Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

[cschin4]

I would be happy if a truck pulled up and hauled 80% of my "stuff" away. In fact, I would just like to get rid of the "stuff" and start over. I have a hard time deciding what to save and keep and what to get rid of. I don't like to sell stuff so I either throw it away or give it away. How do you manage all the stuff and keep clutter from taking over your house?

[pearlieq]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

I use the box method. Anything I'm unsure about getting rid of gets packed into a box, sealed, dated, and stuck in the basement.

If a year goes by without the box getting opened, everything in it goes off to the Goodwill.

[boefixepa]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

Stop buying! Start flinging!

The only way to stop getting more stuff is to stop buying. I FINALLY realized that. No more trips to Wal-mart just because! I come home with the stupidest stuff!!

[pearlieq]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

Stop buying!

Good point. Reducing the inflow makes a world of difference.

One thing that has helped me is that all mail is sorted over the recycling bin before it's allowed to come in the house. 90% of it, including ALL catalogs (if I really need something 99.9% of the time I can order it online) goes directly in the bin.

[Broken Arrow]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

If I can't figure out a reason for having it, I would put it away.

If I can't figure out a reason for putting it away, I would store it in the closet.

If I can't figure out a reason for storing it, I would throw it away.

Since I am by a nature a neat freak, whatever starts to irk me, I would start to shift things around roughly according to the priorities listed above.

Something like that anyway....

[cschin4]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

Part of me says "I could use that someday" but in reality, I know that I will never use it or even remember where I put it. So, my mission is to just get rid of alot of this stuff. I just sent alot of clothes to Goodwill. Even though they are in perfectly fine condition and some even new with tags, my younger son will never wear that stuff as he is quite picky and would just end up wearing the same things over and over. And, there is alot of other stuff which can go. Just trying to get the motivation to get rid of it. I quit going to Walmart because it seems like I would always bring home more useless stuff. So, I do have a handle on the shopping end. It is just getting rid of it that seems overwhelming.

[thekid]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

I make sure that my girlfriend assists me. 80% of the stuff I want to keep "just in case I ever need it", she makes me get rid off. Then I fill the same role for my girlfriend's stuff.

Seems like stuff's magical power to appear potentially usefull is lost on anyone else then the owner. Significant others are stuff's cryptonite

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

Not well enough, while I have been spending the last three yeasrs decluttering I seem to be barely keeping up with the inflow (most in is by gmas and the like..oh and DH!)

One thing I ask is 'what on earth will I do with it? Not what susie homemaker would o, not what miss on the ball science from paperclips msuper mom would do, but literally me..often the answer is shuffle it..and the more I shuffle out the door the more I actually use what is left...

I also tend to look at the likelyhood of getting anoither should I be inspired to use it....for example baby chlothes even my third was showered with gifts, I spent not a dime..and he is more than adequatly attired...I only keep truly sentamental baby stuff..one or two per size. (if)

[JanH]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

My stuff used to follow a path--to the closet, then the attic, then the garage, then the goodwill/trash. Now I go through things one drawer or one closet or one spot at a time. Focus only on that one and not anything else. Then make those decisions of keep or give away--decide if you use it, love it, or good sentimental feel. That's the one spot for today. Then tomorrow pick another spot. I try to not move things from spot to spot--but Decide something--hard for me. And I generally have to go over the same spots again and get rid of more stuff. But the best thing for me is to stay out of the stores. I am beginning to like the feel of the openess in my house. I used to use my stuff to cocoon me because I felt so bad. With depression treatment, I no longer have to do that. My biggest weakness used to be school supply/project stuff. Never knew when they would need something so I had boxes of everything. It is frustrating, but it takes a long while. You can't do it at once or you'll blow a fuse in your head. Take your time. You will see the results accumulate after awhile.

[Bookie]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

Originally posted by Broken Arrow:

Since I am by a nature a neat freak, whatever starts to irk me, I would start to shift things around roughly according to the priorities listed above.

Something like that anyway...

Me! Me! I'm a neat freak as well. All of my clutter is alphabetized, boxed, labeled, prioritized and driving me crazy.

I have fantasies in which I declare a maximum number for each category -- shirts, shoes, books, cookware, whatever. Anything over that limit goes. (I also have fantasies about amorous supermodels, but never mind that.)

What usually happens is that I get exasperated by my excess to the point of action. Ruthlessness becomes the order of the day, and the accumulations of years are swept away in a matter of hours. The sepulchers of of interests long departed are burst open, and I compel my closets to give up their dead. Out it all goes, and Goodwill rejoices at my name.

What's sad is that I've enacted this scenario time and again only to find myself in much the same shape down the road. Actually, that may be inaccurate. I've moved from a 3-bedroom house to a 2-story townhouse, and now into a 2-bedroom apartment. Each move has cost me significant amounts of storage. I think my present situation will soon dictate another round of clutter-busting. Maybe this time I'll get it right.
.

[b4freedom]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

1)Stop buying stuff. Take a permanent marker and write this on your wallet/purse/credit card/etc.: “Do I really need it?” and “List 3 reasons why I must buy this today! ” Seriously, it helps. We've been programmed to buy buy buy! We need a reminder that tells us we've been programmed to buy and that we really shouldn't be listening to all that garbage programming.
2)Every fall have a yard sale. Anything that you haven't used within a year, sell. Sell cheap. If it cost you $10, sell it for $1. Nothing in a garage sale should cost more then 10% of it's cost. Donate anything you don't sell.
3)Whatever you do, don't organize. This is the contrary to what everyone else would say. But, you don't know how to organize if you're not already doing it. And, you're not going to learn how to. Ever. Seriously, it's not your personality. If it was your personality, you'd already be doing it. So, don't even bother. If you need to organize your stuff, take a big trash can and toss it in. It's just cluttering your life. Clear your life, clear your mind, clear your soul, and toss all that crap in the garbage. You'll worry about it until the garbage man takes it away. After that, you'll feel relaxed. Stop buying stuff. Become a minimalist.

[JanH]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

Actually, I've become much more of an organizer after getting rid of the stuff. You can't organize the clutter, but you can organize the stuff that is left that you need and use.

[DivaJen]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

You can't organize the clutter

This is a thought that has helped me tremendously over the past couple of years as I try to move towards less clutter. I am getting better at letting things go, either by selling them, donating them or freecycling them, and I am working on simply not bringing as much into the house in the first place.

DD is starting to do this as well, and I'm so pleased to see it start at 6 instead of mid-30s. Yesterday she went through her closet herself and picked out a dress or two that she wants to hand down to someone else, even though they technically still fit her. She did this without any prompting.

I tend to be sentimental, sometimes to a fault, and that is something for me to figure out when it comes to things.

[amberbamber]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

Ok I guess I take "inventory" every 6 months. I turn my hangers backwards and then when they are worn and washed, they get hung up the right way. Then in 6 months I go through and whatever hangers are still backwards- that goes 1 of 3 places. First I start off with a yard sale, then if it doesn't get sold, I ask around if anyone needs/wants it, then if that's a NO- off to Goodwill.

I do this for my closets and children's toys also. Books- magazines, just about everything. HTH!

[Snoopy2645]

Re: Clutter - How Do You Decide When to Get Rid of Something?

I garage sale some stuff toss some stuff!! And give some stuff away but I also tried to quit taking in so much junk!!! It really helped a ton that I dont buy the kids toys anymore just xmas or bdays thats it & they have way way too much anyways but with 3 kids I have to keep it to a minimum these days!!!