each house has items that remind the owner of a particular period of his life, some important person, achievement, and so on. For example, men keep a soldier's tunic, and girls keep a bridesmaid's dress. It can also be gifts that a person does not throw out of a sense of duty to the one who gave them. There are a huge number of similar examples, but the point is not this, but the fact that some of these things must certainly be got rid of.

It is natural to cherish things that cause a sentimental mood. Especially when they are associated with especially important people, any memory of which can cause pleasant feelings. However, it is impossible to keep everything that reminds of the happy moments of life. The collection of such things requires too much space, time and energy. Getting rid of such rubbish, as a rule, is the most difficult thing. However, you don't have to throw everything away. You can leave the most expensive, and arrange everything else using one of the above methods.

Photo for memory

As a rule, the image of an object has the same emotional charge as the object itself. Therefore, to make it easier to throw away, you just need to take a picture of it and save this photo on your computer. At the same time, it is desirable to write with which person or event this item is associated, when it was acquired, and so on. To prevent especially important photos and files from being lost in the event of a computer breakdown, it is worth copying them to an additional hard drive.

Leave the best

There is no need to leave too many symbolic things, it is enough to select the best of them, and quickly get rid of the rubbish. This is especially true if you have a large number of approximately the same things, for example, inherited from your grandmother. Leaving one cup out of it, you can largely unload the space, while retaining pleasant memories.

Scanning

If the house has accumulated a lot of paper relics and photographs, they can simply be scanned and stored digitally. Agree, it is much easier to have a folder on your computer than a box on the cabinet, which only does what it collects dust. If you don't have time to do it yourself, just find a company to do it. this work fast and relatively inexpensive.

After scanning photographs, letters and other paper values, you can send them to people who are directly related to them. It's much nicer than just throwing things away. Most likely, the addressee will get acquainted with it, smile, remember the past and throw the thing away, because it has not been kept in his house and soul all this time. It will be easier for him to say goodbye to her, and this is worth taking advantage of.

Conversion

If a thing is not used for its intended purpose, then this does not mean that it is time to put an end to it. By changing the purpose of items to a more practical one, you can unload the house and important points leave in memory. For example, you can make a blanket out of old clothes that the owner wore on especially important days. Such a blanket will not only warm in the cold winter, but will also serve as an original piece of decor. If expensive clothes are not enough, you can make a pillow out of it.

Help a friend

American scientists have found that by touching an object, even the most extraordinary and ordinary, a person enters into an emotional connection with it. This is especially pronounced in the representatives of the weaker sex. As this item is stored, the bond grows stronger. If you do not want to part with something, but understand that it needs to be done, ask a friend to take this item to you for a while. Over time, you will wean yourself from this thing and will be able to throw it away with a clear conscience.

Giving gifts

Gifts are a special category of things. When a person gets rid of old trash, they are perhaps the main problem. With his present, the donor tries with all his heart to please his dear person. Therefore, gifts always carry great emotional value and occupy a special place in the house. However, most of them have no practical value, but only litter the house, from time to time reminding themselves of themselves with another layer of dust. To get rid of such a thing without a twinge of conscience, you can give it to another person or donate it to charity. Most likely, the donor, if he has a sense of tact, will never ask you about the fate of the thing presented to him. And if he asks, then you can always carefully avoid the question.

Don't hesitate

If you decide to get rid of the trash in the apartment, you should implement your plan as soon as possible. This is especially true of things that cause sentimental emotions. As long as a person knows that a thing that was once dear to him lies in a garbage bag and claims to be thrown away, he can change his mind.

Remaining things

Everything that you decide to keep in your home after getting rid of excess trash should be in plain sight and used regularly. Such things do not belong in a box in a closet or attic. If the things claiming such storage remain, then the cleaning was of poor quality. Don't keep things in your house that you can't take with you. new life, for which, in fact, people are wondering how to get rid of excess trash in an apartment or house.

