“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 this 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 reducing the number of towels you own. This approach removes all risk.
Once you take that first step, you will start to experience the benefits of owning less. You will enjoy the refreshing feeling of a less-cluttered linen closet or bathroom drawer. Soon, you will notice countless other things that can 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
- CDs
- DVDs
- 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 your personal journey towards simplicity, I recommend our book: Simplify. 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life. In it, you will find principles of simplicity that are encouraging, uplifting, and entirely within your reach.
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Also, if you are tired of the clutter in your home and looking for a more aggressive solution, on January 9th, we will be launching a 12-week course called Uncluttered to help you own less, live more, and find the life you’ve always wanted. Find out more here.
wow! Thought I had gotten rid of a lot but I still have a ways to go. Except that the sewing supplies stay. I am a quilter. I did however cut my hair short and wear no makeup. All I need in the bathroom is my soap, shampoo, hairbrush, and a bit of hairspray. And of course my toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash. No need for more. Even just wearing my hair super short and natural has been freeing!
I am working onde-owning my grandparents’ kitchenware. I donated a waffel maker the other day, and I posted some vintage bowls on ebay…. Every step forward counts, right?
http://motherteacherartistwoman.blogspot.com/
That was posted too quickly, and I apologize. Please replace onde-owning with “on de-owning” and “waffel” with “waffle.”
I see glassware is on your list. You must have more glass than most people have plastic. I would encourage people to remove as much plastic in their lives as possible I have done this and replace with glass, but you can accumulate too much of anything. I find it’s easier to scale down in the kitchen than anywhere else.
This! Even silicon is proving questionable. I went down to just 6 large and 6 small drinking glasses and it was an awesome change
I wondered about the glass as well. I would prefer to have quality thick glasses. Although, my wife is going to go through our cupboards soon and start cleaning it out. We just started the minimizing process so here hoping the plastic is gone for good.
Plastic never “goes for good”. Every single piece of plastic ever made is out there somewhere. Even a coffee pod takes 500 years to disintegrate. Best option is to try to avoid buying it in the first place.
I agree about glasses – but, how many people have coffee cups that just seem to multiply? I know I do!
As a teacher, I get several mugs every year. They’ve taken over an entire cabinet! I’ll donate them today.
The audio video equipment and cables is the ongoing struggle in these parts. Every time I move I cringe at having to reconnect miles of cables. I can’t wait to upgrade and have one simple system rather than a huge kit of parts from the 90s. It is amazing how streamlined it is becoming at relatively decent price points. I don’t frequent the electronics department much, so I am probably behind the curve on this topic. Now if only there was a constructive way to ditch the tube TV.
I tried to “ditch” a tube TV recently and the very well known large donation center declined to accept my less than 6 years old tuber with a CD player, stating they only accept “Flatscreen TV’s”. I had to put it in the garbage! Nice for the landfill over the next 50 years I should say.
I have donated non-flatscreen TV’s to SARCAN For recycling in the not-so-distant past. They salvage cables etc.
I just donated a whole bunch of old TVs and monitors to the e-waste recycling bin at a local charity shop. The recycler gives a small donation to the charity every time the bin is filled. 90% of the stuff inside it was CRT monitors and TVs!
My city has a hazardous waste disposal center which accepts old television sets and computers, among other items. Check with your city’s solid waste department to find out if such a facility is available in your area.
I have become a huge fan of trying to keep the number of possessions I have to a dull roar. I have 2 children– boys ages 5 and 7– and I am teaching them to purge and organize on a regular basis. And they’re so happy about it! They’re not overwhelmed or anxious when I ask them to put their toys away because they have designated spots for their things to go. When I ask them to get dressed or put their laundry away they know exactly where things go and there is actually room for things in their drawers.
What I have been doing recently is if I dont need it and its still a usable item we put it out on the curb for someone else that can use it. What is left goes in the garbage. I make a couple free signs so they know its ok to take. Our second home is in a small recreational community, its much easier to pick up something rather than go to the store and buy it. I have been trying to send something out of the house when something comes in. Its a start for me , I feel like im trying to at least maintain and as I get better at that I will do more. I love this blog its like a therapy sesson when I read all the topics and comments . Thank you.
Nice list…although cable channels isn’t a physical thing you can get rid of. You could have a billion channels and it wouldn’t take up any more space in your house. :)
Every time the cable company was called to our house by previous new owners, the technicians ran new cables instead of using the existing ones. I gave up cable 2 years ago, and had the pleasure of pulling out all those unused cables cluttering up the (unfinished) basement ceiling. It was hundreds of feet of cables!
