Set the Timer for a Countdown on Clutter

January 11th, 2012 Decluttering

Don’t let clutter live in your home with you forever, start the countdown until you kick clutter to the curb! It’s easy to set stuff aside thinking that you’ll get to it “someday,” that you’ll use it “someday” and that you will fix it “someday.” But “someday” never comes. Slap “someday” silly by creating deadlines for yourself and you’ll know exactly when “someday” has arrived.

Follow these easy deadline decluttering tips:

#1: Create a clutter withdrawl box. As you start purging your stuff, you may come across things you just aren’t sure you are ready to part with yet. Go ahead and put them in a box labeled: “Clutter Withdrawl” and then place a note on your calendar to donate the box. If you have to get something out, that’s OK. If you don’t, you can feel good letting the whole box go. The shorter the timeframe on your calendar, the less time you will have to store it. Aim for 3 months or less.

#2: Expired Stuff:

Food: Don’t get sick, it’s not worth it. Plus the co-pay to go to the doctor will probably be more than the expired food-go hog wild and treat yourself to new food.
Coupons: Expired coupons don’t work, say no more.
Newspapers: It’s old news, let it go. There’s more news on the way!
Medications: This will give me a freakout-I used to be a back office medical assistant. Please don’t even think about taking old medication, take it someplace where it will be disposed of properly (which means not down the toilet).

#3: Things to fix. Place things that need to be fixed on a shelf and address them once a month. Either fix them, take them to be fixed or throw them out after a month.

#4: Gifts to Give: If you must keep a box, bin or drawer of gifts to give, then make sure you give them. Whenever a holiday or special occasion comes up, go to your gift stockpile first before going hitting the mall. Keep your inventory moving, if it’s not gone by the end of the year, donate it.

#5: Clothes that don’t fit: You’ve got one year baby to get in a smaller size. Make sure you are being fair to yourself and are not keeping sizes that aren’t realistic to get back into. Our bodies change as we get older and it’s not fair to think you should get into your jeans from high school-15 years ago.

Make sure you keep clutter moving right along so you won’t get overwhelmed by yourself. If you need decluttering tips to help get you started, please read more right here!