In this episode, we dive into the Fix It or Free It challenge and how one simple $18 repair brought a favorite work bag back into daily use. We explore why small fixes are often overlooked, how to decide what’s worth repairing, and when to let go of items that no longer serve us. Plus, we discuss how this mindset applies to inherited or sentimental belongings—helping listeners create space for the things that truly matter.
In This Episode, We Talk About:
- The first Fix It or Free It challenge of 2025: how a simple bag strap replacement made a big impact
- How small repairs can prevent unnecessary clutter and save money
- When to repair, repurpose, or finally let go of an item
Mentioned in This Episode:
- The Fix It or Free It challenge and how listeners can join
- Episode 82: Decision Making: Keep, Repair or Toss? https://theorganizedflamingo.com/82-decision-making-keep-repair-or-toss/
- Episode 89: The Fix It Dilemma: Are Those Nostalgic Items Worth Mending?https://theorganizedflamingo.com/89-the-fix-it-dilemma-are-those-nostalgic-items-worth-mending/
Review full show notes and resources at https://theorganizedflamingo.com/podcast
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Review Transcript:
Hello cherished listeners. Welcome to this week's episode. Today I'm sharing the first installment of a series of actions that I'm doing for this year. It's called Fix It or Free It. Every month I'm committing to fixing one item I already own or finally letting it go. Whether that means donating, selling, or tossing it, that's the next step.
But basically this is a should I keep it and do something about it or finally let it go. So in this episode, I'll tell you about my first of the year that I did, and what I'll do throughout the rest of the year is, a couple of weeks after the month ends, I will give you a rundown of my experience. What I did, what went through the whole process, did I get it fixed, what did I end up deciding to do.
So all of the actions though, will be about me fixing the item. But I'll also walk you through what I decided to not keep. These episodes are all about what it took for me to fix it. And hope that you can get some inspiration to finally take action on the stuff that's collecting dust that you said you would revamp, that you would do something with.
Maybe you inherited something. Maybe this is something that has been passed on to you and you did want to wear it. It just wasn't your style, but you said that you would repurpose it in some way, and until now, it's just sitting there collecting dust. Okay, so before we start, I just want to mention that if you notice that my voice sounds a little bit different, it's because I'm just getting over being sick.
But, uh, I'm on the mend and I'm all good to go. It's just, my voice sounds like this. And since you never know when your voice will actually come back, I didn't want to delay recording the episode. So I'm doing it as is, and hope that you don't mind too much, and I think my voice will come back by the next recording, okay?
So, bear with me for this one. Alright, for this episode, I'm going to tell you about my first fix of the year, which is my favorite work bag. And why I was dragging my feet on fixing it and how a small 18 repair brought something I love back to life. Plus we'll talk about how this same mindset can be applied to inherited and sentimental items that don't quite fit into your current lifestyle.
That's what we're talking about today. Let's get right into it.
Welcome to the Organized and Cherished podcast with the Organized Flamingo. I am your host, Stephanie, your compassionate and efficient professional organizer. Whether you are part of the sandwich generation, helping a loved one declutter, or just trying to simplify life, this is the place for you.
Together, we will tackle those overwhelming piles of stuff, uncover purpose in what we keep. And let go with dignity and care because it's not just about throwing everything away. It's about respecting memories in simplifying life. Sound like a plan? Let's jump in and get organized. Let's talk about this bag.
It is my go to work bag. It's been with me through the big meetings, the work trips, and countless coffee shops work sessions. I mean, I've had this bag for, I want to say, at least 10 years. It's nothing fancy. I got it from Target or some big box like that. Okay. It was just, A really good work bag at the time because it, the size was perfect for the computer I was carrying, it had all the pockets, but it also had the zipper at the top, so when I was traveling I could zip it up, and for, you know, for security reasons, and it just had all the pockets in the right places, and it's a black bag, it's not real leather, it's not real, like, anything really, this is a time when I was less conscientious about my spending, okay, and the materials that I liked.
I'm a little bit more on quality now, but you know, I've matured and I've learned as well along the way. But anyway, this bag really fit my, my needs, my everyday needs for work and all the things. And it also fit my essentials perfectly, like it kept me organized and honestly, it just felt right. I could put all the different pouches, you know, I have different pouches that I bring in and out whenever I need it for personal or professional reasons, so it was just, it just felt right.
But a few months ago, the straps started to finally give out. I noticed one was fraying, and then the next thing I know, it snapped. And just like that, My favorite bag became dead weight in my closet. I was devastated, truly, like I don't really feel this way about many things, like physical things in my life.
I'm not very attached to a lot of things, and purses or shoes or accessories, like I love what I love though, I can tell you that, but I wouldn't say I'm attached. And when it broke and I couldn't use it anymore, I felt something, so I didn't throw it away because the actual bag itself was still functional, it was just the straps, but I put it in the back of the closet, and it just lived there for a while.
