All that clutter used to be money.
Perhaps you purchased some of that stuff on a credit card.
Now, not only do you have clutter; you’re paying interest on.
(And you may not even find the stuff that interesting, or useful!)

One way to save money by spending it is:  Pay down existing debt.

Take a break from buying and use the money to pay off the debt on things you already own.
The quicker you pay off the debt, the less you’ll pay in interest
and the more money you will save.
(and really, who couldn’t benefit from saving money?)

“If you died yesterday, what would you most regret? 
Forget imagining if you died tomorrow……what if you were already dead?  
What would you regret the most?  
What would you wish you had done differently, saw differently, responded to differently?”
​Brianna Weist

Living a less cluttered and more organized life isn’t really about getting rid of stuff or
having an organized closet.
You do those things to have the time, the space, and the mental bandwidth 
for the people and things that are truly meaningful for you; to live an intentional life.

Literally.

Often things get put away or tossed into the laundry or put back in the drawer when they really should be discarded.

The pen that doesn’t write that gets stuffed back into the cup, the stained tee shirt that gets tossed into the laundry hamper, the toy that is missing a part going back into the toy box.

Deal with the broken, used up, worn out, unnecessary item while it is in your hand.
(Make it easy by having trash and recycle containers available in every room.)

Don’t spend your time and energy saving and storing things you don’t need, 
don’t use and don’t value. 

The solution to less clutter is in your hands.
​

That was then.  This is now.

You used to watch dvds, now you stream movies.
You used to play tennis, now you go to yoga.
You used to cook for five, now you cook for two.
You used to wear a large, now you wear a medium.  (or vice versa)

Look around your house.
Some things you used to do, but now don’t; are a source of your clutter and frustration.

It’s okay that you’ve changed.  Really.
That your priorities are different.
That how you spent your time then, isn’t how you spend it now.

What can you let go from then
to free up space in your now?
(Don’t get sucked into thinking that you need that stuff for Justin Case…)

Focus your attention on the people and things you currently enjoy.

Every activity has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Clutter can be a result of failing to do the final part of the task.  (Squirrel!)

You wash the clothes, dry the clothes, but then leave them in pile on the sofa.
(They never make it to the closet or dresser)
You make the tea, drink the tea, but leave the cup on the counter.
(Put it in the dishwasher)
You bring in the mail, set in on the desk, but never open or deal with it.
(Recycle the junk mail, decide what needs immediate attention, pay what’s due)

Try envisioning the circles that goes with tasks of daily living.
Make an effort to complete the task now.
Close one circle before you move on to your next activity.
A tiny bit of mindfulness and awareness will help eliminate
piles, unfinished chores, and help reduce your clutter.
Close the circle.

Keep your focus on the things you are keeping, 
not on what you’re letting go.
The things you really use.
The clothes you actually wear.
The objects you love that evoke great memories.

Someone else will put that tool to use.
Those clothes will fit and be worn by someone right now.
Those donated books will be read, vases will hold bouquets,
and kids will play with the toys.

Your excess was in your way,
cluttering up your space, and
stealing time and energy from the life you want to live.

Feel generous about what you’re giving away.
Be grateful for what you keep.

Perfectionism is debilitating.
I want you to embrace adaptive imperfection.
We aren’t settling for less;  
we are engaging in adaptive routines that help us live and function and thrive.
Good enough is perfect.  KC Davis   (https://www.strugglecare.com)

​

We know it’s important for things in our house to have a home.
When trying to decide where that home should be, accessibility is key.

The things you use most frequently need the closest and most easy access.
Think in terms of Reach, Walk or Hike.
Keep the items within Reach that you use on a regular basis.
Consider a Walk location for things you need on a less frequent basis.
Hike to those items you use, but don’t require prime real estate.

Reach, Walk and Hike locations can be in the same room.
Think kitchen-what items do you use multiple times a day?
Which things are you willing to Walk to access?
A Hike just may mean a top shelf or the back of a cupboard.

In your office, which items need a Reach home? 
What makes more sense to have to Hike to access?

Top drawers are usually Reach locations.
Garages and attics Hikes.

Use your daily habits and routines to assist you in finding the best,
most logical homes for the mechanics of daily living.
Make it easy to get the things you use, and easy to put them away.

​

Those decisions have been made.

Mental and emotional clutter can be as challenging as the physical stuff.
Learning to let go, forgive yourself (and others), and move on
will make today easier.
And give you more space for the life you want to live.
Like they say, There’s a reason the windshield is big and the rear view mirror is small.
You’re not going that way……..

Falling under the category of How many is enough?
would be food storage containers.

(Rubbermaid, Ziplock, Tupperware, old yogurt containers…..
you know of what I speak)

Haul them all out of the cupboard, drawer, shelves where you keep them.
First:  Get rid of any that are stained, or misshapen.
Second:  Match all the bottoms to their lids.
(If you have a bottom with no lid, or vice versa-out it goes)
Third:  Group like sized ones together so you can see how many of which sizes you have.

Now, realistically consider how often you have things that need to be stored in these containers.
Think how many you would honestly use in one week.
(Do you really want to be keeping leftovers for more than a week?  
Other than maybe in the freezer?
And that can be problematic)

Decide how many is enough.
Which size do you use?
What style do you prefer?

Storing the lid on the container it belongs to keeps the area from becoming chaotic (again).
The other option is nesting the containers and
having one container to store all the lids. 
Chances are you came across a lidless container when you did your sorting….

Now, choose one drawer, or one shelf to be the home for these containers.
One should be plenty.
Seriously, real estate in your kitchen is too valuable to be using it for 
Justin Case storage.