Why It's OK to Get Rid of Things You Might Use

It has been six months since we moved into our new home. In that time, my husband has pointed out to me on three occasions a decluttering version of "I told you so". After discovering a use for something I chose to get rid of, he has essentially said, "This is why you don't get rid of things you might use." 

I adore my husband, but I respectfully disagree. In all three cases, I am content with my choice even though it meant replacing each of the items in question. Lest you think I'm a lunatic, I will endeavor to explain. 

The Ping Pong Balls

---

Ten years ago our youngest son did an experiment in bouyancy for his fifth grade science project. It required approximately 40 ping pong balls which we have retained in our possession ever since (until our recent move). We do not own a ping pong table or have access to one.

At one point several years ago I made a vain attempt to repurpose the ping pong balls after seeing an idea on Pinterest. This involved writing tasks/activities on each ball. My son was not nearly as impressed with the idea as I was, and the ping pong balls soon found their way back to the garage. Thus, I felt completely justified in tossing them out when it came time to move.

As luck would have it, mere weeks after discarding the ping pong balls, my husband was put in charge of securing supplies for a church youth activity. They planned to play a series of Minute to Win It games, one of which required...ping pong balls. 

Here's why I do not regret my decision to toss out those ping pong balls:

• I had no earthly way of knowing a use would arise after all these years.
• The balls were covered in phrases which no longer had relevance to me or anyone else.
• Ten years is more than enough time to hold onto an item "just in case". 
• Replacing the ping pong balls only cost a few dollars (for which we were reimbursed).
• We no longer have an unattractive bag of graphiti laden ping pong balls cluttering up our garage. 

The Brick Pavers

---

A couple of years ago we created a cement patio in our back yard. In preparation for the project, we pulled up eight square red brick pavers which have been sitting in our shop ever since. In preparation for the move, I offered them up on Facebook, and they were quickly claimed by a friend. She had the perfect spot for them. They actually solved a problem she'd been battling in her yard, and she was thrilled to get them. 

Several of the flower beds in our new house are filled with rock. One such bed is a narrow strip between the driveway and the front walk. A couple of weeks ago we decided to space flower pots in the rock to add some color and interest to the area. We decided it would be useful to put down pavers underneath the pots so they would sit flat. Again, my husband pointed out that we were buying something we had only recently given away, but I was completely comfortable defending that decision. Here's why:

• Our friend had an immediate need for the pavers. What's more, she loves them and is grateful to have them.
• I never liked those pavers. 
• I love the new stone pavers which perfectly blend with the surrounding rock. The red brick would not have looked as nice.
• It only cost a few dollars to replace the pavers with a better version that we picked ourselves (as opposed to inheriting them with the house).  
• We no longer have a stack of unwanted pavers cluttering up our shop.

---

the new stone pavers

---

The Flower Pots

---

We moved in December, and I honestly wasn't thinking much about spring and planting flowers. I was thinking about downsizing. In my zeal to lighten our load, I gave away six or eight mismatched plastic flower pots in varying sizes. All of them were sun faded and some of them were a little cracked around the rim. 

Now it's May, and I'm busily striving to beautify my new yard and increase my home's curb appeal (see the above entry for details). As we drove to Home Depot to shop for flower pots, my husband jokingly said, "It's too bad we didn't have a bunch of flower pots lying around that we could have used." Haha. I know. I know.

Once again, I was unphased by the fact that we were replacing something we had recently owned and given away, and this is why:

• The old flower pots were plastic, and I wanted better quality pots for this project (so did my husband). 
• The old pots were faded and cracked - not what we needed to increase our curb appeal.
• The old flower pots were in varying sizes and colors and would not have worked for our current project. 
• We no longer have a stack of mismatched flower pots cluttering our garage.

---

the new (matching) flower pots

---

Might Does Not Make Right

---

Might is a word I hear often as an organizer. "I can't get rid of that because it might come in handy." Or "You never know when you might need a...." 

Other related words include ought, should, and could. All of these words convey a sense of uncertainty coupled with a vague notion of obligation. Most people, if questioned, would no doubt indicate an unwillingness to let fear serve as a primary motivator for their decisions and behavior. Yet many of us do just that when we succumb to the influence of 'might'. In essence, we let our belongings bully us. We keep things that serve no apparent or meaningful purpose in our lives - things we have no emotional attachment to or conceivable use for - simply because they might be needed. 

Instead of sacrificing precious space for things that may or may not prove useful at some future date, why not make space for the things you have a use for and interest in right now? 

'Might' vs 'Will'

---

A client recently complained to me that "organizers always say that holding onto things you might need is pointless because you never use them." I admit, I'm guilty as charged. This person went on to express her amazement at how many times she has been saved at the last minute because she held onto something she needed.

This well-meaning individual failed to see the flaw in her reasoning, which is this: there is a difference between an actual need/use and a hypothetical one. In her case, she was actually using the things she had chosen to keep. The problem arises when we aren't sure when or if an item will prove useful. 

If you can visualize a legitimate use for something, by all means, hold onto that item. If, however, you only have an ambiguous notion that it could serve some purpose someday - but no real notion of what that purpose could be - please consider getting rid of the item.

Determining What to Keep

---

When trying to determine which of your 'mights' are legitimate and which are simply nebulous, I recommend doing a cost comparison. There are many different costs associated with keeping vs. replacing an item. Consider the following:

• Money - How much would it cost to replace the item? Would it be possible to borrow or rent a similar item if the need arose? If the item in question is in a rented storage space, would it cost you less to replace it than you are paying to store it?
• Space - Do you have the space to store the item indefinitely? Or could the space be better utilized for some other purpose? 
• Time - How much time do you spend maintaining, cleaning, and storing the item? How much time would it take you to replace the item?
• Psychological Burden - Clutter has been proven to increase the stress hormone cortisol, and long-term exposure to cortisol has been proven to negatively impact health in a number of ways. If you are keeping an item out of guilt or fear, this further adds to the stress associated with that item. Letting go of unneeded things can have a very positive impact on your psychological well-being. 

When it comes down to it, there are a couple of questions we should ask ourselves when considering whether or not to keep the 'mights' in our lives: 

1. Can I envision a legitimate (meaning likely and worthwhile) use for this item?  
2. If a use for this item arose, would I actually use it, or would I prefer another, similar item (think of my flower pots)? 
3. Do I value my time, space, and psychological well-being more than I value this item?
4. Is it worth giving up the space and living with the clutter in order to potentially save a little money down the road?

There is no wrong answer to these questions. Only you can decide what a particular thing is worth to you, but I encourage you to take the time to think it through. If you decide you value other intangibles over the item, you can feel confident letting it go, even if a use actually does arise in the future.  

I hope that I have demonstrated through my personal experiences that discovering you could have used something you got rid of doesn't have to be devastating. In fact, it can be validating. In each of the cases I shared, I discovered that what I had wasn't really what I wanted. While the items in question could have been used to satisfy my purposes, I would not have been as happy with the results. ​