You need to know the measure

Wanting to change their lives and throw out everything unnecessary from it in order to open themselves to new purchases and emotions, many flirt and throw everything away. Then it turns out that among the discarded rubbish there was something really important, for example, some kind of document. For example, the wife got rid of the old trash and did not notice that among it were things that were important for her husband, or vice versa. This often happens to those who use boxes when moving from one house to another. Even if you remember that a certain box contains really unnecessary things, and that you have not looked into it for several years, it is still recommended to check the contents before throwing it away!

Computer cleaning

Speaking about how to get rid of junk and unnecessary things, many people forget that the computer also needs regular cleaning. “Why not fill your computer with unnecessary files if it doesn’t increase in volume?” - a thought that one day comes to most users. Indeed, you can easily store thousands of files on your computer with the confidence that if they come in handy, they will always be at hand. But, as a rule, only dozens of files are of real value. A cluttered computer works slower and at the most inopportune moment can fail, as a result of which the user risks losing what is really valuable to him (photos of loved ones, electronic documents And so on). Therefore, cleaning the computer should be treated as responsibly as cleaning the house. Clutter in a computer is just as much a hindrance to our productivity as clutter in a room.

It is especially not recommended to leave on the computer everything that can be found on the Internet or downloaded at any time. Also, it will not be superfluous to get rid of programs that are not used in Everyday life but take up a lot of space. It is recommended to store the most important files in two copies: one on the computer, and the second on removable media.

Conclusion

Today we have learned how to get rid of trash in your home and make the surrounding space more conducive to work and leisure. Extra things not only take up a lot of space and create discomfort, but also accumulate energy. Thus, they close a person from everything new and unknown. Therefore, from time to time it is worth reconsidering the expediency of finding certain things in your home. For residents of a private house, it would also be useful to get rid of trash on the site.

An average household can contain up to 300,000 items. Large items and small trinkets accumulate in your apartment month after month, year after year. But what do all these things mean to you? You lay out wallpaper scraps left after repairs, bolts, nuts, broken spare parts from household appliances in closets and cabinets ... You think that someday this will come in handy for you. You keep children's toys and clothes that no one will wear, pens without stems, postcards, letters, photographs, old tapes, and other things to which you have an emotional attachment.

Holy faith in the high point of old things

Many people firmly believe that unnecessary things should lie in a chest of drawers and wait for their finest hour. To some extent this is true. For example, your neighbor who recently had a baby will be happy with little suits, rompers and rattles as a free gift. With the rest of the objects that have ever been in your hands, you are connected by certain memories. Some of them are too dear to your heart, which is why you can't imagine putting them in bags and taking them to the landfill. Let's try to figure out if all these things are important to you.

How to determine the usefulness of an item?

It is much easier to exist in a spacious room, in an uncluttered space, where every thing that lies in the closet is in active use. Psychologists advise conducting a regular audit of household utensils and getting rid of everything that you have not used over the past two years. It is necessary to determine the usefulness of an item based on the following parameters:

• Will this item be useful to you in the future?
• How much usable area does it take up?
• How quickly can you purchase an alternative?

A formula that indicates that a thing has become obsolete

Let's introduce the abbreviation PICDRZ into the calculations, where PI is the last use, H is the frequency of use, D is the high cost of the item, R is the costs associated with the operation, Z is the costs associated with obtaining a new analogue. Now consider the equation itself: PI (long) + H (rare) + D (minimum) + R (high) + Z (low) = no need to store.

Let's demonstrate how this formula works on a specific example. Take your old dress that is out of fashion. You can hope that in 5-10 years the fashion will make a new round and this thing will be in trend again, but with the same degree of probability you can recover by 1-2 sizes.

The last time you wore this thing was two years ago, since then you have not worn it (rarely worn). A similar dress can be ordered on the website of any online store within 5 minutes, and old clothes generally occupy 3/4 of your closet, which clearly interferes with normal functioning. And finally, comparing prices, you come to the conclusion that you can easily afford to buy something similar in the near future. All the conditions matched, so it is advisable to take this dress to a landfill or donate to those in need. This thing, unlike rare cars or art, will not increase in value in the future.

