The Clutter Quandary

I realize that this blog post title sounds like an episode of “The Big Bang Theory,” but it’s a serious issue.  People, we have a lot of stuff.  Our stuff is taking over the world.  Finding novels ways and places to store all our stuff is a growth industry.

With the holidays coming, now is a great time to start de-cluttering.  It is far easier to decorate and entertain if you have space.

Here’s a strategy for addressing your clutter:

• Don’t attempt to do it all in a day or a weekend.  Address one area/room a week.  You don’t want it to become so overwhelming that you quit when you are halfway finished. 
• When you declutter, start by taking everything out to sort it.  Only put things back after you’ve decided you ABSOLUTELY want to keep it.
• Sort the things you take out into four piles: Keep where it is, keep but store, sell/donate/give away, and trash.
• You can donate anything you’d like, provided it’s usable.  Please don’t donate trash to a charity.  They have to use precious funds to haul away your junk.
• If something is not usable and not repairable, throw it away.
• If you decide to repair something and you have not done so within 3 months, throw it away.  You aren’t going to repair it and you probably don’t need it even if it does work.
• You should only keep at hand those items you use regularly.
• You should keep in storage only those things that are used seasonally and things of sentimental value.  Be reasonable about what has sentimental value.  Your photo albums and your wedding dress have sentimental value.  Your first microwave and mismatched Tupperware don’t.
• Please don’t save stuff you “might” use someday.  If you haven’t used it in a year, you aren’t going to use it.

So get started!

Comments

[louise]

All good tips. I've been de-cluttering for 6 months and still have more to do.

One tip I saw somewhere recently was for dealing with a cluttered room filled with junk. The writer said you should stand outside and make a list of all the things that are in the room. Then when you go in, anything that isn't on your list goes. The idea being, if you didn't even know it was in there, you don't need it.

Not sure it would work every time (you might find something you do need but that had gone missing), but it's a good way of keeping yourself honest.

[bari]

I once bought a book about conquering clutter, but I haven't been able to find it (ahem!).

-from the Left Coast
b