Are you suffering from storage inadequacy? Are you constantly lamenting the deplorable absence of space in your closets and cabinets? Do you fantasize about converting spare bedrooms into mini-warehouses equipped with floor to ceiling shelving and a forklift for easy access?  Stop wasting your imagination.  Save the money you are planning to spend on these imprudent purchases. Instead, take the opportunity to examine what is really responsible for the overcrowding.

If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I want to come back as a bag manufacturer in my next life.  Backpacks, tote bags, gym bags, beach bags, lunch bags, insulated bags, overnight bags, shoe bags, book bags, cosmetic bags, gear bags, duffel bags, garment bags, wine and beverage carriers, grocery bags and even recycling bags are in residence everywhere.  Environmental regulations have helped to curtail the blight of plastic shopping bags. Permanent eco-friendly bags have provided replacements, but they tend to accumulate. Moreover, it seems like there is a special bag for almost every human endeavor. Most bags are opaque, concealing contents from their owners, almost guaranteeing that what they contain will never be remembered or used

Even if bags are re-usable, they do eventually get stained, wear out or people simply tire of them. Just like every other category that requires periodic evaluation, bag CRUD necessitates editing.

CRUD Challenge

Reducing bag clutter poses challenges. Unlike other CRUD categories, such as make-up, jewelry or cosmetics, bags do not reside in a single location. Their whereabouts are usually associated with the items they are intended to transport. Lunch bags cohabitate with snacks or thermoses, swim bags room with masks and nose plugs and backpacks hang with camping gear or last year’s homework assignments. My point is that this kind of global search may not necessarily be accomplished in the time you have between episodes of whatever Netflix series you are currently binge-watching. You will need to dedicate the better part of an afternoon and possibly recruit other family members to help. The best part of doing a round-up and purge of this excess baggage is that you can use some of the unwanted to pack up other detritus  prior to calling your local non-profit for a hefty pick-up.