How to deal with gifts?

Cleaning out junk includes more than just sorting clothes, shoes, or kitchen utensils. Some things you feel emotionally attached to and don't want to lose touch with your loved one by getting rid of the gift. Try to remember exactly when this memorabilia was given and whether it achieved its purpose. It is believed that after more than two years a gift turns into an ordinary thing, and its usefulness can be considered according to the above formula. With each subsequent year, this item loses its power more and more, so it will not be able to emotionally connect you with the chosen one in the way that new gifts do.

If you bought something, you need to get rid of something

In order not to clutter up the space to such an extent that it takes an entire weekend to clear a visit, we recommend that you adhere to the following rule. Every time you are about to purchase new thing, you have to get rid of one unnecessary item. This will help you keep your balance.
Part with junk without regret, because free space significantly saves your mental energy!

School notebooks, worn jeans, long-used and dusty players and phones. According to psychologists, everything that we do not use for more than a year automatically turns into trash. Which, by the way, programs us for poverty. But is it so easy to get rid of junk?

the site found five reasons that make us keep old things, and figured out how to force ourselves to sort out household rubble.

1. Because we tend to be frugal.

Is the dress out of fashion? Are your favorite sneakers torn? Broken laptop? Approximately 88 percent of Russians do not know how to part with old and unnecessary things. We store clothes and shoes, magazines and books, toys, postcards, appliances and much more that we don’t use at all.

Pathological frugality, experts say, is in Russian blood. To our grandparents who grew up in the military and post-war years, it's hard to throw things away - because of the poverty experienced and the fear of being left with nothing, they put off all sorts of things for a "rainy day" all their lives. Hence - endless five-liter cans, bags in bags, broken skis and other rubbish, which to this day is neatly stored by our compatriots on balconies, mezzanines and cottages.

Of course, being frugal is good, but still, the next time you send holey sweaters, cracked plates and the remains of a laminate to the back of a closet or balcony, think about it: are you turning into Gogol's Plushkin?

syllogomania, pathological hoarding, or Plushkin's syndrome is a disorder in which a person experiences a passion for collecting and storing things. Clothes, books, household utensils and other items are not used, but only accumulated.

It is difficult for a person suffering from syllogomania to throw away trash (even the smallest one). Sometimes it doesn’t work at all - he is too reverent about his junk.

The northern peoples, who live in unfavorable climatic conditions, are prone to a certain kind of materialism: we store food. This is a tradition on which the well-being of our ancestors depended for centuries during the long winter. So even now, we, the descendants, feel more comfortable if the refrigerator is full of dumplings and other products with a long shelf life.

In addition, our country has a difficult history: throughout the 20th century, millions of families suffered from hunger and poverty. This still affects: it is more difficult for us to throw things away, especially food. For example, the United States has never participated in defensive wars on its territory, they have a different history, and therefore the attitude towards things is easier: bought - tired - threw it away. And we're scared.

Meanwhile, materialism can be both a manifestation of character traits and a mental pathology. The line is thin, but in any case it is incorrect to say that materialism leads to psychological ill health. After all, it cannot be said that nausea is the cause of poisoning. On the contrary, poisoning leads to nausea.

Irina Solovieva

psychologist

2. Because they will definitely come in handy someday.

Uncomfortable high-heeled shoes, "when I'm thin" jeans, and five old flip-flops in case the iPhone breaks. We do not throw away dozens of obsolete things just because we stubbornly hope to use them again someday.

In fact, having lost weight, you would rather buy new jeans than put on those that have been lying on the far shelf of the closet for several years - by that time they may simply go out of fashion. And for shoes purchased only because of beauty, there will surely be an equally attractive, but comfortable alternative. Do not be fooled: things that have not been used for years will never be needed again.

The same applies to books. If you have Marx's multi-volume book and the Great Soviet Encyclopedia gathering dust on your shelf, which you are not going to read, it is better to take them to the library. Do not clutter up your house if you do not have a special room for books: keep only those publications that you like to re-read and that are needed for work and study.

