“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 “minimalize” 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 minimalism. 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.
Just below the written list in this post, you can also sign up to have a printable PDF of my Declutter Your Home Checklist. I’ll send you a
This minimalist 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 minimalist checklist to start with would result in a noticeable difference in your home.
The Declutter Your Home Checklist: 101 Things That Can Easily Be Reduced In Your Home
- Kitchen Glassware
- Cookbooks
- Kitchen gadgets
- Kitchen appliances
- Pots / pans
- Mixing bowls
- Tupperware
- Water pitchers
- Coffee mugs
- Glass jars
- Magazines / Newspapers
- Books
- Over-the-counter medicine
Make up - Hair accessories
- Personal beauty appliances
- Toiletries
- Photos
- Photography supplies
- Sewing supplies
Scrap-booking supplies- Other craft supplies
- CDs
- DVDs / VHS tapes
- Wall Decorations
- Candles
- Candle Holders
- Figurines
- Crystal / China
- Vases
- Audio/visual components
- Audio/visual cables
- Computers equipment
- Computer peripherals
- Old cellphones
- Furniture
- Video game systems
- Video game accessories
- Video games
- Shirts
- Pants / Shorts
- Dresses / Skirts
- Hats
- Clothes hangers
- Shoes
- Ties / belts / accessories
- Coats
- Winter gear
- Socks / Underwear
- Sleepwear
- Jewelry
- Purses
- Pillows
- Linen sets
- Duvets / Comforters
- Blankets
- Towels
- Televisions
- Items on your bulletin board
- Magnets
- Home office supplies
- Coins
- Pens / pencils
- Rubber bands / Twist ties
- Cleaning supplies
- Old batteries
- Tools
- Hardware
- Coolers
- Manuals
- Phone books
- Coupons
- Board games
- Puzzles
- Decks of cards
- Unused gifts
- Baby clothes
- Baby supplies
- Old schoolbooks/papers
- Toys
- Stuffed animals
- Kid’s artwork
- Suitcases
- Pantry food
- Paper goods
- Wrapping supplies
- Pet supplies
- Plastic bags
- Party supplies
- Seasonal decorations
- Sporting goods
- Sports memorabilia
- Automobiles
- Automotive supplies
- Scrap pieces of lumber
- Brooms
- Rakes
- Shovels
- Garden tools
- Plant containers / Pots
- Empty cardboard boxes
If you’d prefer a physical copy of the Declutter Your Home Checklist, fill out your email below for a high-quality, printable PDF:
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.
For more ideas on how to “minimalize” your life, visit this article on comprehensive decluttering tips.
About Joshua Becker
Some of the items make no sense and actually got me angry, pantry food? With so many people starving how we can throw away the excess.
Plastic bags? We are in times of recycling, how we can just dismiss them like that without giving them as much as use as possible.
Everything that is plastic on that list should be given another use instead of getting rid of them.
I’ve actually chosen to get rid of many of these useful items by donating them to people who can really use them.
They will get far more use in the hands of someone who is in need than sitting in the back of one of my closets.
Right now so many people are hurting financially and can use I nexpensive or free gently-used items.
I checked out your list, with an open mind and a smile on my face. It became obvious to me about halfway through the list you don’t live in the country. By that, I mean way outside of any big city. As a country dweller, your list at times gave me chuckle and at times a gasp! How could you think of ridding yourself of parts of a tractor or a truck? Or extra anything living in a rural area. Now I’ll admit there is too much fabric and yarn in my possession. That’s something I grew up with. Making clothes and knitting and crocheting was a must. And having to move for work 3 times can make one want to pare down. Nah! I’ll keep it all. My pig collection, my clothing patterns, my fabric and all my Christmas decorations…. Gonna keep it all. I have a plastic tote filled with cook books. Craft magazines are at home with me. Even issues from the 60’s.
I’m a lost cause. My children will have fun donating and trashing when I’m gone. But until then….
I do not live in the country. But spent most summers growing up on my grandparent’s farm in South Dakota: picking rocks, spraying weeds, and feeding pigs. Good memories.
I think this list is for people who want to live with less and need help on how to accomplish this overwhelming task. Good for you for wanting to keep all your stuff and enjoying it. Move along now.
Can I enroll in the 12 week class? I really need it! Thanks.
