Even before Marie Kondo graced our Netflix screens, there has been a significant rise in the minimalist movement. The age of “stuff” seems to be coming to an end, and with good reason. Far too many people find themselves burdened by their belongings rather than finding them useful. The hardest part for all of us is deciding what to get rid of and what we should keep around. Need help figuring out what to toss out right now? Here is what these organizing professional have to say on the matter.
Things You Haven’t Used In A Year
Things You Haven’t Used In A Year
Shamika from Maximizing Tiny lives in a 750-square foot apartment that she has organized brilliantly. She advises: “For example, if you have a toaster or a waffle maker that is taking up space and you haven’t used it in a year, re-home it. If you have a pair of shoes that you have never worn and it’s taking up place in your closet, get rid of it.”
Free Swag You’ll Never Use
Let’s face it, everyone loves getting free stuff, but how often do we actually use? Katrina of Badass Homelife says: “Any item that was given to you and you didn’t specifically want but feel guilty of getting rid of, like giveaway merchandise from networking events and expos. I promise you no one will get mad at you if you donate that tumbler you got from a Bridal Expo way back in 2011.”
Things That Have Expired
Rashmi of Rush Me Home says: “I always ask, how often do you look into your pantry and have expired products and foods in there? That is the best part of organizing; you see exactly what you have and what you need. This way you are saving money buy not overbuying items you don’t need.”
Toss Out Things That Have Expired
Old & Mismatched Items
Faith Roberson of Organize With Faith shared a particularly useful piece of advice, get rid of “old underwear and mismatched socks.” There’s really no reason to keep old underwear (especially when it’s starting to have some holes) or socks that don’t have a match. Don’t feel bad to just toss them out.
Things Not Regularly Used
Vaishali Sahni of Tiny and Tidy also lives in a small and compact condo that she keeps immaculately organized. She says it’s important to get rid of “Everything they don’t value and use regularly.” Simply put, if you’re not using something regularly, it shouldn’t be taking up space in your apartment.
Big Wardrobe With Different Clothes For Dressing Room
Toss Out This Unhelpful Common Belief
Pia of Sweet Digs is here to set the record straight about getting organized. She said it’s time to retire “The belief that an inability to be organized is a flaw or something to be embarrassed about. Not everyone is born organized and that’s perfectly okay. It’s not about the stuff. External clutter is internal clutter on display. Your home is cluttered because your life is. Decluttering is self-care. You have just prioritized other things over your self-care. It means you are not living an aligned life, not putting yourself first and we have all done that from time to time. But you can learn it. Everyone can learn to be tidy, shift their habits, and change their mindset and understand that putting themselves first is not selfish but fills you up so that you can perform at your best in the many roles you play everyday.” We totally agree, Pia!
