100 Thing Challenge!

Ok so if you notice on my favorite Blogs list over there you'll see a blog by a guy who has the 100 thing challenge on it....
Read it! Go on, I'll wait. Well, not wait really, but my post will make more sense to you if you do!
I LOVE THIS GUY'S CHALLENGE!
In this day and age of excess, waste, consumerism and bankruptcy, it is not a completely insane idea to take stock of what I own and why I own what I own! When I look at the state of affiars in our wonderful USA, it is not hard to conceive that we as Americans have forgotten how to be frugal, to be thrifty, to care for what we own and how to save MONEY! We're all drowning in debt--and for what???? Not to live in modest homes that fit our needs, or to drive sensible cars or provide for our basic needs or even to invest in our talents---but to KEEP UP WITH THE JONES'--(no offense Nannette Jones!lol).
Seriously, this guys' idea of paring down his personal things by the end of August really has my attention. I think I want to join his challenge and take it on myself. No kidding. I have more than enough stuff--stuff I don't use, stuff I am holding onto for who-knows-why or how long, stuff that doesn't enhance my life in the least bit and definetely doesn't define who I am Today.

That really is the gist of the whole thing: to let go of the past. Toss out my skinny jeans! Give away those Navy blue dress shoes that I bought in 1999 because they were on sale and looked cute with that one skirt I had that I no longer wear. And since we are in the process of Moving back to Colorado this summer, I see this as my Prime opportunity to do some serious purging!

And while I am at this, I'm building steam to do the same this for my kids. My husband on the other hand is gonna be alot tougher. He has milk bottles from his late granparents dairy ranch in Montana, among other momentos that are hard to part with and somehow reminds him of his "roots"--howbeit that he only looks at those milk bottles when we have moved...that would be 3 times in 10 years...and for a period of about 5 minutes total each time. But no, those can't go.

So I will have the JOY of simplifying my life by truly accepting the challenge. I decided tho, that I will twist the challenge MY way: I will give away or sell 100 things FIRST before I decide which 100 things I need to keep. You know, knock out the "known" unwanteds before selecting the keepers.

I CHALLENGE YOU ALL to follow suit! And to be wise during this process! Start saving more by using your money not to buy "happiness" but to secure your future. If Americans stopped buying so much "crap", I doubt we'd be in the financial chaos we find ourselves in right now!
I know for a fact that since my husband has been out of work nearly a year that we have been able to live on 1/4 of what he used to make! I admit with some degree of embarassment, that I now realize how much money I wasted! Even if everything I did buy was ON SALE or Clearance--I could have been so much thriftier and wiser!

So, that's it. That's my take on the 100 THING CHALLENGE! Let me know if anyone else is on board with it too!