Comments on: Tomorrow Boxes

By: Oogie M

Oogie M — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:35:51 +0000

The only problem with boxing up stuff and getting rid of it if you haven’t used it in a while is if you forget you had one and went out and bought another. So when you get to the box you now find you have 2 or more of the item in question. This has happened to me more than once. Especially with seasonal things that may go more than a year between uses due to weather conditions. So if you do this, label the boxes or keep a list of what’s in it so you can find the things again when you do need them or are ready to buy something. I check my stored box list whenever we add any major item to the shopping list just in case we have one stored somewhere we forgot about.

By: Marci

Marci — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:12:47 +0000

I love the dated boxes idea!

And I also ‘stock up’ on clothes/shoes when I find them on sale. As I’ve worn the same brand of women’s 5 pocket jeans – everyday/every job/different colors is the only change – for the past 20 years, when they’re on sale I buy them up :)
Same with sneakers – always buy at least 2 pairs alike when I find them on sale. My clothing doesn’t change much – rural area – rural work clothes :) Very comfy! lucky for me!

Am downsizing (trying to…) at this time, so will give this a go! Thanks!

By: Ann at One Bag Nation

Ann at One Bag Nation — Thu, 29 May 2008 00:10:04 +0000

Hi Trent, you could stand in over at unclutterer with this post!

I have boxes in the basement with larger-sized clothing for my daughter,as she’s still growing.

The other thing I have (for her, though she doesn’t know it) is a Transition Box. I’ve posted about it on my blog, but in a nutshell, I use it to store “treasures” that my daughter *thinks* she can’t part with . . . I leave the stuff in there for just a couple of weeks and when I know she’s forgotten – out it goes! She is truly the Queen Pack Rat and I was getting desperate – everything is special to her!

By: Margaret

Margaret — Wed, 28 May 2008 02:45:03 +0000

Re comment 27

I also saved my kids clothes for the next one along. Apparently not everyone does this. I’ve even heard of someone who gave away her stroller, car seat, high chair etc because she thought the next baby deserved to have everything new. Crazy. Anyway, I’m on child number three, and between gifts and hand me downs and clothes at the second hand store, I have ended up with a lot of children’s clothes, and I have a hard time getting rid of any of them. I notice with baby number three that the drawers are stuffed, but we do not use about half of the clothes because I don’t like the style/colour/fit. Why am I keeping those? If we have baby number four, I am probably not suddenly going to like the clothes and start using them. Even before I read this post, I had been thinking about putting all the clothes in a box for a couple weeks. Then I could get rid of whatever was left in the box because it wasn’t getting used (obviously just the seasonal stuff).

By: MES

MES — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:26:15 +0000

Great tips – reminds me to take a look in a couple mystery boxes that never got unpacked after our last move.

I have a terrible time finding shoes that fit properly so when I find a pair that I like (on sale of course) I often go back the next week and get another pair to store for later. It is a great relief to know that the next pair of tennis shoes is waiting in the closet when the current one wears out.

I have also done a lot of the “future clothes” shopping for my toddler. When he was about a year old I found a few great deals on Craigslist and ended up with several bins full of larger sizes. I have to buy a few filler and seasonal items but it has saved me a ton of money because I’m just not tempted to buy more.

Now I’m saving Kid #1′s clothes for Kid #2, so my bins have multiplied. I found that I need to sort the clothes thoroughly, and really think about why I’m keeping each item. Do I like it? Does it function well? Did I actually use it the first time around? Will it be appropriate for the season?

By: sm4k

sm4k — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:10:48 +0000

Sorry for the double post but I meant to add that doing the “winter clothes/summer clothes” boxes is a great way to routinely weed out clothes that are too small for growing children.

By: sm4k

sm4k — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:09:27 +0000

Living in Missouri, my wife and I also do the “winter clothes/summer clothes” boxes because we have a pretty small closet.

One tip I picked up somewhere is that when you hang up your clothes after they get washed, hang the hanger backwards on the rod, so that in order to get the hanger off, you have to push the hanger away from you after you lift it off the rod. That way you can evaluate what is in your closet after a few weeks and instantly tell what you wear and what you don’t. That helps keep your closet from being cluttered with clothes you don’t wear.

