By miss minimalist |
 I used to be a big fan of organizational items. Although I wasn’t much of a shopper, a trip to The Container Store or Organized Living never failed to excite me.
The idea of corralling hundreds of loose bits and bobs into sleek, perfectly-matched containers had great appeal. I truly thought that by putting all my stuff into various bins, I could maintain a sense of order in my life.
But while the containers made my house look shelter magazine-tidy, they didn’t bring me the serenity I’d hoped for. Even though everything was arranged neatly in pretty boxes (cloth-covered, wooden, wicker, plastic, etc.), it was still there.
In reality, all those lovely boxes, bins, and drawers served no higher purpose than to hide my junk. At some point I realized that I wasn’t organizing my life; I was organizing my clutter.
That’s when I changed strategies: I went from world-class organizer to world-class declutterer. Instead of arranging and containing things, I got rid of them. I decluttered on the weekends; I decluttered in the evening; I decluttered in the morning; I decluttered in my dreams (really!). When I wasn’t actually decluttering, I was thinking about what I could declutter next. 
And it worked. As my house became emptier, I became happier. With the weight of my stuff lifted from my shoulders, I felt more spontaneous, energetic, and carefree.
The big payoff came when I was able to declutter the containers themselves. There’s something very satisfying about not needing any more storage! Even so, when we completed our ultimate decluttering to move to the UK (see My Minimalist Story, Part 2: The Great Unraveling), I’m embarrassed about how many containers we left on the curb. (Don’t worry, they didn’t go to a landfill; they were snapped up within minutes!)
My advice to anyone who feels they need to get organized: declutter first. If you have to, declutter for a year before you start buying fancy boxes and squirreling things away.
Then think long and hard before you put something into a container (especially if it’s not something you use regularly). Because once you give something a warm, cozy abode, it can be hard to get it to leave.
By miss minimalist |
One in, one out: it’s a simple rule that works wonders in keeping clutter under control.
When trying to lead a minimalist lifestyle, it’s important to monitor the “stuff level” in your home. Imagine it as a bucket full of water. Your decluttering efforts are a hole in the bottom…drip…drip…drip…as you slowly rid your household of unwanted things. But if you continue to pour water in the top, it’ll never empty—and may, in fact, overflow!
To keep your stuff level from rising, live by the following rule: every time a new item comes into your home, a similar item must leave. For every drip into the bucket, there must be one drip out; this ensures that your household won’t flood, and threaten the progress you’re making.
For best results, pair like-with-like items. For example: for every new shirt that goes in the closet, an old one comes out; new handbag in, old handbag out; new pair of shoes in, old pair of shoes out. If you need to rebalance, you can mix it up; for example, if you have too many pants and not enough shirts, feel free to decrease the former, while increasing the latter. But no fair tossing a pair of socks for a new coat!
The system takes a lot of discipline; it’s tempting to cheat, and tell yourself you’ll get rid of something “later.” In fact, it’s essential to commit to “one out” immediately, or it’ll likely never happen. I’ve gone so far as to keep new items, still packaged, in the trunk of my car until I was able to purge something similar.
When you start the process of minimizing your stuff, “one in, one out” is a good stopgap measure. It puts a lid on your number of possessions, and ensures you don’t accumulate more than you purge.
But to really make progress, the flow out the bottom has to exceed the flow in the top. In other words, it’s necessary to increase the decluttering “drips” from a trickle to a steady flow–while “shutting off the tap” to prevent new things from coming into your home (mainly by buying much, much less).
You’ll then see a significant, and rewarding, drop in the water/stuff level–which you can maintain by continuing to practice “one in, one out.”
By miss minimalist |
 To be honest, I’ve never really enjoyed spending hours looking through someone else’s family photo albums—and I get the feeling I’m not the only one! On the other hand, receiving a snapshot by email always makes me smile.
I stopped printing digital photos many years ago, and I recently paid a service to scan my shoeboxes of old pictures. Not only has this eliminated a lot of clutter from my life, but I actually look at my photos much more often. I can access them more easily, and more quickly, now that they’re on my laptop. If on a whim I want to view pics of my trip to Paris, the office Christmas party, or even my high school prom, they’re right there at my fingertips; if I had to dig through a closet or shoebox to find them, I likely wouldn’t bother.
