It’s pretty safe to say that most of us own too much stuff. I recently got rid of 40 bags of crap from my tiny one bedroom flat and I still feel as if I’m drowning in stuff. As I get older I’m finding myself feeling more and more (metaphorically) weighed down by possessions. For example the other day I joined a clothing store discount membership program and I refused to take the card the assistant issued me. I took a photo of it immediately, stored it in my Wallet app and threw the card away. I’m so done with bringing crap into my life, I’m getting hard core about it. If you’re a bit new to the de-cluttering game here are a few tips to get you started…
1. Stop buying stuff in the first place
Resist all items like novelty mugs, single-use gadgets and cheap clothing. Impulse buys are the biggest culprit here so make sure you wait 24 hours before you buy anything unless you’re 100% sure you’ll get a lot of use out of it.
2. Disconnect yourself from your stuff
Our grandparents lived through war times and never had enough of anything. Most of our parents are Baby Boomers and worked hard to get the things they have so they’re very protective and don’t like to getting rid of things. Our generation (Gen X and below) can have whatever we want, when we want and at the price we want so so we’ve become garbage hoarders. Most of the stuff we own has no value – emotional value or monetary value. We are not our stuff, so get rid of anything non-essential.
3. Disconnect from the monetary value of the item
If you spend $300 on a pair of shoes and you can’t walk in them, there’s no point in keeping them. You can try to sell them but if they don’t sell, give them away. Holding on to a useless item does not increase it’s value and only acts as a negative reminder of a poor purchase.
This week on Straight and Curly Kelly and I discuss the concept of clutter and how managing you clutter will increase your productivity. Guaranteed.
You can find this week’s episode about going clutter free (that’s quite a mouthful!) on Straight and Curly – a podcast for self-improvement junkies. Each week we try a life hack like eating 5 cups of vegetables every day or keeping a gratitude journal. Then we report on our findings and tell you whether you should try it or whether it’s a giant waste of your time.
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Open up the podcast app on your phone (it already lives there so you don’t need to download it) and search for Straight and Curly. Then hit subscribe and you’re good to go.
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What’s your clutter personality? Are you clutter-free? Clutter-happy? Or clutter-stuck and you need a bit of help?
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7 Comments
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I have been on a gradual decluttering mission from the start of the year. I read or heard somewhere that when you sort through your stuff to get rid of, the longer you hold it or touch it, the more you will emotionally reattach to the item and probably end up keeping it. The tip was try to handle it as little as possible or have a friend help you so that they handle the things. xx
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Author
Yes! That’s so true – the longer you think about the more you become re-attached to it. I’ve been hardcore on de-cluttering this year. I’m just sick of crap. I think my favourite thing I’ve done is confine my make-up to a small make-up bag and that’s the only make-up I use. It’s a game changer because I travel so much and I don’t have boxes of make-up I never use in the cupboard.
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I really wish all stores would get with the digital rewards card system – so many times I’ve presented my phone screen and got a baffled and confused look in return.
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Really happy that I have not purchased anything except groceries this past month. Feels so good to not be accumulating. Going for another month but may not make it as I’m craving some fabric for clothes sewing over the Easter break!
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Ditto on the store card point! I have so many… I actually have a separate card holder for them all – it’s ridiculous. What wallet app do you use?
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One word… Konmaire. I was a sceptic, but she’s got me hooked. I totally believe in the concept of ‘does it bring you joy?’ If not, ditch it. Life is too short to be surrounded by crap. Also tried a no-spend month. I made it through 20 days. Not bad for a shopoholic; will try much harder next time!
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