"Decluttering" is a scary word for thrifters. We have feelings invested in our junk collections. Clutter kills productivity and creativity, so every once in a while a purge is necessary.
The Real Deal: I start my process by putting things into perspective, I reflect on the millions of people in the world that get by fine with next to nothing.
[Being uncluttered doesn't mean your home is spartan. Source]
The Better Perspective: Read Penelope Trunk's article, 5 Steps on Taming Materialism from an Accidental Expert. I love this quote:
The only way I could put the stuff in storage was to tell myself I could go back and forth every week getting stuff I missed. We ended up staying there six years. We took almost nothing out of storage.
You'll be surprised at how little you'll miss an item once it's gone. Instead of putting unused items in storage, try the method below.
Box it Up: Box-up stuff you don't use but can't bear to give away. If you don't open the boxes to retrieve any of the items for months, you'll know it's alright to donate the whole thing.
Watch "Hoarders": I watch anything related to Hoarders and Hoarding on YouTube. Seeing the congested homes is a huge motivator!
More Thriftcore Tips on Organizing:
- A Thrifter's Decluttering Guide
- The Top 5 Ways to Organize Your Bookshelves
- Top Tips for Decluttering Your Art Studio
Favorite Decluttering Inspiration:
- Everyday Minimalist advice from a 20-something that lives a rich life, without many material possessions
- The Hidden Costs of Stuff- JD is a Stuff addict. Thrifters can relate!
- Think Simple Now's How to Cure Packrat-itis
- Zen Habit's A Guide to Creating a Minimalist Home
- Zen Habit's Zen Mind: How to Declutter
- Flylady How to Declutter
- Organized Home's Declutter 101: Where Do I start?
- Life Hacker's Cut Your Clutter Calories
Good luck getting your homes under control. I know how hard it is to let go, so I want to ask you:
How do YOU keep organized.
What are your decluttering tips?
What are your decluttering tips?
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funny, there must be something about this time of year... i just finished writing about a recent re-organization as well. the craft space is almost all done, now onto the kitchen. i may be there a while ;)
ReplyDeletethanks for those links, will browse through them on the weekend.
I just came up with a new plan a few days ago. I'm going to assign one month to each room in my house. During that month I'll organize, make a list of small repairs that need to be tackled (and then do them) and make any decorating improvements that are in my budget. I'm sure I'll still do small amounts of organizing in all areas of the house throughout the year, but this way I can make sure that every area gets attention without feeling overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteAna, I hope the links help! I'll be deep in the excess tomorrow as well, working my way through craft supplies and then some...
ReplyDeleteTrish- That's an amazing idea, I'm taking notes! I have the bad habit of taking everything out of every closet and ending up overwhelmed. It's all about baby steps!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh. I am dealing with this right now. My super passionate collecting last year has left my with an entire room of thrift store finds and craft store supplies. Which I never touch anymore.
ReplyDelete....I think it's time to put it all away.
Helena: Yep, I feel you! Good luck getting your stuff organized, write a blog post with results when you're done!
ReplyDelete