One of the biggest problems with clutter is that as much as we try to get rid of it, we always seem to build up more and more over time. This is generally because cleaning up clutter does not remove our habits, so we need to attack the source of the clutter instead of simply sweeping it under the rug or tossing it into your garage. If you want to improve your life by getting rid of clutter for good, then here are a couple of important tips you should follow.
Build a temporary storage location
When sorting out all of your clutter, you need a place to put all of your items temporarily. This could be a self-storage center or it could be just the loft, garage or an empty room. It is recommended that you pick an external location such as the garage, but a storage center is recommended if you have many large items. If you think that getting external storage is expensive, keep in mind that you will only need it for about a week and there are some places that offer very competitive pricing. For instance, the prices at Hollywood Self Storage are fair and should give you no trouble. Once you have designated a storage area, you can then start to move all of your clutter into a single location and start sorting it out.
This is only needed for the first clean up because once you have cleaned your clutter, the following tips will make sure it never returns.
Sell unwanted items
Whenever you upgrade your electronics, technology or even a lamp, keep in mind that you do not have to hold onto the old one. Simply sell it for a bit of money and put that towards your savings. It is a great way to clean up clutter, you make a bit of money in the process, and you will feel better about yourself in general. Simply head over to a website such as eBay and list your unwanted goods, say goodbye to the clutter, and forever change your mentality.
Record sentimentality
Sometimes, it is not so much the item itself that makes us sentimental, but the memories associated with an item. Instead of cluttering your home and keeping all those items to take out in a few year’s time, simply take a picture of them, save them on a digital medium or upload them to a cloud photo service so you have an easier time browsing your collection and reliving your memories. It might feel horrible to throw the items away, but remember that your sentimentality is not rooted in the physical object, but the memories you have.
Replace physical with digital
If you have a huge collection of video games, books or magazines, then you might find it easier to purchase digital versions of them in the future as opposed to physical ones. If you are willing to buy something a second time, you could always download digital copies of your favorite books, games and films and sell off the physical editions. In the future, when you want to obtain content, you could even stream it directly instead of downloading or buying it on the internet.
