How much stuff is too much stuff?

It’s time to get honest. How is your house looking lately? When you look around your living room, do you feel at ease? Is there any serenity in your bedroom? These days, it seems a cluttered house is an all too common way of life. We live in a world of too much stuff. A phenomenon, that is still relatively new.

When I had my first child ten years ago, I went out to gather the usual items, bassinet, crib, high chair, changing table, baby bath, baby monitor, and so on… What both my mother and my mother-in-law said to me during my shopping excursions, really made me think. They said they didn’t have half of the baby supplies I thought I needed, and never felt they were lacking. Babies were washed in the sink, basinets were dresser drawers, while the top of the dresser was the changing table.

This is just an example of how everyday lives have changed in the last 30 years. We have everything for everything. An appliance that only makes grilled cheese sandwiches, bowls made just for popcorn and a plastic storage container in every shape for every kind of food. I saw one recently big enough to hold a single strawberry. What a waste of space and resources.

We spent this last weekend having a garage sale. Getting rid of the old and cleaning out the garage was wonderful. I want to encourage you to clear out your clutter, too. I know that it is not easy to do and that some of you have larger jobs than others. But it can be done, and it will make you will feel great.

This is something I know. My husband and I cleared out most of what we owned two years ago. That was when we sold our 3000 square foot house and moved into a 20 square foot Eurovan to go on a year long trip around the United States. I went from a gourmet 800 square foot kitchen, to a mere 4 square foot kitchenette. I cannot tell you how many plastic storage containers had to go, along with a host of electronic appliances, dishes that were rarely used and so much more. The garage sale for this event went on for 4 weeks! Each time we were sure we had sold everything we could sell, we would go back into our “keep” pile and realize there was more that needed to go. Again… and again… and again we added items to the sale. Soon everything we had left in the world fit into a 10 X 10 storage unit and our new Eurovan home.

This was an amazing way to learn to be efficient! We were able to live with one plate, one bowl, one cup, and one set of silverware per person. Each of us had all the clothes, shoes and sweats into one storage bag. Wearing the same clothes day after day became normal. Imagine washing all your towels, clothes and bedding in just 3 loads of laundry for a family of four! Oh how I miss those simpler days.

Yes, I miss them! It didn’t take long after moving back into a larger home, before we began to accumulate more stuff; books, kitchen items, knick-knacks, and clothes. Though our new home is 1000 square feet smaller than our previous home, it is full. Every drawer, counter space and shelf has something on it or in it.

We all need to keep our clutter under control. So here are a few ways I keep my home clear and my life a little simpler:

First, stop buying things! With the amazingly low prices these days most people can afford items that used to be considered luxuries. However, this doesn’t mean you should buy them. Before you buy a new set of sheets, towels or dishes, ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” Or “Was I looking to buy this item before I walked into the store?” Or “What else could I do with the $10, $25 or $50 I am about to spend?” Practice window shopping. Go shopping, walk around, and reward yourself with a book from the library or a bubble bath everytime you don’t purchase something by the end of the day. It takes practice, but you will find it becoming easier each time you do it. Soon, shopping might not hold your interest like it once did.

Second, clear out your clutter! I always tell my clients to get 3 boxes and label them; Throw Away, Sell, and Freecycle. If you don’t know about Freecycle.org yet, you will be amazed to find one in almost every neighborhood. Items like old hot tubs, old carpet, flooring, ripped clothes and half used workbooks have been picked up within the first few days of posting on this amazing recycling network. Not much is trash when someone is looking for a free item. You can also sell your items on Craigslist, eBay, in your local paper or have a garage sale. Make your throw away pile only for real trash. Do your part to keep usable items out of our landfills.

Start with one corner of your room. Tell yourself you will add 10 or more items a day to your boxes. You know it is clutter if it hasn’t been worn or used in over a year or you just forgot you ever had it. Allow yourself to say goodbye, reminisce and cry while you let these items go, if you need to. As the saying goes, you really can’t take it with you, so say goodbye now, and free your space and your spirit.

A good rule of thumb is everything should have a place and used at least yearly, your garage is for your car, and there should be no use for a storage unit, unless you are in a transition.

Third, take action! Now that you have your boxes (and boxes) it’s time to take action and rid yourself of these items. Schedule your garage sale in the paper, call the Salvation Army to pick them up, or begin making your fortune on eBay or Craigslist. You may choose one, or all of these avenues to release yourself from the clutter that clutters your home (mind and spirit.) Just take action.

Once you have gone through a clearing like this, you will wonder why you didn’t do it before. You will feel relaxed and free, ready to take on other more important issues in your life.

So now that the clutter is gone… what would you LOVE to do today?

Rain

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