Do you want to know what it is?
Get ready . . .
My Best Tip Ever is . . . Act like you are going to sell your house.
Seriously.
I mean we actually have our house up for sale so we had to do it for real. You may not want to sell your house or you may live in an apartment but these things can and will work for you!
I will tell you what it does for you:
- You are able to open your closet doors and actually see things and get to them easily.
- Your kids can find the toys that they have and easily get them and play with them and put them back because there is a space for them.
- Dusting is not a problem because there are virtually no knick knacks and other dust collectors.
- Laundry is easier because (see #1) - you have room to put clothes away.
- Wiping down the bathrooms are easier because the counters are clear.
- Vacuuming takes less time because there isn't as much stuff on the floor.
I can tell you when I first started this process it was overwhelming. I enlisted help. My mom helped me clean out closets. My stepmom and sister helped me decorate the walls and clean. My husband rented us a storage unit and took lots of trips there.
Let me tell you why a storage might be a good idea for you. It is money you are spending extra per month, but I think it will help you. It will help you get things out of your house. If you put them in storage and realize you can live quite well without them for at least 3-6 months then you know you can get rid of them.
These days since I have my menu planned and I shop by the pantry principle and I am training my kids to keep their things picked up and to help me clean - I really have a much more relaxed and happier home. Often times getting a load of laundry done is all I have to do for the housework side of my job.
Again, I did not get to this place overnight and if we don't watch it, the house can get cluttered again, but this time I know how wonderful it is to live in a decluttered home and I won't go back. I don't go to garage sales. I don't go to the Goodwill. I've stopped going shopping unless I have a specific list. It is really freeing actually not to mention you spend less money - a great bonus!
It may sound daunting but just start small - with one closet or one drawer.
Give yourself a deadline - maybe 3 months down the road. Enlist accountability partners to see you through.
If nothing else you will have the freedom and peace of mind that comes with having less stuff. As my kids always say, "Try it, you'll like it."
You are ABSOLUTELY right! The clutter gone is a sanity saver! When Mom has more sanity, the whole house is happier! For me, my motivation was having someone in the house most every day. I knew I couldn't manage all the things on my normal list and still have a CLEAN, company-ready home without making some MAJOR changes. EVERYTHING had to be simplified. WE are still in process, but the difference so far has made me a much more joyful woman! I still have things out that require dusting, but it's so much less. I spend time going through and picking EVERY item up and asking "Do I love this enough that I want to dust it EVERY single day?" If I couldn't answer yes to that it didn't stay. I now go to bed with a nearly spotless house and when I wake up, my sanity doesn't take this sudden hit of "oh, no!". Your tip is a GREAT one and it is VERY true! (However, we will not talk about the condition of my basement. That area has much more work to go that I can't even think about it without having a panic attack!!! THAT will get taken care of once and for all once we finish school. RELENTLESS purging is in order!)
ReplyDeleteI've also been on a major purge, especially of knick-knacky things.
ReplyDeleteIf I don't LOVE it- out it goes.
@Tracye
ReplyDeleteI am sure if we had a basement it would be the same way right now.
@Ma
ReplyDeleteAgreed! Must love it for it to stay is a good way to weed things out.