By the way, psychologists say that attachment to old things programs us for poverty. Allowing yourself to leave a torn blouse for a rainy day, you instantly bring its offensive closer - assuming that such a day will come and you really have to walk in a tattered pullover.

In general, it’s good to take it once a month and look at what surrounds you - clothes, some books, notes. You need to understand how much all this is necessary right now: whether these things feed your self-esteem or not.

Surely there are things in the closet that do not suit you at the moment, do not correlate with your personality. You may have bought some of them when you were not feeling very well. Because of some, you have already "grown up". Or maybe you have books that have already outlived their usefulness. You need to get rid of all this.

The situation when you open a closet, and clothes fall out from there, can cause psychological inconvenience. There is a feeling that you have a lot of things, but nothing really needed. It's not clear what you want. This can lead to helplessness and insecurity.

Vera Joyful

psychologist, art therapist

3. Because they are reminiscent of the past.

Russian notebooks, diaries, notes, dried roses, old tickets for concerts, planes and trains - all this, of course, contains many stories. Such things represent entire epochs of our life - school years, past relationships, perfect travels.

There is nothing wrong with remembering the past - put your favorite papers and trinkets in a box and put it under the bed or on the closet. Just don't overdo it: there's no need to keep a bunch of T-shirts left ex-girlfriend, endless teddy bears "from fans" and dozens of old copybooks and student lectures.

Keeping flared jeans, a checkered jacket and DC sneakers in the closet also does not make sense. After all, you probably still have photos of the times when you wore them. Do you really want to fill your apartment with things that have already served their purpose?

Veshchizm can be formed as an attempt to keep something in your life, to save. For example, it can develop after the loss of a loved one or in the event of separation. Or maybe an aging woman is trying to keep her youth in this way - naturally, unconsciously.

In some cases, you can deal with materialism on your own. The main thing is to understand what exactly you are trying to fill in such a symbolic form, what you really lack. What you really don't want to part with. You should still find the strength to let it go from life. If you cannot do this on your own, you can seek psychological help.

Irina Solovieva

psychologist

4. Because someone once gave them

Many people are really tormented by the need to get rid of things that were once donated by acquaintances. A bulky figurine of the Eiffel Tower, a clumsy candle stand, a belt that you have never worn and never will... Do you even remember who gave it to you and when?

Feel free to clear the house of such things: it is unlikely that a loved one could give something that you will never use. And if a friend was not close, then why are you afraid to hurt - even mentally - his feelings?

5. Because they feel sorry for them

Yes, you do not need this little porcelain horse at all. But he was bought in the year of the Horse - that is, in your year! Surely the figurine brings good luck. And in general, does a tiny bauble take up a lot of space?

The 1992 Cosmopolitan binder came from your aunt, but you collected all the 2002 issues of Snob yourself. Of course, they should not be thrown away: after all, they are dusty, but such a living personification of bygone days. Take out an old wooden chair, too, the hand does not rise. It was sitting on it that you spent your student years poring over term papers and spending sleepless pre-graduation nights. It's a pity somehow.

Remember: every time you refuse to throw away a thing that has objectively become unnecessary, you do not allow yourself to acquire something new. According to a Chinese proverb, there will never be anything new in life until something old is gone ("The old will not go away - the new will not come").

In addition, according to esotericists and psychologists, things that lie and are not used accumulate negative energy, which causes apathy, laziness and pathological fatigue among the inhabitants of a cluttered house. Well, and dust, of course (it is generally contraindicated for allergy sufferers to be Plyushkins).

If you accumulate things and do not use them, then it turns out that the energy has no way out. Energy circulates only when you have learned and applied something, bought it and put it on. When things just lie, they bring nothing.

It is necessary to get rid of old things because we immediately have space, free space. Free space, in turn, attracts something new, with new energy.

It is impossible to attract something new if there is physically nowhere to attract, if everything is packed everywhere, something is lying everywhere. You have to throw something away to bring something new into your life. No other way.

