Archive for March, 2010

Stuff-eritis

Def: Stuff-eritis “To go about our lives, accumulating, and hoarding unnecessary possessions, because we ‘deserve’ to have as much stuff as possible in life.”

Sadly, these days, stuff-eritis seems to be a widespread phenomenon. It appears to be highly contagious, especially when mingling and associating with others who suffer from the same symptoms and lifestyle.

Once acquired, further symptoms include: boasting to friends and neighbours about the acquisition of our latest ‘stuff,’ making futile attempts to reorganise the rest of our ‘stuff’ in the house, in order to make room for more ‘stuff,’ using credit to finance the acquisition of more ‘stuff,’ and in extreme cases, even relocating to a bigger house, in order to make room for more ‘stuff.’

Once stuff-eritis has been diagnosed, it is often very difficult to treat. Treatment involves a lot of self-control, as well as the shedding and removal of a lot of one’s ‘stuff’ from the sufferer’s life.

Withdrawal symptoms can often be quite severe, ranging from mild irritation to full-blown bouts and temper tantrums of, “But we NEED that! I’m not giving my ‘stuff’ away!” Symptoms are often accompanied by the wailing and gnashing of teeth, to the point where sufferers are of the strange, but rather devoid notion that they will not be able to ‘live’ without their ‘stuff.’

Sound familiar? House filled to overflowing? Garage and outside storage rooms suffering from a worse case of indigestion than you after eating Great-aunt Edith’s ginger, curry and apple pie surprise? Do friends and neighbours often joke about ‘the shed or garage that looks like it threw up?’

If this sounds familiar to you, then it may be time to admit that you have contracted Stuff-eritis.

Relax, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. A lot of people contract the disease. Thankfully, it is treatable, and in best case scenarios, curable. Dealing with it does, however, involve discomfort and sometimes inconvenience to a degree.

The first step in dealing with stuff-eritis, is to go through your home and storage areas room by room. Take stock of what you have (whilst refraining from complaining about what you don’t have). Think long and hard about when last the ‘stuff’ in question was used, or if it has ever been used.

Once the assessment has been completed, the next step is often a lot more difficult than the assessment, but it is extremely important nonetheless.

The next step involves parting with your unused, and little-used clutter and ‘stuff.’ Yes, you read right. Parting with your clutter and stuff. Not simply rearranging it, to accommodate more ‘stuff.’ Not relocating to a bigger house, so that you can fit in more ‘stuff.’

Once the initial clutter has been dealt with, and the accumulated ‘stuff’ has been removed, sold, or donated to worthy causes, you will find that the previous symptoms will slowly start to diminish.

You will find that a sense of organisation, and peace tend to move in, and replace the symptoms of stuff-eritis. A tight rein will have to be kept though, to ensure that stuff-eritis does not reinfect you. Should reinfection take place, it is often virtually impossible to treat it, as it tends to spread at a much faster rate, and second time sufferers symptoms tend to manifest in the form of the obsessive hoarding of even more ‘stuff’ than ever before.

(I wouldn’t say the mess depicted above is bad, but I’m sure you’d be able to lose a few people in it…)

Speaking from experience, Stuff-eritis is completely curable.

Replies? Comments? Feel free….

Don’t you sometimes wonder

Don’t you sometimes wonder what it was like living 100 years ago or more?

Often, I’ve wondered what life was like, before cars, before computers and technology, before tv, and before a lot of other modern conveniences that we have grown so accustomed to. What it must have been like living under a lot less stress than we do now. Imagine, stopping off at the blacksmith for horseshoes, and being content with waiting a few days for your order?

I pass by old buildings, and try to cast my mind back to when it was built, and what it may have housed before. Often, I am able to cast my thoughts back far enough to picture horses outside, and a tram passing through the city streets instead of cars and buses. Imagining the serenity of those days, before it was deemed necessary to have music blasting your eardrums into oblivion while doing your shopping. being able to enjoy a quiet cuppa with a friend, and actually being able to hear each other speak in a public place.

Imagine, watching children playing innocently, and amusing themselves quietly, without the need for entertainment from an electronic gaming device or other expensive gadget. Children being able to go off and play alone, and knowing that they were safe, despite there being no adults around.

Looking at the above picture with the vintage keys in it (from my personal collection), I often take a look through them, and wonder where they come from. House, gaol, shop, or even castle? The amazing part though, is that when most of these keys were made, there was no machinery, or die cutters, or even key cutting machines, yet they were carved and made almost to perfection. The detail and carving on them is absolutely amazing.

When one thinks about it, back then, people took pride in what they did, and they did a proper job. These days, we have all the technology and machinery to do a far better job, and yet, nothing is made to last a lifetime anymore.

While on one of my roaming trips, I discovered this vintage car parked in a farm shed. It had definitely seen better days, and appeared to have simply been abandoned. A few thoughts went through my mind while looking at it. I wondered how it had ended up in the shed, because the owner of the land confirmed that it was there when he had arrived at the farm. I wondered who would have abandoned it, to have it live out its last days slowly deteriorating in a lonely, abandoned shed (editors note: if I had the financial means available to me, I would love a project such as this – to be able to restore this vehicle to it’s former glory).

It must have been amazing living over 100 years ago. People were who they claimed to be, what you saw was what you got. There was no such thing as ‘terms and conditions apply’ when signing on the dotted line back then. No hidden clauses, and very few hidden agendas.

Sometimes makes me wish I had been there…although one never knows, maybe I was?

Feel free to comment.

Friday funny

Days like today make working at a motor dealership well worth it. We often have strange comments or requests from our walk in customers.

This morning was no exception. A customer came to us and requested a fender for his vehicle. The sales person asked him which fender he was needing, and the response was…..wait for it….”The one I bumped.”

Welcome to Africa…

Thank you

Thank you to my readers who are slowly but surely making this blog a success. In the past six months, the site has gone from seeing one or two visitors a day, to over the 100 per day mark!

Please feel free to email any suggestions for the site, site topics, or anything you would like to see in the site to thegreenpiggy[at]Gmail[dot]com.

As the flower at the top of the post depicts, “Out of the dust, a new era dawns.” Here’s to a new era, and many more posts and photos to follow.

Again, thank you. Without the readers, the site wouldn’t be where it is. Your support is much appreciated.

Financial quickie update for March 2010

Another month has drawn to a close in 2010. Seems like time goes by faster as one gets older. It will soon be Christmas again!

One good thing about the passing time, is that along with it, my debt has shrunk substantially since September 2009, when I embarked on my debt snowball plan. My starting point was $2386.67 worth of credit card debt. Since then, it has shrunk substantially, and is now at $532.63.

$532.63 may not sound like a huge amount, but to me, it is. It’s been hanging around like a bad rash, and I am doing everything possible to eliminate it as fast as I can. Another three payments are all that is needed, to bring it down to zero.

It’s reached the point where I can now see light at the end of the tunnel regarding the amount I owe. It’s taken a long time, and a lot of sacrifice to get to this point, but it has been worth it.

This blog, as well as my progress, are living proof that anyone who is willing, and who puts in the effort, can become debt free. It may take longer for some than others, due to amounts owed, as well as other factors. The exercise in itself, has taught me a lot about self-control, as well as curbing impulse spending. (on this note, I was window shopping at the local mall on the weekend, and managed to walk away without purchasing a single thing)!

It will be a huge weight off my shoulders, knowing that the less I owe, the less the bank makes from me in the form of interest. Less interest paid by me, also means more money that I will be able to save each month.

Feel free to post replies or comments.