Furthermore, in this day and age, digital photos are a lot easier to share than paper ones. Most of us don’t get to see our friends and relatives as often as we’d like—so when we finally visit, we may end up browsing through prints from months (or years!) ago. It’s much more fun to receive a recent pic of a friend’s new baby or relative’s vacation by email, than to slog through a pile of outdated photos later on.
Another point to consider: paper photos can easily be destroyed in a fire, flood, or other disaster (or slowly deteriorate with age). Since digital photos can be “stored” in multiple ways (on a hard drive, online, and on DVDs in different locations), you’re much less likely to suffer a loss of your irreplaceable images.
So kick the print habit, and if you have albums or shoeboxes stuffed with old photos, consider scanning them (or paying a service to do so). You can share your snaps with friends and family by creating online albums through services like Flickr and Shutterfly. Be sure, of course, to burn backup copies of your digital photos onto archival DVDs.
Going digital not only frees up space, and eliminates the need to store, move, and worry about physical photographs; it also enables you (and your loved ones) to derive much more enjoyment from them!
By miss minimalist |
Are you holding onto certain items because they might be “worth something?” If so, it’s time to take the Ebay Reality Check. Just about everything imaginable has been sold on Ebay.com—which makes it a great reference with which to value your items.
Unless you are dealing with some true rarities, why pay for an expensive appraisal when you have all that Ebay info at your fingertips? Chances are, if you want to sell an item, that’s where you’ll end up; and no matter what valuation an appraiser gives it, you can only sell it for what someone is willing to pay.
Tired of dusting around that vase you inherited? Don’t know what to do with that old turntable in the basement? No longer interested in the figurines, paperweights, or sports memorabilia you once avidly collected? Take a few minutes, surf over to Ebay, and see what it’s going for!
Chances are, most of your clutter is not fetching a fortune—and in my opinion, any item unlikely to sell for more than $10 is hardly worth the time and effort to photograph it, list it, and ship it.
But that doesn’t mean you have to hold onto it… Feel free to let it go! If you ever have the need for such an item in the future, look how inexpensively you can acquire it!
And for those few treasures for which you can pocket some serious cash—why not go for it? If you don’t need it, and don’t love it, take some snaps and put it up for auction. You’ll have the photographs for memories, and some extra space in your house. And don’t you think Aunt Edna would be pleased if her old silverware helped finance a kitchen makeover?
By miss minimalist |
The Internet is such a wonderful source of information, that I no longer feel the need to subscribe to any magazines. In fact, many publications make the same content available on their websites, rendering paper copies largely unnecessary.
That said, I know many people prefer to kick back with their favorite glossy rather than stare at a computer screen. Fair enough! As long as you keep current with your incoming subscriptions, you can keep magazine clutter under control. Commit to reading each one the month it arrives. When the new one appears in your mailbox, out goes the old!
If you have a backlog of unread issues, limit the number of publications to which you subscribe. Once you’ve fallen behind two months or so, you’re unlikely to catch up—and the magazine piles will grow and grow. Remember, it’s only possible to read and absorb so much information; anything beyond that only leads to mental clutter. It’s important to keep your mind as clear as your space.
And by all means, do not keep an entire magazine for one interesting article. Tear out the article and file it; or better yet, scan it into your computer. The less paper clutter the better, and the information will be at your fingertips when you need it.
One more thing: if you are going to receive paper subscriptions, please don’t let them pile up in a landfill. Recycle them, or donate them to your local library, physician’s or dentist’s office. And when you’re feeling “greener,” think about giving up the paper copies altogether—you’ll not only save money, but a whole lot of trees!
By miss minimalist |
Dear Stuff,
I’m not sure how to break this to you…but the time has come for us to part ways. Sure, we have a long history, but we simply can’t go on pretending that we’re still happy together.
It seems that after all these years, our relationship has lost its spark. I recall the magic of when we first met: how your shiny newness caught my eye, how I vowed to have you at any price, how excited I was to bring you home.
It didn’t take long, however, for the novelty to wear away. Maybe it was the thrill of the hunt, but once you were mine, you no longer seemed quite so attractive. In fact, much of the time, you just seemed to be in the way.
