Spring brings on an urge to freshen up your house. Whether you are decluttering or doing spring cleaning, it’s a great time to clear out the excess. To make the process a little easier, here are four questions to ask yourself as you go:
1. Is it functional?
If it’s broken or has missing pieces, get rid of it by the end of the day if you haven’t fixed it.
If your clothing doesn’t fit, chances are, it’s going to be outdated by the time it does. Reward yourself with new, stylish clothes if you lose that weight.
If something needs to be mended, place it near your TV chair and give yourself a deadline by which you need to mend it. Otherwise it gets donated or tossed.
Is it something you bought that didn’t turn out to do the job? Even though you spent good money on it, it doesn’t mean you need to keep it. It’s not going to get any more functional by keeping it, and it will make your home less functional by taking up valuable space.
2. When is the last time I used it?
If you’re not using it, why keep it?
It does not diminish the love you have for someone if you discard something they gave you. Just because they gave it to you is not reason enough to keep it if you don’t like it or use it. They will not be keeping tabs on whether you still have it in your house.
Some things we keep for “special occasions.” Use it now! If you have nice dishes, silver, etc., get it out and use it! So many times we bypass all those special pieces and resort to paper products when having a party or special meal. So what’s the point of keeping those things if we don’t use them? Last year I had a party for the seniors in our church. I decided to get out my silver and party plates for the occasion. Yes, it was a little more work, but it made them feel special that I would go to the trouble. And I loved using those things I treasure.
There are those things we use once or twice a year – they are worth keeping. But it’s those things we keep “because we might need it some day” that are the culprits of clutter. Be realistic – are you really going to use it? Is there someone else who might use it now? You’ll feel lighter by getting rid of that stuff!
3. Do I love it?
This is an essential question to ask before you bring it into your home in the first place. This goes for clothing, household items, everything!
When you are shopping, don’t just settle for something that will do. Wait until you find what you love. If we just settle, we’re really not happy and will keep searching for that perfect item. In the meantime, we’re filling our homes with items trying to fill that void.
Do your homework! Get online until you find what you want. Exhaust your local stores. Just don’t settle. It’s a waste of money and valuable space!
As you are decluttering, ask yourself this same question. If you love it, and it brings joy or beauty to your life, keep it! Life is too hard not to be surrounded by things you love.
If you’ve fallen out of love with it, give it to someone who will love it. Again, don’t feel you have a duty to keep it just because it’s a family heirloom. Pass it along to someone else who will cherish it.
4. Do I need it?
This is another question to ask before it comes into your house. When we were foster parents for teenage girls, they would get a monthly clothing allowance. When we were shopping, I would ask the girls these last two questions: Do you love it? Do you need it? That helped prioritize their options.
I still ask myself these two questions when I’m shopping to keep my perspective. Just because I like it or even love it doesn’t mean I need it.
My husband and I are trying to pay off our mortgage early, so I ask myself if I’d rather put the money toward the mortgage, or do I need the item enough to buy it. It’s a good measuring stick.
The same goes with the items already in our homes. Each item is taking up valuable real estate. What would your life be like if you didn’t have it? If you don’t need it, you most likely haven’t used it recently and may not love it. If that’s the case, lighten your home and free up space!
It’s such a nice feeling to have a decluttered home with a place for everything. If there’s a place for everything, most likely you will put things back in their proper places. It’s when we have too many things that don’t have places that clutter gets out of control.
Give yourself the gift of a clutter-free home filled with things you love!
More on taming clutter:
Don’t Let Eco-Mindedness Create Clutter
Three Steps to Decluttering
Don’t Fall Prey to Guilt-Ridden Clutter
