Clutter, clutter everywhere!More and more I’m hearing Baby Boomers complain about the clutter in their lives. And, I have to admit, I’m no exception. Plus, a significant number of clients are telling me they are overwhelmed by clutter and can’t seem to get to the things that really matter.
When we redid the office recently, just that one room showed how much ’stuff? we’d accumulated and then let sit over the years. I’m proud to say that not everything went back into the office. Instead, the library received a large donation of books, charities received useable items, some antique books are on consignment, and the rest was trashed.
I’ve also been unloading a storage locker for which I’ve been paying good money to store a lot of useless, worthless stuff. As of this writing, every box of junk has been purged and countless bags of garbage have been hauled away each week for the past several months. There’s more reviewing, sorting and pitching left to do, but already it’s a great weight off my shoulders.
As I think back over the past 50+ years, I remember times that were far less pressured and far less affluent. Overwhelm in the 1950s was a very different thing than it is today. But as each decade went by, it seemed that affluence increased and the pace of life became China Custom Packaging Tin Boxes Manufacturers so incredibly fast that it became easier and easier to dump ’stuff? in boxes to be dealt with ’later?. Only ’later? never came, and the stuff ? now known as clutter ? just kept piling up and costing me more and more ? time, money, energy, self-respect, to name a few.
Then there’s the issue of families growing smaller. Whereas great-grandma and great-grandpa had four or five or more children to whom to distribute their earthly goods during their old age, today there may be only one or two, sometimes three, kids who inherit not just from mom and pop, but from all sorts of other relatives. In my case, I’ve been ?blessed? by my parents, two aunts, my mother’s cousins and a few others with everything from furniture to china to oodles of pictures and papers including baptism certificates, letters exchanged during World War II, home mortgages and military discharge papers! And, of course, all have tremendous sentimental value that has made it very difficult to part with such treasures. I mean, how could I part with something all those good people touched and used and shared with me?!
So, I’ve hung on to this stuff, even though managing it has been a costly nightmare. After all, I’ve been holding it all in trust for the next generation. Let them take care of it! But, guess what. This new generation does not value these things that connect one generation to the next. They want simplicity. I guess you can’t blame them. After all, they’ve been living with us and seeing how all this stuff has taken charge of our lives!
It’s taken a few years and a lot of reflection, but I’ve decided to take this noose off from around my neck. I’ve decided that it’s much better to let go of many of the family treasures, and let others who will use them add them to their lives. When they gather dust in a closet or a storage locker, what’s the point of keeping them? I will keep some things, of course. But I don’t need to hang on to everything everyone has willed to me. And, all those old papers ? magazines, catalogs, school papers, kid’s stuff, etc. etc. ? which I haven’t looked at in years, they’re gone forever.
My husband and I have been fussing about this issue for the last 20 years. Now, I’m not sure what we will talk about for the next 20 years! However, I can tell you I’m looking forward to fresh topics and new adventures. I’ve spent way too much energy thinking about, arguing about, shuffling around and spending money on useless stuff that’s been controlling my life.
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When we redid the office recently, just that one room showed how much ’stuff? we’d accumulated and then let sit over the years. I’m proud to say that not everything went back into the office. Instead, the library received a large donation of books, charities received useable items, some antique books are on consignment, and the rest was trashed.
I’ve also been unloading a storage locker for which I’ve been paying good money to store a lot of useless, worthless stuff. As of this writing, every box of junk has been purged and countless bags of garbage have been hauled away each week for the past several months. There’s more reviewing, sorting and pitching left to do, but already it’s a great weight off my shoulders.
As I think back over the past 50+ years, I remember times that were far less pressured and far less affluent. Overwhelm in the 1950s was a very different thing than it is today. But as each decade went by, it seemed that affluence increased and the pace of life became China Custom Packaging Tin Boxes Manufacturers so incredibly fast that it became easier and easier to dump ’stuff? in boxes to be dealt with ’later?. Only ’later? never came, and the stuff ? now known as clutter ? just kept piling up and costing me more and more ? time, money, energy, self-respect, to name a few.