When scrap prices go up again, you can now SELL coaxial (cable) cables.
It’s called emotional clutter as opposed to physical clutter.
Your statement on emotional / physical clutter hits home. I have been slicing and dicing both! Freedom!
No, but it de-clutters your time, as you would spend less time in front of the TV
Good grief! I think in the past 6 months I have got rid of just about everything on that list – yet as I read it, I think about how I can get rid of even more. Clearly I have too much ‘stuff’! OH and I are currently selling / giving away / donating / throwing everything out. We are even selling our house! We’ll be living in a camper van for 6 months; travelling around the UK, then buying a boat & sailing around the UK, then buying a bigger yacht and living abroad in it. Adventures ahoy … and thanks to both this blog & Marie Kondo for setting us free.
That sounds like an awesome plan! Enjoy your freedom!
The original post mentions toy musical instruments, but not “real” ones. Getting rid of a piano has proven to be one of the biggest problems that we have not been able to solve as part of our decluttering. No one wants them, and no one wants to buy them at a bargain price because of the expense of hiring a piano mover (required at our condo). There was a sad story in the New York Times a few years ago about this problem: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/arts/music/for-more-pianos-last-note-is-thud-in-the-dump.html
Anyone have experience with this?
We moved within the last couple of years, and donated an upright piano in middling condition to a local music school. Not a university or anything, just a place that offers music lessons for children. They paid to move it to their facility. Or maybe a seniors’ residence, local elementary school?
We were able to donate our piano to a friend’s church a few years ago. Look for ones with preschool programs. They can usually use donations like that to help entertain the kids. We were gifted with a video of the kids singing along with it a few months later. It helped reassure that a piano my husband grew up with (and was rarely used in our house) was loved and better off in it’s new home.
The name of my existence! We run a piano business….tuning, repairs, refinishing, rebuilding….everything except moving! People get angry over the fact that we do not have other customers lining up to take “perfectly good” pianos. Like cars, pianos have a life span and eventually are not worth investing the cash necessary to keep them in working order. Sad, but true! I would love to set one up in my garden as a feature. Google piano gardens……they are beautiful!
Ugh…”name” = bane
http://www.pianoadoption.com/
Sometimes a local church will take a piano. Even if it’s a beater it might be good to have for the kids’ ministry because they won’t have to worry about the kids harming it.
I love purging things that no longer have use in my life the idea that more space provides less stress is appealing to me so I’ll be purging some more thank you for the list it is very helpful :)
How do you know when to stop? Could you actually go too far? I have my fathers tools in my garage for 15 years and may have used them 2-3 times. Old jewelry, DVDs, CDs, etc. Where do I start and when do I stop?
If you really have fond memories of items and use them I say hold on. I finally found an antique dealer to take several loads of my parents belongings. Every inch of their place was stuffed. It did help to have her tell me folks bought items that they were thrilled to find. I do still think about the things I sold. But that is just the guilt.
You can keep the memories and get rid of the stuff. Take a photo, if you are afraid of forgetting.
My spouse and i are going to minimalise. We have a three bedroom and i want to find a small place. The mortgage is to high and we will never pay it off. Easier to rent a small apartment which means getting rid of many things.
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Unfortunately you can’t just get rid of vowels like you can towels.
Haha! Good one!
Not silly at all. While I live your list, I was raised by compulsive collectors/hoarders. Very organized but hoarders none the less. I was guilted to never get rid of stuff. (You may need it someday.). After my parents died it took me several years to sort and clean out their house. I have taken way too much to my home and am resorting again. I was gripped on the guilt of letting go of their things. I would definitely say accumulate less and pass stuff on that you no longer use. I don’t want my kids burdened with the task I was. I am now trying to let go. Keep what you absolutely love and use. Let go of the rest.
Thank you. I am re-sorting my parents things that I brought home so that my son won’t have to and it is hard. So many memories. But I don’t have any room left to make new memories and that is literally overwhelming us. I was beginning to think I was the only one who felt this way!
As I’m reading this. I to need to get rid of so Much!!! and My own Mother has a Garage, House and Basement full that I to one day will have to sort through! I only wish she would sell it all and enjoy life!!!
getting rid of my moms hoard after she passed away was so hard. I took a ton. over the past 14 years I have given away, thrown away and to make it easier took a pic of it. sometimes you want the memory and not the item. I have a small photo album I thumb through and remember and not all the stuff I don’t want. still working on other stuff on the list. like photos. lol
Thank you for your excellent blog, I de-clutter almost on a weekly basis, such an awesome feeling to get rid of things you don’t really needs. I actually live by the principle: if I buy something new, something old must go. I really wants my kids to lived by this principle. Less is best!
