May
Now Available: Interactive workbooks to accompany the 52 Organizing Missions program.
Each workbook contains 13 printable missions - with fully interactive planning worksheet, to-do list and success journal for every mission. Find out more.
UPDATE: You can now get your weekly organizing mission delivered free to your inbox. Click here to sign up for 52 Organizing Missions.
Welcome to the fourth of our 52 Get Organized Missions.
You can find the previous organizing missions here.
This week’s task involves a mindset shift.
Our aim is to raise the barrier for accepting into your life a source of mental and physical clutter for many people – the ‘freebie’.
Your challenge this week is to spend your 30 minutes:
- Learning how to distinguish the freebies that add to your life in net terms
- Deciding to say NO to all the others.
Remember – you only have to spend 30 minutes to complete the basic mission. If you want to go further check out the Extended Organizing Mission Options below.
Ready?
Get Organized Mission #4: Forgo The Freebies
One of the fundamentals of the Get Organized Wizard philosophy is:
The less of anything you have, the easier it is to get organized and stay organized.
The problem with freebies is that although they may not cost you money, they always cost you in other ways, including time, added clutter and greater barriers to personal organization. Occasionally a freebie is worth the cost; most often it’s not.
Your mission this week is to adjust your mindset so that before you accept any freebie into your busy life, you ask yourself four questions:
Q1: How much money must I spend to get the freebie?
- Do I have to buy particular items or spend a certain amount to ‘qualify’ for the freebie?
- Is the qualifying purchase something I need?
- Is the qualifying purchase worth the price independently of the freebie?
Case Study:
- Don’t spend $100 on beauty products you don’t need to get a free $60 lipstick, if all you really want is the $60 free lipstick.
- Do simply buy and enjoy the $60 lipstick!
Q2: How much time must I spend to use the freebie?
- Do I have to read it, assemble it, learn how to use it, invest time to get value from it?
- How much benefit can I expect from investing that time?
- Is the benefit worth the time?
Case Study:
- Don’t pick up the magazine at the gym or department store just because it’s free if the information quality is poor or the articles are disguised advertorials. It will waste your precious time.
- Do borrow or buy a good book or magazine if you want quality information.
Q3: How much mental clutter will the freebie create?
- Will I feel pressured to use the freebie once I have it, even if it’s not something I’m immediately focused on?
- Will it add an item I don’t genuinely care about to my mental to-do list?
- Is the benefit of having the freebie worth the mental clutter?
Case Study:
- Don’t sign up for newsletters in exchange for free e-books, reports or PDFs on topics that aren’t already top-of-mind for you. Keep your focus on what’s important now to save yourself distraction and concentrate your precious mental energy.
- Do search – and pay, if necessary – for highly relevant, good quality information when you’re ready to use it. It will be worth it in terms of saved mental energy.
Q4: How much physical clutter will the freebie create?
- Will I need to store the freebie?
- Will it create visual clutter in my home, office or life?
- Is the benefit of having the freebie worth the physical and visual clutter?
Case Study:
- Don’t accept your friend’s discarded 237-piece Lladro collection just because ‘it would be a shame to let it go’. Unless you will use/love/enjoy it, it’s cluttro.
- Do let someone else with a yen for Lladro enjoy it, and fill your life with only things that you love.
Dos & Don’ts
- Don’t fret over losing out on stuff. Take a look around – you probably already have more stuff than you can use, read, slather on your face, or enjoy. More will come.
- Do enjoy the feeling of freedom and clarity you get from saying no to things that don’t earn their place in your life.
Extended Organizing Mission Options
Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?
- You can apply these principles to things on sale, too. Compare the sale price with the total cost:
TOTAL COST = MONEY COST + TIME COST + MENTAL CLUTTER COST + PHYSICAL CLUTTER COST. - If you have kids, this is an excellent mission to discuss with them. In this age of excess, teaching children to assess the value of things means equipping them with a useful skill.