Then there’s the issue of families growing smaller. Whereas great-grandma and great-grandpa had four or five or more children to whom to distribute their earthly goods during their old age, today there may be only one or two, sometimes three, kids who inherit not just from mom and pop, but from all sorts of other relatives. In my case, I’ve been ?blessed? by my parents, two aunts, my mother’s cousins and a few others with everything from furniture to china to oodles of pictures and papers including baptism certificates, letters exchanged during World War II, home mortgages and military discharge papers! And, of course, all have tremendous sentimental value that has made it very difficult to part with such treasures. I mean, how could I part with something all those good people touched and used and shared with me?!
So, I’ve hung on to this stuff, even though managing it has been a costly nightmare. After all, I’ve been holding it all in trust for the next generation. Let them take care of it! But, guess what. This new generation does not value these things that connect one generation to the next. They want simplicity. I guess you can’t blame them. After all, they’ve been living with us and seeing how all this stuff has taken charge of our lives!
It’s taken a few years and a lot of reflection, but I’ve decided to take this noose off from around my neck. I’ve decided that it’s much better to let go of many of the family treasures, and let others who will use them add them to their lives. When they gather dust in a closet or a storage locker, what’s the point of keeping them? I will keep some things, of course. But I don’t need to hang on to everything everyone has willed to me. And, all those old papers ? magazines, catalogs, school papers, kid’s stuff, etc. etc. ? which I haven’t looked at in years, they’re gone forever.
My husband and I have been fussing about this issue for the last 20 years. Now, I’m not sure what we will talk about for the next 20 years! However, I can tell you I’m looking forward to fresh topics and new adventures. I’ve spent way too much energy thinking about, arguing about, shuffling around and spending money on useless stuff that’s been controlling my life.
China Custom Packaging Tin Boxes Manufacturers- https://www.yaermeipack.com/
Get referrals from local real estate agents and friends who have moved recently. 2.Only consider movers that are licensed, bonded and insured. 3.Investigate your potential movers through custom pencil metal container the U.S Department of Transportation, MovingScam and the Better Business Bureau. 4.Evaluate a minimum of 3 movers based on in-home estimates of goods to be moved. 5.Price isn’t the only factor- extremely low bids indicate a desperate mover.
To evaluate movers, you need to have a list of potential moving companies. While the Yellow Pages (for those of us who can even find their phone books!) and web searches can help, referrals can provide the best leads. Ask your friends, co-workers and new neighbors about their experiences. Look for people who have moved in the past 12 months, as companies’ quality changes over time. Be sure to ask for details such as the names of people they worked with, what went well, and what to watch out for. Even information about moves that didn’t go well can be helpful.
In addition to friends and co-workers, try to get referrals from industry professionals. Check with your leasing agent or real estate agent for experiences of their clients- they can be a wealth of helpful information. If you work for a large company, check with the Human Resources department to see if they have someone who works with relocation (even if you’re not receiving relocation assistance- they may be willing to pass on useful information anyway).
Getting these types of referrals will get your research started on the right foot. Licensing Movers are regulated by federal, state and local laws. At the federal level, a moving company that carries goods across state lines (interstate) needs to be licensed by the Department of Transportation (the DOT does not regulate local movers). At the state level, laws vary widely, and several states (Alaska, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, South Dakota, Utah, and Vermont) don’t require moving companies to have a separate license. For those that do, verify that the licenses are current. We also recommend that your movers be bonded and insured, both as proof that the company is legitimate and financial stability in case the worst happens and you need to file a claim.
Investigate Potential Movers Once you know the basics about your potential moving companies, it’s time to find out about people’s experiences. You want to know get opinions from objective, third-party opinions based on dozens or hundreds of consumer evaluations. While almost every moving company has had some kind of complaints, having objective resources is important. Fortunately, there are a few excellent resources you can use for free. The U. S. Department of Transportation has a website devoted to its "Protect Your Move" program at ProtectYourMove.gov.
There you’ll find a link that will allow you to look up individual moving companies. You can also find individual customer reviews and opinions at both MovingScam and the Better Business Bureau website (BBB.org). It’s a good idea to check all 3 to make sure you see a complete picture. Again, almost any mover who has been around for awhile will have a complaint from someone- you’re looking for patterns of issues and how the movers attempted to resolve the issues. In-home Estimates Many companies provide methods for customers to obtain an estimate over the phone or on the web.
