If you’re like most people, you have trouble getting rid of something that you spent your hard-earned money on, which you once used or loved. Many items you find will have more than just a monetary value –they will stir up memories and have sentimental value. These are real and valid feelings that make it challenging to part with our stuff.
“Getting rid of stuff is difficult for everyone, but especially for people who treasure the memories connected with the possessions. We have found that acknowledging the emotions that can arise in this process, and then accepting that we no longer need many of the objects our memories are connected with, can be very helpful. We have used the phrase “Keep the memories, get rid of the stuff!” so often that we consider it our
Remember, you have options when it comes to getting rid of clutter, so you don’t have to feel guilty about putting everything in the trash. Mentally prepare yourself for decluttering your home and keep the following concepts in mind when you are struggling to part with something you haven’t used in a while.
- The 80/20 rule:When it comes to clothing, we generally only wear 20 percent of the clothes we own 80 percent of the time. This rule tends to hold true for other things as well, such as video games, computer parts, books, DVDs, toys and more. Your mission is to get rid of the things you don’t use 80 percent of the time.
- Get over sunk costs.In the world of economics, costs that have already been incurred and cannot be recovered are referred to as sunk costs. As you go through the items in your house, most things should be considered sunk costs (except for rare situations where an item may have increased in value). Since you cannot get the money back that you spent on that item, you should onlythink about the value that thing can add to your life in the future. Understanding this concept of sunk costs can help you make more rational decisions about what to keep and what you should toss.
- See if it works.If whatever treasure you found stashed away in your house doesn’t work, get rid of it. If you want to fix it, then fix it, but don’t let it sit in your house for another month collecting dust.
- Think of the last time you used it.If you haven’t used something you come across in the last six months, you should probably get rid of it. If you pulled the item out and said, “I’ve been wondering where this was!” you should probably get rid of it. And if you didn’t even know you still had the item in question, you should definitely get rid of it –you didn’t miss it enough to warrant keeping it.
- Track which items you actually use.There’s a neat decluttering tip you can use with clothing, books and DVDs. Over the course of the year, when you use or wear an item put it back facing the opposite direction of the others. This allows you to see what you’ve used and what you haven’t. If you haven’t used or worn something in a year, get rid of it.
- Ask yourself if you love it.This may seem obvious, but sometimes we keep things we aren’t completely crazy about. Yes, sometimes we spend money on things we don’t love, and sometimes we don’t return them. But if you don’t love it, and you haven’t used it in more than 6 months, add it to the “Get Rid of It” bin.
- Sleep on it.After you’ve made the decision to get rid of some of the clutter in your home, sleep on it. If there’s something you can’t live without, you’ll know in the morning. You can pull it out of the junk bin and put it away.
- Start with small decluttering projects that feel big.Before you commit to an entire room, start with a few small projects that will give you a sense of accomplishment when you’re done.
“If you are overwhelmed with your clutter and just don’t know where to start, start small. Tackle one drawer, one shelf, or one corner of your desk. Set a timer and work for 15 minutes and accomplish as much as you can. Taking baby steps can eventually lead to a big change in your clutter level.”
If you’re looking for inspiration to get you started, check out our drawer organization board on Pinterest. Many of these small, satisfying transformations only require a small investment of time!
- Clear off flat surfaces. Countertops, shelves and other flat surfaces are clutter-magnets. If you need to keep a few things on the countertops, that’s OK, but make it a goal to free your flat surfaces of most clutter. Make space in drawers or add small boxes or bins to your shelves for paper items. Only keep frequently used, essential small appliances on kitchen countertops – the rest should be put away or donated if you never really use them.
Skip to our room-by-room guides to get more tips on ridding flat surfaces of clutter in your kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room and home office.
“Create Homes – When things have no place to go, they start to gather in piles. Establishing a place to put your things helps reduce clutter. Make sure that what you keep is ‘home worthy.’ Is it useful? Do you love it? Does it fit? Do you need so many? Is it time to let go? Ask the questions before putting things away.
- Keep like things together.Categorizing things as you go through them is imperative to organizing your home. In fact, keeping like things together forces you to organize your home. And it will make your life easier! Store like items close to where you will use them and you’ll not only know where they are when you need them, but you’ll reduce some of the little frustrations in your daily life.
Sometimes it is better to take on a category instead of a room. Items that are similar often end up in different spaces. For example, if you have books in every room, it may make more sense to gather up ALL the books, group them my subject or genre, then make decisions about which to keep. You may not realize you have four copies of the same thing if they are in different rooms.