Twenty Percent Reduction

Now if we were talking about investments, a twenty percent decrease would be worrisome. I think we can all agree on that. But what if we're just talking about "stuff".  You know, stuff. Just the stuff that's in the garage, the basement, the top shelf of the closet. The stuff that we don't actually use, touch or need anymore but still like to have.  What if, you could reduce your stuff. Would it make your life better? Would you have more breathing space? Would it lift a mental weight off your shoulders?

So here's the challenge I put forth for February.... (February - the month that's already smaller, shorter and better than January!)  Clean out the closet. Do you need 10 sweaters or could you live with 8? Five black pairs of shoes... how about 4 instead? 20 stuffed animals on your bed? Let's see what 16 feels like? Books... can you recycle, donated, trade or sell 1 out of every 5 that you have on the shelf? Think of it as American Idol for "stuff". They're all good, but somebody has to go!

Now the grocery bill. Can you buy 20% less?  Use 20% more of what you already have?  Or just find a way to use coupons or buy on sale to save 20% of your money, while still getting the same amount.
When was the last time you saw the bottom of the freezer? I know that I would like to save more, by throwing away less food. Have you ever rejected something because it had freezer burn? I have.

Twenty percent less stuff would mean 20% more room to breathe. I like the way that sounds. What do you think... up for the challenge?