Clutter Busting: Magazine clutter, anyone?

Clutter is a result of bringing in more than we let go, and a good example of this is magazines! The general reason is that people are afraid to let go of a magazine because there was something of relevance inside; whether it be of inspiration (design, motivation articles, etc.) or information (recipe, tips, etc). What if you might need it someday, right? Not only is magazine clutter unsightly and a dust collector, but what inevitably happens is when you want to find the article that you saved the magazine for, you have to dig through all your saved magazines to find it! If the problem is that you don’t have time to read the magazines, it is time to stop subscribing!

This week my challenge for you is to gather up all of your magazines. Next, pick a time when you have an hour or more to sit, depending on how many magazines you have accumulated. Quickly page through each magazine, and with a box cutter cut out any page that strikes you as save-worthy. Trust me; even if almost all the articles are informative in a magazine, there is a huge portion that is simply advertisements. Next, grab a couple binders and either a 3-hole punch or some 3 hole page protectors. Place the articles into the binders in whatever categories that works for you. I have one for household ideas and tips and another for recipes. Once I try a recipe and it becomes approved by my family, I take it out and write it on a card for our recipe box. If it gets rejected by the family, it ends up in the recycling bin.

Please don’t forget to recycle. According to the MPA (Magazine Publishers of America) it was estimated that two thirds of the country had magazine recycling in their community, yet only approximately 20% of the households actually recycle their magazines. For more information on recycling your magazines, please click here: http://www.magazine.org/government_action/environment/21345.cfm

Final note: are you saving magazines as investment pieces? Do you think you have a gold mine sitting in your attic? Finding the market value of your items is so simple. Simply go onto your favorite online auction (ie. eBay) and do a completed listing search on your item. If the answer is not clear enough, contact a dealer to get more information. Keep in mind; your items are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them.

Have fun!
Betsy