How to Stop Buying Things that Clutter up the Home

A Bedroom at Mrs. White's House in Vermont.

It has become common to frequent yard sales and thrift stores as many look for bargains to bring home.  There are so many pretty and interesting things to find in such places. It seems like shopping in retail stores is very expensive.  When we have a small amount of money, we tend to venture out to places where the expense will be minimal.  However, is it a wise use of time and money to buy all these interesting things?

During my childhood years, my mother never went to a yard sale or a thrift store. I don't think they were in fashion at the time.  She did what many homemakers did in those days. She took care of what she had. She focused on a cleaning routine, working in the kitchen, and taking care of the family.  Money was carefully saved to spend during seasonal events such as Christmas, birthdays, Easter, and back-to-school shopping.  Her main goal was to make sure the house looked clean and neat and that we were well fed and taken care of.  She rarely went to the store unless it was for groceries.

In the old days, mother would mend and care for her belongings. She would notice a tear in a quilt and neatly sew it back up. She would repair curtains, sheets, and pillowcases. If she noticed a washcloth was starting to fray around the edges, she would cut the loose threads and then prepare a new hem to set in place.  She would mend the clothes and keep everything properly maintained with effort that did not cost any money. 

Mother may have wanted a pretty piece of furniture. Perhaps she dreamed about a little end table for the corner of a bedroom.  Someday, she hoped, she would find just the right piece to fill this little spot with something useful.  In the meantime, she was content with what she had.  This was much like the old story of mother wanting a new coat for Christmas but always using the saved money for something more important that always seemed to come along. 

It is lovely to dream and to desire nice things, as long as we are wise with the money that comes into our household accounts.  Contentment means that we are happy with our lot and we remain productive as we take care of our possessions.  Our minds are at rest when we are not always seeking to acquire things.  Yet, when we do receive a special gift of a much desired item, we are more grateful that the average person. This is because we did not place a high value on the material item. We gave it up in our minds, realizing there are more important things in our lives than what we own. 

It used to be that window shopping at Christmas-time was a lovely time of recreation.  We would also look through the large Sears Catalog at all the many household items that were available. We would leaf through the pages and pretend we were shopping, but we didn't buy any of those things. They were non-essentials. We were practical minded when it came to the use of money.  It was also enjoyable to walk by the big stores and see a window display of a variety of gift options. Everything looked so pretty and pleasant. The colors and decorations were inviting.  We would smile as we took the time to look at all the merchandise. It is much like when we walk down the floral department of a store and just admire all the beautiful flowers.  We look but we do not buy. The fun is in the seeing. We enjoy all the pretty things around us, but we rarely part with our much needed money for such things.  Why would we bring home all these neat things just to clutter up our homes and lives?

The way to stop buying things we do not really need is to understand that we simply do not have room. If we want a rested mind and a peaceful heart, this cannot be obtained when we are surrounded and overwhelmed by things we have acquired.  We cannot dust and clean and maintain an abundance of belongings!  Bringing in more pretty things will only bring more work. 

To stop spending money is also a good way to be content with what one already has.  When we stop cluttering up the home, our time is more free. We can garden, take walks, do the cleaning and cooking, and have plenty of quality time to be with our families. Too much stuff makes too much work. 

When we can find happiness with less, we are able to live a simpler life.  This frees the mind. It gives us more time as we are led along a path of beautiful and graceful living.

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

A Special Room for the children - Grandmother's Nursery.

"There is No Ambition" - Simplicity of Old Fashioned Homemaking.

 The Inspiring Example of D.L. Moody's mother - Poverty in the 1800's.

 

 - To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

 

Learn How To Manage Money on a Small Income, with this helpful book:

- It is an honor to be the bookkeeper for the house! - 

Find detailed instruction and inspiration in budgeting on a small income, along with a method for keeping a handwritten ledger, with lots of thrifty ideas, in Mrs.White's book:

 -An Old Fashioned Budget: Humble Financial Management for the Christian Housewife. 

 Paperback, 77 pages.