Old Shoes - New Trip

I doubt that I've ever made a New Year resolution that I haven't broken within the first couple of weeks of January.

But this year, I'm determined to keep my resolution for the entire 12 months.

I resolved that for every item we buy (not counting routine daily living supplies like food, shampoo, or toilet paper) I will donate two items to charity.

I went to the hardware store and bought three brand new trash barrels and a box of heavy duty black plastic liners. I labeled the barrels with the names of the three organizations I've decided to donate to for the year:
Salvation Army
Goodwill
Circle of Concern

By the end of the year, I hope to have donated barrels and barrels of useable items to the three charities I've chosen. I will be able to get my car into the garage for the first time in four years. I will be able to organize my basement and actually find things down there when I need to. I will be able to see the clothes in my closet and know that there is nothing there, I wouldn't be able to, or want to, wear.

I'm off to a great start already. January is almost over and the barrels all have something in them. I plan to document the process in my blog for the next year.

The most interesting result is my thought process when I buy something. I actually stop to think about what two things I will need donate as a result. It hasn't stopped me from buying things I really want. But, it has stopped me from buying impulsively. I'm betting that the closer I get to December the more cautious I will become in my shopping.

I bought three new pair of badly needed pants this weekend at the Ft. Myers Chicos outlet.

And now when I get home tonight, six items need to go into the donation bins.

Fortunately for me, it doesn't have to be identical items. Just six usable items in good condition.

I have a set of bath towels someone gave me a lot time ago that I never use. First they don't really match any of my bathrooms. And, second, they are the kind with the turkish loop on only one side and the velvet type pile cut on the other. The velvet side is worse than useless for drying. It just moves water around instead of absorbing it.

Hmm, now I'm wondering if those towels meet my criteria for "usable in good condition".