“One can furnish a home very luxuriously by taking out furniture rather than putting it in.” – Francis Jourdain
Many people will miss the joys of minimalism because they are afraid to begin. Often, they fear if they remove an item from their home, they will regret it in the future if they need it again. While that rarely happens (you need so much less than you think), if that fear is preventing you from getting started, try this alternative method instead.
Begin by simply reducing the excess things in your home. For example, your family needs towels so you will never remove them completely… but you could simplify your life by just reducing the number of towels in your home. This step completely removes all risk.
Once you take that first step, you will start to experience the benefits of minimalism in your life. You will enjoy the refreshing feeling of a less-cluttered linen closet or bathroom drawer. Soon, you will notice countless other things that can easily be reduced in your home. Before you know it, you will have made significant progress in your journey towards a more simplified life.
To better understand the potential of this simple, risk-free step, I compiled a list of 101 Things That Can Easily Be Reduced In Your Home. This list is not meant to overwhelm or frustrate you, it’s simply meant to give you an idea of how significant a step this can be–just choosing 10 things on this list to start with would result in a noticeable difference in your home.
- Glassware
- Cookbooks
- Kitchen gadgets
- Kitchen appliances
- Pots / pans
- Mixing bowls
- Tupperware
- Water pitchers
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Books
- Over-the-counter medicine
- Make-up
- Barretts / hair clips / ponytail holders
- Cleaning supplies
- Personal beauty appliances (hair dryer/curlers, electric razors)
- Bottles of shampoo/conditioner
- Photos
- Photography supplies
- Sewing supplies
- Craft supplies
- Scrap-booking supplies
- CD’s
- DVD’s
- Decorative items
- Candles
- Figurines
- Crystal
- Vases
- Audio/visual components
- Audio/visual cables
- Computer equipment
- MP3 players
- Furniture
- Video game systems
- Vdeo games
- Video game accessories
- Shirts / shorts
- Pants
- Coats
- Dresses
- Hats
- Clothes hangers
- Shoes
- Winter gear
- Jewelry
- Purses
- Coins
- Pillows
- Towels
- Linen sets
- Candle Holders
- Televisions
- Items on your bulletin board
- Magnets
- Artwork
- Mirrors
- Home office supplies
- Pens/pencils
- Old batteries
- Tools
- Hardware
- Rolls of duct tape
- Coolers
- Manuals
- Phone books
- Coupons
- Sporting good supplies
- Sports memorabilia
- Aluminum cans
- Glass bottles
- Automobile fluids
- Automobiles
- Scrap pieces of lumber
- Brooms
- Rakes
- Shovels
- Garden tools
- Plant containers
- Empty cardboard boxes
- Board games
- Puzzles
- Decks of cards
- Unused wedding gifts
- Baby clothes
- Baby supplies
- Old schoolbooks/papers
- Army men
- Bath toys
- Toy balls
- Toy cars/trucks
- Toy musical instruments
- Stuffed animals
- Plastic toys
- Childrens’ old school papers
- Suitcases
- Soda
- Alcohol
- Processed foods
- Christmas / seasonal decorations
- Cable channels
Go ahead. Give it a shot. You’ve got nothing to lose.
If you are just beginning the journey towards simplicity, I recommend our e-book: Simplify. 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life. You will find the principles of simplicity to be encouraging, uplifting, and completely within your reach.
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I have been working on this for the past month. Started with all of the plastic stuff in my kitchen. I had two boxes. One for trash and another for items that the Open Door Mission for the homeless would love to have. Next, I moved to the bathroom drawers, my closet, the front hall closet, and the laundry room. As I have donated and thrown away, it has felt SO GOOD to not have to LOOK at or CLEAN AROUND so much STUFF. And to be honest, I can’t even remember half of what I have gotten rid of, so I DO NOT miss it! I just keep asking myself, “do you ABSOLUTELY LOVE this item? If the answer is “No”, then it goes!
LOL. Glass bottles? I giggled. Since my little guy started eating baby food, I’ve been hoarding empty baby food jars. This, plus my stupid obsession with Pinterest, has left me with many jars and many ideas…none of which I will most likely get around to doing. So, cute as the jars are and cute as the crafts I could make…as always, Josh, you are right.
I’ve been slowly reducing over a number of years. Still not there yet by any means, but one thing which is going to spur me on at home is that I’ve also now got to deal with seven decades worth of stuff at my mother’s house. She has been in hospital and I need to make life easier for her. She’s had way too much stuff for a long time, and she can’t really clean things herself, so it’s a massive undertaking. Took a load away for charity and recycling today, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. I don’t want to end up in her situation and force my son to go through the same things as I’m going through. Keep going folks!
