Me VS Decluttering

Recently I have been very into like decluttering (???) and I was like "oh shit is this the start of my auntie life" hahaha. And I'm hooked. Well it has nothing to do with my auntieness thou, I found myself reading articles and  more articles , videos after videos about how clutter or rather mess at home have an impact on one's mental Heath and how it does affects the mood and productivity, and I found joy doing it. 

OMG Angie , what have you become to.

" tidy home is a tidy mind"

Then, I chanced upon this lady by the name of Marie Kondo, where she introduced the Konmari Method - an organization style to simplify and organise. She is also the author of " "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up." It's crazy I tell you. 

Here’s some of the things that I've learned throughout this process

1. Get rid of duplicates
   We often buy things that are similar or even repeated without us realising and that is mainly just out of habit ; we like we buy.
   
   
2. Get rid of things you have not use in a year.
   During my first attempt to declutter, I didn't want to let go of anything. Like why would I want to! I spent money on them and I want them in my life. However, I realised that there were more than 50% of the items that I've never touched them for years.They were just sitting in the wardrobe/drawers/basically some corner in the house and doing nothing, totally serving no purpose at all!
   
   
    Meanwhile, I'm determined to build a classic wardrobe with quality pieces that I hope to last me for years (of course still have some fashion pieces to spice up the look.)
3. Don't keep things out of guilt
   I still keep items that are sentimental for me ; like all handwritten cards and gifts from friends/students etc. There were other items that it's just there and you would want to throw.
4. A home for everyone
   There should be a place for everything, which then leads to being organised. Efficient tip! In her books/videos, she shared that every item should have a place to where they belong and thus not having a mess afterwards. Personally, I still struggle to keep the different things in place and even when I do, I realised that the lazy bad habit would make it tough -  "Aiya just left it on the table first, later then put it back" This shit never happens wtf.
5. Plunge, then decide the next home for that itemThis is an important factor in the Konmari Method, Marie Kondo shared in her books and videos to set up 3 stacks - Keep , Give/sell, Throw. To begin decluttering, one can have three baskets, and then decide where each item belongs. Items belonging to the give/sell or throw section can be to sold via various platforms, donated/ give away or worst condition throw away or do some sorta recycling. It can be a painful process at the start, but would be something so fruitful and would also feel lighten up afterwards.

It's been an amazing journey to declutter and hopefully better in the future! 
Loves, 

A.

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Things to Plunge

Since I've been doing so much decluttering in my life right now, it was also an indication of how my money should be spent wisely. And because I'm so into it right now, I had to influence my friends to do the same. I realised that these are some of the common things my friends and I had to get rid of and you really have to remove the guilt in order to do so. People come and go, so do your items.

TL;DR : What Comes after decluttering :)

Make up

I think most girls would have this problem - buying too much make up. I personally don't really spend much on make up itself but sometimes you would really need variety and that's when horror comes in. I threw away one whole box of expired make up in such some has not even been opened yet. 

Clothes

Oh dear, it's like never ending wtf. There are always clothes that has to go. With taobao and fast moving fashion, I could easily say that most girls would have clothes that they never wear it more than 5 times. I know like it's bit painful for the wallet but you know what, Carousell and refash is here to save the day. 

At the same time, it is also good time to perhaps start a habit to invest in clothing that are more versatile. 

Books

Come on, who still read books nowadays. 

Opt for e-book or audio books instead, it's not only better for the environment, it is also more convenient to bring around.  You can either sell them or just donate it to the community library near you. I've donating mine to my students, cousins and lastly to the community library. 

Nail polish

I'm not sure about about others, but there was a period that I was all about nails and I had tons of nail polishes all in different shades of Colours. They all had to go. Who has time to wait for them to dry anymore? 

Anyway they are bad for the nail bed too.

Electronics

When I as going through my own apartment, I took out so many things , like the old Nokia phones(that you can't even charge) and the webcams and the never ending spoilt cables and earpieces. Keep for what, really.

I also later found out that these electronic waste should be dispose properly.

Costume Jewellery

There are like clothes, elements that enhances the outfit wtf. Even if you don't have make up, you would still have costume Jewellery, price ranges from $1 to maybe hundred over dollars for better quality or designer items. I'm so guilty of this cause I had so much and I don't wear them anymore. I try to sell those designer items on Carousell while the Taobao/77th street ones, I just throw.

Decorations

For the house, for the room - they are all just collecting dust now. So, Throw!

Knicks Knacks 

Same for this. it's crazy to look at them, think back about the dollars spent on it. Bad habit that gotta go! No more shopping and impulse purchases on knick knacks!

Magazines

I've ton of magazines, from idol magazines and J-pop ones, where I picked up my Japanese makeup and fashion skills, they all have to go now. Let's be honest, no one opens them up to read anymore. *roll eyes*

Gift bags 

Awwww, those pretty paper bags that could have cost $2 for one. They are really pretty, unless you found a way to give them a second life, then get them out of the house. It's painful to get rid of them I know! T.T

Expired medication

 I researched and articles said that they are still good for use even after 15 years, but isn't it weird and not worth the risk for taking expired medication? And also, how often we do go back to old medication when we are not well. Certainly they have to go, just for safety. 

Receipts

 The thing about receipts is we just keep them for no apparent reason. We pay and then we chuck it into our bags or wallets and they will be there for as long as we don't remember them. For myself, I keep them for filing taxes, but otherwise, they have to go too. 

p/s: Ways to get rid of plunge items.

So grateful that life have been easier with all these platforms! It's like garang guni man but modernized.

1. Carousell 
   Game-changer ; I've sold countless things on the app, so did my friends. From camera to phones to my luxury bags, just blessed that I barely have any carouhell moments and glad that I managed to make friends with my buyers!
   