Vera Joyful

psychologist, art therapist

How do you know if things will soon consume you?*

* Consulted by psychologist Irina Solovieva

• If your passion for collecting things is a manifestation of a mental disorder, it will certainly be accompanied by other disturbing symptoms. For example, inadequate perception of reality, impaired memory and attention.
• Pay attention to the scale that materialism has taken. Maybe he began to interfere with your daily life? Maybe things are already pushing you out of the apartment?
• What matters is what you collect. Let's say it's okay if a mechanic or engineer collects parts that may be useful to him in his work. But often, having "caught" Plushkin's syndrome, you begin to litter the house with completely unnecessary things.
• Think about it, is it difficult for you to part with things - to sort out your wardrobe, give unnecessary things to an orphanage or the poor? If so, then it's time to sound the alarm.
• Remember that older people are more prone to pathological hoarding. On a moderate scale, it is even normal for them. So you don't have to look up to the grandmother who doesn't throw away plastic chicken boxes, and the grandfather who collects bottles from the finished perfume.

How not to become a hostage of your own things?

1. Clean up household rubble once a month.

When you get used to getting rid of old things and parting with them will no longer seem like a disaster, general disassembly can be carried out less frequently.

2. Buy new things only after you get rid of the old ones.

If you buy a new chest of drawers, deciding to move the old one "sometime later", there is a high probability that your intention will never be fulfilled.

3. Be critical

Pull everything out of the cabinets, from the balcony, from the mezzanine. Sort things by constantly asking yourself the following questions: “Can I do without it?”, “Have I used it in the last six months / year?”, “Will I need it in the next six months / year?”.

4. Get rid of things gradually

When sorting out, for example, old children's toys, first leave at home only those with which there are especially many pleasant memories. Then sort through the toys again. Well, if in the end there will be only one or two bunnies or bears dear to the heart. Give the rest of the toys to the orphanage - they are more needed there than on your mezzanines.

Toys are usually accepted at the same locations as clothing, a list of locations can be found.

5. Do not make a warehouse of non-working or simply unnecessary equipment out of your home

It is harmful not only for moral and physical health. Leave one old but still working mobile phone in case the current one breaks. Take all other equipment to special collection points for electrical appliances.

A list of places can be found.

6. Be extra careful when sorting out your old clothes.

Stop storing jeans that are out of fashion, or a jacket that once drove classmates and classmates crazy. Old clothes that gather dust in the closet can be useful to someone else - orphans, the poor, the elderly. Wash things, iron them and take them to a second-hand store or a special collection point, from where the clothes will be given to orphanages or social support centers.

List of places where clothes are accepted (naturally, not torn, not dirty and not wrinkled) -.

7. Don't overdo it when getting rid of things

Antique furniture, crockery, front-line letters from a great-grandfather, an old piano and a working cassette player, of course, are unworthy of being in the trash. A piano that has become unnecessary can be sold, antiques can be adapted to the interior of an apartment or cottage. With a set of dishes or glasses, you can do the same, after knowing its price.

The strangest things Muscovites keep at home*

Part nuclear reactor from Chernobyl and the tip of a spear. Fortunately, the "button" of the reactor is "cleaned" and has no background radiation.

Innokenty: "The nuclear reactor element is a gift from a person who was in Chernobyl. The thing itself is on the mnemonic diagram of the reactor shield, but no one knows the exact name. Another artifact is a spearhead I found during a trip to the Upper Volga lakes in the 1980s" .

Rail. Timofey: "This thing is a rail fastening. It was found in the area of ​​​​the Matveevskoye platform. Left over from the construction of the railway.

I use it as a press when I need to glue something."