What’s more, you never really lived up to your promises or expectations: owning you didn’t make me any smarter, happier, cooler, or sexier. Instead, our relationship drained my energy and my wallet. I’ve spent untold hours (and dollars) keeping you looking nice and in good repair, protecting you from theft, and moving you around when I’ve had to relocate.
To be honest, though, your presence in my living room, bedroom, kitchen, and closets is stifling me. I can’t help but wonder how you’ve expanded so much over the years. I’m getting tired of stepping over you, cleaning around you, and generally wondering what to do with you. I need some space, some serenity, some room to breathe.
Of course, you’re not entirely to blame; I was no angel, either. Though I kept a roof over your head, I never really lavished you with attention. I shoved you away in boxes and closets, sometimes neglected to maintain you, and all too often simply ignored you.
Therefore, I think you’ll also be better off without me. You’ll have a happier life with someone else—someone who wants you, needs you, and appreciates you for what you are. And don’t worry, I won’t be so cruel as to leave you out on the curb. I’ll post flattering photos of you on Craigslist, sing your praises on Freecycle, and contact charitable organizations to find you that special someone.
So I guess this is goodbye…Let’s part without regrets, and look on this as a new beginning. I already feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I’m ready to embark on a new life—unencumbered, footloose, and full of possibility!
Yours Truly,
Miss M.
By miss minimalist |
 I recently received a free George Foreman grill for opening a bank account. I had absolutely no use or desire for one; but the bank manager presented it to me with such flourish, it seemed downright rude to refuse it.
No problem, I thought—I’ll simply accept it, then turn around and give it away. Easier said than done: it took me three weeks to find a taker, as almost everyone to whom I offered it already had one. (Note to self: next time try Freecycle.)
Since then, I’ve become much more aware of the “freebies” that come into my life…and I’m much less likely to accept them. These little gifts, samples, trials and tchotchkes are a particularly invasive form of clutter. At least when you purchase things, you need to make the decision to pay for them—a formal “invitation,” if you will, to bring them into your life. Freebies tend to slip in rather stealthily, in the guise of a “gift,” sneaking their way into your bathroom cabinets and kitchen drawers.
It’s difficult to visit any place of business without being proffered a pen, calendar, or magnet with the company’s name. Attend a professional sports event, and you’re sure to come away with some kind of fan memorabilia. Purchase makeup at a department store, and your bag will be stuffed with tiny complimentary lotions and potions.
It’s not easy (especially for those of us who want to be polite!), but if you don’t want it, don’t take it! I now stop for a few moments to consider what’s being offered—and in most cases, find a nice way to decline. Occasionally I receive some strange looks, as turning down “free stuff” is not expected behavior in a consumerist society. But each refusal is a small victory in keeping clutter (and advertising!) out of my life.
By miss minimalist |
 One step at a time.
(Photo: chad_k) I don’t always have the time (or inclination) to set aside a few hours for decluttering. At the same time, I like to feel that I’m making progress in ridding my home of useless things.
My solution: the One-A-Day Declutter. It’s super-easy, super-fast, and most importantly, keeps me going in the right direction.
Every day, I commit to purging ONE item from my house. It can be anything—a worn-out pair of socks, a book I’ll never read again, a gift I could live without, a shirt that doesn’t fit, an old magazine article, etc. It doesn’t take much effort, and at the end of the year, my home is at least 365 items lighter.
Since I don’t like to put potentially-useful items in the trash (and ultimately, a landfill), I keep a donation box tucked away in my hall closet. I add items to it one by one, and when it’s full, donate it to the Vets, Goodwill, or other charitable organization. (If you don’t want to keep a box of “clutter,” you could certainly Freecycle items as you go along—it just takes a little more effort.)
All-around, it’s a win-win-win: I have less clutter, someone in need winds up with something useful, and the planet is better off!
I keep up this regimen even after I’ve done a massive decluttering—in fact, it’s become part of my daily routine. It may sound strange, but getting rid of something each day just makes me FEEL good. It puts me in control of my stuff, keeps the clutter from creeping back in, and moves me one step closer to my goal of having a minimalist household.
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