- If you have a cache of free stuff languishing in drawers, the garage or your hard drive, why not take this opportunity to let it go. Create some extra time, space and clarity for yourself.
Ready, Set, Go!
Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.
Before You Go – Please Check In
You’re now accountable to your organizing mission-mates! Once you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission please add a comment to let us know you’ve done your assignment and you’re keeping your commitment.
(Click ‘Comment’ at the very top of this post or scroll down to the bottom. Depending on how you’re viewing this post, one of those options will be available for you.)
And see you back here next week!
UPDATE:
You can now get your weekly organizing mission delivered free to your inbox. Click here to sign up for 52 Organizing Missions.
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RT @micheleconnolly Get Organized Mission #4: Forgo The Freebies | Get Organized Wizard http://bit.ly/vmACD (via @tweetmeme)
I love decluttering & organising…I have to with four children,husband & pets..so easy to feel overwhelmed with the chaos.
Loving your tips, especially the one about collecting free e-books of which I’m guilty. Of course I then clutter up my pc folder and don’t get around to reading them all! So I shall use my 30mins to delete those unnecessary!
I just found your blog through alltop and I am hooked! I plan to jump in and catch up on the missions. I’m really enjoying reading through your archives!
RT @micheleconnolly Get Organized Mission #4: Forgo The Freebies | Get Organized Wizard http://bit.ly/vmACD (via @tweetmeme)
At first I thought – ‘I don’t do this. Doesn’t apply. Not me.’ – then I really looked around at the ‘because it was cheap’ items, the sale items still with labels and the ‘two-fers’ I bought just because….
So, I’ve moved a lot of the items to the front to get used up next before I spend money on fresh; others have gone in the charity bag and I’ve binned complete tat.
If I don’t need it, like it or gain anything from having it – than I’ll pass in future!
OooooooooH! ! this is hard – I’m such a squirrel – and I was brought up by parents/grandparents who went through the fepression, and whose motto was KEEP IT!
I’ve managed the other missions though, and will get through this one – wish me luck!
I have to say that I was a “freebie” addict and it was getting to the point where my 5 year old was following in my footsteps (monkey see, monkey do!)
I realised that I was collecting all this junk just because it was free (and I just might need it one day).
Now I say NO MORE!
Hi Paulie,
It’s true you might need it one day – and then you can go buy it.
In the meantime, live a lovely, uncluttered life!
You’ll probably save money in net terms, when you consider the storage, stress management and relationship therapy costs you’ll avoid.
M
Hi Belinda,
What super motivation for you – to know that you’re teaching your 5yo great habits for life.
Very cool!
M
Today, I cleaned out a lot of Happy Meal toys that I have been letting collect in a box and gave them away. I also had a lot of extra yarn from knitting that went out the door also. Every day a little more. It feels good.
I really dove into this one. My mother inlaw is always bringing free stuff that someone may need some day. I sorted out a pile of clothes that she had brought for the kids, that they will not wear and donated them. I also cleaned out the cupboard of all of the free/reduced items that she thought someone might need (she could not pass up). Who needs 30 boxes of mac and cheese. I donated these to the local food pantry.
Yes was tempted with a spend $70 on makeup and skin care to get $130 free.
Said NO and feel great as the $70 is still in my bank account.
I have so many samples at home of skin care and such that I dont need to purchase for a good 6 months I reckon.
Keep the missions rolling.
I love to “just say ‘no’” but how do you deal with a spouse and/or kids who are pack rats and have a hard time passing up a “good deal”?
This is an interesting mission. At first, I didn’t think it pertained to me. But then I got to thinking. My mom is really one to get something because it was free or really cheap. She then passes the stuff on to me. I have tried to say to say no. I have discovered it is easier to take the stuff and then either toss it or donate it when I get home. Unfortunately, it has taken quite awhile to figure it out.
Good reminder to really think about the value of ‘freebies’.
Thanks so much for this site! It’s reconfirmed my belief in humanity!
