Are you someone who saves things up? A new pair of shoes, a box of premium tea, a gift of your favourite perfume, your Royal Doulton tableware ~ things you put aside until the ideal occasion. There’s a certain pleasure in knowing you had something special waiting for you, for one day….

Not only does over-saving deny you the opportunity to use and enjoy your things, it can also contribute to clutter.

Are You An ‘Over-Saver’? A little saving up can be a good thing ~ you get to enjoy the anticipation and the pleasure of using things, but if you think you might be an ‘over-saver”, take this little quiz:

• Do you have clothes in your closet with tags still on?
• Do you have entire drawers filled with unopened skincare or cosmetics?
• Do you continue to use old or broken things, like sunglasses or umbrellas, while new ones languish in the cupboard?
• Do you have gadgets still in the packaging?
• Do you save tableware, glassware or cutlery for special occasions that happen less than once or twice a year, or never?
• Do you have table or bed linen you’ve never used?
• Do you have artwork you’ve never put up? (note: ‘leaning’ artwork is aesthetically acceptable these days, so don’t let fancy mounting be your excuse.)
• Do you store new appliances in cupboards, while you soldier on using ancient, semi-functioning ones?
• Do you have jewellry or watches that are too good to wear – ever?

If you answered yes to two or more of the above, you’re probably an ‘over-saver’. Why not cut clutter and gain pleasure by making the switch – and becoming a ‘user’? To become a ‘user’, decide that you’ll use new things immediately. Here are some tips for making the transition from ‘over-saver’ to ‘user’:

• Wear the new outfit, boots, or bag at the first opportunity
• Take new things out of the packaging and place them where you’ll use them (rather than in a storage place)
• When you buy replacements for broken or damaged things, dispose of the old versions immediately
• Wear your nice jewellery/watch next time you go out.
• Decide whether you want to keep a gift, and if you do, start using it right away (if you don’t want to keep it, then donate, re-gift, or discard)
• Decide to abandon special occasion dishes, glassware and cutlery and have only good quality everyday tableware, or make that special occasion stuff the every day stuff!
• Start using your saved-up bed linen or donate what you can’t use
• Put your artwork up this weekend – or ‘lean’ it tastefully today
• Dispose of ill-performing appliances and use the new ones

Are you waiting for some sign to tell you to that you’re the best reason there is to use the good china? What day is special enough to wear Grandma’s pearls while baking with your new KitchenAid mixer? Today’s the day readers! Get that comforter out of the bag in the closet and put it on the bed! Lean that new mirror on the mantle instead of in the closet, and whatever you do, do it in those great new shoes you’ve been “waiting to wear for a special occasion”. The special occasion is today ~ celebrate it and become a ‘user’!