SHOP YOUR HOME


All through our lives, we are bombarded by gifts on birthdays, weddings, anniversaries or even those random surprise gifts by friends who want to show that they care. Then there are those impulse shopping items, items we bought to pep us up, items we got because others had them, clothes in all the colors they were available in, etc. Then we get smothered by hand-me-downs, things others give us when they are decluttering, things we cannot say NO to, etc. 

After the initial thrill of possessing these and feeling like the King/Queen of the Universe, what do we usually do with them? More likely than not, we forget about them as we pursue yet another high. They remain our dirty little secret as we relegate them to the corners of our closets and cupboards. 

Unless you have the brain of an elephant, you are not going to remember any of these things you possess or that possess you. And you are likely to go to shop for something you genuinely need which could be hiding in your home. 

Thats why you need to 
SHOP YOUR HOME. 

Whenever I decide to take the NO SHOPPING CHALLENGE, and I reach a roadblock, I look around my house for an alternative. This habit forced me to admit that consumerism is only a vlog advertisement away. 

Can you find something to replace what is broken, faded, torn, not eco-friendly, high-maintenance without pay a single rupee? 

Recently I got back to blogging. After several computers, tablets and smartphones, I was reluctant to invest in yet another gadget. I was so tempted to purchase a laptop as I see so many bloggers using them and looking savvy in vlogs, movies. But every time I kept postponing the purchase. Till I discovered that I could use what I already had - my smartphone. Right now, this article is getting typed out and saved on Cloud as I type. I had to learn how to navigate but I did it. That's a savings of 20K for me. 

We all want our homes to look pretty so we buy expensive knick knacks to vignette our tables and other surfaces. After some time, we get tired of dusting these same pretty curios. 

The next time you are tempted to make a pretty purchase, shop your home. With a bit of creativity and 'out of the box' ideas, you could redecorate without spending a dime.

I remember my aunt telling me how they would make curtains and pillowcases out of bedsheets and use twine collected from grocery purchases to create dainty doilies for the coffee table. I still have a bedspread my grandmother made for my mother from twine. 

So look into the deep recesses of your storage spaces and use the abandoned stuff in a new way. I once collected confetti bags thrown away by guests at a wedding and use them in various ways around my house. 

We are so used to the THROW-AWAY and 'BUY NEW' culture created by people out to make money quickly and get rich by making us more and more poor.  Instead of spending money on buying new, why not search the home for something that could do the same job with a little more effort. Let not comfort and convenience be our Achilles heel. 

One of the obvious benefits of shopping your home is saving money. But there are other benefits too.  There's less clutter for one. Then you enjoy the creative process, pat yourself on the back for being a genius and that has got to boost your self-esteem. Lastly, you will begin to look at everything you have and appreciate it as treasures of your home.

And though the saying goes that you should USE things and LOVE people, it wouldn't hurt to love what you possess as long as they don't possess you. 

WHAT CAN YOU SHOP YOUR HOME FOR? 

1. Storage items. 
A living room unit I once had (but wasnt using optimally) became what is now my kitchen unit and I am so glad for it as it stores all my kitchen stuff plus a little pantry on the side. The two upper cabinets were refurbished to make side tables for the bed. Tip: if you want to save money on carpentry work, learn basic skills. 



2. Restyling 
Every once in a while, I shift the furniture around the room or even from one room to the other. Just needs some elbow grease.  Recently, we moved our bed into the living room. At first, it felt odd but now we just love it!


Look at your kitchen crockery. A chipped plate could make a quaint tray on your coffee table or a decor piece on the wall. Coffee mugs make great containers for toothbrushes and toothpaste. Got an odd bowl which you don't use? Put it as a catch-all for tiny items like screws, nuts and bolts, etc. 
A glass that held mayonnaise is now a vase cum cutlery holder on my dining table.

3. You can also use the Shop Your Home technique to declutter. As you shop your home, you may find things that you just cannot find a home for or you have too many of. Make the decision to let them go for the value of a thing is in its use. If its just too painful to part with or you think you could use it to replace the one currently in use, reserve a spot for these on the loft and revisit them once a year at least and reconsider. 
There are so many hidden treasures in all of our homes that we aren’t making the most of right now, but could make all the difference to how we feel about each space, and how we live each day.

My challenge to you today is to take a look around your home and see what could be used in different ways, what you have been saving for best, and to change/use them a little more.

And next time you are writing something down on your TO BUY list – stop. Take a second to think whether you already have something that would work. Because you might.

HOW TO DO IT? 

Here are the steps to follow when shopping your home:
  1. Do a walk-through of your home, exploring every nook and cranny for forgotten items. Note anything you would like to have repaired.
  2. Take photographs of everything. It is easier and faster to see what will work where if you can hold up a picture, rather than dragging furniture from room to room.
  3. Remember to remove, not just add, items. If a piece of furniture or a decor item has been rubbing you the wrong way, move it out, try it in a different room, paint it or sell it — but don’t let it just sit there.
It may help you to read the article linked below to get some more insights into this concept:
https://www.houzz.com/magazine/budget-decorator-shop-your-home-for-a-new-look-stsetivw-vs~3722976





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