Decluttering is usually one of the most emotional portions of redecorating, moving or simply reappropriating a room in your house.  Any time you’re ready to change your space, it can be totally draining to have to face a mountain of stuff- most of which stays with us not because we want it, but because we feel compelled to keep it.

Most of are stuff keeps us feeling suffocated because we’re stuck in emotional attachments to them- guilt, buyer’s remorse, procrastination, obligation to keep lugging stuff around, disorganization.  If you’re ready to declutter but you just can’t seem to face your stuff, there may be some emotions you need to address before you move forward.

Here’s Why It Pays To Declutter:

• If you’ve been late to work or have trouble getting out the door because you can’t find something, it’s time to cut back.
• Your clutter could be costing you cash- paying to store or paying $10 for bins to “organize” junk you don’t need in the first place.
• If you’re moving to a new location, shipping, hiring a mover or renting a truck can mean big bucks.  If you don’t need to spend $500, DON’T.
• Decluttering not only clears your space, but your life. If new agey retreats and meditation don’t appeal to you, you’d be amazed at the soul renewal that comes from a good declutter.

How To Take The Emotion Out Of Decluttering:

Often, many of us are derailed on our attempts to declutter and reorganize because we have an unrealistic attachment to the stuff we own. These unhealthy attachments fall into Someday stuff: “Someday I’ll finish this quilt!”, Guilt stuff: “If I hadn’t gained so much wait, I’d still be able to wear this”  and Obligatory stuff: “My aunt gave me this and if I don’t keep it, she’ll ask me about it.”

Dealing With The “Someday Stuff”

A.K.A. Unfinished Projects & The Clutter That Goes With It

Last year, when I moved out of my first Chicago apartment, I had to deal with the fact that I was looking at some major unfinished craft projects and it really irked me that they weren’t done, yet I didn’t have the gumption to tackle them.  Would it make you feel better just to toss them?  If you’re insistant they get done- set a date to get them done, mark it on the calendar, otherwise, toss or donate them. Unless you’re willing to commit to a finish date, they wont’ get done.

Dealing With The “Guilt Stuff”

A.K.A. Pants That Don’t Fit, Clothes You Bought But Never Wore & Other Impulse Buys

It looked so cute on the rack, then you got home with good intentions but you never wore it.  Or, perhaps with weight loss or gain, you no longer fit into clothes you used to but they’re still “good” clothes.  Remind yourself, that clothes and clutter, if gone unused or simply driving you crazy does no one any good.  If you’re feeling guilty about wasting money, you don’t get that money back by having it hanging in your closet- donate it or sell it to recoop the costs or finally make that item useful to another person who can finally use it.  Dust collectors help no one.

If you’re feeling guilty about weight gain, holding onto a little black dress that doesn’t fit anymore doesn’t help you lose weight or get active.  If you’re happy with your weight or simply don’t feel like changing, that’s okay too- but holding on to old stuff as a reminder of the fun times you had sporting it, serves no one- it just keeps you stuck in the past.

Dealing With “Obligatory Stuff”

A.K.A. Stuff You’re Holding On For Other People But Don’t Want

We often hold onto our stuff for other people- gifts we didn’t like but hold onto in fear we could hurt feelings, or magazines we intend on giving to a friend, just lots and lots of clutter that we don’t want, yet we feel holding onto it honors other people.  Well hun, it doesn’t.

If you have a gift that you’ll fear an auntie will be crushed if you donate, perhaps let her know you had another friend who absolutely adored it and you passed it onto her to brighten her home (even if that friend is a random stranger at the thrift store, she doesn’t need to know). If you have things you’ve been holding onto for a friend for over a month or you keep forgetting to give to her- there might be a reason you haven’t passed it on so go ahead and donate, toss it or put it in your purse, car or put it in the mail right now!  Anything that doesn’t give you the warm fuzzies should be on it’s way to GONE.

Quick Decluttering Tips To Remember

• If you’re holding onto stuff out of obligation, chances are it’s in your head. The gifter probably won’t remember, and if they do- let them know you passed it on to someone special who loved it as much as you do.

• Stuff that we hold onto out of regret or “hope” doesn’t actually help motivate us to change habits (like start exercising) Letting go of the guilt can be the key to moving on and getting started on real change.

• Put things you feel emotional about in a box, if you don’t use it or think about it in 6 months, donate the box without pilfering through it, activating another emotional cycle.

• If you have a penchant for knick-knacks & small items that don’t have a good spot to display or get in the way- remember not everything has to be on display at once!  Cycle your favorite pictures, figurines and collectibles.