I worked out that this equated to “don’t accept a freebie unless you would have paid full price for it” which is a good concept I can accept and live with. At least it has already cut out on some clutter I might have acquired!
I don’t normally pick up stuff that is free, it’s usually something I don’t need or it’s junk anyway.
Done!
DONE!
again no need – I hate freebies, they are usually junk or at least something that is of no use to me
done…I’m a sucker for B1G1F. If I really don’t need one, I certainly don’t need 2!!
Done and done!
Arlene –
The B1G1F makes suckers out of us all – until we smarten up and look down our noses at them.
I like looking down my nose.
Congrats on looking down yours!
M
FINALLY done! I’m ok with the free samples, BOGO’s (BuyOneGetOne) and all that, but I also purged all my unneeded email subscriptions and RSS feeds. Less to look at, more time for me!
Last week’s assignment was so hard for me. Thank heavens that this one was easy! Done!
done
done
point taken. I will no longer allow my house or my mind to have space taken up by freebies!
At first I wasn’t sure where this was going and then the lightbulb went on.
Freebies ……this is one that is really going to make me work. I am the queen of freebies for so many reasons. Mostly because I think I should be the keeper of family items. Time to clear out ALL the freebies.
I’m in Cheryl’s boat – the keeper of family items. Every time someone comes to visit, there’s a bag or box full of stuff they leave behind because “I thought you could use this” or “This looks like you” etc. That’s going to be a hard one to overcome, but I think I’m going to tell everyone that I’ve adopted a new motto – “for every item that comes into the house, another item must go out”!
Done, I don´t want any other free bag…!!
I think I got the mentality, plus I’ve started unsubscribing from lots of “freebie” type emails. I also have some free stuff I’m getting rid of/giving back and am already thinking about which hand-me-down furniture I eventually won’t need. For the future I think I can do better with this. This also means tossing take-out menus, plastic containers, etc. So…progress!
I just spent 30 min clearing and unsubscribing my email box. I think I just cut half of my file down and gained some hard dive space. Look like I deleted over 3600 emails I have never looked at and it is still processing the deletions . Feels good to lighten the load.
the main things I got rid of were free e-newsletters that I didn’t want any more. Very helpful! Thanks
@Rebecca,
I call it the OCI-OGO system – one come in, one goes out!
It’s an excellent habit for life.
M
This was absolutely the hardest one for me and one that will take time for me to conquer. Here lately, I have not been partaking in freebies at all. Not stuff, anyway. I have done a fabulous job at “just saying no” to the free stuff. It’s the blogs and the good advice columns that I have trouble with. I have always been one to love knowledge in all forms, so I am always into a book, checking a blog, listening to audiobooks in my car, reading articles, or taking in other knowledge in my free time. Knowledge brings me joy.
So, I am subcribed to several blogs. I only subscribe to the ones that are beneficial and of interest, but I still have about 20. I just can’t seem to say no to the good ones because If I don’t subscribe, than I feel I may miss something.
Knowing that, what I have tried to do to conquer this mission, is to keep my blogs for now, and the ones that are the best of the best, I subscribe by email and read those daily. The ones that are not the best of the best, I peruse through the 2 liner summaries of those on my blog and see which one catches my attention. If none do, than I don’t even open them up. We all know what happens if I open it up anyway.
That’s a start until I get this freebie thing under control.
My next step is to monitor those blogs that I hardly open up. They are next on the clutter chopping block.
Have a good one!
done
My freebie addiction is sale / coupon emails from companies. I don’t want to pay full price for something I need if I could have gotten it for cheaper. The solution I have come up with is:
I set up my sales and coupon emailss to automatically go to a coupons folder. Then I’m not cluttering up my main email with free coupons. However, if I am going out or have a purchase to make somewhere specific, I can review the folder to see if I have a current coupon for a place I was already going.
Cleaning up the folder is also easy, since generally anything more than a couple of weeks old is expired. This lets me delete older emails without ever having to waste my time reading them unless I actually needed it.