This is a great list! I think everyone can eliminate extra stuff in some of these areas. I’ve been slowly working toward minimalism because I realized if I had the chance to get up and leave, to pack up my car and go somewhere new right now – it would be too hard. I have too much stuff. I’m slimming down everything I own and instead of getting harder, it actually becomes easier as I get rid of more things I thought I cared about.
Thank you for this list! I’ll use it to simplify my life.
I do not have one pony tail holder!!!
I wish I did!! My pony ties end up everywhere!
I’ve been aggressively decluttering for a couple of months with a move happening in weeks. People are shocked to hear that I removed 70 boxes of ‘stuff’ from my home and brought it to goodwill. I’m not a hoarder, and I thought I’d thoroughly decluttered 3 years ago. People ask, what was in the boxes. I will refer them to your list (though there were no automobiles). Of the 70 boxes I will miss nothing. In place of the stuff I have space – space that I don’t have to clean, care for, store, organize or move! Freedom!
As part of a massive life change, jumping off the edge of having any plan at all, I rented out my home last year. This required me to go through and clean out 20 years of stuff. I did do it. When I had finished that phase, I had only a single storage POD with everything I owned. I thought this was significant. When I finally landed after traveling for a bit–single backpack–and then living out of a friend’s attic bedroom for a few months with only 3 boxes and my clothes, I simplified even more. I moved into 500 sf with vintage open cupboards, high ceilings, big windows, and original hardwood floors. I wanted the light more than I wanted stuff. It is phenomenal. I let things go all the time now. I am simplifying more. When I read the list, I realized how much of this list I have already done. And it feels extraordinary. There is always more I can simplify. I tell people: live small and simply, eat excellent food, know great people, and travel.
It would help me to have some explanation with the items on the list. Why “ponytail holders”? Sometimes I need my hair kept out of my way and they take up almost no room. Are items on this list because they are examples of what we often have way too much of and you’re suggesting that they be pared or gotten rid of completely? That’s the big unknown–what is the list of items that a household like mine (adult male, adult female, and a boy? that does some cooking, some yard work, a lot of home improvement DIY actually need. And I, the female, go to work in a corporate environment where the standard is to fix your hair and wear a little make-up and to drive your car because the job is far away. I’ve freelanced and looked for work in my open neighborhood and it just ain’t happenin.) I need info in what actually is needed. And, by the way, I really appreciate your FB posts!
hi Shelly, I looked up top before the list and it says 101 things we can reduce, so I think it’s just to look & see what can be pared down. I imagine someone like me who rarely wears makeup better start throwing it out or giving it away : ) The hairbands I keep – I wear them & the cats love to toss them around. I have a really hard time getting rid of anything, I have tried to tackle the big and bulky stuff first. as you said, hairbands don’t take up much space. but I do notice I have a gazillion tiny things that don’t take up a lot of space, but do make my brain crazier than it already is…
You are right Kathy–good to look everywhere and consider nothing too small. I guess I want to cut to the quick–tell me what I do need cause I’ve got so much to wade through to get there. Which reminds me, I shoud take these few minutes I have right now to weed my stuff! Thanks for the feedback!
Great list. I will share. Though being an organizer, I know many people would be intimidated by this list. Printing the list out and using it as a weekly minimize list would give people a goal for each week to complete a list. Thanks for the post.
I am glad I found this link I really need to purge and get rid of years of stuff I have collected over the years . That is my goal to clear all in every room . Less is more!
What has helpped me peardown is if I haven’t used it in a year and its in a box it gpes
Husband and I are avid readers, our book collection was monumental, we loved them, the feel of them, the smell of them etc etc. then we bought Kindles. After 3 months we realised that the books we have been hoarding for years were not going to be read again, so we took bags and I mean BAGS of them down to the charity shop. We have kept reference books, cook books, special ‘from childhood’ books and hardbacks that are in sets but OMG we have so much room and we don’t miss the books at all, I promise you. Now we need to do the est of the house and we’ll be laughing :).
Great list. I have been on a due cluttering kick even though we cleaned out a lot when we moved 6 months ago. I just went through my sons outgrown clothes newborn sizes to current. Yikes. We have a lot and even if we have another boy we do not need all those clothes. My office needs the most attention right now because it houses my rarely used scrap booking supplies, a huge book shelf (can’t let go of Harry potter) and my ever growing collection of homeschooling materials. It feel good to let things go. Love your articles.
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