Every other Monday (or thereabouts), I answer reader questions. Got one for me? Send me an email with Q&A in the subject line.
I read your Upromise post and I’d like to sign up under you so that you get credit. How do I do that?
-Julie
Several of you asked the same thing, which is so thoughtful. Thank you!
I didn’t realize this at first, but the links that Upromise gave me to use in my post are actually affiliate links.
(Yup. I’ve now been nominated for the Most Clueless Blogger award this year.)
So, if you sign up through any of the Upromise links in my original Upromise post, I get credit for it.
Or you can use this link to start saving for college now with Upromise, and I’ll get credit when you sign up.
And once you are signed up, you can refer family and friends and receive $20 for each qualified referral.
I find myself with two very similar coats. They are both long, work-suitable winter coats. One is a 28-year-old heavy cloth coat. The lining needs to be replaced but the coat itself is in like-new shape. The other is a new down coat, it is a bit more casual than the cloth coat but still suitable for work as well as play. The question is: should I be frugal and keep both coats, because someday I will need another long winter coat? Or should I be uncluttered and give away the cloth coat?
– Jeri
For me, the answer would all hinge on how much storage space you have. If you have plenty of space (and reason to believe that the 28-year old coat will survive long storage with no issues), then you could certainly keep that one as a backup.
My house is a bit lacking in the storage department, so if it were me, I’d have to choose one or the other and give the other one away.
Another thing to consider: would you rather give the extra coat to someone who might not otherwise have one? Would that make you happier than having it sit, unused, in your closet? If you have a way to make sure it goes to someone who will use it (if you give it to Goodwill, there’s no guarantee it’ll sell), then maybe that would be a great option.
We have a friend who feeds the homeless, and when we give him coats, we know they are going directly to someone who needs protection from the cold. Perhaps there’s an option like that?
Or maybe someone will cross your path who really needs a work-suitable coat.
The more I’ve decluttered, the more I’ve realized that I rarely regret getting rid of things. Sure, there’s a time or two that I’ve wished I kept an item, but about 99% of the time, I don’t miss the things I give away.
So, when I’m unsure of what to do, I generally lean toward getting rid of things because a 99% success rate is a pretty good gamble in my book.
_______________
Readers, how would you handle the coat conundrum? Do you err on the side of keeping things for future use? Or do you choose the Less Stuff option?
Chelsea
Tuesday 8th of March 2016
I would gift the coat on Buy Nothing, the hyperlocal gifting group I'm part of it. (They're all over, check for one in your area!) I find that rehoming my extra things, especially those that might have some sentiment or guilt attached to them makes it easier to let go, rather than just donating it and hoping it finds a new home.
An example: A friend got me an amazing brew-in travel tea mug for a gift years ago. I used it quite a bit, but then we moved and my routine changed. It sat there, unused in the cupboard, often toppling out and hitting me for the last 8 months. I gifted it to a neighbor who had broken hers that she used for her daily commute. I know the cup will be used to the fullest of its purpose, but it is no longer cluttering my life.
EcoCatLady
Monday 7th of March 2016
Well, I think I may have a bit of a "coat hoarding disorder" so I would most likely keep them both. But for me the issue is really how useful they both are. I would totally NOT see a thick cloth coat and a down jacket as interchangeable items - because down is so much warmer than cloth. A cloth coat might be worn down to about freezing, but when it's below zero, it ain't gonna cut it! Likewise, a down jacket would be overkill if it was in the 40's. So I would see these as items with totally different purposes. But then again, I've got "issues" when it comes to staying warm!
Sally
Monday 7th of March 2016
I live in the UK, where a "winter" coat is pretty much required from October to April. I currently have one "day to day" coat, which is adequate for work, and fine for weekends, which is in it's 4th (or maybe 5th) winter. I also have the previous "daily" winter coat, which I wore a bit last winter, but no this. I also have a hot pink woollen duffel coat, which is both formal AND fun. Which does for everything from job interviews to funerals in winter. For spring and autumn I have a navy raincoat, and for summer I have a light corduroy jacket that's at least 13 years old. Whether you keep yours or not depends solely on whether you've got room to store it.
Susan
Monday 7th of March 2016
Coats: I give a lot of clothes to Goodwill (because it's just down the street from my house, has great hours & a parking lot.) The clothes I give away either don't fit me anymore or they are hopelessly out of date (I gave away several leather & suede blazers this past weekend.) I don't give away coats or clothes that still fit just because I have multiple versions of them. I probably have at least half a dozen Winter/Fallish/"it might rain" type of coats that I switch off wearing. I live in Los Angeles & might wear a coat 6-10 times a year so they don't wear out. We have the space so why not keep all the coats that fit?
GirlFriday
Monday 7th of March 2016
First, Kristen, you're adorable for not realizing that you had already posted affiliate links. You win the Accidentally Awesome award! I rarely disagree, but I prefer to store many different kinds of coats (I also have plentiful storage so my situation is a bit different). I live in a warm climate, but we travel quite a bit, and find it helpful to have a lot of options for layering in cold climates (down is really compressible too - so keep that in mind when thinking about storage). If your reader decides not to go that route, I would definitely second the idea to give the unwanted coat to a homeless shelter or a charity like "Dress for Success" - whenever I have a quality clothing item that I no longer need (and none of my friends want), I try to give it to Dress for Success because I know someone who really needs it will make good use of that item.
Kristen
Monday 7th of March 2016
I had thought they were just tracking links for their own records. Heh.
If you have a lot of storage and you use your coats, I see no reason to get rid of them. My house has a small coat closet, though, and there are six of us here. So, I need to err on the side of minimalism if I want to be able to shut the coat closet door!