A Complete Guide to Decluttering Your Home
Since the release of ‘Tidying Up with Marie Kondo’ on Netflix, America has gone crazy with tidying up. Over in the US, national and local news sites are reporting of thrift shops seeing amazing growth in donations in recent months. This is most likely because of the Marie Kondo Netflix show. If you want to use the spark joy method, you just need to follow a few simple tips.
Is it Giving You Joy?
If you want to remove something that is unwanted, you need to ask yourself if something is giving you joy. If your answer is yes, then you can keep it. However, if you find yourself hesitating or saying no, give it away. It is a simple but brilliant strategy. While you can spend hours convincing yourself that you might need something in the future, joy is something you feel. If you are not feeling it, you need to get rid of it.
Tidy All at Once
While it might seem like a good idea to tidy up slowly, it never works. The best way to get rid of unwanted stuff is to set aside a weekend when you rid your house all unwanted items. This will help to ensure that you do not leave anything unnecessary in your house.
Deal with Clutter in Categories Not Rooms
One of the most effective points on how to effectively declutter your home is to deal with categories and not rooms. When most people declutter, they usually start in the kitchen, head to the bedroom, sitting room, and so forth. However, this is not the right strategy. Instead, declutter books, clothes, furniture, and various other categories. Donate them to books, clothes, and furniture donation services. With this strategy, you will be able to take control of all your clutter in just a short while. Renting a nearby storage unit is advised if you have a lot of stuff you want to remove from your home. You may even keep temperature-sensitive items in a climate controlled self storage unit. And if you have items you need to dispose, then you may consider getting a roll-off container rental.
Nostalgia is a Major Contributing Factor
In your home, you might have a closet full of clothes, letters, photos and much more. When getting rid of clutter, you need to put on blinders and cut your emotional ties to items. If you start holding on to items due to the nostalgic feel they give you, there is no escape from this rabbit hole.
Raise the Bar Before You Make a Purchase
While you are supposed to get rid of things that do not give you joy, you could easily replace it with more clutter in a month. Marie Kondo recommends that you raise the standards before you make a purchase. With time, this can help you to save thousands of dollars.
Marie Kondo argues against getting rid of items in your closet and using that as an excuse to go and buy more useless items. It may be tempting to refill your wardrobe. However, you should only buy items that are of value to you and give you happiness. This will ensure you spend less and get value for money.
Reduce Food Wastage
Your fridge is probably full of items that you will not eat before they spoil. At the end of the month, most of it will end up in the trash, and you will go back to the grocery store for more items. However, this is unnecessary clutter in the home.
To ensure you reduce wastage, arrange everything inside the fridge in a manner that lets you see what is stored in it. As a result, you can throw away things that have expired or have started to rot. You would be surprised by how little food you need to have in the fridge at any time. During your trip to the grocery store, ensure you carry a list. Never go to the store without a list.
Sell off Some of Your Items
Selling the things that you do not need in your home can be used to supplement your income. This will ensure that you have cash instead of spending it. Even aluminium cans can be sold to earn you a few extra dollars. You can sell your Ipad and get the best deal out of it. Remember that selling something for 25% of its original value is still better than keeping it and getting zero for it. If you have a room full of junk, clearing it out can also earn you some rent money. This can help you to supplement what you already earn. In this world, everyone could use a bit of extra money.
Fold Your Clothes
Instead of placing your clothes on hangers, consider folding them. This can help your closet to look tidier; it will ensure that you see your clothes with ease. It will allow you to determine which items you do not need in your closet with more ease. When everything is hanged, it can obscure some clothes that might be too small or too tiny to fit you.
Get Rid of Those Old Bills
You probably have a pile of old bills occupying a table or cupboard for no reason. If you are serious about decluttering, get rid of those old bills. Consider shredding the bills or blotting out personal details before you throw them out.