Stone from the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Evlampia: "When I was little, my parents and I walked past the Cathedral of Christ the Savior - then it was still under construction. When we walked along the construction site, I lagged behind my parents, ran into it, took a piece of stone there and ran back to mom and dad. "

Stone from Andreevsky Descent. Agrippina: "When I was in Kyiv, my friends and I went for a walk on Andreevsky Descent. They sell all sorts of rarities, trinkets and jewelry. I bought a pendant around my neck from one woman, and her little daughter - she was two and a half years old - said, I agreed, gave her the money, took the bag with the pendant, and in pursuit she picked up a piece of paving stones from the ground - and it is so beautiful, red with some kind of mica - and said that it was a "wish stone", and she he gives it to me. Since then, he has been living with me. "

Stone from Palace Square. Benjamin: "My friend and I were in St. Petersburg for the first time, and we were already tipsy enough to want to take a piece of the city with us. We took and pulled this stone right on Palace Square."

photo lab. Agathon: “I don’t collect any rubbish on the street, I have enough good things at home. Most of the things left from my grandfather are a darkroom, rare photos (including Joseph Stalin), an ancient radio with buttons “Budapest”, “Berlin”, " Milan" and "Moscow", morse codes and more.

Morse code. Agathon: "I have not put things in proper order yet and periodically find something new - either a coin for my collection, or things that are completely incomprehensible to me that excite the imagination. Despite the fact that such rarities are most often put up for auction, I will not Still, these things are dear to me as a memory. "

* The names of the respondents have been changed for confidentiality purposes.

Anna Teplitskaya, Dmitry Kokoulin

Ecology of consumption. Life hack: Today you would call me the buzzword "minimalist". Even though things were different just a few years ago...

I long for liberation. I am freeing myself from everything superfluous in my life.

Today you would call me the buzzword "minimalist". Although just a few years ago things were different. My house was bursting at the seams from an endless number of new clothes, cosmetics and perfumes, some interior stuff.

But life has taught me a lot. My parents' house burned down, I divorced myself and spent a lot of time moving, renting an apartment and providing for myself, refusing clothes and travel. There was no closet and vacuum cleaner in the rented apartment, and I learned to mop the floor regularly, that is, to do what I don’t like from deep childhood, and I arranged clothes in boxes on the floor. And nothing - it was even comfortable.

1. Regularly get rid of unnecessary and / or old things

Moving from apartment to apartment, I appreciated that the less extra things I have, the easier it is to live. The main thing is that what travels with me should be right at this stage and right for my lifestyle.

Life is unpredictable. And if you completely surrender and emotionally invest in things, it can be very difficult if you suddenly have to part with them.

A dozen sentimental bears from the past, clothes that don't fit anymore or just don't like it, but don't seem to be old yet - it's a pity to throw it away, - All this takes up a lot of space and draws energy. And here we are not talking about esotericism - you have to spend energy on ironing, vacuuming, dry cleaning and doing many more manipulations with things no longer suitable for us. Elementary, excesses in the wardrobe complicate the choice of clothes. By the time you dig through the whole closet, you can forget about a new blouse under a pile of old dresses.

clothing

Once a season, I review my entire wardrobe. I get rid of what I don’t like, it doesn’t fit well, what I have never worn and I can’t even imagine a situation when I will put it on. I make an exception only for very expensive and high-quality things, jewelry. Who knows, maybe in ten years they will become a valuable rarity? Or will they finally fit me again?

With everything else, I do this: I wash cheap clothes or those that are not in very good condition, put them in order and take them to a thrift store or, in the end, I leave them next to a garbage dump in the city center or in a residential area. Usually the homeless pick it up right away.

The one that is better, I sell. I often use Avito. I just sold a wool scarf with a Guess cap today. The hat was prickly for me, and I didn’t like it at all, so it lay for two seasons almost untouched. And sometimes, we team up with friends and arrange parties with fitting and exchange of such clothes. A great opportunity to meet up and have a great time. Cocktails included!

If there is something left that I don’t dare to sell or give away yet, I put it off for half a year and see if my attitude towards this thing has changed.

Why did I decide to clean my wardrobe every three months? Yes, because it is insanely tiring to sell and give everything away when the closet has not been thoroughly reviewed for a couple of years. Despite the fact that for the past two years I have periodically got rid of everything, now for the second week I have been putting my wardrobe in order.