Working on it!
wooo wooo done
This one is easy for me.
I don’t like to shop… I only shop when I cannot con someone else to do it for me. Fortunately, my darling husband loves to shop and for the most part, is a smart shopper.
When I do shop, I shop from menus and lists. When I go shopping with my sisters (this is supposed to be a bonding experience), I know what I want, get it, and then I am ready to leave. My sisters have to look at EVERYTHING! They can tell you what is new on such-and-such shelf and which stores are selling what for the lowest prices. It drives me mad because they are both impulse shoppers.
Now we meet at a restaurant and chat over cups of tea and a nice salad. We REALLY visit! An added bonus is that they are saving money by not being exposed to the so-called bargins and my irritation level is… well… level!
not sure I can actually say this is ‘done’ but certainly good food for thought and a good goal to work toward.
Done – I always look at the coupons and see if i need anything first, most of the time they end up in the bin – unused. However, i grabbed the coupons from the free calendars i was given and have put the January ones in my grocery purse – so i can pick them up if i need too.
This has been a tough one for me. I am quite rational most of the time but when freebies are mentioned I lose all sensible thought and have an overwhelming urge to acquire. I suspect this will be an ongoing issue for me for quite some time but I really want to work at it
This is an interesting mission. I for one am guilty of grabbing something “just because its free”. And also holding on to things that were given to me just because I dont want to hurt anyones feelings. But I know thats not a good way to live, otherwise we’d be neck deep in stuff. I also can’t say this is “done” because it will be an ongoing battle but I will definitely think twice before I spend money to “save money”.
This is difficult for me, but I’m working on it. I did manage to get rid of a bunch of un-needed cosmetic-type samples, and have resisted an urge when presented with another sample opportunity:)
This was easy. Already in the the paring down mindset. While I check ads and coupons, never buy more than I need. And I never say yes to anything I can’t find a use right away.
Good advice and a mission I started on last year actually when I had to renovate a very cluttered bathroom. I’ve chucked out lots of tiny face products and also got rid of about a thousand loyalty cards from my wallet. Those things are insidious esp the coffee cards.
This is difficult for me also, but I am learning how much more “stuff” I have to carry around in this head of mine when I go for the freebies. I promisd that I am going to stop this!
Freebies aren’t really a problem for me. I don’t take them or keep them if they aren’t something I use. I donate doorprizes I receive that I won’t use and my children’s happy meal toys are tossed after a few days, once they’ve enjoyed them.
A little late, but done
RT @micheleconnolly: Srsly, how can you say no to a free tuba? http://wondermark.com/585/ PS Here's how: http://is.gd/8qpW5
RT @MicheleConnolly Srsly, how can you say no to a free tuba? http://wondermark.com/585/ PS Here's how: http://is.gd/8qpW5
RT @JeriDansky: RT @MicheleConnolly How can you say no to a free tuba? http://wondermark.com/585/ PS Here's how: http://is.gd/8qpW5
got it!
As a mindset shift this one is always in progress. I’m ruthless with some things (coupons and flyers), pretty good with others (toys) and terrible with a few (shoes in particular). But I’m learning to say no.
I don’t generally buy anything just for the freebies. Not that I haven’t done my share of grabbing random junk-drawer-stuffing uselessness, but I’ve already gotten out of the habit of taking the “no purchase necessary” stuff, too. I don’t have room for one more thing in my house, so I don’t have much trouble at ALL saying no to family/friends offering their freebies, either. But, my incoming emails are way out of control. Years of online shopping have thrown me into an insane amount of e-newsletters, articles, coupons, sales ads, and promos of that sort. So today, I took my 30 minutes to kill 23 onine email subscriptions! It doesn’t do much to pare down the 10,000+ emails sitting there, but it will sure go a long way to slowing down the growth!
Forgo the freebies and all the stuff that comes with it…….it costs you time,
thought, and pressure to remember……it’s free??????
Got it!