Decluttering pays off

One of the websites I like to read every now and then is Unclutterer.com.  It’s got some great tips on keeping your home (and the rest of your life) organized and as clutter free as possible.  

If you’re anything like me, keeping clutter from taking over is an ongoing challenge.  I tend to relegate my clutter to certain rooms in my home, and the worst room at the moment is my office/craft room.  It’s a disaster!

So this past week I decided to tackle one small part of the room by shredding all my credit card statements and receipts from 2011.  As I painstakingly made my way through the pile, I suddenly came upon a sealed envelope from Michelin Tires.  Somehow this unopened piece of mail had found its way into the pile of credit card envelopes.  I assumed it was simply some junk mail from the tire company, but I decided to open it up anyway. 

Thank goodness I did!  Inside was a $70 rebate cheque for the winter tires I had bought last fall.  Wow, what a pleasant surprise.  The cheque was only a few weeks old, but I still have no idea how it ended up in the middle of a pile of credit card statements from 2011.  I’m just glad I didn’t toss it without opening the envelope first.

Later that afternoon, I noticed another area of the house in need of decluttering – the area housing my recyclable cans and bottles.  I hauled out a big bag of milk cartons, plastic bottles and tetrapacks, along with two small boxes of wine bottles, and took the whole shebang over to the local bottle depot.  A short while later, I walked out with about $7 and change in my pocket.  Not a huge windfall exactly, but every little bit counts.

This decluttering thing is really beginning to pay off!  Now if only I had a garage so I could have a garage sale (groan...)!