Unnecessary/obsolete Appliances and gadgets

Oh, these surprise gifts and all that we receive "on duty" or from those who do not know us well. Then there are always extra coffee grinders, multicookers, smart alarm clocks and other things that seem to be necessary, but not for us. They lie and wait in the wings, or rather the moment when they are already obsolete and will be sent, at best, to the country.

If the thing is in the package and has not yet been used, I sell it or set it aside as a gift to someone who really needs it. Among my friends and acquaintances there are lovers of fresh coffee and those who need a keychain-flashlight for keys.

Sometimes it also happens that you choose some super fashionable gadget for yourself, you walk around with it for a month and you realize that, that’s all, you’ve played enough. So I had, for example, with a smart "bracelet" Jawbone Up24. I myself chose it as a birthday present for myself and prescribed it to my friends in the wish list. I thought he would help me wake up with my biorhythms and eat only the right food. As a result, after a month he got tired of me, and I adjusted my biorhythms myself.

I did not throw it in a box with unnecessary items and decided to sell it. By the way, this is where my acquaintance with Avito began. I dropped the price 4 times, and the buyer was immediately found. Yes, it’s a pity to give away a good thing at such a price, but for myself I decided that it would be better for me to go to a restaurant twice with this money than to fill the box with a thing I don’t need.

And so in everything. Now I boldly sell extra juicers and food processors left over from family life I can't wait to find my family again and squeeze the juice out of my children and husband. Perhaps my future husband lives in another country and every day the juice is squeezed out for him by a personal chef!

2. Choose things according to their expediency.

I used to often buy clothes and perfumes for my mood. Hence the extra clothes, and the money thrown away. But life, as they say, taught me the ruble. Renting an apartment is not cheap. And I slowly began to save money. And most importantly, she returned the very joy that arises when you look for some thing for a long time and find it.

Let me tell you about spirits. I used to have about ten different ones, and I used them depending on my mood. Therefore, they did not end for a long time and insanely bothered me for several years. It's a pity to throw it away, but I don't want to use it.

Now everything is different. I have one day perfume, one for evening and one for seduction. Something like this. And now I choose perfumes for several months. I go shopping, I sniff - mine or not. And I take only those that made me remember their smell.

And how nice it is to buy a thing not just like that, but to make a mini-holiday out of it! For example, I decide that I will dedicate Saturday exclusively to myself. I wake up in the morning, have a delicious breakfast, go shopping, buy a dress, then have lunch in a new place, and at the end of the day - a movie or a spa. This is a whole ritual that gives much more pleasure than a blouse or mascara bought in a hurry and in a fit of longing.

If you are just sad and want to cheer yourself up, it is better to go for a massage or to the theater. Spending money in delirium is not the best story.

This is about clothes, but what about large purchases? household appliances, cars and so on? Again, the principle of expediency. Why buy TV in every room if I only watch it in the living room, and even then on holidays? Or what's the point of a food processor if there's nowhere to put it. It will be stored in the pantry or under the bed, and, accordingly, hardly used.

3. Keeping family heirlooms and your own trophies is necessary, but not all.

Over the years of life, a lot of memorable little things usually accumulate in one place, which over time can absorb the entire apartment if they are not regularly cleaned. For myself, I choose only what I am ready to spend my space on, everything else - I attach it for its intended purpose. I keep old photos on removable hard drives, I give away the disks, leaving only the most memorable ones for myself.

It is always very difficult to part with the things of beloved relatives after their death. But you can’t take everything with you and carry it for the rest of your life. I would really hate to get rid of my grandfather's military uniform with orders and his notes or some of my grandmother's jewelry and photographs. But, for example, I would give some of the books to those who really need them: friends, small cafes, orphanages. Memories from this will not become less, but I will have more space.

Or another example, I have a memory box where I used to put old concert tickets, Love letters and other nice little things. Although it takes up a lot of space, until now I did not dare to throw it away and steadfastly carried it with me during all the moves. But now I am already mentally mature in order to part with it, if life requires it. After all, all the memories are in our heads!

