How Decluttering Your Home Saves Time, Money, and Your Sanity

If you’ve been dreaming of transforming your living space from a cluttered mess to a serene sanctuary, this is the place for you! In addition to improving the look of your home, decluttering can help you save time and money, and even your sanity.

In this digital age, shopping is easy and goods can be quickly delivered with a click of the “Buy Now!” button. There are lots of things to buy, and we can end up with a lot of “stuff.” Even if we are fairly good at keeping clutter at bay, there are times it can get ahead of us. There comes a point where if we are bringing new things in, something has to go out.

I’m here to help you get started on the decluttering process. It seems I’ve gathered a bit of clutter throughout our entire home and I’ve been avoiding dealing with our storage shed. It’s going to take a little time to get the entire house in order, but the first step is recognizing the problem. So, grab a cup of tea, settle into your favorite chair, and let’s figure out what to do with our stuff, and how we are going to improve our lives by decluttering.

The Chaotic Clutter Conundrum

Before we dive into the benefits of decluttering your home, let’s understand how clutter can lead to chaos. Studies have shown that an average home contains over 300,000 items. 300,000!!?! It’s no wonder that many of us feel overwhelmed the moment we walk through our front doors! Clutter can lead to stress, anxiety, and even depression. It’s a sneaky little thief, stealing not only your physical space but your mental peace as well.

As you can see, clutter can have some pretty bad effects. But the good news is, you can turn those things right around! Now, let’s explore some ways decluttering your home can help make your life more enjoyable.

Reclaim Your Time: The Gift of Simplicity

In the hustle-bustle of today’s world, time is precious. A cluttered home demands more of your time—time spent searching for everyday items that have been misplaced, cleaning around unnecessary objects, and managing the chaos. We all have things we would rather do with our time. Let’s give ourselves the gift of simplicity by decluttering our homes. Here are a few ideas to help you start reclaiming your home from clutter, and reclaiming your time:

• Set a Schedule: Dedicate  specific times each week to tackle decluttering tasks. Even 15 minutes at the end of the day can make a significant impact. Just like you may have a schedule or system in place for paying bills, laundry, or certain household tasks, a dedicated time for decluttering will help you keep your momentum.
• Create a System: Use labeled storage bins for sorting items into ‘keep,’ ‘donate,’ and ‘discard.’ We keep an ongoing ‘donate’ box. This way, when we come across something we don’t use or want, it can go right into the box. When the box if full, we take it to the thrift store. Otherwise, items will just stay where they are, taking up space. When you are doing major decluttering of an entire room, the labeled boxes are great for helping you make decisions and see your progress. I always try to have the ‘keep’ box the most empty as I’m sorting.
• Establish Zones: Focus on one area at a time, such as the kitchen or bedroom, to prevent feeling overwhelmed. Work first on an area that causes you a lot of inconvenience. For example, if the clutter your entryway is out of control and causes you stress due to lost items or tripping on shoes, start there. When you are finished with that area, you will have a peaceful and organized area that you can see often. And that will help you stay motivated to tackle another area, and then another, and so on. Small steps will add up, and eventually have a huge impact on the look and feel of your home. Don’t be afraid to start just because you can’t do it all at once. Just start.

With each bit of decluttering you do, you are regaining a bit of your time. If you add up the time spent searching for your keys on a messy entry table, hunting for paperwork on a desk piled high with junk mail, digging through overstuffed cabinets for recipe ingredients, and any number of other ways clutter causes problems, it would be a significant amount!

Yes, it does take time to declutter, sometimes a lot of time, but the benefit of a tidy and peaceful home is well worth the sacrifice. By decluttering, you are helping yourself spend less time looking for things, less time trying to clean around a bunch of stuff, and more time doing something you enjoy.

Save Money: The Economic Magic of Minimalism

Did you know that decluttering can have a positive impact on your finances? When you declutter your home, you become more mindful of your purchases, reducing impulse buys and unnecessary expenses. To put it simply, once you spend the time to declutter your home, you may think a bit longer before bringing something in. A lot of impulse buys become clutter. Things bought on sale that you didn’t need. Kitchen gadgets you never use. Sometimes even fancy storage systems that you bought to organize clutter become…clutter. My impulse buys often occur at thrift stores and yard sales. Yes, even frugal purchases can become clutter if they are not something you need or will use.

