Clutter Busting: How to Gain Independence from Clutter

The simple reason that we have too much clutter is because we bring more items in than we take out. I always tell my clients that it has nothing to do with what you own, rather what owns you. The challenge I am offering to you today is to focus on what you bring into your home that you don’t really need, and the reasons why you continue to buy more.

Where are you weak? What things do you consistently bring into the house that you know you don’t need yet justify its purchase? In what areas do you notice your willpower tested time and time again, and you lose more than you win? Here are a few ideas, but please think about your own individual circumstances.

Clothes

Gourmet foods

Things that you collect

Items from home party sales

Storage containers (yep… even too many storage containers themselves can be clutter)

Candles

Make-up

Shoes

Jewelry

Television shopping channel items

ebay winnings

Catalog shopping

Perhaps it is not the particular items; rather it’s where you purchase these items that get you into trouble. I know many people who go to these large Supercenter stores to buy their groceries (because the prices are better) but end up losing out on the savings by succumbing to the marketing geniuses behind the displays offering too-hard-to-pass-up bargains.

My challenge for you is to give it up (whatever it may be) for one month. If you find yourself weak at the shoe department, make it your goal that you will not purchase any shoes (not even shop in the shoe dept. for X amount of time). I am not promising that this will be easy, but it will be rewarding! If the weak area of your life is the large Supercenters, either shop at grocery stores, or make a promise that you will only purchase grocery types of items for the allotted time period.

Learn to say “no” to yourself. So often we find ourselves saying:

“Oh, why not… its only money”

“I’ll pay it off at the end of the month”

“I work hard, I deserve it”

Why do we keep shopping? Because it feels so good, even if the feeling is fleeting. Make your challenge known to your loved ones, and/or shopping buddies! Once the time period is over, reflect on the challenges and rewards of gaining control over the items brought into your home. You may at this time want to extend your “no” period or be able to make strict guidelines for going forward.

Please keep in mind that you have not saved money by spending money (regardless of what a tremendous sale it is) if the item purchased was not necessary. Stop trading your long term wants for those things you want right now. Sometimes saying “no” is saying, “yes” to much more. Very few things feel as good as gaining ownership of your life back from material things.

Happy Independence Day

Betsy