Let me ask you something about your home decor. Is your decorating style buried under layers of clutter? Is your living room less chic and more shabby? Well, from one (former) packrat to another, its time to stop accumulating "stuff." In today's economy, we can no longer afford "stuff." "Stuff" costs money, takes up valuable space, and weighs down your spirits. But the prospect of going through all of the "stuff" is overwhelming! Good news! It can be done and easier than you think. I have learned some simple tips which I recommend to you.
1. Don't try to do it all at once. Set a goal of 15, 30 or 60 minutes, whichever will work best for you. During that time, pick one area to clean - like a drawer, shelf, or cabinet.
2. Clean sweep. Remove everything -yes, everything - from the space you have chose as your project. Remove it to the middle of the floor, the next room or outside. Then clean the surfaces that are left.
3. Sorting. Gather a trashbag, and two boxes for the sorting process. You will have the bag for trash and one box to give away or sell and one for the items you are keeping.
4. Decision time. Now this is where it gets difficult for we packrats. Do a fast sort with three choices: keep, trash, give away. If it's still useful, but you already have three of them, give it away. If it's useful and you have actually used it in the last year, keep it. If it's broken, outdated, or you don't remember what it is, trash it.
5. Paper. Remember, put away important paper like wills, tax records, birth certificates, or deeds. Other paper like magazines and newspaper can go into the trash. Most are archived online, so you don't have a need to keep them. Remember to recycle the paper instead of just trashing in though!
6. Cost. You don't need three of everything. Most of us have a backup of the backup of the one we actually use - like a microwave. You are giving those microwaves square footage in your home that you then can no longer use. Figure how much square footage your "stuff" occupies. Then figure what your home is worth per square foot. Then multiply the square footage your clutter takes up by the average value per square foot. That figure is what it is costing you to "rent" space to things you don't need, no longer value and no longer use.
7. Ongoing. After all your space is de-cluttered, take 30 minutes a day to keep it tidy. Again, start with one space at a time. It's easier to keep a space de-cluttered 30 minutes a day than to have to spend a week on it after letting things pile up.
You will be amazed how much better your feel about your decor and your life when you have accomplished a clean-up. Plus, giving those extra items that you no longer need to someone who can really use it is gratifying. And if you sell some of the clutter, you will be astonished at how much budget decorating you can do with a little extra cash!