Thanks, Joshua for your creative idea. It is such an amazing blog! Before I wanted to remove the excess things of my home but I got scared it could regret in the future. Now I am really inspired to do that. Your overly skilled writing is highly appreciated. I love it so much.
Thank you for this. It isn’t rocket science in any way, but having the list just makes it a bit easier to process!
It really was a great list until you got to books. That hurt! LOL
What may be a lot of stuff for one person may be just fine for another. I don’t think there are any rules, as long as it’s not bothering the owner and not a danger to them, they are fine I think, but then, consider the source. I have different collections and love having them around me. I also have things that I don’t need and can sell or donate and plan do work on it asap, that stuff IS bothering me.
God Bless and Good Luck
We rarely feel the weight of our possessions until we begin to remove them.
I am interested in signing up for the October Uncluttered Course. I have signed up (several times) to receive an email with the course preview, but have not received it. Can this be sent to me, please? Thanks!
This is very attention-grabbing, You are an overly skilled blogger.
I’ve joined your rss feed and sit up for in the hunt for more of your excellent post.
Also, I’ve shared your website in my social networks
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.
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
Ditto on the gray fonts, as well as other lightly pigmented colors. For a decade I have been pleading with Amazon, google, Apple etc. to stop using this light gray that I am now writing this out with. I cannot get it big enough to see because not only is size an issue for me, but the strength of the color. If it is pale, I will not see it. Many times I have had to call Tech Support because I couldn’t get an app to work correctly, only to have the person tell me to hit a button or a phrase that I cannot see. They have to take over my screen and use their curser to guide me to the spot where the hidden-to-me message is written. It is so frustrating. Apple prides themselves on being so helpful to people with disabilities. I have logically presented my case to them at least 20 different times. The last time If asked if they would give us (people with visual difficulties) an alternate font set up for ANYTHING that appears on my computer. I asked them WHY it is SO IMPORTANT for them to use light gray. Their response was almost cruel. The reply was that it took too much work to change the font color from their end. Well, so much for helping the visually impaired.
I’m viewing this on a Samsung tablet and it’s like a dark purple, almost black, on white background. Very high contrast. I wonder if your device is set in some way that makes it lower contrast? Or if something’s wrong with the blog that makes it appear differently on different devices.
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!
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?
Who says you have to? In fact you could infinately fill your home to the ceiling with cast outs, from those who are interested in reducing the over stimulating quantity of belongings they have that re-direct our attention from passions previously resolved unattainable.
Maybe you hit the jackpot, or maybe you have other reasons your belongings bring you comfort and security.
I will end on this thought, however…. I hardly find your comment more defensive, and purposely provoking, than simply an open, genuine statement, as the undertones come across defensive.
Just because one reduces their belongings hardly means they aren’t stylish, intentionally authentic nor without aesthetic appreciation.
I’m under the impression that you wouldn’t be on a minimalist site, much less commenting if a bit of curiosity just might be growing within yourself.
Best wishes, my friend.
I too am curious as to what kind of individual lives in an empty room. I know people who have beautiful homes decorated beautifully with many things and they travel and enjoy life. Not sure why some think having a home beautifully filled is a detriment. I think only if you spend money you don’t have is an issue. I know a person who has two homes full, one a vacation home. I learned years ago that a person can live in a two room apartment and own basics and only one. One towel, one plate, one pan and so on. There is pleasure in owning. There is enjoyment.
I believe the people who live in homes with minimal possessions are people who choose to. Thank you to the people who provide helpful information for those who are interested. Fortunately we all get to decide for ourselves.
The older I get, the more I realize that I need to minimize so my children aren’t someday left with an overwhelming task. And to make it easier to care for myself as I age. I’m sure there are a variety of other valid reasons, just as many have valid reasons for accumulating and living with many things.
I agree with you. This advice is for accumulators and people that have really packed messy homes. If ypu are not one of them you just need to organize your things nicely but why to get rid of useful things? That list is crap
“Why get rid of useful things?”
To give to others who do not have these useful things… many of us have far more than we actually use.
What are you even talking about? This sounds like an argument from a 13-year-old. Shifting one’s focus from unnecessary possessions to more important goals in life, according to you, is a misguided effort because it makes one’s home “bat crap boring” to guests?
If my guests found their time spent in my home to be bat crap boring, it would be because I’m terrible company, and not because I dont have knick knacks on display.
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!
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 printed the list and will try to get rid of one thing in each category every day. That should be pretty painless.
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 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.