What am I talking about?… Branded Freebies!
The company you work for, fundraisers, goodie bags, marketing nick-knacks… Everyone wants you to know their brand and inspire loyalty in you. But these things are simply:
Clutter! They’re not even Potential Clutter, they are Actual Clutter.
How many branded sports bags, water bottles, jandals, T-shirts, mugs and sun-visors do we NEED?
It depends.
If you’re thinking, as you’re being handed that brand new backpack in its plastic bag, “I already have a backpack. But…
- I don’t want to be rude.
- It’s brand new!
- I’ll find a use for it…
- Someone will use it I’m pretty sure.
You can say, No Thanks!
The 6 Golden rules for A Clutter Free Home!
Hold your hands behind your back, put your hands in your pocket, point at something behind them and gasp and run away…
Worst case scenario, leave it behind when you leave. If someone chases you down to remind you to take the Clutter, see above. Repeat.
If you’re thinking, “Thank goodness! My teen desperately needs a new backpack for school, I’m sure they’ll LOVE this one from my work.”
You might want to pause for a second and rethink that thought. Really.
If you’re thinking, “Ah one pen won’t hurt, it’s free!”.
You’re probably right, but it’s a slippery slope! One chip clip won’t hurt. One notepad won’t hurt. One fridge magnet won’t hurt. One mouse pad won’t hurt…
Then you end up with these things EVERYWHERE. And you feel bad. They’re Brand New, they’re Still Good! If you don’t bring them into your home you avoid Clutter and you avoid Guilt and it’s more sustainable. Boom.
You are not responsible for Things if they never come into your possession.
Avoid them like the plague!
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