low crap threshold

When I use the phrase "low crap threshold," I'm normally talking about a relationship. I tend to have a low crap threshold with regard to relationships: if I feel like I'm dealing with too much crap (and by crap, I mean underhanded, manipulative, or otherwise unseemly behavior), I'll say it politely, but I will say it. This applies to all relationships: dating/romantic, friends, family, and business to some extent. I don't tolerate crap from anyone who reports to me, but otherwise business gets more of a pass both because there's formal hierarchy involved, and because there are times when it's better to recognize crap in business relationships for what it is and simply file it away as important knowledge that might be useful.

I am very fortunate, by the way, to have very little crap in the relationships in my life.

Another context in which I use the phrase "low crap threshold" is with regards to physical clutter. I hate it. Living in a small New York apartment as I do, there's not a lot of room for extraneous stuff. This is especially true since I like to entertain: I like my home to feel spacious and welcoming, and it's hard to do that with piles of crap all around.


Crap (or clutter, whichever you want to call it) is bad for so many reasons. Here are just a few of them:

1. It's unhealthy. Crap is a dust magnet. If you have azzma, that's not good; I have no proof, but I highly suspect the fallout and poor air quality from 9/11 is a major contributor to my having developed azzma in the first place. Dust is also a potent allergen, and in extreme cases can contribute to serious illnesses, especially in vulnerable populations like children and the elderly.

Everyone's place gets dusty from time to time, but if you have a chronic dust problem, then you just might also have a chronic crap problem. Common enablers of dust include clogged furnace filters, insufficiently washed bedding, excess humidity, carpets, and in my world, one of the most visible and unsightly indicators of crap: dried flowers. (Dried flowers are also bad feng shui, if you're into that kind of thing.)

Excess clutter is also indicative of compulsive hoarding or syllogomania, which is strongly correlated to psychological and mental health issues.

2. It's dangerous. Excess crap, especially flammable material like newspapers and magazines, is a fire hazard. Non-flammable crap is also hazardous: roadblocks on the floor can contribute to slips and falls.

3. It's expensive. You can substitute the word wasteful for expensive, but the main premise is the same: having too much crap makes it easy to lose things, which can result in buying the exact same item multiple times because it keeps getting lost. Bills can easily get lost in chronic disorganization, which leads to dings from late fees and credit hits.

External storage, which seems to be getting more and more popular, is also expensive. Wouldn't it be cheaper just to get rid of the crap that doesn't fit in your house?

4. It's a time-suck. Having to hunt for something because it's lost in a pile of crap takes time away from other, far more important things, like blogging about crap.

5. It's isolating. Ever felt like you couldn't have someone over because you had too much crap all over the place? That's what I'm talking about.

6. Living smaller is cheaper. George Carlin once said that a house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. If you accumulate enough crap that you feel like you need a bigger place to store your crap, what are the odds that you'll fill that space, too? Space costs money: living smaller means smaller rent payments (or purchase price) and lower utility bills. What's not to like about that?

6. One person's crap is another person's prize. Having too much crap inhibits the ability to give crap a second life by recycling it or donating it to someone who can truly use it.

My office is a total war zone because I deal with a lot of papers and am not as invested as I should be in keeping them entirely under control. My living space, on the other hand, is pretty close to immaculate. I have a few basic guidelines to keep it that way. They are:

1. If it doesn't fit in the apartment, it doesn't fit in my life. In other words, no external storage. The only exception to that is my bike, and that's because we have free bike space in the basement.

2. If I haven't used it in two years, out it goes. This one is pretty self-explanatory.

3. One in, one out. If I bought a new shirt, something else has to go. I usually try to keep it apples to apples: one shirt in, one shirt out. Doesn't always work, though, so I do allow a little flexibility here.

4. Anything that comes in has to be useful or aesthetically appealing, but preferably both. I have a few artisan glass pieces that aren't particularly useful, but that I truly love. Having just a few of them on a shelf where I can see them makes me really appreciate them.

5. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. This is an old Depression-era saying. It helps me fight the urge to be wasteful.

6. Deal with inbound papers the same day they arrive. Mail gets sorted and shredded the same day it comes in; newspapers get recycled the same day they arrive. Magazines have a one-week lifespan before they get recycled.

The bottom line here is that over time, being mindful of waste and consciously practicing proactive crap control are enablers to learning to be happy without having to spend a lot of money on crap. That's a great way to save both time and money, and it's one step farther along the path to financial freedom.