• Ask yourself:  What emotion (that isn’t love or usefulness) is causing me to hold onto this item and how is it holding me back?  Has this item been lurking around in the hopes I’ll use it, but I never do?  Do I have multiples of this item or could a different item I already have be of better use?  What about this item is keeping me from having the clean space I desire- would I truly miss it?

1.  Repaint Using Pinterest

Choosing a new color can be overwhelming, how will you know what really reflects your sense of style before you see it on a live wall?  The easiest way to find color schemes is to look on Pinterest- you will get not only decor inspiration but great color palettes to work with!  The best way to give a room a new look, you can turn something dark and drab into something divine in less than a day. Really think about the effect you want to go for- color can address anything that annoys you about your space to brighten it up, tone it down or hide some imperfections that drive you nuts!  Move the eye around instead of dwelling on what you hate!

A good paint job will work to make it feel warmer, cosier, fresher, brighter or airier just by giving it a carefully considered lick of paint that’ll cost an average of $20-30.  If you really are struggling to afford paint, you don’t have to paint the whole room – you could just choose a feature wall or fireplace that would look great highlighted with your chosen color. It’ll take less time and could be good deal cheaper.

One of my biggest headaches of all time is keeping my wardrobe organized.  I have the horribly unfrugal habit of not taking good care to organize my stuff which leads to me buying similar items (spending more money) or spending too much time getting ready since I feel I have nothing to wear (then, spending more money!)

Honestly, if it’s not in front of my face or I don’t already have an outfit in mind I just don’t utilize my wardrobe effectively.  I saw these two videos from my fave bloggers at Fabulous On A Budget which were so brilliant it caused angels to sing in my room.  They=super fab and smart and I had to share since I adore their style (and the fact they get tipsy)!

Enjoy these great Vlogs from Fabulous On A Budget!

Use Tabs From Pop Cans To Create Outfits On The Rack & Save Space:

Quick Tricks To Smartly Organize Your Closet (You know, to FIND stuff!):

Stuff happens. Computers and Venti Iced Teas collide with disastrous results.  Your neighbor burns the bacon and ends up flooding his floor (and your ceiling).  Between bar #1 and your best friend’s futon, your credit card ends up somewhere in between.

Taking 10 minutes today could prevent disaster- and it’s almost stupid that most of us don’t.   Let’s get smart and get secure in stupidly simple steps:

Step One: Take Inventory.

Take stock of everything you have that could be useful in case of an insurance claim,  plus all of your crucial financial information and contact numbers in one handy (and locked) computer file.

Your secure inventory should include:

-Your bank information, your credit cards (at least the last 4 digits) and the numbers to call in case of an emergency or stolen wallet.

-All of the items you would need replaced in case of a disaster, with model number and photo documentation if possible.

-Emergency contact information of your doctors, insurance (with account number), family/friends and any vital people you would need to contact or have contacted on your behalf.

Step Two: Secure a Backup.

Now that you have your awesome inventory on a computer file, where to store it in case something happens to your computer?  I have everything backed up on both an external hard drive and on Dropbox.com.  You can get an external hard drive for $45 or less, and it will hold all of your music and pictures.   I personally use Dropbox for my documents as it saves automatically and syncs with my computer as I save new documents.

Step Three: Make Sure You’re Insured.

Renters insurance can be under $10 a month and protects you from a myriad of problems:  flooding, theft, fire and all kinds of other potential mishaps.  After one end of my insurance building caught on fire for NO reason (they still never told us why), I knew it was worth the $10 a month to replace my electronics and furniture at the very least.

I also personally have Term Life Insurance. For around $35 a month, I am putting money aside that can be reclaimed later if not used if something happens.  I know you can get cheaper payments and different rates but for my needs this worked out!

Take a few minutes to evaluate if you have enough insurance, of if the insurance you currently have is giving you enough protection for the best price.  Give a quick call to your institution to do a check in and see if you can get a deal.

I know there’s something I’ve left out.  If there’s anything you’ve done to secure yourself that made you think “Hot damn I’m smart,” please feel free to share so I can bask in your glory and prevent my own self-imposed disasters.

Want to be considered one of the savviest, most thoughtful people in your circle of friends?  That’s right, you so do.

While I could extol the virtues of thoughtfulness through this blog, or implore you that thank you notes are the life blood of generousity (and you really have no excuse to be lazy), I’m not going to.

Simply put, if you don’t have the courtesy to say “thanks” for a nice dinner out, a kind gift or the lending of a helping hand- you probably won’t learn now from me!  On the other hand, for those of you who love receiving gifts and love the people you get them from (or even if you don’t) and want to keep them coming, read on…

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