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“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” —Dale Carnegie
The idea of living a simple life with less stuff sounds attractive to many.
But often, they begin to feel overwhelmed,
Learning how to declutter your home and (and as a result, decluttering your life) doesn’t need to be as painful as some make it out to be. And the benefits are numerous.
The Benefits of Decluttering Your Life
There are many benefits to owning fewer possessions. Even then, it’s tough to move into action. That is… until the many benefits of getting rid of clutter reveal themselves:
Less to clean. Cleaning is already enough of a chore, but having to clean around things you have zero emotional attachment to (or worse, actively dislike) makes cleaning the house much more stressful.
Less to organize. Finding things suddenly become easier. Things don’t just “disappear” anymore. You can actually move around your home and enjoy the space, instead of moving around things that are in the way.
Less stress. Looking around at the clutter is a nausea-inducing sight once your home becomes cluttered enough. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to look around and see a home you love?
Less debt. Spending less time shopping for material possessions and adding to the clutter means your wallet and bank accounts remain fuller, your credit cards’ statements are lower, and your home doesn’t get filled with costly things you don’t need.
More financial freedom. Most American households live paycheck to paycheck (59% according to a recent survey done by Charles Schwab) Nearly half of those surveyed carry credit card debt. Decluttering, paired with minimalism, will help you build up savings to keep you protected in case of unexpected emergencies.
More energy for your greatest passions. With less debt, more financial freedom, and
Ok, so now you know the benefits of decluttering your life, but you may be getting tripped up by the very next question… where in the world do you begin?
10 Creative Decluttering Tips
If you’re struggling and need guidance on how to declutter, you’ll need to get creative with your plans. Here are several interesting decluttering tips to get you started on decluttering your home:
- Start with 5 minutes at a time. If you’re new to decluttering, you can slowly build momentum with just five minutes a day.
- Give one item away each day. This would remove 365 items every single year from your home. If you increased this to 2 per day, you would have given away 730 items you no longer needed. Increase this number once it gets too easy.
- Fill an entire trash bag. Get a trash bag and fill it as fast as you can with things you can donate at Goodwill.
- Donate clothes you never wear. To identify them, simply hang all your clothes with hangers in the reverse direction. After wearing an item, face the hanger in the correct direction. Discard the clothes you never touched after a few months.
- Create a decluttering checklist. It’s a lot easier to declutter when you have a visual representation of where you need to get started. You can use our decluttering checklist.
- Take the 12-12-12 challenge. Locate 12 items to throw away, 12 to donate, and 12 to be returned to their proper home.
- View your home as a first-time visitor. It’s easy to “forget” what your home looks like to a new visitor. Enter your home as if you’re visiting the home of a friend. Write down your first impression on how clean and organized the home is and make changes.
- Take before and after photos of a small area. Choose one part of your home, like your kitchen counter, and take a photo of a small area. Quickly clean off the items in the photo and take an after photo. Once you see how your home could look, it becomes easier to start decluttering more of your home.
- Get help from a friend. Have a friend or family member go through your home and suggest a handful of big items to throw away or give to someone else. If you defend the item and want to keep it, your friend has to agree with your reason. If they don’t agree, it’s time to get rid of it.
- Use the Four-Box Method. Get four boxes and label them: trash, give away, keep, or re-locate. Enter any room in your home and place each item into one of the following boxes. Don’t skip a single item, no matter how insignificant you may think it is. This may take days, weeks, or months, but it will help you see how many items you really own and you’ll know exactly what to do with each item.
No matter which decluttering tip you choose to get started – whether it be one of these ten or one of countless others – the goal is to take your first step in decluttering your life with excitement behind it.
There is a beautiful world of freedom and fresh breath hiding behind that clutter. Deciding how to declutter your home is up to you.
For more decluttering tips, watch this short video we put together. In it, I provide 10 quick decluttering projects, each completable in just 5 minutes or less:
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General FAQ About Decluttering Your Home:
How do I create a decluttering checklist?
Creating a checklist is one of the easiest ways to keep track of what can and still needs to be reduced from your home. We’ve put together a Declutter Your Home Checklist you can use to instantly make a noticeable difference.
Just pick any 5-10 items from the list to start and you will be amazed with how quickly momentum builds up.