If you own less, you have less to store. You know what you have and where it is when you need it. This eliminates unnecessary purchases, and the dreaded feeling of knowing you have something and being unable to find it.

In a decluttered home, you have the things you need and love, you know where they are, and you don’t make unnecessary purchases. (How did we end up with seven pairs of garden shears? I blame the clutter monster. He hid the others and I had to buy a new pair, six times.) Here are a few ways to curb impulse purchases and clear out the clutter:

• Conduct a Spending Audit: Review your purchases and identify items bought on impulse. Ask yourself if they truly add value to your life. Ask yourself what led to the impulse purchase. Late-night shopping on your phone? You were feeling blue and thought a new pair of shoes might cheer you up? Did you shop when you were hungry? Buying things is fine, if you need them, can afford them, and have planned for the purchase. A budgeting system like this one is great for keeping you accountable for your purchases.
• Adopt a One-In-One-Out Rule: A good rule of thumb is for every new item you bring into your home, let go of an old one. This works especially well for clothing purchases. It’s even better to have in mind the item you’ll be getting rid of before you go shopping.
• Sell Unwanted Items: Have a garage sale or use online platforms like Facebook Marketplace to sell items that are in good condition that you no longer need. This can be hard, because you will often sell things for much less than you paid for them new. But if it is truly an item you do not like, do not need, or never use, why keep it?

Look around. All that clutter used to be money. All that money used to be time.

I couldn’t find who actually said that quote, but it is certainly true! Don’t waste your time or your money on clutter.

Boost Your Sanity: Tidy=Tranquil

A cluttered environment can be a constant source of stress and distraction. Who can think clearly if there is stuff everywhere, but you can’t find what you actually need? Decluttering your home creates a calm and orderly space that promotes a clear mind and a sense of peace. Doesn’t that sound nice? I think so!

Here are a few ways to start bringing tranquility back into your home, and save your sanity:

• Create a Daily Routine: Dedicate a few minutes each day to tidying up before bed, so you wake up to a clean space. I find this especially important in the kitchen. Waking up to a messy kitchen can give you a feeling of being behind the whole day. Those few minutes tidying up in the evening make a big difference. Also, a quick tidy of your entry area will help you get out the door more easily in the mornings. Shoes, purses, keys, backpacks all where they need to be will alleviate some of that morning stress. Tidying up daily will keep clutter from collecting and becoming a problem.
• Involve the Family: Encourage every family member to participate in maintaining a clutter-free home.  Sometimes, opposites attract and you have two people with very different ideas of what exactly is clutter. Work together on keeping the common areas tidy and clutter-free.
• Mindful Decoration: Choose meaningful and calming decorative items that bring you joy. A decluttered home does not have to be cold, sparse and uninviting. Decorating will be different for everyone. If going all out with fall or Christmas decor makes you happy, do it! If you like less seasonal decor, or none at all, that’s fine, too.  You will know you’ve got it right when you can look around and not feel stressed.

A Starter Decluttering Plan

Ready to embark on your decluttering journey? Here’s a simple plan to get you started:

• Set Your Goals: Decide which areas of your home need the most attention and prioritize them.
• Gather Supplies: Collect boxes, bags, and labels for sorting items.
• Start Small: Start with small areas, like a single drawer, your night stands or the kitchen counter.
• Sort and Simplify: Use the ‘keep,’ ‘donate,’ and ‘discard’ system as you sort items. Have trash bags handy so you can dump your discard bin when you fill it up.
• Organize: Arrange the ‘keep’ items in an orderly manner, using storage solutions if necessary. You can avoid having things pile up in your newly decluttered spaces if the things you are keeping have a designated spot.
• Reflect and Adjust: Regularly assess your progress and adjust your plan as needed. Some areas may take longer than expected, some may take less time. Take breaks if you need to, and ask for help if you’re overwhelmed.

As you begin the decluttering process, remember to be patient with yourself. It will likely take some hard work to sort through your whole house. Habits formed over many years won’t change overnight, but each small step brings you closer to having less clutter and a more peaceful and organized home.

Until next time, happy decluttering!

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