4. Plan your living space consciously.

In the living space, everything should be convenient and at hand. I, for one, love to cook and put everything in the right order for me. It is important for me that everything is nearby, and not lying in a pantry or closet. When I had a large kitchen, I could afford to put all the kitchen appliances on various tables and kitchen islands and use them regularly. As soon as I put something in the drawer, I forgot about it. So, the blender could stand idle for months. When I moved into a rented apartment with a small kitchen, I took only the most basic things - a couple of frying pans, pots and other small utensils. I was no longer up to double boilers and food processors.

The same applies to extra shelves, boxes and little things. When planning a kitchen and an apartment (it’s strange, but I’ve already done this many times in my life), I try to minimize unnecessary rooms and objects that are then not clear how and with what frequency they will be used. Everything that does not carry real functionality only interferes and clutters up your apartment.

I arrange cosmetics so that in the morning only my permanent set is at hand, and not a whole cosmetic bag. Shadows and lipsticks, tonal creams, which I use less often, lie separately. So I save a lot of time, because I don’t have to look for anything.

In addition, I have several drawers and compartments that contain the contents of the most frequently used outdoor items. For example, in autumn there is an umbrella, keys, documents, gloves, a couple of bags, a sponge for shoes or credit cards. And in the summer - sunglasses, adhesive plasters, napkins.

Such I place functional sets in those zones where I find the fastest access to them at the right time. And again, I regularly get rid of everything that I do not need and does not work. In a sense, it does not work for me and for my current life situation.

5. Don't buy extra food if you don't have time to cook it.

My heart bleeds every time I see my parents making extra jams, sauces, mushrooms and cucumbers! Year after year, the situation does not change, and only half of everything that was done so diligently and with soul is eaten.

I always try to use the principle of expediency. For example, I'm a fan of fresh berries - so at the end of the summer I can devote time to picking or buying and processing them for storage in the freezer. But I sincerely do not understand those who do this "by inertia" - there is no need to be a "fraer", who was ruined by greed. So life only becomes more complicated, because we lose precious minutes that could be spent on something really important.

I myself am not a fan of jam and canned vegetables and fruits, so I do not strive to make such preparations. Being married, she made several jars - just enough to last the winter. I don't like it when food is thrown away. The same goes for shopping. I prefer to go several times a week for perishable products, such as milk, meat or fish, than to buy for a few weeks in advance and store it all in the freezer.

Again, all foods that have undergone heat treatment, whether cold or warm, no longer carry as much benefit as fresh ones. For myself, I decided to buy seasonal vegetables and use a grain germinator.

There is always a solution if you really want to find it.

6. Periodically assess whether all those expensive things that we use are really needed.

Now we will talk about apartments, cars, cottages, yachts ... A car is good, but how much time and money does it take to maintain. It is comparable in cost to daily taxi rides. And then there are traffic jams, time to warm up the engine (especially in winter), problems with parking, and so on. Yes, still the car makes us walk less. Times so in a hundred less walk. And to be in shape, you then need to go to the gym, or you could just walk five to ten kilometers every day. And it is quite real.

I'll tell you on own example. As soon as I got a car, I started to drive it almost constantly. With the change of work and housing last year, I simply did not get out of it. And what is the result? Gained a couple of extra pounds, despite the sport. And then I decided to reconsider my attitude to the car, to assess whether I really need it every day. Having abandoned the usual pattern that a car is convenience and comfort, I rediscovered walks, minibuses, subways and even electric trains. And she was satisfied. Now I often do this: in the morning I come to work by car, and in the evening I leave home without it. I go out a couple of metro stations earlier from home to walk and do some shopping. So, I walk more and manage to do my business in parallel.

Apartments, cottages and other real estate. I am sincerely convinced that these things should work for the owner. Either they live there regularly, or they are obliged to bring money. My choice is simple. I don't want to spend time maintaining houses I won't live in, buying furniture, cleaning, insurance, and so on. Indeed, forces and energy flow into this hole, why give it to something that you practically do not use. Guided by the principle of expediency, if possible, I will rent something, I will sell something, and where my heart is, I will live. about published

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