And at first, I did what most of us do, I stalled. I started using other bags, but none of them quite worked. I browsed online for replacements, but everything was either too expensive, Too trendy or just just not me. It didn't feel right. I just kept thinking, I'll fix it, but I never got around to it.
Finally, in January of this year, I had had enough. I was clearing out my closet. Um, like a lot of us do at the beginning of the year, you know, try to get things a little bit more fresh for the new year, and then I saw the work bag and I thought, that's it. This is the year. I realized that I was tired of not doing something about it.
I didn't have time to run to a repair shop though, so I ordered new straps online. Within a few days, they arrived, and I swapped them out, and it was incredibly easy. That's it. Biddy bing biddy boom. And the total cost for these were about 18, it was like 17 something, and then, so I'm rounding up, like, 18.
And then the time spent was, there was four separate steps to this, so first, just me finally being over it, I grab the bag and I go, it's time for me to do something about it. So the thought was, what took probably the longest, it was like 30 minutes. And after 30 minutes, I was like, why am I spending so much time on whether I should keep this or not?
Should I fix it or not? Go online right now. So like I was self motivating myself, by the way, like this is truly what I was saying to myself. Go online right now, see how much it would cost to order from someone local, like go to a shop and then look up what it would cost if you just got something, if even available online, that they can just ship you.
I called a couple of shops and that day they just all happened to be closed. So, I, in that moment, made the decision that I was not going to try to go to a repair shop because it's not like real material, natural material. And it just, it wasn't expensive enough for me or worth it enough for me to go and get something custom fit.
So I went online, did a quick search, and sure enough I found all these replacement type of straps that I could buy. So I decided to go down that route. And that's how the final decision was made. So that was the longest amount of time I spent thinking about this. And then of course I ordered it, and then I waited for it, and then I came in.
So the total time was probably about, I don't know, a total of about an hour, a little over an hour of my time thinking about it and actually doing something about it and ordering it. And then when they finally came in, putting them on. And just like that, my back was back in action. Okay, so why does this matter?
Taking action, like doing what you said you were going to do with the stuff that you've been meaning to fix. There's a couple things that I that this process taught me this first month and this first item taught me and some reminders One not everything needs replacing Sometimes what we already have is just right.
It just needs a little care So for me the bag was a reminder of you know What you might already have it and the reason you're not using it It's because you're bored of it or it might be outdated, right? It could be from a different, like if you're, especially if you're very like a more of a trendy person, you just don't feel like it fits your current lifestyle trend, um, how you're feeling in the mood right now.
So you just put it away thinking that it just doesn't fit what your vision is of how you want to look or feel or, or use it for in the moment. Okay, great. But it might just need some update, not like a full replacement. It doesn't mean it needs to be thrown away or, or given away. It could just need a little revamp.
Hi Cherished Friends! Life can get overwhelming, especially when you're juggling caregiving, clutter, and everything in between. That's why I created the Organize and Cherish Weekly Email that goes out every Wednesday straight to your inbox. To help you keep the momentum inspiration going with tips and reminders of our upcoming events, all you have to do is head on over to organize and cherish.com and sign up for the email newsletter.
It's free and you can up subscribe whenever you'd like. It's my way of helping you simplify your life and respecting memories along the way. Now, back to our show, if you are storing something in hopes that it will come back in style. Remember, we have a full episode on this. Look through our tree where it's like, should you keep it or should you not?
One of the questions, we have a free resource for you, it's called Keep It or Toss It. One is for regular everyday items, and then the other tree is, decision tree, is for inherited items, more specific for like sentimental inherited items, right, so there's two versions. But one of the questions in there is that to take into consideration if you have the storage and ability to keep those things, because I don't want you to keep something because it might come back in style later, or you might fix it later, okay?
That is not the goal of this exercise at all. It's just that. If you do have the ability to store it for a little longer, that might be okay instead of replacing it and getting something new and not loving it and musing it as much and then doing this vicious cycle of overspending, overbuying. And never fully being comfortable with or loving the stuff that you have.
Okay, second thing that I, I learned and got reminded of was that small fixes save money and space. So instead of me spending, you know, a hundred plus dollars on a new bag, I spend 18 and I didn't have to clutter my space with something new that I wasn't going to love as much. Now, if you are truly in love with a new bag and you, you know, it's like a one, one in, one out process that you've got going on, high five, this does not apply to you.
This was a reminder that a small fix could save me so much more money on buying something that I didn't need. And, I'm not storing an additional thing. The third thing was that there's value in things that we love. If we already know that something works for us, why replace it? That was like a big reminder for me this, this year, this, to start us off, or at least to start me off on this challenge exercise for the year, that there's so many things that I currently love.
They just need a little bit of that revamp. I keep seeing, I keep saying revamp on this episode, but that's what I mean. Like it might just need a little, a little something to bring it to life, but it doesn't mean that. It has completely lost its value and taking action feels way better than putting it off.
That was a reminder for me. I spent months avoiding the decision. And the fix took a couple minutes, like I said, up to an hour, but it was, that was like total time. So, now I've been, I've been using this bag since I fixed it the last like week and a half, every day. And it's sturdy, I love these new handles, they're, they feel much stronger, I have the bag everywhere.
