See surprising reasons why you have all that stuff–and how to get
rid of it - what a great article!
By Shana Aborn Posted October 19, 2009 from Woman's Day; November 3, 2009.
If you sat down and tried to figure out why you’re drowning in clutter, you’d probably come up with the typical reasons: You procrastinate too much, you’re too sentimental about your things, you’re a pack rat, blah, blah, blah. But sometimes the reason isn’t so obvious. Would you believe that losing weight or trying to save money can contribute to a bursting-at-the-seams house too? Here’s how to conquer a few unexpected clutter culprits.
The Culprit: Love for All Things Holiday
If it’s on the calendar, there’s a decoration for it in your house: flags, Easter baskets, light-up Santas, plastic pumpkins. Once the holiday’s over, the items get stashed with all the others, gathering dust for months and making it impossible to find things next time. So what do you do when the date rolls around the following year? Buy more, of course.
The Fix: Trim the Trimming
All that holiday decorating can be hard on your time—and your budget. To get back in control, choose just one or two occasions for all-out house trimming. Then sort the items by the room they’re usually displayed in or by category (lawn displays, lighting, indoor decorations, etc.), put them in labeled waterproof containers and store them together in one area of the garage, attic or basement, suggests Monica Ricci, founder of Catalyst Organizing Solutions in Atlanta. Also, get in the habit of donating several old decorations every time you buy a new one, advises Lorie Marrero, author of The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life.
The Culprit: Fat-Clothes Crutch
You’ve finally lost those last 10 pounds. So why are your old clothes still taking up space in your jam-packed closet? Admit it: You’re hanging on to your size 16s just in case. “Owning multiple wardrobes does nothing but create multiple clutter,” says Ricci.
The Fix: Celebrate the New You
Saving outfits that are too big is like telling yourself “I’m going to fail,” says Marrero. Stay focused on your victory by donating stuff that doesn’t fit.
If you’re keeping smaller sizes as an incentive to lose more, give them an expiration date, says Ricci. Put too-small clothes into boxes labeled with the date and store them somewhere other than your primary closet. Set a specific timeframe for losing the weight and mark it on your calendar. If you haven’t reached your goal by the deadline, donate the boxes the next day. Keeping those clothes around just makes you feel discouraged—and takes up valuable space.
The Culprit: Shopping to Save
Warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s Club are your second home. And why not? They’re great money-savers. But you tend to go a little crazy once you’re there and seldom leave without an overflowing cart. The problem is, you don’t have any more room to store it all. “One of the dangers of bulk buying is that you frequently end up getting things you already have,” says Ricci.
The Fix: Banish the Bulk
You don’t have to give up your membership card. Instead, use the store solely for items that run out quickly: paper towels, breakfast cereal, toothpaste, etc. If you tend to be an impulse buyer, take inventory before you leave the house and also assess whether you have sufficient space. (Is there really enough room in your freezer for that jumbo pack of chickens?)
The Culprit: A House Full of Jocks
One son is a mini–Michael Jordan, the other wants to be the next A-Rod, and your daughter bends it like Beckham. Being a sports mom is great. All the gear that goes with it? Not so much. Talk about a massive clutter pileup.
The Fix: Train Your Team
Kids are notorious for dropping their gear anywhere. Figure out the major drop spots—the front entryway, the mudroom, their bedroom floor—then designate an area that works best for you and them. Create a storage system in that spot that makes it easy for them to keep their stuff in its place. Think VEO, suggests Marrero: “Visible, Easy and Obvious.”
Install hooks for hats. Set out a mesh rolling bin for balls, like the one from The Container Store. “Open bins are better than lidded ones because kids can just toss the balls in,” says Marrero. Add a few shelves for mitts, helmets and other miscellaneous items. Put spaced pegs on the back of a room or closet door to hang hockey sticks, baseball bats, lacrosse sticks and the like. Labeling containers and shelves also helps kids remember what goes where.
The Culprit: An All-or-Nothing Attitude
Everything has to be perfectly organized, or else why bother? If the soundtrack in your head has this message on a constant loop, it’s little wonder clutter’s gotten the best of you. It’s like the doomed dieter’s mentality: Splurge on one ice cream sundae and it’s all over. The guilt kicks in and the diet goes out the window. “What stops people from getting started is the idea that if it’s not perfect, it’s not worth doing,” explains Marrero.
The Fix: Get Real
No house can look perfect all the time (especially if kids live there!). Stop striving for the impossible and aim for the more realistic goal of being organized enough. Here’s how:
Keep your goals simple. Try setting aside 15 minutes a day for organizing (use a clock or timer, if you like), and give yourself permission to stop when the time is up. You may not get a lot done— maybe rearranging the sock drawer or paying this month’s bills—but that sense of accomplishment will give you the momentum to keep going the next day.
Tackle the messiest areas first, the ones that really push your perfectionist buttons—maybe it’s the jumbled kitchen cabinets or the overflowing tables in the living room. Put all the clutter in one central spot outside the room (like the hallway). Then, once you’ve emptied and cleaned the cluttered area, bring back only the things that are truly necessary. Donate or throw away the rest.
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