Fun fact about me: I am someone who loves and craves clean space. My counters, desk, and surfaces need to clear of debris and only have the necessities!
- Manuals: Everyone has old manuals for microwaves, ovens, toasters, etc. Not only are they taking up space and collecting dust, but there is a very good chance that you can find the manual online or troubleshoot through sites such as google.
- Mysterious Cords: Speaking from personal experience, I know I have cords laying in drawers and to be honest I have no idea what they belong to. If I cannot match the cord to any electronic or device, there is a high percentage that I no longer have the item and no longer need the cord.
- Cookbooks: My first tip is to go through all of your cookbooks and pick out your favourite recipes, then compile them into a homemade cookbook. My second tip is to utilize sites such as Pinterest when looking up recipes, this will cut down on the hard copy cookbooks you own.
- Mismatch Socks: If you are like me, you probably have a few lone socks laying around waiting for their pair to mysteriously show up, but I can almost always guarantee that it won't be found. Toss the sock without its mate, its just collecting dust and taking up space.
- Dried Out Pens: You'd be shocked at the amount of dried out pens I have. Every few months I like to go through them and toss the ones that no longer work as in the future I would have just picked it up, went to use it, then got frustrated when I realized I would have to find a new one.
- Old Magazines: First ask yourself 'Am I going to read this again?' If your answer is yes, then keep it, but if you are like me, that magazine will be sitting around, unread, years from now. I always used the excuse 'What if I need to make a collage?', but lets be honest, I have never had to make one.
- Junk Drawer: Although they come in handy, a 'junk drawer' is not necessary. It just becomes a dumping ground and a cluttered mess. Everything I own needs to have a place, if it doesn't then I must decide if I really need it.
- Old/Dried Nail Polish: Guilty. I can admit it. I have dozens of nail polish that I haven't worn in years and they are almost always dried up and no longer wearable. I tend to have a few colours that I always end up wearing on repeat, and lets be honest, if I need a certain colour for a specific outfit or event, I can guarantee one of my friends has one I can borrow. There is no need to hang onto all of these colours, although pretty.
- Shoes That Hurt to Wear: Most people have a pair of shoes that they curse whenever they wear them. Whether they are too small or just don't fit right, toss them. They are not worth the physical pain and heartache of wearing them.
- Mismatch Tupperware: I'm not sure how it happens, but I have numerous Tupperware that have lost its lid or the lid has lost its container. Some nights it takes me a few minutes just to find a matching pair. My advice is to empty the drawer, match everything that has a pair and toss the ones that don't. You won't be finding its mate no matter how hard you search.
- Prom Dress: If I was smart, I would have sold it in the years that followed my prom. I always hung onto the dress thinking 'What if I get asked to another prom?', but I'm now 23 years old and can say that I was never asked to another prom and if I was, I would have bought another dress. 6 years later, the dress is now out of style and is just sitting in my closet collecting dust. Now, although I am not tossing my dress at this moment, I will be donating it to my old High School come prom season.
- Old School Assignments/Notebooks: I still have notebooks and assignments from high school. Why? I have no idea. I have never once went back to use the information or read them. Unless you know and can guarantee that you will use and need the information again one day, toss it. The same thing applies to university. Unless it a course specific to your degree, you most likely will not be needing those scribbled class notes again.
- Costume Jewelry: Jewelry is one of those items I think multiples. How did I acquire 12 pairs of diamond stud earrings? I have no idea. I recently donated almost half of my jewelry as it was items I haven't worn since junior high or I had 3 or 4 of the same item. I only kept the sentimental pieces, the ones I wear daily and ones I absolutely know I will wear in the future.
- Old Textbooks: I have almost a dozen old textbooks in my basement collecting dust. I always told myself that I may need them again, and to be honest, I have never gone back and read them. Heck, I hardly read them when I was enrolled in the classes. One regret I have is not selling them once finished with them. Not only am I now stuck with old, dusty textbooks, but they are now out of date as new editions have been published and I am now out of some extra cash.
- Social Media: This may be the easiest yet hardest thing to declutter. Although it is not a physical item, it still piles up and gets cluttered. I recently went through my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and got rid of those people who I no longer talk to or (sorry not sorry) no longer care about. We all have those individuals you knew in High School but you can no longer read their daily statuses that are nine times out of ten complaining or bashing someone or something. You don't need that negativity in your life. Social media can be stressful, get rid of that stress and just keep your close friends and family (and your old high school crush you want to keep tabs on).
Although not all of these items may apply to you, I hope this will give you a start to decluttering and make you ask 'Do I really need this?'. I would also love to know what items are easy for you to declutter? Mine would have to be clothes. I can now easily weed through the collection and donate the ones I no longer wear!
Post a Comment