Information Hoarding

OK, so I used to save newspapers -- alot of them. Not so many that they were piled up in huge stacks. So, maybe it wasn't so many after all. I mostly hoarded clothing, toys, and all other household things...books are hard, too.

Still, I would save several weeks or a couple of months or more worth of papers at a time. There was always some article that I wanted to read or something I thought I was missing, I guess.

But, as I slowly turned this thing around -- I mean turned around my hoarding/saving mentalitly into a more normal state of affairs -- I began to realize that:

(1) I simply do not have time to read all the newspapers I was saving. That goes for magazines and catalogs, too. Nor do I really have a desire to. I just thought I wanted to do that. Frankly, now, I would rather be doing other things. Like enjoying time with my kids or being productive in some other way. Mornings and lunchtimes are good times to read newspapers.

(2) With the prevelance and accessability of the internet, you can find almost anything you want by logging onto a computer.

(3) The newspapers and other printed material could potentially become a fire hazard or at least hasten a fire along should one start.

Just some thoughts on saving printed material en masse.

Oh, I forgot to add:

We take 2 major metropolitan newspapers daily and weekends. Plus all the freebie local papers, too! So, we have alot coming in.

How often do I purge it now?

Once a week.

I have a decorative container that I keep them in during the week so that they don't pile up all over the house. Then, on trash night, out they go.

Occaisionally, but rarely, I may save a paper here and there. If there is something I have to clip, such as an obit (fortunately, pretty rare!) I do that and put it in a special box.

I don't even look at recipes! I have about a bazillion cookbooks anyway! :)