   At the same time, I manage to get some steals too! Need something? Carousell it first.
2. Flea market
   Interesting experience ; It's expensive, dusty and troublesome but I feel that it's worth the experience. I did my first flea at Lucky Plaza where there are tons of people who really appreciate what you have to offer at a low price and gives the items a new life. Flea markets are a good place to get rid of clothes, accessories, shoes, or even suitcases. The demographics are lucky plaza are domestic helpers and our customers were buying for themselves or their family members in their hometown.
   
   Thing to note : Be nice, fleas are not really for you to make money, be prepared to spend the whole day standing and shouting and handle people who haggle for lower prices. Remember that you are there to get rid of plunge, your aim is to not bring home anything but cash.
3. Facebook Marketplace
   Relatively new and great place to sell anything! I could easily get 10 or more enquiries in a day when I posted about selling my iPhone 7 plus. The Facebook Marketplace is like flea market, but virtual.
4. Donate it away!
   Not into selling or getting cash back ? Then donate it! There are many avenues for donations, Salvation Army, religion groups, thrift stores etc.
5. Just throw it away wtf.
   If item is damaged and beyond hope for a second life, no explanation needed. Just into the bin . 

It does take some guts to part with the items, but once it's done , I promise that you will feel a little lighter overall. :)

Loves, 

A.

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10 things I did to save more money

I mean like it's quite obvious that this is semi occupation hazard but also good practices that I would always keep in mind.

1. Save at least 30-50% of your income automatically. 
   One practice that most of us don't practice and I'm kinda guilty for that as well. I used to diligently do that when I was holding an office job and things got off when I went back to school and doing freelancing work. It's a phrase and I feel that it does get harder as we grow older, but I'm striving to get this good habit back on track after my transition period as well.
2. Have two jobs, save 100% of one salary
   Because I no longer have a fixed pay, every month I had variable amounts and they comes in at different days of the month. It makes savings much tougher and cash flow harder to keep track. What I did was to keep one incoming salary to a separate bank so it naturally become part of my savings :)
3. Let your savings work harder.
   The simplest way is to do some "homework" and park your money in a bank that gives the best interest rate. An even better way is to set aside a portion of the savings and sign up for an endowment plan, I suggest a shorter term eg 5 years, and then review every five years, just in case of a disruption. A shorter term endowment plan works well for freelancers like myself since we do not contribute to CPF and we "lose out" from the employer CPF contribution portion too. The 5-year endowment plan serve as a "CPF contribution" with less flexibility compared to the bank but you know you can get it out in an agreed date (policy maturity date).
4.  Buy things during sales.
   One of my shopaholic practices is that I would barely buy anything full retail price. While I am really very grateful that I have amazing family and friends around that are able to give me amazing discounts and deals, I am seldom tempted by impulse purchase which brings me to the next point.
5. Only buy things you need 
   I'm a girl and I like pretty, fine things. I love my Louis Vuitton and Chanel bags and I cannot lie! People often buy things to impress and we don't think through when we are at the moment. If you really have to, do a price comparison first.
   
   p/s : Here we are talking about big ticket items.
   
   Some questions I usually ask myself before I buy :
   Q : Would I be able to use this item everyday ?
   Q : If not, will I see myself using it 5-10 years later ?
   Q : Is the price worth its quality ?
   Q : Do I really need it ?
6. Do a price comparison - Taobao might not always be the cheapest!Don't get me wrong. I love Taobao and I've been getting my stuff from Taobao since my secondary school days. Back in those days we use agent to daigou for us and we have to send in our orders in excel format, for real. What I realise these days is that we have so many other e-commerce sites that makes taobao not the cheapest option anymore.
   For example , this LED lit mirror / lamp
   It was the same price on taobao and hipvan after the chinese dollar conversion, but! it was overall cheaper when I use Hipvan because there's free shipping/delivery plus there was a discount code on it. If I were to make the purchase through taobao, I would have to worry about the shipping fee and any complications (every electronic thing has this), the electric plug etc.
   
   Same situation for my purchase on my Xiaomi Air Purifier from Lazada too.
   
   
7. Less is more. 
   
   Sell away things that duplicates or no longer in use. 
   Rarely use ? = sell.
   I could totally give it away or get some cash back for whatever item it can. The choice is up to individual, while I feel that it does make a person feel much better when you paid for a purchase and you get back cash for it.
8. Learn to share
   Sharing is caring, indeed! One simple yet good example was carpooling, ride hitching and sharing accounts - opt in to share a Netflix Account or friends to come together for a Spotify Family account.
   Talking about gadgets, currently I had sold my cameras and is only solely using my mobile while occasionally borrowing Yongwei's #jennythedrone for travel or commissioned work. It IS an expensive toy but I think it is not whether you can afford one or not but more like the the chances of me utilizing.
   My friends and I sometimes share our wardrobe too (mostly my friends coming to borrow my clothes). There are days we need to attend one formal event once in maybe three blue moon so there's absolutely pointless to make a purchase for that occasion, so you borrow.
9. Invest in quality productsI spend alot of money in quality items.
   Quality over Quantity anytime.
   I believe in the value of how it is made, the practicality of the material used and design behind it.That being said would need a lot of research to be done, on its brand, quality reviews etc.
   
   With the right brand, it is definitely worth the penny over the long run.
10. Make more money to buy what you want.
    An extra side job, a small online business or investments instruments. No one relies on one income to make money - it is not possible. The toughest yet best way to gain more savings would be to make more money through investments or starting having a side income. 

"Savings & investment are all you're left with after a career. Education, certificates, experiences eventually become useless"  

I hope it's useful! Good luck!

Loves, 

A.

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