This presents tremendous convenience for the consumer. Until a moving company representative takes a physical inventory, their estimates aren’t very reliable. You should also be somewhat concerned when a moving company isn’t interested enough in your business to request an in-home visit. It can also be tempting to get only one or two estimates for an upcoming move. This presents two problems. The first problem is that it’s very difficult to evaluate an estimate without having a few others to use as comparisons. The second problem is that you miss valuable opportunities to evaluate a mover’s personnel without ever having met them. It’s worth the time to get these estimates in person.
Pricing Price is obviously very important when selecting a moving company. However, it isn’t the only factor. In fact, we think that quality, safety and reliability are at least as important. When you think that you will be trusting all your most important possession to be driven off by complete strangers, it puts pricing in some perspective. Further, if you see an estimate that’s more than 1/3 lower than the next lowest estimate, it’s a good idea to find out why.
Very often an extremely low estimate is a sign of movers who are either very inexperienced or desperate. And neither of those reasons should be cause for encouragement! "Binding Not to Exceed" Estimates There are 2 primary types of moving estimates- binding and non-binding. Non-binding estimates are not contracts, and provide those moving with limited rights. Binding estimates are contracts and are binding on both you and the moving company.
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To evaluate movers, you need to have a list of potential moving companies. While the Yellow Pages (for those of us who can even find their phone books!) and web searches can help, referrals can provide the best leads. Ask your friends, co-workers and new neighbors about their experiences. Look for people who have moved in the past 12 months, as companies’ quality changes over time. Be sure to ask for details such as the names of people they worked with, what went well, and what to watch out for. Even information about moves that didn’t go well can be helpful.
In addition to friends and co-workers, try to get referrals from industry professionals. Check with your leasing agent or real estate agent for experiences of their clients- they can be a wealth of helpful information. If you work for a large company, check with the Human Resources department to see if they have someone who works with relocation (even if you’re not receiving relocation assistance- they may be willing to pass on useful information anyway).
Getting these types of referrals will get your research started on the right foot. Licensing Movers are regulated by federal, state and local laws. At the federal level, a moving company that carries goods across state lines (interstate) needs to be licensed by the Department of Transportation (the DOT does not regulate local movers). At the state level, laws vary widely, and several states (Alaska, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, South Dakota, Utah, and Vermont) don’t require moving companies to have a separate license. For those that do, verify that the licenses are current. We also recommend that your movers be bonded and insured, both as proof that the company is legitimate and financial stability in case the worst happens and you need to file a claim.
Investigate Potential Movers Once you know the basics about your potential moving companies, it’s time to find out about people’s experiences. You want to know get opinions from objective, third-party opinions based on dozens or hundreds of consumer evaluations. While almost every moving company has had some kind of complaints, having objective resources is important. Fortunately, there are a few excellent resources you can use for free. The U. S. Department of Transportation has a website devoted to its "Protect Your Move" program at ProtectYourMove.gov.
There you’ll find a link that will allow you to look up individual moving companies. You can also find individual customer reviews and opinions at both MovingScam and the Better Business Bureau website (BBB.org). It’s a good idea to check all 3 to make sure you see a complete picture. Again, almost any mover who has been around for awhile will have a complaint from someone- you’re looking for patterns of issues and how the movers attempted to resolve the issues. In-home Estimates Many companies provide methods for customers to obtain an estimate over the phone or on the web.
This presents tremendous convenience for the consumer. Until a moving company representative takes a physical inventory, their estimates aren’t very reliable. You should also be somewhat concerned when a moving company isn’t interested enough in your business to request an in-home visit. It can also be tempting to get only one or two estimates for an upcoming move. This presents two problems. The first problem is that it’s very difficult to evaluate an estimate without having a few others to use as comparisons. The second problem is that you miss valuable opportunities to evaluate a mover’s personnel without ever having met them. It’s worth the time to get these estimates in person.
Pricing Price is obviously very important when selecting a moving company. However, it isn’t the only factor. In fact, we think that quality, safety and reliability are at least as important. When you think that you will be trusting all your most important possession to be driven off by complete strangers, it puts pricing in some perspective. Further, if you see an estimate that’s more than 1/3 lower than the next lowest estimate, it’s a good idea to find out why.
Very often an extremely low estimate is a sign of movers who are either very inexperienced or desperate. And neither of those reasons should be cause for encouragement! "Binding Not to Exceed" Estimates There are 2 primary types of moving estimates- binding and non-binding. Non-binding estimates are not contracts, and provide those moving with limited rights. Binding estimates are contracts and are binding on both you and the moving company.
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