Reducing clutter in our lives may also mean reducing the amount of stuff we own. Considering today’s economy and the limited space we have in our homes and offices, I’m presenting some alternatives to purchasing and owning “stuff”.
Enjoying the Library
Borrow
Save the space on your book shelves for those books you love and refer to often – borrow from the library. If you love a book you’ve borrowed or if you think that you will refer back to it often (at least weekly) then it is probably worth purchasing. If you don’t think you’ll refer to it that often, you can always borrow it from the library again. The library also loans magazines and newspapers. Reduce the number of subscriptions you have and read them at the library instead.
While I don’t advocate borrowing from friends and family, if you do happen to do so, make sure you return the items in excellent condition. Compensating your friends with a bottle of wine or plate of cookies is a nice gesture too.
Rent
If you only do a building project once or twice per year, consider renting the specialized, expensive equipment. Rental equipment is usually the latest model and is always in good working condition. Another advantage of renting is that you can use the exact piece of equipment that you need instead of trying to make do with what you already own.
Renting camping equipment, boats and bicycles allows you to try out several different models or designs. This will permit you to make an informed decision should you decide that the particular activity is something you wish to pursue.
Share
Consider sharing equipment with family/friends that live close to you. For example, you might want to go in halves on a snowblower with a neighbour or halves on audio/visual equipment with a business colleague. Draw up a contract that you are both comfortable with detailing the use, storage and maintenance of the equipment. Make sure you come to an equitable agreement about what happens when one of you wants to stop sharing.
These strategies not only reduce clutter, but help keep your expenses under control! You could even take it a step further and look into car sharing, if you don’t use your car every day.
Thanks for mentioning this Janet. After living in Montreal for 3 years, we saw the Communauto cars everywhere. I thought it was ideal for city dwellers who can pay parking fees equivalent to their car loan payment every month.
Montreal also has rental bikes too. They are mostly used by commuters and great for apartment dwellers who have no where to store a bike during the winter months.
[...] Hollywood Brown offers three Alternatives to Owning that will help you and your clients keep your space clutter free, while using stuff you don’t [...]
I am a big fan of borrowing, Jackie! I come from a huge family and host a couple of family events each year but I don’t want to purchase and store extra items, so when it came time for my mom to purchase new kitchen dishes, I purchased the same ones. (BTW, I don’t do china, just one set of dishes for me!) We even have the same cutlery now. We divide up the dishes and utensils after a family gathering and know that we have a nice matching set to call on when we need it. There are a couple of fold up tables and even matching tablecloths for them distributed between a few nearby family member’s homes, so even with 24 at the table(s), it all looks quite pulled together! My sister is doing Thanksgiving next month, so I will drop off my autumn leaf-colour tablecloth at her house next week so she can match it up with hers!
Brilliant idea Heather! Thanks for sharing!