By: Luke @ Money & Fitnes Blog

Luke @ Money & Fitnes Blog — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:07:22 +0000

Trent,
Where do you usually stock up on size 16 shoes for cheap? I wear the same size and while I have a few extra pair, I don’t have a surplus like it sounds you do!

By: cv

cv — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:53:19 +0000

To !wanda, I think that’s part of the point. If you don’t care enough about an item to take it out of a box in the garage, do you really need it in your house cluttering up your life? Americans in general are buying larger and larger homes to store all the stuff they barely use or “might need some day”, and that comes with real financial implications, never mind the environmental ones.

I’ve been doing something similar to the tomorrow box, but without the box. I moved almost a year ago, and have to move again in a couple of months. Pretty much anything that hasn’t been used or worn since the fist move isn’t coming with me for the second move. I’m going on memory, but it’s still a useful way to sort through things.

By: HebsFarm

HebsFarm — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:43:12 +0000

Buying clothing into the future works better for men. It only takes a little work for them to stay the same size & shape. Women have less control. A little pregnant – a lot pregnant – nursing (tummy may have shrunk but chest is a crazy size) – even if her body returns to its original size & shape after baby (or babies), she might not want to show as much leg as she used to – there go all those shorts she bought on super-clearance sale!

By: Carrie

Carrie — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:02:38 +0000

@Sally: very good point! I’ve never been into stuff and have a hard time understanding why people feel the need to buy so much. I get overwhelmed at garage sales because people are getting rid of more stuff than I ever owned! I simply can’t think with that much clutter around.

By: !wanda

!wanda — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:03:20 +0000

For me, the “tomorrow box” idea would be a self-fulfilling prophecy. I’d box something, never use it because I wouldn’t want to dig it out of the box, and then get rid of it because I never used it.

By: Renee

Renee — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:39:28 +0000

I think that is very anal-who are you trying to be-Andy Warhol?

By: paula d.

paula d. — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:41:14 +0000

This is a great system for getting rid of things that you can’t quite let go of, as well as a very frugal way of dealing with clothes.

My only problem is I have no storage space so, where do I put the boxes?

By: Sally

Sally — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:28:17 +0000

Great Idea for those who haven’t overcome their “stuff” habits. I think an even better idea and one I am practicing is to NOT BUY IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. From cleaning supplies to clothing – I’ve learned the hard expensive way to not keep buying stuff I will use once because of “Marketing ploys” This goes along with the pay off your debt/start it up again. Once you get rid of things – don’t just replace them again.

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:33:14 +0000

You want to see boxes, I’ll show you boxes. For the first time in 17 years we are moving. We are swarmed with boxes and storage bins and we don’t even move for a month yet.

By: Ryan McLean

Ryan McLean — Tue, 27 May 2008 07:31:28 +0000

Great tips
My dad often finds that he throws things out the day before he needs them…haha
I think this is a great system though

By: MoneyEnergy

MoneyEnergy — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:19:09 +0000

Pretty good! Sounds like you’ll have a lot of boxes, though, which would still take up a lot of space. For me, I think it might still just be easier to get rid of them.

But I do like the idea of boxing up books and rotating them – books are my problem.

Since I hate clothes shopping, I try to buy two or three items of the same thing at once when I know it fits. Then I just wear my clothes until they wear out:)

By: Stacey

Stacey — Tue, 27 May 2008 00:56:29 +0000

Hurray for saving $ on clothes! We currently stock up on sneakers and steel-tipped boots when they’re half off or BOGO. Sneakers and boots never go out of style (and they’re so comfy). These are my husband’s primary “work” shoes and my running shoes.

I also am an odd size, so I like to take advantage of end-of-season sales. I can get some nice semi-professional clothes for a great price.

As for it being dated, does anyone really wear clothes for just one season? I know I don’t! :)

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 27 May 2008 00:24:34 +0000

That is a great idea. I am moving into a small apartment soon but always have trouble throwing things away. Maybe I’ll try this so I can slowly lessen my possessions.