HOW TO DECLUTTER WITHOUT FEELING WASTEFUL: IS DECLUTTERING A WASTE OF MONEY?

Decluttering can be difficult or daunting and we often find excuses or reasons to avoid or put it off. A common argument that I often hear is that decluttering is a waste of money. In this article I’d like to share my thoughts on how to declutter without feeling wasteful.

DECLUTTERING IS A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE

First and foremost, decluttering is meant to be a liberating and exciting opportunity to create time, space and freedom in an otherwise cluttered home, schedule and life.

Decluttering doesn’t have to be stressful.

Of course there are times when we have to get rid of stuff that we might not normally want to. Maybe you’re sifting through the personal possessions of a loved one who’s recently passed away. Perhaps you’re downsizing and have to let go of stuff to fit into your smaller, new home.

However, decluttering because you want a change, a fresh start and/or because you’ve got too much stuff and want to reclaim control over your life by having less instead of more – decluttering for these purposes should be realistic, empowering and positive.

There are so many tips and resources to help you declutter your home and life. For example, you’ll find many of them here as you browse the decluttering articles in my blog.

DECLUTTERING PROBLEMS

However, decluttering does also throw up some challenges. Common decluttering problems include lack of time, lack of motivation, lack of support from others in your home, lack of strategy, feeling overwhelmed and not making decluttering fun!

Sometimes we don’t prepare for decluttering, we make a few decluttering mistakes and we get stuck not knowing how to overcome them. We may even declutter and then STILL find that our home looks cluttered, but we don’t know why.

However, a very common decluttering problem is how to declutter without feeling wasteful? We feel guilty for getting rid of something that we spent money buying. We regret the purchase but don’t want to declutter because it feels like a waste of money.

In this article I’m sharing some simple tips on how to declutter without feeling wasteful.

HOW TO DECLUTTER WITHOUT FEELING WASTEFUL

Here are some simple tips on how to declutter without feeling wasteful.

1. The waste comes when you purchase an item unwisely

Shopping without being mindful of what and why you’re buying it is, I believe, where the true waste comes in. That’s the moment when the money leaves your purse, hand or bank account. Getting rid of something that’s been sitting in your wardrobe unworn for 3 years, won’t waste money any less than the moment you bought it in the store.

Shop mindfully and wisely. Here are some tips on how to shop like a minimalist and with intention.

2. Donate or give away

If getting rid of an item feels wasteful, try to donate or give away things. There are many people who can’t afford to buy the item new and who would dearly love what you no longer want. Donate to charity or give away to those who could really benefit.

3. Change your language

I’m using the term ‘get rid of’ items because it’s a useful catch-all term. However, I equally mean donate, recycle or sell. If you struggle with feeling wasteful in decluttering, then I encourage you to watch the language you choose. ‘Getting rid of’ sounds negative so replace that with ‘pass on’, ‘give new life to’, ‘make better use of’ in your thoughts and feelings towards decluttering.

4. Sell if you need

Whilst selling comes with its own pitfalls, it’s certainly a way to generate a bit of money if you need to build your finances. Perhaps the money you make could be put to a better use, such as towards creating experiences and memories with your family and friends. I’d rather enjoy a day out with my kids than have extra stuff sitting in my cupboards.

5. Getting rid of perfectly good stuff

Much of the clutter in your home might be of perfectly good, or really good, quality and condition. Although it can be difficult, you’re not obliged to keep something because of its quality OR condition. There are many people who would enjoy, benefit from, make use of and be delighted to receive these items. In many cases, the items would be used more often, be given a fresh breath of life and bring joy to others. Read more about what to do with unwanted stuff after you’ve decluttered.

6. Acknowledge past decisions

The decision to buy or acquire an item is something that we need to take ownership for. I’ve made plenty of unwise purchases but I made them nonetheless. I don’t like to regret them but I prefer to learn and avoid making the same decision again. We are all a product of our past decisions but how we deal with those decisions shapes our future.

7. Swap regret for hope

How we think about things has a big impact on how we feel about them. Shift your thoughts from a negative mindset that’s going to hold you back and replace it with positive hope for the future and what a clutter-free home will give you instead.

8. Ask the right decluttering questions

Knowing what questions to ask of yourself, and every bit of stuff you hold up to assess, will help you declutter with confidence and clarity. You might still regret spending the money in the first place, but when you consider what value your stuff is adding to your life right now (or holding you back from) then it might help you come to terms with your feelings of wastefulness. Here are some decluttering questions you might like to consider.

9. Focus on the benefits

Some of the benefits of decluttering are going to be priceless and far more precious than the price tag on stuff you might be struggling to declutter now. Although there is inevitably a trade-off in every decision you make, keep vs let go, just remember why you’re doing this and what you’re going to gain as a result.

LET GO OF FEELING WASTEFUL WHEN DECLUTTERING

The guilt or shame around wastefulness that we sometimes feel when decluttering is a burden that we need to let go of. It doesn’t serve us to regret past decisions but instead I, myself, try to look to the future. That future is brighter, calmer, with more space for joy and opportunity when I’m not struggling to manage my home and the stuff in it.

Be kind to yourself, be positive, take power over your stuff instead of letting your stuff hold power over you. Learn from past mistakes, gift your wanted clutter to others for whom it won’t be clutter. Decluttering takes confidence, practice and trial and error. It’s not always easy but, in my opinion, it’s always worth it!

MORE RESOURCES TO HELP YOU DECLUTTER

• Just in case clutter – what it is and how to deal with it
• Clutter blindness – what it is and how to overcome it
• Progress not perfection in decluttering – why decluttering doesn’t have to be perfect