In my house, you could add to that list, “rocks”!
I want to go after my kids’ containers full of rocks they’ve gathered, but keep hesitating..
Maybe you could suggest to them to find a corner in the yard for a rock garden. They would be outside and could see them often.
Just a thought- if u or a family member has a nice flower bed, add the rocks to it! They will be in a spot where they an be enjoyed by all!
I put them in plants in the house. Keeps the cat out and makes it look nice vs plain dirt.
My father was a rock collector, to put it mildly. When we moved from Colorado to Florida he took almost 2,000 pounds of rocks with him. He has since passed away and I ended up with about half of that collection. NOW is absolutely the time to share.
Laughing, I tend to agree. There are a lot of “things” in my home, mostly things that belonged to my parents and gifts from children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and friends and I am not overwhelmed by any of it, quite the opposite – I have many family members in other states and the “things” give me a warm feeling.
Also, I did not feel burdened cleaning out my parents home. Other family members and myself had lovely memories come to the surface while going through their belongings. I hope that my children etc will experience that when cleaning out my home after I am gone.
I have done near all of these & even moved into a tiny place. Seriously though…step away from my duct tape & craft/art stuff!!
Happy New Year!
Army men?? LOL
Think it’s fine to purge if you are uncomfortable with the amount of things you have but if you’re comfortable why make it like a must to purge?
To Laughing: Exactly, “it’s NOT about things”, that’s why getting rid of them is what we are trying to do! Have you read ANY of the other stories/blogs about minimalism? It doesn’t sound like it or you wouldn’t consider it “silly”. Cluttering your life with material goods can affect your attitude in other aspects of your life. Getting rid of the clutter can free your mind, give you a new outlook, and even “purge your life” of some of the things you mentioned. How about if YOU take time to “rethink your life” and stop being so judgmental?!?
Hmmm interesting that most of these declutter items are geared toward women!
hInteresting. Why throw out the excess you already own only to need to repurchase down the line. Towles wear out and glasses break, etc. Just stop buying!
I totally agree – there is always an emphasis to get rid of items but, like you said, where appropriate, just use everything up until worn out/broken. Even ‘shampoo’ is on the list… Save money and the environment and stop buying ‘stuff’.
Minimalism is not for everyone, but I do feel many of us in the USA have way too much stuff and can feel lighter/freer with some purging and culling. The list here is great for ideas.
The criteria for positive interior design (what Bliss This Home specializes in) is to surround oneself with what is useful, beautiful, joyful, meaningful, uplifting as much as possible… certainly to reduce or eliminate negative associations and stressors in one’s home.
It’s increasingly important that our personal spaces serve as sanctuaries and places to really connect with loved ones, clear our minds of the mental clutter we’re bombarded with each day, relax/rest/recharge, enable productivity/creativity/reflection, and enhance our well-being and happiness overall.
We’re affected by environments whether we realize it or not, and for better or for worse. Being mindful and deliberate at home is key because that’s the one place we can control and use to our advantage.
I try to send a bag Of stuff out for every bag I bring in. Status quo!
U need to learn to be less materialistic. .
Photos – No way
Photography supplies – Not a chance
Sewing supplies – Are you insane?
Craft supplies – Yep, you’re insane
Scrap-booking supplies – Now you’re an alien…
ALCOHOL??
that does it, we can’t be friends
hahahaha!!!
Ha ha! I felt the same way about makeup. Its not necessary by any means but its a part of my life, how I dress myself when I go out. I know its popular to be plain, but that’s not me. I assume he means things that we may hoard but don’t use.
I’m going to turn this into a family game- well find one of each. Item like a scavenger hunt.
I know everyone says you shouldn’t hold onto gifts – but what about the things your kid gives you? I’ve had to work very hard to train them that I take a photo of their artwork so I can keep it forever, and then throw it out. But what about the “world’s best mum” sign, the mother’s day cooking apron (I don’t need any more aprons).
I’m happy to educate her for the future, but she gets so so upset when I throw out things she has already given me – she’s only little so doesn’t quite understand I don’t think.
I think that perhaps a box of a certain size for each child, “Mummy’s forever box” is where such items should go. When the box gets full, you and that child can take out the items, perhaps take posed photos or simply photos, and the child can decide what she wants to have kept forever. The box may need to change size, etc., but it allows the child to make the decisions.