I mean, like, I, and I don't even have to take, think about it twice, I don't have guilt. I don't have the remorse of thinking that I've been putting this off, and it's just like lingering in my head. I don't have any of that noise. I don't even have to think about my bag anymore. I love it, and I've moved on.
So how often do we let things pile up when the solution is easier than we think? That's what this was for me. So moving on. Now let's talk about how this exercise applies beyond just everyday items. Especially for those of you who have inherited or sentimental belongings. So maybe you have a chair or a dresser from a loved one that doesn't quite fit your space, but could with a small update.
Maybe you have a piece of vintage jewelry that needs a minor repair or adjustment so you'd actually wear it. Maybe a handmade quilt that's too big for your bed or space but could be reworked into a wall hanging or a size that does make sense. Because so often we hold on to these things as is. And then feel guilty for not using them, or we don't want to get rid of them, so they just sit there in storage.
But what if we thought about how to make them fit into our lives today? That's where fix it or free it type of challenge like this comes in. If something is meaningful to you, maybe it just needs a small adjustment. And if not, maybe it's time to let it go because when I was going through the, should I keep it or toss it, you know, questions for my own bag here that I'm talking about, it doesn't have any sentimental value, quite frankly, like I don't have any one particular memory associated to, to it.
It's traveled with me to many places. But it doesn't, like, I don't have that type of connection with it. It's just so practical and it was just so easy. And it was a perfect fit for my frame and my body and the way that I carry stuff. So that was something that was hard for me to let go. Like, I couldn't.
Find the right bag that had that same like feeling for me or emotion for me. I couldn't let it go, you know, the thought of it, of that, of that type of bag not being part of my life, I guess, was hard. What I could have done is I could have taken the exact same measurement and had someone make one for me, but that cost was going to be way more than I could afford or wanted to spend in this time right now for a work bag.
So, that was really not an option for me. It just needed that small adjustment, and I was able to move on. So, if one of these furniture pieces, or vintage jewelry items, or quilts, or fabrics, paper, whatever you may have, just needs a little bit of adjustment, and you're feeling the same way too, maybe this is a good incentive or motivation for you to finally get it done.
So, here's your challenge for this week. Find one thing in your home that needs fixing or adjusting. Okay, and I don't mean like, you know, your plumbing or the wall, you know, in your office, not like structural of your home. I'm talking item that you own because we talk about stuff here, right? Like everyday stuff, sentimental stuff, stuff, stuff that you have inherited.
So that type of stuff. So find one thing in your home that needs fixing or adjusting. It could be something as small as my bag, like I mentioned. It could be an everyday item. Or something with sentimental value that you've been meaning to repurpose. Take a step towards fixing it. Or if you realize it's not worth the effort, let it go.
We have an episode that is all about should you keep it or let it go. And in that episode I do give you some questions to think about as you are figuring out if it's worth hiring. Like a craftsperson, or a jeweler, or a shop to redo any of your items. So I do give you those types of questions, so head on over to that episode if you need some help figuring that out.
Okay, get that one thing and see if it's going to be worth it. So take a step towards fixing it and if you realize that it's not worth the effort, like I mentioned, then let it go. And if you do, we'd love to hear about it. Tag us over on any of the social medias or, or just send us a message at hello at TheOrganizedFlamingo.
com and we'd love to cheer you on. Because sometimes it doesn't have to be as complicated as you think it will be. It might actually be as much easier than you thought it was going to be. So like for me, it was 18. I could have ordered these so long ago. And actually used the purse, you know, the bag, the work bag and not have struggled with trying to make do with these other bags that were so uncomfortable, I just didn't like them at all.
Anyway, and I could have avoided all that frustration, so we can just move on. What's next? So to wrap this up, this experience reminded me of how easy it is to, to procrastinate small tasks and how satisfying it is to finally take action. So my bag is back in rotation. I didn't waste money on something new and I'm excited to keep going with this challenge.
So next month I'll be tackling another item. It's going to be something completely different, but you'll have to tune in to find out what it is. I do share it in my email newsletter, so if you would like to subscribe to that, it's every Wednesday. It's the Organize and Cherish Weekly Newsletter, and I'll share what I will be fixing next month.
Sometimes it'll be something simple, and sometimes it will be something a little bit more Things that takes like more steps to it, um, like some fabric or repurposing some fabric and things like that. I'll take you along on the journey. But if you're patient and you want to wait, then I will give you the rundown later in March about what I picked and my lessons learned and how it came out for whatever I picked in February.
Okay, so either join us over on the email newsletter or we'll see you next month with the next update for this. So make sure you subscribe or give us a follow in the meantime, happy fixing and happy organizing. Thank you for listening to the Organize and Cherish podcast with The Organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I'd be so grateful if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast player.
It helps others discover our show. For full show notes, resources, and more organizing inspiration, visit www. theorganizedflamingo. com podcast. Until next time. Happy organizing.
