Worth is in the Eye of the Beholder

I was reading an article the other day about "worthless" items, one of those "top twenty" features on AOL, and found a lot of stuff on the list to be totally useful in my opinion. Two of the items on the list included rice cookers and hobby kits. While the article said rice was the easiest thing in the world to cook and that the idea of needing a cooker was absurd, I suspected the author was the sort who cooks Minute Rice or the equivalent. REAL rice is a headache to cook (don't even get me started on brown rice) and a rice cooker, in my opinion, is one of those "Oh thank you!" inventions. And hobby kits? Two words: doll houses. There is a real joy in building a dollhouse and if you don't know where to start, a kit is a major help. The article, here if you'd like to read it, made me think of how relative "worthless" is. One of the first steps in simplifying your lifestyle is to know what is important to you. What things are you attached to and why?

Your personal stash of faimily pictures is an example of an obvious category of "stuff" with emotional attachments to many people. But how many of those pictures do you need? Do you love the original black and white photographs of older and deceased family members or do you love the daily photo documentation of your firstborn child? Now that personal computers are all the rage, scanning photos to save the most precious might be a good idea. The rest can be sorted and either put on display or vaccum sealed for protection and stored in the attic or basement; treasures for years to come.

What about your trinkets? Trinkets can be a real bother. Something that was so cute at a garage sale or discount store (especially something considered a real bargain) can become a haven for dust and a pain to keep clean, shift when new treasures are bought, and/or find places to put. Get rid of them! Giving some items that you find special for whatever reason but have begun to weigh you down to people for wedding, graduation, and housewarming presents can make a gift much more personal. Of course, don't simply unload junk to people. Really think about who would enjoy your "treasures" (as I call my miscellany that I love for silly reasons). Then think of what your top three trinkets have in common, use that as a theme, and only collect the best of that theme. If you find you like frog items, only buy the top-of-the-line frogs when you see them on a good sale. Don't buy mass-manufactured frog items unless they are particularly beautiful to you and limit yourself to two trinkets (or less) per year.

What are your favorite "worthless" - by some people's standards - items? I for one love crockpots, and a lot of the recipes I am compiling for the site take advantage of that particular invention. (Did you know you can "bake" cakes in crockpots?) Have you ever decided to get an "As seen on TV" product? What's your most and least favorite? If you were stranded on a desert island what one "worthless" item would you need? Knowing what you really love, want, and/or require to be happy is a great way to get started on the path. This week's homework is to make a list of the top ten items you have to have. It can be anything besides your bare necessities.