Do I need a professional organizer to help me get rid of clutter?
Absolutely not. Getting rid of the clutter in your home can be done by yourself. It can even be a fun family activity when using the decluttering tips found in this article.
How can I declutter quickly? Can it be done in a day?
Removing clutter from our homes and our lives doesn’t need to be rushed or done in a single day. It’s something that can be done over time and may even need to be done on a semi-regular basis. As long as you start the process today, you’re further along than you were yesterday.
Will owning less make my home look empty or boring?
Simple doesn’t mean sparse or boring. The opposite is true. With fewer mess and distractions, your home can become more peaceful. You can view your home as a space for rest and comfort, instead of a source of stress.
What’s the difference between declutter and unclutter?
They’re both interchangeable, though I prefer using “declutter.” The “de-” hints at being complete and permanent. I like to think of decluttering as something that solves the problem forever.
When should I declutter?
This is a personal question. When you find yourself overwhelmed by your possessions and tied down, it usually means you’re ready to start making a change. Note that this feeling is just a broad litmus test. The feeling of overwhelm can be different for everyone.
nikitha says
Thanks for sharing.
Rick Jones says
I like how you said decluttering would mean less to organize. I would like to do this. But I’d still want help from someone to organize my home.
Melodie Alexander says
I live in Texas and last winter it was -20 outside and +20 inside my house with no electricity so no heat for 3 days. Once we got electricity back I freaked out and got on line and purchased 7 winter coats, sweaters and lots of blankets/comforters. Spent all the government money sent to me just in hopes of being warm this coming winter.
Finally came to my senses, have given 5 of the coats and a majority of the other “stuff” to Goodwill which has given me an unexpected joy, knowing others will also have a chance of being warmer this coming winter. Yea, I no longer have a ton of clothing but I have enough to hopefully stay warm and that’s just what I was wanting.
Less is really great?.
Zura Gerlachstefff says
I had a mental health issue and my house is too cluster it’s time to declutter the house and I move every 10 years so I’m actually moving trying to declutter the house before I move thank you
AssureShift says
Nice information.
AssureShift says
nice article
swagstop says
All she wanted was the answer, but she had no idea how much she would hate it.
Bin Rental says
I loved reading your post on how to declutter your home. One point that you mentioned is the importance of having fewer things to clean. I’m sure it’s not easy at all! Thanks for posting.
Chris Buffer says
I have to strictly follow these tips. I admit that I am very messy. Time to change my life! Thanks for sharing!
Fiona says
Great tips! Please help me ? get over the guilt of donating/tossing collectibles we collected on our numerous trips nationwide? It is so hard for me not to reminisce on each item. Once I get over this hurdle, my path will be easy ? thx
Glynis says
Hi Fiona. I have a similar problem. Maybe you could take photos of the items, print and mount or frame them, and create a memory wall.
Mrs D Holmes says
Or put all your photographs into a beautiful scrapbook, writing the story and memory of each item by the picture. This way your family will have your memories and stories as history unfolds, without the clutter. They just have your book – with your handwriting – that’s something most of us forget to give to the future. Think how much you would like to know about your Great Grandparent’s lives. The questions you would have asked them – if you’d ever met them. When I gave birth to my daughter, I bought a simple silver chain bracelet. On each of her birthdays I bought a silver charm that meant something about that year. For example, the year her brother was born, there was a stork, bringing a baby. The year we visited Greece, I bought a very special charm there with a local precious stone.. On her 21st birthday, I sent her the bracelet – she was away at University, along with the letter describing each event and telling her what the charms meant. I didn’t intend for her to cry, but she sobbed for an hour. 21 years of her life, illustrated on her wrist.
Ten says
What a beautiful gift! I’m sure she treasures it.
Ten says
That’s sort of like what I do to remember my travels: whenever my husband and I go somewhere for at least an overnight, I buy a postcard from that place and write a summary of our trip on the back, including the dates. I keep them in a little photo album. It’s an easy, inexpensive souvenir, and so much more meaningful than some trinket from a shop.
Jan Muschinski says
Good Point.
It’s just a fact: we all only live once and too many things distract us from it.It is becoming more and more important to concentrate on the essentials!
Job says
Love this thought. Thank you.