I've written a great deal about storage solutions and how to contain clutter, and I truly believe that maximizing space in your home by storing and organizing items is worthy pursuit. Sometimes though, it can go too far. Have you ever found yourself putting something in a box just to "get it out of the way" because you don't want to deal with the contents?
Recognize the Underlying Problem
In these cases, storing and labeling are really just moving the underlying problem -- not wanting to deal with your stuff -- to another space in your home. That's not good. But not to worry, because you're not alone: In a survey commissioned by California Closets, only 7% of respondents characterized their homes as 'highly organized.' Most people fall into a clutter habits due to sentimentality, lack of knowledge about how long to keep things, or not being able to resist a bargain.
It also doesn't make you next in line to be cast on Hoarders. "Very few people are truly hoarders," says Ginny Snook Scott, California Closet's Chief Organizing Officer. "That whole premise of being a hoarder -- of someone who just can't let go of anything -- is a very small percentage of the population."
Even if you have things arranged neatly in a jar, basket, bin or cubby, folded in a closet or tucked inside a drawer, it might still be considered clutter. How to tell if you've got clutter on your hands? You can use my guide: What Is Clutter?
Reason You Keep Clutter
So let's take some time to dig a bit deeper and figure out why the clutter is in your home and life in the first place. Most likely, we're not purging extra stuff because we fall into one of the following clutter categories: Reaseason We can't Get Rid of Clutter
- We just can't resist a freebie or a sale (think about those "free with gift" makeup bags).
- We hold onto keepsakes and sentimental items because we're afraid to let them go.
- We like to have a lot of stuff around.
- We think we "might need it someday."
Chances are we are keeping clutter around for more than one of these reasons. Next, we'll explore each reason we can't get rid of clutter and I suggest strategies for getting rid of each type.
Reason You Keep Clutter: It Was a Bargain
Are you the type who can't resist a bargain? Do your ears perk up when you hear something you're casually looking at with no intention to buy is free?
You might fall into this category if you answer yes to one or more of the following:
- Do you regularly accept "free gift with purchase deals" like makeup bags from the Clinique counter without inspecting the contents beforehand?
- Do you automatically bring home the small bottles of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel from your hotel stay?
- Upon leaving a store, are more than half the items you purchased things that were not on your shopping list when you entered the store?
It's easy to justify this type of clutter collecting because on the surface it looks like it makes financial sense. "Hello! it's free!" you may be saying, but anything in your home is not truly free, it's taking up storage space and crowding out other items you might actually use. Anything in your home should be earning it's keep in rent, and if you're not using it or displaying it, it's running in the red.
Snook Scott recommends you first ask yourself, "Would I buy this anyway?" If the answer is no, then it's really not a deal, even if it's free. A good deal is only good if your going to get heavy use or heavy enjoyment out of something on a regular basis.
I truly believe that "stocking up" and taking advantage of good deals is a basic human instinct that probably dates back to our early days when food was scarce and procuring it meant fighting a wild animal. In other words, this one may be deeply embedded in our DNA.
Steps to Get Rid of Bargain Clutter
- Take Snook Scott's advice and ask yourself if you'd buy this even if it was full-price.
- Visualize the word "Spend" instead of "Save" on coupons.
- Start making and using a shopping list. This is a great plan of attack against 'bargain cluttering' because you'll be forced to admit you're going "rogue" off your shopping list.
- Don't use shopping as a form of entertainment. If you're on a diet, you don't go to the bakery, if you're trying to break a clutter habit, don't hit the mall or peruse the tag sales in your neighborhood. Distract yourself with another activity you enjoy.
- Think about why you really want something. Are you actually addicted to shopping? Or do you really need that item or piece of clothing?
Next up we'll talk about another reason we clutter: We love abundance so much we've become Abundance Junkies.