I believe that this is a great idea , one of the many barriers to rehabilitation on a patients return to home often is there amount of “Stuff” and it is so difficult to try and get them to see that the benefits of making there home more accessible.
unfortunately there is an institutionalization that tends to take place along with a denial of reduced mobility .
Hubby and I are starting to go through your list tonight and start making our “what to do 1st, 2nd, and 3rd” list from it. Its not about what we have and in our early 40’s, glad we finally learned that. Now to try to change our spoiled 11 year old son….UGH!!!
After reading Feng Shui (Ancient Secrets for a lucky home) this blog will certainly serve as an excellent finale to my journey.
I am having the hardest time reducing my clutter. I feel like I cannot live without it. Especially my crafting stuff. We are moving to a much smaller place & I am trying. It is the hardest thing I have ever done. Being depressed & feeling useless makes it even harder. I start doing something, get overwhelmed & give up! I hate feeling like this! No energy, feeling sick all the time & absolutely no strength sure doesn’t help my situation.
My late wife was emotionally vapor-locked when it came to decluttering. Trust me, there was not an art or a craft that she was not into. After her passing, box after box after box after…you get the idea. I donated all of it to our local 4H Club, with the single exception of the pencil and ink drawing related stuff. And that was just the arts and crafts portion of the things she couldn’t let go of. That’s not to say she didn’t divest herself of some of her things. In the last year of her life, she did manage to let go of a significant number of books and other things. Part of that had to do with our daughter, and later caregivers, helping her make decisions. So basically, that’s a long-winded way of saying that it may take a caring other to help you decide what to keep, and what to bless someone else with. I’d also like to recommend you go onto youtube and search for “Marie Kondo,” without the quotation marks.
Two things: I like my possessions and I have the right amounts.
And- apostrophes are not used with the plural form. It is not CD’s. It is CDs.
When letters are used as letters, you do use an apostrophe to show the plural form of the word.
I am wrong about that. I just checked.
I looked at the list. I have many books in a pile and one by one I am reading. But when I’m done they go in a box the the spring tag sale that takes place every year at my house. I have a real problem throwing things away when maybe someone can use them. The money I make goes toward a home improvement project that happens in the spring as well.
I agree with almost all the items–except photos. After my parents passed away, and my brother died suddenly years after, I have found photos to be comforting. Immensely so. Ergo, the photos stay (along with my stash of comfort-drinking-cocoa.)
Moving forward…
To those who disagree strongly with the list–you came to this site to read. You were treated well, with relatively good writing and a friendly attitude (the author’s, and most of the commenters’). No one is forcing you to do everything on the list. They were meant to be suggestions. Reply, if you must–but remain relaxed, eager to learn and eager to share.
Oh, and yes–one thing we can never have too much of is good will and a healthy sense of humor :-)
God bless.
I printed the list and will try to get rid of one thing in each category every day. That should be pretty painless.
I have been slowly restarting decluttering since I had surgery a month ago. Got a couple areas downsized yesterday. Since xmas is near, getting rid of our way too many ornaments. There r some other great ideas here. Plus, yesterday, I found something I was looking for, imagine that!!!
I am preparing to move out of state so my Stuff Purge is rapidly serious. I pictured the pioneer women reduced to such few items on the Conestoga wagons going west. Plus I have received so many blessings from other people when I give them Stuff!
Ever been to a minimalist’s house? It’s bat crap boring and always looks the same. Empty.
They look like a Scrooge because they don’t want to buy anything and are afraid to purchase a vase.
Minimalism is boring and can be just as OCD as collecting too much junk. Why should I get rid of things I like?
I’ve downsized to about half of what I owned. Still have a ways to go though! My life has been drastically easier even at half though. I find it easier to travel the world now because I have more time and money-who’d have thought!
Hi, I have a request that has nothing to do with the articles’ contents. In fact, they’ve all been terrifically helpful and I’ve been quite in line with most of it most of my life. You’ve helped me by filling in my oversights and gaps. And for that I’m very grateful.
I have a favor to ask. Would it be possible for you to change the color of your typeset? This pale grey is extremely difficult for me to read. I often can’t get through an article/post because my eyes will have tired long before I’m done. And I tried increasing the type size and that didn’t help. Unfortunately.
Thanks for all your wonderful ideas.
Luly
In my minimalist try, when we moved in Jan of 2017, I no longer have a dishwasher or a microwave. Dont miss them. Trinkets are my big downfall but we have been going through everything and boxing up what we dont need for a yard sale in May!
I dont have much plastic of any kind for food storage, I have glass bowls.
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