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We all come up with countless reasons to keep more than we need, slowly filling our homes with piles of clutter. It was a gift from my best friend’s aunt’s brother. It used to fit me 3 years ago and maybe it will fit me again. I might actually need to use 4 crock pots at once. All of these are excuses we tell ourselves to keep the clutter in our homes and our lives.
Maybe you are completely drowning in clutter and can’t figure out how to get on top of it. Maybe you have a very tidy home, but want to minimize even more. Or maybe you are like me. You are like a tidy home. You like a decluttered space, but struggle to let go of things from time to time which causes the clutter to get out of hand.
Whatever your reasoning behind landing on this post, you are like many people and dream of a peaceful space free of clutter. Well, unfortunately the only way to get there is hard work. Decluttering is a challenge, but these 9 questions you can ask yourself can help you in the process.
1. Do I use it?
If you aren’t using it regularly or you haven’t used it in the past 12 months, then it doesn’t deserve to take up space in your home. Even if you spent good money on something, if you don’t use it, it’s time to let it go. We often times keep things for the just in case instances. Those instances rarely come and, in the meantime, we are cluttering our homes with stuff we may never use.
2. Does it bring me joy?
After reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo last spring, I’ve really taken this question to heart when decluttering. If the item doesn’t bring you joy, it’s not worth keeping. It’s not worth the effort to clean. It’s not worth real estate space it takes to store. It’s not worth the feelings you get when you look at it knowing that you don’t like it.
3. Do I have something else that serves the same purpose?
How many cleaning products do you really need for your bathroom? Or what about the 5 pairs of running shoes in your closet? {Are you even a runner?!} Do you honestly need more than one toaster?
If you have multiple items, then it’s probably time to part with all but one of them. If you dig a little deeper, you may find that you can get rid of even more than you realized. For me, this meant that I could get rid of my separate baby bouncer when my baby swing converted to a bouncer as well. There was no reason to keep two.
If you have things that serve multiple purposes, then get rid of those single purpose items. They are just wasting space!
4. If given the opportunity, would I purchase this item again?
This is the one that always gets me. If you are struggling with whether you should keep something or not, ask yourself if you didn’t already own it, would you pay money to buy it again? If you even hesitate for a second in your response, the answer is most likely no so out it goes.
5. Am I keeping this item out of obligation?
We all have those things we feel obligated to keep. Maybe it was a really expensive gift from a friend or relative. Maybe you were given a family heirloom that just isn’t your style, but your afraid to part with for fear of hurting someone’s feelings. Whatever the case may be, you are keeping the item out of obligation rather than love of the item itself.
This is a hard one because you want to be careful not to step on toes or hurt other’s feelings. If it’s something that was passed down from family, maybe you could see if a sibling or cousin might like the item. However, don’t force it on someone else either. If no one wants the item, then chances are you and your children will be dealing with it for years to come. It’s obviously not something that is bringing you joy so it’s time for it to find a new home.
6. Am I only keeping it for sentimental reasons?
This is definitely the one I struggle with the most. If it holds special memories, but you aren’t using it or don’t really love it, then you don’t need to keep it. I’m not saying don’t ever keep things in your home for sentimental reasons. I have a lot of things in my home that have sentimental value. However, I try to only keep those items that I really do love.
You could consider taking a picture of the item and then passing it on to someone who will use and love it. This gives you the chance to hold onto the memory of the item without cluttering your home.
7. Does it fit me right now?
If the item is a piece of clothing, you need to ask yourself if it fits you right now. As much as you want to fit into those 3 sizes too small jeans from high school in the back of your closet, it’s probably not going to happen. And, even better, if it does, you should go out and buy yourself a new pair of awesome skinnies!
There is a caveat to this question. If you are in the “having babies” stage of life, this may be a harder question to ask yourself. I’m currently in this phase of life and I have 3 sizes worth of clothing plus maternity clothes! It gets to be a lot! However, here are a few tips I’ve found helpful to keep clothing clutter in check:
- If it doesn’t currently fit, it doesn’t get a place in my closet. Clothes that don’t fit are stored away in large tubs.
- My four sizes include: normal, non-pregnant clothes, just pregnant/almost back to normal after baby clothes, pregnant, but not big enough for maternity or just had a baby clothes, and maternity clothes. Since 3 of the 4 sizes in my closet are worn for such a short time period, I only have a few items in these sizes. I’m very careful to limit the number of items because they don’t get a lot of wear.
- I’ve learned to stay away from really form fitting shirts. By wearing shirts that are structured yet forgiving, I am able to wear them at several different weights. This means that I only have to worry about multiple sizes for shorts, jeans, pants, and skirts.
8. Would I want to pack it and move it across the country if I were moving?
Moving is hard. It’s exhausting trying to pack up all of your belongings, loading them on a truck, and then unpacking everything once you get there. We moved about 2.5 years ago and afterwards my husband and I vowed we wouldn’t do it again for many, many years!
Getting rid of clutter before you move can make the process a lot easier. Even if you don’t have plans to move in the near future, asking yourself this question can help you to clear out the clutter. There are a lot of things we keep on hand just because it sometimes seems easier to keep it rather than letting it go. But when you are moving, you have to be ruthless. If you wouldn’t want to pack it for a move, it’s time to get rid of it!
9. Is it costing me money to store?
Do you rent a storage locker to store things you aren’t even using? Have you added a shed or outbuilding to your backyard to hold all of your clutter? Have you ever moved with thoughts that you needed a bigger house when in reality you probably need to just purge some junk? All of these are {fairly extreme} examples of ways your clutter can cost you money. {Please note that I don’t think any of these things are poor decisions. I think that renting a storage locker, adding a shed, or purchasing a bigger home are all very reasonable things to do under the right circumstances.}
If your junk is costing you money, it’s definitely time for it to move on.
By asking yourself these questions as you declutter your home, you will be able to let go of clutter and be left with so much more space, a bigger sense of peace, and a beautiful, tidy home!
Cait says
Great article! Really narrows in and asks the right questions.
Kaitlin says
Thanks, Cait! 🙂